Somalia Online Weekly Bulletin: Informative articles only

[Dhimbil]

Deconstructing the concept of human rights in Africa Click for more.

 

5. Taking account of the modernisation trend in the Post-colonial African state

 

In Africa, we are now faced with a growing ‘public’ agitation for the state to respect the human rights of its citizens. As a result, anything anti-government today - be it for selfish ends or not (e.g. secessionist incidents that are disguised as a people’s right to self-determination) - tends to ride on the wings of ‘human rights’. A sudden proliferation of opportunists masquerading as human rights experts and activists has recently emerged. But a number of these opportunists are not in search of human rights. Among other things, their concern is with donor funds and the ideological re-focusing of the continent. Human rights in these parts of the world is, indeed, a lucrative business. But even with the emergence of all these opportunistic and pro-capitalist, laissez-faire tendencies in African society, the various sub-cultures of the traditional African set-up are not entirely obliterated. The change from the Old to the New, when viewed from a dialectical materialist angle, shows that there is often a carry over of some properties from the Old into the New. This explains, for example, the cultural dichotomy and the ambivalence of the post-colonial state in Africa: a silent struggle between values of the traditional African society and norms of modernity and Western civility. In this political milieu, however, we must find a new meaning to the concept of human rights in Africa.

 

The African society, as I contend, has largely, and historically, been built on the notion of duty, as opposed to rights. And the case of Africa is not unique in this sense. Other developing societies such as the Asian societies have had similar experiences. In general, rights, in contrast to duties, are aggressive and assertive. Duties, on the other hand, call for modesty and humility, yet at the same time realising the importance of coexistence. In many cases, rights are ego-centric and tend to be jettisoned by surrogate activists in pursuit of their own selfish ends at the expense of the common good. To this end, the pursuit of anarchy is often disguised as an act of human rights. But this view does not exonerate the state from the obligation to respect and uphold the rights of its citizens. Indeed, the view does not call for a conservative and reactionary culture. Rather, the thesis in this study pins down both the state and the individual in as far as civic responsibilities are concerned. Let us take an enlightening example of a young couple that is about to get married.

 

[QUANTUM LEAP]

Thought this article was both brave and very educational interms of the clashes of civilisations.

 

This sums it all up...

 

"It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future."

 

" ...The challenge for Western policy-makers, says Huntington, is to make sure that the West gets stronger and fends off all the others, Islam in particular. ...."

 

Here is a link to the article:

 

Click<====

[Baashi]

Good to be back!

This article is very interesting one, take a look.

 

Men Choking The Faith By Saadia Malik

 

The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey God and His Messenger. On them will God pour His mercy: for God is Exalted in power, Wise. (Quran 9:71)

 

I have often felt dejected at the way most of the western media projects the status of women under the banner of Islam. Whereas Islam enjoins perfect equality between men and women, it is heralded to the world as a faith that suppresses women, confines them within the four walls of their homes and alternately, looks down upon those who set foot outside the house. I have however, stumbled upon the fact that neither the western media nor the non-Muslims are to be blamed. It is really a matter for men who profess to be Muslims to look beneath their skin, into their blood with which they asphyxiate the breath of Islam and choke the life out of it - in effect, portraying it as a cruel faith.

 

Men of one faith will understand the other faith vis-à-vis the way it is practically witnessed by them because not all will delve into original sources with utmost devotion in order to realize the true spirit of the other.

 

Consider the following illustration.

 

Being alien to the religion of Islam, I walk into the village of Jubala - an underdeveloped and non-education oriented region. I am told that the natives there follow the religion of Islam. I shall easily be led into interpreting Islam as defined by the ancient customs of tribes inhabiting the region.

 

Consider another illustration.

 

Being somewhat alien to the religion of Islam, I walk into the city of Los Angeles - relatively a developed and education-oriented region. I am told that a vast number of the area's residents are Muslims. I, thus, understand Islam in the spirit of activity of the locals. I have been briefed. According to which, Islam is a tolerant faith. It grants equal status to men and women and it enjoins peace. But…

 

Alas! My observance runs averse to all pre-conceived notions. Islam does not enjoin the treatment of women in perfect likeness to men. Quite contrary, in fact. My discovery owes itself to a chance affiliation with a local family. The man sets out to work. The lady of the house stays at home. She is not supposed to be involved in any intellectual exhibition since that is not an option on her side of the 'equation'. Rather, she is supposed to stay at home, cook and keep the house clean. It takes an hour or two. Then what? Can she move out for - if nothing else - air? Not at all. Her religion requires her to stay inside her house and wait for the hard-working, deserving individual to return. Eleven hours in the office and he has earned the day's worth. It would only be fair if he were allowed a couple of hours to chill out with friends. Ten would be a good time to get back home. Dinner would be ready by then. Surely, its on the table. In the follow-up - and being human - it is only understandable that he gets a bit drowsy. The wife must not ask for any simple talk time, for Islam enjoins on the woman to allow her husband to relax since he is obviously providing her with food, clothes and shelter. She need not and should not demand more. He does his share of the work and goes to bed. She does her share of the work and must go to bed to rise again early morning and prepare breakfast for hubby dear. For surely, he has a tough day ahead of him. The weekend finally approaches and she welcomes it with open arms. A tough week, full of chores at home and zero interaction leaves her exhausted. But then, he deserves rest too. It would be a better option for her not to get used to the bed linen and get a wonderful breakfast-in-bed prepared for her man who obviously, deserves getting used to the linen. She feels tired and short of sleep but she must wear the best smile to please him. He has obviously been laboring throughout the week for her sake. He approaches her to acquire the one pleasure he must obtain. She can not decline because her religion forbids her to. She must understand her. He doesn't need to . . . end of story.

 

And then we raise our voices arguing about how dare they defame Islam?

 

The mentality of superiority that prevails among men of our societies is a shameful incidence. Professing to be Muslims and wanting our women to be protected from the predatory eyes of other men is good, and we must not be apologetic about it. But suppressing her under the man's nauseating demands, depriving her of education, stealing her right to feel and to express and giving her the sole symbol of being the answer to man's lascivious desires is not good - least of all, something to be proud of.

[Sniper]

It is really impressive how Sayid Qutab understoood that verse...he was the Islamic Einstein and better,his execution is one of the things we'll never forget,i just hope Allah blesses us with another individual of his type.Amin

[Baashi]

Angry African voices

 

 

"Half-starved people are being daily admonished to tighten their belts, members of the Ghanaian aristocracy and their hangers-on who tell them to do this, are fast, developing pot bellies and paunches and their wives and sweet-hearts double their chins in direct proportion to the rate at which people tighten their belts." -- Victor Owusu in 1961. _______________________________________________________

 

 

"The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership . . . We have lost the twentieth century; are we bent on seeing that our children also lose the twenty-first? God forbid!" -- Chinua Achebe (in The Trouble With Nigeria. Enugu: Fourth Dimension Press, 1985; p.3). _______________________________________________________

 

 

"It is true God's children in Africa suffer because there is less freedom in their countries than during the colonial times. African leaders need to be reminded that there is totalitarianism and despotism nearly everywhere in Africa. When your people are free, you can also walk freely and you will not need huge security to protect you." -- Bishop Desmond Tutu (The Daily Nation, Nairobi, March 26, 1990).

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"African dictators are some of the most hypocritical leaders anywhere. They condemn oppression of black people by apartheid, yet they organize widespread massacres of their own black people. More than 2,000 Kenyans were killed in cold blood by Moi's security forces at the Wajir massacre in Kenya." -- Koigi wa Wamwere, former member of parliament in Kenya and now in jail (Index on Censorship, July 1990; p.22).

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"It has become trendy for enlightened writers on Africa to put all the blame for Africa's backwardness on the West. I think the West should not be blamed anymore for Africa's predicament...

 

I may ask, what is our goal as Africans? It sounds funny that a country like Nigeria cannot boast of any significant supply of good drinking water even after 30 years of independence.

 

One is tempted to think that the goal for Africans is to drive a flashy car, and own a house in Britain, US or France. This is very common among our leaders, some of who think it is a mistake not to have a Swiss bank account or a castle in France.

 

It is not a shame to admit our failures, set our priorities right and forget about blaming the West always for our woes. In fact it is a lazy society which puts all the blame for its troubles on its neighbors.

 

Let our leaders set clear-cut goals for our countries, and not Swiss bank accounts. I don't think George Bush would set himself a goal of owning a bank account in Ghana or Nigeria." -- Osa Kingsley in New African, August, 1990; p.45).

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"Three decades of dictatorships, phoney and misunderstood political ideologies have left a legacy of fear, poverty, refugees, outright political thuggery and theft.

 

The systems which have been in place for the last three decades in Africa have produced the likes of Amin, Bokassa, Nguema and the remaining political sphinx which strangle the African continent and its people.

 

Since assuming political power in their countries, these leaders have held their citizens hostage, have run national economies like private chicken-runs and created a national mentality of siege and a state of hopelessness" -- George Sono (New African, Jan 1991; p. 41).

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If you steal, do not steal too much at a time. You may be arrested. Steal cleverly (yiba na mayele), little by little." -- President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire in an address to party regulars in 1991.________________________________________________________

 

 

"Crisis, chaos, famine, diseases, civil wars, coups, dictatorships, social disorder, corruption and legitimising military regimes seem to be the most outstanding elements of post-independence Africa. The mood of optimism, hope and high expectation has today been overtaken by frustration and pessimism." -- Kofi Adusei-Poku (West Africa, March 1-7, 1993; p. 320).

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One of the most urgent matters for Nigerians to address when they settle down to debate the National Question is the issue of collaboration by professionals and technocrats with corrupt and repressive regimes. We must devise effective sanctions against our lawyers and judges and doctors and university professors who debase their professions in their zealotry to serve as tyranny's errand-boys, thus contributing in large measure to the general decay of honesty and integrity in our national life. Chinua Achebe in African News Weekly (1 October 1993, 32).

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"I believe the worst form of civilian government is better that the most benevolent military regime." -- Chuba Okadigbo, former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of Nigeria's dissolved Senate (The New York Times, Dec 2, 1993; p.A3).

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"We have incessantly been hounded and harassed. What have we not seen? Grenades, tear-gas, bullets -- you name it! But if anytime the regime intimidates me and I get scared, then we can as well say goodbye to democracy! Even though death is a daily reality, I can't be subdued by the fear of death. The reason why I am not afraid of death is simple: since 1990, we swore to hand power to the people, and until that goal is achieved, no grenades, bullets, assassination plots can deter us from that noble goal. Take this message from me: We're not afraid of death because with the people's support, prayers and solidarity nothing -- I repeat nothing -- can dampen our unflinching resolve to bring veritable democracy to Cameroon." -- Fru Ndi, Chairman of Social Democratic Front (Cameroon Life, Jan 1994; p.10).

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"Africa's biggest problem today lies with the leadership. They are so removed from the people that they are looked upon as foreigners. They are driven by self-interest, so excessive that their peoples' interests are forgotten -- hardly different from the colonial masters" -- John Hayford (New African, April, 1994; p.7).

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"The problem in Africa is precisely that there is no state to speak of. What exists are ramshackle gangs, presided over by political thugs and military adventurists, generals who have never been to war, and rickety old men who lack vision, who simply pretend to be governing, talk less of ruling, a society. In no African social formation has this body, by whatever name it goes, been able to operate as a state." From "Pan-Africanism: Agenda for African Unity in the 1990s" by Nigerian scholar, Julius O. Ihonvbere, now at Ford Foundation, in a Keynote address at The All-African Student's Conference, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, May 27, 1994.

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"In my view, Ghana's economic malaise is not the result of lack of opportunities or of resource. Ghana, like the rest of Africa, with the possible exception of South Africa and a few others, suffers from the affliction of dishonest leadership . . .

 

I have put the emphasis on bad and corrupt leadership as the root cause of our economic woes. I make no apologies for this because we all know what is going on. On my part, I am quite disappointed that we in Parliament have not been courageous to say nay when this way is necessary" -- Hon. Hawa Yakubu-Ogede, former MP, Bawku (The Ghanaian Voice, Feb 12, 1995; p.8).

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"Nigerians must realize that colonialism has nothing to do with the color of the colonizer and the colonized. Any group of people that uses the advantage of power -- military or material -- to oppress, exploit, and inferiorize another group of people can be justifiably described as a colonizing group." -- Ropo Sekoni (The Isokan News, Spring, 1995; p.19).

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"Three decades after independence, uncertainty and fear still rule the African continent. The freedom and justice that many people sacrificed their lives for have been replaced by tyranny and oppression. And the promises of a decent living has been betrayed by misgovernance and corruption.

 

Most Africans fought so hard to liberate themselves from colonial rule only to be used and abused and their nations ruined by their own leaders. Today Africa has very little to show for its independence because of inhumane and incompetent leadership" -- Steve Mallory, publisher (The African Observer, May 2-15, 1995; p.3).

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"Nigeria, the comatose giant of Africa, may go down in history as the biggest country ever to go directly from colonial subjugation to complete collapse, without an intervening period of successful self-rule. So much promise, so much waste; such a disappointment. Such a shame. Makes you sick" -- Linus U.J. Thomas-Ogboji (The African News Weekly (May 26, 1995; p.6).

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"Apart from the corruption, the army under Captain Valentine Strasser government (of Sierra Leone) has become totally incompetent, and is conducting a war against the people. The countryside is nothing but destruction, upon destruction. Whole towns and villages have been destroyed" -- Ibrahim Ibn Ibrahim, a Sierra Leonian journalist in Akasanoma, July 31-Aug 6, 1995; p.38).

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A critical look at contemporary African military would bring one's eye closer to tears, and one's mind nearer to insanity. The caliber of people found in the military is an obloquy to the belated institution. Today, soldiers of most African countries are known as brutes, bullies and buffoons. Soldiers are always supposed to be in the barracks, either training or doing something profitable. But in Africa, the case is totally different and appalling. Come to Accra and you will see soldiers moving about, wielding guns, pistols, harassing citizens and causing needless trouble. Go to Lome and you will see them. Go to Burkina Faso. To Lagos. To Kinshasa. O! what a degradation of the military! Ghana has seen varied types of uncouth and indisplined soliders" -- Prince Oduro (Free Press, Aug 4-10, 1995; p.4).

[Baashi]

Read if u got time to spare...it is worth reading article.

 

An FAF Publication

(The Washington Times, April 20, 1998; p.A17.

 

---------------------

In 1986, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda declared that: "No African head of state should be in power for more than 10 years." This proclamation was enthusiastically hailed by pro-democracy activists across the African continent. Since 1960, more than 180 African heads of state have held power but less than 20 relinquished it or retired voluntarily. Such countries as Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Togo have had only two heads of state since independence in the 1960s. After ten years in office, African leaders treat their countries as their own personal fiefdoms and are more preoccupied with developing their pockets -- to the detriment of the national economy.

 

If President Clinton had rigorously adhered to Museveni's dictum on his trip to Africa, he would have skipped Ghana (Fte./Lte Jerry Rawlings in power for 17 years); Senegal (Abdou Diouf for 14 years); Botswana (Quett Masire for 17 years); and even Uganda, where President Museveni himself has ruled for 12 years. Alas, the rules are made for others but not for them -- like President Sam Nujoma of Namibia, who wants to amend his country's constitution in order to serve a third term but all future Namibian presidents must obey the two-term limit. Of this lot, Quett Masire of Botswana and Nelson Mandela of South Africa have been the refreshing exceptions: Masire retired on March 31, a day after President Clinton left Botswana and Mandela will also retire when his term expires in 1999.

 

One word, power, explains why Africa is in the grip of a never-ending cycle of wanton chaos, horrific carnage, senseless civil wars and collapsing economies: The struggle for power, its monopolization by one individual or group, and the subsequent refusal to relinquish or share it. Since politics constitutes the gateway to fabulous wealth in Africa, the competition for political power has always been ferocious. The "winner takes all" so competitors must fight to "their very last man" -- even if it means destroying the country. Political defeat could mean exile, jail or starvation. Those who win power, capture the state and proceed to transform it into their own personal property. State institutions, such as the military, the judiciary, the media, the civil service, police and the banking system, are taken over and debauched. Key positions in these institutions are handed over to the president's tribesmen, cronies and loyal supporters -- to serve their interests and not those of the people or the nation. Meritocracy, rule of law, property rights, transparency and administrative capacity vanish.

 

Said Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Erskine (rtd), former commander of the United Nations Forces in Lebanon in an address to the Rotary International in Accra in 1991: "The fact that some African leaders get themselves emotionally identified with their country which they consider their personal property and that they and their minority ethnic clientele should lead the country and that they should rule until death is the single major phenomenon creating serious political crisis on the continent. Not even bulldozers can dislodge some of these leaders from office" (West Africa, May 6-12, 1991; p. 722).

 

Thus, "government," as it is understood in the West does not exist in many African countries. What exists is a "mafia state" -- a government hijacked by a phalanx of gangsters, crooks and scoundrels. This cabal of criminals use government machinery, edicts, taxes and controls to extract resources from the poor peasantry to enrich themselves, their cronies, relatives and tribesmen. All others are excluded in this politics of exclusion. The richest persons in Africa are heads of state and ministers. Often, the chief bandit is the head of state himself. Foreign aid is not spared from the looting.

 

Eventually, this "mafia African state" implodes, sucking the country into a vortex of savage carnage and heinous destruction: Liberia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and Zaire. The process varies but its onset follows two predictable reponse patterns.

 

First, those exploited by the vampire state are eventually driven to exercise the "exit option": Leave or reduce their exposure to the formal economy by smuggling and taking their activities to the underground economy or the black market. This deprives the state of tax revenue and foreign exchange. Over time, the formal economy progressively shrinks and the state finds it increasingly difficult to raise revenue as taxes are massively evaded, leading the ruling vampire elites to resort to printing money and inflate the economy.

 

Second, those excluded from the spoils of political power eventually rise up in a rebel insurgency or secede (Biafra in 1967). And it takes only a small band of determined rag-tag malcontents to plunge the country into mayhem. Back in 1981, Yoweri Museveni, the current President of Uganda, started out with only 27 men in a guerrilla campaign against Milton Obote. Charles Taylor, now the President of Liberia, set out with 150 rebels; the late Mohamed Farah Aidid of Somalia began with 200 rebels; and Paul Kagame of Rwanda set out with less than 250. And no African government in the post-colonial era has been able to crush a rebel insurgency.

 

Unwilling to relinquish or share political power, the ruling vampire elites block, sabotage or manipulate the electoral process to keep themselves in power. The blockage of the democratic process or the refusal to hold elections plunged Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, and Sudan into civil war. The manipulation of the electoral process by hardliners destroyed Rwanda (1993), and Sierra Leone (1992). The subversion of the electoral process in Liberia (1985) eventually set off a civil war in 1989 and instigated civil strife in Cameroon (1991), Congo (1992), Togo (1992) and Kenya (1992). Finally, the annulment of electoral results by the military started Algeria's civil war (1992) and plunged Nigeria into political turmoil (1993). And more African countries are destined to implode in the near future: Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Togo, Uganda and even Zimbabwe.

 

No program -- domestic or foreign -- will help Africa unless it addresses the power equation. It is the central issue which has created so much instability and rendered Africa a wilderness to even domestic investors and stunted economic growth. But because of political correctness, white Americans are unwilling to speak candidly about this issue for fear of being labelled "racist." Nor would black American civil rights leaders, who feel obligated to express "racial solidarity" with some of Africa's most ruthless despots. And the Clinton administration, treading ever so gently in order not to offend anymore, proclaims its desire to "form partnerships" with (gasp!) "mafia African states."

 

The cacophony of platitudes, pontifications and apologies that emanated from President Clinton's 1,000 plus entourage to Africa came nowhere near addressing the power equation. Nor does the Africa Growth and Investment Opportunity Act (or Trade Bill), which was passed by the House on March 11.

 

In fact, there is something fundamentally insincere about that Africa Trade Bill, which has been hailed as the cornerstone of a new post-Cold War relationship with Africa: "Trade not Aid." Under the old system, the U.S. conditioned its aid upon progress on market and democratic reform. But this approach failed miserably. Wily African despots performed acrobatic renditions of the "Babangida boogie" -- one step forward, three steps back, a side-kick and a flip to land on a fat Swiss bank account.

 

Unwilling to call a spade a spade and walk away from this arrant chicanery for fear of offending the Black Congressional Caucus and black American civil rights leaders, the administration crafted a nebulous Trade Bill. The U.S. will open up its markets to those African countries which show "a strong commitment to reform." Problem is, that "commitment" was lacking under the old system. So what makes the admnistration think it would magically emerge under the new system?

 

Currently, only 6 African countries (Botswana Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda) meet the eligibility requirements. Even then, President Nelson Mandela is opposed to the Bill because of Third World country restrictions it imposes on participating African countries: That they should severe trade relations with such countries as Iraq, Libya, Iran, and Cuba.

 

U.S. imports from Africa constitute less than 1 percent of the total and there is room for trade expansion. And there is nothing wrong with President Clinton and his entourage seeking to open up markets for U.S. companies. After all, the Japanese or the Chinese don't go to Africa because they love black people. But let Africans themselves determine what is good for them.

[QUANTUM LEAP]

WAR AND POLITICS.....

[Baashi]

Here is another absorbing piece. Plz read it.

 

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Religion and Human Life (Adapted from Spirit of Islam by Muhammad Asad)

 

 

What we call the 'religious attitude' is the natural outcome of man's intellectual and biological constitution. Man is unable to explain to himself the mystery of life, the mystery of birth and death, the mystery of infinity and eternity. His reasoning stops before impregnable walls. He can, therefore, do two things.

 

One is, to give up all attempts at understanding life as a totality. In this case, man will rely upon the evidence of external experiences alone and will limit his conclusions to their sphere. Thus he will be able to understand single fragments of life, which may increase in number and clarity as rapidly or as slowly as human knowledge of nature increases, but will, nonetheless, always remain only fragments - the grasp of the totality itself remaining beyond the methodical equipment of human reason. This is the way the natural sciences go.

 

The other possibility - which may well exist side by side with the scientific one - is the way of religion. It leads man, by means of an inner, mostly intuitive, experience, to the acceptance of a unitary explanation of life, generally on the assumption that there exists a supreme Creative Power which governs the Universe according to some pre-conceived plan above and beyond human understanding.

 

This conception does not necessarily preclude humankind from an investigation of such facts and fragments of life as offer themselves for external observation; there is no inherent antagonism between the external (scientific) and internal (religious) perception. But the latter is, in fact, the logical speculative possibility to conceive all life as a unity of essence and motive power; in short, as a well-balanced, harmonious totality.

 

The term 'harmonious', though so terribly misused, is very important in this connection, because it implies a corresponding attitude in man himself. The religious human knows that whatever happens to him and within him can never be the result of a blind play of forces without consciousness and purpose; he believes it to be the outcome of God's conscious will alone, and, therefore, organically integrated with a universal plan. In this way man is enabled to solve the bitter antagonism between the human Self and the objective world of facts and appearances which is called Nature.

 

The human being, with all the intricate mechanism of his soul, with all his desires and fears, his feelings and his speculative uncertainties, sees himself faced by a Nature in which bounty and cruelty, danger and security are mixed in a wondrous, inexplicable way and apparently work on lines entirely different from the methods and the structure of the human mind. Never has purely intellectual philosophy or experimental science been able to solve this conflict. This exactly is the point where religion steps in.

 

In the light of religious perception and experience, the human, self-conscious Self and the mute, seemingly irresponsible Nature are brought into a relation of spiritual harmony; because both, the individual consciousness of man and the Nature that surrounds him and is within him, are nothing but co-ordinate, if different, manifestations of one and the same Creative Will.

 

The immense benefit which religion thus confers upon man is the realization that he is, and never can cease to be, a well-planned unit in the eternal movement of Creation: a definite part in the infinite organism of universal destiny. The psychological consequence of this conception is a deep feeling of spiritual security - that balance between hopes and fears which distinguishes the positively religious man, whatever his religion, from the irreligious.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

Anigana tan ila arka, aqiyaarta.

___________________

 

Itoobiya fagaaradee ku heeso Soomaalida boqolaalkii sane ee u danbeeye:

 

• Sanadku makuu ahaa 1414 dhulka ay maanta degan yihiin dadka loo yaqaan Soomaali wuxuu ahaa mid aad u xoog badan waana isku xirnaa diin ahaan dhaqan ahaan waxaana hogaanka u haayay imaamyada, ugaasyada, salaadiinta iyo culima'udiinka, iwm.

• Waxaa dagal kusoo qaaday isla sanadkaas Xabashida waxaa dhacday in dhagta dhiiga loo daray waxaana loo gaystay qasaare xoog badan waxaana laga qabsaday dhul aad u balaaran.

• Sanadku markuu ahaa 1415 waxaa dhacay dagaal qabiileed oo aad u daba dheeraaday dhib xoog lehna gaystay, xabashidu waxay ku fakirtay inay ka fa'iidaysato waxayna soo qaaday dagaal culus waxayna dib u qabsatay dhulkili hore loo qabsaday waxayna ku darsatay dhul kale waxayna ku istaagtay Seylac.

• Waxaa dhacday inuu fakar dhasho, oo lagu fakiro sidii xabashida laysaga dhicin lahaa waxaa ugu horayntii lagu fakiray sidii dagaalka qabaa'ilka loo joojinlahaa, markii lagu gulaystay joojinta dagaalka qabaa'ilka waxaa lagu fakiray sidii ummuda ay kawada dhaxayso diinta kaliya sidii loo midayn lahaa waxaana la go'aamiyay in la bixiyo magac kawada dhexeeyo ummuda mid kawada dhiga dhamaantood si arinta qabiilka meel laysaga tuuro waxaana la bixiyey magaca maanta naloo yaqaan ee ah Soomaali waana laysku wada wafaqay intii u dhaxaysay 1415-1429 waxaana la bilaabay in dib laysugu ururiyo magacaas Xabashidana layska dhiciyo oo laga xureeyo dhulkii ay qabsatay.

• Intii u dhaxaysay 1506–1543 waxaa hogaamiyayasha ka mid ahaa oo qabtay hogaanka dagaalka Imaam Axmed Al Ghaasi {Axmed Gureey?} {allaha u naxariistee} waxaa suurto gashay in dib laysaga xureeyo Xabashida dhamaan dhulkii ay qabsatay laga soo celiyo waxaana laga sabarsiyay inay dagaal danbe ay ku fakirto wuxuuna fakirkii xabaashida usu rogay inay kaalmo waydiisato quwado kale ama heshiisyo sir ah ay lagasho si ay danaheeda ay u gaarto.

• Hogaamiyahii Talyaaniga ee lagu magacaabi jiray Okiyaale wuxuu heshiis sir ah lagalay sanadka markuu ahaa 1887 ibaradoorkii Xabashida ee Mililik isagoo sabab ka dhiganaayo dilkii la dilay sahmiyayaashii Talyaaniga ahaa ee sahminaayay dhulka Soomaalida waxaana lagu heshiiyay inuu Talyaaniga gacan ku sinaayo qabsashada magaalda Harar iyo dilka baqorkii dhinac ka xukumaayay Itoobiya ee ladhihi jiray (Jon), sanadku markuu ahaa 1888 waxaa ladilay boqorkii Jon, Mililik waxuu noqday midka kawada taliya dhulka Xabashida waxayna ku saaxibeen Talyaaninga.

• Itoobiya waxay hashiis sir ah la gashay Ingiriiska sanadku markuu ahaa 1897 wuxuuna heshiiskaas dhexmaray mas'uulkii Ingiriiska ee ladhihi jiray (Lord Raniil) iyo Ibradoor Mililik, waxaana lagu heshiiyay Ingiriiska inuu gacanta u galiyo dhulkii Soomaalida waxuuna ahaa dhulkaas Hawd, taasna markii ay Soomaalida ogaatay waa ay ka xumaatay waxaana kadhashay in la aas aaso jabhado xureen ah, waxaana kamid ahaa Darawiishta.

• Xabashida waxay ku gulaysatay inay Soomaalida ay galiso dagaal sedex gesood ah iyadana ay ka qab gasho dagaalkaas is ay Soomaalida u baaba'do guushana aay ku raacdo.

• Sanadku markuu ahaa 1920 waxaa istaagay kalmadii ay Soomaalidu kaheliysay Jarmalka iyo Turkiga waayo waxay galeen dagaal waana lagu jibiyay. Itoobiyana waxay noqotay mid ku ad kaato dagaalkaas Darawiishtana waxay noqotay mid aad u tarbar yar.

• Sanadku markuu 1934 Ingiriiska wuxuu kadalbay Itoobiya heshiis lagu calamadaynaayo xuduudaha , Ingiriiska wuxuu uga tanasulay Itoobiya dhulkii ay laheed Soomaalida isgoo ku raali garaynaayo xabishida talyaaniga isagoo aan raali ka aheen isagana waa uu ka tanasulay.

____________________

 

Masii wadi kariyee, ee meeshaan ka aqriso rafaadka ee Itoobiya ku heeso dhulka ee Soomaalida dagto

__________________

 

Soon Wanaagsan.

[Baashi]

MMA, Shaqsii, illmatic, thanks folks.

 

-------------------------------------

My Body is My Own Business

By Sulata Yusuf Ali

 

I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a "rebel". I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercing. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of "oppressed female". The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: "Do your parents make you wear that?" or "Don't you find that really unfair?"

 

A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harboring an Uzi underneath it. You never can tell with those Muslim fundamentalists.

 

Of course, the issue in hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear hijaab. There are many different ways to wear it, in essence, what we do is cover our entire bodies except our hands and faces.

 

If you're the kind of person who has watched a lot of popular movies, you'd probably think of harem girls and belly-dancers, women who are kept in seclusion except for the private pleasure of their male masters. In the true Islamic faith, nothing could be further from the truth. And the concept of hijaab, contrary to the popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment.

 

Whenever I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair-do and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this?

 

Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this earth. But it is the vessel of an intellectual mind and a strong spirit. It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing.

 

It is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being 'checked out'? When I wear the hijaab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between those who would exploit me and myself. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality.

 

One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is "in" or "out." And if you have the 'wrong' body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you? After all there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful.

 

Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, teller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this? Whether the '90s wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mould. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves.

 

When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females. My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is no more to me than that. I am also able to say 'no' comfortably when people ask me I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed. I have taken control of my sexuality.

 

I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin color. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them. So next time when you see me, don't look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive from those barbarous (?) Arabian deserts. I've been liberated by Islam.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sultana Yusufali is a 17-year-old Toronto high school girl. (Courtesy: Toronto Star Young People's Press)

 

^ Mansha'Allah.

[Baashi]

Essence of Eid

(Adapted from Spirit of Eid Al-Fitr by Khaled al-Maeena.)

 

The celebration of Eid ul-Fitr culminates a month of fasting wherein the faithful have spent their time praying and beseeching God for forgiveness and mercy. For many, Ramadan was not just an abstention from food and drink. Rather, it was an exercise in patience and discipline. Eid is the celebration for those who fasted and obeyed God's rules and teachings. It is for those who spent the month of Ramadan in complete devotion to Allah. Eid is a time when the entire Muslim community comes together to share in each others joy and blessings and also to lessen the burden of those who may be suffering.

 

It is preceded by people shopping and looking around for gifts for their near and dear ones. It is a time when the bright lights from homes and shops illuminates our life. We use see this day and the following days to spread happiness and social harmony by visiting our friends and relatives.

 

Gifts are exchanged during Eid by young and old alike. We also visit the elderly and the sick. Eid is a time where all kinds or festivities prevail. Many of us gormandize to make up for "lost food" during the month of Ramadan.

 

However, with all the going around we some time forget our lesser privileged brethren. We forget that there are many out there who have nothing to celebrate. There are those among our brothers and sisters for whom Eid day is just another ordinary day. There are those who open their cupboards on Eid day and find them bare. There are those who in hospitals who will go through a bleak and lonely day with no one visiting them. Friendless, deprived of company, they will have no one to offer solace or comfort. Let us therefore see to it that our deprived brethren welcome the day of Eid with warmth and hope.

 

As we buy gifts and clothes for our children, let us earmark a special sum for those who cannot afford to buy. Also we should instill in our children a sense of compassion so that when they buy something they will also think of their unfortunate brethren. Let us teach them the art of giving. We should let them know that there are millions of children in; war torn areas of Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq and Chechnya, the poor and downtrodden areas of Africa, Asia and South America, and even in the forgotten ghettos of Europe and North America who do not have the basic necessities to make this day a different day.

 

We cannot divest ourselves from the misery of others. We cannot shrug it off saying that it does not concern us. To do this would be an injustice to humanity. The Quran (5:8) tells us ... Be just: that is next to piety.

 

Many of us donate money to charity and fulfill our religious duty. However, if we actually meet the recipients of our charity the perception of charity changes. There is a feeling of belonging when the recipient and giver meet.

 

Islamic ideology teaches us to be kind and compassionate. Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that "I and the provider of the orphan will be together." And what greater prize is there for anyone of us than to be around our beloved prophet. All we need for that is compassion, sincerity and a feeling of brotherhood and understanding. And that will decide the quality of our life on earth and the hereafter.

 

 

 

 

Adapted from Spirit of Eid Al-Fitr by Khaled al-Maeena

[Matkey]

As we buy gifts and clothes for our children, let us earmark a special sum for those who cannot afford to buy. Also we should instill in our children a sense of compassion so that when they buy something they will also think of their unfortunate brethren. Let us teach them the art of giving. We should let them know that there are millions of children in; war torn areas of Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq and Chechnya, the poor and downtrodden areas of Africa, Asia and South America, and even in the forgotten ghettos of Europe and North America who do not have the basic necessities to make this day a different day.

Baashi, thanks for reminding us!

 

This a good article which more or less relates to the one you have shared with us, in term of helping our mulim people, particularly kids. Insha Allah some of those kids may turn out to be like our muslim brother, KHUBBAH. I know it is a bit long.... but please read it.

 

EID MUBARAK

 

A woman named Umm Anmaar who belonged to the Khuza-a tribe in Makkah went to the

slave market in the city. She wanted to buy herself a youth for her domestic chores and

to exploit his labor for economic gains. As she scrutinized the faces of those who were

displayed for sale, her eyes fell ON a boy who was obviously not yet in his teens. She

saw that he was strong and healthy and that there were clear signs of intelligence on his

face. She needed no further incentive to purchase him. She paid and walked away with

her new acquisition.

On the way home, Umm Anmaar turned to the boy and said:

"What's your name, boy?''

"Khabbah."

"And what's your father's name'?''

"Al-Aratt. "

"Where do you come from?"

"From Najd."

"Then you are an Arab!"

"Yes, from the Banu Tamim."

"How then did you come into the hands of the slave dealers in Makkah?"

"One of the Arab tribes raided our territory. They took our cattle and captured women

and children. I was among the youths captured. I passed from one hand to another until

I ended up in Makkah . . ."

Umm Anmaar placed the youth as an apprentice to one of the blacksmiths in Makkah to

learn the art of making swords. The youth learnt quickly and was soon an expert at the

profession. When he was strong enough, Umm Anmaar set up a workshop for him with all

the necessary tools and equipment from making swords. Before long he was quite

famous in Makkah for his excellent craftsmanship. People also liked dealing with him

because of his honesty and integrity. Umm Anmaar gained much profit through him and

exploited his talents to the full.

In spite of his youthfulness, Khabbab displayed unique intelligence and wisdom. Often,

when he had finished work and was left to himself, he would reflect deeply on the state

of Arabian society which was so steeped in corruption. He was appalled at the aimless

wandering, the ignorance and the tyranny which he saw. He was one of the victims of

this tyranny and he would say to himself:

"After this night of darkness, there must be a dawn." And he hoped that he would live

long enough to see the darkness dissipate with the steady glow and brightness of new

light.

Khabbab did not have to wait long. He was privileged to be in Makkah when the first rays

of the light of Islam penetrated the city. It emanated from the lips of Muhammad ibn

Abdullah as he announced that none deserves to be worshipped or adored except the

Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He called for an end to injustice and oppression

and sharply criticized the practices of the rich in accumulating wealth at the expense of

the poor and the outcast. He denounced aristocratic privileges and attitudes and called

for a new order based on respect for human dignity and compassion for the

underprivileged including orphans, wayfarers and the needy.

To Khabbab, the teachings of Muhammad were like a powerful light dispelling the

darkness of ignorance. He went and listened to these teachings directly from him.

Without any hesitation he stretched out his hand to the Prophet in allegiance and

testified that "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and His

messenger." He was among the first ten persons to accept Islam .

Khabbab did not hide his acceptance of Islam from anyone. When the news of his

becoming a Muslim reached Umm Anmaar, she became incensed with anger. She went to

her brother Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza who gathered a gang of youths from the Khuzaa tribe

and together they made their way to Khabbab. They found him completely engrossed in

his work. Sibaa went up to him and said:

"We have heard some news from you which we don't believe."

"What is it?" asked Khabbab.

"We have been told that you have given up your religion and that you now follow that

man from the Banu Ha shim ."

"I have not given up my religion" replied Khabbab calmly. "I only believe in One God Who

has no partner. I reject your idols and I believe that Muhammad is the servant of God and

His messenger."

No sooner had Khabbab spoken these words than Sibaa and his gang set upon him. They

beat him with their fists and with iron bars and they kicked him until he fell unconscious to

the ground, with blood streaming from the wounds he received.

The news of what happened between Khabbab and his slave mistress spread throughout

Makkah like wild-fire. People were astonished at Khabbab's daring. They had not yet

heard of anyone who followed Muhammad and who had the audacity to announce the

fact with such frankness and deviant confidence.

The Khabbab affair shook the leaders of the Quraysh. They did not expect that a

blacksmith, such as belonged to Umm Anmaar and who had no clan in Makkah to protect

him and no asabiyyah to prevent him from injury, would be bold enough to go outside her

authority, denounce her gods and reject the religion of her forefathers. They realized that

this was only the beginning . . .

The Quraysh were not wrong in their expectations. Khabbab's courage impressed many

of his friends and encouraged them to announce their acceptance of Islam. One after

another, they began to proclaim publicly the message of truth.

In the precincts of the Haram, near the Kabah, the Quraysh leaders gathered to discuss

the problem of Muhammad. Among them were Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al Walid ibn

al-Mughira and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. They noted that Muhammad was getting stronger

and that his following was increasing day by day, indeed hour by hour. To them this was

like a terrible disease and they made up their minds to stop it before it got out of control.

They decided that each tribe should get hold of any follower of Muhammad among them

and punish him until he either recants his faith or dies.

On Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza and his people fell the task of punishing Khabbab even further.

Regularly they began taking him to all open area in the city when the sun was at its

zenith and the ground was scorching hot. They would take off his clothes and dress him

in iron armor and lay him on the ground. In the intense heat his skin would be seared

and hit body would become inert. When it appeared that all strength had let him, they

would come up and challenge him:

"What do you say about Muhammad'?"

"He is the servant of God and His messenger. He has come with the religion of guidance

and truth, to lead us from darkness into light."

They would become more furious and intensify their beating. They would ask about

al-Laat and al-Uzza and he would reply firmly:

"Two idols, deaf and dumb, that cannot cause harm or bring any benefit..."

This enraged them even more and they would take a big hot stone and place it on his

back. Khabbab's pain and anguish would be excruciating but he did not recant.

The inhumanity of Umm Anmaar towards Khabbab was not less than that of her brother.

Once she saw the Prophet speaking to Khabbab at his workshop and she flew into a

blind rage. Every day after that, for several days, she went to Khabbab's workshop and

punished him by placing a red hot iron from the furnace on his head. The agony was

unbearable and he often fainted.

Khabbab suffered long and his only recourse was to prayer. He prayed for the

punishment of Umm Anmaar and her brother. His release from pain and suffering only

came when the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave permission to his companions to

emigrate to Madinah. Umm Anmaar by then could not prevent him from going. She herself

became afflicted with a terrible illness which no one had heard of before. She behaved as

if she had suffered a rabid attack. The headaches she had were especially nerve-racking.

Her children sought everywhere for medical help until finally they were told that the only

cure was to cauterize her head. This was done. The treatment, with a ret hot iron, was

more terrible than all the headaches she suffered.

At Madinah, among the generous and hospitable Ansar, Khabbab experienced a state of

ease and restfulness which he had not known for a long time. He was delighted to be

near the Prophet, peace be upon him, with no one to molest him or disturb his happiness.

He fought alongside the noble Prophet at the battle of Badr. He participated in the battle

of Uhud where he had the satisfaction of seeing Sibaa ibn Abd al-Uzza meet his end at

the hands of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet.

Khabbab lived long enough to witness the great expansion of Islam under the four

Khulafaa arRashidun--Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. He once visited Umar during his

caliphate. Umar stood up--he was in a meeting--and greeted Khabbab with the words:

"No one is more deserving than you to be in this assembly other than Bilal." He asked

Khabbab about the torture and the persecution he had received at the hands of the

mushrikeen. Khabbab described this in some detail since it was still very vivid in his mind.

He then exposed his back and even Umar was aghast at what he saw.

In the last phase of his life, Khabbab was blessed with wealth such as he had never

before dreamed of. He was, however, well-known for his generosity. It is even said that

he placed his dirhams and his diners in a part of his house that was known to the poor

and the needy. He did not secure this money in any way and those in need would come

and take what they needed without seeking any permission or asking any questions.

In spite of this, he was always afraid of his accountability to God for the way he disposed

of this wealth. A group of companions related that they visited Khabbab when he was

sick and he said:

"In this place there are eighty thousand dirhams. By God, I have never secured it any

way and I have not barred anyone in need from it."

He wept and they asked why he was weeping.

"I weep," he said, "because my companions have passed away and they did not obtain

any such reward in this world. I have lived on and have acquired this wealth and I fear

that this will be the only reward for my deeds."

Soon after he passed away. The Khalifah Ali ibn Abu Talib, may God be pleased with him,

stood at his grave and said:

"May God have mercy on Khabbab. He accepted Islam wholeheartedly. He performed

hijrah willingly. He lived as a mujahid and God shall not withhold the reward of one who

has done good."

[Baashi]

Thanks Amadeyo sxb for sharing that with us.

 

It is Monday again! Let me share with u one of my favorite poems (personal collection). This poem is one of the best inspirational poems I've ever read.

-------------------

 

Don't Quit

 

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

 

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

 

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

Whe he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

 

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

 

Succeed in believing that you will not fail,

Use diligence and determination to set your sail,

When the weather is stormy and the waters are rough;

In the moment of peril the strong get tough

Whenever life presses you down a bit

Stand up and shout, "I will not quit!"

 

~Unknown~

[Baashi]

How's ur day folks? Great I hope. I have a taste for wisdom and this week I will like to share this piece full of wisdom with u. Be cheerfull!

----------------------------------------------

Desiderata

 

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

 

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

 

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and every- where life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

 

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

[La Fidele]

"The US Terrorism Plot That the Media Ignores"

 

I came across this information on one of my favourite web-sites, The Memory Hole. I recommend it to all who aren't satisfied by the news covered by mainstream outlets. Below is a little synopsis, the entire collection can be found at http://www.thememoryhole.org/terror/tyler-terror.htm. Enjoy!

 

">>> In May 2003, white supremacists in Texas were caught with a sodium cyanide bomb, other bombs, illegal weapons, hate literature, fake I.D., and chemicals, including hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. In mid-November, three people pleaded guilty to related charges, while seized documents indicate that there are other co-conspirators at large. The feds have served "hundreds of subpoenas across the country," and the plot has been included in the President's daily intelligence briefings.

 

But most of us have never heard about it. The only media that saw fit to report about this terrorist plot within the US were a few newspapers and TV stations in Texas. The Web-based news outlet WorldNetDaily ran a story about it, but Google News shows that there hasn't been a word in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, or any other big media outlet. Why have the media decided that this is a non-story? It's hard to say, but we can say with certainty that if Muslims had been caught with these weapons of mass destruction, fake I.D., gas masks, and books on making explosives, it would've been front-page news for days."