Assassination of Sheikh Yassin and the 'Spring Offensive'

Peshawar, Pakistan – 2004-03-22 – QeRN: As journalists try to piece together the psychological and military components of the U.S. ‘Spring Offensive’ in Pakistan/Afghanistan, a picture of an almost incredible plan is starting to emerge. First, the announcement of the military plans by the U.S. military were almost invariably

A War of Nerves, courtesy The Guardian, by Michael Clarke

Terrorism will never be defeated. Governments need to combine security with a sense of proportion and a commitment to political dialogue The consequences of the Madrid atrocity will flow back and forth for some time. It underlines the vulnerability of free societies and makes London and other British cities appear

The American 'Dreyfus Affair'

Modern ‘Dreyfus Affair’ is unworthy of America By ERIC MARGOLIS — Contributing Foreign Editor Hatred of Muslims has become the anti-Semitism of our era. The latest example of this ugly fact is the vicious prosecution by the U.S. military of a Muslim army chaplain, Capt. James Yee. I call this

King Lears of Arabia, by Tamim al-Barghouti

by Tamim al-Barghouti, courtesty The Daily Star, Beirut When there is colonial encounter, there are natives who believe in the colonial promise; this is an attempt to remind every contemporary King Lear with his predecessors. In the first statement of the Arab Revolt of 1917 against the Ottomans, Sharif Hussein,

Eye witness - Bagdhad - Robert Fisk

Running the gauntlet of small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades after check-in at Baghdad airpor – Robert Fisk – Baghdad You need to take a military escort to reach Baghdad airport these days. Yes, things are getting better in Iraq, according to President Bush – remember that each hour that goes by – but

One, Two, Three,Four - Robert Fisk, Fallujah

One, Two, Three, What Are They Fighting For? The worst problem facing US forces in Iraq may not be armed resistance but a crisis of morale. — Robert Fisk -Fallujah I was in the police station in the town of Fallujah when I realised the extent of the schizophrenia. Captain Christopher

Georgy Galloway talks about Conviction and Duty

George Galloway’s historic speech It is a misunderstanding created by circumstances that I am interested only in Middle Eastern affairs – notably, the struggle for self determination of the Palestinian people and  against  the horrific effects of sanctions and war on the Iraqi people  during  Saddam’s vile dictatorship. I

Full Text of Dr. Mahathir's speech at the OIC

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad at the opening of the tenth session of the Islamic Summit conference at Putrajaya Convention Centre on October 16. Alhamdulillah, All Praise be to Allah, by whose Grace and Blessings we, the leaders of the Organisation of Islamic Conference countries are gathered here today to confer

Blaming Collaborator Syndrome

Due to practical reasons like social status, job, income and security of one’s family and person, a person may have to work with an oppressor or a colonial power. This work can be related to one’s profession or just as a worker, soldier or clerk. However, once this

Getting Rid of the Baggage

The renaissance of Islamic World, and as it emerges as a world leader, requires a lot from Muslims. It is no longer sufficient to only contribute or participate, Muslims have to ‘live’ the renaissance. For this to occur, certain baggage from th past has to be let go.

Lifton's eight Criteria of Thought Manipulation

Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s Criteria for Thought Reform ***Excerpted from: Thought Reform And The Psychology of Totalism, Chapter 22, p420 (Chapel Hill, 1989) *** "These criteria consist of eight psychological themes which are predominant within the social field of the thought reform milieu. Each has a totalistic quality; each

OIC Intra-trade Vital (courtesy theStar.com.my)

PUTRAJAYA: There is a vital need for meaningful and reliable information directories for intra-trade to flourish among the 57 member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said. The Prime Minister said information directories like the OIC trade directory, released in conjunction with

Alfred Nobel Forgiven!

I might actually forgive Alfred Nobel for some of his inventions! With a stroke of genius, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has achieved a lot of objectives, the foremost of which — of course — is the great work that Shirin Ebadi had done under trying conditions. The picture of an Iranian

Cult or not a Cult

New religious movements often border of being ‘cult-like.’ They have to keep a measure of transparency to escape the general definition of one. Fork in the Road: The most crucial turning point for the Ahmadiyya was 1974. Before the watershed events of that year, recent memories of the followers, the

Jonathan Kay's hate in the National Post Editorial Page

The editorial page of the National Post has hit a new low. 2003-10-03.Toronto.In Friday’s National Post editorial page, Mr. Jonathan Kay called Arafat a “murderer”, called Edward Said a “fabricator and liar” and his only sadness at Said’s death was that Death had taken the wrong

Gaining perspective ’ recent historical events

** Periods of Upheaval — defining moments: ** Nations, religious groups and ethnic groups exist — there is no denying that. Such groups go through upheavals — also known as moments of truth. African-Americans lived in oppression for 400 years, and the few years between 1963 and 1967 were their defining moments. Russians in 1917

Dilemma faced by the Western Muslim intellectual

The barrage facing Muslims in the Western world: One successful political PR strategy is repetition. Take a message and repeat it, ad infinitum. Yes, people may become sick of it, but keep repeating it. Using a careful re-definition of the terms and concepts, just keep repeating it. Academic references are

Religions and Followers. Who's to blame?

**Recently, a question was posed: Have religions failed or have the followers? ** This statement defies an either/or answer. My reply is neither — both are healthy — and victims of the evils of tyranny,oppression and exploitation. But first, what is the perspective in which this question is asked? This is

The Trouble with Islam: A Discussion

Javed Chaudry Here is a copy of a brief review that appeared in today’s Toronto Star. It is about a book and its author, Irshad Manji. Manji produces a show on TVO (TV Ontario) called ‘The Big Ideas’, that airs at 1:30 PM on Sundays. The book is

A glimpse into the versatility of Islam

Islam is distinct from other religions in many ways. We all know that it is a way of social life in addition to personal belief. Like some other religions, it did not evolve over hundreds of years. It claims to be for all time and all parts of the world

Religion, Nationalism and Ummah in Islam

It is without doubt that without the rule of law (judicially enforced or socially enforced), human society would not exist. It is also a fact that most of the man-made law of this world owes itself to religious laws in one way or another. Laws against stealing, cannibalism, rape, incest,

Mourning and Honouring Edward Said

Hearts are filled with sadness at the demise of this great champion of humanity. His eloquence, relentlessness, courage, perception and sense of identity and history was unparalleled. A lesser man would have been bruised by the fight with the media, but he turned his sensitivity into a weapon — a weapon

UN must condemn US before moving forward, by William Cook

Alex Cockburn, in these pages a few weeks ago, caustically noted that UN officials, most especially the Secretary General Koffi Annan, confused the UN with the US: the UN is the US to all intents and purposes. Annan received his anointment in much the same manner as Bush received his–

urdu multimedia

Merhaba freinds, You Know about Urdu Multimedia? now it is very easy to use Urdu fotns in any graphic softwares and you can make 3D – 2D animations with Urdu fotns & creat easy urdu webpages, apply Java & VB on Urdu fonts. for more details send emails to shuaib@siasat.

Towards a Progressive Islam on Our Own Terms, by Dr. Farish Noor

Tarek Fatah writes: Dr. Farish Noor is the former Secretary-General of JUST–The Malaysian based “International Movement for a Just World. Dr. Noor, a political scientist and human rights activist, has taught at the Institute for Islamic Studies, Frie University of Berlin and is currently, associate fellow at the Institute