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Chomsky: How the Young Are Indoctrinated to Obey
Forty years ago there was deep concern that the population was breaking free of apathy
Muslims should reach out to fellow citizens to counter rise of Islamophobia in Canada
By MOHAMMED AZHAR ALI KHAN | Source
Canada is a model country that operates under the rule of law and respect for human rights and diversity. But in these harsh times signs are mounting that it is not immune to the Islamophobia that is sweeping through Western countries.
Ottawa’s Carleton University has become the first university in North America to offer courses in defense against terrorism. Engineering students will study, among other subjects, national security, intelligence and terrorism.
The government has also decreed that passengers at Canadian airports must show their faces at boarding gates in addition to producing passports and other photo identification.
These actions follow the arrest of some Muslims on terrorism-related charges — and the conviction, in recent years, of some Canadian Muslims for planned terrorism in Canada or Europe.
A recent poll, commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, showed that 55 percent of Canadians did not think Muslims shared their values.
Suicide bombs that target innocent Muslims and non-Muslims, terrorism and niqab are among the factors fueling distrust of Muslims. Ayman Al-Yassini, executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said the situation is getting worse and Canadian Muslims should counter it by reaching out to their fellow Canadians of other faiths. Polls show that Canadians who have Muslim friends view Islam more favorably than those Canadians who do not know Muslims.
Some Muslim organizations and Muslims have started to do that in recent years. But the Muslims of Canada are hugely diverse — ranging from highly educated professionals to traumatized refugees who found safety in Canada from persecution or death in their own countries but who have little understanding of the West. The absence of a national Muslim umbrella organization in Canada has also prevented joint action or strategic leadership.
The bickering in some Muslim organizations and their preoccupation with building mosques but neglecting vulnerable Muslims — such as refugees, disgruntled youth, women victims of domestic violence, new immigrants, those in jail, ill and mentally ill, etc — has produced an underclass of vulnerable Muslims.
A Christian friend of mine recently sent an e-mail to his friends saying he is sick of all Muslims being blamed for the actions of a few criminals. Most of his friends agreed. But one wrote back saying that Muslims hate non-Muslims and their goal is to rule the world.
Such views also stem from the Islamophobia being spread by sections of the Canadian media. Canada’s national magazine, some radio and TV stations and print journalists level baseless accusations against Muslims. For example, a columnist wrote in Ottawa’s major paper, “There is no question during Muslim rule non-Muslims were regarded under Shariah law as second-class citizens.” He added that “Islam’s holiest of holy, Kaaba, in the Saudi Arabian city of Makkah, was a pagan shrine for hundreds of years before Muhammad and his army slaughtered the residents in 630 A.D.” He later published a correction that the city had surrendered without a fight. He did not state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forgave his tormentors. Nor did he say that the House of God was originally built by the Prophet Abraham to worship one God before it was converted to a temple of idols.
In fairness, some media give Muslims the chance to express their viewpoints. These include Muslims who lack credibility among Muslims but whose Muslim-bashing has turned them into media darlings. For example Canadian Muslim imams issued a declaration clearly condemning violence and terrorism. Their views got some coverage — along with the interviews of media darlings who chastised the imams for not banning jihad, or self-defense, outright.
Islam also gets tarnished by suicide bombings, sectarian killings, and persecution of non-Muslims, corruption and oppression in some Muslim countries.
In Canada, Muslims are mostly disorganized and the majority of Muslims, including the youth, keep away from mosques, except for Eid or Friday prayers.
Now Canadian Muslims must teach their own community about Islam’s emphasis on compassion, justice, brotherhood and human dignity. They must also reach out to fellow Canadians of other faiths, including the media, and participate in all aspects of life. They must also uplift disenfranchised Muslims and help them to become productive, respected citizens.
Canada remains a great country. But minorities in the past had to strive mightily to gain respect and equality and to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Now Canadian Muslims face that challenge.
— Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a journalist, retired Canadian civil servant and refugee judge. He has received the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his work as a journalist, his leadership of Muslims and efforts to promote better understanding between Canadians of different faiths
Mmm, mmm, Islamophobia?
THE INCREASINGLY paranoid antics of racist right-wingers claiming Muslims are getting ready to take over America and institute sharia law are, sadly, not uncommon this election season.
But now they’ve hit a new low: attacking companies that make or sell Halal products, the term for food products that conform to Muslim dietary laws, including guidelines for slaughtering and prohibiting pork. (Halal dietary laws share many features with Kosher dietary laws.)
Right-wing Islamophobes are now up in arms over the fact that Campbell’s Canada–the soup company–has a line of Halal-certified vegetarian soups.
Pamela Geller–a leader in the fight against the Islamic community center slated for near Ground Zero, and an open admirer of Dutch fascist Geert Wilders and right-wing street thugs such as the English Defense League–is now calling for a boycott of the company.
According to Talking Points Memo’s Rachel Slajda, the bigots apparently think sharia law is coming to get us via the supermarket:
“M-m-good for the Islamists. Not so yummy for the rest of us,” reads the blog of Scaramouche, which broke the news Tuesday, some eight months after Campbell’s launched the line.
Robert Spencer, who writes Jihadwatch.org and has been saying for years that ISNA is tied to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood,* quickly echoed the alarm.
“So why is Campbell’s Soup rushing to do its bidding?” Spencer wrote on Tuesday. “‘M-M-Muslim Brotherhood Good?'”…
The Tea Party Nation is on board, too, tweeting today,” Campbell’s now making Muslim approved soups. Mmmmm Mmmmm not good. No more campbells for me.”
A Facebook group created just Tuesday called “Boycott Campbell Soup” already has almost 2,000 members. Members who leave messages like [sic]: “This is yet another example of just how dangerous creeping shariah is to Western Civilization, Democracy and all freedom loving peoples. There are stages to the islamization of non-islamic countries…This is just another way that terrorism and it’s sponsors are insinuating themselves into our culture, Terrorists are NOT freedom fighters they are murderous thugs and I will not pay money for soup or any other product that supports, aids or abetts their tactics. Hope someone puts a list out of all of Campbell’s affiliates.”
The blog Creeping Sharia notes that Kellogg UK has Halal-certified cereals and asks, “Are their U.S. products secretly Halal?”
Who Is Behind The Islamic School Being Planned For West Edmonton?
Ikhwanophobia Comment
These are the rumors. Read the truths HERE
Edmonton Muslims fight rumours
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The Article
Many citizens living in the Lessard district of West Edmonton have expressed their concerns regarding the opening of an Islamic school in their community by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. Itsmotto is: “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur’an is our constitution. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”.
Shortly after some citizens expressed concerns in the West End News about the background of the promoters of this K-9 school, CTV and the Edmonton Sun reported that the Edmonton chapter of the MAC threatened the local paper with a civil suit. Instead of trying to defuse the concerns of the citizens by explaining how their goals and objectives were compatible with individual freedom, the MAC’s leaders in Edmonton are trying to silence their critics.
Point de Bascule (Tipping Point) has been set up to expose the subtle ways used by Islamists to promote their agenda. The text that follows focuses on identifying the objectives pursued by the Muslim Brotherhood and it provides many links towards various statements made by its leaders in the past. Another text will follow in the coming days that will deal more specifically with the tactic of legal warfare frequently used by the Islamists to prevent any discussion about their agenda.
The concerns expressed by the citizens of Lessard are not only justified, they should be taken into consideration by the authorities. Up to now, the government has been silent on the issue. The citizens have no other choice but to challenge the Islamists willing to abuse the legal system in order to shut down responsible inquiry.
Issam Saleh
Issam Saleh, the chairman of the Muslim Association of Canada’s Edmonton chapter, told the Edmonton Sun [August 19, 2010] that “a tiny handful of people exhibiting Islamophobia are spreading distortions and outright falsehoods about the organization”. “Our lawyers are compiling a case and we’re considering legal action,” added Saleh.
Saleh holds different positions, including one as an advisor to the City of Edmonton:
City of Edmonton, Community Services Advisory Board – Click [HERE]
Edmonton Islamic Academy, Board of Trustees – Click [HERE]
From teacher to construction entrepreneur – Click [HERE]
Daybreak Painting & Decorating Ltd – Click [HERE]
In his interview with the Edmonton Sun, Issam Saleh admitted that the MAC follows the teachings of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. In this, he conforms to the pledge found on the MAC’s website:
“MAC adopts and strives to implement Islam, as embodied in the Qur’an, and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as understood in its contemporary context by the late Imam, Hassan Albanna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. MAC regards this ideology as the best representation of Islam as delivered by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). “
MAC’s website – Click [HERE]
MAC’s website (Edmonton chapter) – Click [HERE]
MAC’s description of its own ideology – Click [HERE]
What kind of positions has Issam Saleh taken in his five-year stint as an advisor for the City of Edmonton? How does someone implement Hassan al-Banna’s principles while being on the Advisory Board of a major city? Edmonton residents must take a look at this issue.
Hassan al-Banna (1906 – 1949)
A summary of al-Banna’s ideology can be found in a 50 point manifesto that he submitted to several Arab leaders in 1947. The manifesto has been added to al-Banna’s book Towards the Light. The Muslim Brotherhood republished the manifesto in 2007. It is available on its Ikhwanweb.com website. Ikhwan is the Arabic word for brothers and it is commonly used for identifying the Muslim Brotherhood [Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun].
The manifesto promotes among others the abolition of political parties and the establishment of a single party system which is pure totalitarianism. It also favours the modification of the laws so that they conform to shariah and the multiplication of associations dedicated to promoting the spirit of jihad amongst the youth. Faced with the Egyptian authorities’ refusal to implement al-Banna’s program in 1948, his organisation launched many acts of terror in Egypt and even assassinated the Prime Minister (New York Times December 29, 1948).
In his essay On Jihad included in the book Five Tracts, al-Banna explains that “it’s an obligation for us [Muslims] to fight against them [the infidels] after inviting them [to join Islam], even if they do not fight against us”. [Five Tracts, Translated by Charles Wendell, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1978, p. 147]
To inspire his troops, Hassan al-Banna recalled in his essay To What Do We Invite Humanity? that in history many leaders experienced modest beginnings before finally achieving “success and fortune”. He mentioned several Muslim warlords who inspired him. Only one of his sources of inspiration was non-Muslim. It was Adolf Hitler.
Beside the terrorist organization Hamas that acknowledges its relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood in the second article of its charter [HERE], the Muslim Association of Canada is more than likely the only other branch of the Brotherhood openly stating its connection with Hassan al-Banna’s organization and ideology. The observation is made by the Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report, a website that monitors the activities of the Brotherhood throughout the world.
Youssef al-Qaradawi (1926 – )
Today, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, frequently reminds us through statements made in the Arab media that the Islamist organization is still a fierce enemy of individual freedoms.
In recent years, al-Qaradawi promoted the killing of apostates from Islam [islamonline.net] and the killing of homosexuals [video 5:27], he introduced Hitler as a messenger of Allah who came to punish the Jews [video], he urged Muslims to conquer the West , he favoured female genital mutilations and so forth.
When the Islamist militants behind the Edmonton Islamic school project declare that they will “adopt and strive to implement Islam, … as understood in its contemporary context by Hassan al-Banna”, they are announcing that they will devote their efforts to teach and make these principles triumph.
In his book Auspices of the Ultimate Victory, Youssef al-Qaradawi states that the penetration of the Islamist ideology in the West can be explained by the groundwork brought about by the Muslim Brotherhood and by the contributions in petrodollars made by Gulf state billionaires. Al-Qaradawi also expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for distributing for free all around the world “many millions of copies of the Qur’an … in model English and French translations”.
The Hilali-Khan translation of the Koran
The English translation of the Koran being distributed by Saudi Arabia is referred to as the Hilali-Khan translation [Online copy – click HERE]. It is, by far, the most popular in English speaking countries. The translation approved by the MAC’s mentor is generally being used in the English schools set up by the Muslim Brotherhood.
One excerpt from this English translation will suffice to illustrate what is being taught in MAC’s schools.
After the verse 2:190 that discusses jihad, the translators have added a footnote to prevent any misunderstanding regarding the meaning of the word. Click [HERE]:
“Jihad (holy fighting) in Allah’s Cause (with full force of numbers and weaponry) is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillars (on which it stands). By Jihad Islam is established, Allah’s Word is made superior […] and Islam is propagated. By abandoning Jihad (may Allah protect us from that) Islam is destroyed and Muslims fall into an inferior position; their honour is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim and he who tries to escape from this duty, or does not in his innermost heart wish to fulfill this duty, dies with one of the qualities of a hypocrite.”
Jamal Badawi
On a 2007 MAC webpage, North American Muslim Brotherhood leader and Canadian national, Jamal Badawi, is listed as a director of the organization. GMBDR reports that Dr. Badawi is a leader in many of the most important organizations of the Muslim Brotherhood including the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Council on American Islamic Relations (Canada), the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR).
Before being chosen to be part of the MAC leadership, Badawi had justified Muslim suicide bombings as a legitimate tactic of jihad on a 2006 IslamOnline Internet forum. He had also issued in 2004 a fatwa for IslamOnline that was outlining six conditions in which a wife may properly be beaten ” (if she) persists in bad habits”.
During the two trials of the Holy Land Foundation that led to the conviction in 2008 of several members of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood network for financing terrorist activities in the Middle East from the United States, the prosecution presented as evidence an internal memorandum of the organization. The original Arabic version of the memorandum and its English translation have been archived by The Investigative Project on Terrorism. Jamal Badawi is identified on page 12 of the English translation as a member of the leadership structure of the Brotherhood in North America.
This internal document also clearly mentions on page 7 the goal pursued by the MAC and all the other organizations affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood in North America:
“The Ikhwan [the Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is kind of a grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions. […] It is a Muslim’s destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes.”
The original memorandum in Arabic and its English translation are available [HERE]. The highlights of the memorandum are available [HERE].
Ekrima Sabri
Over the years, the Muslim Association of Canada has endorsed many radical Islamists whose views are completely incompatible with the mission that a school should pursue with the children under its responsibility. One of these radicals is Ekrima Sabri (aka Ikrimah Sabri).
IslamOnline.net (in 2002) and Steve Merley of the NEFA Foundation (in 2009) identified Sabri as the khatib (imam, prayer leader) of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and as the mufti of the city. Merley added that Sabri is a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) that also includes U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader Taha Al-Alawani, as well as other members associated with the Brotherhood.
In 2009, IRFAN-Canada invited Sabri to give a lecture at the Centre Culturel Laurentien, one of the MAC’s facilities in Montreal.
The poster written in Arabic and produced for the occasion is archived on Point de Bascule. Click [HERE].
IRFAN-Canada is a branch of the American IRFAN (Islamic Relief Fund for the Afflicted and the Needy) also known as the Jerusalem Fund. The Jerusalem Fund was one of many Muslim Brotherhood affiliates that were designated as non indicted co-conspirators in the two trials that were discussed previously. The list of the co-conspirators is available by clicking [HERE].
As for IRFAN-Canada, it was disqualified in April 2010 from issuing donation receipts for income tax purposes after the Canada Revenue Agency had stated that it did not have its books in order and had failed to provide required documents.
Many subtitled videos featuring Ekrima Sabri are available online. Viewing some of them could be helpful to better understand the principles of the MAC who welcomed him in Canada.
Two weeks before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Sabri implored Allah to destroy Great Britain and the United States on Voice of Palestine Radio. Click [HERE].
In October 2000, the Al-Ahram Al-Arabi periodical from Egypt asked a few questions to Ekrima Sabri on various topics, including suicide bombings. The organization MEMRI has supplied an English translation available [HERE].
Here is the transcription of two Q&As:
Question: “What do you feel when you pray [for the souls of the martyrs]?”
Sabri: “I feel the martyr is lucky because the angels usher him to his wedding in heaven. I feel the earth moves under the occupiers’ feet.”
Question: “Is it different when the martyr is a child?”
Sabri: “Yes, it is. It’s hard to express it in words. There is no doubt that a child [martyr] suggests that the new generation will carry on the mission with determination. The younger the martyr, the greater and the more I respect him.”
When Sabri alludes to a wedding in heaven, he is referring to various verses of the Koran [44:54 52:20] that promise many young virgins (houris) as a reward to those who died while waging jihad.
When an organization like the MAC wants to open a school and sponsors fanatics who dream of sending children to their death, when an organization pledges to follow the teachings of Hassan al-Banna who was openly advocating for the “promot(ion of) the spirit of jihad amongst the youth”, it is the duty of responsible citizens to further their investigation and to do everything they can to stop this cancer from spreading in their vicinity.
Edmonton Muslims fight rumours
EDMONTON – A letter to the editor in a west-end newspaper suggesting a local Muslim association has ties to extremists could be the final straw in an increasingly shrill campaign against a proposed Islamic school in Lessard.
The chairman of the Muslim Association of Canada’s Edmonton chapter says the organization is considering suing a tiny handful of “people exhibiting Islamophobia” who are spreading distortions and outright falsehoods about the organization.
“Very much so,” said Issam Faleh. “Our lawyers are compiling a case and we’re considering legal action.”
He said last month an opponent of MAC’s plan told the media that the group might be funding terrorism.
MAC plans to turn a vacant, run-down strip mall in the tony west end neighbourhood into a mosque, community centre and Islamic primary school.
Faleh says that while most of the neighbours have welcomed them — especially the four churches and two synagogues in the area — a small group is “promoting misconceptions” to turn public support against them.
In this month’s issue of the West End News, a letter to the editor signed only by “concerned residents of Lessard/Gariepy Community” warns of “MAC’s affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.”
“The Muslim Brotherhood is a political group, who calls for an Islamic political and social system and opposes western political and cultural influences,” the letter says. “Given the above, we would like to know what the new centre will be preaching.”
Safwat Girgis, vice president of the Lessard Community League and one of the people behind the letter, said he and his group were initially opposed to MAC’s plan because they feared it would bring too much traffic to the area and cause parking problems.
But when they discovered its “ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood, “it added a different dimension.”
The brotherhood “has a bit more of a radical view of Islam,” he said, “and that’s something to be concerned about.”
But Faleh calls that a complete distortion.
MAC’s national website says it traces its roots to “the Islamic revival of the early 20th century, culminating in the movement of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
What that means, he said, is that they follow the spiritual teachings of Imam Hassan al-Banna, who taught his followers such virtues as understanding, perseverance, personal sacrifice, and service to the whole community.
In some parts of the Islamic world, the brotherhood became politicized, but that’s not the case here in Canada.
“We get no funds from overseas, and we don’t send any funds out of the country,” Faleh said. “We want to be part of the social fabric of Canadian society. We want to integrate.”
One of MAC’s biggest programs is the Educational Muslim Achievement Awards Night, where students are honoured for their success. This year 280 local Muslim students from elementary school to university were given trophies and scholarships.
“This is what we’re trying to do in the community, things like promoting education,” said Faleh.
MAC has applied to the city to rezone part of its building for a school. He said they plan to begin with a preschool and slowly work up to Grade 3.
The organization eventually wants to have a K-9 school somewhere in the west end, but not at that location, he said.
“They’re using scare tactics, (suggesting links to) terrorism and things like that,” he said. “On the basis of goodwill and building the community, we haven’t responded in a legal way to this, but they’re pushing it to the point that we have no choice but to respond by taking legal action.”
andrew.hanon@sunmedia.ca
www.twitter.com/andrewhanon