Open Discussion: President Obama’s Speech in Cairo

President Obama delivered a very moving and powerful speech in Cairo on June 4th, 2009.  The speech focused primarily on improving American and Muslim relations, but also addressed issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I admit that it was heartening and emotional to hear Obama cite so many verses from the Holy Qur’an, as well as referring to the miracle of al-Isra, the Night Journey, in which the Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the seven heavens and met with Jesus, Moses, and Abraham, peace be upon them all.  When Obama said “peace be upon them” after mentioning these Prophets, there was enormous applause from the audience because the attendees, as well as Muslims all around the world, knew exactly what it meant:  Respect.

It was also nice to hear Obama stress on the importance of Islam being part of America.  He acknowledged the contributions of Islamic civilization, particularly in mathematics, science, poetry, architecture, and music.  When he spoke of Israel and Palestine, he emphasized on a two-state solution and recognized the struggles that both Israelis and Palestinians face.  For many Muslims, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis is crucial simply because U.S. foreign policy has been overwhelmingly supportive (politically, militarily, and economically) of Israel while vilifying and ignoring the plights of Palestinians.

Although there were many times during the speech where it seemed like Obama was hesitant to acknowledge certain atrocities, such as Israel’s recent airstrike on Gaza, it was at least refreshing to hear a U.S. president recognize the Palestinian humanitarian crisis.  I really liked when he said “children of Abraham,” because that kind of language speaks to the hearts of inter-faith communities around the world.

While citing the Qur’an and reaching out to Muslim majority countries displays the President’s desire to improve relations, it’s important to stay mindful that actions speak louder than words.  As Tariq Ramadan mentions in his recent article, “Obama’s speech to Muslims will mean little if its symbolism is not followed up by concrete measures to restore trust.”  In no way am I trying to deny Obama’s efforts, but rather I’m simply pointing out that I truly hope he follows up on his words.

What are your thoughts?  If you missed the President’s speech, you can watch it below (it’s divided into 6 parts):

Watch Part 2
Watch Part 3
Watch Part 4
Watch Part 5
Watch Part 6

An Ocean From The Desert: My Journey Into Islam

Salaam ‘Alaykum! I say this to you as a fellow Muslim. My name is Avi and this is my story. A little more than a month ago the words “Salaam ‘Alaykum” held a completely different meaning to me. I will start from the beginning. I was born on July 18^th 1981 in Scranton Pennsylvania. At four days old, I was adopted by my family who I currently am living with. I was raised in their tradition of Conservative Judaism. Around the time that I was 15 years old, due to some unfortunate circumstances, I felt that my connection with Judaism had been severed. Over the next twelve years I looked into many avenues of spirituality to fill the gap that had been left in my soul. Never finding anything, I abandoned my belief in God and turned to looking at things from a scientific-Darwinist point of view. Needless to say, I felt very much alone. I turned to a life of partying and self indulgence. During those times I would occasionally find myself questioning that type of behavior. That wasn’t the type of person that I was but I more or less adapted to that lifestyle. I would always find myself in predicaments that I did not want to be in. I knew that it wasn’t the life for me but where else could I turn?

I had always felt a strange connection to the Middle East and its people. I never understood why. I did not know anything about where I came from since my adoption was considered “closed”, meaning no details about my birth family were disclosed to my adoptive family. I had an olive complexion, thick eyebrows, and other Middle Eastern features so I knew that I was in some way Middle Eastern. That all changed around the time of my 27^th birthday. I received a letter from the adoption agency that handled my case, which stated that my birth mother would like to get in contact with me. After a letter and many e-mails, I felt confident enough to speak with my birth mother over the phone. One of the first questions that I asked her was “where am I from?”. She explained to me that my birth father was Iranian. I could now understand the connection that I had always felt yet never could explain. The blood running through my veins was Persian.

A strange series of events led me to the point that I am at now. Many of these events were very difficult to deal with, some of them I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemies. One day a strange thing happened. By chance, I was invited to play hockey with some friends of mine. One of the people who I met for the first time that day was Jehanzeb. After the game we retreated to a local Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and hot chocolate. Jehanzeb and I had a deep conversation about the current world events (this was pre-Gaza invasion). I found that he and I shared many of the same values. We hung out a few more times, talking about world events, humanitarianism, coexistence, and his faith and culture, Islam. At one point I explained to him about my connection with the Middle East and its culture, and I expressed to him my interest in visiting the Masjid that he attended. After about a week, I journeyed with him to his Masjid for Isha services. I participated as well as I could at the time, in the prayer. I found what I saw to be a beautiful display of devotion. At that point, I realized that I was feeling something that I had not felt in years. It is a feeling that I cannot explain in words but can best be summed up as the feeling of spiritual fullness. I told Jehanzeb that I would like to continue to explore the world of Islam. He gave me three books, “No God But God” by Reza Aslan, “In The Footsteps Of The Prophet” by Tariq Ramadan, and a copy of the Almighty Qur’an. I had spoken with the Imam and asked him for his advice on how to begin my journey. He suggested that I not start with the Qur’an because I would not understand its message without a basic knowledge of Muslim history. So I started with Aslan’s book “No God But God”, which gave an in depth account of Islamic history. Many of the things that I had read I found to be so beautiful, that they brought me to tears! That had never happened to me before! I began listening to beautiful recitations of the Almighty Qur’an which I found on YouTube. Some of those recitations brought me to tears as well. At that point I knew in my heart where my place was. After speaking with Jehanzeb and the Imam, I decided to take my Shahada. On January 21^st 2009, I recited the words La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah (none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, and Muhammad s.a.a.w.s. is the Messenger of Allah, s.w.t). I was a Muslim. The response I got from my Muslim brothers and sisters was overwhelming. I knew that I was now part of a family. A family that could not be taken away from me.

I now know that the events that I had gone through that led me to the point that I am now at, were carefully orchestrated by my God, Allah the Almighty, s.w.t. To quote my Muslim sister Fidelma O’Leary, “Allah came to find me”. I am forever changed. I make it a point to pray 5 times a day and to attend my Masjid whenever possible. I abstain from haram such as alcohol and pork. I am learning every day. I know that Allah, s.w.t, accepts my prayer even If it is not recited correctly. I am looking forward to making my Hajj Insha’Allah. Most of all, I am looking forward to my life as a Muslim. The brothers and sisters, who I have met both in person and through online networking, are the most beautiful people that I have ever met in my life. I am forever grateful to my God Allah, s.w.t, for bringing them to me.

I would like to close with the same words that I began with but with a different view on them. Salaam ‘Alaykum. I direct this to all of my brothers and sisters, my friends, and my family. I direct them to my brothers and sisters from the corners of the decimated Gaza to the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. From the western most corner of Morocco, to the eastern most corner of Malaysia. To Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India. From the northern mountains of Iran to the southern ports of Yemen. My greeting echoes within the walls of the West Bank and in the Mosques of Spain. It echoes from the southern tip of South Africa, all the way up to the northern cities of Canada.

Jazakallah and thank you to all who made this possible for me. This is a thank you that goes back 1400 years and a love that will go on Insha’Allah, for another 1400 years. I pray for peace, coexistence, and love. I pray that we stop fighting each other and unite under a single banner as The Prophet Muhammad s.a.a.w.s. intended for us to do. I pray that we not be judged by our culture, but by the contents of our character. I pray for you. Thank you for your time and allowing me to share my special story with you. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Peace and Blessings Be Upon You.

Love Avi

Muslim-Americans Cautiously Optimistic about Obama

Yesterday morning, as I rushed to eat my breakfast and leave for class, my father tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Guess what?”  With little interest I asked “What?” and expected my dad to crack another joke about Obama converting to Islam, but instead he said, “On the first day, Obama suspended all the trials at Guantanamo Bay.  He’s shutting it down.”  I was pleasantly surprised.

As I drove to college, I felt a little more optimistic about Barack Husayn Obama’s Presidency.  “So far, so good,” I said to myself.  “Not bad, not bad.”  As I read the article myself, the skeptic in me surfaced again when I read Guantanamo Bay would be shut down within a year’s time.  In a facility where Muslim detainees, many of whom are suspected “terrorists” and Al-Qaida “links,” are victimized by brutal and unlawful methods of torture, such as being forced to eat pork, drink alcohol, and curse the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), am I the only one who thinks one year is too long?

The truth is I struggled, and continue to struggle, with my support for Obama.  During election time, I proudly supported him.  I put his lawn signs up and even convinced others to vote for him. Muslim-Americans, including friends of mine, campaigned for him and encouraged fellow Muslims to show their support.

As someone who has experienced Islamophobia first-hand, foreign policy and racial profiling were probably the most important issues to me in this election. Hate crimes and discriminatory acts towards Muslims increased on an annual basis, and I did not hear President Bush voice any concern about it. In addition to how the media kept vilifying Islam and isolating the Muslim voice, I felt like an outsider. But when I saw Obama run for president and talk about so many things, like engaging in diplomacy with Muslim countries, ending racial profiling, closing Guantanamo Bay, and even going as far to state that the U.S. is not just a Christian nation, but a Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist nation as well, I felt like the positive image of America could be restored again and that I wouldn’t just be viewed as an “immigrant-American” anymore.  For once, I felt like I could look at our flag and connect with it in a way that I never did before.  But those moments were very brief and they went away quickly.

During the presidential debates, he spoke with so much hostility towards Pakistan. He came off sounding very ignorant and misinformed about the situation. Then Gaza was a wake up call. With over 1,300 people dead, I can’t help but wonder why Obama would condemn the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, but not have the courage to condemn Israel’s terrorist attacks on Gaza.   During the crisis, I re-watched his speech at AIPAC several times and felt my hopes in him crumbling away.

After one of the Gaza rallies in Philadelphia, a friend of mine said, “everyone at that rally voted for Obama. Is he going to show us any appreciation in return?” I voted for Obama because I am sick of feeling like an outsider.  I voted for Obama because I’m sick of seeing only one side of the story, while Muslims are vilified in the mainstream media.  I voted for Obama because I don’t want my heart to feel any more pain whenever I’m praying for fellow human beings who are being killed overseas.

And then, just last night, things started to shift again for me.  After Isha prayer at my local Mosque, my fellow Muslim brothers and I were talking about Obama’s order to shut down Guantanamo bay.  I expressed my disappointment over Obama not saying anything to condemn Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but then a fellow Muslim brother told me that the expectation level for Obama is so high that if he makes one little mistake, we get very critical of him.  This needs to change, he encouraged.  We shouldn’t be too quick to judge.  As our discussion carried on, I decided to make my own list of “Pros” and “Cons” about Obama’s Presidency in respect to issues that concern many Muslim-Americans.

Pros:

1.  His name is Barack Husayn Obama.  Whether people like it or not, he has a Muslim background.  Though there are conflicting reports, it looks like his grandmother, Sarah Husayn Obama, is a Muslim.  It is also clear that he has Muslim relatives.  I personally believe this is a very positive sign because it will most likely make him more sympathetic to the Muslim world (as well as the struggles of Muslim-Americans).  This would give him more credibility and respect in the Muslim world than any other American president.

2.  According to the official website for the White House, the Obama administration promises to end racial profiling.  As the agenda states:  “President Obama and Vice President Biden will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.”

3.  President Obama has already signed the executive orders to shut down Guantanamo Bay within a year.  It is truly comforting that the new President has acted so swiftly to prohibit unlawful methods of prisoner abuse and torture.  Muslims-Americans, as well as Muslims around the world, are still outraged by how the Bush administration stood by silently while interrogators desecrated Qur’ans and flushed them down toilets in order to intimidate detainees.

4.  Diplomacy with Iran.  This was one of the many issues that made Muslim-Americans distance themselves from John McCain.  Although the Obama administration claims to perceive Iran as a “threat,” it promises to engage in direct diplomacy with  its leadership.  I would like to think that Obama already acknowledges the fact that Iran has a Jewish population of over 25,000 and even has Jewish representation in the Iranian parliament.  One would hope that the Obama administration noticed the Iranian Jews who took to the streets of Iran and protested against Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

Cons:

1.  Afghanistan and Pakistan.  According to the official White House website, the Obama administration promises to “refocus American resources on the greatest threat to our security — the resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They will increase our troop levels in Afghanistan, press our allies in NATO to do the same, and dedicate more resources to revitalize Afghanistan’s economic development. Obama and Biden will demand the Afghan government do more, including cracking down on corruption and the illicit opium trade” (emphasis added).  Reading this statement makes one ask:  “Weren’t we voting for an anti-war President?”  In regards to Pakistan, “Obama and Biden will increase nonmilitary aid to Pakistan and hold them accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan.”  It doesn’t make sense to me why the Obama administration would increase troop levels in Afghanistan and yet not send military aid to Pakistan.  As I mentioned in another post of mine, Pakistan has suffered (and continues to suffer) a great deal when it comes to combating the Taliban.  It’s rather unsettling how Obama doesn’t seem to recognize this.

2.  Hilary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Rahm Emanuel are all in Obama’s cabinet.  Hilary Clinton once stated she would “obliterate Iran,” Joe Biden is a self-proclaimed Zionist, and Rahm Emanuel served in the Israeli military and is very pro-Israel.  I know Obama has the final say on things, but one cannot help but worry about his cabinet’s potential influences.

3.  Israel.  Will we finally see a president who takes a strong stance against Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian people?  Will we finally see a president who will sincerely help the Israelis and Palestinians come to a resolution without vilifying the Palestinians?  Or are we going to see the same failed policies of the Bush administration?  It should be obvious to people by now that AIPAC has an immense influence on U.S. politics.  It’s hard to imagine someone getting elected president of the United States without supporting AIPAC and the state of Israel.

4.  Obama may fail to understand the Muslim world in the same way Bush failed to.  During Obama’s speech on inauguration day, he said:  “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy…”  He’s clearly addressing the Muslim world here and what’s so frustrating is that this statement paints the same image that Bush presented, i.e. the Muslim world is “destroying” and killing people without any reason. Of course there is violence taking place in the Muslim world, but what triggered that violence? You look at Iraq, and you’ll see that violence erupted in the form of resistance against U.S. invasion and occupation. You look at Palestine, and you see violent resistance against the brutal Israeli military occupation.  Obama continued and said:  “The world will judge you on what you build, not what you destroy…” Well if Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan get a chance to build instead of getting bombed, then I’m sure things would be much different.  And wasn’t Israel recently bombing innocent people and destroying places like schools, Mosques, and hospitals?

Anyway, these are just a few “Pros” and “Cons” that I thought of the other night.  I’m sure others have more to add.  I want to believe Obama can bring a positive change.  I can’t imagine how a man like him can sit down and speak to the late Palestinian academic, Edward Said, and then (many years later) kiss up to Israel and AIPAC.  I can’t imagine how a man like him could speak to Rashid Khalidi and not see the oppression taking place against the Palestinians.  I sincerely hope that my worries about him are wrong.  I’d rather be cautiously optimistic and suprised than be overly enthusiastic and end up feeling disappointed and fooled.

No Brotherly Love for Palestine

The following post comes from Islam on My Side Guest Contributor, Asfura.  She is a Palestinian-American who blogs at Petals for Peace.

I attended both protests supporting Palestinians in Gaza in Philadelphia during the last week of December. Both protests against Israeli attacks were peaceful and welcoming and joined by non-Muslims. When I heard about the “Philadelphia Protest for Israel” at Love Park I was expecting the protest to be peaceful on both ends. However, I was in for a rude awakening.

On Thursday January 4th an estimated 2,000 people gathered in Love Park with speakers such as Sen. Arlen Specter, television personality Dave Frankel, and J. Whyatt Mondesire (of the Philadelphia NAACP). Israeli/Jewish music played while people danced hora. It was as if Love Park turned into a rave in Tel Aviv. People held signs that read “Palestinian Terrorists Terrorize Israelis and Palestinians, Each Rocket from Hamas Punishes Everyone, Stop Terrorism Now” while waving Israeli flags.

A group of police stood in a line in between the entrance of Love Park and the side walk. No one was permitted to step into Love Park unless you were joining the rally for Israel. From behind the police many Israeli supporters shouted curses and phrases like “Terrorists, There was never a Palestine!”

I was among a group of 50 Palestine supporters who stood there with signs reading “Stop the Attacks on Gaza , Killing children is not a Jewish value, Stop the Massacre.” Some were chanting “Free Free Palestine, From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.”

While I stood there with my sign that read “Death Toll Gaza 700 + , Israel 10 This is NOT Self-Defense” I was harassed by many supporting the bombing of Gaza who were joining the rally for Israel . A woman passed me by screaming “Those are inaccurate numbers, How many Israelis have died in the past years” in reference to my sign. I replied “And hundreds more Palestinians have been killed in the past years.” Another man came from behind me and said “We should have killed all of you.”

I was having a conversation with a friend from one of the Peace organizations I’ve worked with, when another man interrupted “You should be 6 feet under.” I thanked him for his remark while my friend replied “Well we all have to go there someday, so will you.” As the man continued to curse at us I said “Maybe then you and I will be able to have a conversation in peace.”

While some others shoved to make their way into the entrance they shouted things like “Go Home A**&$^&@” along with obscene language. Some shouted phrases in my direction like “You deserve to die, all of you are going to hell”, “Disgusting people” along with other obscene language.

While I stood there speaking to my friend, a Caucasian woman (who was without a sign) an older man stuck his middle finger in her face while shouting “F*$& You! Go F*&% Yourself.” I responded by holding up a peace sign with my fingers. My friend just put up her hand to block the man’s finger and said “Please, that isn’t necessary.”

An old woman who reeked of perfume with tons of makeup piled on her face and dressed in fur stopped in front of another protester to dispute his sign that read “US Taxes and Israeli Bombs Killing Children.” She then accused the protester of not wanting to pay taxes and live in a free country. I commend another woman who stopped to have a conversation with one of the protesters from the Peace organization. After a long conversation, she said “What do you think this protest is for? These are Jews for peace” My friend and I were stunned at her remarks. My friend replied “You could have fooled me, do you see how we are being treated?”

At the end of the protest, I watched as buses of Jewish children passed by shouting in hate out of the bus windows. How unfortunate for hate to be taught to these children. We are fortunate to live in a country in which Palestinians and Israelis can have open discussions and live peacefully. We must utilize these opportunities to create bridges of understanding and peace.

As a Palestinian-American living in the city of Brotherly Love I was shocked at the hate that I and other counter-protesters encountered. Love Park is a significant landmark signifying the importance of love. After all, Philadelphia is the city of “Brotherly Love.” Any hopes of Brotherly Love that could have rekindled between the descendants of Abraham were overcome with lack of understanding and hate.

What Palestine Teaches Us About Ourselves

The following article was written by a friend of mine.  Upon request, the author is to remain anonymous.

A protest for the suffering of Palestinians was held in the streets of Washington DC. Did it make the news? Not likely.

Was I there? No.

For as vocal as I have been in my support for the suffering of the Palestinian people since and before these strikes in the Gaza strip began, I came to a realization, something that could not be ignored.

In times of trouble, when nothing makes sense in the world, one has a tendency to turn towards their crutch. For me this is Islam, a religion often maligned and distorted by the ignorant, and more often ignored by its followers due to its rigidity, its laws, and it’s often conflict with the modern world.

But like over a billion people in the world today, I take what Islam and more importantly the Qur’an to be as the Truth. There is always an answer in the Qur’an, often times we just don’t look hard enough.  There is a verse in Surah Al-Imran that states:

“Say: ‘O Allah. Lord of Power (and Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleases, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleases: Thou enduest with honor whom Thou pleases, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.’” [3:26]

Verily, Allah speaks the truth. Over all things He has power and over all things He rules. This type of thinking brought me back to Palestine. See Palestine, more specifically the 1.5 million people suffering in the Gaza strip, reveals something greater about the 1.6 billion “rest” of us. Here’s how…

An innocent black man gets shot and killed by local police. The streets are full of rioters. Leaders speak out. Local politicians are harassed. The system is forced to respond. The cops get paid leave. An investigation occurs. Sometimes the cops go to jail or sometimes they don’t depending on how south you go.

A little white girl disappears. You won’t stop hearing it on the news for months. Fox News, CNN, and your local stations will cover it on end till death. ATF, FBI, CIA, NSA, and however many three letter acronyms you can think of are out fervently searching for her.

800+ people die in a single week. There’s a protest of about a 1,000 people through the streets chanting their chants, screaming their slogans. A candle light vigil is held. A “night of prayer and remembrance” is held at your local Masjid. But no politicians are harassed. No riots occur. No leaders speak up. No petitions signed. Nothing. Don’t get me wrong, praying is important. But one night? You can do that five times a day everyday anyways.

Where’s the pressure? Where are our outspoken leaders? Apparently there are 1 million Muslims in North America. Are you telling me that not one of them is rich? That not one of them holds a position of power where he could make even the smallest of differences? Are we that tame?

Or is it true that we have gotten comfortable living the middle American or upper middle American lifestyle? A lifestyle where allowing the deaths of your fellow brothers and sisters to go unpunished was acceptable. A lifestyle where you could feign caring with simple flag waving and the chanting of some cheers as long as you went home to your mansion to sleep at night. And how many actually lose sleep over this “conflict” affecting Gaza at the moment? If it was Pakistan, would the Pakistani community be up in arms? What if it were Iran, Egypt, or Morocco? Or do we really have to wait until they burn down Mecca before we as a people get off of our collective asses and “actually” do something about the state of the world we live in?

It must be so as the House of Representatives, even after Israel ignores U.N. laws, kills humanitarian aid workers, violates Egyptian air space, is caught conspiring to invade Iran, not to mention kill primarily civilians… the House states that Israel has the “right to defend” itself. By going into Palestine killing anything that moves? By that logic if Iraq and Afghanistan were to level every building in America above 100 feet, it could only be called “self-defense.”Forget the fact that 9/11 had its roots in the same type of hypocritical American foreign policy that now sees hundreds of defenseless Palestinians dying weeks on end.

So what does all this have to do with “us” in the west? We have our homes and comfortable beds to sleep in. We went out and did our little song and dance, wore our keffiyahs and prayed for our fellow brothers and sisters. We did all we could right?

Or do we have an obligation being blessed to live in a place where you don’t have to worry about constant death, where children make it through adolescence instead of biting the bullet of some IDF soldiers’ rifle? Should we all do as much as possible to make sure that this, all of this that is happening against Muslims end tomorrow? Should we be calling our representatives until 3 or 4 AM, should we be donating money and creating political action committees to harass politicians to death to do what we want? If you want to organize a march do a million persons march. Force them to close down half the streets to the city. If you want to show them that you are serious, be serious yourself. After all, that’s how Israel does it.

The Media vs. The Palestinians

The following article was written by my dear friend, Avi Silverberg.  It was originally published on his excellent new blog, “The Essential Gaza.” Please visit it to stay updated on the ongoing and turbulent crisis in Gaza.

When was the last time you turned on your TV? If, like most people, you answer “oh I had it on earlier”, then you have probably noticed the slant in coverage on the Gaza Conflict.

Let me get one thing straight, I am not a fan of conspiracy theories. I avoid conversation about conspiracy as much as I possibly can. I believe that they do more harm to the truth than outright lies do. So please do not look at this as some kind of a “news conspiracy, The Illuminati is going to get us all! Be scared!” type of article.

The night that the ground invasion began,while surfing the 300 or so channels that my family get, I noticed that not one of them was covering the invasion. Not FOX or ABC or CNN or even WHYY. MSNBC had nothing, nor did C-SPAN. Going through the menu, I saw that I would have to wait 2 hours before anything that would even remotely cover the invasion would be on.

I knew the radio was a joke. I like to listen to my AM stations occasionally to see what the other side is saying about things. But at the moment, I could not be bothered with extreme right-wing bias.

I thought I could hang out with my best friend Internet, so I ran upstairs. Upon being greeted by my customized for the latest news Google homepage, i noticed that the headlines for Google News and Yahoo News were giving me my stories. So were Digg and Fark, my second homes. As I clicked on each one, I noticed that the stories were surprisingly slanted and un-rightfully biased reposts of your typical ABC or FOX stories. Even Digg was letting me down. If you look at the comments for any of the stories, you will immediately see the hordes of pro-IDF and religious based posts. I am still uncertain if this is just a group posing as Digg members or if it is the true sentiments of some of the people that I thought of as an intelligent open community. Either way it is a sad state of affairs.

So many people in this world are not aware of the true nature of this massacre. So many people don’t even know that there is a massacre going on. Too many are constantly force-fed extreme bias and misinformation. We, as people of change, need to continue to do what we are already doing. We must continue to rally in our cities and towns. We must continue to educate people on the historical facts behind this slaughter. We must continue to fight with words and not with fists or violence. We must use what the Israeli government is afraid to use and that is rational thought and patience. We must promise the people of Palestine that we will continue to be heroes who will stand by them in their moment of need. That we will not just sit and watch this happen. One of the Five Pillars of Islam is “Charity”. What is more charitable then standing up for your brothers and sisters? That is a different kind of charity. That is spiritual charity and there is nothing else like it.

Continue to fight the fight! I’m with you.

Nationwide Demonstrations for Gaza

Thousands of Arabs, Muslims, and non-Muslims alike marched throughout the United States in protest to the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza which have killed nearly 400 people and wounded over 2,000. From Los Angeles to Chicago to New York, thousands of people refused to be silent and gathered to demonstrate against an atrocity that the mainstream media continues to report as “justifiable” and “self-defense.”  For 5 consecutive days, Israel did not stop its airstrikes and relentless launch of bombs and missiles, while President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert blamed Hamas for provoking the attacks.

What’s absolutely infuriating is that President Bush and the Israeli Prime Minister completely ignore the fact that Hamas fired rockets into Southern Israel because of the blockade Israel has placed on the people of Gaza.  The Israeli blockade on Gaza has been in action for months and the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the region have been unjustly deprived of food, water, medicine, and electricity. While Palestinians suffered and died without these basic necessities, the rest of the world stood by and ignored their plight.  President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert also didn’t mention that the Hamas rockets killed one Israeli and injured four civilians.  In response, Israel launched this devastating airstrike on Gaza which has killed nearly 400 people.  As Israel claims to be targeting Hamas and “terrorists,” all one needs to do is look at the bodies of the murdered Palestinians:  Children, teenagers, women, elderly, civilians, etc.  If this is not terrorism, genocide, or ethnic cleansing, then I don’t know what is.

I recently participated in a protest for Gaza in Philadelphia on Tuesday, December 30th.  The incredible display of energy, passion, and most of all, unity is what made the experience truly unforgettable and deeply touching.  I saw hundreds of people from all different ethnic and religious backgrounds:  Arabs, South Asians, Caucasians, African-Americans; Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc.  The way everyone came together brought back a sense of hope for me, especially regarding the Muslim community, which I tend to criticize a lot for not displaying enough unity.  The fact that other large protests took place in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and even in Syndney and London, shows the world how serious the Palestinian issue really is.  Protesters in Philadelphia held signs reading, “Obama, Obama, we need change!” and “Stop Killing the Children,” and “Time for Peace, Not War.”  Jewish protesters proudly marched in the streets and held signs reading “Philly Jews Say Not in My Name” and “Shalom, Salaam, Peace.”  Cheers and applause roared after Palestinian speakers urged President-Elect Barack Obama to fulfill his promise of change and bringing peace in the Middle-East.

As I welcome the new year, I can still hear the passionate shouts of “Free, Free Palestine!” and “Long Live Palestine!” and “Stop the Occupation Now!”  I could not bring myself to even acknowledge the new year without remembering and praying for the thousands of Palestinians suffering in Gaza right now.  We cannot forget the atrocities and we cannot stop raising our voices.  The more we speak up, the stronger our voices become.  May this new year be a beautiful and blessed one for you and your families.  May we all work towards bringing peace, understanding, and compassion into the world.  And may Allah answer our prayers and bring healing to all those who suffer in the world.  Ameen.

If you’re interested in watching the footage I video taped from the protest in Philadelphia, feel free to watch it below.  I interviewed some people and captured some really amazing displays of passion and unity.  The entire protest is divided into three parts.  The links for part 2 and 3 are provided below:

Emergency Protest for Gaza in Philadelphia - December 30th, 2008 - Part 2 of 3

Emergency Protest for Gaza in Philadelphia - December 30th, 2008 - Part 3 of 3

Merry Christmas Gaza

A friend of mine, Ahad Ahmed, wrote the following note on his Facebook page.  I believe it expresses the frustration and anger that many Muslims and non-Muslims alike feel about the brutal massacre in Gaza.

Here I am almost 12: 20 AM writing this note after reading preposterous headlines and listening to the B.S. commentary on the news. Anybody with a working television/radio set will understand that Israel has been bombing the effing daylights out of Gaza in the last 3-4 days. I guess I’m writing this because I honestly haven’t been this pissed off in many days. Ive never hated the Israelis so much after what they’ve been doing in the last few days. I must confess my hatred is renewed for the liars who lie in the face of murder.

For those of you who worship Fox news and her zealous affiliates you people may think I’m racist but I’m not.  I’m anti-Zionist, not antisemitic and only an American media system will not have you know the difference. First lets address your blatant ignorance of the issue by exposing what you already know and probably what you don’t know. If you for some reason think it was necessary to execute such a brutal airstrike that killed 250+ in the first 2-3 days alone then you are missing the fact that Israel has violated the so called “truce” over 1000 (one thousand, O-N-E THOUSAND) times. The things that live in Gaza are not plaster-dummies they are actual people!!

Whats really disappointing is When Israel starts destroying the lives of civilians in Gaza the media in America, who are supposed to be committed to the truth, tell us that Israel has been somehow very patient and tested with the rocket attacks and that they came out of nowhere or for some small reason. What the media will not tell you is that in the last six months Israel renewed its policy for home demolition in the occupied territories… yes that means more home demolition in the name of “fighting terrorists” and later more growth of settlements. A few Kassam rockets tick off the Israelis but me and my neighbors loose their home and we become terrorists for retaliating? what kind of F***** up logic is that?

So who suffers? OOO I know! I know! Hamas? Owww!! Close! But not really.. the answer is (drum roll) Palestinian Civilians! But that’s okay to the American and Israelis its mostly the same. Its so amazing how these people on CNN (Con-Artists’ News Network) always bring up the news of this with the sole history of Hamas launching Kassam rockets!! As if the whole history of this thing started with a few Kassam rockets which damaged comparatively nothing. ZERO.

On the other hand, Kudos to all the protesters around the world who actually know the history of Holy Land and remember it especially well since the year 2000 (over 5000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since then). I stand in solidarity with all those who denounce these attacks and denounce the racist and hateful ideas of every Zionist on the planet. We know the media in America is bull and we know the truth and we will attempt to silence the liars wherever we find them with the light of the wholesome truth. The millions of people all over Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas who are protesting this villainy and vilification give me hope. It warms my heart to know that so many are standing for the truth and denounce the lies of the Zionist greedy war-machine.

And to those who are convinced that Israel is the true bearer of patience and righteousness then I say to you no matter how much you want to believe in the fairytale of the American media we will always be there countering it with the truth. We only ask that you listen to the cries of the Palestinians who are being murdered right now in the name of democracy and in the name of fighting terrorism (LIE!), yes women and children too, just once!  In the meantime we will be on the streets, papers, and yes Facebook giving you the truth because in truth lies peace and then and only then can we sleep knowing that innocent Palestinians are not dying in vain.

Also Merry Christmas Gaza, I’m sure its been for those Christians who didn’t anticipate their own death the day after Jesus was born…