Christmas Greetings from the Ulema

I found at New Media Journal, a reference to a Yahoo News article about the Ulama's Christmas greeting. The text of the greeting is reproduced below, followed by a quote from a statement about the sanctity of innocent lives. After quoting the documents, I will dissect them and expose the deceptions therein contained.

A Muslim Message of Thanks and of Christmas and New Year Greetings, December 2007

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

May God bless Muhammad and his kin and bless Abraham and his kin

Al-Salaamu Aleikum; Peace be upon you; Pax Vobiscum

Peace be upon Jesus Christ who says: Peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am resurrected (Chapter of Mary; the Holy Qur’an; 19:34).

During these joyful holidays we write to you, our Christian neighbors all over the world, to express our thanks for the beautiful and gracious responses that we Muslims have been receiving from the very first day we issued our invitation to come together to ‘A Common Word’ based on ‘Love of God and Love of Neighbor’ (see www.acommonword.com for the document and the responses).

We thank you and wish you all a joyous and peaceful Christmas Holiday Season commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, may peace be upon him.

We Muslims bear witness that: There is no god but God, without associate, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, and that Jesus is His Servant, His Messenger, His Word cast to Mary, and a Spirit from Him …. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith al-Anbiya’).

We pray, during these blessed days, which have coincided with the Muslim feast of the Hajj or Pilgrimage, which commemorates the faith of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), that the New Year may bring healing and peace to our suffering world. God’s refusal to let Abraham (peace be upon him) sacrifice his son—granting him instead a ram—is to this day a Divine warrant and a most powerful social lesson for all the followers of the Abrahamic faiths, to ever do their utmost to save, uphold and treasure every single human life and especially the life of every single child. Indeed, it is worthy of note that this year Muslim scholars issued a historic declaration affirming the sanctity of human life—of every human life—as an essential and foundational teaching in Islam upon which all Muslim scholars are in unanimous agreement (see details at www.duaatalislam.com). May the coming year be one in which the sanctity and dignity of human life is upheld by all. May it be a year of humble repentance before God, and mutual forgiveness within and between communities.

Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

---

The Statement of Muslim Scholars on the Sanctity of Human Life and on the Prohibition of
Declaring a Believer an Apostate in Light of the Current State of Affairs in Iraq

The sanctity of human life: God has forbidden the killing of innocents whether
they be Muslim, Christian, or otherwise. All who take life without legitimate
justification commit a major crime and an atrocity before God.

---

• May God bless Muhammad and his kin and bless Abraham and his kin.

"Abraham and his kin" includes the Jews, of whom Allah said "They are the worst of creatures." ; do the Ulama sincerely bless those whom Moe has cursed or are they unaware of 9:30?

• Al-Salaamu Aleikum; Peace be upon you; Pax Vobiscum

This greeting contravenes Moe's explicit command concerning greeting Kufar.

Sahih Muslim Book 026, Number 5389:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.

• Peace be upon Jesus Christ who says: Peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am resurrected (Chapter of Mary; the Holy Qur’an; 19:34) [Ref. preceding ayeh 33.]

1. PBUH: why? PBU Moe is explained.
   • 33:56. "Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on the Prophet (Muhammad ) and also His angels too (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad ), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As­Salâmu 'Alaikum)" .[TheCommand to Say Salah upon the Propht] Clearly, Moe had some doubt concerning his own salvation and was seeking reinforcement, knowing that he was a sinner. Is there any doubt about Jesus Christ's eternal destination?
2. On what day did Jesus die? 4:157. And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allâh," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) ]:
   
   4:158. But Allâh raised him ['Iesa (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allâh is Ever All ­Powerful All Wise.

• uphold and treasure every single human life and especially the life of every single child. Indeed, it is worthy of note that this year Muslim scholars issued a historic declaration affirming the sanctity of human life—of every human life—as an essential and foundational teaching in Islam upon which all Muslim scholars are in unanimous agreement

Is that so? Every human life is sacred to Islam, especially the children? In Sahih Muslim, Muslim Book 019, Number 4294, we read: "do not kill the children". But in Book 019, Number 4321 we read: "It is reported on the authority of Sa'b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them."

What is the reason for the injunction and for the exception, if life is sacred? In Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 512 we read: "Then the inhabitants of Khaibar came out running on the roads. The Prophet had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives." Does that give you a hint? What did they do with captives? See 8:67 & 47:4. What happened to Safiya? What happened to the adolescent boys of the Banu Qurayzah tribe? But all human life is sacred, particularly the children, right?

If all human life is sacred to Islam, why did Moe say: "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah." Clearly, our lives ain't sacred to Muslims until we submit to Islam!!

• The sanctity of human life: God has forbidden the killing of innocents whether
  they be Muslim, Christian, or otherwise. All who take life without legitimate
  justification commit a major crime and an atrocity before God.

Who is innocent? 5:33 establishes the punishment for making mischief against Allah: 5:33. "The recompense of those who wage war against Allâh and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter. " Who incurs that penalty? Ibn Kathir lets the cat out of the bag in his tafsir of this ayeh: "Wage war' mentioned here means, oppose and contradict, and it includes disbelief, blocking roads and spreading fear in the fairways. Mischief in the land refers to various types of evil. " You are subject to the penalties imposed by 5:33 for disbelief!!! If you do not believe in and obey Allah and his Messenger, you ain't innocent. Whenever a Muslim's lips are moving, his pen is writing or his fingers are on a keyboard, look out for the weasel words!!!

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Fair Play for Israel

The circulator requests that this petition be given maximal distribution and promotion. The cause is just but little recognized. 2600 signatures is a good start. Lets make it grow exponentially. Please copy, cross post & email this petition!

Fair Play for Israel at the United Nations

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition

Please sign the petition with first and last names - no families and no initials or nicknames. Background information is available at http://www.zionism-israel.com/issues/UNPetition.htm..

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To: The Secretary General of the United Nations, US Ambassador to the United Nations and EU Ambassador to the United Nations:

We, the undersigned, are concerned that the UN has been subverted for decades into an instrument to persecute a member state, Israel. This violates charter guarantees of equality for all states and detracts from the ability of the UN to function as a fair and impartial mediator in the Middle East. Precious Secretariat resources for human rights are diverted into one conflict and one problem out of many. We insist that Israel be given equal treatment with all countries at the UN.

The UN Human Rights Commission, even after reform, issues endless condemnations of Israel, supported by notorious human rights violators such as Libya, Cuba, Iran, and Syria.

Israel is the only state that for decades was not part of a regional group and could not participate in UN bodies and consultations, and its membership is still restricted.

One of the seven Secretariat divisions for the entire world is a separate Division for Palestinian Rights. There is no separate division for any country or any other issue. There is no division for women's rights or basic freedoms, and no separate divisions for Tibet, Cyprus, West Sahara or other crisis areas.

Notorious examples of UN sponsored anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic NGO activities abound. They include the odious Durban conference that condemned Zionism as "Racism." A conference in Cairo supported the Hamas government and tried to torpedo efforts to force the Hamas to recognize Israel and participate in conflict resolution.

The Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR) and the committees it controls conduct an unrelenting campaign against Israel. The DPR fosters Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) that promote racism and attempts to impede peace efforts. These activities and related anti-Israel initiatives have damaged the credibility of the UN as a force for peace and a neutral mediator.

We call on the UN to abolish the Division for Palestinian Rights and the associated Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Human Rights Practices Affecting the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (SCIIHRP) and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP).

Likewise, we call on the UN to complete the reform of the UN Human Rights Commission and correct its anti-Israel bias, and to allow the integration of Israel into the UN as an equal member which can serve in all UN institutions and committees.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

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Myth vs Fact-Part 189

Myth	Fact
Islam: Religion of peace.	Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 143: Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said to Abu Talha, "Choose one of your boy servants to serve me in my expedition to Khaibar." So, Abu Talha took me letting me ride behind him while I was a boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allah's Apostle when he stopped to rest. I heard him saying repeatedly, "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men." Then we reached Khaibar; and when Allah enabled him to conquer the Fort (of Khaibar), the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtab was described to him. Her husband had been killed while she was a bride. So Allah's Apostle selected her for himself and took her along with him till we reached a place called Sad-AsSahba,' where her menses were over and he took her for his wife. Haris (a kind of dish) was served on a small leather sheet. Then Allah's Apostle told me to call those who were around me. So, that was the marriage banquet of Allah's Apostle and Safiya. Then we left for Medina. I saw Allah's Apostle folding a cloak round the hump of the camel so as to make a wide space for Safiya (to sit on behind him) He sat beside his camel letting his knees for Safiya to put her feet on so as to mount the camel. Then, we proceeded till we approached Medina; he looked at Uhud (mountain) and said, "This is a mountain which loves us and is loved by us." Then he looked at Medina and said, "O Allah! I make the area between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains a sanctuary as Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary. O Allah! Bless them (i.e. the people of Medina) in their Mudd and Sa (i.e. measures)."
Tafsir

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Gabrielle Giffords' Tunnel Enforcement Act

I received the following email from Gabrielle Giffords and thought it was worth posting for all to see. While I have stated many times she and I don't see eye to eye on many issues, there are several things I do appreciated from her. One of those efforts of hers is her on-going efforts to stay in touch with her constituents, even when they don't agree with her.

On this issue, what she's communicated to me sounds good--I will qualify this, though, as something I have to delve into deeper to make sure I'm understanding it correctly. On the surface, it appears she is indeed serious about not only enforcing our laws but tightening them up as well with stricter penalties. Here, then, is her email to me:

December 21, 2007


Dear [Redacted],


This week the House passed the Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations package and it is now going to the President for his signature. I thought you might be interested in hearing about a provision that I included in that legislation to toughen our border security.


I first introduced this legislation as a stand-alone bill, called the Tunnel Enforcement Act (H.R. 4326). My legislation, as passed in the appropriations package, will ensure that the federal government can prosecute smugglers who tunnel into the United States .


This provision criminalizes the construction of tunnels under the U.S. border and adds this prohibition to the federal criminal code. It also creates criminal penalties for using tunnels to smuggle illegal aliens, goods, controlled substances, weapons, or terrorists.


Specifically, the Tunnel Enforcement Act established the following federal crimes and corresponding sentences.


--Any person who knowingly constructs or finances the construction of a tunnel or subterranean passage that crosses the international border between the United States and another country, other than a lawfully authorized tunnel or passage known to the Secretary of Homeland Security and subject to inspection by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 20 years.


--Any person who knowingly or recklessly disregards the construction or use of a tunnel or passage described in subsection (a) on land that the person owns or controls shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 10 years.


--Any person who uses a tunnel or passage described in subsection (a) to unlawfully smuggle an alien, goods, controlled substances, weapons of mass destruction, or a member of a terrorist organization shall be subject to a maximum term of imprisonment that is twice the maximum term of imprisonment that would have otherwise been applicable had the unlawful activity not made use of such a tunnel or passage.


Securing our border is my highest priority in Congress, and I have consistently been an advocate for strengthened border security by supporting these measures in Congress:


--Border Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (H.R. 2542) to fund enhanced law enforcement operations, as well as the detention and transfer of illegal aliens to federal authorities (cosponsor),


--To provide for the next generation of border and maritime security technologies (H.R. 3916) by deploying UAVs and Advanced Tunnel Detection on the U.S.-Mexico border and study additional border security needs (cosponsor),



--Motion to Recommit on the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007 (H.R. 1851) to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving housing assistance,


--Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 2399) to increase penalties for smuggling an illegal immigrant into the U.S. (H.R. 2399), and


--Department of Defense Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 3222) to support $247 million for the continuing National Guard operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.


Additionally, I launched a vigorous campaign in Congress to add $55 million in much needed funding to the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). This program reimburses our county and state law enforcement agencies for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants. Other members of Congress and the President proposed cutting this essential federal program. As a result of my added funding, Congress included a total of $410 million in SCAAP funding in the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill that passed the House as part of the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations package. The Omnibus funding package is going to the President for his signature which is expected promptly thereafter.


I always appreciate hearing from constituents, like you, who are informed and interested in issues of important to Arizona and the nation. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you require assistance. My job as your representative is to assist you with federal agencies, access services and get your policy questions answered thoroughly. Feel free to sign-up for e-news updates on my website at www.giffords.house.gov.


Sincerely Yours,
Gabrielle Giffords
Member of Congress

Good job, Gabrielle. THIS is the kind of stuff your constituents want to see progress made on, not appeasement.

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Teddy Roosevelt-1907 View of Immigration

Although I've seen this before, it finally came (from Bonnie) with a picture I liked.

The text beneath the picture reads (NOTE: all emphasis mine):

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Do it legally or don't do it at all.

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