Grand Mosque Imam: Find Righteous Path

MAKKAH, 28 July 2007 — Imam and khatib at the Grand Mosque Sheikh Saud Al-Shoraim attributed the problems facing Muslim societies to their failure to understand the sound teachings of Islam.

While addressing a large Friday congregation at the Grand Mosque yesterday, Sheikh Saud Al-Shoraim said that some selfish people are interpreting the principles of Islam to suit their whims. They portray the image of Islam in a distorted manner falsifying and demeaning the reality.

“The falsehood has been heaped on the truth,” said the sheikh. “Ideas extraneous to Islam have been placed over the strong and original principles of Islam to such an extensive manner that the people have been led to view and understand Islam in an upside down form.

“People have been fed with polluted ideas about Islam. When efforts are being made to return them to the right path shown by the Prophet, peace be upon him, they reject it. Those who strive to bring them back to the right path are accused of being reactionaries with stagnant ideas.”

The sheikh condemned the preachers of misguidance and deceptive teachings as the ones who break the Muslims to sects of pervert ideologies. “Islam has only one law and a single distinctive feature. It is a God-fearing and pure society in which prevails an atmosphere of purity and clarity. Its goals are clear and sound in every respect,” the sheikh said. He warned the promoters of pervert ideologies against marginalizing the Islamic Shariah.

He said they are “creating confusion and presenting the falsehood in the form of the truth, the ugly in the form of beauty and the evil in the guise of virtue.”

He warned such misguided people against the hiding of the truth from the people and called upon them to accept the eternal law of Allah which is crystal clear and valid for all people in all times.

He reminded the misguided preachers that there is no dignity for the people without the real teachings of Islam. The loss and ruin are the plight of the Muslims if they keep away from the true teachings of Islam, he said.

The sheikh called upon the Muslims to stand firm against the waves of misguided teachings aimed at marginalizing the true Islamic way and Shariah.

Update FISA

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary

July 28, 2007

Audio

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I visited with troops at Charleston Air Force Base. These fine men and women are serving courageously to protect our country against dangerous enemies. The terrorist network that struck America on September the 11th wants to strike our country again. To stop them, our military, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals need the best possible information about who the terrorists are, where they are, and what they are planning.

One of the most important ways we can gather that information is by monitoring terrorist communications. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- also known as FISA -- provides a critical legal foundation that allows our intelligence community to collect this information while protecting the civil liberties of Americans. But this important law was written in 1978, and it addressed the technologies of that era. This law is badly out of date -- and Congress must act to modernize it.

Today we face sophisticated terrorists who use disposable cell phones and the Internet to communicate with each other, recruit operatives, and plan attacks on our country. Technologies like these were not available when FISA was passed nearly 30 years ago, and FISA has not kept up with new technological developments. As a result, our Nation is hampered in its ability to gain the vital intelligence we need to keep the American people safe. In his testimony to Congress in May, Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence, put it this way: We are "significantly burdened in capturing overseas communications of foreign terrorists planning to conduct attacks inside the United States."

To fix this problem, my Administration has proposed a bill that would modernize the FISA statute. This legislation is the product of months of discussion with members of both parties in the House and the Senate -- and it includes four key reforms: First, it brings FISA up to date with the changes in communications technology that have taken place over the past three decades. Second, it seeks to restore FISA to its original focus on protecting the privacy interests of people inside the United States, so we don't have to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence about foreign targets located in foreign locations. Third, it allows the government to work more efficiently with private-sector entities like communications providers, whose help is essential. And fourth, it will streamline administrative processes so our intelligence community can gather foreign intelligence more quickly and more effectively, while protecting civil liberties.

Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country. Congress needs to act immediately to pass this bill, so that our national security professionals can close intelligence gaps and provide critical warning time for our country.

As the recent National Intelligence Estimate reported, America is in a heightened threat environment. Reforming FISA will help our intelligence professionals address those threats -- and they should not have to wait any longer. Congress will soon be leaving for its August recess. I ask Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass FISA modernization now, before they leave town. Our national security depends on it.

Thank you for listening.

END

Abbas hopes for peace 'in a year'

27 July 2007

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has said he hopes to reach a comprehensive peace deal with Israel's government "within one year".

Mr Abbas also told Israel's Maariv newspaper that US President George W Bush wanted to see a Middle East peace accord before he leaves office in 2009.

A "final formula" would have to be agreed and a timetable set, he added.

The announcement came after a report in another Israeli newspaper outlined the terms of the possible peace offer.

Haaretz said on Wednesday that Israel was ready to offer the Palestinians a state in 90% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The proposal would also include a tunnel to link the two Palestinian territories, and a land-swap that would allow major Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank to become part of Israel.

'Final formula'

In the Maariv interview, Mr Abbas said the US was "determined to push the parties into reaching an agreement during President Bush's current term".

The timetable may be long, but what is important is for the Palestinians to know the final result, the end game, from the outset

Mahmoud Abbas

"I heard this in person from the president himself and from Secretary of State [Condoleezza] Rice," he said.

"We have to reach the final formula, the end game, and then think about the implementation and set a timetable for the implementation on the ground," Mr Abbas added.

"The timetable may be long, but what is important is for the Palestinians to know the final result, the end game, from the outset."

The Palestinian leader said he would insist on a number of principles for any final agreement, including a Palestinian state including pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The issue of Palestinian refugees would have to be resolved "in a fair and just way", he added.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared he had "started very seriously to talk with Mr Abbas on a peace process and questions which can allow a Palestinian state to be established".

Electoral changes

Mr Abbas also said that there was "a wish and a decision to have early elections" in the Palestinian Territories.

Presidential and legislative elections are not scheduled until 2010, but Mr Abbas and his Fatah movement have sought to sideline Hamas since the rival group seized control of Gaza in June.

In a separate interview with the Reuters news agency, Mr Abbas said he would soon issue a decree to change a rule that might make it more difficult for Hamas to repeat its landslide parliamentary election win of 2006.

The legislative poll would be contested only by nationwide party electoral lists, rather than by a combination of party lists and constituency seats, he said.

In the January 2006 poll, Hamas narrowly defeated Fatah in the nationwide vote, but secured twice as many seats due to greater success in winning constituencies.

Hamas, which was removed from power by Mr Abbas after ousting Fatah in Gaza, has insisted the president cannot call an election without the agreement of all factions.

Source

US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal'

Robert Gates is said to be preparing to discuss the plans in Saudi Arabia

28 July 2007

The United States is reported to be preparing a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $20bn (£9.8bn) over the next decade.

It is said to be part of a strategy for countering Iran's growing strength.

Defence officials quoted by US media and the AFP news agency said it would include missile guidance systems, upgraded fighter jets and naval ships.

To counter objections from Israel, they said, the Jewish state would be offered significantly increased military aid.

But the New York Times says Bush administration officials are concerned that the size of the package and broader concerns about Saudi Arabia's influence in Iraq could prompt critics in Congress to oppose the package.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates is said to be planning to discuss the proposals in a visit to Saudi Arabia next week with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The officials said discussions with Congress on the arms package had just begun, and that no announcements were expected during the visit.

Other US allies in the region - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - could receive equipment and weaponry as part of the deal, the officials said.

Source

Further Reading:

Saudi prince 'received arms cash'

All Creature's Upon the Earth Know Allah

All creature’s that live upon this earth know Allah.
Look into the dog’s face and when he responds to the Athan (Call for Prayer) in Jerusalem.

Subhanallah

A Lukewarm Muslim

28 July 2007

by HRM Deborah

Think of the last time you went to get a nice hot cup of your favorite tea. You got it all made and set down in your comfortable chair already to drink it; when the phone rang.

So there it sit’s on the table, while you go answer the phone; who could it be? Your very best friend and you talk for about thirty minutes. It was a lovely chat, but when you finish, you go back expecting your tea to be hot.

Oh, it is lukewarm, not as good as you would have wished, but you decide to drink it anyway.

As Muslim's, we can end up if we are not careful, like that lukewarm cup of tea and if we are not careful; we can even if we wait long enough, to be ice cold.

Allah doesn’t really appreciate the lukewarm or cold Muslim either, so the next time you have a cup of your nice tea; think about the path you are really on and how to be a better Muslim.

The one, Allah really wishes.

Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

19 - 25 July 2007

Suffering of Palestinian Civilians Due to the Continued Closure of Rafah International Crossing

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)


· 4 Palestinians were killed by IOF & a 5th Dies of Wounds in the Gaza Strip.

o IOF Commit two failed Extra-judicial executions.

· 11 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and an elderly, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the West Bank.

o 6 of the Injured were wounded in the weekly Bal’in Demonstration, and 5 were wounded in Ein Beit El-Ma’ Refugee Camp west of Nablus.

· IOF conducted 29 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 38 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 35 in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF raze tens of Dunums of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT, and continues to isolate the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

o Severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip due to the closure.

o 6,000 Palestinians stuck on the Egyptian side of the Gaza Strip border for 6 weeks. The number of travelers who died in Egypt so far is 16.

o IOF positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested 2 Palestinian civilians.

· Israeli settlement activity and attacks by Israeli settlers continue:

o Palestinian house demolished in Asakra village east of Bethlehem.

o Settlers set fire to farms in the West Bank

Summary

US Harms Women and Children in Iraq?

US air attack on Iraq Shia fighters

The US said its target was a Mahdi Army unit responsible for attacks on US-led troops [EPA]

27 July 2007

The US military have killed around 12 Shia fighters in an air attack in Iraqi city of Karbalaa.

US special forces ordered the air attack when Shia fighters unleashed a barrage of rocket and machine gun fire during clashes on Friday.

The US military has denied there were any civilians in the area, but Dr Aziz al-Ghanimi of al-Hussein General Hospital said his staff had received nine bodies and 23 people with injuries.

A local government official said the casualties included two dead women and 10 wounded women and children.

The US statement did not say whether US or Iraqi troops had been killed or wounded in the battle.

At least three of the dead were Mahdi Army fighters, according to Razak al-Musawi, a local spokesman for the political movement of Shia leader, Moqtada al-Sadr.

"The Americans were looking for a well-known member of the Mahdi Army named Hamza Matrud. There were three people killed and seven wounded from the Mahdi Army," al-Musawi said.

The US military did not give any names, but said its target was a 100-member Mahdi Army unit responsible for bomb and mortar attacks on US-led troops, civilians, and the assassination of two government officials.

Cities in south-central Iraq have seen several running battles in recent months between rival Shia fighters, US and Iraqi forces.

Source

Israel to allow some stranded Palestinians into Gaza Strip through Erez Crossing; Rafah Crossing to remain closed

28 July 2007

Bethlehem - Ma'an – Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami declared Friday that the 6,000 Palestinians stranded in Egypt at Rafah border crossing will be returned to the Gaza Strip by the end of next week.

Arjami said the Palestinian Authority has reached an agreement with Israeli authorities to transport the Palestinians on busses into the Gaza Strip through a different, Israeli-controlled crossing.

Palestinian Information Minister Riad Maliki told the Associated Press early Saturday that Israel has agreed "in principle" to allow the marooned Palestinians to pass through Erez Crossing, at the northern end of the Strip, as long as Israeli authorities approve a list of the names of each person who crosses over. The Palestinian Authority would be responsible for compliling the list.

The Palestinians have been trapped on the Egyptian side since interfactional fighting closed Rafah crossing on June 9th. At least 29 people have died while stranded.

Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, have rejected proposals to open Israeli-controlled crossings, viewing the use of Rafah as a matter of national sovereignty.

On July 13th, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called for the opening of "all crossings into Gaza for the passage of humanitarian supplies and workers, as well as commercial goods."

Israeli forces block Palestinian security services from patrolling parts of Hebron

28 July 2007

Hebron – Ma'an – Israeli authorities ordered Palestinian security services to suspend routine patrols in parts of the West Bank city of Hebron Saturday as Israeli forces move into the area.

A Palestinian security official told Ma'an that his patrol was told "not to move into As Salam street, Ein Sara or the area around the University of Hebron until 1 pm as the Israelis are launching security activity in these areas."

These areas are inside the part of Hebron known as "H1," where the Palestinian Authority is responsible for security. The Israeli-controlled section, called "H2," contains Israeli settlements, religious sites, Palestinian residential neighborhoods, and parts of the Old City.

The official added that this was "not the first time" that the Israelis have interfered with the normal operation of Palestinian security services and, "It will not be the last." He accuses the Israelis of "Obstructing security plans the Palestinians intend to carry out in the city," adding, "This is coming in the same time that Fayyad government is attempting to impose security and order in the city, which suffers from lack of security."

Deposed Hamas government to pay public employees' salaries throughout the Palestinian territories

28 July 2007

Gaza - Ma'an – The head of the Palestinian public employees union declared Saturday that the deposed Hamas government has started paying the salaries of newly-appointed civil servants and those registered as unemployed.

Alaa Ad Din Batta, the head of the union, declared that the payments will include all employees hired by the Hamas government throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Speaking to Ma'an correspondent in Gaza, Batta called on all public employees who may have been fired by the caretaker government, headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, to go to the post offices and banks Sunday to receive their salaries. He expressed gratitude to the government of deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh for finding the funds to pay the salaries.

According to the public employees' union, there are 10,000 Gaza Strip workers who have not been payed by the Fayyad government, including 7,000 members of Hamas' Executive Force security service.

Congress sends security bill to Bush

27 July 2007

by JIM ABRAMS

WASHINGTON -Congress sent President Bush legislation Friday to intensify anti-terror efforts in the U.S., shifting money to high-risk states and cities and expanding screening of air and sea cargo to stave off future Sept. 11-style attacks.

The measure carries out major recommendations of the independent 9/11 Commission.

The bill, passed by the House on a 371-40 vote, ranks among the top accomplishments of the six-month-old Democratic Congress. The Senate approved the measure late Thursday by 85-8, and the White House said the president would sign the bill.

Six years after the Sept. 11 attacks and three years after the 9/11 Commission made its recommendations, "Congress is finally embracing what the 9/11 families have been saying all along," said Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. "It takes a willingness to do things a different way."

The bill elevates the importance of risk factors in determining which states and cities get federal security funds — that would mean more money for such cities as New York and Washington — and also puts money into a new program to assure that security officials at every level can communicate with each other.

It would require screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and sets a five-year goal of scanning all container ships for nuclear devices before they leave foreign ports.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who steered the legislation through the Senate with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said it would "make our nation stronger, our cities and towns more secure and our families safer."

Republicans generally backed the bill while stressing their own administration's success in stopping another major terrorist attack. The bill, said Rep. Peter King of New York, top Republican on the Homeland Security panel, "is another step in the right direction building on the steps of the previous 5 1/2 years."

"These efforts build upon the considerable progress we've made over the past six years," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

Completion of the bill, six months after the House passed its original version on the first day of the current Congress, was a major victory for Democrats who have seen some of their other priorities — immigration and energy reform and stem cell research funding — thwarted by GOP and presidential resistance and House-Senate differences.

Another goal, raising the minimum wage, went into effect last Tuesday, and Democratic leaders still hope for agreement on ethics and lobbying changes before Congress departs for its August recess at the end of next week.

The independent 9/11 Commission in 2004 issued 41 recommendations covering domestic security, intelligence gathering and foreign policy. Congress and the White House followed through on some, including creating a director of national intelligence, tightening land border screening and cracking down on terrorist financing.

Democrats, after taking over control of Congress, promised to make completing the list a top priority.

Former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., the vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, said with enactment of the bill some 80 percent of the panel's recommendations will have been met. "The bottom line is that the American people will be safer," he said.

The 9/11 bill led off the first busy legislative week in the House last January, and the Senate passed its version in March. The measure stalled after that, partly because of a White House veto threat over language, since dropped, to give collective bargaining rights to aviation screeners.

House-Senate negotiators finally reached an agreement this week after Democrats worked out a provision satisfying GOP demands that people who report what they in good faith believe to be terrorist activity around planes, trains and buses be protected from lawsuits.

The most controversial provision in the legislation requires the radiation scanning of cargo containers in more than 600 ports from which ships leave for the U.S. The White House, and other critics, say that the technology isn't there, that the requirement could disrupt trade and that current procedures including manifest inspections at foreign ports and radiation monitoring in U.S. ports are working well.

Supporters argue that the unthinkable devastation from the detonation of a nuclear device in an American port makes it imperative to scan cargo before it reaches U.S. shores. As a compromise, it was agreed that the Homeland Security secretary can extend the five-year deadline for 100 percent scanning in two-year increments if necessary.

The White House was also unhappy with a provision that requires total amounts requested and appropriated for the intelligence community to be made public.

There was more agreement on changing the formula to ensure that more federal security grants go to high-risk states and cities. The current formula makes sure that every lawmaker, even those representing rural areas relatively safe from terrorism, get a chunk of the federal grants. Under the new formula a larger percentage of grants will go to high-risk urban areas.

The bill also establishes a new grant program to ensure that local, state and federal officials can communicate with each other and approves $4 billion over four years for rail, transit and bus security.

It strengthens security measures for the Visa Waiver Program, which allows travelers from select countries to visit the United States without visas.

The massive legislation also contains language requiring the president to confirm that Pakistan is making progress in combatting al-Qaida and Taliban elements within its borders before the United States provides aid to the country.

Hamilton said that one shortcoming of the bill is that it fails to carry out the commission's recommendation that Congress streamline its own overlapping setup for monitoring intelligence and homeland security matters. "I think congressional oversight still remains a weakness in our homeland security," he said.

___

The bill is H.R. 1

On the Net:

Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/

True Strength

We each have a different kind of strength. Some of us are able to persevere against hopeless odds. Some are able to see light in a world of darkness. Some are able to give selflessly and no thought of return, while others are able to bring a sense of importance into the hearts of those around them. But no matter how we exhibit strength, its truest measure is the calm and certain conviction with which it causes us to act. It is the ability to discern the path with heart, and follow it even when at the moment we might wish to be doing something else.

True strength is not about force, but about conviction. It lives at the center of belief where fear and uncertainty cannot gain a foothold. Its opposite is not cowardice and fear, but confusion, lack of clarity, and lack of intention. True strength does not require an adversary and does not see itself as noble or heroic. It simply does what it must without praise or need of recognition. A person who can quietly stay home and care for an ailing parent is as strong as a person who can climb a mountain. A person who can stand up for principle is as strong as a person who can fend off an army. They simply have quieter, less dramatic, kinds of strengths.

True strength does not magnify others' weaknesses. It makes others stronger. If someone's strength makes others feel weaker, it is merely domination, and that is no strength at all. Take care to find your own strength, Nurture it. Develop it. Share it with those around you. Let it become a light for those who are living in darkness. Remember, strength based in force is a strength people fear. Strength based on love is a strength people crave. [Simple Truths]

UN Under Fire

The UN is currently carrying out 18 peacekeeping operations worldwide.

27 July 2007

The United Nations faces a spate of allegations against its peacekeepers in several of its missions around the world.

The crimes range from paedophile sexual abuse to trafficking gold.

Is there a link between the nationalities of the soldiers involved and the crimes they commit?

Can these crimes be justified under any circumstances?

Some say the United Nations needs to look at how it deploys its peacekeepers but can the world body remove the problem by a zero tolerance policy?

Inside Story investigates.

Part 1

Part 2

President Bush Job Approval

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Americans approve of the way that President George W. Bush his performing his job. Fifty-eight percent (58%) disapprove.

Public Divided as to Whether New President Should Meet with Heads of Iran, Syria, North Korea

July 27, 2007

Forty-two percent (42%) of Americans say that the next President should meet with the heads of nations such as Iran, Syria, and North Korea without setting any preconditions. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 34% disagree while 24% are not sure.

That question came up during last Monday’s Presidential Debate with Illinois Senator Barack Obama saying he would commit to such meetings and New York Senator Hillary Clinton offering a more cautious response. Democrats, by a 55% to 22% margin, agree with Obama. Clinton and Obama continue to dominate the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

However, just 34% of all Americans (and 34% of Democrats) know that Obama made such a commitment. Eleven percent (11%) of all Americans and 14% of Democrats believe the commitment was made by Clinton. Even that level of recognition is probably due more to news coverage of the topic rather than the debate itself. Only 2.6 million Americans watched the debate. Overall, 15% of adults nationally believe the debates are exciting while 58% say they’re boring.

Twenty-four percent (24%) know that Clinton refused to commit to such meetings while 7% believe that Obama was the candidate to do so.

Republicans tend to oppose meetings with the leaders of nations such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Those not affiliated with either major party are evenly divided.

A separate release shows that 28% of Americans trust Clinton more than any other candidate on national security matters. Republican Rudy Giuliani is second at 20%. Overall, the public is divided between Republicans and Democrats generically on national security issues, but Democrats are overwhelmingly preferred on a wide variety of topics.

Source

A Sheikh

Sheikh

A Sheikh in Palestine, between 1890 and 1900.

Abbas Meets Central Election Commission

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - JULY 27: In this handout photo provided by the Palestinian Press Office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas receives the Central Election Commission on July 27, 2007 in Ramallah, West Bank. (Photo by Omar Rashidi/PPO via Getty Images)

Israeli Air Strike Kills 3 Gaza Militants

AL-BUREJ, GAZA STRIP - JULY 26, 2007: Palestinians walk by a vehicle destroyed in an Israeli air strike July 26, 2007 in Al-Burej, in the Gaza Strip. Omar al-Khatib, a top commander in Gaza who had survived an airstrike two days earlier, along with three other resistance fighter’s were killed in the strike, according to Palestinian medical workers. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)


AL-BUREJ, GAZA STRIP - JULY 26, 2007: A Palestinian man covers the blood of victims near a vehicle destroyed by an Israeli air strike July 26, 2007 in Al-Burej, in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)

Turning Palestine's Most Valuable Natural Resource into a Political Tool

Gaza was a Gas for Blair

27 July 2007

By ARTHUR NESLEN

It's always nice to start a new job with a trick up your sleeve, and the Middle East's new envoy Tony Blair could be forgiven for thinking he has just that. In the near future, a $4bn deal to exploit Gaza's offshore gas reserves will be signed by the Israeli government, Britain's BG Group (BG), the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s investment arm, the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). Environmental considerations notwithstanding, an injection of this kind of capital into the occupied territories could transform the political landscape.

By fortune or design, Tony Blair has been crucial to the deal's genesis. But the pressure he has put on other parties to agree a deal that economically ties the PA to Israel has exacerbated Fatah-Hamas tensions, put the PIF on the political defensive, and may even have helped stoke the recent fighting in Gaza.

It was the Gaza-Jericho First agreement in 1994 that first allocated the PA a 20-mile maritime zone off Gaza's coast. But it was not until 1999, the year that BG gained its exploration concession on the field, that Israel agreed to give it to the PA. In exchange, the PA signed away "full security control" of the sea off Gaza to Israel. They probably thought they had got a bargain.

The Gaza maritime field is estimated to contain between 35-40bn cubic metres--or one trillion cubic feet--of gas. In the words of the British Foreign Office, it is "by far the most valuable Palestinian natural resource" and revenues from its output are usually estimated at $4bn. For this reason, Ariel Sharon always opposed its development, claiming that monies raised might be used to arm Israel's enemies.

In the summer of 2005, when Sharon was focused on "disengagement" from Gaza, BG signed a memorandum with the Egyptian company EGAS to sell the gas there. But the deal was scuppered a year later, when Tony Blair intervened at the last minute to plead the Israeli government's case to BG, allegedly following a request from Ehud Olmert.

The PIF maintains that the deal was a purely commercial enterprise. But one informed source told me it was also a "highly political" venture in which Britain's relationship with Israel had been "key". "The UK and US, who are the major players in this deal, see it as a possible tool to improve relations between the PA and Israel," he said. "It is part of the bargaining baggage."

If the benefits of the deal to Tony Blair's future career and BG's public image would have been clear in 2006, the advantages to Israel were clearer still. As well as diversifying the country's energy supplies, the project could provide up to 10% of the country's energy needs, at around half the price the same gas would cost from Egypt. One well-placed Palestinian source told me there was "an obvious linkage" between the BG-Israel deal and attempts to bolster the Olmert-Abbas political process.

But it is not clear yet how much (if any) of the gas will be used within the occupied territories, and many Palestinians would have preferred a business partner they didn't fear might withhold revenues as a collective punishment. Critically, the absence of figures on how much EGAS was offering for Gaza's gas in 2005 has fed speculation that Blair intervened to prop up a weaker Israeli bid.

Some reports suggest that up to three-quarters of the $4bn of revenue raised might not even end up in Palestinian hands at all. While the PIF officially disputes the percentages, it will provide no others for fear of a public backlash. In fairness, they may still be the subject of negotiation.

But the final destination of whatever revenues the Palestinians get is also still foggy. Behind the scenes, a battle is developing with Palestinian modernisers, who are lobbying for the money to go into a "development pot" earmarked for infrastructure projects. For now, the US and UK's preferred option of an international bank account over which Abbas would hold sway, appears more likely. There is a long tradition of such bank accounts in the PA. They have not been a vote-winner for Fatah.

Ever sensitive to popular anger at the exploitation of Palestine's national treasure, one of Hamas's first demands after seizing power in Gaza was for a renegotiation of the BG contract. Ziad Thatha, the Hamas economic minister, had previously denounced the deal as "an act of theft" and modern-day Balfour Declaration, that "sells Palestinian gas to the Zionist occupation".

His words might have been a response to the circumvention of the Gaza Strip in the deal, which will pipe gas directly onshore to Ashkelon in Israel. But they could also have reflected the fact that Hamas has been cut out of the deal, while one of its most deadly rivals might have been cut in.

On April 29, two weeks before fighting flared in Gaza, Yossi Maiman, co-owner of the rival Israeli gas company EMG, claimed that in 2004, while he was in talks to join the project, it was revealed to him that shares in it were being held in trust for two confidential partners: Mohammed Rashid and Martin Schlaff. BG denied the claims but they were damaging.

Schlaff is a millionaire who was investigated on charges of attempting to bribe Ariel Sharon in 2006. Mohammed Rashid is a former director general of the PIF and erstwhile "mentor" and ally to the now-exiled Gazan warlord Mohammed Dahlan. Conflicts Forum website described Rashid as a sometime advisor to the US and "an essential part of America's programme to undermine Hamas".

A note of caution is necessary here. Yossi Maiman is reportedly a former employee of the Mossad. So is Shabtai Shavit, the CEO of his company who was condemned by Israel's attorney general in 2004 for using his intelligence connections to advance EMG's interests in the Gaza gas fields. Debkafile, a website associated with Israeli spooks has also previously used Rashid's alleged involvement in the BG deal as an excuse to lobby against it. Among Israel's securocrats, the Sharonist position of 2003 (equating Fatah with Hamas with terrorism) may still be a weighty one.

But just because one wing of Israel's security establishment seems paranoid, does not mean another is not out to get Hamas. It would have been understandable if the group's leadership had seen the monies raised by the BG deal as a long-term threat to the balance of power in Gaza, irrespective of Rashid's alleged involvement. The fact that the PIF's chief executive, Muhammad Mustafa, is also Abbas's economic advisor alone would have raised questions for Hamas about the final destination of gas revenues.

Critics of Ariel Sharon's disengagement policy used to point out that in the absence of economic sources of power in Gaza--and border closures ensured that none could develop--influence would inevitably flow from the barrel of militia guns. The BG deal had the power to change all that. Muhammad Mustafa called it a "paradigm shift".

But a combination of factors--the obsession among Israeli and western leaders with controlling the Palestinian's use of their revenues, the deal's alleged terms, the uncertainty surrounding its beneficiaries, the secrecy with which the whole shebang was negotiated and, critically, the choice of Israel rather than Egypt as a buyer--instead just stirred an already simmering pot.

If Tony Blair were serious about redeeming his reputation in the Middle East, he could start by bringing Hamas into the deal's framework, while insisting that its revenues be administered by an accountable but non-aligned committee for the benefit of the Palestinian people as a whole. He could advise BG to make good on their threats to reopen negotiations with Egypt if Israeli hardball games continue around the talks.

He could publicly say that more free lunches for the unaccountable title holders of international bank accounts and British mega-corporations will set back the cause of peace--between Israel and Palestine as well as between Fatah and Hamas. He could do all this and more. Or he could sit back and let suspicions continue that the wrong people will end up laughing all the way to the bank with the proceeds of Gaza's gas.

Arthur Neslen is a journalist working in Tel Aviv. The first Jewish employee of Aljazeera.net and a four-year veteran of the BBC, Neslen has contributed to numerous periodicals over the years, including The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent and Red Pepper. His first book, Occupied Minds: A journey through the Israeli psyche, was recently published by Pluto Press.

The Second Wall

27 July 2007

by Housewife4Palestine

In 70 A.D. when Titus had put a siege to Jerusalem, their had been built a special wall around the city that the Jews felt would protect them from the impeding Roman army when in turn it was their undoing.

For as food and water started to become in short supply, some Jews would try to climb the wall at night only to be captured, killed and their corpse mounted on the wall as a stench reminded those within Jerusalem.

Again, over two thousand years later, the Jews, in their blinded haste as well as corruption against Allah, has built another wall and again the oppression of people is evident; just this time it the indigenous people of the land.

Can the Zionist honestly say the wall will protect them anyone more then the one before, that answer has to be no; because they have not learned what they needed to learn in all this time.

It has been a few years now, that I happen to hear a few Rabbi’s speak about this very thing, that which was their undoing so long ago, and by not correcting what happened to them, they are still scattered to the four winds.

While the Zionist, I am sad to say have made a mockery of the purity of Judaism, by the crime’s the Zionist are committing now; I for one, hope it doesn’t fall upon the whole of the Jewish people as it did before.

Birth Pangs

Palestinians stranded in Egypt will be bussed home, says prisoners affairs minister

27 July 2007

Bethlehem - Ma'an – Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami declared Friday that the 6,000 Palestinians stranded in Egypt at Rafah border crossing will be returned to the Gaza Strip by the end of next week.

Arjami said the Palestinian Authority has reached an agreement with Israeli authorities to transport the Palestinians on busses into the Gaza Strip through a different, Israeli-controlled crossing.

The minister added that the use of alternative crossings has resolved similar problems in the past, such as transporting large numbers of Palestinians to Mecca for the Hajj.

Security fallout worsens for Fatah

Fatah security forces have been accused of nepotism and being infiltrated [EPA]

27 July 2007

It is now six weeks since Hamas security forces overran their Fatah counterparts to seize control of the Gaza Strip, but the fallout from that defeat looks as if it may be only beginning for Mahmoud Abbas and his administration.

On Friday, the Palestinian president received a 200-page report on the findings of an internal inquiry that one senior aide says is heavily critical of the Fatah forces in Gaza and their leaders.

Abbas has already dismissed several security chiefs following the Hamas takeover on June 15, including Rashid Abu Shbak, his head of internal security, and the report comes a day after the resignation of Mohammad Dahlan, his national security adviser.

Nabil Amr is a senior presidential aide who was on the nine-member panel that conducted exhaustive interviews with Fatah commanders following the establishment of the inquiry on June 23.

He told a news conference the faction's security forces in the Gaza Strip were riven by nepotism, infiltrated by hostile agents and contained recruits motivated by simply making a living rather than political conviction.

"We insist on drawing lessons from this experience and making it a true first step toward real reform," he said.

'No field command'

The report has not been made public, but Amr said it criticised a lack of co-ordination among security forces during the fighting that left more than 100 dead and saw Fatah men abandoning key posts, including Abbas's own Gaza compound.

"There was no field command. That was terrible," Amr said. "An officer cannot be left to work alone on the ground."

A wholesale purge of the Fatah forces is now expected with a senior member of the inquiry committee indicating 60 officers up to the rank of brigadier could shortly be facing court martials.

Amr said that others had already been demoted.

However, one of those who is not to be internally disciplined is Dahlan.

Illness has been given as the official reason for his resignation, the same illness that meant he was not in Gaza during the fighting in June as he was seeking medical treatment. But many in the Palestinian territories believe there is more to it than that.

In his role, Dahlan was effectively in charge of security in Gaza and his role and influence greatly irked Hamas.

His role was one of the main reasons why Fatah and Hamas failed on several occasions to reach a consensus on the position of interior minister, who would nominally be in charge of security matters during negotiations to form a Palestinian unity government.

In May, Hani al-Qawasmi resigned from the post saying his was a position "without authority".

Pressure has been mounting on Abbas to further expose Dahlan's role and hold him accountable.

Personal wealth

In his role, Dahlan commanded a force of about 20,000, often accused of human rights abuses while Hamas says he is funded by the US.

Indeed, there have been reports that possible US-sponsors are dissatisfied in his failure to act as a bulwark to Hamas.

Dahlan is believed to be on of the richest people in the Palestinian territories with much of his wealth accrued through Palestinian Authority monopolies such as oil and cement

Illness was the official reason given for Dahlan's resignation [AFP]

He is now in Yugoslavia also receiving medical treatment and Hamas have welcomed his resignation and called it the "beginning of the purification of Fatah's ranks".

Hamas is believed to have penetrated agents into the security forces. Amr said a "state of infiltration" of those forces had come about because of "random recruitment", among other problems.

He also said the report found that security officials failed to obey instructions from Abbas that they take measures to forestall a possible "coup" by Hamas before fighting broke out.

Senior Fatah officials have appeared anxious to shield Abbas himself for any blame for the debacle in Gaza.

But Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said the report showed precisely that "President Abbas should admit his responsibility before the Palestinian people because he is the commander-in-chief of the security services, which the report shows were responsible for the attack on Hamas and the people".

He said the report also bore out Hamas's accusations that the Fatah-run security forces have been riddled with corruption.

Source

Thousands homeless as Asia weather misery spreads

People wade across a flooded road after heavy rains in Bihar July 25, 2007. Asia's monsoon misery has spread to Nepal, leaving thousands of people homeless, while more rain is expected to bring further chaos to China's drowned southwest, where many have already lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. REUTERS/Krishna Murari Kishan

27 July 2007

By Guo Shipeng

BEIJING (Reuters) - Asia's monsoon misery has spread to Nepal, leaving thousands of people homeless, while more rain is expected to bring further chaos to China's drowned southwest, where many have already lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones.

Rescuers dropped relief supplies to hundreds of people in Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Friday after days of torrential rain triggered landslides and floods.

About 85 people have died and nearly 8,000 people displaced from their homes in central Sulawesi. A relief official said authorities had not been able to pull out many bodies because of a lack of heavy machinery and equipment.

In China, the toll is far higher, with more than 500 people killed across this country in floods this summer.

Meteorologists forecast more downpours for the Guangxi region and the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan where floods and related disasters have already taken a heavy toll.

"The possibility of landslides and mud and rock flows is high and preventive measures should be taken," the centre said on its Web site (www.nmc.gov.cn).

This year's monsoon has also caused widespread flooding in South Asia and Indochina, straining disaster relief agencies.

In mountainous Nepal, floods have destroyed crops and disrupted transport and electricity supplies across the country, officials and media reports said on Friday.

Around 2,500 houses have been washed away in the Himalayan nation's southern plains, forcing residents to flee to higher grounds after week-long heavy rains, local media said.

Officials said floods and landslides have killed about 40 people in Nepal since June when the annual monsoon rains began.

FLOODWATERS SPREAD

In Bangladesh, monsoon floods continued to spread, inundating vast areas in 30 of the country's 64 administrative districts, officials said on Friday.

"Thousands of people have been marooned or displaced. We have opened flood shelters at several places and are bracing for the worst," said Ibrahim Khalil, an official in Sirajgan district, one of the worst-hit areas north of the capital Dhaka.

Across the border in India, incessant rains over the past week have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the east and northeast, destroyed crops and damaged bridges, officials said on Friday.

In Bihar, 21 people have died and hundreds of thousands of villagers have seen their houses washed away. Road and rail networks have been disrupted by heavy monsoon rains over the past three days.

Rivers in the northeast - including the Brahmaputra that also flows through Bangladesh - have burst their banks. Floodwaters have submerged paddy fields and destroyed houses.

"The situation is grim," said Bharat Chandra Narah, flood control minister for Assam.

Weeks of rain in China's mountainous southwest, home to the upper reaches of the Yangtze river, have made floods peak in Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei, state media said.

Authorities in Hubei had mobilised tens of thousands of people to check embankments as the Han River, a main tributary that converges with Yangtze, was also swollen.

But as parts of China battle floods and landslides, others are suffering from a heatwave and drought.

Temperatures have reached above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past 10 days in seven southern and southeastern provinces, home to about 200 million people, the National Meteorological Centre said on Friday.

The heat is set to compound the drought in the rice-growing provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan and Fujian, where about 1 million residents faced shortages of drinking water.

(Additional reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu, Mita Valina Liem and Telly Nathalia in Jakarta, Azad Majumder in Dhaka and Biswajyoti Das in Guwahati)

The Return of Pure Love

27 July 2007

by Housewife4Palestine

Their seems to be growing problem in the world of some people more bent on being selfish then think towards the welfare of their fellow man.

Time and again, I have listened to the elder’s of our time in their sadness of why it has come this way. In a long time of thinking, I think I finally came to a possible answer.

One has to love oneself, before they can love other’s and when a person has brought themselves to live in a dark pit and see life this way even to their self destruction, how are they going to love the people around them?

A few things that I think has brought this about, especially in children that become adults. They expect the fast cars and the gold jeweled homes handed to them, otherwise our modern idols have become the things of big want. Even if it harms other’s in the process.

Then immorality is rampant in our society, and can be more seen in every facet of our modern society. What are worse is some governments in the West, it appears, they are feeding these immoralities to keep people blinded to what they are doing.

I think back now to our beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH), when he passed away there was no food in his home and maybe only three suits of clothes in his closet so to speak. This was because humanity met more to him then what he had.

There is an old saying, that as long as you have a roof over your head to keep out the rain, clothes enough so you are not naked and enough food so you’re not hungry is all one really needs in this life. Because, I think the return would be if we thought more along this way and not at the modern idol’s we would learn to have inner love again, as well as love those all around us.

For there is no greater power in this life then the love of the heart and the human spirit because love truly can return the world to the way it was intended, a paradise that everyone can live with.

Israeli forces raid offices of the Union of Disabled Palestinians

26 July 2007

Qalqilia - Ma'an – Israeli forces raided the headquarters of the General Union of Disabled Palestinians in the West Bank city of Qalqilia at dawn Thursday. The group said soldiers damaged the building and their equipment, confiscating documents, photographs and cassette tapes.

A spokesperson for the organization said the raid was a violation of basic human rights and was part of an attack on Palestinian institutions and infrastructure.

The spokesperson appealed to international and local institutions to expose the abusive behavior of occupying Israeli forces.

Sarkozy: Trust Arab states with N-power

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on his arrival at Bab Azizia Palace in Tripoli, Libya.

26 July 2007

Tripoli: After agreeing to nuclear cooperation with Libya, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the West should trust Arab states to develop such technology for peaceful purposes or risk a war of civilisations.

France agreed on Wednesday to help Libya develop a nuclear reactor to supply drinking water from desalinated sea water. The reactor might be supplied by French atomic energy firm Areva. Sarkozy told reporters in Libya that to consider the Arab world "is not sensible enough to use civilian nuclear power" would, in the long run, risk a "war of civilisations".

"Nuclear power is the energy of the future," he said. "If we don't give the energy of the future to the countries of the southern Mediterranean, how will they develop themselves? And if they don't develop, how will we fight terrorism and fanaticism?"

Respecting rules

Many Mideast countries are interested in developing atomic energy resources. Claude Gueant, Sarkozy's chief of staff, noted the nuclear cooperation deal means "a country that respects international rules can obtain civilian nuclear energy". Sarkozy denied any link between the nuclear deal and the release this week of six foreign medical workers who spent eight years in Libyan jails and were convicted of infecting hundreds of children with HIV.

Saudi Arabia, along with GCC partners UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar announced a joint project for peaceful nuclear energy, mainly for water desalination, last December. Egypt is also looking to revive its nuclear programme to meet energy needs.

Lebanon Says, "No" to New U. S. Embassy

United States would have you believe they just changed their mind's on a new embassy in Beirut, when the real matter of fact is Lebanon told them to paddle their canoe up another river.

Photo's of the destruction of the Last U.S. Embassy.

Marching to Hell?

27 July 2007

by Housewife4Palestine

Time’s before I have spoken of John Hagee and his "Christian Suicide Tour for Armageddon." These are the very people that I am sure condemn suicide bombing’s that take out a café or a bus in Israel, which I must admit I do also; but I also do not advocate lying to a people to commit mass suicide for the future that while they think will bring Jesus (PBUH) through a warped interpretation of the Christian Bible.

In the End Time’s you do not need to browbeat a person, they must do this or do that to be 'saved. '

Also, truth doesn’t come with flag’s, plays and floor stopping tunes for you to listen to at a convention nor does truth remove people from an auditorium.

In reality, truth sometimes especially that of divine will, walks in quite solitude, speaking to the human heart; where again the flag’s and whistle’s destination is the depth’s of hell.

Furthermore, all thing’s that belong to Allah doesn’t discriminate against anyone, but embraces them.

And article was brought to my attention along with a video, which I must admit I leaned more towards the video, which would more explain the depth that some people will go in the name of religion, when in truth it has nothing to do with religion; but their own grip for internal power of a group of people even to go so far as bring their death.

Have we so soon forgotten the Kool-aid and Jim Jones ?

Crisis warning on Iraq refugees

Syria hosts the largest number of Iraqi refugees

26 July 2007

The scale of the exodus of refugees fleeing violence in Iraq has prompted a "humanitarian crisis", a conference in Jordan has heard.

More than two million Iraqis have left their war-ravaged homeland.

The UN says about 50,000 more people leave Iraq each month, mostly to Jordan and Syria which want international help to ease the burden on their services.

The UN refugee agency says the mass displacement is threatening the region's stability.

It says the wave of displacement sparked by the war in Iraq is the biggest in the Middle East since 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled the newly created Israel.

"The humanitarian duty calls upon all of us to look more seriously at the size of the problem and acknowledge that there is a real humanitarian crisis," Muhammad Hajj Hamoud, secretary general of Iraq's foreign ministry, told the summit for Iraq's neighbours, as well as the UN, US and UK.

"We have lost [our] house, we are lost, my daughter is lost, my son [is] lost... help this family please," Najla Abda Karim SalehIraqi refugee in Jordan

He added that efforts to stem the flow of refugees by Iraq's neighbours - who now impose tougher entry restrictions - resulted in cases of mistreatment at border crossings.

The Jordanian delegate, for his part, focused on security issues, warning that background checks were needed before people were allowed to stay.

One refugee in Jordan, grandmother Najla Abda Karim Saleh, fled with her son and daughter. Another daughter was killed in sectarian violence.

She told the BBC she wanted help from the UN to bring the her four grandchildren to safety in Amman, the Jordanian capital.

"We have lost [our] house, we are lost, my daughter is lost, my son [is] lost... help this family please," she wept.

Hosts over-stretched

Jordan and Syria want some assurance that the Iraqis will either eventually return to their homeland or be resettled elsewhere.

Egypt and Lebanon have also received thousands of Iraqis.

The UN refugee agency earlier this month doubled its annual appeal for funding to help uprooted Iraqis to $123m to boost medical care, shelter and other support.

Craig Johnstone, the UN deputy high commissioner for refugees, called for international assistance, since Syria and Jordan had few resources to cope with the influx.

"The international community, I think, has neglected the plight of the refugees from Iraq so far, but they are beginning to act," he told the BBC.

In May, Jordan said hosting the Iraqis was costing the desert kingdom about $1bn a year.

The UN says Syria hosts 1.4 million displaced Iraqis, and Jordan 750,000.

In Jordan, clinics provide free immunisation to Iraqi children, but not full health-care services.

Government schools, already stretched to the maximum, only allow a small portion of Iraqi children with residency permits to attend.

Syria provides greater services to the Iraqis, but even there the UN says that only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugee children there are able to attend school.

The UN refugee agency says it hopes to find a permanent home for a total of 20,000 Iraqi exiles by the end of the year.

Although the US administration announced earlier in the year that it would allow 7,000 Iraqis into the US by the end of September, it has allowed in just 133 over the past nine months because of stringent security measures.

Source

Do You Know This Book?

Of all the acclaimed masterpieces that the world has seen, nothing can be compared to the book known as the Qur'an. Millions have become Muslims upon simply hearing a verse from this amazing book, yet still the majority knows nothing of it. The Qur'an is the Final Revelation from the Creator to humanity. It was revealed in the year 610 CE to the Prophet Muhammed (saws), and completed over a period of 23 years. These 23 years of revelation resulted in a book which comprised of 114 chapters and 6,666 verses. All of this was to become the primary source of law for the whole of mankind to live and die by.

The impact of this book is such that Allah says :

"Had We[1] revealed this Qur'an upon a mountain, surely you would have seen it humble itself and crumble out of the fear of Allah. Such are the parables We put forward to mankind so that they may reflect"
(Surah Al-Hashr 59:21)

However, it seems as if the hearts of the people have become harder then the mountains which tower above us. When the Qur'an is recited or even mentioned, people turn away with disgust. In the West, this is primarily due to the negative exposure from the media. It has resulted in many non-Muslims not even wanting to hear the name of this amazing book. Muslims too, have become hardhearted because of the cultural influences of the West. Many young Muslims perceive the Qur'an to be nothing more then an old wrapped up book, which comes off the highest shelf once a year during Ramadan!

If people were to truly reflect upon this book, they would realise that nothing in this world is quite the same. So why should this claim be accepted over others? Why should the Qur'an be given precedence over the likes of the Bible, the Gita[2] or the Granth Sahib[3] ? The following reasons will inshallah give an indication as to why this book deserves the attention of all humanity.

Preservation

"There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text". Writing 200 years ago, these are the words of the famous English critic of Islam, Sir William Muir. But as Muslims we do not need Williarn Muir to tell us this. 1400 years ago, the Muslims accepted this reality when Allah revealed to them:

"Indeed it is We who have sent down the reminder (the Qur'an), and indeed it is Us who shall preserve it"
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)

These words have proved true to this very day. From the moment the first words were revealed to Muhammed (saws), to this very day, every single letter and word of the Qur'an has remained unchanged.

Before Islam, all the revelations sent were not given this divine assurance. This is why we find that books like the Bible are riddled with corruption and inaccuracies. It is well known that man has tampered with the Bible to the extent that annually different versions are produced to suit trends and desires[4]. In fact this has been going on for so long that it is almost impossible to see what of the words of the Creator are left, if any!

With the Qur'an it is the exact opposite. The contents of this amazing book are stored in the hearts of millions of Muslims worldwide. Children as young as 12 have memorised the entire book in its original language, Arabic. There is no other religious scripture on earth which is orally preserved in its original language by so many and over such a period of time, without having been tampered somewhere along the line. The Bible is a prime example of this. Many Christians believe that English is the divine language of the Bible. However Jesus (as) spoke Aramaic. From Aramaic, his life-story was translated into Hebrew. From Hebrew it was translated into Greek. From Greek to Latin, and then finally from Latin to English! There has not been a single vicar, priest or layman in recorded history who has even memorised the Bible in English, let alone the Aramaic! As Muslims we believe the Qur'an can only be in the language it was revealed in, i.e. Arabic. Anything else is a translation and not the divine words of the Creator. A true test of this divine preservation would be to burn all the books and manuscripts in existence, to see which can return as it was. The Qur'an would be the only book which would return in its original form, letter for letter, word for word.

Many Christians say that the Qur'anic claim of preservation needs to be backed-up by manuscript evidence. For us this is not a necessary criteria, but in order to quell the doubts, the Muslims have ample proof. Two copies of the Qur'an are in existence which date back to the Third Caliph Uthmaan (ra), 20 years after the death of the Prophet (saws). These two copies are to be found in the Topkapi museum, Istanbul, Turkey and in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Tashkent copy is thought to have been the personal copy of the Caliph as it still contains stains of his blood, which was shed when he was murdered whilst reading it. Any copy of the Qur'an which is compared to these copies, will show that there is not a single difference between what we have today and what was in existence 1400 years ago. Thus Allah's promise holds true.

No Mistakes

Man as a creature is fallible. For this reason anything which is produced by him will naturally have faults. With the Qur'an, such a notion cannot even be considered as it is from the one who is Infallible. In fact Allah clarifies this matter beautifully when he says:

"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from other then Allah surely they would have found much discrepancies within it"
(Surah An-Nisa 4:82)

Throughout history many have tried to scrutinise and search the Qur'an for mistakes and errors. To this day no one has been able to bring a shred of proof showing that this book is not from Allah. Some Christians have even called it the work of the Devil because the book affected them so much when they read it! With other scriptures, contradictions, mistakes and absurdities are constantly present. When people contrast these ambiguities with the Qur'an, it often results in the acceptance of this faultless book.