Thursday, July 30, 2009

Thinking about The Existence Of One God

God and Coexistence of Religions


The Universe is One Proof of God Existence


Islam is Not Atheism



Islamic Thought:

Thinking about The Existence Of One God


By: Ahmed Fahmy

* where is they? What does he look like? Why can't they see him? Who made him? Where does God fit in with science?

plenty of questions arise in people's minds that make them doubt the existence of a God. These include:

* Everything has an explanation, so how do i believe in something or anybody that I can't see, hear or talk to?

* Relativity..God himself could be relative!! Everything is relative and could be different when seen from another point of view or even from another dimension. Relativity applies to God too..(If you can't get this point , don't blame me , I heard it from a heretic) So...isn't the existence of God relative?

* So if there is a God .. how lots of are there? Why only two ? there's always billions and trillions of every species, object or kind...

So is there a God or not?

Actually yes and actually to reason this is simple and easy as they believe that 1+1=2.. and here is why:

* there has to be a creator:

If you look at a house , will you say: nature is smart in the way it made the door on the ground floor so people in the streets can go inside. the way the windows are oriented to permit for sunrays and air to get through.. Will you say nature has a nice taste when u look at the decor and the colors..... Or will you say the builders , engineers and architects are smart ,efficient and have a nice taste.

Look at the laws that govern people livings in any country.. were they made by chance or did some people made them and applied then to organize things.

Now look at nature : the organized movement of the celestial bodies,the life cycle of differnet species, the immigration of differnet species, Look at the human body where millions of chemical reactions take place every second. who is controlling these, you might say scientific rules and who made and is controlling these rules.??

In other words , look at anything .. did it arise haphazardly with laws of nature there and for it or some inventors and makers were needed to make it and make it in an ideal way....

If things were left for the laws of nature alone, Chaos would have been the rule with consequent disappearance of life in the universe over decades,but because there is complete control over these laws and these laws were made in a perfect way, life continues in a perfect harmonious way.

there's laws and rules that govern everything and there is a being with all the power and knowledge who made these laws and have full control over them.

* 56.57] they have created you, why do you not then assent?

Here are some ayas from koran about that previous point:

[56.59] Is it you that generate it or are they the creators?

[56.58] Have you considered the seed?

[56.61] In order that they may bring in your place the likes of you and make you grow in to what you know not.

[56.60] they have ordained death among you and they are not to be overcome,

[56.63] Have you considered what you sow?

[56.62] And certainly you know the first growth, why do you not then mind?

[56.65] If they pleased, they should have certainly made it broken down in to pieces, then would you begin tb lament:

[56.64] Is it you that cause it to grow, or are they the causers of growth?

[56.66] Surely they are burdened with debt:

[56.67] Nay! they are deprived.

[56.69] Is it you that send it down from the clouds, or are they the senders?

[56.68] Have you considered the water which you drink?

[56.71] Have you considered the fire which you strike?

[56.70] If they pleased, they would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks?

[56.73] they have made it a reminder and an advantage for the wayfarers of the desert.

[56.72] Is it you that produce the trees for it, or are they the producers?

[56.74] Therefore glorify the name of your Lord, the Great.

* [2.164] Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there's signs for a people who understand.

[27.60] Nay, he Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the cloud; then they cause to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it is not possible for you that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! they are people who deviate.

* [27.59] Say: Praise be to Allah and peace on His servants whom he has selected: is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?

[27.61] Or, Who made the earth a restingplace, and made in it rivers, and raised on it mountains and placed between the seven seas a barrier. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! most of them do not know!

[27.62] Or, Who answers the distressed two when he calls on Him and removes the evil, and he will make you successors in the earth. Is there a god with Allah? Little is it that you mind!

[27.64] Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth. Is there a god With Allah? Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.

[27.63] Or, Who guides you in utter darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as nice news before His mercy. Is there a god with Allah? Exalted by Allah above what they associate (with Him).

[27.65] Say: No two in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised.

[27.66] Nay, their knowledge respecting the hereafter is slight and hasty; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay, they are blind to

Suppose you and I are living in the 10th century , and I pointed at a wooden chair or whatever and tell you :" You know what , There r millions of living organisms on this stool.. Living organisms like you and me but much smaller , that's why they can't see them.."" If you only believe in what you see , you will call me nuts and start laughing and will seldom believe me .. Though they now know that this is true ( bacteria , viruses , ricketssiae ,.......)

* Then why can't they see him?

The point i'm trying to reach is : Who said that only things that they see are true and thinknig or believing in unseen things is nonsense.. Actually the seen things might be deceiving as in that earth and sun story. And the wise people and the real scientists are the ones who believe that there's lots of things that they don't know about and that they don't see , yet they exist...

When Coppernicus and Galileo said that it's the earth that moved around the sun, some people thought they are nuts and Galileo actually was sent to trial and got life prison at home!! Why , cause they were used to the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe and the sun orbits around it... Now they know that Coppernicus and Galileo were right......

* What about relativity?

So not seeing God does not mean he is not there, when he sends prophets to tell us about him and when they look at all things in life that say :someone created me in that logical harmonious way".

Things could be seen different than the way they are if seen from another aspect,In fact there's other worlds that they don't see and they do not see us..or may be they do.Even time is relative. So the point heretics require to reach through this is that time could be stationary or absent and so is everything else including humans..you and I!!In other words they do not exist absolutely!!(if you don't understand this point , i'm sorry for being not able to clarify it more ,again I'm saying what I seven times heard from a heretic). So -still heretics' words- even God is relative and might not or actually do not exist at all, like everything else!!
Well guess what... I agree with several points in this .. I agree that there's other worlds and that most things are relative!! You know why.. cause Allah said so in the Koran. he says in it about himself lots of things including that he is "The Truth" and that other things are false!!" Yes everything is relative , could or couldn't exist . You can see a human now infront of you , but in another world he is not seen .. or even here at certain time he will die and be transformed again in to the elements:(hydrogen. silicon. nitrogen...).
So what are the mistakes in that heretics' point of view:

1: Everything is relative EXCEPT FOR GOD , that's why he says: Allah is the truth and else is false.. he is the source... the originator ... he can't be transformed , ain't relative to anything else ,simply cause he is not comparable to anything else cause there's no other god to compare them together( You compare things that alike , but you can't compare something that is unique) and the only unique in this universe is ALLAH(God).

* So who created him??

2:There are other worlds ( world of Jinn for example as mentioned in all holy books) , but this doesn't mean that you do not exist. they , YOU and I all exist . Being not seen in other worlds or being transformable , doesn't mean that they do not exist... ( P.S: Jinn can see us as Allah say in koran," ..Indeed he(satan) sees you( babies of Adam) and his allies from where you do not see them.."7-27.

The creator of energy is the two who is neither created nor destroyed

No two , he was not created because he is the creator , he is the first with nothing before him and the last with nothing after him. Eveything has a start , right.. Well he was there when anything starts , In fact he is the starter....
they all know the scientific rule that says: Energy is neither created nor destroyed.. So why believe in this yet find it difficult to believe that God is neither created nor destroyed. he was always there because he was not created and will always be there as he is not destroyed..
they is the source , originator and creator of energy so I find it more logically to say:

* So how lots of gods, why only five???

That's the easiest query in all that... If he is a God then why the require for other.. A God should have all the abilities power and control.. so no require for more
Besides if there's over two God (like elderly greek myth) Chaos would have been the rule .. they all know that you can't place seven leaders on the same place , else it will fall apart.
Koran says: " Had there been other gods within heavens and earth with Allah , they both would have been ruined.." 21-22

Also why ain't these Gods claiming the throne:

"If there were other Gods with Allah, they would have sought the throne..." 17-42.

they is unique so non-comparable and they didn't see him so can't imagine. Prophet Mohamad (pbuh) said that they should seek knowledge and science in everything except in this.. picturing Allah in our minds.. basically because whatever they will imagine it will be wrong and it will be inferior to what Allah really is..

* What does he look alike?

www.sultan.org ( around 300 links to islamic sites and increasing).

Article source: http://www.islamicconcepts.blogspot.com/

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Islam is a Morality and Equality




Islamic Thought and Discourse:
Islam, Muslims and the Moral Imperative

By Luqman Ahmad

Some aspirations of the global Muslim community are purely optional; participating in the Olympics, seeing who can build the biggest masjid, and holding star studded fundraisers. Others are crucial responsibilities to which we are perpetually obligated. Assuming the Islamic moral imperative is a responsibility from which Muslims cannot escape. In the scheme of the modern global civilization, the Muslims peoples are obligated to be beacons of morality and guidance for the world. Now before some of you chuckle, sigh, or gasp, let me explain. Allah has unequivocally declared;

"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity."3:104

There has to be a least a group of the Muslims who are engaged in the practice of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil. Otherwise, we all are at fault. Our net worth as a religious group is connected in part to our enjoying the good and forbidding the wrong "You are the best nation extracted for the people; you enjoin good and forbid evil." 3:110

Thus we cannot ignore as Muslims there is some obligation for us to provide moral leadership to the world. As we approach the 100 year mark of the post khilafate environment, even though there are over one billion Muslims in the world, spiritual leadership is at a premium, and when present, is frequently divided against itself, and systems of Islamic checks and balances are conspicuously absent. So the challenge of creating a pragmatic, morally principled and purpose driven umma is perhaps greater now than at any time during the 1400 plus years since the epoch of the Prophet (SAWS).

Outside of the masaajid, Muslim schools a few charities and the institution of hajj, there are hardly any faith driven institutions stewarded by the Muslim community. Our sense of spiritual purpose is eroded by the din of hyper-reactionary politics, the ever-present religious sectarianism, a deeply rooted cynicism, and lack of confidence in the restorative powers of our faith in action. In addition, it seems that our pursuit of worldly status has made many of us ingratiating foot stools to the world and blinded us to what made the Muslim peoples great in the first place.

In a world of sexual mania , universal distraction through entertainment and pandemic, narcissistic driven materialism, the voice of our faith is seldom heard unless it's a call for jihad, an apologetic discourse aimed at spin control or regurgitation of religious principles that are lacking in empirical substantiation. If our religion is based upon peace then we should be the principle authors of it, starting in our own ranks! If we are the champions of justice and goodness, then let us see our own examples of solution based justice in the world. And if Islam preaches good manners and civility, let us make our own global mark upon it.

Every time we point our finger at the world, there are fingers pointed right back at us.
We point to corruption while we fail to see the corruption in our own societies. We point at intolerance and fail to see our own intra-religious intolerance. When we point at unbridled materialism, we don't need to look very far to see it in our own selves. And when we point to violence against the innocent; we don't need to look very far to see it happening by us and against our own people.

On the modern global stage which we all share, the Muslims are not the ones to whom the world looks to for guidance, direction or help. More often we are seeking it from others. I refuse to believe that answers for the world's problems do not exist in what was revealed to our Prophet (SAWS). Indeed the answers are there if we engage the full breadth of what Islamic divine texts have to offer. We can't rush to apply shariah laws to prayer, hajj and marriage and even argue about it while not applying divine guidance to the way we manage our governments, our societies, or our business and civil codes of ethics.

Dichotomizing our faith has led us to a sort of schizophrenic modality whereas we argue about beards and burqas, yet engage in fratricide. We decry ethnic profiling while being obsessed with status and ethnicity. We construct masaajid in America and call them Afghani Masjids or Arab Masjids. Even as of this writing, calls for jihad against America if she attacks Iran are emanating from the minbars of the world but did calls for the cessation of hostilities between Iran and Iraq have the same resonance during that terrible war which resulted in the loss of over 1,000,000 Muslims? The Turkish government has recently approved making military incursions into Kurdish controlled areas of northern Iraq. Are there calls against Turkey not to attack the Kurds? Are we saying that non-Muslims are not allowed to violate our sanctity while we routinely violate it ourselves?

The subjective application of Islamic principles has its consequence and perhaps that would explain why Muslim life, Muslim societies and Muslim sanctity are undervalued on the world stage. Under application of Islamic principles and the devaluation of Muslim honor and prestige are inextricably connected;

"Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do." 2:85

The truth is that we as Muslims by and large are an ethical people of faith and the inheritors of a great prophetic legacy of faith, justice, goodness, and ethics, we just seem to have lost our moral momentum somewhere along the way. The month of Ramadan has reinvigorated our spiritual engines as it is its nature. Now that Ramadan is over, let's not go back to business as usual; let us move forward to a saintly revolution of sorts. Maybe what we need now is a reminder, or perhaps a complete spiritual overhaul. At any rate, something has to be done that directs our attention to our need for reform. Not of the faith, but of our practice of it. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the moral imperative.

Asserting morality regaining the moral imperative is not a simply a matter of espousing the virtues of honesty, integrity, fair play and monotheism. Nor is it a matter of political posturing, well choreographed press conferences or heart wrenching photo-ops. Moral leadership is a matter of transferring the moral and ethical principles of Islam from a verbal and textual state to an operative reality. The universal brotherhood of Islam must evolve from being a rosy sounding cliché to a bona-fide and undeniable actuality. The mandate of non-sectarianism, righteousness, fairness, magnanimity must be resuscitated to life from our texts. We are after all, being tested; not just individually but as a collective.

It is entirely imprudent of us to dismiss the importance of our standing with the very Lord whom we worship and revere. Every community has its reckoning; and ours is invariably on the horizon.

"Those are a people who have passed away. Theirs is that which they earned, and yours is that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do." 2:134

The prophetic message has to be liberated from the myopic prism of the few who only see aggression and oppression as the mantra of the Islamic hubris. The time has come for Muslim peoples to re-arm themselves with the moral imperative of righteousness. Not self righteousness, because self righteousness frequently leads to arrogance, but righteousness pure and simple which has at its core, humility and submission to Allah's way and reinstatement of principle in our dealings. There are too many moral issues on the table for which we offer no answer, no solution and for which we have no voice. We have to re-apply the principles of ethics, morality, civility and spirituality. The challenge is; first we must apply it to ourselves, our countries, our communities, our masaajid and our own families.

Sooner or later we will have to address the spiritual diseases which decimate our moral fiber. There is no shortage of issues upon which the Muslim umma can disagree and fight over. However, there are many other issues upon which many, if not most us find common ground. Most of the Muslims agree that morality is better than immorality. Most of us agree that there needs to be a presumption of safety from each other. And most can agree that sectarianism is not in the best interest of the Muslims. Most in my humble estimation would agree also that corruption and misappropriation of funds should no longer be the norm in Muslim countries. Most would also agree that more needs to be done to address, the issues relating to the poor, the weak, the homeless and the destitute amongst us whether they be Muslim or non-Muslim.

There has to be a fundamental change in the way we operate. The senseless and counterproductive culture of religious and ethnic based sectarianism needs immediate and complete extermination. Religious arrogance and tunnel-vision nationalism has to take a back seat to principle and Islamic world ethics. If the Muslim peoples ever expect to regain world leadership it will only occur if faith, morality and spiritual vision is reinserted in our constitution.

Islam has always been and will always be our best product. Were we to apply a moral spectrograph to ourselves, we would find that we have been eclipsed on many fronts in maintaining moral standards. I'm not talking about the theology of monotheism or the mantle of divine textual integrity, on that front we are second to none since there is no other religious document that can claim the authenticity of the Quran and there is certainly no religious doctrine which can successfully challenge the notion that there is only one true god. However, Islam is not simply a litany of theological cannons; it is a way of life, a way of doing things and a way of thinking. Islam has tremendous civilizational possibilities in the new world and in my opinion, offers the greatest hope for the worlds ailments. Islam addresses global warming, world hunger, unnecessary wars, materialism, and corruption. The answers are there, however we have to look close and look with purpose. Sometimes we do not even have to look close; sometimes the answers are closer than we think they are.

Islam is no doubt the greatest way of life if practiced and taken to heart and the Muslims have the potential to be a great people again. Greatness and honor with Allah is not a given, it has to be earned. The false sense of divine entitlement has to be replaced with the moral work ethic of Islam which stresses that morality and proximity to God is something earned though action.

Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). 49:13 It s not the arrogance and the declarations of a people which make them great; it is their humility and total submission to their Lord in every way; even the ways they do not always like.

Luqman Ahmad

Luqman Ahmad is a freelance writer and the Imam of Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center in California. He is also an executive committee member of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF) and a General Council member of the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA). He can be reached through his web site at http://www.imamluqman.com or through email at imam@masjidibrahim.com

Luqman Ahmad Is the Imam of Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center in Sacramento, California where he has served since 1996. He recently returned to Sacramento after a two year absence. He comes from a well known religious Muslim family in the Philadelphia area. He is married and the father of five children. Luqman also studied at Umm Al-Quraa University in Saudi Arabia and at the Haram al-Mekki. While in Saudi Arabia, in addition to the teachers at Um al-Qura, the Imam studied with Sheikh Suleiman al-Hazmi, Sheikh Sayyid Sabiq who was his sheikh of tafseer al-Quran, and Sheikh Muhammad al-Ghazaali. Imam Luqman learned usool al-hadith from Sheikh Muhammad bin Humayad a classic era Az'harian trained in the Ottoman period. Imam Luqman also took lessons from the late American Sheikh; Muhammad Ghulaam Al-Haarith, who was one of the first indigenous American Muslims to attend Azhar University.

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Proposing a Dialogue Among Civilizations




Islamic Discourse:
Proposing a Dialogue Among Civilizations


The Review

Writer Carroll states in the introduction that prior to a trip she made late in 2004 she was unaware that the organizers of the Institute for Interfaith Dialog based in Houston, Texas as well as the organizers of the trip itself were members of a community of people inspired by the notions of Fethullh Gulen, a Turkish Islamic scholar. Reading further we find Carroll’s intent in this book is to ‘place the ideas of Fethullh Gulen into the context of the larger humanities. Chapter titles are 1: Gulen and Kant on Inherent Human Value and Moral Dignity, 2: Gulen and Mill on Freedom, 3: Gulen, Confucius, and Plato on the Human Ideal, 4: Gulen, Confucius, and Plato on Education, 5: Gulen and Sartre on Responsibility. Kant’s belief was that humans have inherent value, Gulen spoke of the transcendent value of human beings. Mills’ assertions that the tyranny of the majority must be met head long was presented from his viewpoint of the nineteenth century Briton. Gulen avows that ‘freedom allows people to do whatever they want, provided they do not harm others and they remain wholly devoted to the truth.’ An intriguing ‘trialogue’ regarding the human ideal is constructed by Writer Carroll between Gulen, Confucius and Plato in chapter 3. Chapter 4 addresses the mastery of the Book of Songs - music and poetry as vital to self development, leadership and service of family and leadership.

A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse presents the query ‘what is the level of resonance between Islam and the West?’ That the twenty-first century has become an episode of heretofore unnoticed quandary is obvious. Up until 9-1-1 few worldwide really gave much thought to anything other than their own viewpoint. Writer Carroll finds significance can be gleaned an awareness of the theoretically divergent views of Gulen, Turkish Muslim scholar and those of Immanuel Kant, Confucius, Plato, John Stuart Mill, and Jean Paul Sartre regarding critical hypothesis including intrinsic ethical pride, creature significance, learning, autonomy, and accountability. The reader may be surprised to find out these figures who are separated by centuries in time, as well as oceans or continents have a propensity toward speaking the same language.

Writer Carroll’s attentive writing style has produced a judicious and timely work, she is knowledgeable, presents her thesis in readable manner and holds reader interest. Not for everyone, if you are looking for a lighthearted, ‘story’ book for a quick afternoon read A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse is not that book. If you would like to learn a little more about Gulen and his notions of education and dialog then A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse will prove an eye-opening read.

Educational read, happy to recommend for those who are hoping to learn something of an interesting thesis.

For review I received a soft cover edition from a publicist.

Reviewed by: Molly's Reviews

molly martin

Genre: A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic

Author: B Jill Carroll

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: The Light, Inc. 26 World Fair DR Unit C Somerset NJ 08873 www.thelightpublishing.com

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1597841102

ISBN-13: 978-1597841108

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Islamic Humaniora

The Urgance of English-Arabic Translation (Part II)

By: Fatima Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Menoufy

According to the Wikipedia encyclopedia, Arabic was also a major vehicle of culture, especially in science, mathematics and philosophy during the middle ages, that is why many European languages have also borrowed numerous words from it.

Pamela J.Farris says in her book Language arts on page 99
"English has borrowed from Arabic algebra, candy, lemon, orange, sugar, and magazine."

Not only these words English borrowed from Arabic, but there are hundreds of other words borrowed from Arabic, there are some hundreds of the words English borrowed from Arabic in Al Mawrid English-Arabic dictionary, such as typhoon which means in Arabic 7HA'F , Spinach 3('F. , and sesame which means in Arabic 3E3E.

So Arabic being one of the world great languages makes translation from and into that language very important, especially English Arabic translation.

No doubt that English is a world language; nowadays it is the language of science, aviation, computing, diplomacy, and tourism. It is listed as the official or co-official language of numerous countries .As well as Arabic, it is one of the six official languages in the United Nations

Consequently, the knowledge of the English language is one of the most important tools in achieving scientific and technological knowledge; moreover it is a tool of communication between countries, different cultural groups, various companies and organizations, communities and friends.

Translation is the tool to make use of the new technology and science. Science knowledge coupled with multiple languages and cultures are increasingly important in an expanding global economy and world welfare. It is clear that Britain and the USA are the forefront of new ideas in science and technology. USA has pioneered in all fields of technology and science; accomplishments of Britain and US technology are in English, so it is very essential to know English to make use of such technology and science.

Also Political relationships, wars, and conflicts make translation so important to have access to what is going on in different parts of the world, especially Arabic English translation, as English is the language of the big powers of the world, and the Arab region is the theatre, where vital events take place at present.

No denying that English is the cornerstone of the world media, many important news sources are in English, on page 34 of the book The Spread of English the writer says: "English newspapers in non English mother-tongue countries are another indication of the world wide status of English".

If one knows English, one can read the news and points of views of several writers around the globe, by doing so one can expand his knowledge, and get a broader outlook on the surroundings, and to look at issues with a broader perspective. In my opinion, knowing any language is an international passport specifically English.

English is also the language of communication, with the spread of internet, English appeared to be the language of communication, hundreds of millions of different races communicate with each others via the internet in English, thus English helps to strengthen ties, and make friends among different cultural groups of people on different spots of our planet.

So being the language of science technology and communication, in the age of the internet, English spread so widely, there has never been a language so widely spread in so short a time as English.

As mentioned above, both Arabic and English are great world languages, so translation between this pair of languages is important and essential because of the many reasons mentioned previously.

Translation has been and continues to be the means of cultural and knowledge exchange among people throughout history, and the means of preserving cultural heritage.

As the Islamic Arabic Empire spread, the Arabic language and, indeed, culture was enriched by contacts with other civilizations: Greeks, Persians, Copts, Romans, Indians and Chinese. During the ninth and tenth centuries, a great translation movement, centered in Baghdad, was in force, in which many ancient scientific and philosophical tracts were transposed from ancient languages, especially Greek, into Arabic. Many were enhanced by the new wisdom suggested by Arab thinkers; other texts were simply preserved, only to re-emerge in Europe during the Renaissance.
Modern European languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and English owe a great debt to Arabic. The English language itself contains many words borrowed from Arabic: algebra, alchemy, admiral, genius, ghoul, mare sherbet, soda and many others. "

By the means of translation cultural heritage is preserved and new civilizations evolved and flourished; the western civilization for instance, was established on the Arabic and Islamic civilization; scientific books were translated from Arabic into different European languages, and it was the core for the current western civilization.

In the book of "Muslim Contributions to World Civilization" On page 118 we will find that, "From 1154 AC to the sixteenth century, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars from Western Europe and Spain translated books from Arabic into Latin in the Toledo Academy established by Alfonso, Sabio the Wise. The translations were then distributed to academic centers in Europe, where they became the basis of the Renaissance, the revival of knowledge in Europe."

Stanwood Cobb says:" Europe was indebted for all of its beginnings in alchemy and chemistry to the chemical science of the Arabs, which reached them through translation of Arabic works into Latin. In this science, as in other arts and sciences which they practiced, they developed an objective and experimental method as opposed to the purely speculative method of the Greeks."
"The science of algebra owes much to gifted mathematicians of the
Islamic era. Its very name proves the magnitude of this debt, for the name itself is Arabic, al gebr, "a binding together ."

"In addition to the volumes of Greek science, many scientific works of the Arabs-Avicenna, Averroes, and Rhazes in particular-were translated."

So English-Arabic translation has been and continues to be of great importance, the causes in the past and present are only different. Currently, it is well known that English Arabic translation is increasingly becoming a topic of much concern and importance these days. Oil, strategic location, history of the Islamic and different other civilizations that took place in the Arabic region, and the current events in the Middle East on the Arab side and the western desire to possess the oil and dominate the region on the Western side, contribute to this importance. This paper highlights the importance of English Arabic translation, mainly the translation of the two word English idioms into Arabic; as English language is full of idioms native speakers of English use a lot of idioms and expressions in everyday conversations, books, newspapers, magazines, TV shows on the Internet because idioms add color to the language, but at the same time, idioms are difficult to understand because their meaning is not what it appears to be at first sight. This imposes a major difficulty to translators from English into Arabic.

For example in the Telegraph newspaper dated 19/09/2006 one of the headlines reads "Police patrols at churches stepped up in Pope Row"

The Idiom 'step up is used in this article, the Idiom Connection defines the idiom' step up 'as follows "rise to a higher or more important position, be promoted"

Al Mawrid dictionary translates the idiom 'step up' as J2J/- J6'9A- J2/'/- J*6'9A- JF/A9- J*B/E
In the context of the previous article, the idiom 'step up' can be translated as - J2/'/ , it is the translation of the meaning of the idiom.

A Second example in The Sunday Times dated April 30, 2006, the Idiom 'back down' is used in the following articles:

Iran's psychopath in chief, by Israel

"Britain, France, Germany and America hope to pass a resolution at the United Nations Security Council this week mandating Iran to suspend its work on uranium enrichment. If Iran refuses to back down, the security council could impose targeted sanctions."

Also in the Mail guardian online dated 07 November 2005 we will find the headline

'Blair to back down on anti-terror laws'

British Prime Minister Tony Blair reluctantly accepted on Monday that he would have to back down on proposed anti-terror laws that would enable police to hold people for up to 90 days without charging them.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke, announcing what amounts to a climbdown, said, however, that the new time limit would not be as short as the 28 days sought by critics of the new Terrorism Bill, which faces a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.

"We do not want to compromise on the 90 days at all. It will be a compromise with this nation's security," said Blair at his monthly Downing Street press conference, where he held out hope that he could yet minimise the impact.

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - defines the idiom' 'back down as 'Reverse one's upward course, descend. For example, When she saw the wasps' nest on the roof, she hastily backed down the ladder. This literal usage usually refers to something one has climbed, such as a ladder or mountain. [Mid-1800s]

Al Mawrid dictionary translates the idiom 'back down' as --J*F'2D 9F E7D(
Also 9F J*.DJ 9F - J*1',9 is a proper translation

In the previous articles, it can be translated as 9F J*.DJ 9F - J*1',9, and it is the translation of the meaning of the idiom.

Idioms are one of the factors that makes translation remain a human activity; although attempts have been made to automate and computerize the translation of natural language texts, or to use computers as an aid to translation, but translation remains mainly a human activity that needs skill, intelligence, human feeling that keeps the life and spirit of the original language to the translated text, idioms pose a challenge to any translation program. Since a lot of idioms cannot be translated literally.

The right understanding of Idioms is the key to have a good translation from English into Arabic. English is full of idioms; native speakers of English use a lot of idioms and expressions in their speech and writing, in other words, native speakers of English use idioms all the time. Idioms are the grease that makes language flow, but at the same time idioms are difficult to understand because an idiom is "An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up." Webster's Online Dictionary, but some are easier to guess when they have some association with the original meaning of the individual words. So the translator should be aware of the idioms.

The idiom 'cold feet' which the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines as:"to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married" , whereas the American Heritage Dictionary defines the idiom 'cold feet' as
"Fearfulness or timidity preventing the completion of a course of action".

It is used in an article in the guardian newspaper on Saturday March 25, 2006 as follows:

'Iraq hostages 'were saved by rift among kidnappers'

• Guards got cold feet after American was shot

• Returning Kember 'failed to say thanks to rescuers'

Jonathan Steele in Amman, Ewen MacAskill and Richard Norton-Taylor

Saturday March 25, 2006

The Guardian

The British hostage Norman Kember and his two Canadian colleagues owe their freedom to a rift among their Iraqi kidnappers, a western security source close to the rescue operation said yesterday.

This idiom used in the previous article can be translated as AB/'F 'D-E'3 DA9D 4& E'- FB5'F 'D4,'9G #H 'D+B) DA9D 4& E', the translation is the paraphrase of the idiom according to definitions given above. So the right understanding of idioms is the key to translate well.

An idiom is learned and used as a single unit of language; and should be translated in the same way. To translate idioms the translator , first of all needs to recognize idioms , understand them, know the culture from which the idiom comes, the origin, the atmosphere in which it is used , then the translator should do his/her best, at first to find an equivalent or a corresponding idiom in the target language that keeps the flavor of the original, if there is not such corresponding idiom or phrase the translator analyzes the idiom and translates the meaning of the idiom in words that keep the color and flavor of the idiom in the source language

Every language is idiomatic; each language has a certain set of rules that govern the way words are put together to express facts, ideas and feelings. The rules and their exceptions are unique to the language, despite possible similarities with other languages. In this sense, a language is always idiomatic. Within this general consideration, we usually think of 'idioms' as unique phrases: we use them to express something that other, more general sentences can't express just as well. It is important to learn idioms to be able to communicate well. They are also interesting to study because of the insight they give us into the language and the people who use them. These expressions originate in the history, literature, religion, and traditions typical of a certain community. For this reason, idioms reveal much of the way of thinking of a community.

Since idiomatic expressions are so frequently encountered in both spoken and written discourse, they require special attention in translation
the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines 'idiom' as : a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words:. This means even if one knows the meaning of each word; one may not understand the idiom itself. So we cannot translate the idioms correctly unless we understand their meaning. If we take into account the idiom ' New blood and translate it into Arabic (/E ,/J/) word by word, (/E ,/J/) is sometimes used in Arabic to mean young people. On one hand, it can be viewed as an equivalent, on the other hand sometimes it is hard to guess that the expression actually means ' people with a lot of energy or fresh ideas who are brought into an organization in order to improve it' as defined in Cambridge advanced Learner's dictionary, as in F-*', 'DJ /E ,/J/-- it can mean the need for new blood in a hospital for instance, but sometimes it can be misunderstood.

Based on the previous definition in Cambridge advanced Learner's Dictionary, the appropriate translation for this idiom is #4.'5 EDJ&) ('D7'B) H 'D-JHJ) H 'D#AC'1- 'AC'1 H 7'B'* ,/J/) .The translation here is a paraphrase.

As a matter of fact, the literal translation of an idiom is often absurd or comical. The idiom 'Back burner ' literally translates into Arabic as ''D-'1B 'D.DAJ'

The literal translation in Arabic sounds comical. The Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions defines it as follows: If an issue is on the back burner, it is being given low priority is ' then the right translation is -'D EF 9/E 'D'G*E'E-BDJD 'D'GEJ)
sometimes The image created by the literal meaning of an idiom is comic but sometimes it can help to remember that idiom.

Here is an example of English idioms that can be easily understood from the images they evoke. The English idiom double faced translates literally in Arabic as 0H H,GJF- (with two faces) in Arabic. So the image created by this idiom helps us to remember and understand it. So we can translate it as EF'AB 'hypocrite' in Arabic- or -E.'/9 deceiver (in Arabic), which will be an adequate translation. The image created by the idiom double faced can make us think of a person with two faces , which means hypocrite .Even though using the images of the literal translation is an effective and fun way to learn English idioms, the literal translation alone is deceiving in many cases

The real meaning of the English idiom has to be learned in context to be correctly understood. It is necessary to study idioms within sentences. A proper example makes the meaning and the use clear. For example the idiom sitting duck which means 'an easy target', when we learn this idiom in a sentence as in "His arguments were so simple, she was able to knock them down like sitting ducks." It will be easy to understand that the idiom means 'an easy target' and translate it into Arabic adequately, if we translate it literally in Arabic it would be (7) ,'D3) which does not make sense in Arabic, but the adequate translation is a paraphrase translation of the idiom which is G/A 3GD

Translation of ideas and meaning from one language to another leaves much freedom to the translator , but translation of idioms does not need only translation of ideas and meaning , the translator should keep the effect idioms give to the language as possible as the translator can. To translate idioms word-for-word" translation is inadequate and confusing, To translate idioms well, the translator must recognize idioms to be idioms, the translator must understand the goals and intents of the author of the original work; and the context in which idioms are used, then s/he should understand the meaning of the idioms, s/he should look it up in dictionaries, search on the web , ask native speakers, and understand the massage of the idiom and in what context it is used . It is good to find a similar idiom in Arabic that carries the same meaning of the English idiom, if the translator cannot find so it is good to parse the idiom apart into its meaning and translate the meaning.

Katharine Barnwell says: The task of the translator is to translate the meaning of the message, rather than the words.

Bible Translation, Katharine Barnwell, 1986, p. 12.

In order to have a good translation, there must be a good translator, who should be fluent in the two languages he seeks to translate between. He must understand the language which he is translating from, as well as the language in which he is translating the work into. Moreover, a good translator must specifically be a good communicator in the target language. A good translator must have the knowledge, skill and experience in this business; In fact the translator has a very serious responsibility not to change the meaning in any way. He must be careful not to add anything to the meaning, or to leave any part of the meaning. Actually the task of translator is more difficult than the writer himself, the writer is free to express his ideas and views in the way he sees suitable and in the vocabulary he likes, but the translator confines himself to the words the writer used and he must be careful not to add anything to the meaning, or to leave any part of the meaning.

Conclusion:

From what has been mentioned above, it is obvious that translation is the bridge of appreciation, love and friendship among nations, it is necessary for progress and prosperity .By the means of translation new civilizations evolved, the western civilization was established on the Arabic and Islamic civilization; scientific, books were translated from Arabic into Latin, and it was the basis for the western civilization.

English Arabic translation has been and continues to be of great importance, because both languages are great world languages, moreover current events, wars, conflicts and struggles in our world add to this importance ; English is the language of big powers and Arabic is the language of the region where conflicts take place for many reasons mentioned previously

Idioms pose a challenge to translators from English into Arabic. English is full of idioms which cannot be understood from the individual words .A translator of English idioms into Arabic needs good knowledge of the two languages and a good knowledge of both cultures .Idioms reflect culture traditions ,cultural identities and history of any nation. They give us insight into history , culture , traditions, and values, morals. So idioms reflect our common humanity through language.

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The Urgance of English-Arabic Translation

Islamic Humaniora:
The Urgance of English-Arabic Translation (Part I)

By: Fatima Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Menoufy

This article is devoted to the English Arabic translation; it will lay the light on the definition of translation, the importance of English Arabic translation, the difficulty idioms impose to translators, the qualities of a good translator and the necessity for translation in general.

Translation in Dr. Hasanuddin Ahmed's words is: "the action or process of delivering from one language into another. It is the expression or rendering of sense of words, sentences, and passages etc from one language into another." Ulm-ul-Qur'an, Dr. Hasanuddin Ahmed, I.A.S.

The Columbia Encyclopedia defines translation as the rendering of a text into another language.

Katharine Barnwell (1986, p. 8).defines it as follows: Translation is re-telling, as exactly as possible, the meaning of the original message in a way that is natural in the language into which the translation is being made.

Translation is much more than the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language and the production of a new, equivalent text in another language , or the substitution of the words of one language with the words of another language, or the rendering of meaning of a text or whatsoever in one language into another, it is the bridge of appreciation and understanding among people of different cultural groups , it is the means of communication among different groups of people, the means of cultural exchange, the means of preserving cultural heritage of any nation, the means of forming ties and friendships among different groups of people, and the means of understanding and peace.

Human beings are after all not living alone and, every human being has the need and desire to know about one another, man tries to learn what other people are doing, how they are living, and how they have lived. We would like to know, apart from our different ethnicity, color, language, and culture, whether we share the same understanding of love, passion, sorrow, aspiration, sympathy, jealousy and many other respects of human nature. So as long as the desire to exists, translation will be the only bridge across which our aims are reached and our desire realized.
In the general sense, the goal of translation is to build bridges among different groups of people, but the goal of translation in the theoretical sense is to establish a relationship of equivalence between the source and the target language; it should ensure that both texts communicate the same message.

There has been debate as to whether translation is an art, a science, or a Skill. I think Translation is a combination of all of them. It is a science in the sense that it needs complete knowledge of the structure, grammar, semantics, and syntax and in general the make-up of the two languages concerned. It is an art since it requires artistic talent to reconstruct the original text in the form of a product that is presentable to the reader who is not supposed to be familiar with the original. It is also a skill, because it requires attention to detail the meaning and a thorough understanding of the relationship between syntax and semantics, coupled with extensive cultural background and the ability to provide the translation of something that has no equal in the target language.

Also being a human skill, it enables human beings to exchange ideas and thoughts regardless of the different languages they use. Man is endowed with the ability to convey his feelings and experience to others through language. For this process of communication man acquired both spoken language and the written language, but when human beings spread over the earth, their languages differed and they needed a means through which they can communicate and interact with each others. Thus necessity for translation to convey one's feelings and experiences into the other language was felt.

Sometimes we ask ourselves, why is translation between English and Arabic important? Both Arabic and English are of the world great languages, in the book 'The Spread of English, on page 77 the writer says: "the great languages of today are languages of empire, past and present. Only two, Mandarin Chinese and Russian, continue as languages of administration within single, ethno linguistically diverse states. The others -Arabic, English, French, and Spanish-are imperial legacies, having survived the disintegration of the empires that fostered them."

Arabic language is one of the great world languages. there have been great languages of great empires that did not survive as a great language , like Turkish for instance, when we compare Turkish with Arabic, we find out that Arabic survived the disintegration of the Arab Islamic empire and it continues to be one of the great languages of the world till today, while the Turkish language which was the language of administration and authority in the middle east , Balkans, and different parts of the world that was under the Ottoman rule for a thousand years ,but Turkish in the words of Fishman on page 77 in the book 'The Spread of English" 'flowed back to Anatolia with the collapse of the ottoman empire'. But these words are not 100% accurate because Turkish is spoken all over Turkey and in Northern Cyprus, not only in Anatolia which is only a part of Turkey. Also Turkish minorities in the former Soviet Union republics, Bulgaria, Russia, Greece, and Romania use Turkish as their mother tongue. Moreover the languages of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, are all branches of the Turkic language family. Yet, no denying that Turkish language lost a lot of its importance after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Returning to Arabic, it is one of the six official languages adopted in The United Nations. Arabic is the language of a rich culture and civilization dating back many centuries; it was the language of Muhammad, the Messenger and Prophet of Allah (Allah is the Arabic word for God), and it is the language of the Holy Qura'an. It has produced great figures such as Averroes(Ibn-Roshd), the medieval Aristotelian philosopher; Ibn Khaldun, the first social historian; and Khalil Jibran. Between the eighth and the fifteenth centuries, the volume of literary, scholarly and scientific book production in Arabic and the level of urban literacy among readers of Arabic were the highest the world had ever known to that time. Islamic artists have used Arabic script as their principal art form for centuries; the beauty of their work will be revealed to anyone through the study of Arabic. Arabic is a member of the Semitic group of languages, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic, the language the Christ spoke. Moreover, Arabic is widely spoken; total speakers of Arabic exceed 350 million.

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A Brief History of Fundamentalism in Islam

A Brief History of Fundamentalism in Islam

By: Michael Cooper

There are few people on earth today who have not heard something about Islam. Islam is one of the most prominent religions in the world today with at least 750 million people practicing. Islam is a voluntary relationship between an individual and his creator. Islam emerged in Arabia during the early 7th century. Islam means “submission” in Arabic, which is the basis for the religion---submitting to the Will of God. Islamic religion is formed on the foundations of Islamic life, variety and unity is Islam, and Islam and its nonbelievers. The Islamic people had a new faith in their religion and kept their hopes high to conquer and spread the religion. They changed the society that was used across the lands and brought a new religion that would keep the people high in assurance that they’ll always have a good spirit.

The foundations of Islamic life are based on a sacred text called the Qu’ran. The Qu’ran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qu’ran is the prime source of every Muslims’ faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and his creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system. From the time the Qu’ran was revealed, until this day there has always been a large number of Muslims who have memorized all of the Qu’ran, letter by letter. Not one letter of the Qu’ran has been changed over the centuries.

Another source for the basis of Islamic life is al-Hadith, or sunnah. This is a vast body of transmitted stories and sayings attributed to the Prophet and his comparisons. Unlike the Qu’ran, these stories are not assembled in a single, absolutely accepted text. There are actually many collections of Hadith. Over time, during the first few centuries of Islam, it became obvious that many so-called hadith were in fact spurious sayings that had been fabricated for various motives, at best to encourage believers to act righteously and at worse to corrupt believers' understanding of Islam and to lead them astray. Since Islamic legal scholars were utilizing hadith as an adjunct to the Qu'ran in their development of the Islamic legal system, it became critically important to have reliable collections of hadith. While the early collections of hadith often contained hadith that were of questionable origin, gradually collections of authenticated hadith called sahih were compiled. Such collections were made possible by the development of the science of hadith criticism, a science at the basis of which was a critical analysis of the chain of (oral) transmission (isnad) of the hadith going all the way back to Muhammad. The two most highly respected collections of hadith are the authenticated collections the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. In addition to these, four other collections came to be well respected, although not to the degree of Bukhari and Muslim's sahih collections. These four other collections are the Sunan of Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Abu Da'ud. Together these four and the two sahih collections are called the "six books" (al-kutub al-sitta). Two other important collections, in particular, are the Muwatta of Ibn Malik, the founder of the Maliki School of law, and the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali School of law.

The third source that provides an important basis for the faith is the biography of the Prophet of God---Muhammad. Muhammad ibnu Abdillah was born in Mecca in the year 569 CE. Orphaned at an early age, Muhammad was cared for by his uncle. He earned his living as a trader and a Shepard among the Bedouins, and was known by his people as al-amin (the trustworthy one). When he was 25, he married Khadija. When Muhammad reached the age of 40, the angel Gabriel came to him with revelations that established his prophethood. Muhammad was first ordered to instruct his immediate family on Islam, including his beloved wife Khadija, but eventually it was revealed to him that he should begin delivering the message to all of mankind. In the next 20 years of his life, he communicated the message of Allah to his people, and set an example for how each human being should lead her or his life. This is especially valuable since Muhammad is the last Prophet of Allah. In the year 632, the year of his death, the Prophet delivered his famous last sermon.

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Islam Against Terrorism, an Overview of Jakarta Bombing 2009



Islam Against Terrorism, an Overview of Jakarta Bombing 2009

By: Kalpna Sharma

“Nation which has strength of Oil, Economy and Military

would continue to rule the world in 21st century”

As I have debated in my previous article about the role of nations which has the strength of OEM would rule the world. The role of USA in Middle East, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan is an expanded form of gaining control over Oil, which is the first step and ingredient of achieving world dominance. Earlier, rather till mid nineties, a few Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) did have the courage to mould the world economies ups and down; but today USA is in the most dominant position of strength to accept or reject their terms. As the weak people when can not stand against a powerful enemy, they resort to run and hit types of warfare’s. What Western nations are now terming such fundamentalist’s attempts as terrorism? This new form of terrorism is not new but reinvented and practiced means of resistance. As terrorism identifies no religion or relationship and the maximum victims of such heinous acts are innocent citizens; that is why; I termed this menace the Scourge of Terrorism (Sot), people who launch such attacks terrorists and the entire gamut terrorism.

Before, I proceed further let me explain as to what is the war of patriots and terrorism. The origin of Guerilla type war of patriots goes back to as far as 1764-70 AD when, one of the greatest Maratha leaders, Chhatrapati Shivaji had launched a crusade against the most tyrants and oppressing Mughal rule. He had always targets and fought against the well armed and trained soldiers and never victimized innocent citizens. Now days, the War of terrorists is different both in attacking targets and means of executing. His aim was to incite small but numerous armed rebellions in Mughal regime, thus, forcing them to come to their terms. The medieval periods of war of patriots and today’s war of terrorist can not be compared with modern time of advanced technological reach. As the former was governed by the local needs of natives, the terrorism is ruled by the dominance of Oil and oil flow in modern time.

The Oil and oil flow is the only natural source available which would make or break a nation’s strength. I believe that any country which controls, Oil Flow would control the world. Now let me share my views as to what I really mean with OEM. I feel that any nation which would control Oil would have prosperous and strong economy; and which inturn will create powerful Military. Therefore, growth of one ingredient is directly proportionate to other. Rather, I would say that the progress and growth of one sector is flowing out of the strength and stability of other. I, therefore, perceive the following correlation amongst Oil, Economy and Military;

· One; Control of Oil would provide a nation liberty of utilizing, moving, transporting and operating her natural, artificial and Human resources to the maximum potential;

· Two; utmost unitization and extreme exploitations of country’s resource would make the State’s economy prosperous and strong; and

· Three; Strong economy require protection and safety in every field. It not only requires safeguarding her geographical territories and oversea economic interests of own state; but also of friendly countries, thus envisaging the requirement of powerful Military. I would place the USA policies based on my OEM theory. She has not only been able to gain control but also forced world to follow her various trade related policies of own interests. I sometimes view the role of World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Bank (WB) with skepticism due to bullying tactics of developed Nations.

I, thus, conclude that future interests of most of the states would be governed through Oil Command Diplomacy (OCD) which would be the real factor of states strength. Oil­ generates Economy; and Economy makes Military. So far, the USA with her allies has proved true my first presupposition and they all are nearly controlling the two third out flow of Oil in the world. Despite major economic recess at home, these Nations have not only been able to protect but also maintain their overseas Economic interests due to powerful Military.

What would be the real effect if any nation is unable to meet her home Oil inflow

demand? The readers can well imagine, if USA stops her oil supply for a day. The oil in other term is the true symbol of meeting the most important Dynamic Propelling Energy (DPE) requirements out of two, due to which a nation is required to power her mobile resources. I believe that most of the States have been able to meet the second Static Propelling Energy (SPE) requirement of electricity, factory and industries operation needs but DPE can only be sustained through Oil.

After debating about the OEM basic beliefs, I would now try to discuss about the relationship of Oil and terrorism. As, most of the world nations believe that USA and her allies’ invasion of Iraq, on the pretext of threat of possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) were mere a device and an approach to control the most sought after DPE source of Middle East, therefore, my first prophecy of oil to make a nation’s economy strong is proving true. As the natural oil sources are in the heart of Islamic world, therefore, the entry of Western World is acting as a fuel to Muslim’s Religious Identity Crisis Conflict (RICC) ideology. As I have already advocated that terrorism is going to be the basic tool of sustained RICC movements’ world over, the terrorism is directly related to oil entity.

You would agree with me that the death of over 50 innocent civilians in Iraq every alternate day through Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) attacks is the beginning of war for oil control. Despite proving wrong at home, the USA and her allies continue to pursue the Oil Dominance Diplomacy (ODD). Though Russia, China and Japan have been expressing not only their reservations on continuous presence of USA and her allies in Iraq, but also they had a perceived fear of losing in ODD against USA.

Readers would now be able to draw and define a clear line of interest of various Nations trying to contain terrorism and prevent its nefarious spread in other countries. What I believe that:

· One; the terrorism is going to be a nature of warfare in future;

· Two; weaker nations would continue to resist powerful against natural oil resources control;

· Three; Islamic nations particularly located in Middle East, Asia and around Mediterranean would continued to be involved not only in RICC but also struggle to sustain their natural resource and wealth.

· Four; the role of other countries would be to play the Watch and Wait Diplomacy (WWD) to exploit terrorist’s movements in the name of either RICC or patriotism. There might be involvement of some third countries in inciting and fueling resistance movement in Iraq to tie down USA economy to the ever lowest level of world dominance.

· Five; as DPE oil source would govern the future role of a nation, the RICC is going to spread beyond every nation’s geographical boundaries through subversive activities.

· Six; if so than what would be our means and measures to prevent repetition of bombing of Twin Towers, metros in Mumbai in India and London; and other various other similar IED terrorist acts.

Do you believe that what a nation terms terrorist attack is really true for other? I

strongly say No, and repeat no. As I believe that no country has the right to infring in other nation’s internal affairs and creates disturbed situations. A terrorist in the eyes of Western Nations might be a freedom fighter amongst own citizens.

How do you differentiate between an act of terrorism and patriotism, I leave it to

esteem readers but in my views, I define terrorism as “an act of people which harms innocent citizens, damages State property and incites armed uprisings against a legally elected government”. Though it has nothing to do with religion and community, but some of the communities resolve to terrorism as a tool to fulfill their political dreams and aspirations. Anyhow, as the Muslims are passing through most crucial stage of their RICC, they perceive a direct threat to not only religious philosophy but also the natural resource of their countries. These Islamic leaders are true to some extent; but the manners with which Muslims sectarian violence is frequently erupting in Iraq, Pakistan and Iran are alarming indicators.

After defining terrorism, I would debate about various reasons of terrorism which need world leaders to pay attentions. The United Nations Organization (UNO) through its subsidiary organization must address the basic problem of RICC of Islamic nations or else, the future shape of terrorist conflicts is going to far bloodier than ever before. What I perceive that the Islamic patriots would take terrorist strikes against softer and easy targets deep inside Western Countries because of;

· One; easy access of entry and exit from Western Nations including USA;

· Two; availability of large number of Pro-Religion Fanatic Believers (PRFB) in Europe, USA, Africa and Asia;

· Three; well established and organized economic network in entire world;

· Four; uncontrolled procreation, thus, always leaving a scope of exploitations for pecuniary gains, which most of the fanatics generally do. I have observed during my visit to some of the affected countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar that hard core Islamic fanatics visit interiors areas of all these countries and contact poverty ridden large families and pay them handsomely to donate a male child for education and cause of Islam. During my one of the meetings with an Islamic scholar at Delhi at All India Imam office in later 2000, he informed that that the most of the Islamic scholars have identified over hundred families who were waiting for Islamic scholar to arrive and hand over their one male child between the age of seven and ten to follow the religious teachers to Madarassas for perceived Islamic education. While departing, the Islamic scholar had paid nearly rupees 10,000/ Pakistani and Afghani rupees, thanking for donating a child for the cause of Islam and Allah. Later I came to know that actually most of the children were transshipped to various Islamic schools in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

· Five; availability of criminal’s well setup illegal drug trafficking and real estate mafia to support such movements for own pecuniary gains.

· Six; Support of third countries to pressurize other for world hegemony thus making arms, explosives and money easily available.

USA being in the heart of Oil enrich geographical area is having nearly 60% of the control over Oil Dollar Market (ODM) thus making other nations skeptical about her real intentions of being in Iraq or Middle East. I would make an attempt to cover what are effects of RICC and Flow of Oil Diplomacy (FoOD). Readers’ views are solicited at som_kalpna@yahoo.com

I, S Kalpna Sharma, am a freelance journalist who frequently write on various issues relating human values. As y impetus of debate has always been focused on current issues, I would now debate about the curse of terrorism and effect of heavy blood bath of Innocent citizens in Iraq and elsewhere. 15 May 2007

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Get Free from Extrimism in Religion

Get Free from Extrimism in Religion

By: Warren Cooley

I do not have the right to tell you who you will meet in the hereafter. You must grant me the same right and do not have the right to tell me who I will meet in the hereafter. How we deal with each other while we are here on earth is by respecting a boundary of individual freedom. It is drawn and ends at the point of doing physical harm to another. The boundary of freedom can be changed only through a dialogue of negotiation or by means of fair trade. These are absolute rights inherent in every human’s existence. If you disagree with the parameter of these rights and seek to impose a standard of conduct that violates my inherent rights. Then I claim the right to protect myself from your tyranny and escape from it by whatever means are available or failing this kill you if I have the power to do so.

This simply stated position is a new foundation for dealing with the rising tide of extremism. It opens a path back to moderation, coexistence and cooperation by imposing an ultimate consequence on the behavior of extremists. It implies that freedom is the birth right of every individual. The essence of freedom can not be granted or given because its origin is born first in hearts and minds. Freedom can only be claimed, then won and protected by means of effort, discipline, wisdom and knowledge. Freedom exists to inspire the best in humans and therefore must never be compromised but should be nurtured only by the active demonstration of the potential it offers. You can not liberate another human or country. You can only demonstrate the potential, happiness and joy of an existence based in freedom. Liberation is an individual battle that is first, always and only joined in the heart and mind.

Granted this is an esoteric position so, perhaps a few examples to see how it might play out against the current turbulence of the modern world. Would we have religious fundamentalists, be they Islamic, Christian or some other sect, seeking to impose spiritual beliefs on anyone? No, they must agree that they do not have this right or face an ultimate consequence. Would we have a world superpower engaged in protecting its economic and political interests by attempting to build democracy? No, freedom can not be grant or given. It must be won by those who cherish it. Economic and political interests can be extended only through negotiation and trade. Dependence on oil can not be secured by force it can only be traded for or innovated around. Could women be subjugated, forced to bear children or have abortions? No, they are individuals and have a claim to the boundary of freedom.

Their decisions about children are ultimately spiritual in nature and therefore can not be imposed. Would this new position have profound political implications if trumpeted in a democracy and allowed to ascend as the focus of political debate? Yes, it represents a new foundation for decisions and offers a new set of solutions. It undermines the chaotic entropic trends towards extremism by offering a rational unassailable position for moving forward. It offers the hope, freedom and justice that humanity desperately needs to save itself.

About The Author: Warren Cooley is a professional educator, and the writer/creator and of http://www.loveaha.com. This unique social networking community explores the question: “what is love?” Registered members are people interested in building healthy emotional relationships based on a deeper understanding of love. Visit the LoveAha community and register free or try the “What Is Love” quiz. Get a FREE personalize email report revealing what you believe about love. http://www.loveaha.com/quiz

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Monday, July 13, 2009

Illuminationist School in Islamic Philosophy





Illuminationist School in Islamic Philosophy



Illuminationist philosophy was a school of Islamic philosophy founded by Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi in the 12th century. This school is a combination of Avicenna’s philosophy and ancient Iranian philosophy, with many new innovative ideas of Suhrawardi. It is often described as having been influenced by Neoplatonism.

In logic in Islamic philosophy, systematic refutations of Greek logic were written by the Illuminationist school, founded by Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi (1155-1191), who developed the idea of "decisive necessity", an important innovation in the history of logical philosophical speculation. Readmore »»

Transcendent School in Islamic Philosophy




Transcendent School in Islamic Philosophy

Transcendent Theosophy is the school of Islamic philosophy founded by Mulla Sadra in the 17th century. His philosophy and ontology is considered to be just as important to Islamic philosophy as Martin Heidegger's philosophy later was to Western philosophy in the 20th century. Mulla Sadra bought "a new philosophical insight in dealing with the nature of reality" and created "a major transition from essentialism to existentialism" in Islamic philosophy, several centuries before this occurred in Western philosophy.

The idea of "essence precedes existence" is a concept which dates back to Avicenna[12] and his school of Avicennism as well as Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi[13] and his Illuminationist philosophy. The opposite idea of "Existence precedes essence" was thus developed in the works of Averroes and Mulla Sadra as a reaction to this idea and is a key foundational concept of existentialism.

For Mulla Sadra, "existence precedes the essence and is thus principle since something has to exist first and then have an essence." This is primarily the argument that lies at the heart of Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Theosophy. Sayyid Jalal Ashtiyani later summarized Mulla Sadra's concept as follows:

"The existent being that has an essence must then be caused and existence that is pure existence ... is therefore a Necessary Being."

More careful approaches are needed in terms of thinking about philosophers (and theologians) in Islam in terms of phenomenological methods of investigation in ontology (or onto-theology), or by way of comparisons that are made with Heidegger's thought and his critique of the history of metaphysics.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_philosophy#Illuminationist_school Readmore »»