Sri Lanka artillery barrage kills 378, doctor says

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – An all-night artillery barrage in Sri Lanka's war zone killed at least 378 civilians and forced thousands to flee to makeshift shelters along the beach, a government doctor said Sunday.

The army and Tamil Tiger rebels blamed each other for the barrage, which the doctor said left at least 1,100 people .... (read more>>>)

Pirates Hijack Dutch Cargo Ship

Pirates seized a Dutch cargo vessel on Thursday, a regional maritime group said, in the latest hijack by gangs proliferating off Somalia despite the presence of patrolling foreign warships.

"The crew are said to be safe. We are hearing there are between eight and 18 crew members," said Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

The 2,575-tonne "Marathon" was heading westbound through the Gulf of Aden when it was seized, he said.

In another of near-daily incidents, the U.S. Navy said pirates fired small arms weapons at one of its supply ships off the coast of Somalia. The USNS Lewis and Clark outran the two pirate skiffs after being chased for about an hour on Wednesday.

Somali pirate activity has increased over recent weeks, despite an unprecedented deployment of warships seeking ...
More...>>>

3 Dead - 1 in Custody & Captain is Safe and Sound

Great News! He's safe on board U.S. Navy ship.
Captain Phillips is now out of harm's way and the pirates have been subdued.
Report just in - the U.S. Navy used snipers to end the ongoing hostage situation with the Somali pirates in the ..... (more click here)

Sunni or Shiite? Is One Correct?
How can we know for sure?

Islam is the religion of Allah, conveyed by a Recitation (called "Quran" in Arabic) to His prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, through the Arch Angel Gabriel (Jibril, in Arabic) over 14 centuries ago.
The meaning of the word "Islam" immediately indicates a total surrender of the human will to the Will of the Devine Creator of the univerise, in total submission, obedience, sincerity and peace.
[Details: www.WhatsIslam.com]

Church Continues to Pay For Sex Abuse on Children 

Charts show abuse claims against U.S. dioceses and costs related to allegations (J. Bell, AP / March 13, 2009)

New York (AP)

The church has paid more than $2.6 billion in settlements and related expenses since 1950, according to an annual report released Friday by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The costs to dioceses and religious orders dropped in 2008 by 29 percent, to about $436 million. But 2007 was an unusually high year, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles began paying its $660 million settlement to about 500 people. It was the largest deal by a U.S. diocese.

New allegations continue to pour in, seven years after the abuse scandal erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston. The crisis put an unrelenting national and international spotlight on the problem and inspired victims to come forward by the hundreds.

"It's proof that victims come forward only when they're able," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Most of the accused clergy are now dead, missing or already out of public ministry or completely out of the priesthood altogether.

"The overall costs are still very high," said Mary Gautier of the Center for . . .

[click here for the "Rest of the Story" ]

Bismillaah - As Salaamu 'alaykum and Peace to all,

Last Sunday, I spent my evening watching Formula 1 Car Racing.

The race was full of suspense, and to my disappointment, my favourite team did not make it to the podium, again.

Ahh, well, there will be another race next week in Monaco, I hope! Maybe, my team will win. Insya'Allaah.

Read about "Parachute Packers"... >>

Did the former Pope make an appearance in a fire?
Or does this send out a different message to non-Catholics?

See the image taken by onlooker Gregorz Lukasik has convinced believers and even the Vatican believing a likeness of the pontiff himself in the flames, raising his right hand in a blessing.

But does it appear to you as the Pope?
                                  See for yourself - More..>>

Biden, Kerry Offer Support to Israel

May 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden said today, a workable Palestinian state along with exisiting peacefully alongside Israel must be acheived.

At the conference of the American-Israel Pubilic Affairs Committee, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, Biden spoke before an audience of more than 5,000 delegates, telling them the importance of a "two state" solution.

This sends out a strong message - Obama's administration will be encouraging Israel's new right-wing government toward peaceful relations with Palestine.

"Was Abraham Lincoln Born a Muslim?" Film Maker Says Yes!

"President Barack Hussein Obama is not the only one - the 16th President of The United States, Abraham Lincoln, was born a Muslim", according to Faruq Masudi, producer and director of the new Islamic movie, Quran Contemporary Connections.

Imagine - Abraham Lincoln sharing equal footage with the likes Islamic historical figures -- like Saladin Al Ayubi, Saudi's King Faisal former President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed.

But what is it they might have? What could they possibly have in common? (read more ...)

According to the May 30, 2005 Bradbury memo,
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Was Waterboarded 183 Times in One Month
and Abu Zubaydah got "Refreshed" 83 Times In One Month

 This topic deserves a full website - but for now, we have linked in to several sites to give readers a chance to see "What Others Have to Say" - about WATER BOARDING

Is this the way to "Get the truth out of someone?" -- Really?

On page 37 of the OLC memo, in a passage discussing the differences between ...

Pakistan - The New "Biggest Concern" for U.S.?
--- Saturday, April 4, 2009

On the campaign trail, Barack Obama warned that Afghanistan, not Iraq, should be treated as the true “central front” in the war on Islamic extremism -

But today - it seems - Things Have Changed...

Right Wing Group Promotes "Anti-Islam" on Websites

- SANTA ANA, Calif. – Mona Shadia, IFN

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ms. Deirdre Eliot, who told a federal magistrate that Ahmadullah Niazi, brother-in-law of an alleged bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, is a terrorist-sympathizer, is actually in danger of being guilty by association herself, for supporting a right-wing group that has promoted anti-Islamic rhetoric on its Web sites.

In 2004, Eliot gave $2,000 in political contributions to the Lincoln Club of Orange County, ....

  Courtesy of The Strategist - American Muslim Alliance e-newsletter

Justice Department's Integrity at Stake - says Judge

 - Alexandria, VA - Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled in favor of a defense request to file a motion to dismiss the charges against Dr. Sami Al-Arian at a hearing in federal court today. Her decision follows new revelations that prosecutors in Florida were opposed to efforts by a Virginia prosecutor to call Dr. Al-Arian to testify in another case. The judge's important decision raises the possibility that Dr. Al-Arian's ordeal could be resolved and that he can finally regain his freedom after six years of grueling legal battles.
 
During the hearing earlier today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg argued for the . . .

Sergeant Drew Peterson arrested today - For murder! 

A police officer himself, sargeant Drew Peterson was arrested officers yesterday around 5:30 p.m. He is charged with the murder of his 3rd wife, Stacy Peterson. His 4th wife is still missing and it is unsure what has become of her.

Peterson's capture occured just after the state police had surrounded his vehicle close to his home in Bollingbroke, Ill.

Peterson joked to reporters saying, "Guess I should have returned the library books".

Peterson's attorney Andrew Abood, released a statement on Thursday evening saying Peterson was innocent.

Mistranslation (Sufi?) of "Reliance of the Traveler" Under Question

Abu Aisha Claims He Can Prove - Keller's Translation Contains "Deviant Distortions and Disceptions of Fiqh - Mixed with Corrupt Concepts of Belief & Mysticism"

Take a look at this letter - written by Abu Aisha, concerning the "mistranslation" of Reliance of the Traveler (by Nu Ha Meem Keller).
It is most interesting to say the least and we have requested the brother to provide us with any information he might have on Keller's associates - Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir, Mohamed Yaqubi and Abdul Qadir As-Sufi Al-Murabit - founder of the "Murabitoons".

We had asked someone to Investigate this story and reply back www.islamnewsroom.com/content/view/65/1/

Amman, Jordan -- Thursday, May 7, 2009

Jordanian religious leaders condemn Pope Benedict's visit to the Middle East

They say it was provocative because he has not apologized for offending comments implying Islam was violent and irrational. 

They said the pope, on the first leg of a tour including Israel and the Palestinian territories, still owed them an apology for hinting Islam was violent and irrational ..

More ..>>

Mistranslation (Sufi?) of "Reliance of the Traveler" Under Question

Abu Aisha Says, Keller's Translation Contains "Deviant Distortions and Disceptions of Fiqh - Mixed with Corrupt Concepts of Belief & Mysticism"

Take a look at this letter - written by Abu Aisha, concerning the "mistranslation" of Reliance of the Traveler (by Nu Ha Meem Keller).
It is most interesting to say the least and we have requested the brother to provide us with any information he might have on Keller's associates - Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir, Mohamed Yaqubi and Abdul Qadir As-Sufi Al-Murabit - founder of the "Murabitoons".

We had asked someone to Investigate this story and reply back www.islamnewsroom.com/content/view/65/1/

Best Attitude for Believing Women 
by Yusuf Estes

There once was a woman named Jane,
       she was very sweet and really quite sane.

People laughed at her innocence and made fun without shame,

       some even called her Plain Jane.

Jane learned that "Allah" was really God's Name,

       And all of the prophets had a message - the same.

She learned "Islam" means worship God in peace and surrender,

       And Muhammad is the messenger for humans and jinn regardless of gender.

She said the shahadah on the very same day,

       and became a Muslimah in every possible way.

She now understands about a Muslimah's duty

       and is happy to  wear her hijab - the covering for her beauty,

Trial Starts for "Misguided" Militants of Sauerland Cell in Germany

German authorities used wiretaps and traced e-mails to build a case around Adem Yilmazny
	2 Germans &  2 Turks on Trial for being Terrorists

DUESSELDORF, Germany — 4 men are accused of plotting a series of car bombings across Germany are now on trial, starting Germany's biggest terrorism trial in decades.

Authorities are saying this is one of their biggest terror cases in decades. Three Germans and one Turkish national face charges of belongin to a terrorist group and ...  

The two German-born converts to Islam have prompted fears of "home grown" terrorists

A Woman Mayor - First For Egypt

Added April 4, 2009 Cairo, Egypt  -- ‘I’m part of history,’ says Mayor Eva Habil Kyrolos, Egypt's first woman to hold such an office. The village of Komboha, which was granted to her great-great-great grandfather in the 19th century, is getting used to it.

Eva Habil Kyrolos wears the distinction lightly as she tends to law and order and social matters in Komboha, the village her great-great-grandfather was granted in the 19th century.

www.IslamsWomen.com << check it out

Message to China: "Don't Worry About it"

Wall Street Extends Rally to 4th Day - Dow Jones Up!

China still has "reservations" about the debt U.S. owes them. President Obama sends out signals of strenght and rebound. Wall Street stocks had wobbled higher Friday to extend the market's winning streak to four days as investors appeared upbeat on prospects for an end to a grinding bear market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 53.92 points (0.71 per cent) to 7,223.98 at the close of a . . .

Californians Run From Wildfire

Thousands of people in Santa Barbara, California fee from their homes as a wildfire burns out of control all around their city.

The rapidly-moving blaze has burned nearly 3,000 acres, leading California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency.

     
Full Size Photos - Click >>

"We deeply,  deeply regreat that loss --"
--  Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State says in an official apology for U.S. air strike killing over 120 innocent civilians. 

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said "we deeply, deeply regret that loss," in a meeting with Afghan President Karzai and President Zardari of Pakistan.

The United States has now apologised for U.S. airstrikes that killed over 100 innocent Afghan civilians.

Civilian casualties are a source of strain between Washington and Kabul at a time of rising protest by some followers of the Taliban.

The Red Cross officials reported seening dozens of Afghan civilians killed in the U.S. air strikes in Farah province - local officials put the death toll at over 120.

This makes it the single deadliest civilian incident since ...

Many People Ask -
What's the "True Religion of God?"

Muslims Say "Islam is the Religion of God" - But is it?
What is the PROOF?"
More..>> Read "The True Religion of God" -- By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Red Cross Officials Confirm Seeing Dozens of Civilian Victims
While U.S. Denies Any Civilian Deaths

May 6, 2009 - Farah Province, Afghanistan

The International Committee of the Red Cross is confirming its officials have actually seen dozens of bodies including women and children in two villages where Afghan officials have reported a U.S. bombing run that killed many innocent women, elderly and children yesterday. Whole Story

<-Afghan villagers looking for other victims in the rubble of destroyed houses Tuesday - One day after U.S. airstrikes in Bala Baluk district of Farah province. AP More...

"Refreshed" 183 Times Before Getting "Confession"
-- We Always Thought He Was Guilty - He Just Needed Some "Refreshing"

[See Actual  "Refreshing" - LIVE]

Remember This Photo?

CIA Waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 Times In One Month

Is This The Same "Refreshing" Used During the Inquistion?  Yes, it is!

CIA Used Waterboard Torture 

CIA interrogators used the waterboarding technique on Khalid Sheik Mohammed 183 times before he finally gave in to the torture and admitted what they wanted to hear - saying he was the planner of the September 11 attacks.

Another al Qaeda suspect was subjected to the waterboard torture 83 times before he also gave in to the interrogators demads to "confess", says The New York Times.

The Justice Department memorandum showed that Abu Zubaydah, the first prisoner questioned in the CIA's overseas detention program ....

April 13, 2009 --- UPDATE 9:00 PM EST

Pakistan president signs agreement for Islamic law in Swat Valley

Zarar Khan

ISLAMABAD --

Pakistan's pro-U.S. president signed a regulation late Monday to put a northwestern district under Islamic law as part of a peace deal with the Taliban, going along after coming under intense pressure from members of his own party and other lawmakers.

Asif Ali Zardari's signature was a boon for residents of the Swat Valley for nearly two years in demanding a new justice system. But it is sure further anger human rights activists and religious missionaries and feed fears among the U.S. and other Western allies that the valley will turn into a sanctuary for Islamic Law near Afghanistan.

Whatever criticism may come, Zardari can claim some political cover - the National Assembly voted unanimously Monday to adopt a resolution urging his signature, although at least one party boycotted. Earlier, a Taliban spokesman had warned lawmakers against opposing the deal.

Zardari's spokeswoman, Farahnaz Ispahani, confirmed the president signed the regulation Monday night.

His signing implemented a deal agreed to in February by provincial officials to impose Islamic law in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas in exchange for a cease-fire between security forces and the local Taliban.

Zardari had put off signing the agreement, saying he wouldn't until peace was restored in Swat but never defining what that meant. The delay led a hard-line Muslim cleric mediating the agreement to leave Swat in anger last week and upset lawmakers from the region.

As pressure mounted, the federal government said over the weekend that Zardari wanted parliament first to debate the accord to implement an Islamic legal system, as long demanded by some residents disenchanted with inefficient regular courts.

Lawmakers made clear they believed the deal should go ahead, saying it would bring calm to the area after months of bloodshed that killed hundreds of people and displaced up to one-third of the valley's 1.5 million residents.

"The whole nation is united in its support of the Swat regulation and wants the president to approve it," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said at the start of parliamentary debate Monday.

Even without the president's approval, judges trained in Islamic law had begun hearing cases in Swat, and witnesses say Taliban fighters are in effective control of much of the region. The provincial government also agreed to other measures under the peace deal, such as cracking down on prostitution and sales of movies deemed "obscene."

Supporters say the changes in the legal system will speed up justice, not lead to harsh punishments or restrict the rights of women. Critics say the agreement is a surrender to extremists whose tactics include beheading opponents and burning girls' schools.

The events Monday "strengthened the militants," said Mahmood Shah, an analyst and former top security official in northwest Pakistan.

Shah noted Taliban fighters in Swat recently staged a violent foray into the neighboring Buner district, possibly to put the heat on lawmakers and Zardari to support the deal. "They have really forced the government to do that," he said.

Human Sacrifice - Fertility Rituals - Magic & Sex Symbols

Wicker-Man Burning Sacrifices on Mayday

The Maypole dance as an important aspect of encouraging the return of fertility to the earth. The pole itself is phallic (representing the male private part)  in symbolism and also is the connector of the three worlds of Bith - 1. The Skyworld (heavens), 2. The Middleworld (our world), and 3. The "Otherworld" (world of fairies, angels, demons, etc.) 

In ancient Ireland there was a Sacred Tree named Bile, which was the center of the clan, or Tuatha. As the Irish Tree of Life, the Bile Pole, represents the connection between the people and the three worlds of Bith. Although no longer the center life, the Bile pole has survived as the Beltane Maypole.

Dancing around the Maypole during Beltane is supposed to be a magical experience because it represents a conduit of energy, connecting all three worlds at a time when these gateways are more easily penetrable.
As people gaily dance around and around the pole holding the brightly colored ribbons, the energy it raises is sent down into the earth's womb, bringing about Her full awakening and fruitfulness.

There is also a Queen of May. She is said in many areas to have worn a gold crown with a single, gold leaf at its front, in other areas her crown . . .

Sunni & Shia - Which One? 

The words Sunni and Shia appear regularly in stories about the Muslim world but few people know what they really mean. Religion permeates every aspect of life in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and Shia beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world.

Read "The Beginnings" . . .

 "United States Government is really looking BAD . . ."
- American poet, Al Hajj Mauri Salakhan

I was among those who had the pleasure of hearing the arguments yesterday at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, in the precedent-setting and never-ending (it seems) USA vs. Al-Arian case.
(See report - click "Read more . . ")