Mel Gibson dan Konspirasi Jaringan Yahudi Hollywood (Bag.1)

Los Angeles, Jum’at dini hari, 28 Juli 2006. Jam baru menunjuk pukul 02. 36 waktu setempat. Sebuah sedan Lexus LS 430 keluaran terbaru tiba-tiba terlihat melesat di Pacific Coast Highway, sebuah jalan raya di dekat pantai Malibu. Di sisi kanan jalan, sebuah kendaraan patroli LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) tampak tengah mengawasi kendaraan yang lewat. Melihat Lexus yang berlari kencang, dua orang petugas LAPD yang berada di dalam mobilnya melirik alat pengukur kecepatan kendaraan. Mereka melihat angka 87 mil per jam. Padahal jalan raya tersebut masuk dalam zona kecepatan maksimal 45 mil perjam.

Mobil polisi itu langsung tancap gas berusaha mengejar Lexus. Sirine berbunyi meraung-raung membelah kota. Sesuatu yang sangat biasa terjadi di Los Angeles. Seorang kawan yang pernah kuliah di kota tersebut bahkan menyatakan bahwa hampir tiap lima menit di kota tersebut terdengar sirine polisi.

Tak lama kemudian, mobil polisi berhasil menghentikan Lexus. Dua petugas LAPD keluar dengan sangat hati-hati. Seorang tetap di mobil dengan pistol terarah ke ruang kemudi Lexus, dan yang seorang lagi menghampiri mobil mewah tersebut dengan sebelumnya memerintahkan agar pengemudi keluar dari mobil dengan kedua tangan terangkat ke atas.

Seorang lelaki keluar dengan gerakan agak limbung. Kedua petugas LAPD tersebut kaget bukan kepalang. Mereka sangat kenal dengan orang ini. “Tuan Mel Gibson, anda telah melanggar batas kecepatan kendaraan…, ” ujar salah seorang petugas. Dia mencium bau alkohol dari aktor dan sutradara ternama Hollywood ini.

Steve Whitmore, Juru Bicara LAPD, mengatakan kepada wartawan bahwa setelah dilakukan serangkaian tes kepada Mel Gibson, LAPD menemukan bukti bahwa sutradara “The Passion of Christ” tersebut berada di bawah pengaruh alkohol ketika ngebut di jalan raya. “Di dalam darahnya kami menemukan ada kandungan alkohol sebesar 0, 12 persen. Padahal di California ini, pengemudi berusia 21 tahun ke atas hanya diizinkan di bawah 0, 08 persen, ” jelas Whitmore.

Atas pelanggaran tersebut, LAPD menahan Mel Gibson di dalam selnya. Mel Gibson masuk penjara pukul 04. 06 pagi dan beberapa jam kemudian, pukul 09. 45 waktu setempat, dibebaskan dengan membayar uang jaminan sebesar lima ribu dollar AS.

Are You a Jew?
Jika saja ceritanya hanya sampai di situ maka peristiwa penahanan sementara Mel Gibson boleh jadi merupakan cerita yang kelewat biasa. Hanya saja, saat ditangkap polisi, Mel Gibson dengan berang berkata, “Semua orang Yahudi harus bertanggungjawab terhadap seluruh peperangan yang terjadi di muka bumi!”

James Mee, sang polisi tersebut, terkejut mendengar ucapan Mel Gibson yang di Amerika merupakan sebuah tabu yang luar biasa dan akan memiliki implikasi yang sangat luas. Melihat wajah polisi yang menunjukkan kekagetan, Mel Gibson berkata lagi, “Are you a Jew?”
Kejadian ini kontan menuai badai bagi Gibson. Berbagai kelompok Yahudi Amerika dengan serius menegaskan jika Mel Gibson merupakan seseorang yang anti-Semit. Terlebih bukan sekali ini saja sikap bermusuhan terhadap orang-orang Yahudi yang ditunjukkan dengan telanjang oleh Gibson. Beberapa peristiwa terdahulu juga menunjukkan hal serupa.
Film “The Passion of Christ” sendiri misalnya, di dalam film yang mengisahkan kehidupan Yesus 18 jam sebelum disalib, Gibson yang menyutradarai film ini dengan tegas hendak mengatakan bahwa kaum Yahudilah yang sesungguhnya berada di balik penyaliban dan kesengsaraan Yesus. Film ini mendapat kecaman dan juga pujian di seluruh dunia.

Yang memuji menyatakan bahwa Gibson telah sangat berhasil memotret kesengsaraan Yesus ketika mendapat siksaan dari penguasa Romawi Herodes dan kaki tangannya. Sedangkan yang mengecam, kebanyakan dari kelompok Zionis, menyatakan bahwa Gibson menuding kaum Yahudi telah menyiksa Yesus dan secara tegas memperlihatkan sosok Gibson sebagai seorang anti-Semit.

Selain itu, beberapa waktu lalu Gibson juga telah menyatakan keinginannya untuk memproduksi sebuah film tentang mitos holocaust. Menurut Gibson, peristiwa holocaust yang diklaim kelompok Zionis Internasional sebagai tragedi besar pembantaian enam juta Yahudi Eropa yang dilakukan Nazi-Jerman selama Perang Dunia II merupakan sebuah kebohongan yang sangat besar.

Ayah dari Mel Gibson, Hutton Gibson, mendukung sikap anaknya dan dengan berani menyatakan keyakinannya bahwa holocaust hanya sebuah mitos dan kedustaan yang tak layak untuk dipercayai sedikit pun. Mel bersama Hutton pun mengajak seluruh warga Amerika dan dunia untuk bisa bersikap kritis terhadap perjalanan sejarah dunia yang seluruhnya mereka yakini ada yang mendalanginya demi mencapai tujuan politik dan kekuasaannya atas seluruh bangsa di dunia.

Atas sikap bapak dan anak ini, berbagai kelompok Zionis Amerika secara rapi berupaya untuk mematikan karir dan kreativitas Mel Gibson. Industri perfilman Hollywood di mana jaringan Yahudi menguasai semua lini, dari tenaga efek lampu, pemain, penulis skenario, sutradara, hingga produser, akan berusaha ‘membunuh’ kreativitas Mel Gibson hingga lelaki ini bisa mengubah sikap dan keyakinannya.

Dalam tulisan kedua akan dipaparkan perjalanan kreativitas seorang Mel Gibson yang akhirnya membawanya menjadi seorang aktor dan sutradara terbaik Hollywood dan sandungan-sandungan yang sengaja ditebar oleh kelompok Zionis Amerika.

(bersambung/Rizki Ridyasmara)

http://www.eramuslim.com/berita/lpk/7704060830-mel-gibson-dan-konspirasi-jaringan-yahudi-hollywood-bag.1.htm

Mel Gibson dan Konspirasi Jaringan Yahudi Hollywood (Bag.2)

Kasus Mel Gibson dengan kelompok Yahudi Amerika Serikat bukanlah kali ini saja terjadi. Bahkan kasusnya telah menjadi salah satu santapan favorit media-media ‘kuning’ AS dan diberi tema provokatif “Mel Gibson Jews Problem”. Khalayak umumnya telah mengetahui bahwa Hollywood memang dikuasai oleh Jews Connection. Jaringan Yahudi ini tidak main-main, meliputi seluruh sisi yang ada di Hollywood. Mulai dari agen pencari bakat, penata lampu, penulis skrip dan skenario, aktor dan aktris, sutradara, hingga produser dan jaringan
pemasarannya pun dikuasai oleh Jaringan Yahudi.

Walau keberadaan Jaringan Yahudi di mesin industri hiburan raksasa dunia seperti Hollywood ini begitu menggurita, namun di dalamnya terdapat pula segelintir pekerja seni berdarah Yahudi yang dari hasil-hasil karyanya terlihat tidak begitu suka dengan Zionisme dan segala tindak-tanduk rezim Bush.

Keberadaan mereka ini sangat sedikit dan mereka lazimnya tidak menyatakan secara terbuka ketidaksukaan mereka terhadap Zionisme. Mereka sangat sadar bahwa di negeri seperti Amerika Serikat ini, menyatakan secara terbuka sikap tidak senang dengan Zionisme bisa langsung dicap sebagai Anti-Semit. Jika cap ini sudah “ditempelkan” pada seseorang, maka percayalah bahwa karirnya akan berhenti, bahkan akan dibuat mati secara perlahan. Dan seorang Mel Gibson tengah berjuang melawan semua ini.

Asli New York
New York merupakan salah satu kota terbesar dunia dan menjadi pusat berkumpulnya komunitas Yahudi seluruh Amerika Serikat. Di sebuah sudut New York bernama Peekskill, pada 3 Januari 1956, Mel Gibson yang memiliki nama lengkap Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson dilahirkan dari pasangan Katolik berdarah Irandia, Hutton Gibson dan Anne Reily Gibson. Bisa jadi, sebab itu dalam satu waktu perjalanan karirnya, Mel Gibson memproduksi ‘Braveheart’ (1995), sebuah film yang juga dibintanginya dan memperoleh sejumlah penghargaan internasional.

Keluarga Mel sempat hijrah ke Australia namun beberapa tahun kemudian kembali ke AS. Di Australia, Mel menamatkan pendidikan di National Institute of Dramatic Art di Sydney (1977). Karirnya sebagai aktor diawali di Australia dengan bermain di sejumlah seri televisi seperti di Seri The Sullivans, Cop Shop, dan Punishment. Dari Australia, keluarga Gibson kembali ke New York dan dengan cepat karir Mel melesat dan menjadi salah satu bintang papan atas Hollywood. Setelah membintangi Madmax (1979) dan kemudian sekuel Madmax lainnya, nama Mel Gibson mulai diperhitungkan orang.

Walau lahir dan tinggal di New York, kota pusat orang Yahudi, Mel Gibson ternyata tumbuh menjadi pribadi yang tidak begitu suka dengan orang-orang Yahudi, selaras dengan ketidaksukaannya terhadap politik kekerasan yang dijalankan pemerintah AS sejak Perang Vietnam.

Memusuhi dan Dimusuhi Yahudi
Selebritas di Hollywood yang kontroversial sangat banyak. Ada yang tergila-gila bahkan paranoid dengan paparazzi, ada yang gila dugem, dan gila-gila lainnya seperti halnya Madonna yang gila dengan segala sesuatu yang berbau Kabbalah. Namun yang menjadi kontroversial gara-gara terang-terangan memperlihatkan ketidaksukaannya terhadap Yahudi, barangkali cuma Mel Gibson seorang. Sebab itulah, sosok Mel Gibson menjadi begitu “aneh” dibanding rekan-rekan lainnya.

Mel tidak saja dikenal kontroversial dalam hal ‘Jewish Problem’, tetapi juga sikapnya yang konservatif dalam hal keberagamaannya. Walau dibesarkan dalam keluarga besar Katolik, namun Mel dengan berani menolak beberapa keputusan Konsili Vatikan II (1962-1965) yang antara lain memperbolehkan penggantian bahasa latin dalam misa dan liturgi dengan bahasa beragam yang terdapat di seluruh muka bumi. Dalam hal ini Mel berpandangan bahwa Vatikan telah mengorupsi institusi gereja dan menjadikannya begitu liberal.

Salah satu filmnya yang menjadi sorotan dunia adalah “The Passion of Christ” yang berupaya senyata mungkin memotret penderitaan seorang Yesus 12 jam sebelum di salib di Bukit Tengkorak (Bukit Golgota). “Ini merupakan panggilan hati nuraniku dan aku akan membuatnya realistis, ” ujar Mel dalam salah satu wawancaranya dengan Time.

“The Passion” memang penuh darah. Dan seorang Mel Gibson dengan tanpa takut sedikit pun menggambarkan betapa penderitaan Yesus diakibatkan oleh orang-orang Yahudi. Orang Yahudi-lah yang menyebabkan Yesus mengalami penyiksaan yang amat sangat. Ini tentu versi Alkitab.

Sebelum selesai, “The Passion” sudah mengundang badai kecaman dari Liga Anti Penistaan Yahudi dan juga dari Konsferensi Keuskupan AS. Mel Gibson dinilai telah menunjukan sikap anti Semit-nya dengan memproduksi film tersebut. Namun belakangan, Konferensi Keuskupan AS menarik kecamannya dan meminta maaf kepada Mel. Di sejumlah negara, “The Passion” bahkan mendapat pujian dari komunitas Katolik sendiri dan dinilai menggambarkan penderitaan Yesus dengan sangat orisinil. Bahkan sejumlah pastor menyatakan jika “The Passion” sudah sesuai dengan isi dari Perjanjian Baru.

Yang paling resah dengan “The Passion” tentu saja komunitas Yahudi. Mereka bersama-sama menuding Mel Gibson telah menyebarkan perasaan anti-Semit ke seluruh dunia dengan peredaran film tersebut. Namun sikap Mel Gibson sendiri tetap tegar. “Saya tidak anti Yahudi. Agama yang saya yakini tidak membenarkan kita untuk bersikap rasis dan itu adalah dosa, ” ujarnya.

Diam-diam, komunitas Yahudi AS telah merancang agar nama baik dan juga karir Mel Gibson terganjal di Hollywood.

Dalam tulisan ketiga, hal ini akan dipaparkan lebih lanjut. (bersambung/Rizki Ridyasmara)
http://www.eramuslim.com/berita/lpk/7725092844-mel-gibson-dan-konspirasi-jaringan-yahudi-hollywood-bag.2.htm

Mel Gibson dan Konspirasi Jaringan Yahudi Hollywood (Tamat)

Di manapun di dunia, kaum Yahudi dengan sekuat tenaga berupaya untuk menjadi yang terbaik, terkuat, dan ter-ter lainnya, tak perduli apakah cara yang ditempuh untuk itu dengan mempergunakan cara-cara bersih atau pun kotor. Slogan “Tujuan Menghalalkan Segala Cara” sebenarnya pun berasal dari kelakuan kaum yang dikutuk Allah SWT ini.

Sudah banyak tokoh dunia, dari berbagai kalangan, yang menjadi korban permainan kotor Yahudi ini. Dan di manapun berada, Yahudi selalu memanfaatkan orang-orang yang menunjukkan persahabatannya dengan mereka, dan sebaliknya, memusuhi—bahkan jika perlu membunuh—orang-orang yang menunjukkan sikap permusuhannya dengan mereka.

Di Hollywood, permainan orang-orang Yahudi bisa dijadikan contoh yang baik, tentu saja tidak senyata dan segamblang dengan apa yang terjadi di Palestina, di mana mereka mendukung Presiden Palestina Mahmud Abbas yang rela dijadikan kacung Zionis-Yahudi dan memusuhi Perdana Menteri Ismail Haniyah yang berasal dari HAMAS. Di Indonesia mereka mendukung Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) dan memusuhi harakah-harakah Islam yang kuat memegang Al-Qu’ran dan Sunnah serta anti terhadap Zionis-Yahudi.

Di bisnis industri hiburan dunia sekelas Hollywood ini, jaringan Yahudi membuat peta terhadap kawan dan lawannya. Barisan pertama, para selebritis yang berkawan dengan Yahudi antara lain adalah Madonna (ikon Kabbalah seleb dunia), Arnold Schwarzeneger, Lindsay Lohan, Keira Knightley, Britney Spears, Victoria dan David Beckham, dan sebagainya.

Dalam sebuah studi di tahun 1994, yang berjudul, Sacred Chain: A History of The Jews, Norman F. Cantor, salah seorang Profesor dari New York University mengemukakan hampir semua produksi dan distribusi film-film Hollywood secara penuh dipegang para imigran Yahudi. Dan masih mendominasi secara penuh, —terutama— para di top level kebijakan. Karena tidak heran bila semua film produksi Hollywood senantiasa dengan sengaja menyudutkan Islam dan dunia Arab, dan orang-orang yang anti Yahudi lainnya.

Perusahaan-perusahaan film besar dan ternama di Hollywood seperti Fox Company milik William Fox, Golden Company milik Samuel Golden, Metro Company milik Lewis Mayer, Warner Bross Company milik Harny Warner, dan Paramount Company milik Hod Dixon, seluruhnya didirikan demi kemashlahatan kepentingan Zionis-Yahudi. Bahkan banyak yang yakin, lebih dari 90% dari seluruh pekerja film di Hollywood terdiri dari orang Yahudi yang menduduki jabatan produser, editor, artis, dan kru lainnya.

Selain Mel Gibson, Raja Pop Dunia Michael Jackson pun pernah tersandung masalah dengan komunitas Yahudi ini. Dalam sebuah rekaman telepon di tahun 2003, yang disiarkan oleh jaringan televisi Amerika Serikat, Jacko diketahui telah mengatakan bahwa orang-orang Yahudi yang berada di komunitas industri musik AS telah berkonspirasi untuk menjatuhkan karirnya.
Dalam rekaman telpon pribadi yang direkam oleh mantan penasehatnya, Dieter Wiesner, Jacko berkata, “Mereka (kaum Yahudi) telah 'menghisap' para bintang, seperti lintah. Mereka memulai dengan seorang yang sangat terkenal di dunia, mengumpulkan uang darinya, membangun rumah yang besar, membeli mobil dan semua kekayaan materi dan kemudian meninggalkannya dalam keadaan miskin. Itu adalah konspirasi. Kaum Yahudi melakukannya dengan maksud tertentu. ”

Dalam Eramuslim digest edisi Oktober 2007 bertema ”Hollywood Undercover", jaringan Yahudi Hollywood akan dikupas secara lebih detil dan mendalam, termasuk kisah Mel Gibson, Madonna, Michael Jackson, dan sebagainya.

(Tamat/Rizki Ridyasmara)

http://www.eramuslim.com/berita/lpk/7813111720-mel-gibson-dan-konspirasi-jaringan-yahudi-hollywood-tamat.htm

Christian church send evangelists to Afghanistan

MOD-DATE: 07/27/07 19:16:33
WORLD4-JUL27-SOUTH KOREA-(R)CHRISTIANS
WORLD4: STORY 532

(R)CHRISTIANS
SEOUL AND SEONGNAM, SOUTH KOREA
JULY 27, 2007 RECENT FILE
NATURAL WITH KOREAN SPEECH
DURATION:03:36

SOURCE:REUTERS AND MBC
FEED HISTORY:R REPEAT W3 (1330GMT) / W4 (1930GMT)
INTRO: South Korea ponders evangelical zeal after kidnap.

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS~**PART NO ACCESS SOUTH KOREA/INTERNET ACCESSCLEARED**~

As a Christian church in Seoul defends its decision to send evangelists toAfghanistan who were taken hostage by the Taliban, a sociologist says someSouth Korean churches compete over how many missionaries they can sendabroad.
SHOWS:
(W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF CROSSES ON CHURCHES
2. PEOPLE ON STREET /SIGN READING "NO FAITH, HELL"
3. VARIOUS OF MAN SINGING CHRISTIAN SONGS
4. SIGN READING: 'LORD JESUS HEAVEN'
5. VARIOUS OF PASTOR PARK JIN-SUB OF SAEMMUL CHURCH, WHICH SENT THE 23CHURCH VOLUNTEERS TO AFGHANISTAN
6. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SAEMMUL CHURCH PASTOR PARK JIN-SUB SAYING: "We gathered a team and began our mission to pour our love andpassion to the Afghan people."

(W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
7. VARIOUS OF GROUP PICTURE OF SOUTH KOREAN CHURCH VOLUNTEERS(W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
8. VARIOUS OF PASTOR KWON OH-SUNG OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES INKOREA
9. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PASTOR KWON OH-SUNG, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHESIN KOREA, SAYING: "If they thought that this would happen, they would not have gone.I think they could have made the wrong decisions on safety. But I think thethought of helping those in need, to provide medical assistance to those whoare sick and in pain, and to give them faith and share with them, probablycame first."

(W3) UNKNOWN LOCATION, SOUTH KOREA (FILE) (MBC - NO ACCESS SOUTH KOREA /INTERNET ACCESS CLEARED)
10. WIDE OF CONGREGATION SINGING AND CLAPPING
11. PASTOR CLAPPING WHILE PREACHING
12. PEOPLE SITTING ON THE FLOOR AND CLAPPING

(W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
13. PROFESSOR SONG JAE-RYONG, PROFESSOR AT THE KYUNGHEE UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
14. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROFESSOR SONG JAE-RYONG, PROFESSOR AT THEKYUNGHEE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, SAYING: "The country or society that is the subject of Christianmissionaries will have its own religion, culture and values but themissionaries fail to embrace them and try to convert them, whether they likeit or not. It is an idea of the churches that they have to win them over andthat has a strong effect."
15. PROFESSOR SONG WORKING
16. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROFESSOR SONG JAE-RYONG, PROFESSOR AT THEKYUNGHEE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, SAYING: "There is a tendency for churches to compete against each otherover who has sent out more missionaries."

(W3) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
17. MEETING WITH SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS OVER ISSUING VISASIN DANGEROUS REGIONS OVERSEAS
18. FOREIGN MINISTRY SIGN19. MORE OF MEETING

(W3) SEONGNAM, SOUTH KOREA (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
20. VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF SAEMMUL CHURCH

(W3) SEONGNAM, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
21. HOSTAGE FAMILIES SEATED IN ROOM, MANY WEEPING
22. HOSTAGE RELATIVE WITH HAND OVER MOUTH23. FAMILY RELATIVES
24. WOMAN WITH HANKERCHIEF OVER FACE

STORY:
The kidnapping of 23 Korean church volunteers in Afghanistan hasraised questions in South Korea over whether the country's evangelicalChristian groups may be too zealous in sending missionaries overseas.

There are an estimated 17,000 South Korean Christian missionariesabroad, the largest contingent after those from the United States, with manyof them in volatile regions.

Several major daily newspapers have questioned why the church that sentthe volunteers to Afghanistan ignored government warnings of the risk ofconflict with the Islamic militarist Taliban.

According to Pastor Park Jin-sub of Saemmul Church, which sent the 23aid workers to Afghanistan, the group aimed to help the Afghan people.

"We gathered a team and began our mission to pour our love andpassion to the Afghan people," he said.

The Saemmul church from which the kidnapped Koreans were dispatched isrelatively moderate and its missions abroad have focused on volunteer medicaland humanitarian work, people in the Christian community have said.

Pastor Kwon Oh-sung, member of the National Council of Churches inKorea, said he thought the kidnapped hostages should have been more aware ofsecurity issues, but that missionaries sometimes risk themselves and put thosein need before them.

"If they thought that this would happen, they would not have gone.I think they could have made the wrong decisions on safety. But I think thethought of helping those in need, to provide medical assistance to those whoare sick and in pain, and to give them faith and share with them, probablycame first," Kwon said.

Some critics say that while the churches do a lot of good abroad, theycan at times have a shallow view of the world.

"The country or society that is the subject of Christianmissionaries will have its own religion, culture and values but themissionaries fail to embrace them and try to convert them, whether they likeit or not. It is an idea of the churches that they have to win them over andthat has a strong effect," said Professor Song Jae-ryong of KyungheeUniversity, who specialises in religious sociology.

"There is a tendency for churches to compete against each otherover who has sent out more missionaries," he said, adding that he hadnever seen this kind of zeal for evangelism elsewhere.

South Korea has one of the largest percentages of Christians in Asia,at around 30 percent of the population. The religion grew in post-war SouthKorea, with many seeing it as a way to a better education and socialstanding.

In the 1990s, the explosion of the Christian faith also spilled intoforms of "pseudo-religion", which preached that a true Christianlife would lead one to redemption.

Such preachers are still easily spotted singing Christian songs andhanging placards in downtown Seoul.

Meanwhile, the remaining 22 South Koreans kidnapped by the Taliban inAfghanistan are alive, the Afghan deputy interior minister said on Friday(July 27), hours after the passing of the latest deadline set by thegroup.

The Taliban killed the leader of the 23 volunteers they snatched from abus on the main highway in Ghazni which lies to the southwest of the capitalKabul last week. Several previous deadlines have passed without them carryingout their threats.

http://tvscripts.edt.reuters.com/2007-07-27/3aa2b36c.html

South Korea’s evangelists in Afghanistan blamed for hostage crisis

23 South Korean evangelists have been kidnapped by Taliban in Afghanistan.
24 July, 2007:

The kidnapping of 23 Church volunteers of South Korea in Afghanistan has given rise to a question never raised so far – are the country’s evangelical Christian groups too zealous in sending missionaries abroad?

The kidnappers – the Taliban – have threatened to kill the hostages.
There are about 17,000 South Korean Christian missionaries overseas, the largest group after those from the United States. And, many of them are in volatile regions.

Many major dailies in South Korea have asked this question: why did the Church that sent the volunteers to Afghanistan ignore the government’s warnings about traveling to Afghanistan?

The right-leaning Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial on July 23, 2007: “Religious groups should realize once and for all that dangerous missionary and volunteer activities in Islamic countries, including Afghanistan, not only harm Korea’s national objectives but also put other Koreans under a tremendous amount of duress.”

The Saemmul Church, which sent the Koreans who were kidnapped in Afghanistan, is believed to be relatively moderate and its missions abroad have focused on volunteer medical and humanitarian work.

However, there have been accusations that many wealthy evangelical Churches in South Korea are competing to send missionaries and volunteers abroad since larger numbers are widely considered as a gauge of the strength of their beliefs.

Song Jae-ryong of Kyunghee University, in Seoul, who specialises in religious sociology, says: “I have never seen this kind of zeal elsewhere. South Korean evangelism has a strong tendency to push for what they believe in, often in disregard of the peculiarities of the places they are trying to work in.”

Critics say that while the Churches do a lot of good abroad, they can at times have a shallow view of the world.

South Korea has one of the biggest Christian populations in Asia – accounting for about 30% of the population. The religion grew in post-war South Korea, with many seeing it as a way to a better education and social standing.

A few leaders of evangelical Churches have even defied the South Korean government’s warnings as well as bans other countries place on missionary visas by unofficially sending missionaries.

The practice has drawn flak from other Churches in South Korean, since this makes it difficult for locals to distinguish between Christian volunteers doing humanitarian work and those whose primary mission is religious conversion overseas.

Afghanistan had, in August 2006, deported hundreds of visiting South Korean Christians who wanted to parade through Kabul after Islamic clerics demanded their expulsion, accusing them of trying to proselytize.

Meanwhile, the government of South Korea has announced new rules to punish unauthorised travel to Afghanistan, with possible jail terms. In a response to the hostage crisis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned South Korean nationals from traveling to war-torn Afghanistan and urged South Koreans who were already there to leave.

South Koreans can be jailed for up to one year or fined up to 3 million won ($3,631) if they visit banned countries without prior permission. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added Afghanistan to the list, which formerly included only Iraq and Somalia.

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/afghanistan-south-korea-evangelists.asp

Christian evangelist Franklin Graham blasts Islam, says will rebuild churches in Sudan

The Associated PressTUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2006-->Published: October 9, 2006

RALEIGH, North Carolina The Rev. Franklin Graham, a Christian evangelist whose criticism of Islam has frequently outraged Muslims, said Islam teaches its followers to "persecute" others until they convert, with the aim being "total domination."

Graham's comments, reported in The News & Observer, came as the evangelist said he plans to rebuild hundreds of churches that have been destroyed by the Sudanese government and its allied militias.

"There's a war taking place against the church of Jesus Christ in Africa," Graham said, arguing that the battle pits Muslims against Christians in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan, where fighting in the Darfur region has left 200,000 people killed and 2.5 million other homeless.
In the wake of the 2001 attacks on the United States, Graham outraged Muslims in 2001 when he said that Islam "is a very evil and wicked religion." In an interview last March, he told ABC News' "Nightline" that he had not changed his mind about the faith.

In his latest salvo, Graham told The News & Observer: "It's the teaching of Islam that is not tolerant of any other faith."

"It's world domination. When they dominate an area, they'll let other belief systems exist, but they'll persecute them so that (people) convert to Islam and there's total domination. Once you're in Islam you can't get out of it. If you leave Islam you have to be killed," said Graham, who is scheduled to speak Tuesday at a fundraiser for the work in Sudan by his international Christian relief group, Samaritan's Purse.

Graham and other evangelicals say they are particularly opposed to what they say is a lack of religious liberty in countries like Saudi Arabia, which do not allow churches or the preaching of relgions other than Islam.

He met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir three years ago and said he pleaded with him to give Christians full freedom.

Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, said he has identified 226 churches destroyed or burned in Sudan and that his group has completed or is building 34. In Sudan, his group has a staff of 21 as well as 100 Sudanese assistants. The project is estimated to cost about $5 million (€4 million) and includes bringing in Christian pastors from Arabic-speaking countries for one-month stays, he said.

The Winston Joseph Foundation, a Raleigh-based organization that has supported economic development projects in Africa, is helping.

The evangelist's comments drew a quick reply from Islamic scholars. Ebrahim Moosa, a professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, said the problems to which Graham referred were not as simple as Muslims against Christians and that such a characterization only stokes more problems.

"There are intractable political problems in which religion becomes a language to express political grievances," Moosa said. "It's an abuse of religion."

Graham, however, said he bears no ill will to Muslims. "As a minister," said Graham, "I love the Muslim people. I see what's done in the name of Islam and think it's my responsibility to speak out. I think God loves them as equally as he loves me. I think he wants them to know the truth." http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/09/america/NA_GEN_US_Christian_Evangelist_Sudan.php

Kristen Kanan Di Amerika (opini sesat JIL)

Berikut adalah tulisan dari JIL (Jaringan Iblis Laknatullah) yang berusaha membuat opini bahwa apa yang dilakukan kaum missionaris seperti Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham, Jerry Vine, Richard Cizik yang jelas-jelas mereka adalah aktor besar di panggung politik AS, tidak lebih dari usaha meraih kekuasaan politik dengan bertopeng agama untuk mencari dukungan massa yang lebih banyak.

Tapi dibagian akhir tulisan si-penulis berusaha memaksakan idenya, bahwa karena fundamentalisme islam-lah kondisi bangsa Indonesia pasca Reformasi menjadi semakin memburuk akibat bermunculannya partai-partai yang mengusung simbol-simbol agama.

Jelas sekali, di satu sisi ketika mengomentari tentang invasi AS ke Iraq yang disupport penuh oleh kaum missionaris kristen, JIL seolah mengatakan, "Ah,....itu hanya topeng aja....ujung-ujungnya mereka itu rebutan kekuasaan politik".

Tapi ketika mengomentari pertumbuhan gerakan-gerakan Islam, JIL mengatakan, "Nah itu dia !!!, itulah penyebab kerusakan bangsa, fundamentalisme yang berlebihan !!!"

Lepas dari itu, ada data-data penting yang bisa saya ambil dari tulisan ini. Itulah mengapa saya upload dalam blog saya.

Oleh Sumanto al Qurtuby
16/07/2007


Gerakan fundamentalisme, di manapun di semua agama, pada dasarnya sama saja: menjadikan agama sebagai kendaraan untuk meraih politik kekuasaan! Mereka umumnya tampil saleh di depan publik lengkap dengan aksesoris-aksesoris keagamaan, menunjukkan komitmen pada upaya mempertahankan nilai-nilai tradisional keagamaan dan berpretensi sebagai satu-satunya “penjaga gawang” tradisi keagamaan.


Seminggu sebelum kematiannya, tokoh “Kristen kanan” berpengaruh di Amerika Serikat (AS), Jerry Falwell (73) bercerita kepada wartawan CNN Christiane Amanpour, kalau dia ingin hidup 20 tahun lagi guna melengkapi visi Liberty University yang didirikannya tahun 1971 di Lynchburg, Virginia. Sambil mengutip cerita Hezekiah, yang dalam Bibel dikisahkan minta tambahan umur 15 tahun, Pendeta Falwell bertutur, “I’m praying the same prayer with an option to renew.”

Dia mengungkapkan tujuan minta tambah umur itu untuk merealisasikan keinginannya mengembangkan Liberty University sebagai universitas Kristen evangelis utama baik di AS maupun dunia. Universitas yang dulu bernama Lynchburg Bible College itu punya mahasiswa lebih dari 10 ribu yang tinggal di kampus dan 15 ribu yang mengambil kelas jauh. Falwell menyebut para mahasiswa di kampusnya sebagai calon evangelis Kristen—dan tentu saja kader Kristen kanan—masa depan. Mendiang Falwell yang memiliki jemaah lebih dari 24 ribu itu, dikenal sebagai salah satu tokoh tua Kristen fundamentalis yang anti-Islam, homoseksual, pornografi, obat-obatan, aborsi, feminisme, liberalisme, sekularisme, dll, yang dianggapnya dosa-dosa yang merusak bangsa (AS), gereja, dan Bible.

Pendapat Falwell yang “serba anti” dan sejumlah tokoh Kristen kanan gaek lain seperti Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham, Jerry Vine, Richard Cizik, dll., berakar pada pandangan yang menganggap bangsa Amerika dibangun di atas basis etika Judeo-Christian yang anti-sekularisme dan liberalisme. Dan karena itu, dia menginginkan AS sebagai “rumah” buat Yahudi dan Kristen yang memelihara tradisi dan nilai-nilai kekristenan dan keyahudian. Karena pandangan (tepatnya keyakinan) inilah, dia dan sejumlah temannya ramai-ramai membentuk gerakan Christian Zionism, sebuah paham dan gerakan yang menganggap negara modern Israel sebagai pemenuhan atas janji Bibel.

“Siapa yang mencintai Israel, akan dicintai Tuhan dan siapa yang membenci Israel maka akan dibenci Tuhan” adalah kalimat dalam Bibel yang sering mereka kutip sebagai justifikasi teologis dan fondasi moral dukungan mereka terhadap Zionisme Kristen. Falwell dan koleganya tidak hanya mendukung secara teologis dan keagamaan, tapi juga secara politik dan finansial. Tokoh-tokoh Kristen kanan ini juga tergabung dalam American Alliance of Jews and Christians, organisasi persekongkolan Yahudi-Kristen untuk menghadapi Islam yang didirikan oleh Rabbi Daniel Lapin.

Ketika Partai Likud Israel gencar membangun hubungan mesra dengan sayap kanan Kristen AS (1980-an), Falwell dan para “pendekar tua” Kristen kanan tadi menjadi salah satu tokoh kunci dalam memobilisir kelompok Kristen konservatif guna mendukung apapun yang dilakukan Israel. Di antara tokoh tua Kristen konservatif AS, Falwell memang spesial. Menurut sebuah sumber, sesaat setelah Israel mengebom reaktor nuklir Iraq pada tahun 1981, PM Israel waktu itu, Menachim Begin menelponnya, minta agar ia menerangkan ke publik Kristen AS mengenai alasan-alasan pengeboman tersebut (http://www.zmag.org/).

Sara Diamond dalam Spiritual Warfare: the Politics of Christian Right, juga mencatat bahwa lewat program televisi dan perjalanan rutinnya ke Israel, Falwell telah memainkan peranan penting dalam mengarahkan kelompok konservatif Kristen agar “memperhatikan” masalah Timur Tengah. Sebagai ganjaran atas kerja kerasnya, Israel menghadiahi Falwell jet pribadi (1979), dan dua tahun berikutnya, Israel’s Jabotinsky Award atas dukungan-dukungannya pada Yahudi Israel.

Gerakan Kristen kanan menguat di panggung politik AS sejak 1973 ketika mereka menggalang massa melawan gerakan civil rights dan kebebasan yang disuarakan American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yang mereka anggap telah menodai Kristen dan Bibel. Bersama sejumlah politisi Partai Republik konservatif seperti Paul Weyrich, Terry Dollan, Richard Viguerie, James Kennedy, dan Howard Phillip, mereka membentuk gerakan “Moral Majority” dengan Falwell sebagai pemimpinnya. Organisasi Moral Majority ini mampu memobilisir masa Kristen konservatif dan mengantarkan Ronald Reagan dari Republik ke Gedung Putih (1980). Sejak keberhasilan spektakuler itu, pamor dan pengaruh para tokoh Kristen kanan, terutama Falwell, di Republik sangat kuat.

Menurut Bill Berkowitz (2007), para tokoh Kristen kanan ini menjadi aktor kunci di balik perang yang dilancarkan Reagan—tidak hanya perang Israel atas Palestina, tapi juga serangkaian perang di Amerika Tengah dan Afrika yang mematikan puluhan ribu orang. Lebih dari itu, mereka juga mendukung politik segregasi Apartheid di Afrika Selatan dan mengkritik Nelson Mandela karena menjalin persekutuan dengan para tokoh Muslim anti-Apartheid di negara tersebut.

Reputasi para tokoh Kristen kanan berlanjut. Merekalah yang menjadi aktor kunci di balik kemenangan Republik dan kesuksesan Bush ke Gedung Putih mengalahkan John Kerry dari Demokrat yang dianggap simbol liberalisme dan sekularisme AS. Tanpa dukungan Kristen kanan, Partai Republik akan kempes dan Bush mustahil menjadi AS-I. Karena jasa mereka demikian besar, maka Bush pun tak kuasa untuk menolak ide-ide mereka—termasuk gagasan keblinger War on Terror dan ide aneh American Theocracy. Bahkan Bush berpura-pura saleh sambil mengutip Injil dan mengkritik liberalisme, padahal dunia tahu kalau dia adalah “si bengal dari Texas.”

Gerakan fundamentalisme—di manapun di semua agama—pada dasarnya sama saja: menjadikan agama sebagai kendaraan untuk meraih politik kekuasaan! Mereka umumnya tampil saleh di depan publik lengkap dengan aksesoris-aksesoris keagamaan, menunjukkan komitmen pada upaya mempertahankan nilai-nilai tradisional keagamaan (kekristenan, keislaman, keyahudian, kehinduan, dll), dan berpretensi sebagai satu-satunya “penjaga gawang” tradisi keagamaan. Untuk menunjukkan “komitmen” dan “kesatriaan” pada kelompok agamanya, mereka terkadang rela mengeluarkan kata-kata kotor dan kasar kepada “lawan agamanya.” Seperti ditulis professor Fuller Theological Seminary, J. Dudley Woodberry [Krabill, Shenk, Stutzman (eds.) 2005], Jerry Falwell dan Franklin Graham menyebut Islam sebagai “agama jahat dan amoral” (a very evil and wicked religion). Jerry Vine menyebut Nabi Muhammad sebagai “a demon-possessed pedophile”. Sementara Richard Cizik, wakil presiden Govermental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals yang membawahi 43.000 kongregasi Kristen menyebut Islam sebagai “kerajaan setan” yang menggantikan posisi Uni Soviet—sebuah cacian yang mendorong Akbar S Ahmed menulis buku Islam Under Siege.

Cacian yang sama juga dilontarkan para tokoh Islam militan-fundamentalis. Kita masih ingat mendiang Khomeini menyebut AS sebagai “Setan besar” dan Israel sebagai “setan kecil.” Bagi saya, ungkapan-ungkapan bombastis ini aneh, mengingat pada saat yang sama Iran menjalin hubungan mesra dengan Uni Soviet dan negara komunis lain. Kata-kata kasar terhadap AS, Kristen, atau Yahudi juga dilontarkan Osama dan sindikatnya, yang juga lagi-lagi terasa aneh mengingat AS-lah mitra utama sekaligus “pencetak” Bin Laden, Taliban dan Mujahidin pada saat menggulingkan Uni Soviet!

Jadi, sebetulnya gerakan kanan agama ini sebatas gerakan akal-akalan untuk membungkus nafsu politik kekuasaan yang menggelora. Tidak ubahnya seperti gerakan simbolik lain, kelompok kanan agama ini menjadikan simbol-simbol agama sebagai magnet untuk mengeruk simpati dan dukungan publik. Ketika simpati dan dukungan publik itu mengalir dan mampu mengantarkan mereka ke tampuk kekuasaan, tidak dengan sendirinya para tokoh “pembangkit agama” ini memperhatikan hak-hak dan kebutuhan dasar umatnya. Bahkan faktanya, hanya para elit kanan agama inilah sebetulnya yang menikmati lezatnya kekuasaan, bukan rakyat banyak.

Itulah yang terjadi di Iran ketika negara dikendalikan kaum mullah (Aslan 2006), Afghanistan semasa rezim Taliban (Rashid 2001), Iraq (al-Khalil 1990), Palestina (Gold 2003), Sudan (ICG 2006), Arab Saudi (Abu El Fadl 2005), dll. Dimana-mana rakyat banyak memang selalu menjadi korban gerakan politik simbolik agama, sampai akhirnya—setelah sekian lama dimanipulasi—mereka sadar akan akal-bulus para tokoh agama kanan tadi, dan melakukan perlawanan ketika ada momentum.

Itulah yang terjadi di AS saat ini ketika rakyat Amerika “mencabut mandat” Bush—dengan kekalahan telak Republik pada pemilu sela tahun lalu—ketika mereka sadar bahwa kebijakannya yang di-back up penuh kelompok Kristen kanan lebih banyak menimbulkan kerugian fisik, finansial, dan moral buat bangsa AS sendiri. Gerakan simbolik kelompok kanan agama ini tidak hanya terjadi di AS dan Timur Tengah, tapi juga di Indonesia. Sejak reformasi membuka pintu negeri ini, gerakan-gerakan kanan Islam yang penuh simbol-simbol dan jargon-jargon kosong keislaman bertebaran di mana-mana. Jika bangsa dan rakyat Indonesia tidak terlena pada simbol-simbol palsu itu, mereka kembali akan menjadi korban politik segelintir para elit agama!

Penulis adalah mahasiswa Ph.D dari Amerika yang telah dicuci bersih otaknya di Boston University, Massachusetts, USA.
http://islamlib.com/id/index.php?page=article&id=1280

Jesus in Baghdad

Why we should keep Franklin Graham out of Iraq.

By Steven Waldman

Posted Friday, April 11, 2003

With the exception of his unfortunate post-Sept. 11 call for a "crusade" against terrorism, President George Bush has fashioned his rhetoric about Islam carefully. The administration has scrupulously crafted numerous speeches that make clear that the United States is not making war on Islam, even as it hunts down Osama Bin Laden and invades Iraq.

I believe him: Ever since he was the governor of Texas in the mid-1990s, Bush has been friendly to Muslims and to Islam and has pointedly referred to "churches, synagogues, and mosques" in speeches. But I wouldn't believe Bush if I were a Muslim in the Middle East and saw his attitude toward Franklin Graham.

Franklin Graham is the son of Billy Graham and a far more influential figure in the evangelical Christian community than Jerry Falwell or even Pat Robertson. Graham is viewed as the torch-carrier for his father, who is still among the most beloved figures in American Christianity. Moreover, the Graham family is close to Bush. Billy Graham led Bush to Christianity in the 1980s; Franklin Graham delivered the invocation at his presidential inauguration.

In addition to being publicly allied with the Bush administration, Graham also happens to be stridently anti-Islam. His list of anti-Islam comments is long; his most succinct was that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion."

Graham is also, he says, "poised and ready" to send representatives of the charity he runs to Iraq as soon as possible. His primary purpose is humanitarian aid—providing food and shelter—but he also admits, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities to tell others about his Son. … We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian, I do this in the name of Jesus Christ."

Graham is not alone in wanting to work in Iraq. A number of other Christian groups—including the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination—are packing their bags and heading to Iraq (if they're not already there), equipped with food, shelter, and Bibles. (These well-wishers are not to be confused with an Army chaplain who forced his troops to get baptized if they wanted a bath.)

There are reasons to have great respect for Graham: He has used his considerable fund-raising prowess to build up a humanitarian organization, Samaritan's Purse, rather than a crystal cathedral or a Bible theme park. Samaritan's Purse has done extraordinary work in many of the most difficult and impoverished places in the world. It spends a more than $100 million a year on aiding the needy. (It should be noted that Muslim radicals have attacked hospitals and projects run by Samaritan's Purse, which may, in some small way, have incited Graham's anti-Islam rhetoric.)

But I'm not sure any of this means that America's foreign-policy objectives are served by having a Bush-loving, Islam-bashing, Muslim-converting Christian icon on the ground in Iraq tending to the bodies and souls of the grateful but deeply suspicious Muslim population. Or, to put it more simply, the idea is absolutely loopy.

The Bush administration has taken a highly principled position of removing itself from discussion of the matter: Ari Fleischer insists that the administration can't block a private group from doing its thing. Ellen Yount, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is coordinating the humanitarian efforts, elaborated: "What private charitable organizations choose to do without U.S. government funding is ultimately their decision. How could the U.S. government control that? We can't just say to an organization, 'You can or cannot do something,' if we don't fund them. Imagine what the United States Congress would say to us."

The idea that the U.S. government is powerless to do anything about Samaritan's Purse seems odd. We can obliterate another nation's army in a few weeks, but when it comes to reining in a disruptive charity, well, our hands our tied? Besides, given the Bush-Graham connection, reining in Franklin Graham need not even be an official government action. I'm pretty sure that if George Bush or Colin Powell called up Graham and asked him to stand down, he probably would, without a single regulatory shot fired.

Some, like the highly respected Michael Cromartie, director of evangelical studies for the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, may argue that such interference would endanger a fundamental American principle. "Religious liberty and religious freedom trump other concerns," Cromartie says. "And it is not the job of the Bush administration to tell private relief agencies which countries they can and cannot enter."

In fact, religious liberty does not trump all concerns. Among the concerns it does not trump is the safety of our soldiers and the desire not to have the entire Muslim world wanting to wage war against America. And make no mistake: Franklin Graham's mission to Iraq will help convince the Arab world that America is out to convert Muslims to Christianity. What Graham is doing probably isn't illegal; it's merely immoral.

The administration's sudden fastidiousness about civil liberties has everything to do with who Franklin Graham is: not only a friend of Bush's, but, along with his supporters and the Southern Baptist Convention, arguably the largest and most loyal voting bloc in Bush's re-election strategy. And so Bush refuses to do unto Franklin Graham as was done unto Sister Souljah. This is cowardly. To be fair—or maybe to be generous—Bush may be leaving Graham alone because he thinks that Samaritan's Purse does good humanitarian work and that's what the Iraqis need most desperately. And I do believe that half of Graham's motivation is genuinely to help feed people—the other half being the desire to save the souls of some Muslims by helping them find Jesus before they die of thirst.

There is a way Graham can help Iraqis without hurting America. He could organize a national fund-raising effort to help Iraqi families and pledge that all funds will be distributed by a neutral group like Mercy Corps, Save the Children, or Doctors Without Borders. Better yet, he could give the money to the Red Crescent. Imagine the photo of Franklin Graham—and George Bush—handing over a check, generated by gifts of millions of Christians, standing in front of a great big Islamic crescent. This would not only help the Iraqis in the aftermath of the war, but could improve interfaith tolerance.

Though it frightens me to engage in a battle-of-the-Bible-verses with Franklin Graham, I do have to point out that when Jesus was sending forth his disciples to preach the word, he pointedly told them to stay away from Gentiles and out of Samaria because the Gentiles/Samarians would not welcome the message (Matthew 10:5). There would be a time for that, he seemed to be saying—but not now.

http://www.slate.com/id/2081432/

PM Malaysia Kritik Umat Islam yang Saling Bertikai

Rabu, 11 Jul 07 10:46 WIB eramuslim.com

PM Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, menyerukan agar umat Islam menghentikan pertikaian antar sesama Muslim dan menekankan pentingnya persatuan umat Islam untuk membantu umat Islam lainnya yang masih tertindas.

Hal tersebut mencuat dalam konferensi Islamic Figh Academy (IFA) yang dihadiri para cendikiawan Muslim dari sejumlah negara-negara Muslim. Acara yang diprakarsai oleh Malaysia itu akan berlangsung selama enam hari.

Dalam pidato pembukaan, PM Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi menyatakan kesedihannya melihat pertikaian antar sesama umat Islam yang terjadi di sejumlah tempat. "Di banyak negara Muslim, sebagai akibat dari isu-isu politik, banyak terjadi pertikaian antar sesama Muslim. Bagi saya, ini sangat menyedihkan, " tukasnya.

"Saya tidak melihat alasan mengapa mereka bertikai satu sama lain. Padahal mereka punya musuh bersama yang harus dihadapi, mereka menghadapi bahaya yang sama, " sambung Badawi.

Ia menyoroti pertikaian sektarian yang terjadi di Irak dan pertikaian Hamas-Fatah di Palestina. "Jika mereka ingin umat Islam bersatu untuk memberikan dukungan pada masalah-masalah Palestina, maka rakyat Palestina sendiri harus bersatu, itu yang paling penting, " ujar Badawi.
Ia menyerukan agar umat Islam menghentikan pertikaian dan bekerja untuk kesejahteraan dan kemakmuran negara mereka masing-masing. Umat Islam, kata Badawi, harus mengesampingkan perbedaan-perbedaan antara mereka dan bekerja untuk mencapai kemajuan, stabilitas dan kemuliaan umat Islam.

"Perbedaan-perbedaan harus disatukan untuk melindungi negara masing-masing dari musuh-musuhnya, " tandas Badawi.

PM Malaysia yang juga menjabat sebagai ketua Organisasi Konferensi Islam itu mengusulkan pertemuan antara para cendikian Muslim, ulama dan para politisi guna mencari cara untuk menyatukan umat Islam yang sedang bertikai, dan Malaysia menyatakan siap menjadi tuan rumahnya.

Di sisi lain, Badawi mendesak para cendikian Muslim untuk berperan aktif membantu umat Islam di dunia untuk menentukan prioritas demi kemajuan mereka, meningkatkan peradaban umat Islam, mengurangi perdebatan masalah-masalah yang tidak penting dan lebih fokus untuk membangun umat.

Dalam kaitan ini, Badawi memuji upaya tak kenal lelah Syaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi yang terus memberi petunjuk agar umat Islam tetap pada jalur yang benar.

PM Malaysia itu juga mendesak para cendikiawan Muslim untuk menghidupkan kembali ijtihad, yang dibutuhkan untuk menghadapi tantangan-tantangan akibat pembangunan yang begitu pesat di bidang teknologi dan masyarakat modern.

Sementara itu, Dr. Sano Koutoub, kordinator umum konferensi dan anggota Dewan Eksekutif IFA menyatakan, konferensi ini akan membahas berbagai persoalan yang saat ini dihadapi umat Islam, seperti masalah krisis ekonomi, politik, penyakit-penyakit sosial, termasuk pertikaian antar sesama umat Islam. Konferensi itu, kata Sano, akan membuat pernyataan resmi tentang pertikaian umat Islam di Palestina dan Irak. (ln/iol)

5000 Syaikh Arab berbaiat dengan Ayatullah Sistani

www.infosyiah.wordpress.com

Ini merupakan perkumpulan terbesar Syaikh-syaikh Kurdi, Sunni dan Syiah setelah kejatuhan Saddam Husein. Perkumpulan ini tepat dengan peringatan Revolusi 1920 dan pengulangan baiat kepada marja Syiah Irak.

5000 orang dari Syaikh Irak berkumpul di Najaf pada pagi hari Minggu tanggal 1 Juli bertepatan dengan Revolusi tahun 1920 Irak dan baiat kembali kepada marja Irak khususnya kepada Ayatullah Sistani.

Muhsin al-Hakim penasihat politik ketua Majelis Tinggi Islam Irak dalam wawancaranya dengan FARS mengumumkan pertemuan besar ini dan berkata: Pertemuan termasuk yang terbesar di mana para Syaikh Kurdi, Sunni dan Syiah Irak berkumpul setelah kejatuhan Saddam Husein.

Ia melanjutkan: Perkumpulan ini bertepatan dengan Revolusi Irak tahun 1920 dan pengulangan baiat kepada marja Irak. Salah satu tujuan pertemuan ini adalah kesepakatan untuk melawan aksi-aksi teroris dan menghadapi fitnah konflik sektarian yang disebarkan oleh anggota-anggota pengikut Saddam Husein dan kelompok takfiri di Irak.

Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim menambahkan: Struktur masyarakat Irak masih kental dengan kelompok nomadennya. Kelompok masyarakat yang hidupnya berpindah-pindah dan dikepalai oleh seorang kepala suku yang disebut Syaikh merupakan institusi penting di Irak. Bahkan dalam perang menghadapi penjajah Inggris mereka memainkan peran sangat penting.

Fatimah - Penghulu Wanita Semesta Alam

Membedah Tafsir Surah al Kautsar

Allah SWT berfirman: “Sesungguhnya Kami menganugerahimu al Kautsar. Maka karena itu shalatlah dan angkatlah kedua tanganmu. Sesungguhnya orang yang membencimu dia-lah yang tak berketurunan.” (QS. Al Kautsar: 1-3)

Nabi diberi anugerah yang agung oleh Allah berupa Al-Kautsar dan jiwa beliau menjadi tenteram ketika diberitahu bahwa orang yang mencelanya tidak memiliki keturunan, sebaliknya justru dia sendiri yang “abtar” alias tidak berketurunan.

Surat Al-Kautsar termasuk surat yg terpendek dalam Al-Qur`an. Dan berkenaan dengan Makkiyah atau Madaniyah surat ini, masih menjadi polemik karena tidakadanya kesepakatan riwayat (hadis) dalam hal ini.

Namun menurut pendapat Allamah Thabathaba’i—sebagaimana yang tertulis dalam al Mizan—surat ini Makkiyah. Dan sebagian mufasir berpendapat bahwa surat ini diturunkan dua kali. Pendapat terakhir ini dikemukakan sebagai usaha untuk menyatukan beberapa riwayat yang bersilang pendapat.

Berkaitan dengan tafsir Al-Kautsar, terdapat suatu perbedaan pendapat yg unik. Ada yang berpendapat ia adalah kebaikan yang banyak; sungai di surga; telaga Nabi saw di surga atau di Mahsyar; anak-anaknya; para sahabat dan pengikutnya sampai hari kiamat; para ulama umatnya; Al-Qur’an dengan keutamaan-keutamaannya yang banyak; kenabian; kemudahan Al-Qur’an dan keringanan syariat; Islam; tauhid; ilmu dan hikmah; keutaman-keutamaan Nabi saw; kedudukan yang terpuji (al maqam al mahmud); cahaya hati Nabi, dan seterusnya sampai dua puluh enam pendapat.

Menurut Allamah Thabathaba’i, dua pendapat pertama di atas bersandar pada sebagian riwayat, sedangkan pendapat-pendapat yang lain perlu dikoreksi kembali. Alllah SWT berfirman di akhir surat: “Sesungguhnya orang yang membencimu dia-lah yang tak berketurunan.”Yang dimaksud “abtar” ialah orang yang terputus keturunannya, sedangkan yang dimaksud al-Kautsar ialah banyaknya keturunan Nabi saw dimana ini merupakan anugerah bagi beliau. Atau al Kautsar juga berarti kebaikan yang banyak. Dan banyaknya keturunan masuk dalam kategori kebaikan yang banyak. Kalau tidak kita maknai demikian maka firman-Nya, “Sesungguhnya orang yang membencimu dia-lah yang tak berketurunan,” sulit dipahami. Banyak riwayat yang menjelaskan bahwa surat ini turun kepada seseorang yang mencela Nabi saw dan mengatakan bahwa beliau tidak mempunyai keturunan lagi setelah anaknya Qosim dan Abdullah meninggal dunia. Dengan demikian ini, riwayat tersebut membantah tafsiran yang mengatakan bahwa yang dimaksud “abtar” ialah ejekan seorang musyrik yang mengatakan bahwa Nabi saw terputus dari kaumnya atau terputus dari kebaikan lalu Allah membantahnya dan mengatakan bahwa justru yang mengejek beliau yang terputus dari kebaikan.

Ayat tersebut mengindikasikan bahwa anak-anak Fatimah as adalah keturunan Nabi saw. Hal ini dengan sendirinya mengisyaratkan keagungan Al-Qur’an al-Karim dimana Allah SWT memperbanyak keturunan Rasul saw sepeninggal beliau, sehingga tidak ada suatu keturunan pun yang menandingi mereka, meskipun mereka dibunuh dan mengalami penderitaan serta musibah. Firman-Nya:“Maka karena itu shalatlah dan angkatlah kedua tanganmu”.

Konteks ayat ini menjelaskan perintah penegakan shalat dan melaksanakan nahr. Alasan di balik penunaian shalat ini tersebut dalam ayat: “Sesungguhnya Kami menganugerahimu al Kautsar.” Ini merupakan wujud syukur atas nikmat. Dan maknanya ialah: ketika Kami telah mengaruniaimu al-Kautsar maka bersyukurlah atas nikmat ini dengan melakukan shalat dan angkatlah kedua tanganmu saat takbir dalam shalat sampai di atas dada.

Yang dimaksud “nahr” ialah—sebagaimana yang diriwayatkan oleh Ahli Sunah dan Syi’ah dari Nabi saw dan dari Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib dan Syi’ah meriwayatkannya dari Imam ash Shadiq dan imam-imam yang selainnya—mengangkat kedua tangan sampai di atas dada saat takbir di dalam shalat. Ada juga yang berpendapat bahwa makna ayat yang tersebut: “Tunaikanlah shalat Ied (Hari Raya) untuk Tuhanmu dan potonglah unta. Dan ada yang berpendapat lagi bahwa maknanya: “Shalatlah untuk Tuhanmu dan berdirilah dengan tegak saat mengangkat kepalamu dari rukuk. Firman-Nya: Sesungguhnya orang yang membencimu dia-lah yang tak berketurunan.”

Yang dimaksud as syani’ ialah al mubghid (yang membenci) dan al abtar ialah yang tidak memiliki keturunan. Dan orang yang membenci dan mencela Nabi saw adalah Ash bin Wa’il.

Fatimah az Zahra begitu berharga di mata ayahnya, Baginda Rasulullah saw. Tanpa Fatimah, Nabi saw tak berketurunan. Tanpa Fatimah, tak ada yang kufu`(sebanding) dengan penjebol benteng Khaibar, Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib bin Abi Thalib. Tanpa Fatimah, tak akan lahir dua pemuda penghulu surga, al Hasan dan al Husin. Tanpa Fatimah, tak akan pernah ada kisah ketegaran dan kesabaran Srikandi Karbala, Zainab al Kubra.

Tanpa Fatimah, tak akan tercium aroma kecemburuan yang dihembuskan oleh Aisyah. Betapa Aisyah tidak cemburu karena setiap Nabi saw hendak meninggalkan rumahnya maka rumah terakhir yang dikunjunginya adalah rumah Fatimah. Dan saat pulang dari bepergian maka rumah pertama yang disinggahinya adalah rumah Fatimah. Maka, Fatimah adalah terminal pertama dan terakhir bagi Rasulullah saw. Bahkan tak sungkan-sungkan Nabi saw mencium putri semata wayangnya ini sambil bersabda: Setiap kali aku merindukan aroma surga maka aku mencium putriku Fatimah.

Dan cukuplah kebesaran Fatimah az Zahra ketika kran keturunan Nabi saw mengalir cukup deras dari rahim sucinya. Meski para musuh kebenaran mencoba menghabisi keturunan Rasul saw dengan berbagai cara sepanjang sejarah dan tragedi Karbala adalah cara paling biadab yang mereka lakukan namun Allah SWT berkehendak untuk menjaga keturunan suci ini sehingga keturunan dan anak-anak Fatimah tetap ada di berbagai belahan bumi. Dan meski keturunan Rasul saw tidak berasal dari sulbi pria (karena semua anak laki-laki beliau meninggal di waktu kecil) namun beliau tetap berbangga dengan dijadikannya Fatimah sebagai penerus keturunan beliau. Oleh karena itu, beliau memanggil al Hasan dan al Husain dengan sebutan ya waladi (wahai anakku), bukan, ya shibthi (wahai cucuku).

Yang demikian itu karena Allah SWT berkehendak untuk menjadikan Fatimah sebagai jembatan kesinambungan keturunan Nabi saw. Jadi, Fatimah bukan hanya sekadar wanita biasa. Beliau—sebagaimana disabdakan oleh Nabi saw—adalah penghulu para wanita semesta alam. Bahkan saking hebatnya putri Khadijah ini, Nabi saw menyatakan dalam hadis yang sahih bahwa ledakan emosi Fatimah adalah ledakan emosi Allah dan restu dan kegembiraan Fatimah adalah restu dan kegembiraan Allah.

Akhirnya, Fatimah adalah keajaiban sejarah. Dan Fatimah adalah mukjizat Rasulullah saw yang abadi. Salam kepadamu wahai Fatimah az Zahra di saat engkau dilahirkan… Salam kepadamu wahai ibunda tersayang al Hasan dan al Husin di saat engkau dikebumikan di malam hari secara rahasia oleh suami tercintamu…Dan salam kepadamu wahai belahan hati Nabi saw di saat engkau dibangkitkan kembali di sisi Allah SWT

http://tashawuf.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/fatimah-anugerah-spektakuler-ilahi-bagi-nabi-saw/#more-4

Seruan Persatuan dari Kantor Resmi Ayatullah al-Udzma as- Sayyid Ali as-Sistani di Najaf-Irak

Bismillahirrahmanir rahim

"Dan berpeganglah kalian semuanya kepada tali (agama) Allah, dan janganlah kamu sekali bercerai berai…”. (Ali-Imron: 103)

Umat Islam sedang melalui masa-masa sulit dan menghadapi bermacam krisis serta berbagai tantangan besar yang mana semua problem tersebut saat ini telah dapat dirasakan dan mengancam masa yang akan datang. Dalam kondisi seperti ini, semua orang mengetahui akan pentingnya merapatkan barisan, menepis perselisihan, menjauhi slogan-slogan yang berbau sektarian serta hal-hal yang dapat menimbulkan perselisihan antar mazhab. Semua perselisihan- perselisihan yang telah berlalu berabad-abad dan tak ada solusi yang dapat memuaskan semua pihak. Oleh karena itu, alangkah baiknya kita menjauhi perdebatan seputar masalah tersebut di luar pembahasan ilmiah dimana masing-masing pihak yang terlibat dalam dialog itu saling memahami kebutuhan lawannya, apalagi masalah tersebut tidak bersentuhan langsung dengan prinsip-prinsip agama dan pilar-pilar ideology. Sebab mereka semua adalah orang-orang yang beriman kepada Allah Yang maha Esa, percaya kepada risalah nabi Muhamad saww, percaya kepada hari kebangkitan, percaya bahwa al-Qur’an –yang telah dijaga oleh Allah dari berbagai penyimpangan- dan Sunnah Nabi sebagai rujukan bagi hukum-hukum syari’at, percaya kepada keharusan mencintai Ahlul Bayt as, dan masih banyak lagi titik-titik kesamaan lainnya yang telah disepakati oleh segenap kaum muslimin antara lain; masalah sholat, puasa, haji, dan lain sebagainya.

Semua kesamaan tersebut adalah pondasi dasar bagi persatuan Islam. Oleh Karena itu haruslah masalah ini menjadi fokus seluruh kaum muslimin demi mempererat kecintaan di antara mereka. Setidaknya masing-masing dari mereka dapat saling menghargai dan menghormati dan tidak terjebak dalam perselisihan- perselisihan yang menyangkut masalah mazhab dan sektarian dalam bentuk apapun.

Oleh karena itu, sudah sepatutnya setiap orang yang sangat mencintai kemuliaan Islam dan kemajuan kaum muslimin mencurahkan segala upayanya di jalan perapatan barisan antara kaum muslimin, dan memperkecil beban ketegangan-ketegang an yang ditimbulkan oleh sebagian tarik-menarik politik supaya tidak menambahkan perselisihan di antara mereka. Dan supaya musuh-musuh Islam tak mampu merealisasikan harapan mereka untuk menguasai Negara-negara Islam berikut kekayaannya.

Tetapi sayangnya, sebagian orang dan kalangan malah berbuat sebaliknya. Bahkan mereka berusaha menebar perselisihan dan mempertajam berbagai perselisihan sektarian di antara kaum muslimin. Bahkan setelah meningkatnya pergolakan politik di Timur-Tengah dan mengerasnya pertikaian dalam upaya merebut kekuasaan yang terjadi akhir-akhir ini. Mereka justru lebih gigih menonjolkan dan menyebarluaskan perbedaan-perbedaan mazhab. Dan tidak hanya itu, mereka pun meracik perbedaan sendiri dengan mengunakan metoda-metoda fitnah demi mewujudkan pandangan sinis mereka terhadap mazhab tertentu serta mengurangi hak-hak para penganut mazhab itu, dan membuat orang lain takut kepada mazhab tersebut.

Dalam rangka ini pula, kadangkala sebagian media massa –situs-situs internet, majalah dan lain sebagainya- menyebarkan fatwa-fatwa aneh yang menyudutkan sebagian kelompok dan mazhab Islam dan fatwa-fatwa itu disandarkan kepada Ayatullah al-Udzma as-Sayyid Ali al-Sistani (semoga beliau selalu berada dibawah naungan Allah). Yang mana tujuan dari penisbatan itu tiada lain hanyalah untuk mencoreng kedudukan mulia Marja’iyah, serta menambah keretakan antar kelompok.

Fatwa-fatwa Sayyid Ali al-Sistani (semoga beliau selalu berada dibawah naungan Allah) hanya dapat diambil dari sumber-sumber yang dapat dipercaya –seperti buku-buku fatwa yang sudah dikenal dan dapat dipercaya, yang di dalamnya terdapat bubuhan tanda tangan beliau-, dan di dalam buku-buku fatwa itu sama sekali tidak ada kata-kata sinis terhadap kaum muslimin dari seluruh mazhab Islam. Dan siapa saja yang mengetahui buku-buku fatwa beliau, walaupun hanya sepintas, niscaya akan mengetahui kebohongan tudingan yang diarahkan kepada beliau. Dan (mereka) akan menyebarkan berita yang berbeda dari yang telah disebarkan.

Selain dari itu, sikap-sikap serta pernyataan beliau di tahun-tahun silam seputar derita yang dialami oleh negeri Irak yang terluka, dan wasiat-wasiat yang beliau arahkan kepada para pengikut dan mukallid beliau supaya mereka mencintai dan menghormati saudara-saudara mereka dari kalangan Ahlusunah. Dan beliau juga seringkali menekankan bahwa darah seorang muslim haram untuk ditumpahkan, tak pandang bulu apakah ia seorang Sunni ataukan Syi’ah. Dan tidak hanya itu, kehormatan serta hartanya juga harus dijaga. Dan beliau berlepas diri dari siapa saja yang menumpahkan darah saudara seagamanya, tanpa memandang apapun mazhabnya… Semua ini menunjukkan dengan jelas jalan yang ditempuh serta pandangan beliau sebagai seorang Marja’ Taklid terhadap seluruh mazhab. Dan seandainya para penganut setiap mazhab dapat menyikapi perbedaan dengan metode yang diterapkan oleh beliau, niscaya tak akan kita saksikan kekerasan dan pembantaian keji yang merajalela di setiap tempat yang tak membedakan antara anak kecil dan orang tua, serta wanita yang sedang hamil. Dan hanya kepada Allah-lah tempat kita mengadu.

Kami memohon kepada Allah untuk menggapai tangan semua orang dan mengarahkan kepada yang terbaik bagi umat ini. Sesungguhnya Dia (Allah) Maha Kuasa atas segala sesuatu.

Kantor Ayatullah al-Udzma as-Sayyid as-Sistani
(semoga beliau selalu dalam naungan Allah)
an-Najaf al-Asyraf
14/Muharam/1428

Sunni-Shia Unity

IN THE NAME OF GOD THE BENIFICIENT THE MERCIFUL.
Sunni-Shia Unity
A lecture by
Shaykh .Ahmad Deedat

The Following speech By Shaykh Ahmad Deedat, who is a world renowned Sunni scholar from South Africa was made following his trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran on 3 March , 1982.

INTRODUCTION

In the Holy Quran, Allah (SWT) says "It is he who has sent his apostle with guidance and the religion of truth so that he may make it prevail over all religions even though those who worship false Gods may detest it" (Quran 9:33). Even though the United States, Russia and all the superpowers may detest it. Allah's promise is not conditional on the strength of the superpowers. In its widest sense the Islamic movement spans the entire ummah, in its narrowest it represents that part of the ummah which is most advanced in its struggle towards establishing Islam as a total way of life.

A few years ago one could not recognize a single leading edge in the Islamic movement. This was the bleak outlook which faced the ummah as history moved into the final decade of the 14th century Hijra. But the world was unaware of the Islamic movement in Iran. Iran under the ex-shah was beyond the pale of Islam. Iran was a blind spot. We were Sunni and our age old ignorance was deep and total, and thus when the Islamic revolution in Iran began to make headlines in early 1978. The bulk of Muslims, who called themselves Sunni, were caught unaware. The Shah's propaganda had then blamed the Islamic masters. The western media, and the Muslim media manipulated by the west, and the alienated regimes of Muslim countries had then dismissed the events in Iran as insignificant. All of us were slow in recognizing the new reality in Iran. There has been a systematic attempt at smearing Islamic Iran. And the western media deliberately promoted false accounts of the events of the Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini who was indeed the founder of the revolution, and the leader of the Islamic republic of Iran.

This campaign against Iran is nothing new. Right from the beginning vested interests have carried on an unending campaign against the Islamic revolution in Iran. this evening our guest speaker, Mr. Ahmad Deedat who is a distinguished scholar of Islam, who hardly needs any introduction to the public and who has just returned from his trip to Iran, will present to us his first hand account on Iran. I now call upon Mr. Ahmad Deedat to speak to you.(applause).

Shaykh Ahmad Deedat
I seek refuge in the accursed Satan, In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful.

The Holy Quran says:
"And if you turn away (from Islam and the obedience of Allah), He will substitute you for some other people, and they will not be like you." Quran 47:38

Mr. chairman and brothers: While we are looking skeptically of the miracle of a nation reborn. Allah's inexorable decree is finding its fulfillment in the rise and fall of nations which is mentioned in the verse I have just read to you from Surah Muhammad. In the last section of the last verse Allah(swt) reminds us, and warns us that if ye turn back from your duties and responsibilities if you do not fulfill your obligations then he will replace you with another nation.
Our urdu speaking brethren use these words so beautifully when they describe some mishap that occurs in the community in talking about that other nation that can replace them. It is actually Quranic. And this really has been happening throughout history again and again. Allah (swt) first chose the Jews, the Bani Israel as he tells it in the holy Quran: "O children of Israel! call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all other nations."(Quran 2:47). That favor was that they should become the torchbearers of the knowledge of God to the world. This was the honor, this was the privilege that was at first given to the Jews But because they did not fulfil their end of the obligation, a Jew amongst the Jews Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) as recorded in the Christian gospels told them "That the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."(The Bible, Matthew 21:43). And that nation, we will happily own up is the Islamic ummah. It was taken away from the Jews and given to the Muslims. The Muslims then, among them who were the Arabs at first, were given by Allah (SWT)the privilege that they became the torchbearers of light and learning to the world , but when they relaxed and failed to bring forth the fruits, Allah(swt) replaced them with another nation. In history, we remember the Turks and Mongols destroyed the Muslim empire and when they accepted Islam they became the torchbearers of light and learning to the world.

As Iqbal beautifully describes this situation: "O' you Muslims, you will not perish if Iran or the Arabs perish, that the spirit of the wine is not dependent on the nature of it's container." The container is our nations, our boundaries and the spirit of Islam is not dependent on our geographical boundaries or national limitations. So this is what Allah (swt) does again and again, he chose the Jews then he chose the Arabs then when they became lax he chose the Turks and when they became lax another people and so on and this is a continuous process. If you don't do the job, Allah(swt) will chose another people who will. In the world today there are a thousand million Muslim, that is ,one billion we boast! And 90 percent of this one billion happens to be the Sunni branch. We have stopped delivering the goods so Allah(swt) chooses a nation that we have all been looking down upon. The Iranians! The Shias! History has been very unkind to our brethren in Iran that the shah happened to be the ruler, and his name happened to be Muhammad. Imagine, that this mans name happened to be Muhammad and he really wasn't a believer. It's hard for us to imagine today, but once you go to that country and you go into the details and find out what was going on. That this Iranian the shah it seems to be,that he was a foreigner. If Hitler conquered this land and oppressed them, then we could understand. If the Russians conquered the people, we can understand. But here is a man who is an Iranian, speaking Persian, whose name was Muhammad, and look at what he was stooping to. For sixteen years he had forbidden Jummah prayers. Sixteen years. We had been equating Iran with the shah and the shah with Iran. To us they were synonymous terms. But when you go into details we learn that the shah and the Iranian people were both apart. They were in reality foreigners to one another.

Now about this visit of mine to Iran and my impression. Let me begin with the place where I had the first fragrance of this Iranian brotherhood of ours and it happened to be in Rome. First I smelled it, and then some of my companions had smelled it in the Rome airport. We were waiting to get on the plane, and we had some problems with visas and one of our men was given the responsibility of overcoming these problems. So he goes to the Iran air office and he tells our problem to a young lady wearing full Islamic attire with her body well covered. It was Beautiful, Just beautiful to look at. And I mean that when you look at these people in this attire you see that they are beautiful people. So there was a lady in Rome and you brothers should have seen the way she handled these problems. And someone came to me and told me, man if you want to see a real Iranian Muslim girl you should come over and I went and some others went and we saw. And that was the first whiff we had of the Iranian ummah in Rome.

When we landed in Iran, we were taken to a five star hotel which was there before the revolution known as the Hilton hotel but is now known as Hotel Istiqlal. And we were taken around. to places of interest and I will relate to you some of the things we saw and I will try to describe the feelings one has. If I remember correctly, the first thing we visited was the Behesht Zahra cemetery. Behesht means paradise in Persian and Zahra is the title of Fatima Al-Zahra (AS) who was the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (saw). And Zahra means the radiant one. So it was called Radiant paradise. And before arriving in Iran, I had read about the Behesht Zahra cemetery. And I remember when Imam Khomeini had arrived in Tehran he made a trip to the cemetery. And I'm thinking why does one go to the cemetery? To make du'a? Yes. For the departed souls? Yes. And when you think of cemeteries here in South Africa you think of Brookstreet and Riverside. You cant imagine that this cemetery is square kilometers by square kilometers. You Just cant imagine. It is a big open ground where about a million or two million people can be accommodated. And people gathered here because it is the easiest place where people can release their emotional and spiritual baggage because there you have the martyrs. Their were 70,000 or so people who were martyred in this revolution and 100,000 maimed. Unarmed people with only the slogan "Allahu Akbar" as their weapons had toppled the mightiest military force in the middle east. So we went to this cemetery There were about a million people there. There were men and women and children and we were greatly inspired by the enthusiasm and the feeling of our brothers and sisters there. It was mid winter there, and the men and women and children were sitting on the cold ground for hours on end. In mid-winter on the ground with no carpets or chairs! A nation that could endure that discipline for hours on end , you can only imagine what destiny Allah(swt) has planned for them. A day or 2 later on my program I read Behesht Zahra cemetery, again. The first time we went for a lecture, but we had seen the graves people reciting poems of sorrow and reciting dua' and I thought this second visit would be redundant. Why should one go a second time? I've seen what a cemetery is. But all my companions were going and I thought if everyone else was going, it wouldn't be good for me to stay in the hotel relaxing when all my companions are going in these buses to a cemetery. But I went and I became very happy. And the second time I went it was a Thursday afternoon and Thursdays in Iran is like Saturdays for us. And tens of thousands of people were in the cemetery. This was a custom. It was like Eid. Tens of thousands are there, for what else, but to charge their spiritual batteries. It was a constant reminder to not forget. "My son gave his life for Islam" or "my father gave is life for Islam " that they gave their life for Islam. With that kind of system, Every Thursday is a spiritual injection and reminder that they are willing to give their life for Islam.

There was a town hall that accommodated 16,000 people, compared to the biggest town hall in South Africa which is the Good Hope Center in Capetown for 8,000. This was built by the shah to boast his own "Aryan myth". He was boasting not only that he was the shahanshah or king of kings, but also that he was the aryamehr, light of the Aryans. What is this Aryan sickness? Remember Hitler bragging about being Aryan because the Germans are Aryans. And the Hindus boasting we are Aryans. If my people, the Gujarati people, weren't Muslims we'd be boasting about being Aryans as well. The ex shah claimed to be the light of Aryans and he built this monument as a tribute. He built another monument spending millions to commemorate his ancestor Cyrus the great, a pagan, a mushrik and squandering the wealth of this nation for this project. In 1984 he was supposed to have the world Olympics in Tehran to boost his ego even further. In this town hall we saw athletics, gymnastics, acrobatics. Unfortunately we Muslims here in South Africa are like jellyfish, that is we have made ourselves into jellyfish. Our young men do not participate in that kind of activity. Who here does athletics, gymnastics, acrobatics we do not do that here. It's not for us. Who does jogging, You know the young people here, when I meet them I shake hands with them and they are like jellyfish. Almost every young man you meet in Iran appears to be an athlete. They are doing sports on a world standard and it makes one feel so happy because there they are not projecting Iran. They are not talking about Iran "we are Iranians, we are Aryans" instead they are talking about Islam, about Islam, about Islam. There was not one semi-naked girl, not a single girl who was half naked there. If the shah had his way, if he was alive and organized it, there would have been semi-naked girls for everyone to stare at and feast upon.

In Iran everything is Islamic to strengthen the morality of the people, boosting the men and women by the thousands. We were thrilled , we were thrilled to see our children, we felt as if theses were our children, our own brothers and sisters, we were really thrilled. We saw these as things that our children can do. Then we went through a military parade with different groups of Iranian men and there was no shortage of man power. You know, some people want to go and help our Iranian brethren. Alhamdulilah there is no shortage of man power they only want the tools, and the weapons. If the Iranians had the military weapons that the Israelis had, the whole of the middle-east would be free from every kind foreign intervention in no time. This is a nation that can do it. The spirit is there, the spirit of Jihad is there in each and every man and woman in the nation. It seems that the whole nation is involved in promoting Islam. We are talking about 20 million people that they can put into the field. If they had the weapons and the materials, every man woman and child would can go and do jihad.

Then we visited the Iraqi prisoners of war. As you know when this war started Iraq attacked Iran. The whole country was in turmoil. Iraq felt that the Jews did it to the Arabs in 6 days, then they will do it to the Iranians in 3 days and the whole world thought that in one weeks time, Iran would crumble to pieces. And do you know how long it has been now? It's been a year and a half, and even more. And in the beginning there were twenty to one odds against them in men and materials and the Iranians turned the tables and brought the odds to 3 to one still against them. And they were able to push them back. They recaptured all their land and a hill that was named Allahu Akbar. Before I went to Iran Dr . Kalim Siddiqui from the UK jokingly remarked that "you guys have half a chance of becoming martyrs (shahid).." It was a joke and it nearly became true. While we were coming out of a city on the war front there was a field of tanks. And our young men came out of the buses and started to climb onto the tanks taking pictures to show people back home. Then one of the tanks in the courtyard came out for a training demonstration on how it works and suddenly we hear gunfire and in the distance we saw smoke coming from a few places and some of our young men got scared and started hiding behind bushes., and it turns out that we were under attack from the Iraqis. And there were bombs exploding all around us and Allah (swt) saved us. And remember Khaled had said that was half a chance that we would become martyrs, well it almost became a full chance. (laughter).
We visited those wounded in the war and no one was complaining about what had happened to them. One man had his leg amputated, and there were no tears, I never saw a single tear from anyone, and they were asking if it was possible to go back to the front. Their regrets were not about their injuries but why they can't go back to the front to fight and become shahid, this is the ambition of each and every Muslim there. When we visited the prisoners of war the Iranians had captured 7000 prisoners of war and they looked healthy, well clothed, well fed. One of my friends was interested in finding out what the Iraqi prisoners felt about their condition first hand. And anyone he asked said that they were being looked after very well. Then I had an idea. Some were here for over a year and others for a few months and I was wondering how many people had committed suicide. And I asked each group of the prisoners of war and asked each group how many people committed suicide. They said not one. I then asked the next group and so on. Not one single person committed suicide amongst the 7800 prisoners of war. And if we look at our so called civilized western country of South Africa, 46 people committed suicide in our prisons this year alone and they are well fed well clothed have their own cells and 46 committed suicide so far. And if people are not well treated some are going to want to find an easy way out but there was not one single person who committed suicide amongst the 7800 prisoners of war.

We went to visit the Imam, Ayatollah Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini. There were about forty of us who waited for the Imam and the Imam came in and was about ten meters away from where I was, and I saw the Imam. He delivered the Lecture to us for about half an hour, and it was nothing but the Quran, the man is like a computerized Quran. And the electric effect he had on everybody, his charisma, was amazing . You just look at the man and tears come down your cheek. You just look at him and you get tears. I never saw a more handsome old man in my life, no picture, no video, no TV could do justice to this man, the handsomest old man I ever saw in my life was this man. There is something unique to his name, too. First he is called Imam Khomeini. The word Imam is to us a every cheap word. Wherever we go somewhere we ask who is the Imam of the Masjid here. To the Shia there is only one Imam in the world and he is the Twelfth Imam , they believe in the concept of Imamate and that the Imam is the spiritual leader of the ummah. And the first Imam according to the school of Imamate is Hazrat Ali(RA). Then comes Imam Hassan who is the second Imam, Imam Hussein the third Imam all the way until the twelve Imam, Imam Mohammad who disappeared at the age of 5 and they are expecting his return. They use the term "occultation" something like a spiritual hibernation like the Ashab Al-cahf. And that he is expected to come back and he is the only one in the world who can be called Imam. Most of their scholars are called mullah, and Ayatollah means Allamah And Ayatollah Khomeini is called Imam out of respect but they are waiting for the real Imam to come. Ruhollah is the name his father gave him and do you know what it means? Ruhollah means the 'word of God' and this is the title of Hazrat Isa(as) in the Quran. Then he is Ayatollah which is another title of Hazrat Isa(as) in the Quran. Al-Musawi is from the family Musa and from the city of Khomein which is where his last name Khomeini comes from. ...(break in audio at 41: 05 seconds). But they are waiting for the Mahdi, and not Khomeini. They want to clean the stables and make preparations for the Mahdi to come. In the Sunni world we are also waiting for the Mahdi to come but we want him to clean the stables for us, make us masters of the world and to make us sit on the thrones. The Sunni world is just passively waiting. Until then we can carry on with all our petty little squabbles, whatever we are carrying on now. And it is only the Imam Mahdi which can clean the world for us. This is the Sunni line of thinking. Khomeini on the other hand tells his followers that we must help prepare the way so that when he does come everything is already set up for him to act on. While we, the Sunni world are waiting for Imam Mahdi to pull the chestnut out of the fire for us, the Shias are preparing the world for his arrival.

You know there were many people with us from all over the world. And I found types and types and types of sick people, a mental sickness that is. I came across an alim from Pakistan Mauna Sahib and he thought that there was something wrong with our Shia brothers. You see in Iran when someone is lecturing and the name Khomeini is mentioned people stop and everyone says durood on the Prophet(S) three times. But when the name Mohammad is mentioned they send durood once. And this alim from Pakistan says " look at these people just look at them. What kind of Muslims are these people. When the name Mohammad is mentioned they send durood on the Prophet(s) once but when the name Khomeini is mentioned they send Durood on KHOMEINI three times."
I said " What do they say , what do they say in this so called 'durood on Khomeini'. "
He said: Peace be upon Mohammad and the family of Mohammad.
I said " Who is Mohammad? Khomeini? Who named Khomeini as Mohammad. Their durood is on Prophet Mohammad(s) and you say it is on Khomeini."
You know it's a sickness. There are many learned men but their minds are so prejudiced. They are just looking for faults. [1]

Another example is that the Shia brothers when they make salat, they have a piece of clay (turbah) that they do sajjdah on. And he says "see what they are doing here. This is shirk. They are worshipping a piece of clay. " I said why don't you ask them why they place their foreheads on a piece of clay and learn the logic behind this. You see, the first time I experienced this was in Washington D.C., the Iranian students there had invited me to give a lecture there at the university where they were studying in America. At that time, it was time for Isha and we made salat. And everyone was given a piece of clay. I at the time thought it was so funny, so I put it aside and I made my salat with the Iranian students. And after salat I wanted to know about this and I asked them. Why do you carry this clay tablet everywhere you go in your pocket. They said " we are supposed to do sujood on Allah's earth with our foreheads touching the earth. We say "subhanna rabia Allah" three times with our foreheads touching the earth." So the Shia want to actually touch the earth with their foreheads and not a manmade carpet. They want to be true to the expression of praying with the forehead actually touching Allah's earth. You see they don't worship the clay tablet as many wrongly think. And this is always something that we Sunnis are always making fun of and mock the Shia, but on my way out from Tehran across the plane in the aisle were two Shias and when prayer time came one of them took his clay tablet out of his pocket and, Allahu Akbar, performed salat right there on the plane in his seat, and when he finished he gave this to his neighbor and he performed salat. And this may seem like a joke to us. Isn't it? And there were dozens of Sunnis on the plane and out of those dozens of Sunnis only one young man did the salat, and I tell you that young man wasn't me. But we are laughing at the other Guy. He is sitting there and doing something better than we are and we make fun of them and sit in judgement. He may not as polished and refined as we are in South Africa. You know we Muslims in South Africa are very polished and refined in our salat. The Arabs are no match for us, the Iranians are no match for us, the Americans bilalans, the Negroes they are no match to us. With the Arabs you are bowing down in ruku and the guy next to you pushes you aside to make space.(laughter) Who knows brothers, maybe it is valid, we don't know. You know, between the four Sunni mazhabs the Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafei there are over two hundred differences in salat alone. Did you know that? Two hundred. But we take it for granted. The Shafei says amin loudly and we say it silently, they say bismillah loudly we say it silently and there is there is no problem. A s a child my father would repeat the famous formula that he in turn learned from his father. : "all the mazhabs are equally valid and the truth for them is in the hadith and the Quran." And so we accept it. When it comes to the Shafei, Hanbali, Hanafi and Maliki we are tolerant but when it comes to the Shia you see he is not in the formula that we are taught as a child, so what ever little idiosyncrasies there exists between us and them we cant tolerate and reject we say that he is out because we are programmed to believe in only the four. But we accept the idiosyncrasies between the four.

I say why cant you accept the Shia brothers as a fifth madhab. And the astonishing thing is that he is telling you that he wants to be one with you. He is not talking about being Shia. He is shouting "there is no Sunni nor Shia there is one thing, Islam." But we say to them "no you are different you are Shia." This attitude is a sickness of the devil. He wants to divide us. Can you imagine we Sunnis are 90% of the Muslim world and the ten percent who are Shias want to be partners and brothers with you in faith and the 90% are terrified. I cant understand why should you the 90% be so terrified. They should be the ones terrified. And if you just knew the feelings that they have for you. During Jummah prayers in Iran, there are a million people. And you should see the way they look at you when you pass by, they recognize that you are a foreigner and not one of them and tears start rolling down their cheeks. This is the feeling that they have for you, but you say no, you want to keep they out, afraid that they will absolve you. You can only be absolved if there is something better than what you have. I don't know, maybe some of you think I am a Shia, but I'm still with you all here. What is all this Shia-Sunni tensions? It is all politics. These antagonisms we have are all politics now. If a Sunni brother somewhere does something wrong you say oh the individual is not being very Islamic, he is a kaffir, But if a Shia does something wrong you want to condemn the whole Shia community, the whole nation of millions, and say they are all rubbish just because one Shias actions are not very Islamic. At the same time where we look the other way if one of your relatives does something serious because he is your father or your uncle. One group of Sunnis says to another "you are not a Muslim" another group of Sunnis says "you are not a Muslim you are a kaffir" look that's among us, and we fight among ourselves. And some of us do funny things.

I met one brother who told me when you go to Newcastle go visit Mr. So and so and inshallah everything will be taken care of for you. So I went to the man and exactly as I was told he took me home for lunch and when I'm sitting at the table I see on the wall 'burat' you know what burat is? A donkey like animal with the face of a woman its supposed to provide electrical force. I told him this is not right. Allah(swt) created electrical force, you can not create it with a statue of a donkey with a woman's face. Oh and he was so upset. But he's a Sunni, he was a brother and is still my brother. This Sunni-Shia tensions is the work of the devil to divide us.

Let me say something about Iran. What I found was that everything is islamically oriented. The whole nation is geared towards Islam. And they are talking about nothing but the Quran. I have never had a single experience with an Iranian when the man contradicted me when I'm talking about the Quran. Whereas our Arab brethren again and again you quote them the Quran and they try to contradict you with the Quran. They are Arabs, they are supposed to know the Quran better than us, but the Iranians seem to be on the wavelength of the Quran. Everything he is doing everything he is thinking about is the Quran. You remember Tabas[2] when the American people wanted to free the hostages. The mightiest most technologically advanced nation on earth, a nation that can land a man on the moon and bring him back, a nation which tells you which part of the moon they will land and bring them back, they send mars and Jupiter probes. A nation that warned Pakistan about the tidal wave tragedy and they didn't heed the warning. They warned the Israelis in 1973 that the Arabs were on the move, they didn't heed the warning. That nation couldn't land in Iran. Imagine they went there with their helicopters and crashed them selves and got themselves killed. Imagine. A nation that lands on the moon and comes back cant land in Iran. And the Iranian people were not in any position to do anything to them. The Americans could have gone and done what they wanted to do. I went and saw the American embassy and you think that its just a big building, but man its acres and acres right in the center of Tehran. They could have easily gone in and gotten these people out, even if they lost a few men. They could have achieved their goals. It was very well planned. But you know what happened? Fiasco, retreat failure, the Imam Khomeini is told what has happened. He doesn't say Subhananla, he doesn't say Alhamdulilah, you know what he said. He quotes the Quran : "Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?" 105:1 These are the words that came out of him. I tell you he is a Quranic computer.

You know what they call those huge helicopters? Jumbo helicopters, and those big planes are called jumbo planes. You know what jumbo means in Swahili, Elephant. It's a Swahili word. That's where they got the name. So these elephant sized helicopters go and the Imam says: "Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion," Quran 105:1-2

But we are so skeptical, the Muslim world has become so skeptical we don't believe in the Quran anymore. You don't really believe in the Quran, for most people it is all for entertainment, for the good spiritual feelings that you get when reciting the Holy Quran. But the directives that Allah(swt) gives, nobody seems to care. May Allah (swt) make these brothers of ours, the torchbearers and light of learning today to the Muslim world . And here is a nation geared to do the Job. When you look at them the earnestness that is in them, a nation that is not afraid, when you look at them with the enthusiasm they have. They are not afraid to say "marg bar amrika" death to America.. Then say "marg bar shuravi " death to USSR. Imagine that! (laughter from the audience). And death to Israel." Can you imagine a nation doing that and not in the least afraid. This is not the Islamic spirit that is in us here, but the Iranians are all heart and mind. They don't say "this is an Iranian revolution "or "we are Iranians". They are talking about Islam, an Islamic Revolution. This is not an Iranian revolution but that this is an Islamic revolution. It's a revolution for Islam and little wonder why the nations of the world cant stomach it because it is Islam that they cant stomach. So my dear brothers and sisters I have taken so much of your valuable time already. And with these words I take leave of you to sit down and to take your Questions.

[1] " O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as FIND FAULT. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things." Quran 5:54
Reprint Requests:Shahid Athar, MDClinical Associate ProfessorIndiana University School of Medicine8424 Naab RoadSuite 2DIndianapolis, IN 46260

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