KHUTAB IV: 18. SLANDERING ISLAM



18. SLANDERING ISLAM
(ANUMA, 04.12.2009)
Recently we have seen the news on TV that people in Switzerland opposed the building of a minaret in a mosque, although the Swiss government had approved its building  confirming and applying the policy of freedom of religion in that country. The reason: the minaret is a symbol of Islamic presence and establishment, and they were suspicious of this religion due to allegations made by Western mass media. Out of approximately one hundred mosques there, only four of them have minarets.
One month after the event of September 11, 2001, the Italian President Berlusconi while talking with the German  Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Islam as an uncivilized religion, and praised Western civilization as  a superior one because it guarantees and maintains human rights. He made a conclusion that the West has to be able to conquer Muslims as it had done with the Communism. To his surprise, while his statement was still fresh in people’s mind, bad news for him came from Riyadh. The Italian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Torquato Cardelli embraced Islam and pronounced the shahādah (the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) on 15th November 2001, one day before Ramadan that year. After a long and strong spiritual struggle within his mind he decided to abandon his Catholic faith and to embrace Islam. He was the second Italian ambassador to the Muslim world who converted to Islam. The first one was Mario Scialoja. He embraced Islam at the end of 1988, when he was Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York, with the rank of Ambassador.[1] Alhamdu lillah, so far, we have not heard any Muslim ambassador who converted to any other religion.
Comparing God in Christianity and in Islam, the Evangelist Franklin Graham, the fourth son of the late Evangelist Billy Graham of the Southern Baptist Church, made his conclusion that they are different, and Islam is an evil religion, and that the Qur’an preached violence.
Despite incessant slander on Islam in the West, a German scholar Dr. Gerard Anders, Rector of Bochum University which is one of the largest universities in Germany, and the Head of Arabic and Islamic Studies in this university said that the allegation of terrorism to Islam by the West is unfounded and unjustified. The term “fundamentalism” if it is meant “the total acceptance of Islamic teachings,” kāffah in Arabic, then this principle, Dr. Gerard Anders argues, is the one that united the Islamic world. Terrorism and barbarism of Muslims alleged by the West had nothing to do with Islam. The Taliban movement in Afghanistan, he argued, was only the different interpretation of Islamic law, which is normal in the field of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).
In the same month of September 2001, a senior reporter of the Sunday Express in London was captured by the Taliban on an undercover assignment in Afghanistan. Her name was Yvonne Ridley. She was treated well by the Taliban and finally released. The shocking news of her capture by the Taliban was followed by shocking news for the West. Upon her return to England she converted to Islam. She said:
… I can define the moment that I lost faith in Christianity. And that was during the siege of Manger Square,[2] when the Israelis were shelling the Church of Nativity, the holiest shrine in Christendom, and not a single church leader in this country [United Kingdom] condemned what was happening. Children up-and-down the country re-enact the Nativity every Christmas, it’s so pivotal to the whole religion, and not one lousy bishop or archbishop – not one of them –stood up. If they don’t have the conviction to stand up and shout about the abuse that’s happening to the holiest shrine in Christendom, if they couldn’t care less, why should I care?
Two years ago, in April 2007 Yvonne Ridley came to Australia and spoke at the Islamic Conference in Melbourne.
The more amazing story of conversion to Islam is that of Joseph Cohen. He was a devout Jew who emigrated with his family from the USA (Brooklyn, New York) to the occupied Ghaza by Israel, then moved to Netivot, and finally to Morocco. 
After three years he decided to embrace Islam. He told his intention to his wife Luna whom he had married ten years ago, who was also a devout Jewish. He told her that he loved her and had to be honest with her, that he had read the Qur’an and believed that it was a divine revelation. He said further that if he kept claiming to be a follower of Judaism, he would have lied. The whole family embraced Islam, and moved from Netivot to a small village in East Jerusalem, and eventually to Tetouan in Morocco, the native town of his wife.
Joseph Cohen totally changed. He changed his name from Joseph Cohen to Youssef al-Khattab. Before, he was supporter of the Orthodox Jewish party, now he supported the radical Hamas, the Palestinian people’s liberation movement against the Israeli occupation. He did not call any longer the land he was living in “Israel”, but “Palestine”, where he believed that an Islamic state had to be created. Before, his children were devout students of Judaism, now devout students of Islam. His eldest son, Abdul-Rahman was said to have memorized the Qur’an on 2 November 2009, two month ago, at the age of 17. Here is what Youssef Khattab said about himself in 2006:
 I was born to a Secular Jewish family, and at the age of 18 years old decided to look “deeper" into belief in God. Like most people, I looked at religion from a view point that was closer to me. Being that my family was Jewish and I was raised to attend Jewish schools I looked into Rabbinical "Orthodox Judaism". 
 In the year 1988 I entered a Yeshiva and started my journey into the Orthodox Rabbinical racist cult. In 1991 I wed my 1st wife (then) Luna Mellul now Qamar al Khattab[3].  She was from the Moroccan town named Tetouan and was attending the racist Orthodox Jewish girl’s seminary known as Breuers or Sampson Raphael Hirsh Bet Yaakov aka Bais Yakov. 
1992 brought us the birth of my 1st child Abdel Rahman (formally Rachamim Cohen).  Alhumdulilah he was then as he is now my pride and joy. Upon the birth of Abdel Rahman we were living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the Satmar Hasidic community. I used to see all the lying and cheating, government scams and money laundering using the Synagogue and Yeshiva bank accounts and the poor hygiene of these folk, and was nervous for my new born son not to grow up like these folk.  We tried broadening our horizons and moved to the Ocean Parkway area of Brooklyn, later that year. 
1994 till 1998 brought us the birth of 3 more wonderful children alhumdulilah. Hesibeh,  Abdel Aziz (formally Ezra), and Abdullah  (formally Ovadia) during these years I tried to  convince myself that Judaism was a true path  and I just didn’t understand it because I never  read the entire set of Talmud and in 3 different  ways of understanding it including the "hidden  level". You see this is the trick in the rabbinical cult, you will not EVER finish learning all the rabbinic text thus you are subservient to the Rabbis (aka Elders of Zion) who will interpret Judaism for you. During this time frame the Rabbis saw that we doubted their beliefs thus constantly followed our family contacting all new friends and employers etc. The Rabbis MUST ALWAYS know where you move to and who your friends are. The Rabbis were starting to be a big nuisance as were the Rabbinical Jews; so seeking a better future elsewhere we loaded up the family and moved to Palestine. (then like most westerners we  were brainwashed to refer to the Jew entity as  Israel). 
September, 1998 we now arrived in Ghaza or what the Jewish squatters refer to as Gush Qatif. Quickly my wife was turned off by the lies  of the folk there and my son Abdel Rahman  came running home from school one day  saying "Daddy, my teacher doesn’t cover her  hair properly, her dress is to short, they don't  learn Torah here and all they do is play"!!  Maashaallah, my son was very correct so with no possessions or money we set off to find a home in the nearby Jew settlement of Netivot in occupied 1948 Palestine. Shas, a religious political party" immediately helped us by providing a home and their private school system and my kids went from knowing NO Hebrew to being tops in their class alhumdulilah. During our stay in Netivot I met a Muslim from UAE and we had conversations for about 2 years where he would ask me questions about Jewish Aqeedah or Jewish creed, and then compare it to Tawheed al Elohiya a part of Islamic Monotheism. I would then go and ask major Rabbis questions about the Jewish creed and always got 60000 different answers. The Jews can't even tell you where there God is based on text; rather they say God is everywhere! (authubilah) One day I decided to go to the Arab souk and buy a translation of the meaning of the Holy Quran in the English language. Subahanallah!!!!! I could not put it down!! Every problem I had with Jews and Judaism was being addressed by Allah the Most High, in the 1st 3 chapters of the Quran.[4] Allah swt answered most of my doubts about Judaism. The Quran is firm with the Jews and invites them to a just truth (Islam) to save them from the hellfire their ancestors are currently in. 
When I finished reading the entire Quran, I could no longer associate with Jews any longer, thus I was obliged to tell my wife I am a Muslim. Alhumdulilah within 2 weeks my wife decided to read the Quran and became a Muslimah!!! Then the kids after her alhumdulilah.
Today 2006 alhumdulilah I live in Morocco with my wife Qamar and kids. My kids no longer remember Hebrew and their 1st language is Arabic. All the kids are learning in Islamic Arabic Schools, alhumdulilah we thank Allah subhana wa tala for blessing us with Islam.
Wearing a gamis (Arab gown dress) with a white cap on his head, Yousef al-Khattab tried to forget his fast and concentrate on his present to become a fully 100% Muslim, a kāffah (“fundamental”) Muslim. He still cites the morning prayer of the Jews, but instead of thanking God for not being born as non-Jews, he thanks Him for not making him a Jew, i.e., a follower of Judaism. We watched on the television long time ago Richard Dawkins, the world's most famous atheist from Oxford, England came to interview him in the mosque. To his disappointment Yousef al-Khattab told him that the Jews were occupying the land of Muhammad, a statement Richard Dawkins never expected. He left immediately.
When the newly appointed Pope Benedict XVI criticized Islam, Youseph al-Khattab gave his answer posted on 17 September 2006 as follows:
I believe the true reason that Pope Benadick [sic] made his recent statements condemning Islam as a religion of hate, is pure self hatred. Islam forbids forcing ANYONE to convert, and allows Jews and Christians the right to live and prosper in our lands. Case and point is the city that I live today Tetouan; this city was basically founded by Jews and Muslims that were thrown out of Spain due to the Catholic Inquisition. Historically, Morocco for example has been a bastion of peace for Islam, Christianity and Judaism where all lived without worry until the establishment of the Jew Enemy Entity in 1948. Could we say the same about the Jews under Catholic Europe? …  
In conclusion, you can hide the truth to all people, but not all the time; you can hide it all the time, but not to all people, let alone hiding it to all people all the time. No matter how you hide the truth, eventually, it will prevail. (MAS 04.12.09)
Sources:
(http://www.atlastours.net /holyland/mosque_of_omar.html).   
(Wikipedia)



[1] Mario Scialoja was a retired Italian diplomat, and was born in Rome on July 29, 1930. His last post was Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996. Upon retiring he has decided to spend his last years serving the Muslim Community of Italy. .… (Wikipedia)
[2]Manger Square (Arabic: مَيْدَانُ اْلمَهْد) is an important city square in the center of Bethlehem. It takes its name from the manger where Jesus was born which, according to Christian dogma, is in the Church of the Nativity (Arabic: كَنِيْسَةُ اْلمَهْد), possibly the oldest existing church in the world, which surrounds the square. Also around Manger Square is the Mosque of Omar (the city's only mosque) and the Palestinian Peace Center …. In May 2002, during an Israel Defense Forces raid into the square, a number of locals (some of whom were armed) occupied the Church of the Nativity. It became the site of a 5-week stand-off. The number of people inside was estimated between 120 and 240 Palestinians that several Palestinians inside the church compound were shot dead by Israeli snipers during the siege. ”. (Wikipedia encyclopedia). The Mosque of Omar in Bethlehem) is not the Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock) which was built earlier in 1193 in Jerusalem.  This mosque was built in 1860 and last renovated in 1954 on the location where Omar ibn al-Khattab prayed when he visited the city in 638 as an envoy of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). (http://www.atlastours.net /holyland/mosque_of_omar.html).
   
[3] Luna, in Roman mythology, the goddess of the moon and the month, in Latin and Italian means “the moon” itself, and in Arabic is qamar. So, the name Qamar is the Arabic translation of Luna.
[4] The three chapters he means are (1) surah al-Baqarah (chapter 2) containing  286 verses. Here Allah talked directly to the Children of Israel (يَا أَهْلَ اْلكِتَاب) in 34 verses, and about them in 28 verses; total: 62 verses;(2) surah Āl ‘Imrān (chapter 3) containing 200 verses. Here Allah talked directly to them and the Christians as ‘the People of the Book” (يَا أََهْلَ ْالكِتَاب)  three times, and indirectly through Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.  (قُلْ يَاأَهْلَ الْكِتَاب) also three times, and about them nine times; total: 15 times; (3)  surah al-Nisā’ (chapter 4) containing 174 verses. Allah talked to them directly twice, once as ياَ أَهْلَ الْكِتَاب (“O People of the Book”) and the other “O you who have been given the Scripture (Jews and Christians((يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَاب), indirectly twice “Say (O Muhammad), O People of the Book”  قُلْ يَاأَهْلَ الْكِتَاب) ( , and about them 10 times; total: 12 times.

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