BANGLADESH KHELAFAT ANDOLON

হযরত শাহ ওয়ালীউল্লাহ মোহাদ্দেছ দেহলবী (রঃ)-এর হুজ্জাতুল্লাহিল বালেগা কিতাব থেকে উদ্ধৃতি

2011-12-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

হযরত শাহ ওয়ালীউল্লাহ মোহাদ্দেছ দেহলবী (রঃ) হুজ্জাতুল্লাহিল বালেগা কিতাবে লিখেছেনঃ-

"জন্মগত স্বভাবের কারণে মানুষের মধ্যে পার্থক্য হয়।"

"সমস্ত পয়গম্বর (আ:) একমত যে সকলের ধর্মই এক। পার্থক্য শুধু শরীয়ত ও ধর্মের নিয়মাবলীতে।"

"মযহাবে অভীজ্ঞজনের মযহাব সত্য।"

"হুজুর (সাঃ) এরশাদ করিয়াছেন - আমাকে তোমাদের সহজতার জন্য প্রেরণ করা হইয়াছে, কঠোরতার জন্য নয়।"

"আল্লাহতা'লা এরশাদ করিয়াছেন, হে বিশ্বাসী সম্প্রদায়, অনেক কিছু প্রার্থনা করিওনা। যদি তোমাদের জন্য উহা উন্মুক্ত হইয়া যায় তখন তোমরা উহাকে অপছন্দ করিবে। তাই প্রশ্নকারীদিগকে হুযুর (সাঃ) পছন্দ করিতেননা এবং বলিতেন - আমি তোমাদিগকে যাহা কিছু বলি তোমরা উহাকেই যথেষ্ট মনে কর, বেশী কিছু জিজ্ঞাসা করিওনা। তোমাদের পূর্ব্ববর্তী উম্মতগণ এই কারণেই ধ্বংশ হইয়া গিয়াছে যে তাহারা বহু কিছু জিজ্ঞাসা করিত এবং নবীদের বিরোধিতা করিত। তিনি আরও এরশাদ করিয়াছেন - মুসলমানদের মধ্যে ঐ ব্যক্তি পাপী যাহার প্রশ্ন করায় কোন কিছুকে হারাম করিয়া দেওয়া হয়।"

"মোমেন বান্দা নরম শাখার ন্যায়।"

"বান্দার উপর আল্লাহর হক এবং ফরয এই যে বান্দা আল্লাহকে অসীম সন্মান করিবে।"

"যে ধর্মের ব্যাপারে কঠোরতা অবলম্বন করে - তাহার সাথে আল্লহও কঠোর ব্যাবহার করেন।"

"শিষ্টতা শিক্ষা দেওয়ার জন্য ইয়াতীমকে শাসন করা অন্যায় নহে; কিন্তু কষ্ট দেওয়ার ইয়াতিমকে আঘাত করা পাপ।"

"ভুল করিয়া পাপ করিলে অনেক বিষয়ে ক্ষমা পাওয়া যায়। এই ণীতি মোতাবেক মানুষের এলেম স্বভাব জাহের বাতেন থাকে - এই মোতাবেকই ব্যক্তির জন্য শরীয়ত নির্ধারিত হয়।"

"যখন পৃথিবী শরীয়ত গ্রহন করার জন্য প্রস্তুত হয় এবং ব্যাবস্থাপনা নির্ধারিত করার সময় হয়, তখন আল্লাহপাক তাজাল্লী প্রকাশ করিয়া মানুষের জন্য ধর্মকে গ্রহনযোগ্য করিয়া দেন। সে অনুযায়ী মালায়ে আলা উন্নততর শক্তিতে শক্তিবান হইয়া যায়। তখন সামান্ন একটি কারণ আল্লাহর বকশীশের দ্বারে আঘাত করার জন্য যথেষ্ট হইয়া যায়। সময়ে বীজ বপন করিলে অতি সহজেই ফসল পাওয়া যায়। অসময়ে হাযার চেষ্টায়ও উহা পাওয়া যায় না।"

মওলানা আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানী (র.)এর বানী

2011-12-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশের স্বপ্নদ্রষ্টা, কাদেরিয়া ও চিশ্তিয়া তরিকার পীর মওলানা আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানী(র.)এর বানী

(সূত্রঃ সন্তোষ থেকে প্রকাশিত সৈয়দ ইরফানুল বারী সংকলিত “মওলানা ভাসানী বলেছেন” ও “রবুবিয়াত – মওলানা ভাসানীর শেষ কথা” এবং মওলানা ভাসানী (রো.) রচিত “ইসলামী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় – দর্শন ও কাঠামো” গ্রন্থত্রয় থেকে সংকলিত)

“নেতৃবৃন্দকে কখনো জিন্দাবাদ দেওয়া উচিত নয়। ইহাতে তাহাদের মাথা খারাপ হইবার সম্ভাবনা থাকে।”

“শিক্ষিত উচ্চপদস্ত শ্রেনীটি আজ নিজেদের জন্য ভিন্ন জীবন মান সৃষ্টি করিয়া লইয়াছে এবং সেই জীবনমান বজায় রাখিবার জন্য দেশের মানুষকে তাহাদের স্বার্থের যুপকাষ্ঠে বলি দিয়াছে।”

“বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের যেসব ব্যক্তি আজ দেশ চালাইতেছে তাহাদের অনেকেই দুর্নীতি, ঘুষ, সুদ, জুয়া ও মদের বন্যায় ভাসিয়া চলিয়াছে। নিজের সংকীর্ণ স্বার্থের কাছে দেশকে, দেশের মানুষকে বিকাইয়া দিতে কুন্ঠিত হইতেছেনা। এই শিক্ষা মনুষ্যত্ববোধকে জাগ্রত করেনা, বরং মানুষকে আত্ম ও স্বার্থ-সর্বস্ব করিয়া তোলে।”

“বর্তমান শিক্ষায় উচ্চ শিক্ষিত ব্যক্তিরা লক্ষ কোটি ভুখা নাংগা মানুষের ঝুপড়ির পাশে সুরম্য প্রাসাদের বিলাসিতায় গা ঢালিয়া দিতে মোটেই লজ্জা বোধ করেনা। এই সব লোকেরা শাসন যন্ত্রের বিভিন্ন ঘাঁটি দখল করিয়া ধণিক বণিকদের সংগে যোগসাজশ করিয়া সকল প্রকার অর্থনৈতিক সুবিধা লুটিতেছে; আর যাহারা চাকুরী পাইতেছেনা তাহারা নিজেদের জীবন ব্যার্থ মনে করিতেছে। উভয় দলই ধর্ম ও নৈতিকতা জলাঞ্জলী দিয়া ব্যক্তিগত মুনাফাকে শিক্ষার উদ্দেশ্য করিয়াছে।”

“আমি উপলব্ধি করিতে পারিয়াছি, যত সরকারই বদল করিনা কেন, কোন ফলোদয় হইবেনা যদিনা শাসকবর্গ চরিত্রবান হয়। শাসক চরিত্রবান হইলে গোটা সমাজই কল্যাণময় পুত-পবিত্র পরিবেশের দিকে ধাবিত হয়। আর চরিত্রবান লোকেরাই কেবল আল্লাহর রাজত্ব কায়েম করিতে পারে।”

“(বাংলাদেশ স্বাধীণ হওয়ার পর) তোষামোদপ্রিয় মুজিব দুর্নীতিপরায়ণ মোসাহেবদের দ্বারা পরিবেষ্টিত হইয়া ক্রমেই জনগন হইতে বিচ্ছিন্ন হইয়া পড়িলেন এবং তাঁহার সমস্ত সংগ্রামী চেতনা ও ঐতিহ্য ভুলিয়া আত্মরক্ষার চোরাপথ গ্রহন করিয়া নিজেকে ক্ষমতার বেড়াজালে আবদ্ধ করিয়া ফেলিলেন।... বাংলার মানুষের গলায় স্বৈরাচারের অক্টোপাশ পরাইবার সকল ষড়যন্ত্র মুজিব ও তাহার অনুচর ও সুহৃদরা করিতে লাগিল। ‘তাহারা চক্রান্ত করিয়াছিল, আল্লাহও চক্রান্ত করিয়াছিলেন; আল্লাহ চক্রান্তকারীদের শ্রেষ্ঠ’-আল-ক্বোরান।”

“এই সেদিন যে জাতি সাম্য ও স্বাধীণতার সংগ্রামে চরম আত্মত্যাগের পরাকাষ্ঠা প্রদর্শন করিয়াছে, সে জাতি কি করিয়া মাত্র তিন বছরের মধ্যে খুন, রাহাজানি, রিলিফচুরী প্রভৃতি সর্ব্বপ্রকার দুর্ণীতির আবর্তে হাবুডুবু খাইতে লাগিল। ইহার একমাত্র উত্তর, ক্ষমতালিপ্সু, দুর্ণীতিপরায়ন, দেশাত্মবোধ-বর্জিত রাজনৈতিক নেতৃত্বই এই সর্বগ্রাসী অধঃপতনের জন্য দায়ী। আরবীতে একটি প্রবাদ আছে, ‘আন্নাসু আলা দ্বীনে মুলুকিহিম’ অর্থাৎ জনগন তাহাদের শাসনকর্তাদের আচার আচরণ অনুসরণ করিয়া থাকে।”

“সবার লক্ষ্য যদি স্রষ্টা হয়, সকল সমস্যার সমাধাণকল্পে যদি স্রষ্টার নিয়ম প্রবর্তিত হয়, তাহা হইলে অশান্তি ও হিংসার লেলিহান যুদ্ধবিগ্রহ দূর হইয়া সকল আদম সন্তান ভ্রাতৃত্বের সমাজ গড়িয়া তুলিতে সক্ষম হইবে।”

“খাইয়া পরিয়া স্বাস্থ্য ভাল হইতে পারে, কিন্তু আধ্যাত্মিক উন্নতি ব্যতীত চরিত্র গঠন হইবেনা। মনে রাখিও, সাময়িক ভাবোম্মাদনায় যে উন্নত চরিথ ফুটিয়া উঠে তাহা জোয়ার ভাটা মাত্র।”

“ইসলামের দৃষ্টিতে আত্মিক উন্নতি ছাড়া বৈষয়িক উন্নতি মানুষকে অন্ধ করিয়া ফেলে, আবার বৈষয়িক উন্নতি বাদ দিয়া আত্মিক উন্নতি মানুষের জীবনকে করিয়া তোলে অবাস্তব ও অসামাজিক।”

“আল্লাহ ছাড়া কোন উপাস্য নাই, সুতরাং সব কিছুর উপর সার্বভৌমত্ব রহিয়াছে একমাত্র আল্লাহর। মানুষে মানুষে ভেদাভেদ দূর করিয়া ভ্রাতৃত্বর সুদৃঢ় বন্ধনে আবদ্ধ করিয়াছিল কালেমার শাশ্বত বাণী।”

সরকারের কোরআনবিরোধী নারীনীতিসহ ২০ দফা ইসলামবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ডের প্রাথমিক শ্বেতপত্র প্রকাশ করেছে বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন

2011-04-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/04/26/78655

ক্ষমতা ছাড়ার আহ্বান খেলাফত আন্দোলনের : সরকারের ইসলাম বিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ডের শ্বেতপত্র প্রকাশ

স্টাফ রিপোর্টার

ক্ষমতাসীন আওয়ামী লীগ সরকারের কোরআনবিরোধী নারীনীতিসহ ২০ দফা ইসলামবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ডের প্রাথমিক শ্বেতপত্র প্রকাশ করেছে বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন। গতকাল রাজধানীর একটি রেস্টুরেন্টে আয়োজিত এক সংবাদ সম্মেলনে এ শ্বেতপত্র প্রকাশ করা হয়। এ সময় দলের নেতারা বলেন, প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা বলেছেন, আওয়ামী লীগ সরকার কোরআন-সুন্নাহবিরোধী কোনো আইন কখনও করবে না। তিনি নির্বাচনী ইশতেহারেও বলেছিলেন ক্ষমতায় গেলে তার সরকার কোরআনবিরোধী কোনো আইন পাস করবে না। কিন্তু ক্ষমতায় বসে বর্তমান সরকার শুধু নারীনীতিই নয় বরং একের পর এক কোরআন-সুন্নাহবিরোধী কার্যকলাপের জন্ম ও প্রশ্রয় দিচ্ছে। তারা বলেন, সরকার ভালোভাবে দেশ চালালে যতদিন জনগণ চায় চালাক। কিন্তু ইসলামবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ড করলে তা সহ্য করা হবে না। কোরআনবিরোধীদের সঙ্গে আমাদের কোনো আপস নেই। শান্তিপূর্ণভাবে দেশ চালাতে ব্যর্থ হলে প্রয়োজনে এখনই ক্ষমতা ছেড়ে চলে যাওয়ার জন্য সরকারের প্রতি আহ্বান জানান নেতারা।

শ্বেতপত্রে বলা হয়, মহান আল্লাহতায়ালা ওহির মাধ্যমে যে নারীনীতি দিয়েছেন, নারীদের কল্যাণে তাই যথেষ্ট। কিন্তু সরকার এই নীতি বাদ দিয়ে জাতিসংঘে গৃহীত সিডো অনুসরণ করে তৈরি নতুন নারীনীতি বাস্তবায়নে মরিয়া হয়ে উঠেছে। আল্লাহর দেয়া নীতি বাদ দিয়ে এই নীতি করাই কোরআনবিরোধী। তাছাড়া সব ক্ষেত্রে নারী-পুরুষের সমঅধিকার কথাটাও বেহুদা। নারীনীতির কোরআন-সুন্নাহর সঙ্গে সাংঘর্ষিক ধারাগুলোর ব্যাপারে দেশের আলেমরা বিভিন্ন সভা-সমাবেশ ও মিডিয়ার মাধ্যমে প্রচার করলেও সরকারের পক্ষ থেকে বলা হচ্ছে এতে ইসলামবিরোধী কিছু নেই। এটা সম্পূর্ণ মিথ্যা ও উদ্দেশ্যপ্রণোদিত।

নারীনীতি ছাড়াও সরকারের অনৈসলামিক কর্মকাণ্ড প্রসঙ্গে বলা হয়—রাষ্ট্রপতি ফতোয়া বন্ধ করার যে ইচ্ছা ব্যক্ত করেছেন তা কোরআনের সুরা নিসার ১৭৬ নম্বর আয়াতের বিরোধী। রাসূল (সা.)-এর জন্ম নিয়ে কটূক্তিকারীর বিচার না করা হাদিসবিরোধী। পবিত্র কোরআনের বিশুদ্ধতা চ্যালেঞ্জ করে আদালতে রিট আবেদন সুরা বাকারার ২ নম্বর আয়াতের বিরোধী। পবিত্র হাজরে আসওয়াদকে শিবলিঙ্গের সঙ্গে তুলনার পরও সরকারের নীরবতা কোরআনবিরোধী। সংবিধানে কোরআনবিরোধী বিভিন্ন বিষয় সংযুক্তি, ভারতের মতো ধর্মনিরপেক্ষতা প্রতিষ্ঠার জন্য উঠেপড়ে লাগা, ফরজ বিধান হিজাববিরোধী রায় ও পরিপত্র জারি, অনৈসলামিক কর্মকাণ্ডে নিয়োজিত ইসলামিক ফাউন্ডেশনের ডিজি সামীম মোহাম্মদ আফজালকে বহাল রাখা, আলেম-ওলামা ও কওমি মাদ্রাসার বিরুদ্ধে জঙ্গিবাদের অপপ্রচার, ইসলামবিরোধী জাতীয় শিক্ষানীতি প্রণয়ন সরকারের কোরআন-হাদিসবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ডের মধ্যে উল্লেখযোগ্য।

খেলাফত আন্দোলন নেতারা বলেন, সরকার নিজের ভুল না বুঝে উল্টো আন্দোলনকারী হাফেজ, আলেমদের হত্যা, মিথ্যাবাদী বলা, গ্রেফতার, হয়রানি ও গুম করছে কার স্বার্থে দেশবাসী তা জানতে চায়। মুফতি আমিনী হাফেজ্জি হুজুরের এতিম সন্তানদের সম্পদ আত্মসাত্ করেছে বলে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বক্তব্য সম্পূর্ণ অসত্য, মিথ্যা ও বানোয়াট। হাফেজ্জি হুজুরের খান্দানের কিছু হলে সরকারের পতন অনিবার্য বলে উল্লেখ করে নেতারা বলেন, সরকার সাংবিধানিকভাবে বৈধ হরতালে বাধা দিয়ে অন্যায় ও অপরাধ করেছে। নারীনীতি নিয়ে তারা যে ফাসাদ সৃষ্টি করছে তাতে বিদেশি এজেন্ডা বাস্তবায়নের চক্রান্তই প্রকাশ পাচ্ছে—যা কোরআনবিরোধী। সরকার রিমান্ডের নামে অমানবিক নির্যাতন, বিনা বিচারে উলঙ্গ করে পুরুষাঙ্গে ইলেকট্রিক শক দেয়া সম্পূর্ণ হারাম ও কোরআন-হাদিসবিরোধী।

২০ দফা ইসলামবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ডের বাইরেও ধর্মীয়, রাজনৈতিক ও প্রশাসনিক ক্ষেত্রে বিভিন্ন অনিয়ম, দুর্নীতি এবং জুলুমের বর্ণনা দেয়া হয় শ্বেতপত্রে। এ প্রসঙ্গে বলা হয়, এ সরকারের সময় কোরআন তিলাওয়াতের পরিবর্তে রবীন্দ্রসঙ্গীত দিয়ে অনুষ্ঠান শুরু, আল্লাহর ক্ষমতা নিয়ে সিইসি’র কুফরি মন্তব্য, আজান সম্পর্কে বাজে মন্তব্য, মাদ্রাসা ছাত্রের হাত কেটে নেয়া, স্কুলের সাইনবোর্ড থেকে কোরআনের আয়াত তুলে ফেলা, রাবিতে পায়জামা-পাঞ্জাবি, টুপি-দাড়ি ও হিজাবের ওপর আপত্তি করা, ইডেন কলেজে ছাত্রী পাচারের ঘৃণ্য কাজসহ সারাদেশে খুন, ধর্ষণ, সন্ত্রাস, চাঁদাবাজি, টেন্ডারবাজি ও দলপ্রীতিতে ইনসাফ ও মানবতা ভূলুণ্ঠিত হচ্ছে। এসব কাজ ইসলামবিরোধী। তারা অবিলম্বে নারীনীতিসহ ইসলামবিরোধী কর্মকাণ্ড বাতিল, গ্রেফতারকৃতদের মুক্তি ও মামলা প্রত্যাহারের দাবি জানিয়ে সরকারকে বলেন, হঠকারিতা ছেড়ে শান্তিতে ক্ষমতায় থাকুন। নতুবা ভয়াবহ পরিণতি দেখবেন। তখন হা-হুতাশ করেও লাভ হবে না বলে সতর্ক করেন নেতারা।

সংবাদ সম্মেলনে শ্বেতপত্র পাঠ করেন খেলাফত আন্দোলনের মহাসচিব মাওলানা জাফরুল্লাহ খান। এ সময় দলের আমির শাহ আহমদুল্লাহ আশরাফ, সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক মাওলানা সাজিদুর রহমান ফয়েজি, ঢাকা মহানগর সভাপতি মাওলানা মুজিবুর রহমান হামিদী, মাওলানা ফখরুল ইসলাম, মাওলানা সুলতান মুহিউদ্দিন প্রমুখ উপস্থিত ছিলেন।

সংবিধানের দোহাই দিয়ে ফতোয়া এবং ইসলামী রাজনীতি নিষিদ্ধ করা হবে কোরআনকে নিষিদ্ধ করার শামিল -শাহ আহমদুল্লাহ আশরাফ

2011-03-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/03/06/71026

ঢাকা, রবিবার ৬ মার্চ ২০১১, ২২ ফাল্গুন ১৪১৭,৩০ রবিউল আউয়াল ১৪৩২

খেলাফত আন্দোলনের কোরআন মিছিল : ফতোয়ার ওপর হাত দিলে সারাদেশে আগুন জ্বলবে

স্টাফ রিপোর্টার

বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলনের আমির মাওলানা শাহ আহমদুল্লাহ আশরাফ বলেছেন, ফতোয়া হচ্ছে ইসলামী জীবনব্যবস্থা। মুসলমানদের ব্যক্তিগত, পারিবারিক, সামাজিক ও অর্থনৈতিক লেনদেনসহ প্রতিটি ক্ষেত্রেই শরীয়তের বিধান জানা ও ধর্মীয় অনুশাসন মেনে চলা ফতোয়ার সঙ্গে যুক্ত। কোরআন-সুন্নাহ, ইজমা-কিয়াসের আলোকে নাগরিকদের কোনো জটিল সমস্যার ধর্মীয় সমাধানের নামই ফতোয়া। ফতোয়া ছাড়া কোনো মুসলমান চলতে পারে না। এটা মুসলমানদের সাংবিধানিক ও ধর্মীয় অধিকার। ফতোয়াতে বাধা দেয়ার অর্থ ইসলাম ধর্ম পাালনে বাধা দেয়া। এটা ধর্মপ্রাণ জনতা বরদাশত করবে না। কোরআনের বিরুদ্ধে মতামত দেয়ার অধিকার কারও নেই। সংবিধানের দোহাই দিয়ে ফতোয়া এবং ইসলামী রাজনীতি নিষিদ্ধ করা হবে কোরআনকে নিষিদ্ধ করার শামিল। ফতোয়ার ওপর হস্তক্ষেপ হলে সারাদেশে আগুন জ্বলে উঠবে। সরকার পতনের একদফার আন্দোলন শুরু হয়ে যাবে।

গতকাল রাজধানীর মুক্তাঙ্গনে কোরআন-সুন্নাহর বিধান ফতোয়া এবং ইসলামী রাজনীতি বন্ধ করার পাঁয়তারার প্রতিবাদে খেলাফত আন্দোলন ঢাকা মহানগর আয়োজিত বিক্ষোভ মিছিলপূর্ব সমাবেশে প্রধান অতিথির বক্তব্যে তিনি এসব কথা বলেন। মহানগর আমির মাওলানা মুজিবুর রহমান হামিদীর সভাপতিত্বে সমাবেশে বক্তব্য রাখেন দলের মহাসচিব মাওলানা মুহাম্মদ জাফরুল্লাহ খান, মুহাম্মদ আ’জম খান, মাওলানা সাজেদুর রহমান ফয়েজী, মাওলানা ফখরুল ইসলাম ও খেলাফত ছাত্র আন্দোলনের সভাপতি মাওলানা সুলতান মহিউদ্দিন প্রমুখ। সমাবেশ শেষে ফতোয়া ও ইসলামী রাজনীতি বন্ধ করার পাঁয়তারার প্রতিবাদে রাজধানীতে একটি পবিত্র কোরআন হাতে নিয়ে গণমিছিল বের করা হয়। মিছিলটি জিরো পয়েন্ট, জাতীয় প্রেস ক্লাব, পল্টন মোড় হয়ে বায়তুল মোকাররমের উত্তর গেটে এসে সমাপ্ত হয়।

মুফতি আমিনী : এদিকে ইসলামী আইন বাস্তবায়ন কমিটির আমির ও ইসলামী ঐক্যজোটের চেয়ারম্যান মুফতি ফজলুল হক আমিনী বলেছেন, ইসলাম, ফতোয়া, কোরআন নিয়ে সরকার যে সর্বনাশা খেলায় মেতে উঠেছে তা অত্যন্ত ভয়াবহ। এদেশকে স্পেন বানানোর পদক্ষেপ স্পষ্ট হচ্ছে। ওলামা মাশায়েখ ও দ্বীনদাররা মিলে যদি এই সর্বনাশা খেলা বন্ধ করা না যায় তাহলে আমাদের ও দেশের ভাগ্যে বড় দুর্দিন অপেক্ষা করছে। বড় ধরনের প্রতিরোধ ছাড়া এই সর্বনাশা ও ধ্বংসাত্মক খেলা বন্ধ করা যাবে না। প্রয়োজনে লাগাতার হরতাল ডেকে এই ইসলাম বিধ্বংসী ষড়যন্ত্র বন্ধ করতে হবে। তিনি গতকাল খুলনা নিরালার আল মারকাজুল ফিকহী ইসলামী প্রাঙ্গণে অনুষ্ঠিত এক সমাবেশে প্রধান অতিথির বক্তব্যে এসব কথা বলেন।

নেজামে ইসলাম পার্টি : নেজামে ইসলাম পার্টির সভাপতি মাওলানা আবদুর রকিব অ্যাডভোকেট ও মহাসচিব মাওলানা আবদুল লতিফ নেজামী এক বিবৃতিতে বলেন, ইসলাম সম্পর্কিত যাবতীয় জিজ্ঞাসার উত্তর ফতোয়া সম্পর্কে একশ্রেণীর মানুষের নেতিবাচক মনোভাব সংবিধান পরিপন্থী। কারণ সংবিধান ধর্ম পালনে সবাইকে অধিকার দিয়েছে।

খেলাফত মজলিস : খেলাফত মজলিসের যুগ্ম মহাসচিব মাওলানা শফিক উদ্দিন বলেছেন, ইসলামী জীবন বিধানের অবিচ্ছেদ্য অংশ ফতোয়া নিষিদ্ধ করার ক্ষমতা কারও নেই। আওয়ামী লীগ আদালতের ঘাড়ে বন্দুক রেখে ফতোয়া নিষিদ্ধের চেষ্টা করলে সর্বস্তরের মানুষ একদফার আন্দোলন শুরু করতে বাধ্য হবে।

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah's Advices to Muslims Living in the West

2010-11-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

1 : Prosperity on earth by means of building and cultivating in the land

Cultivation of the world has 2 implied meanings here – material and spiritual. Material in a sense that God has given man every thing he uses today from the earth he walks on (Subhanallah), this includes wood, metal, oil, glass, etc… And spiritual from the perspective of ‘how we live together’ and ‘how we deal with each other’. The key point to note here is ‘how we live and deal with each other’, notice that it does not say ‘how we deal with Muslims or Christians or Buddhists but rather how we deal with each other as humans and how we use that which God decreed for us (material) to better our interaction with each other. This (believe it or not) is apart of how we as Muslims worship Allah (SWT) which is the essence of what the 1st condition means.

2 : Faith – Iman and submission to Allah (SWT)

Here is the part that focuses on strengthening our Iman and our system of belief. The challenges today come in being a part of a community that does not believe in what you believe in. How can we believe with full conviction and not fall into the current culture? How does man worship? And how do you implement this in your own life? Implementing religion is found in the 5 pillars (Testifying with conviction that there is no god (or deity) worth worshiping but Allah (SWT), Praying, Fasting, Charity, and Hajj (for those able to perform the pilgrimage)). But you couldn’t do them unless you know things such as the time of prayers, and how many prayers are due at which time, and what is involved in fasting, etc…). These Ibaddaat (acts of worship) are all due to Allah (SWT). If you merely say kind, gentle, peaceful words while failing to do and implement Islam then this becomes faulty. There is creed and deed, these 2 have to be present in Islam. They are necessary for us to establish our relationship with Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) says it is binding upon humanity to make a pilgrimage to the house but to do so you need the knowledge on how to do it. Your beliefs (La Ilaha Ila Allah) are elevated (not by your words but…) by the actions you do (i.e. praying, fasting, being charitable, etc…) without these your beliefs do not elevate.

3 : Muslim house

This doesn’t necessarily mean that all the occupants in your house must merely be Muslim. A Muslim house is a house that implements Islam. This is a big challenge. Some fathers nowadays let there children go to college without understanding their Deen. The collective spirit of the house should be a spirit of Islam (i.e. the Muslim house will recite Quran during one day of the week as an example to ensure that collectively there is an Islamic practice taking place). The idea is not to leave your wife (hypothetically) and focus on yourself only. This is Wrong. Because it’s about the familial ownership of the total spirit. The cooperation of the husband and wife is very important in order to set an example for their children. The Muslim is not selfish by nature and your first concern should be family. This is the 1st brick of the Islamic spirit.

4 : Muslim Community

This is pivotal because of their cooperation to build mosques, Islamic schools, etc… These will be the initial steps to teach new children how to build relationships with Allah (SWT). However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t cooperate with others. You can have a Muslim house but you must belong to other Muslim houses to build an Islamic spirit. The idea isn’t to close in on yourself and become ghettoized. Allah (SWT) said ‘let there be among you a community that enjoins in good and forbids evil.’ Encouraging each other to be patient because when you’re in the minority and calling out to people to build this community people will back lash.

5 : Learning Islam

How do we learn about wife/husband relationships? Halal and Haram, etc… There must be schools that teach (in the west) the way of Islam. How do we apply Fiqh to our life and transfer it to our youth so that they don’t fall into extremism. Fiqh means a deep understanding and this is firm rooted which not only takes time but also a firm mentality. This challenge of creating institutions that convey this is pivotal. What distinguishes the Muslim from the non-Muslim is knowledge (through knowledge we pray, etc…). There are communities that already exist but how do we indigenize (ingrain) people to Islam? People have to understand that Islam hasn’t come here to pass by; it has come here to stay. But in order for us to be able to make appropriate decisions in the west we need scholars that understand the conditions of the west so that they may be able to pass on rulings that are fit for our environment. This doesn’t mean changing the religion but it rather takes a scholar who is well versed in the Quran, Seerah, Sunnah, Hadiths, Aqeeda, Fiqh, and the life of Muslims in the west in order to be able to pass on Fatwa’s (religious rulings) that are fit for these Muslims. This is more specifically referred to as ‘fiqh ul’ qilah’ (The Fiqh of minorities).

6 : Building Bridges and relationships with others

The Muslim should never view himself/herself as a guest on the earth but as the permanent resident in order for him/her to perform his/her duties as such. Some Muslims live in foreign lands and don’t care much about the politics and way of life. That is wrong. The Muslim shouldn’t abandon the worries of his neighbor and fellow citizens. The good Muslim is a good citizen and this is only understood by telling others (Muslims) that your religion promotes interactions with others and makes it a law to do so. We have to develop means by which we engage the people around us. We should be happy for what others have and at the same time share their difficulties and problems. The Muslims isn’t only encouraged to work with other people but also to share in their prosperity! This is building the bridge to other communities.

7 : Becoming an active participant of the community

This condition is about reaching the stage of Yusuf (AS) when he said ‘make me in charge of your cabinets (finances)’. This wasn’t a Muslim society or a Muslim kingdom yet he stepped forward to aid in their political system. Muslims must be active among other communities only to be known as ‘active people’. This means running in elections, voting, participating in community/city forums, etc… There are others that criticize the participation of Muslims in a non-Muslim political system but this is a rather harsh way/response. Islam is but a gentle way of life. But in order of us to be involved in our communities we must be people of shared interest to our fellow citizens. In ancient India, Muslims ruled it while the country maintained its own religion – how did this happen? – the people of the land were simply fond of the Muslims and wanted them to rule.

Courtesy: Khaled Al-Qinneh

“Ridiculous to define modern democracy as rule by people” – historian

2010-08-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

courtesy: RT Russian international English TV

“We believe that the contents of the report (The annual US Report on Advancing Freedom and Democracy) prove the fallaciousness of the very principle ‘who is not with the US is not democratic’ which is, in fact, exactly the criteria for assessing the situation in some countries ..the path to democracy, a direction for democratic development, is chosen by the people living in a country, not by the US Department of State...Russia, for its part, is open for a constructive dialogue based on mutual respect, but not for lectures and morals on how to build true democracy.”-Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian Foreign Ministry recommended their American colleagues to pay more attention to their “own problems with observing human rights, including general rules of international law on the matter.”

http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-08-25/john-dunn-modern-democracy.html
“Ridiculous to define modern democracy as rule by people” – historian

Published 25 August, 2010, 11:34

Since the birth of the idea in Ancient Greece, the term “democracy” has undergone many changes in definition and essence, historian and political theorist John Dunn told RT.

“Democracy is a Greek word for naming that particular set of Greek arrangements a long time ago, and those arrangements essentially disappeared 2,500 years ago roughly. And they haven’t really reappeared except on a very small scale,” John Dunn said. “They haven’t much to do with the way in which any modern state is governed – modern states are much bigger and they are governed through complicated public bureaucracies. They are governed by relatively small numbers of, in a sense, professional politicians. That is a very different structure.”

Dunn pointed out that democracy is both the name of a form of government – not very clearly defined form of government – and a political pretension or political claim, “which is that form of government is actually authorized by the people at large.”

“But if you ask how the people actually do their authorizing, the answer is they have a very-very small bit-part, really,” the historian said. “They intervene in some countries barely at all, and in any country only every few years and very briefly, and in a way that gives them extremely little control over the outcome.”

courtesy: RT Russian international English TV

Taliban is part of will of Afghan people – WikiLeaks chief

2010-08-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

UK, London : Australian founder of whistleblowing website, "WikiLeaks", Julian Assange speaks to media after giving a press conference in London on July 26, 2010. (AFP Photo / Leon Neal)

Courtesy : RT Russian international English TV channel. rt.com

http://rt.com/Politics/2010-08-01/taliban-wikileaks-afghan-assange.html

Taliban is part of will of Afghan people – WikiLeaks chief

Edited 01 August, 2010, 14:34

RT spoke in London to Julian Assange, the founder and editor-in-chief of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.org, responsible for the leakage of the documents on Afghan war, which was the biggest in US military history.

RT: You’ve had a wide range of responses to this publication detailing the everyday of war, ranging from praise to criticism. Is that what you were expecting?

Julian Assange: We knew this was serious material. It covers a six-year period of war in 92,000 reports and almost every serious incident in the US military – who was involved, together with the times and locations, number of people killed, etc – so we knew it had great importance as a historical document and as a primary resource to be used for further investigations. We also know from those sorts of cases that we’ve dealt with previously – we always get “pushback”. Whenever we reveal abuse by some organizations, we always get that organization or its friends pushing back to try and steal the message away from the allegations that have been raised.

RT: One of the main criticisms that has been leveled at you is that you’ve published the villages, the names and in some cases the GPS-co-ordinates of people, Afghans, who’ve co-operated with the US military. You’ve even come under some criticism for human rights organizations for that. A US official has called it “a potential hit-list for the Taliban”. What’s your response to that?

JA: This appears to mostly be a media beat-up. We’re looking at the issue seriously to see whether that is true. We did hold back 15,000 reports for further review because they had that sort of classifications that suggested that maybe that they contain that sort of material. We approached the White House to ask them for assistance in reviewing material before we published. The White House did not accept that request. Now all of this is coming from The Times of London, and The Times did not tell us about any of these reports whatsoever. In fact, today I see that there is a title of an article: “Afghan men already dead”. Actually if you read the article you can see, at the bottom, is in fact that the men died two years ago. So at this stage we’re looking at this as mostly a media beat-up. Of course we’re very concerned to make sure that innocents are protected, so we are very happy to see any evidence which report is possibly revealing information about someone who is innocent. But once again, at this stage we have not confirmed those allegations at all. In fact when we actually looked at them we saw that those allegations are not correct.

RT: There has also been a suggestion that the release of this information will make it harder for allied forces to get Afghan citizens to co-operate with them.

JA: Well, what we reveal – and that’s what we’ve been doing for the past four years – is the truth about how organizations actually behave. Now if Afghans don’t like how those organizations actually behave, then of course it is their right to engage with them or not engage with them.

RT: It’s not so much that, it’s the potential danger that they may be in now that such a huge body of information is in public domain.

JA: Once again, this is an allegation by The London Times, a [Rupert] Murdoch publication that is in oppositional relationship to The Guardian, the paper that we collaborated with. They printed 14 pages on Monday in relation to this issue. The Times of London printed zero pages in relation to the issue on Monday. So they are now in an adversary relationship because they weren’t invited to the party.

RT: This has been a media sensation. You released the information to actually two selected media outlets, three newspapers. Since then you’ve given over a hundred media interviews including appearing on the Larry king show. Are you a publicity-seeker?

JA: That is just ridiculous. I mean, far from that. In fact, we try to have no publicity, we try to work under the same rules that The Economist does, where everyone has a shared byline.

What we have found is if the public demands that someone speak for an organization. Because of the security threats to the certain work we do, not many people are willing to step forward and speak. In the end, someone has to do it, and while I am already a public figure – so I am the person who does that.

RT: These documents date from the period between 2004 and 2009 – why do you publish them now and not earlier when they could have made more of a difference?

JA: We only received the material recently. We publish it as soon as possible.

RT: And what is the process that you did go throw between receiving it and publishing it?

JA: When we receive material like that it is very difficult to read because of the internal military language, internal jargon. The format is some of a computer format and it is impossible in fact for a person to read. So we had to understand a format, re-format it, make it in a presentable way, and then explore the material to pull out the stories and set up a coalition of media groups to do just that. That took quite a lot of work, not just for us, but for the three other organizations involved.

RT: There must be a huge amount of expertise involved in doing something like that. Where does your expertise and the expertise of your organizations come from?

JA: Well, we have 800 people involved as specialists in different areas, in different regional areas, computer specialists in different ways and former intelligence officers and so on. And we draw on that expertise. We are trying to understand any material like this.

RT: Washington says that these documents are outdated. Is there any truth to that claim?

JA: It depends on what you are talking about. If you are talking about how the war has progressed – of course it has been outdated, the war has been going on since 2001 – it’s been going for nine years. This material covers the last six years, with the exception of the last several months. That exception is important to some degree. It means that the material is not of tactical significance. It does not talk about troops that are just about to do something, which means it’s of essentially no threat to the US military forces, but it is deeply important for understanding the purpose of the war. The White House said, “Well, the material isn’t going up until December. In December we released the new Obama policy.” But Obama’s new policy on the war was, in fact, a continuation of the previous policy, except more troops. So why should the war change so dramatically just because relatively small changes have been put into place? The trick was to say “Suggest that there was no overlap between Obama’s new policy and this material.” In fact, Obama’s policy came on December 1st, and this material carried through up to the end of the year.

RT: You’ve said that the under-reporting of civilian casualties starts at the bottom of the common soldiery, that really no policy change at the top is going to. What do you think could make a difference?

JA: It’s an extremely hard situation. The answer is not for Western forces or ISF members to go away tomorrow, because that would lead to a power vacuum. The answer is probably a staged withdrawal, making agreements between the Taliban and the Afghan government. I predict there will be a continuation of the civil war, unless the allied forces establish some kind of equilibrium. Then we will see an increase towards peace. There are no easy options on the table.

RT: Who will gain from the release of all this information?

JA: The Afghan people. That is their country, and this is the history of their country. And they are to be able to effectively manage their destiny. They need this information to understand what is happening to their country. We can also say that people from the US, the UK, Australia, who are in the coalition and are actually paying for this war and their soldiers are being killed in this war. Those people also have their rights to understand what is actually happening. All those military companies are making extraordinary profits by providing services to troops, weapons, clothing and so on.

RT: But isn’t the Taliban and the Afghan insurgency likely to gain from this as well, because you have inadvertently maybe exposed the weaknesses of the allied forces?

JA: We have to be careful there. Remember, this is a civil war. Everyone says Taliban, but in fact, the Taliban are Afghans. This is a civil war that is going on. And Taliban are a part of the will of the Afghan people. They are also part, probably, of the Pakistani secret intelligence service, and maybe, of course, part of the will of Saudi Arabia, who is giving some money to this. But in terms of the bodies on the ground, people are actually doing their work. The Taliban is part of the will of the Afghan people. And the United States and the allied forces need to recognize and understand that it’s part of the Afghan people and if you are shooting Taliban, you are shooting the Afghan people.

That does not mean they do not have blood on their hands.

This material does not paint the behaviors of any military groups in a nice light – there is blood on all sides.

Courtesy : RT Russian international English TV channel. rt.com

WikiLeaks reveals civilians are fair game in US war tactics

2010-07-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Courtesy:RT Russian international English TV

http://rt.com/Top_News.html

WikiLeaks reveals civilians are fair game in US war tactics

Published 27 July, 2010, 09:40

The US military is desperately trying to close-in on the sources behind the biggest leak in its history: the latest major Wikileaks exposé that includes evidence of the killing of innocent citizens.

Pentagon chiefs admit it will take weeks to assess the damage to US-led operations in Afghanistan after the latest revelations on something that any military would try to keep under wraps – civilians killed during an operation.

This April, the Pentagon saw one of its skeletons walk out of the closet: a secret video of American soldiers opening what looks like indiscriminate fire in a Baghdad suburb three years ago.

Back then, more than a dozen people were reported dead, including two Reuters news staff. Two children were wounded.

The incident was investigated and the US military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own "Rules of Engagement". So while the US military is OK with causing some “collateral damage”, (as civilians deaths in the course of action are known), a number of soldiers who were involved in those killings are now speaking out, saying this should not be a norm of warfare.

Ethan McCord, a solider with the unit that is shown in the video, says it was not a one-off experience. He went as far as to say soldiers in his unit were ordered to kill civilians in certain circumstances.

McCord said the message they got from their commander was: “If someone in your line gets hit with an Improved Explosive Device – 360 rotational fire. You kill every motherfucker on the street.”

Josh Steiber served in the same unit as Ethan McCord. He refused to talk about the order because of, he claims, the threats and warnings he has received from his former army fellows.

But the secret video of helicopter killings seemed nothing unusual to him.

“From my experiences, what was shown in that video is not uncommon. Things like that happen on a fairy regular basis,” confessed former soldier Josh Stieber.

Josh says the training they went through did not ingrain much sensitivity either

Josh and a group of other former soldiers are now touring the US, telling people of their experiences and their regret.

“To me, it was when I was finally able to put myself in the shoes of other people and really start to imagine how I would feel if people were doing to me what I was doing to the people on regular basis – storming into people’s homes, sometimes in the middle of the night, and see children’s faces.”

Some blame the type of war the US was fighting for the psychological trauma so many American soldiers are now going through.

“It was a very disorienting and destabilizing condition of warfare for most American soldiers to try to separate the benign populace from the insurgency that wanted to kill him that were indistinguishable from regular civilians,” claimed New York writer Jim Frederick.

Ethan McCord and Josh Steiber signed a letter of apology to the mother of the children hurt during the operation, and pledged to change from the inside out.

America's military chiefs are bracing themselves for more to come. The WikiLeaks website is promising that further revelations are on the way.

The online whistleblower is now checking into reports dealing with American conduct in Iraq.

It is thought they could expose similar findings to the thousands of documents already posted online.

They include details of civilian casualties at the hands of US and allied troops, as well as concerns that Pakistani intelligence helped the Taliban insurgency.

The White House described the release as a breach of federal law and a threat to American military personnel.

Courtesy:RT Russian international English TV

“I think Israel’s leaders will invent a pretext to drive the Palestinians off the West Bank, into Jordan, Syria or wherever"-Alan Hart

2010-07-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-07-26/hamas-no-threat-israel.html

“I think Israel’s leaders will invent a pretext to drive the Palestinians off the West Bank, into Jordan, Syria or wherever. And the blood will flow. The West Bank will be soaked with blood, it will be mostly Palestinian blood… That wouldn’t be the end of the story. It would so inflame Arab and Muslim masses that you will be opening the Pandora’s Box of a much wider conflict.”- Alan Hart

Courtesy: RT Russian international English TV

Hamas poses no threat to Israel

Published 26 July, 2010, 04:29

Alan Hart, a British writer and journalist with a special focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, told RT that the very idea that Hamas can pose a threat to Israel is ridiculous.

“If we take a step back, why did Israel invade Gaza in that brutality at the end of 2008 and the beginning 2009?” Hart said. “Hamas had actually kept the cease-fire for 6 months. The cease-fire was actually broken by Israel’s action. They had been looking for a pretext to move on Gaza, to try to break the will of the Palestinians. So the idea that Hamas represents a threat to Israel is playing stupid. Hamas’s real position, and it’s on the record, is that they would be willing to accept a two-state solution based on Israel’s withdrawal to 1967 lines, with Jerusalem preferably an open city and the capital of two states.”

However, the author points out that the two-state solution is dead.

“The two-state solution never would have given a fair complete solution to the problem,” he said. “It’s now much too late to happen. Israel’s colonization of the West bank is about 42 percent of the land area and it’s stretching.”

According to Hart, only two outcomes are possible at the moment. The first is a one-state solution with Jews and Arabs having equal rights. That option, however, the author deems very unrealistic.

“I think Israel’s leaders will invent a pretext to drive the Palestinians off the West Bank, into Jordan, Syria or wherever. And the blood will flow. The West Bank will be soaked with blood, it will be mostly Palestinian blood… That wouldn’t be the end of the story. It would so inflame Arab and Muslim masses that you will be opening the Pandora’s Box of a much wider conflict.”

Courtesy: RT Russian international English TV

On the Issue of War in Afghanistan there’s been An Enormous Disappointment for many in the United States

2010-06-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-06-14/amy-goodman-obama-policies.html

“President Obama chose to expand the war in Afghanistan. And I would say, on the issue of war, there’s been an enormous disappointment for many in the United States,” - Amy Goodman

Published 14 June, 2010, 10:30

RT has spoken to US journalist, and TV and radio host Amy Goodman on how the Obama administration deals with its main challenges, and what the American people think of their leader.

“President Obama chose to expand the war in Afghanistan. And I would say, on the issue of war, there’s been an enormous disappointment for many in the United States,” Goodman said.

“Then there’s an issue of who gains in the United States with the economic meltdown. And I think [President Obama] also surprised many people by the fact that he surrounded himself by the same players who were people deeply involved with the financial institutions they were supposed to be regulating,” the journalist believes. “And so people across the United States have gone bankrupt, have lost their jobs – unemployment is an enormous problem in the United States. And yet the banks have made out like bandits – banks that Americans bailed out.”

Courtesy: Russian English TV RT [ www.rt.com ]

On Common Good : Selected Excerpts of the Latest Message of H.E.Pope Benedict XVI

2010-05-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

On Common Good : Selected Excerpts of the Latest Message of H.E.Pope Benedict XVI

Selected Excerpts

"Today more than ever the human family can grow as a free society of free peoples so long as globalisation is guided by solidarity and the common good, and by social justice"...

"The common good is the goal that gives meaning to progress and development, which otherwise would be limited only to the production of material goods. These goods are necessary, but without the orientation to the common good consumerism, waste, poverty and inequality come to prevail, which are negative factors for progress and development".

....one of the greatest risks of the modern world lies in the fact that "'the de facto interdependence of people and nations is not matched by ethical interaction of consciences and minds that would give rise to truly human development'. Such interaction, for example, seems to be too weak with those leaders who, in the face of renewed episodes of irresponsible speculation against the weakest States, do not react with adequate decisions to govern finance. Politics must have primacy over finance, and ethics must be the guiding force for all activities".

..."the common good is made up of a number of factors: material, cognitive and institutional good, as well as moral and spiritual good. The latter two are superior and the former must be subordinate to them. Our commitment to the common good of the family of peoples, and to that of each society, means we must give support to and avail ourselves of the complex of institutions that give juridical, civil, political and cultural structure to the life of society". ..

"We must ensure that the economic-productive order remains socially responsible and of a human scale, through joint and unitary action on various levels, including the international level. In the same way, it is important to support the consolidation of constitutional, juridical and administrative systems in countries that do not yet fully enjoy them. Economic aid must, then, be accompanied by measures that aim to reinforce the guarantees of the rule of law, a just and efficient system of public
order in full respect for human rights, and truly democratic and participative institutions.

"The fundamental priority for the development of the entire family of peoples, however, is to strive to recognise the true scale of goods and values. The notion of integral human development presupposes such things as subsidiarity and solidarity, and interdependence between State, society and the market. In a global society made up of many different peoples and religions, the common good and integral development must be achieved with everyone's contribution. Religions have a crucial role to play in this, especially when they teach fraternity and peace".

Courtesy:
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE : TWENTIETH YEAR - N. 97
ENGLISH : MONDAY, 24 MAY 2010
RELIGIONS ARE CRUCIAL FOR INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
AC/ VIS 20100524 (600)

Nooria Madrasa founded by Hafezzi Huzur r.a. visited by Al Jazeera TV

2010-05-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Russian Church Opposes Misinterpretation of Human Rights to Eliminate Divine Faith and Promote Sexual Perversions

2010-05-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

http://en.rian.ru/Religion/20100318/158242379.html

Religion
Patriarch Kirill calls to expose discrimination against Christians in Europe

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church on Thursday called on the world to expose cases of bias and discrimination against Christians in Europe.

"We should realize today that Christianophobia is taking place in many countries," Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who is winding up his three-day visit to Armenia, said in the Yerevan State University.

A website hosted by the NGO Europe for Christ http://www.christianophobia.eu, explains the notion "Christianophobia" as "intolerance and discrimination against Christians." "The term means... irrational animosity towards or hatred of Christians, or Christianity in general," the website says.

Some people think that as Europe strives for implementation of human rights and freedoms, it sometimes selectively understands the notions of rights and tolerance, providing in reality more opportunities to some groups in society to the detriment of others.

In February 2009, the Daily Telegraph cited a survey showing two-thirds of the Church of England General Synod believe Christians are discriminated against in the workplace. As an example, the paper cited the suspension of a community nurse after she offered to pray for a patient's recovery.

Kirill said many states now wrongly interpret the notion "human rights" and promote the viewpoint that if "religion can't ensure the rights of all minorities," then it should be withdrawn from public life. The patriarch cited last year's ban on crucifixes in Italy.

In November 2009, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes in Italian schools insult the feelings of children belonging to other faiths and atheists, and said the authorities should remove the Christian symbols. Italy's government said it will appeal the ruling.

The Russian Church leader said that it is very dangerous to oust religion from public life. "I think all Christian churches should unite to expose this phenomenon and prevent Christian values from being ousted from the life of modern Europe and the entire world," he said.

Earlier Patriarch Kirill strongly criticized the rise of homosexual partnerships and euthanasia.

"Homosexuality is a topic that has stopped worrying Europeans. A lawful marriage is equal to a homosexual one - that is how they understand freedom of choice there," Kirill said in September 2009.

"An English baroness, a philosopher, proposes that old people commit suicide so as not to burden their near and dear with worries. Each person is creating his own reference frame," the patriarch said then, praising European values but warning that Europe should not "break away from its religious roots."

Baroness Mary Warnock said in an interview with the Church of Scotland's magazine Life and Work in 2008: "If you're demented, you're wasting people's lives - your family's lives - and you're wasting the resources of the National Health Service."

Selected Excerpts from the Vatican Press Release 24 APR 2010 (VIS) and COMMENTS

2010-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Selected Excerpts from the Vatican Press Release 24 APR 2010 (VIS)

1. 'digital divide', which separates the included from the excluded

2. other separations which already divide nations, both from one another and within themselves

3. the dangers of conformity and control, of intellectual and moral relativism, which are already evident in the diminution of the spirit of criticism, in the truth reduced to an interplay of opinions, in the many forms of degradation and humiliation of individual intimacy. We are witnessing a 'pollution of the spirit which clouds our faces and makes them less prone to smile'

4. need to focus on promoting the dignity of persons and peoples, they need to be clearly inspired by charity and placed at the service of truth, of the good, and of natural and supernatural fraternity

5. The task of all believers who work in the media is that of 'opening the door to new forms of encounter, maintaining the quality of human interaction, and showing concern for individuals and their genuine spiritual needs

6. human life and dignity are a precious resource to be defended and promoted resolutely, especially on the basis of natural law". The Church "wishes to be a factor of harmonious coexistence among all peoples

7. the Church, as an institution, has the right to express herself in public. ... She respects the right of everyone to think differently from herself, and would like to see her own right to expression respected. ... The Church, having the common good as her objective, wants nothing other than the freedom to be able to present this message, not imposing it on anyone, and respecting people's freedom of conscience

8. without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation, especially in a globalised society at difficult times like the present

VIS 20100426 (490)

INHABITING THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE WITH A BELIEVING HEART

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2010 (VIS) - This morning Pope Benedict XVI addressed participants in the congress: "Digital Witnesses. Faces and languages in the multi-media age". The congress was organised by the Italian Episcopal Conference, the president of which is Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa.

"The time in which we are living is seeing an enormous expansion of the frontiers of communication", said the Pope. "The Internet is by nature open, tendentiously egalitarian and pluralist, but at the same time it also represents a new gulf. Indeed, we talk of the 'digital divide', which separates the included from the excluded, and this must be added to other separations which already divide nations, both from one another and within themselves".

Benedict XVI also noted "the dangers of conformity and control, of intellectual and moral relativism, which are already evident in the diminution of the spirit of criticism, in the truth reduced to an interplay of opinions, in the many forms of degradation and humiliation of individual intimacy. We are witnessing a 'pollution of the spirit which clouds our faces and makes them less prone to smile'.

"And yet", he added, "the aim of this congress is precisely to recognise faces, and therefore to overcome those collective dynamics that can lead us to lose a sense of the depths people have, to remain on the surface. When this happens those people become bodies without a soul, objects to be exchanged and consumed".

"And how is it possible to return to people's faces today?" the Pope asked. In this context, quoting from his own Encyclical "Caritas in veritate", he explained how the media can have a civilising effect "not only when, thanks to technological development, they increase the possibilities of communicating information, but above all when they are geared towards a vision of the person and the common good that reflects truly universal values.

"To achieve goals of this kind, they need to focus on promoting the dignity of persons and peoples, they need to be clearly inspired by charity and placed at the service of truth, of the good, and of natural and supernatural fraternity".

"Only in these conditions can the epoch-making change we are experiencing be rich and fruitful in new opportunities. ... More than by our technical resources, necessary though they are, we wish to identify ourselves by inhabiting the [digital] universe with a believing heart which helps to give a soul to the endless flow of communications on the Internet".

And the Holy Father concluded: "This is our mission, the indispensable mission of the Church. The task of all believers who work in the media is that of 'opening the door to new forms of encounter, maintaining the quality of human interaction, and showing concern for individuals and their genuine spiritual needs. They can thus help the men and women of our digital age to sense the Lord's presence'".

AC/ VIS 20100426 (490)

THE CHURCH HAS THE RIGHT TO PUBLIC EXPRESSION

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2010 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Charles Ghislain, the new ambassador of Belgium to the Holy See.

In his address, the Pope highlighted how "human life and dignity are a precious resource to be defended and promoted resolutely, especially on the basis of natural law". The Church "wishes to be a factor of harmonious coexistence among all peoples.

"Nonetheless", he continued, "it is worth pointing out that the Church, as an institution, has the right to express herself in public. ... She respects the right of everyone to think differently from herself, and would like to see her own right to expression respected. ... The Church, having the common good as her objective, wants nothing other than the freedom to be able to present this message, not imposing it on anyone, and respecting people's freedom of conscience

the Pope noted how "the art of consensus cannot be reduced to purely dialectic abilities, rather it must seek truth and goodness". This, he explained quoting his own Encyclical "Caritas in veritate", is because "without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation, especially in a globalised society at difficult times like the present".

====================

COMMENTS:-

from DICK TIMM
to Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
date Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 11:31 AM
subject Re: Selected Excerpts from the Vatican Press Release 24 APR 2010

Dear friends,

Many thanks for your kindness in sending. I had not seen this.
Father Timm

===============

from Asher Eder
to Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon ,
info.bak@gmail.com
date Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 7:05 PM
subject Re: Selected Excerpts from the Vatican Press Release 24 APR 2010
mailed-by netvision.net.il

Dear Sirs,

referring to the last paragraph of the below, may I bring here the following:

Christian-Jewish relationship
according to the
Parable of the Olive Tree
(Epistle to the Romans chpt. 11:16-24)

"...if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off that I may be grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou were cut of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a goodly olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural ones, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

The parable brings a comparison with the practice of grafting known in horticulture and tree nursery. In order to understand the parable and its implications, we should first try to comprehend the procedure of grafting.

Let's say we want to grow sweet almonds. If we put an almond kernel into the ground, and wait several years till the growing tree brings forth fruit, we could be unpleasantly surprised in case they are bitter almonds. There is no certainty in advance what variety fruit trees grown from seeds will bring forth. But if we take a twig from a tree whose fruit we like, and want to get; and graft this twig upon an existing, preferably wild tree of the same kind (e.g. a bitter almond), we will get exactly the variety of the tree from which we took the twig (e.g. sweet almonds). There are some more advantages to the practice of grafting: usually the wild tree has a stronger, disease resisting root and stem than the goodly variety; and the grafted twig can draw more sap from the strong wild root, and thus be able to develop more branches and fruits. However, the gardener has to watch the grafted trees that their roots would not grow wild shoots besides the grafted twig, for they would take over and strangle it.

Now, our parable says that branches from a wild olive were grafted in the goodly olive tree "against nature", i.e. against the usual practice. Many say that Apostle Paul, by profession a tent maker, was not acquainted with tree growing; and made here a mistake. But by pointing out that something was done here "against nature", he tells us that he was well aware of what he was doing, and took into account that the wild twig(s) would bring forth few and small oil berries, but would grow an impressive foliage. Consequently, he warns his Gentile followers grafted against nature in the goodly olive tree, Israel, not to become proud and boast against the remaining goodly branches; for "not you (Gentiles) are carrying the root, but the root (Israel and its Torah) carries you".

The parable is quite in line with fundamental sayings of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. Let's have a look at some of them:

a) Noah, blessing his sons, established "God shall enlarge Japhet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem" (Gen. 9:27. Sem, one of Noah's three sons, is the "father of the children of 'Eber", i.e. of the Hebrews, Gen. 9:21. The word Shem [Sem, in English] means name, especially the Name of the Lord as in "hallowed be thy name", which the Cohanim (priests) were to put upon the children of Israel, Numb. 6:27; whence Semites. And "all the people of the earth shall see that thou [Israel] are called by the name [Sem] of the Lord", Deuter. 28:10).

b) The Lord, in his covenant with Abram/Abraham, decreed:
"... thou shall be a blessing; and ... in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). An ensuing specification says: "...and in thy [Isaac's} seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" [liter. bless themselves; Gen. 26:4].

c) Gen. 49:10 speaks of Judah and his scepter that "unto him the gathering of all the peoples shall be".

d) Exod. 19:6 designates Israel as a "Kingdom of Priests", that is, her very call implies a priestly function for the nations.

e) When King Solomon inaugurated the First Temple, he prayed also for the strangers that the Lord might hear them when they pray in direction towards it (1.Kings 8:27-29, 41). In this train of thought, Prophet Isaiah speaks of it as the "house of prayer for all nations" (56:6); for, as Ps. 133:3 says, the Lord has commanded the blessing in Zion.

f) Jer. 11:16 compares Israel to a green olive tree; and Hos. 14:6,7 sees Israel as the root of that “olive tree of his majesty” [=æéú äåãå] which is “casting forth its roots like the Lebanon". ((Obviously the Prophets are tracing back to a peculiar term in Deuter. 8:8. There, the Land of Israel is described as land of the goodly olive tree, liter. “land of the oil(giving) olive tree” [àøõ-æéú ùîï], apparently in distinction from other countries with olive trees; or from (wild) olive trees which do not grow oil berries)).

g) Ezra, then. enjoined the people to bring for Succoth “branches from the olive tree and branches from the oil tree” (Nehem. 6:15)- probably understood by Paul as referring to the wild olive tree and the goodly olive tree.

h) The vision that the nations would be on top for a certain time, i.e. would play the role of the head temporarily, is part of ancient prophecies:

"...thou hast grafted [ordinary] men to our head" (Ps. 66:12).
The passage is usually rendered "thou hast caused men to ride over [äøëáú] our heads", but the Hebrew word øëá which can mean to (cause someone to) ride, is often used in the sense of putting someone or something on top, as e.g. in 2.Sam. 6:3; 2. Kings 13:16; 23:30, where it is impossible to render it as riding. In fact, as we saw, the grafted twig, is above the root, or figuratively speaking, it rides the root.

The same thought expressed in Lament. 1:5, and 2:17, reads:

"Her [=Jerusalem's] adversaries became the head";

"The Lord has done that which he has devised, he has fulfilled his word that he has commanded in the days of old: he has thrown down, and has not pitied; and he has caused the enemy to rejoice over thee [Israel], he has set up the horn of thine enemies".

At the time of the compilation of the Epistle to the Romans, Rome was indeed the head of the nations, even put over Israel. It ruled mercilessly – with the crucifixion of the Nazarene as "King of the Jews", besides many other crucifixions, as one of the demonstrations of its rule. Prof. Shalom Ben-Chorin said once to the point: Yeshua (Jesus) was born a Jew; he lived as a Jew; and he died as a Jew. The destruction of the Temple as the seal of this rule was pretold, too (e.g. Hes. 3:43; Luke 21:20-25); and Rome commemorated this fact matchlessly by minting a special coin, inscribed "Juda capta".

All this shows that the destruction of the Second Temple and the Roman exile were not at all a punishment caused by the crucifixion of the Nazarene, as often alleged.

Many argue that the natural branches were broken off because of their unbelief, and that instead of them Christianity is now grafted in. But the parable says plainly that only some of the natural branches were broken off, not all of them. Moreover, that argument contradicts plainly Apostle Paul’s assertion that “he was entrusted with the glad tidings for the Uncircumcision as Peter was for the Circumcision” (Gal. 7): the former were offered co-citizenship in the Kingdom of God (Eph. 3:6). Yet, Christianity developed from early times a novel interpretation of the term belief, in fact an interpretation which is not covered neither by the Hebrew of the Tanakh nor by the Septuagint, nor by the original Greek of the Epistles.

The Hebrew word emunah, (from which Amen derives), as well as its Greek translation pistis, mostly rendered belief, convey the idea of trust, faithfulness (as in Ps. 33:4; 89:25,34; 119:86). That means to say both the Hebrew and the Greek word describe an attitude or behavior which result from one's certainty or conviction. The list of witnesses of faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chpt. 11, gives a clear picture of what is meant also in the NT as belief, or faith.

Be it mentioned in this context that most of the modern translations of Hebr. 11:6, which brings a definition of faith, say improperly "... for he who cometh to God must believe that he is...", while the Greek text states that one has to believe (liter. be living it, be faithful) because God is. In Hebrew thinking, God's existence is the cause of belief, or faithfulness. He is not the object of philosophical or theological speculations, nor of considerations whether the Torah and its commandments can be altered or done away with through a resurrection or ascension. The list of witnesses of faith in Hebr. 11:17-32 may give an idea about the Apostles’ understanding of faith.

The Jews, of course, had to reject these novel interpretations of belief. In turn, they were accused of unbelief, stubbornly sticking to the commandments of the "Old Testament"; and many Christians developed that kind of haughtiness with boasting against the root and its natural branches of which Romans 11:18,29 warns so severely.

Paul, “entrusted with the glad tidings to the uncircumcised” (i.e. the Gentiles; Gal.2:7), felt the task to graft them as branches from the wild olive into the goodly tree. In that, he offers co-fellowshipx) with the goodly branches to those who even during the "Times of the Gentiles" stay in faith; and do not boast nor become haughty; do not change the rules of the housexx); and do not missionizexxx) goodly branches to novel concepts. “Nostra Aetate” of the Catholic Church, and similar declarations of some Protestant Churches after WWII, may well be seen as opening the way of return to the original scriptures, coming in line with the "glad tidings to Abraham" referred to in Gal. 3:8:

"I will bless them that bless thee... and in thee all the nations shall be blessed". Eventually, the nations will “bless themselves” (=åäúáøëå) in Abraham (Gen. 22:18) and in his seed (Gen. 26:4). By using here the reflexive form “will bless themselves”, the Torah tells us that the nations, once they realize that all their crafts are of no avail, shall come unto Israel (cf Jer. 16:19), urging “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob…” (Is. 2:3-4; also Zech. 8:20-23, 14:16,17; et al).

Notes:
X) cf. Eph. 2:19; 3:6 where the Greek text addressing the believers from the Gentiles speaks of them as co-citizens; co-heirs; co-body; co-partakers; that is, it depicts them as joint to Israel (not as superseding her!) through “the mediator Jesus, the man” (1.Tim.2:5). This joining to Israel is perfectly in line with Noah’s dictum quoted above: “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and he [=Japheth] shall live in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:26,27 – echoed in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven..…”).

xx) Indeed, the Gentile believers are enjoined "to abstain from blood" (Acts 15:20); not to touch anything unclean (2.Cor. 6:17); “not to eat flesh … by which thy brother stumbles, or is ensnared…” (Rom. 8:21; 1.Cor. 8:13); not to teach differently (1.Tim. 1:3); to herald the Kingdom of God (Jerem. 30:9; 1. Chron. 285; 29:11; Acts 28:31; et al).

xxx) The "Great Commission" in Matth. 28:19, translated literally from the original Greek, reads: "Going, you will teach all the nations...". These words, addressed to Jewish disciples, say that by their they going will teach the nations; i.e. their way of life (äìëä, halakhah), as well as the exile and the return to the country will be a teaching to the nations (cf. Ps. 98:2-4; 117; Ezek. 36:23,24, et al). al)

xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ask for Jerusalem-Peace

Jerusalem was known to the Jebusites as Salem but King David confirmed its present name.1

. Salem (Hebrew: Shalem) means whole, wholeness; and thus also peace; while the term Jerusalem (Hebrew: Yerushalayim) means “They will establish peace”.

Peace is -unfortunately- not an established fact; rather it is the hope of all, above all, of the people of Israel. Eternally linked to that city, its capital, the people of Israel finds itself more often than not in the middle of the storms raging over Jerusalem.

King David, in one of his Psalms, tells us how to establish peace:

Ask for Jerusalem-Peace ùàìå ùìåí éøåùìéí (Ps. 122:6)

This is usually understood as an encouragement to bring peace to Jerusalem. The Hebrew text, however, tells us to ask for the peace represented by Yerushalayim.

The pronunciation of that word indicates a dual form2 , that is, it comprises-- so-to-say-- two Jerusalems, the earthly and the heavenly: they form one unit3 . Without its heavenly aspect, Jerusalem would be like any other city, or capital, in the world. King David gave this dual aspect expression in the term Zion:
áùìí ñåëå åîòåðúå áöéåï

“His tabernacle is in Salem and His residence in Zion” (Ps. 76:3)

It is from and/or through Jerusalem/Zion that the Name of the Lord is to be blessed, and that mankind will find blessing and peace there:
áøåê éé îöéåï ùåëï éøåùìéí äììåéä
“Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, even He that resideth at Jerusalem. Hallelujah”
(Ps. 135:21)
éáøëê ä' îöéåï òùä ùîéí åàøõ

“The Lord that made heavens and earth, bless thee out of Zion” (Ps. 134:3)
òì äøøé-öéåï ëé ùí öåä ä' àú-äáøëä çééí òã-òåìí …
“… for there [=Zion] the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Ps. 133:3)

Prophet Isaiah, expounding on our subject “Ask for Jerusalem-Peace”, lined out the pre-condition for peace, namely the peoples’ “going up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob, that He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” … and then “they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”4 (Is. 2:2-4).

This shows us that human beings – neither liberals nor Jihadists - cannot impose their respective concepts of Jerusalem and of peace upon that city; neither can. Jerusalem and what it stands for be subjected merely to political devices.

Peace can, and should, be attained on the basis of the words of the Prophets. Prophets do not contradict one another. Misconceived theologies do. NT and Koran5 are perfectly in line with the Prophets of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). A return to their original words would pave the way to peace, a way upon which politicians, economists, etc, could safely walk, for the benefit of all

Notes:
1) Originally, Jerusalem was called Salem (Shalem):
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth…” (Gen. 14:18);
In Judah God is known, his name is great in Israel and in Salem is his tabernacle…” (Ps. 76:2,3)

In the time of the Jebusites the city was apparently simply known to them as Jebus:

“… and [he] came over against Jebus which is Jerusalem” (Jud. 19:10).

Apparently the town was called by this name during that Canaanite tribe’s rule (cf Jud. 1:7,21; and many others) until King David and the tribes of all Israel went up there:

“And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem which is Jebus” (1.Chron. 11:4)
“… and in Jerusalem he [David] reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah” (2.Sam. 5:5).

2) Hebrew grammar has, in addition to singular and plural forms, also a dual form, as e.g. éãééí,

yadayim, a pair of hands; øçééí, rehayim, a pair of the two mill stones; also îéí, mayim,

water[s], (i.e. the “waters under the firmament” and the “waters above the firmament”, Gen. 1:6).

3) The idea is expressed even in Jerusalem’s topography: the lower “City of David” and the higher Mount Moriah, or Temple Mount, are geologically and topographically one unit.

4)Applying the term “God of Jacob”, the Prophet forestalls novel concepts of God and of a “new Israel of the spirit” which would supercede “the old Israel of the flesh – Jacob”

4) See my essays:
a) Christian-Jewish Relations according to the PARABLE OF THE OLIVE TREE
b) PEACE IS POSSILE BETWEEN ISHMAEL AND ISRAEL ACCORDING TO THE KORAN

Dr. Asher Eder e-mail: avrason@netvision.net.il

Greetings : Hijri & Christian New Years, Birth Anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Isa (A.S.), Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hussain (R.A.)

2009-12-22T06:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings and Best Wishes

for

Ensuing Muslim and Christian
New Years
Hijri lunar year 1431 and Christian solar year 2010

Anniversary of the Miraculous birth of
Prophet Isa Ibn Maryam
(Peace & Blessings of Allah upon them)

Anniversary of the Martyrdom at Karbala of
Imam Hussain (R.A.), his family members & partisans
(Peace & Blessings of Allah upon them)

from

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Head Office
314/2, J.N. Shaha Road, Kellar Morr, Lalbagh, Dhala-1211
International Affairs Department
24/A, Joar Shahara (Wali Para), Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net
www.bangladeshkhelafatandolan.blogspot.com

Eid Greetings from Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon on the occassion of Eid ul Azha

2009-11-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

BDR Mutiny : BKA Endorses the Concerns of Amnesty International for Fair Trials to Ensure Justice for Victims and Investigation of Torture in Custody

2009-11-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE

Embargoed until 00.01 on 12 November 2009

Bangladesh: Fair trials needed to ensure justice for victims of mutiny

The Bangladesh government must ensure justice for the victims of the February 2009 BDR mutiny by ensuring that all suspects receive a fair trial, Amnesty International said in a report released today.

Looking for Justice: Mutineers on trial in Bangladesh carries testimony from family members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) accused of participating in the mutiny. These reports suggest that scores, possibly hundreds of BDR personnel had suffered torture, for possible involvement in the mutiny. Nearly all were denied the opportunity to seek the assistance of a lawyer for weeks or months.

Amnesty International condemns the unlawful killings, hostage taking and other human rights abuses committed during the mutiny and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. The government of Bangladesh has an opportunity to reinforce trust in the rule of law by ensuring the civilian courts, which will be trying the accused, deliver justice.

“The mutiny was brutal and led to the killing of civilians, and army officers who died in horrific circumstances. It’s vital that the government of Bangladesh brings the perpetrators of these crimes to justice in a manner that is compatible with international law,” said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh Researcher.

Following the mutiny, thousands of BDR personnel were confined to barracks and denied all contact with the outside world. Reports soon emerged as family members began to meet the detainees, alleging that scores, possibly hundreds of BDR personnel had suffered human rights violations, including torture, for possible involvement in the mutiny.

“Looking for justice” documents the methods of torture used including depriving suspects of sleep over a number of days, subjecting suspects to beatings and the use of pliers to crush testicles, inserting needles under suspect’s nails and administering electric shocks.

“The reports of torture that Amnesty International has received are consistent with the previously documented torture and ill treatment of detainees in Bangladesh. It’s not good enough for the authorities to deny that torture isn’t taking place. There needs to be greater accountability on this issue.” said Abbas Faiz.

At least 20 BDR personnel died in custody between 9 March and 6 May 2009 alone. BDR sources claimed that four of them committed suicide, seven died of heart attacks and another nine died from diseases. By 10 October 2009, the total number of BDR Personnel who have died in custody has risen to 48.

Amnesty International welcomes the Supreme Court’s clarification that army courts martial have no jurisdiction to try BDR personnel accused of mass killings and other criminal offences during the February 2009 mutiny.

The government must also reconsider its decision to use Speedy Trial Tribunal because the time limit these courts impose for the completion of the trial may lead to a miscarriage of justice.

Amnesty International urges the government of Bangladesh to ensure that:

- Those suspected of committing crimes must be brought to justice under internationally recognized fair trial standards which include the right to family visits and access to lawyers.

- All allegations of torture must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice in fair trials. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the nature of the crime, and urges the Bangladeshi authorities not to seek the death penalty.

- the government must examine the capacity of the judicial system and if necessary seek assistance from relevant international bodies, to ensure that the criminal justice system has the competencies and resources – and the judges have the necessary training to conduct the trails of such a large number of BDR defendants in accordance with the international standards of fair trail.

- Bangladesh should ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and designate or establish National Preventive Mechanisms in accordance with the Protocol.

Background

Large-scale mutiny at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Dhaka on 25 February 2009 brought fears of an emerging BDR coup and a possible violent counter offensive by the army. The mutineers killed at least 74 people, including six civilians (three women and three men) and 57 army officers seconded to work as BDR commanders, one army soldier, and nine Jawans (lowest BDR rank). Thousands of BDR personnel accused of these killings are now in detention awaiting trial.

Ends

Public Document
****************************************

03 April 2007 Speech at Gothe Inst : The Common Patrimony of Mankind - The Beauty of Unity in Diversity

2009-11-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Speech At Goethe-Institut Auditorium, Dhaka, 03 April 2007
The Common Patrimony of Mankind:
The Beauty of Unity in Diversity
- Kazi Azizul Huq, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Special Guests, Discussants, Audience and the Organizers of the Event at the German Cultural Center,

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Today is the Second Day of the current four day event on Architecture & Religion at the German Cultural Center. I specially thank Mr. Torsten Oertel, Director of German Cultural Center, for inviting me to the discussion titled "The Patrimony of Mankind : Beauty of Unity in Diversity" .

I am an activist of Political Islam and of Quaumi Madrasa System. In the Post Nine Eleven era when Political Islam and Quaumi Madrasa are issues of controversy, I am specifically grateful to the Goethe-Institut for inviting me to speak in this event. I think, Goethe-Institute by inviting me, knowing my difference of opinion, has demonstrated their sincere commitment to the Beauty of Unity in Diversity.

I am an activist of Khelafat Andolon. Our late leader Hazrat Maulana Mohammadullah Hafezzi Huzur (Peace be upon him) used to say :"Muslims are my brethren in Faith, and non-Muslims are my kin, because all human being are children of Adam and Eve (Peace and Blessings of God be upon them)."

God says: "O you men! surely I have created you of a male (i.e. Adam, Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) and a female ( i.e. Eve, Peace & Blessings of God be upon her), and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely to Allah the most honorable of you is the one among you who is most careful (about Divine Will); surely Allah is Knowing, Aware ." (Quran 49:13).

Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said in the Sermon of his Last Hajj: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve (Peace & Blessings of God be upon them), an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action."

All sides need to rationally study the true causes of today's conflict with Islam & Muslims – how much for religion-culture-ethnicity, how much for greed of others' wealth , how much for greed of expansion of domination on others, how much for ego and arrogance, how much for misinterpretation and disinformation, how much for ignorance, how much for blindness, how much for misunderstanding each other. Sometime unfair step of one party may provoke the other to pursue unfair way.

Those who are more powerful and privileged are to act more responsibly than those who are weaker and under-privileged. If the powerful and privileged ones misuse their power and privileges, shall be deprived of their power and privileges today or tomorrow.

Human being is blessed with the acumen to minutely measure and analyze the subjects and objects within human range. Such as the goldsmith's scale can weigh small pieces of gold and silver. But if one wants to weigh the Himalayan Mountain by a goldsmith's scale, it would be impossible. It does not mean that the goldsmith's scale is imperfect. Similarly even though a human mind is perfect and measures without error yet can not know the origin of God, such as a goldsmith's scale can not weigh the Himalayan Mountain. I believe in God; I spend time in the company of the beloved ones of God; I try to walk in compliance with the Will of God.

We have been trying to promote intercommunity relationship among Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Christians – so that mutual trust and compassion increases. Sri Sanjeeb Chowdhury, the founder Vice President of the Bangladesh Inter-Religious Council for Peace and Justice (BICPAJ), has been included in the Central Executive Committee of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon as an Advisor; Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon is in Dialogue with the Interfaith Strength of American Jewish Committee (AJC). In identifying good and bad, sin and virtues - we all communities have great similarities. Most of our religions are based on theism. But in our today's world most of the ruling elite of all communities and nations are under heavy influence of atheism & materialism of European civilization. Consequently the basis of Unity of the Mankind has been weakened. We have taken an initiative so that all beloved ones of God of all communities having Faith in and dependence on Almighty God can move forward to lead the mankind through evaluation of good deeds and implementation of justice.

When there was nothing, Great God was present. Great God is the source of everything in the creation. Unity, disunity, contradiction, difference, conflict, fight, truce – whatever there are in the creation, visible or invisible – everything is controlled by Great God. We understand or not, we like or dislike – Unity centering Great God exist. Therefore, we see a wonderful Unity in Diversity in the nature and creation. Great God has Blessed humankind with will power, intelligence and more efficient physical body. I believe, if the Mankind uses its freedom and higher qualities not to rebel against Great God but to fulfill His expectations then our diversity and differences will turn into success, beauty and bliss.

May Great God forgive us and make us well-wisher of each other despite our diversity and differences. Amin. Wassalam.

-Kazi Azizul Huq, International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
E-mail: kahuq.bka@gmail.com, khelafat@dhaka.net, Cell: 01819-407963
Khelafat Andolon

In the Sub-continent Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam is an important Force of Peace Against Violent Tactics and Extra-Judicial Killings

2009-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

10 Nov.2009

In the evening of 2nd November 2009 Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam was shown arrested and on 6 days police (CID) remand in the case of 21 August grenade blast at Awami League meet in Dhaka. At the end of 6 days remand he has again been taken on 4 days remand.

The authorities know very well that Maulana Salam is innocent. Yet they acted under a pre-determined agenda pushed by foreign intelligence and instigated by their local mercenaries and collaborators in the media and civil society (viz. Ain Shalish Kendra ASK, Hotline Bangladesh, Daily Star Group, Reporters Unity - all receive fund and guidance from DFID and British intelligence) .

The truth is that in the Sub-continent Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam is an important force of peace against violent tactics and extra-judicial killings.

01 Nov.2009

At about 10 a.m. of 1st November 2009 Chief of Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam for the Second time was abducted by government agents in civil dress from the premises of Dhaka Court after he had duly attended the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-2. He was on bail granted by High Court.

He duly arrived at the Dhaka Court and met his lawyer in the early morning i.e. 9:30 a.m. and completed his formal appearance before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-2. After he had left the court room his lawyer went to another court room and Maulana Salam was alone on his way to leave the court premises. Reliable sources informed that Maulana Salam was abducted by government agents at around 10:15 a.m.

Lawyers informed us that in recent days many people have been abducted by Government agents in similar way and are kept in unknown custody for weeks without producing in any court - and after such illegal custody one day the victim is produced to the court as accused in any old bad case.

We are worried whether any foreign or local vested interest wants to eliminate Maulana Salam since he is the key person for our efforts to engage religious Muslims in non-violent civil movement.

Torture in Custody to compel the victim to sign false statement created by government agents as per pre-determined agenda continues to be a serious problem in Bangladesh.

If the liberal space for Islamic clerics and activists is not shrunken, they are unlikely to choose the path of armed struggle in Bangladesh

2009-11-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Schooling Faith in Islam

Dear Friends,

BBC journalist Mr. Roland Buerk in his report of 26/2/2005 had expressed his concern about "Schooling Faith" in Islam.

The root of the problem lies in some Englishmen’s obsession to rule the world forever. European Renaissance and Industrial Revolution in Europe created vested interests who want to rule the world forever by the vices and institutions of atheism, materialism, colonialism, opportunism, hedonism, fornication and such other perversions and evils.

Those who do not have the compassion to look after their parents at their old age, want to teach the Afro-Asian nations about Human Rights and Good Governance. Obviously their aim is neither Human Rights nor Good Governance. Their aim is to promote their domination over the world forever. And that's nonsense. And they are already losing this battle.

I have been a member of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon for more than 25 years and I am very close to the Islamic Clerics and Non-Gov't Madrasa system (i.e. Quaumi Madrasa) and its pupils and teachers. I honestly and sincerely support the Talebans and the freedom fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, though I agree that they are human beings and they are not immune from prejudices, wrongs and errors. But like my compatriots I strongly pursue a policy of not taking up arms in Bangladesh so long we enjoy Freedom of Expression.

Founder of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Late Hazrat Maulana Muhammadullah Hafezzee Huzur (Peace of God be upon him), is one of the founders of the Non-Government Madrasa System in Bangladesh. He used to say in both indoor and public meetings, "Muslims are our brethren in religion, but Hindus and non-Muslims are our kin. We are all descendents and children of same parents Adam & Eve (Blessings of God be upon them)."

But BBC's Mr. Roland Buerk's local guide took him to the so-called madrasa child student in Narayangonj who said to Burek "I want to spread Islam, to convert Hindus into Muslims". I am sure this part of the report is blatant lie.

There is no record that Madrasa students after graduation engage themselves in missionary activities to convert the Hindus to Islam. But the Christian Missionaries are doing it, usually backed by western fund while Christians themselves in the West are deserting their churches.

Soon after BBC’s report, I sent faxes and e-mails to BBC expressing my curiosity to meet Mr. Burek's guide and the so-called Madrasa student he interviewed. They never responded. Most likely because it was a concocted story in line with the campaign to pressurize the administration to crackdown on Islamic institutions in Bangladesh.

The fact is that the Non-Gvernment Islamic Madrasa in Bangladlesh (i.e. Quaumi Madrasa) are NGO Islamic schools which are struggling to protect and promote Islamic Heritage & Culture. Literacy in Islamic scripts and orientation in righteous pious life is their main concern.

It is true that situation for quick growth of Islamic militancy all over the world exist. But if the liberal space for Islamic clerics and activists is not shrunken, they are unlikely to choose the path of armed struggle in Bangladesh. Best regards,

Kazi Azizul Huq,
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Our problem is not our poverty. Our problem is our selfish unpatriotic elite who are knowingly or unknowingly serving as foreign mercenaries

2009-10-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

from Kazi Azizul Huq
to liz.philipson....
date Jun 25, 2007 7:38 PM
subject Thanks for your mail of 24 June 2007

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Dhaka, Monday 26 June 2007.

Dear Mrs. Liz,

Thank you for your mail.

If I am asked to speak about the political situation of Bangladesh, I can not suppress the truth that the so-called 'Democracies of the Free World' have successfully taken away whatever little Freedom my Motherland had. Our problem is not our poverty. Our problem is our selfish unpatriotic elite who are knowingly or unknowingly serving as the mercenaries of foreign vested interests.

On 12 Feb 2007 in a letter addressed to the Hon. Chief Advisor of the current Caretaker Government of Bangladesh we wrote:"..fascism of Awami League, palace conspiracy of BNP and so-called 'Free Media' & 'Civil Society' controlled and manipulated by Euro-American vested interests have almost stripped Bangladesh of her sovereignty."

In the first week of January we came to know that American Embassy and British High Commission were secretly meeting senior officers of Bangladesh Army. The country was on the brink of a civil war. The So-called 'International Community' and their mercenaries at the helm of 'Free Media' & 'Civil Society' had already succeeded in creating such a situation that even Bangladesh military was not in a position to intervene without the support of US and her partners (UK, EU, India, UN) only who could tune the 'Free Media' and the 'Civil Society' in line with their agenda.

As a person, US Ambassador Butenis seemed better than other diplomats and the elite of my own country.

Initially the Emergency was welcomed by common people as they felt relieved since the country was on the verge of fratricidal civil war. But the so-called joint forces in the plea of recovering government lands destroyed small business of Hundreds of thousands of self-employed lower and lower middle-class families without any rehabilitation. Price hike, increasing unemployment, huge number of self-employed hawkers and small business owners suddenly rendered unemployed, reduction of flow money circulation - al together the situation is apparently very worrying.

However, Bangladesh is the land of Saints and Sufis. Allah Himself is its protector. Local or foreign traitors, whoever exceeds limit shall be punished.

I look forward to meeting you in Dhaka.

With best wishes and best regards.

Huq

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary,
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

At 03:22 AM 6/24/2007, you wrote:

Dear Mr Haq

I received your test message. I have not visited Bangladesh since last October - though I have been watching events from afar with great interest and would love to have been there. I am hoping to return before the end of this year and I also hope that I shall be able to see you and talk to you about your views of the way politics are developing within your country.

Best Wishes
Liz

PRESS RELEASE : Sharing Common Concerns of Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops held in Vatican

2009-10-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Dt: Friday 09 Oct.2009
PRESS RELEASE

Dear Editor,

Assalamu Alaykum. Courtesy Vatican Information Service [VIS 091005, 091007] we are copying hereunder selected quotations from the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops held in Vatican recently. Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon shares with Vatican similar concern about many of the issues copied hereunder. We strongly feel that the administrations of EU, USA and UN should return to divine moral values and pursue aim of reaching “high measure” of virtuous life. They should change their current harmful agenda for promotion of :-

(1) practical materialism, combined with relativist and nihilist thinking

(2) export its spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents

(3) new global ethic which aggressively seeks to persuade African and Asian governments and communities to accept new and different meanings of concepts of family, marriage and human sexuality

(4) second wave of colonisation both subtle and ruthless at the same time

(5) liberalism, secularism and …lobbyists who squat at the United Nations

(6) structural injustice rooted in European and United States policies

(7) The 'Aid Industry', which feeds on selling negative and outmoded stereotypes of Africans and Asians as helpless victims of endless wars and constant famines.

For Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary

QUOTATIONS

HH POPE BENEDICT XVI:

Africa ..represents an enormous spiritual 'lung' for a humanity that appears to be in a crisis of faith and hope ...at the moment, at least two dangerous pathologies are attacking it: firstly, an illness that is already widespread in the West, that is, practical materialism, combined with relativist and nihilist thinking........First World has exported and continues to export its spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents….in this sense, colonialism which is over at a political level, has never really entirely come to an end.....The "second 'virus' that could hit Africa..is religious fundamentalism, mixed with political and economic interests……in God's name, but following a logic that is opposed to divine logic, that is, teaching and practicing not love and respect for freedom, but intolerance and violence ...

Matrimony as it is presented to us in the Bible, does not exist outside of the relationship with God. Married life between a man and a woman, and therefore of the family that springs from that, is inscribed into the communion with God Jesus welcomes the children..we see the image of the Church that, in Africa, and in every other part of the planet, demonstrates her maternal concern especially for the smallest, even before they are born ....

The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace.. one must always aim at the 'high measure' of Christian life, that is to say holiness

reconciliation is the stable foundation upon which peace is built, the necessary condition for the true progress of mankind and society, according to the project of justice ordained by God....

conflicts currently endangering the peace and security of the people of Africa. episodes of violence that have affected the people of Guinea I invite all parties to engage in dialogue and reconciliation.. spare no efforts to reach a just and equitable solution.....

carry out empirical studies yet practical analyses, though conducted with precision and competence, do not indicate the true problems of the world if we do not see everything in the light of God.our analyses are deficient if we do not realise that behind the injustice of corruption, and all such things, is an unjust heart, a closure towards God and thus a falsification of the fundamental relationship upon which all other relationships are founded....

ARCHBISHOP BUTI JOSEPH TLHAGALE O.M.I. OF JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA:-

Moral values embedded in the diverse African cultures, alongside the Gospel values, are threatened by the new global ethic which aggressively seeks to persuade African governments and communities to accept new and different meanings of concepts of family, marriage and human sexuality.

The cultures of Africa are under heavy strain from liberalism, secularism and from lobbyists who squat at the United Nations.

Africa faces a second wave of colonisation both subtle and ruthless at the same time. ...

Lay people, by virtue of their Baptism, have a significant role to play. They are expected to witness in the public square, in their families and places of work. Their Christian voice in the face of the many challenges in Africa, is weak, muffled or simply silent.

The hierarchy is without credible partners in the work of the transformation of Africa. Lay Catholics need to be given a voice in order to stand up and be counted for their Catholic faith. The hierarchy cannot do it alone.

FR. KIERAN O'REILLY, SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MISSIONS:-

to address issues of structural injustice rooted in European and United States policies that affect Africa adversely. ...

As the 'family of God' the Church is challenged to witness and promote the universality of God's love for all people and the future unity of humanity....

Africa is poorly served by the mass media, which focuses almost exclusively on the bad news, thus creating a widely accepted narrative of a continent in a constant state of crisis. ..

The 'Aid Industry', too, feeds on selling negative and outmoded stereotypes of Africans as helpless victims of endless wars and constant famines.

[Source : Vatican Information Service www.visnews.org or www.vatican.va ]

Letter to White House : Forwarding Comment of Father Timm on President Obama's Cairo Speech

2009-10-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 02, 2009.

To:
Mr. David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to the President,
White House,
Washignton D.C. USA.

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Subject: Forwarding Comment of Father Timm on President Obama's Cairo Speech.

Mohtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

We are forwarding hereunder comment of Father Timm on President Obama's Cairo Speech.

Rev. Father Richard William Timm CSC is an American educator, zoologist and activist for the post-World War-ll neo-colonial Anglo-American Agenda. Since 1952, Father Richard W. Timm has been working in the territory now called Bangladesh.

In view of the latest anti-Obama campaign, it seems that you need to know this comment. This comment means that American Ideals declared by its founders is not American Agenda.

And we know that the American Agenda in the 20th and 21st Century has been to serve as the face and fore front of British Colonialism - which is waiting to be defeated by divine people under Divine Leadership.

Unless the US and the Jewish people are able to disassociate themselves from British Agenda and conspiracies - they will not be able to serve the God they believe in and want to serve.

Maassalam.

Kazi Aziz

Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Cell: 01819-407963. Tel: 8411436.
Fax: +880-2-8411436
E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net, khelafat@dhaka.net

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:49:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: DICK TIMM
Subject: Re: We generally endorse President Obama's Cairo Speech
To: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Dear Friends,

Thank you for sending me the complete text of President Obama's talk. This has been my first opportunity to read it in its fullness. Although it tends to be idealistic, we can all reach a higher level of idealism by inspired leadership and sharing with one another.

Father Timm

--- On Fri, 6/12/09, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon wrote:
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: We generally endorse President Obama's Cairo Speech
To: "US Deptt. of State"
Cc: feedback@pmo.gov.bd, pemnews.dhk@gmail.com, feedback@mfa.gov.il, inquiries@un.org, nizamuddin.ahmed@thomsonreuters.com
Date: Friday, June 12, 2009, 8:50 AM

..in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. - President Obama
==========================
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Cairo,Egypt)
________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON A NEW BEGINNING
Cairo University
Cairo, Egypt

1:10 P.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning; and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. And together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I'm grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu alaykum. (Applause.)

We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world -- tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. All this has bred more fear and more mistrust.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." (Applause.) That is what I will try to do today -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

Now part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I'm a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam -- at places like Al-Azhar -- that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities -- (applause) -- it was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. (Applause.)

I also know that Islam has always been a part of America's story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President, John Adams, wrote, "The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims." And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States. They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they've excelled in our sports arenas, they've won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building, and lit the Olympic Torch. And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers -- Thomas Jefferson -- kept in his personal library. (Applause.)

So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. (Applause.)

But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. (Applause.) Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words -- within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum -- "Out of many, one."

Now, much has been made of the fact that an African American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President. (Applause.) But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores -- and that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average. (Applause.)

Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab and to punish those who would deny it. (Applause.)

So let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.

Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead; and if we understand that the challenges we face are shared, and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.

For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. (Applause.) That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings.

And this is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes -- and, yes, religions -- subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; our progress must be shared. (Applause.)

Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite: We must face these tensions squarely. And so in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.

The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms.

In Ankara, I made clear that America is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam. (Applause.) We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security -- because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people.

The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice; we went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.

Now, make no mistake: We do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We see no military -- we seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict. We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.

And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths -- but more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam. The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as -- it is as if he has killed all mankind. (Applause.) And the Holy Koran also says whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind. (Applause.) The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism -- it is an important part of promoting peace.

Now, we also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced. That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.

Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. (Applause.) Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: "I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be."

Today, America has a dual responsibility: to help Iraq forge a better future -- and to leave Iraq to Iraqis. And I have made it clear to the Iraqi people -- (applause) -- I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no bases, and no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's democratically elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July, and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012. (Applause.) We will help Iraq train its security forces and develop its economy. But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner, and never as a patron.

And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. Nine-eleven was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year. (Applause.)

So America will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Muslim communities which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer.
The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.

America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed -- more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction -- or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews -- is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people -- Muslims and Christians -- have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they've endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations -- large and small -- that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. (Applause.)

For decades then, there has been a stalemate: two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It's easy to point fingers -- for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought about by Israel's founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. (Applause.)
That is in Israel's interest, Palestine's interest, America's interest, and the world's interest. And that is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience and dedication that the task requires. (Applause.) The obligations -- the obligations that the parties have agreed to under the road map are clear. For peace to come, it is time for them -- and all of us -- to live up to our responsibilities.

Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and it does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign neither of courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That's not how moral authority is claimed; that's how it is surrendered.

Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist.

At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. (Applause.) This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop. (Applause.)

And Israel must also live up to its obligation to ensure that Palestinians can live and work and develop their society. Just as it devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security; neither does the continuing lack of opportunity in the West Bank. Progress in the daily lives of the Palestinian people must be a critical part of a road to peace, and Israel must take concrete steps to enable such progress.

And finally, the Arab states must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities. The Arab-Israeli conflict should no longer be used to distract the people of Arab nations from other problems. Instead, it must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state, to recognize Israel's legitimacy, and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past.

America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and we will say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs. (Applause.) We cannot impose peace. But privately, many Muslims recognize that Israel will not go away. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need for a Palestinian state. It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.

Too many tears have been shed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of the three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra -- (applause) -- as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, peace be upon them, joined in prayer. (Applause.)

The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.

This issue has been a source of tension between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is in fact a tumultuous history between us. In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians. This history is well known. Rather than remain trapped in the past, I've made it clear to Iran's leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build.

I recognize it will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude, and resolve. There will be many issues to discuss between our two countries, and we are willing to move forward without preconditions on the basis of mutual respect. But it is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear weapons, we have reached a decisive point. This is not simply about America's interests. It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.

I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nation should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons. (Applause.) And any nation -- including Iran -- should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the treaty, and it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I'm hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.

The fourth issue that I will address is democracy. (Applause.)

I know -- I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear: No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other.

That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people. Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere. (Applause.)

Now, there is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear: Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments -- provided they govern with respect for all their people.

This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they're out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. (Applause.) So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power: You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Barack Obama, we love you!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.

Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it's being challenged in many different ways.

Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld -- whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. (Applause.) And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims, as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.

Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.

Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit -- for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.

In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why we're forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews. That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations. Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service, so bridges between peoples lead to action -- whether it is combating malaria in Africa, or providing relief after a natural disaster.

The sixth issue -- the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights. (Applause.) I know –- I knoow -- and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. (Applause.) And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now, let me be clear: Issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.
I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. (Applause.) Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity -- men and women -- to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. And that is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams. (Applause.)
Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity.

I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information, but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home. Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities, but also huge disruptions and change in communities. In all nations -- including America -- this change can bring fear. Fear that because of modernity we lose control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly our identities -- those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.

But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing progress within Muslim-majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai. In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education.

And this is important because no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the ground, nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work. Many Gulf states have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century -- (applause) -- and in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas. I'm emphasizing such investment within my own country. And while America in the past has focused on oil and gas when it comes to this part of the world, we now seek a broader engagement.

On education, we will expand exchange programs, and increase scholarships, like the one that brought my father to America. (Applause.) At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students with internships in America; invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world; and create a new online network, so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.

On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries. And I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim-majority countries, and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We'll open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops. Today I'm announcing a new global effort with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.

All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments; community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life.
The issues that I have described will not be easy to address. But we have a responsibility to join together on behalf of the world that we seek -- a world where extremists no longer threaten our people, and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own, and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes; a world where governments serve their citizens, and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek. But we can only achieve it together.

I know there are many -- Muslim and non-Muslim -- who question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division, and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort -- that we are fated to disagree, and civilizations are doomed to clash. Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There's so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country -- you, more than anyone, have the ability to reimagine the world, to remake this world.

All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort -- a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.

It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There's one rule that lies at the heart of every religion -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. (Applause.) This truth transcends nations and peoples -- a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization, and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It's a faith in other people, and it's what brought me here today.

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."
The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Applause.)

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
END
2:05 P.M. (Local)

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For Creation of Palestine State Muslim/Arab side also needs piety & sincerity to honor agreement

2009-09-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:40:14 +0600

To:
H.E. President Mahmud Abbas
H.R.H. King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
H.E. Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei

Cc:
H.E.President Barack Obama
To Whom It May Concern

Subject: For Creation of Palestine State Muslim/Arab side also needs piety & sincerity to honor agreement

Mohtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

Our Jewish friend Dr. Richard L.Benkin in recent correspondence among PA diplomat, Dr. Benkin and me commented that the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere would have ended long ago if the Arab-Muslim side were represented by real devout follower of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and his faith, Islam. The divine ordinance obliges all individuals and parties to abide by agreement. And it is true that till date the Muslim/Arab side has little spirit to honor the agreement reached between PA and Israel. Muslim community has more than 40 states while the Jews are struggling to secure their only one state. We should not forget what Allah said to Holy Prophet Hazrat Daud (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) who had many wives and still he intended to marry the wife of another person.

The Jewish people are suffering from the obsession that they are the "Chosen People of Allah" and the Muslims are also suffering from the obsession that they are the "Chosen Ummah of Allah". But no one is caring that true Faith, Piety and commitment to covenants is the basic requirement to be Chosen by Allah.

The pro-Israeli Weekly Blitz has published an article titled "The ignorant arrogance of the advice-givers" written by Mr. Barry Rubin. Neither I have read the June 22 Newsweek article by Jacob Weisberg nor my purpose here is to endorse the content of the article of Mr. Barry Rubin. But the article reveals some of the genuine concerns of Israel - resolution of which largely depends on the Muslims and Arabs.

I am forwarding a copy of the article and urge all concerned to be sincere to the agreements already reached to create the State of Palestine.

May Allah forgive us and Bless us with His support to be His obedient servants.

Maassalm.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Cell: 01819-407963. Tel: 8411436. Fax: +880-2-8411436
E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net, khelafat@dhaka.net
Blog: www.bangladeshkhelafatandolan.blogspot.com

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Weekly Blitz
VOLUME - 4, ISSUE - 39, DHAKA, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/index.php?id=950

The ignorant arrogance of the advice-givers
Barry Rubin

One remarkable thing about watching the Middle East is how what’s celebrated as brilliant in Europe or America is errant nonsense. Writing such stuff makes people successful and gives them an audience of millions. What they say is so ridiculous that one wants to laugh, yet so totally accepted as true in Washington and European capitals that the laughter would be laughed at. The article to which I refer is by Jacob Weisberg in the June 22 Newsweek, entitled, “A Friend in Need: Barack gets tough on Bibi.” It is far more terrible because Weisberg is neither leftist nor anti-Israel but has simply imbibed what “everyone says.” Let me quickly add that while I don’t know Weisberg personally, I’m confident in saying he has no serious training in the Middle East, speaks neither Arabic nor Hebrew, spends little time researching the region, and has no real qualification for making the judgments he does.

Here's the theme: Israelis are so stupid about their country, situation, and region on the life-and-death issues which they have been dealing with for decades that they must be saved in spite of themselves by people who have no knowledge or experience on any of these things. No other country in the world is so frequently told this kind of thing which I hear all the time from Europeans, too.

Is it so hard to comprehend that our views and behavior are based on years of experience and study? That we know best how to save ourselves and have been doing a far better job of it, against tremendous odds and unhelpful kibbitzers,than many others? That heeding their prescriptions would be disastrous, in fact have already proven so? After all, the tragic history of the last 20 years has largely resulted from listening to the same advice he gives now,

When one tries to explain these things in conversations, however, you can see their eyes go blank and their ears close up.

Weisberg’s article follows this pattern. The United States, he says (and these are main elements in the rhetoric among supporters of the Obama administration and several European governments) must show Israel “tough love,” lean “harder on Jews and the Arabs to get serious about a deal,” and stop “fostering Israeli illusions that there [is] an alternative to trading land for peace.”

All three of these arguments are based on false premises.

Tough love: This derives from the late 1980s and early 1990s when the left side of the Israeli spectrum was pushing the land-for-peace and negotiate with the PLO arguments against their rivals on the right. A little U.S. pressure, they argued, would help get talks going.

A lot has happened since then, however, notably the 1992-2000 Oslo process. This proved to the vast majority of Israelis that the Palestinian leadership (and Syria, too, for that matter) wasn’t ready or interested in peace. Disillusioned, a lot of these people supported Ariel Sharon and the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, the results of which (Hamas takeover, rocket fire) made them even more disenchanted.

That’s why the Labour partywhich invented the land-for-peace argument in the first place and made the Oslo agreement and offered a two-state solution in 2000is now in a coalition government with the Likud party. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not a “right-wing” or “hard-line” leader but someone who speaks for the national consensus, a consensus based on education through painful, bloody experience.

Israel also faces a more hostile Europe, an Iran racing toward nuclear weapons, an intransigent and incompetent Palestinian Authority, plus Hamas and Hizballah.

Today the last thing Israelis need or want is pressure to make more concessions to the Palestinians. They’ve already made a lot; these didn’t lead anywhere good. What Israel needs today is not “tough love” but real support.

Push “harder on Jews and the Arabs to get serious about a deal”: The false assumption here is that getting an agreement, any agreement, is a desperate need of the two sides and of the region as a whole.

In fact, Israel is doing very well without any comprehensive peace agreement. The economy is doing fine; morale is high; security improved. Moreover, this concept pays no attention to the idea that a deal can be a bad one, inherently instable and leading to more violence.

It never enters the minds of these people that a “peace” agreement that was broken or had dangerous provisions (giving up strategic territory; east Jerusalem; empowering a radical regime in a next-door Palestinian state; opening the door to foreign Arab or Iranian armies entering; bringing in millions of Palestinian Arabs to Israel) could leave Israel far worse off.

As for the Palestinian leadership, far from being desperate for a deal it is desperate to avoid one on anything other than its own unrealistic terms.

Stop “fostering Israeli illusions that there [is] an alternative to trading land for peace.” This one makes me laugh. Everyone in Israel knows that there can be no comprehensive agreement without trading land for peace. The question is, however, whether any comprehensive agreement on decent terms is possible at this time.

In addition, the question is also which land. Israel has focused on three to five percent of the West Bank that is strategically important and has large concentrations of Israeli population.

Finally, if someone doesn’t understand that the barrier to peace is the Palestinians and not Israel, any advice they give Israel is going to be worthless.

As for those giving advice, here’s what we’ve seen in the last six months from those who want to “save” others by imposing their own vision:

--The idea that stopping construction on Jewish settlements would bring some Arab concession has already proven wrong.

--The idea that engagement with Iran would work has already proven wrong.

--The idea that the United States could successfully engage Syria in a set of mutual compromises has already proven wrong.

--The idea that an Obama charm offensive would bring higher levels of Arab support has already proven wrong. And that's just in six months!

Let’s have a little humility and readiness to listen, please, from those who would play with the lives of other people.

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley).

The Core Cause of the On Going Confrontation

2009-09-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

From Kazi Azizul Huq to Dr. Richard L. Benkin

Tuesday, Sept. 08, 2009.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Dear Brother Richard,

Assalamu Alaykum.

Greetings and special prayers for you during this Holy Month of Ramadan. Also greetings for the ensuing Jewish Days of Awe since repentance and introspection keeps all we Believers obedient to Allah.

On 29th October 2001 we wrote a letter to Muhtaram Pope John Paul ll. This letter may give you some idea about our interpretation of the core cause of the on going confrontation.

We do not support totalitarianism. But Believers need to resist globalization of De-Faithing and de-humanization of the mankind.

The society that does not teach their children to look after own parents at their old age - how can they teach us human rights?

To commit sin is humane. But to legalize sin is rebellion against Allah. The British administration (DFID and intelligence) with the support of EU, US and their mercenaries and collaborators have been working for decades to create situation to legalize fornication, live-together, homosexual living in Asia and Africa including my Bangladesh. They are exploiting Gender issue to weaken our social bond and social fabric. They are exploiting Good Governance program to weaken our government and strengthen their mercenaries (Media / Think-tank / NGO / agents inside ruling elite / agents inside intellectual elite) to impose their will on our nation. The Believers have a common duty against those who rebel against Allah.

We are not perfect. So we introspect, repent and try to correct ourselves. This the way of a Believer's life. Resilience has become a way of protecting own values and own way of life from external conspiracies of evil forces. It is really not totalitarianism.

However, I am seriously studying your words. We need to interact with each other to improve our ways and community to community relation. I have already reached this realization that neither the US nor Israel is our real enemy. Our real enemy is the evil agenda of the British who want to de-Faith us and legalize major sins in our Muslim counties.

May Allah forgive us all and Guide us all to His Will.

With best wishes and best regards.

Maassalam.

Your Brother

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

---------

From Dr. Richard L. Benkin to Kazi Azizul Huq

Monday, Sept.07, 2009.

Dear Brother Huq,

Shalom Aleichem--and a special prayer for your peace as we approached the Jewish Days of Awe, which soon will be upon us.

I think there needs to be some really open debate here. For on the one hand, there can be no doubt that radical Islam represents a grave danger to much of the world and stands behind the murder of innocents. It is also difficult to think of a world conflict in which radical Islam is not involved. The fact that my brother entitled the article "the nasty side" of radical Islam presupposes that there is another side, too.

But, Brother Huq, while I certainly defer to you as a far greater expert than my, the way I understand Islam tells me that the radical Islamists claim to be true to the faith but are not. Three days after the 9/11 attacks, Dr. Daniel Pipes, a friend and non-Muslim scholar of Islam wrote:

"THAT the assault on New York's highest buildings and the American military headquarters appears to have been organised by Osama bin Laden and carried out exclusively by Muslims has large implications for

the way Muslim populations living in all Western countries will be seen in the future. Knowing a bit of background helps to explain what brought us to this situation. Bin Laden's men are not just Muslims but also

Islamists. Islam (a religion) is not the problem, but Islamism (a totalitarian ideology) is. Islamism is not so much a distortion of Islam, but a radically new interpretation. It politicises the religion, turning it into a

blueprint for establishing a coerced utopia. In many ways, its programme resembles those of fascism and Marxism/Leninism."

Moreover, most Islamists have not gone through the extensive study of Islam, Islamic law, etc. that traditional Islam requires. They tend to have western educations and apply a stunted interpretation of Islam to try and fix their own frustrations. Their brutal repression of women is contrary to Islam; so is their ethnic cleansing of non-Muslims and forced application of Sharia to them. They pick and choose, and do not allow the scholarly debate that characterizes true religious scholars everywhere. They are incapable of conducting the same sort of interpretation that traditional Islamic leaders once did, for instance, in softening the proscription against usury.

Moreover, I must respectfully take issue with your apologetic for the Iranian government,"But there is quite good kind of rule of law in the Islamic Republic of Iran." That regime has been one of the most repressive on earth--certainly of Muslims, which was on world view not long ago when Muslims protested the election and were ruthlessly put down, even tortured, for it. Plus, that government has engaged in the worst forms of minority repression and ethnic cleansing. I myself have spoken with Jewish and Bahai victims. Persia/Iran has a centuries-long tradition of pluralism, which the mullahs have raped and pillaged. With respect, saying that there are good things in that government is equivalent to those who justified Italian fascism by saying that "Mussolini made the trains run on time." As to the statement that the humanitarian situation is better there than in the US, I can hardly imagine what could possibly lead anyone--especially the residents of Iran--to such a conclusion.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

-------

Dt: Monday, 07 Sept.2009.

To: Mr. Sohail Choudhury, Executive Editor, Weekly Blitz.

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Re: http://www.weeklyblitz.net/index.php?id=924
Nasty side of radical Islam
-Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Dear Sohail Bhai,

Assalamu Alaykum.

Blending truth with lies is worse than blatant lies. The above article titled Nasty side of radical Islam is an unfair article and bad propaganda.

Everything in the post-Islamic Revolution Iran is neither perfect nor is possible to be perfect. But there is quite good kind of rule of law in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Divine, Social and humanitarian situation in Islamic Iran is far better than in Europe, U.S.A. and than in the territories ruled by the collaborators and mercenaries of U.K. and USA.

It is not good to appease those radicals who are prejudiced and senselessly against Islam and against Believer Muslims.

It is good to try to bring the Believer Muslims, Jews and Christians closer and initiate some joint efforts on the basis of common values.

With best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Mail to HH Pope: Anglo-American occupation forces are not "working for peace"

2009-09-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:51:14 +0600

Subject: Anglo-American occupation forces are not "working for peace"

To: H.H. Pope Benedict XVI
Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Mohtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

It is a matter of great regret that the Government of Italy sent soldiers in support of continuation of occupation of Afghanistan. It is not agreeable that the Anglo-American occupation forces are "working for peace".

H.H. Mollah Mohammad Omar is Leader of the Believers and a divine leader defending his Faith, people and country.

The Anglo-American administrations are promoters and protectors of the sins and evils of atheism, agnosticism, materialism, hedonism and social perversions (fornication, extra-marital sex, live-together, homosexual living etc.).

Believers in God irrespective of religious identities and differences need to join their hands in common Divine Cause.

Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary

At 07:07 PM 9/18/2009, you wrote:
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE

NINETEENTH YEAR - N. 157
ENGLISH
FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2009

HOLY FATHER'S GRIEF OVER DEATH OF ITALIAN SOLDIERS IN KABUL
VATICAN CITY, 18 SEP 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI yesterday expressed his grief
at the death of six Italian soldiers, members of the "Folgore" parachute
regiment, in a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, which also caused the
deaths of fifteen other people.

The Holy Father gave assurances of his prayers for the victims and
expressed his "closeness to the families and to everyone involved", declared
Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.

"What causes most sorrow", Fr. Lombardi went on, "is the continuation of
such violence against the very people who are working for peace. ... We hope
that all this bloodshed may, in the end, give way to the peace to which so
many people are committed and are giving their lives".
OP/KABUL ATTACK/LOMBARDI VIS 090918 (140)

Divine Teachings for all Believers : The Holy Quran Sura:XVII (Bani-Israel) Verses:18 to 39

2009-09-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

Divine Teachings for all Believers

The Holy Quran

Sura: XVII (Bani-Israel) Verses: 18 to 39

QUOTE
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

[XVII: 18] Whoever desires this present life, We hasten to him therein what We please for whomsoever We desire, then We assign to him the hell; he shall enter it despised, driven away.

[XVII: 19] And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surely be accepted.

[XVII: 20] All do We aid - these as well as those-- out of the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is not confined.

[XVII: 21] See how We have made some of them to excel others, and certainly the Hereafter is much superior in respect of excellence.

[XVII: 22] Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you sit down despised, neglected.

[XVII: 23] And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him (i.e.Allah), and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word.

[XVII: 24] And make yourself submissively gentle to them (i.e.parents) with compassion, and say: O my Lord! have compassion on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little.

[XVII: 25] Your Lord knows best what is in your minds; if you are good, then He (i.e. Allah) is surely Forgiving to those who turn (to Him) frequently.

[XVII: 26] And give to the near of kin his due and (to) the needy and the wayfarer, and do not squander wastefully.

[XVII: 27] Surely the squanderers are the fellows of the Shaitans and the Shaitan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

[XVII: 28] And if you turn away from them to seek mercy from your Lord, which you hope for, speak to them (i.e.the near of kin, the needy and the wayfarer) a gentle word.

[XVII: 29] And do not make your hand to be shackled to your neck (i.e. miser) nor stretch it forth to the utmost (limit) of its stretching forth, lest you should (afterwards) sit down blamed, stripped off.

[XVII: 30] Surely your Lord makes plentiful the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and He straitens (them); surely He is ever Aware of, Seeing, His servants.

[XVII: 31] And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong.

[XVII: 32] And go not nigh to fornication; surely it is an indecency and an evil way.

[XVII: 33] And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided.

[XVII: 34] And draw not near to the property of the orphan except in a goodly way till he attains his maturity and fulfill the promise; surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.

[XVII: 35] And give full measure when you measure out, and weigh with a true balance; this is fair and better in the end.

[XVII: 36] And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that.

[XVII: 37] And do not go about in the land exultingly (i.e.arrogantly, proudly), for you cannot cut through the earth nor reach the mountains in height.

[XVII: 38] All this-- the evil of it-- is hateful in the sight of your Lord.

[XVII: 39] This is of what your Lord has revealed to you of wisdom, and do not associate any other god with Allah lest you should be thrown into hell, blamed, cast away.

UNQUOTE The Holy Quran Sura : XVII (Bani Israel); Verses 18 to 39.

Call to implement Divine Commandments

2009-08-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

To Whom It May Concern

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon Calls all Judeo-Christian State actors and their mercenaries and collaborators to obey Divine Commandments and reform their laws and values accordingly. Otherwise they are sure to be engulfed in Divine Curse in this world as well as in the Hereafter.

According to Divine Commandments all are required to prohibit atheism, atheistic secularism, fornication, gay-ism and lesbianism which the European and American authorities are legalizing, protecting and promoting.

To commit sin is humane. But to legalize sin means rebellion against Allah.

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon endorses all the following Commandments:-

Commandments in the Judeo-Christian Divine Scriptures as follows:-

I am the Lord your God
You shall have no other gods before me
You shall not make for yourself an idol
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder*
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal***
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

MUSLIM-JEWS DIALOGUE August 2009

2009-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

(1)
By E-mail
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:25:05 +0700
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon khelafat@dhaka.net
Subject: Jewish point of view for consideration

Friday, 08 Aug.2009

To:
HRH. King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen
H.H. Pope Benedict XVI
H.H.Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
HRH King Abdullah
Palestine Embassy

Cc:
H.E. President Barack Obama
H.E President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
To Whom It May Concern

Muhtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

One of our Jewish contacts Dr. Richard L. Benkin has sent following comment to our Facebook wall:

QUOTE
Richard Benkin
There cannot be true ME peace talks until these realities are admitted and dealt with. Without it, we will continue to have the phony slogans and pretend peace talks that never bring peace.

That is only one reason why the Arab adamant refusal to accept Israel as a Jewish State is so critical.

By the way, Arabs and Muslims have full citizenship rights in Israel, serve in the Parliament (Knesset), Supreme Court, etc. Jews--BY LAW--are prohibited from living in Jordan or in a future Palestinian State.

During the Arab occupation of the "West Bank" and Jerusalem, Jews were prohibited from going to their holiest religious sites. Many Jewish sites and institutions were destroyed by the Arabs. But that has never been the case for any religion under Israeli hegemony.

Until there is reciprocity--which the Arabs will not even discuss, as we have seen again this week--there can be no peace talks that will succeed.
Wed at 6:28pm
UNQUOTE

We think, Israel should agree Right of Return for the Palestinians while Arab states in the former Palestinian territory i.e. Jordan and proposed State of Palestine should make provision for granting citizenship to peaceful Jews who make commitment to obey the constitution and the law of the concerned state.

Communists, Atheists and Seculars can not be and should not be trusted to be in the ruling elite of the Holy Land.

An independent City State Jerusalem should be created and administered jointly by the friendly and pious religious clergies of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary

(2)
From: Faik Hamza < >
To: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon < >,
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 06:33:01 +0000

Dr. Richard L. Benkin as all the Zionist leaders in Israel and rest of the world are not admitting the rights of the Palestinian people to return to their homes and are not ready to confess their crimes against humanity. Which they have committed through out the time since 1897 when their first congress decided to establish a home for themselves on the soil of Palestine.

The Jewish people in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan ware living peacefully at these countries till the terrorist of Zion started killing them to force them emigrate to Israel and till now they are living at these countries with their full rights guaranteed

but maybe Dr. Richard do not know that the Jewish state do not allow the people even from reaching the Mosques for praying, as every Friday thousand of Muslims are not allowed to reach Al Bitu al-Mukkadas for Juma prayer not only that but the people are not allowed o reach their schools, Universities or the hospitals they are not allow to move freely at their home towns and often are beaten arrested or humiliated by the Israeli occupation forces lately the Israeli want the Palestinian to recognize it as a Jewish state. We did not force the Jewish to recognize Palestine as a Muslim country and still we welcome any Jewish who wish to live with us in peace the way how we ware living together before 1948.

I assure Dr. Richard that sooner or later, he and the people like him. will be forced to admit their crimes , since we Muslim, Christians and Jewish Palestinians together we will be able to regain our rights and return to our home to build our independent state of Palestine, with Al Quds as its capital under the full control of the Palestinians who over they are without any foreign interference.

(3)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "Faik Hamza" < >,
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 06:43:07 -0500

Faik Hamza is providing all of you with falsehoods and disinformation. Slander is the stock in trade of he and his ilk. Those who listen to it do so at the expense of justice and our future.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

(4)
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 15:09:39 +0000

Do the Dr knows what justice really is

(5)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "Faik Hamza" < >,
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 10:24:26 -0500

Hamza damns himself as a supremacist who seeks the death of all faiths except his. He is the best advertisement for why he and his ilk are a scourge on humanity.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

(6)
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:41:18 +0700
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon < >
Subject: Confidential
Cc: kahuq@dhaka.net

Dear Brother Richard,

Assalamu Alaykum.

I am copying hereunder a part of our 2007 correspondences in which there are 2 mails from Mr. Hamza dtd 1 Aug.2007 and 2 Aug.2007.

Best regards.

Huq

(7)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon" < >
Cc: kahuq@dhaka.net
Subject: Re: Confidential
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 12:06:45 -0500

Dear Brother Huq,

Shalom Aleichem.

This the difference between you and Hamza. I would bet everything I have, as well, that you are a more devout follower of the Prophet Mohammed and his faith, Islam.

Were more people like you, the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere would have ended long ago. I think always about our statement to "agree to disagree." And that is why I defend our relationship and defend you even against people who otherwise are allies of mine. You know I will always stand on my beliefs, regardless of who opposes me; and I believe strongly that you are a good man, an honest man, and a devout man. Enmity of others cannot tear us asunder.

Among civilized individuals, there always will be disagreements and differences in specific goals and positions. You, sir, carry your beliefs and values within the context of a civil society whereby we utilized the same legitimate means to achieve our goals and respect the will of the people, win or lose, within the confines of civil society and protection of minorities as well as the majority.

Hamza also confirms in his email to you that the goal of the Palestinian Authority and its constituent organizations is NOT peace with Israel but the destruction of Israel. Under such circumstance, they cannot be an honest peace partner; the consequences to their people is and have been their doing.

Brother Richard Benkin
Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

(8)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "K A Huq" < >
Subject: Fw: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:29:07 -0500

Brother, please look at this email string between Hamza and me. Does he have an official position with the Palestinian Authority?

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 8:32 PM
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

look our olders gave us the truth about what happened to them 1948 on the hands of the Jews

sure we are obedient, and thats why we are here today a step or maybe two away from regain of what our

fathers and grand fathers lost, what u said about Arabs is not true, maybe for some reasons our leaders right now like to shake hands with their enemy, but be sure thats will not remain for long, the time of cleaning the ignorants as well as you occupiers of Palestine is coming, give damn shit to what that Muslim from India said, the fact is we know who is who, and later on u will discover Dr. that simply you are going to sink in your full of shit, u seem to be so ignorant, you better read the history and learn before its to late Dr.

________________________________________
--------------------
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
To: Faik Hamza
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:04:19 -0500

Now you are simply full of shit.
As has always been the case for the Arabs, you are more interested in propaganda than truth.

And that is why the Arab people are degraded, ignorant, subject to corrupt governments that do not serve their interests, militarily weak, and sporting the highest levels of unemployment and other social ills in the world. At the end of the 20th century, the United Nations and various experts wrote extensively about how democracy and freedom made huge gains in the century--huge gains everywhere--except the Arab world.

I had a debate with a Muslim (not an Arab) journalist in Northern India earlier this year. He said that "every Muslim knows" that the international media is controlled by seven Jews. "Really, I said. Who are they?" And so he named Rupert Murdoch--who is not Jewish and I told him so. "Who else?" I asked. He named Ted Turner of CNN---also not Jewish. But, this man who is one of the disseminators of information, said, every Muslim is taught this and believes it. You would rather keep your children ignorant and obedient than give them the truth, and that is why you always will be complaining about your condition and blame someone else for it.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:11 PM
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

The option of Uganda was never rejected but adapted, for some reasons related to the reality on the ground, since the Jews can not reach in there so eazy, while Palestine was the eazyer as it was under GB mandate, the Jews shifted to the option of Palestine the matter was never related to your prayer of return to Al Quds or Zion more than finding home for the Jewish people, could you tel me you Dr. Richard ware ever you are, or ware ever your birth have taking place, could you tel me what relate you to Palestine, who , from your forth generations was there, why do not you feel great to be as you are now USA, GB or ware ever you are citizen.

look at you, you could not say the names of the north palestine cities correctly they are HIFA, YAFA and AKKA , and yes I still beleive that there is place for the Jewish people in Palestine, they can live with us on equal footing, the way we lived together before 1948, we can co exsist in peace and harmony, but how could this happen, while still you insist to deny me my rights to go back and return to my home.

________________________________________
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
To: Faik Hamza
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:18:22 -0500

No, we never prayed to go to Uganda. Always our prayers have been to return to Jerusalem and Zion. Uganda was suggested by some people but rejected by Jews because it is not our ancestral homeland.

So you mention "North Palestine" and the cities of Haifa, Yaffo, Acco. So, do you accept that you can reach peace with a state of Israel? That Israel can continue to exist? Or do you insist that those cities and others be part of a Palestinian state?

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 8:38 PM
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

Well, here Dr. Richard talking about the promised land. Will Dr. Richard give us some information about the option discussed by the said congress to establish the Jewish state at Uganda, how can prayer for centuries to return to the homeland at Palestine given second option of Uganda, did u ever pray to go back to Uganda in Africa? We Palestinian refugees victims of the victims, never prayed to go any where, but to return to our homeland the soil of Palestine, and the most important we are not demanding to return to Gaza or West Bank, though these are parts of Palestine, but to our homes at north of Palestine, at Hifa, Yafa, Aka and Tabaria in the heart of what you have established temporary.

________________________________________
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
To: Faik Hamza
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:29:05 -0500

By the way, earlier in this email chain, you said, that Jews had to confess their "crimes against humanity. which they have committed through out the time since 1897 when their first congress decided to establish a home for themselves on the soil of Palestine." You are incorrect about the year. We Jews have wanted to return to our ancestral homeland in Jerusalem and Israel for centuries upon centuries. We pray for it every week on our Shabbat, many times yearly during our many religious holidays; always we prayed to return to Jerusalem and Zion; many centuries even before the Zionist Conference in 1897. And we still do. It is in our Jewish religious worship and has always been so.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 12:22 AM
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

why do you take it this way, say i hate been made refugee by Jews, I hate been denied return to my home by Jews and you stop this old new accusations against any one who stand against your injustice, why do you run away by accusing me i hate Jews or I am anti Semitic

----------------------------------

From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
To: Faik Hamza
Subject: Re: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 20:40:29 -0500
So you hate Jews?

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: Faik Hamza
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 8:27 PM
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

Damns you Dr. , I do seek justice, I do seek to return to my father's home, is that a scourge on humanity, I do not stop, but i demand the right of Jewish people to return to their homes. not in Palestine, but the places where they ware brought from. Do the Dr. think that Israel protecting humanity by denying the rights of over 4000000 Palestinian refugees or by giving away their belonging to settlers. I think for the Dr. to be human u must admit to the crimes of the Jewish people you must supporting them so they can achieve their dream of great Israel, and then even there will be no Jordan, Syria or Iraq, but only one state of the chosen people of God.

hey Dr. stop misguiding the world, the world today is not blind of what are you doing daily of great deal of killing non-Jewish.

the world today is no more misguided by your fabricated allegations of been or ware the victims what are you doing today in Palestine is clear your not the victims but the killers of the humanity

(9)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:41:49 +0700
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >, "Mr.Faik Hamza" < >
From: K A Huq < >
Subject: Re: Fw: Jewish point of view for consideration
Cc: "H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen" < >,
"HRH King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud"< >,
"H.E.Seyed Ali Khamenei"< >

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

DHAKA, Sunday, 16 August 2009.

To: Dr. Richard L. Benkin and Mr. Faik Hamza

Cc:
H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG, Israel.
H.R.H. King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, KSA.
H.E.Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran.
To Whom It May Concern

Dear Brothers Richard and Hamza,
Assalamu Alaykum.

1. After receipt of Brother Richard Benkin's mail I talked in detail to Brother Faik Hamza.

2. The purpose of our Dialogue has been reduction of anger and tension and promotion of constructive engagement for peace and justice.

3. Now I think that the correspondence between my two brothers i.e. Dr. Richard Benkin and Mr. Faik Hamza have to be temporarily postponed until both are agreed to disagree and continue constructive dialogue for Peace and Justice.

On 2nd September 2001 we sent a letter to the then Israeli President H.E. Mr. Moshe Katsav. In that letter we wrote:-

QUOTE
I call you my brother, because we believe in the Prophethood of Hazrat Moses Alaihissalam which is testified by the Last Prophet of Allah i.e. Hazrat Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallaho Alaihissalam.

We are the closest and the most compassionate kin of Bani Israel. We have learnt form the Last Revealed Scripture of Allah i.e. The Holy Quran, about the inhuman sufferings inflicted on Bani Israel by Pharaoh. We are definitely partisan of Prophet Hazrat Moses Alsihissalam and his pious & obedient followers amongst Bani Israel. We are completely against Pharaoh and the oppressors like Pharaoh whom we treat to be enemies of Allah and of His Prophets.

Allah Says us in the Holy Quran :

" The apostle believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers ; they all believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His apostles ; We make no difference between any of His apostles: and they say : We hear and obey, our Lord ! Thy forgiveness (do we crave) , and to Thee is the end of all journeys."- (The Holy Quran 2 : 285, Sura Baqarah, Verse No.285).

Allah says in the Holy Quran :

"O people ! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being (Adam) and created his mate (Eve) of the same (kind) and spread from these two many men and women ; and be careful of (your duty to ) Allah, by whom you demand one of the another (your rights) , and (to) the ties of relationship ; surely Allah ever watches over you." (The Quran 4:1 Sura Nisa, Verse No.1)

Therefore, all pious Muslims believe in One Allah, His angels, His books, His apostles ; pious Muslims do not make difference between apostles of Allah ; pious Muslims are modest and they beg forgiveness of Allah ; pious Muslims believe that Allah created mankind from a single pair of parents, i.e. Hazrat Adam Aslaihissalam and his wife Hazrat Eve Alaihissalam - thus the mankind is the progeny of Adam and Eve and are related to each other by blood. Pious Muslims do not believe in the atheistic hypothesis of evolution regarding origin of man which propagates the basis of discrimination i.e. man was originated in different races.

Pious Muslims are inherently non-arrogant, modest and compassionate. It is for the sake of Allah only that they sometime become hard. In fact All apostles of Allah and believers including Hazrat Moses Alaihissalam and his pious followers are Muslims. Islam means surrendering to Allah. Muslim means who has surrendered to Allah. Muslims are neither any race nor any tribe nor any ethnic community. Last apostle of Allah i.e. Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallaho Alaihissalam was brotherly and compassionate to the Jewish people. But unfortunately some of his neighboring Jews turned to be the enemies of Allah. He was required by Allah to be hard to the enemies of Allah.

Divine Revelation in Sura Maidah (V) of the Holy Quran :-

" Verse - 20. And when Musa said to his people : O my people ! remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations. "

" Verse - 21. O my people ! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers."

" Verse - 24. They said : O Musa ! we shall never enter it so long as they are in it; go therefore you and your Lord, then fight you both, surely we will here sit down."

" Verse - 25. He (Musa) said : My Lord ! surely I have no control (upon any) but my own self and my brother ; therefore make a separation between us and the nation of transgressors. " (The Holy Quran, Sura Maidah, Sura No.5 )

Kindly verify above facts from your own sources and Rabbi. The way the State of Israel was created by wiping out indigenous population of Palestine, is not justifiable even in accordance with the principles of the prevailing Western Civilization and its institutions - while the western civilization and its institutions owes largely its existence and promotion to our Jewish brethren. It is a contradiction. It is highly irrational.

Nevertheless, realities on the ground have been accepted by the Palestinians as well as by the neighboring states. Then by what Commandment of the Ten Commandments you are denying the inalienable rights of your Muslim and Christian fellows to have a separate Palestinian homeland ?

Let there be light. Let there be peace. Let again the exalted place of Jerusalem be upheld.
UNQUOTE

On 16th April 2007 we Re-sent a copy of that letter to American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Honorable Chief Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of American Jewish Committee (AJC), sent us a reply in which he wrote:

QUOTE
-Twenty per cent of the State of Israel are Arabs ninety per cent of them being Muslims who are full citizens of the State of Israel.

- Israel's Declaration of Independence 1. affirms equality of rights for non-Jews a position energetically defended by the Israeli courts and 2. calls on the Arab states to live in peace with her.

- Israeli leaders called on the Arab population not to leave their homes in the build up and during the fighting of 1948.

-In 1967 Israel sent a letter via the US to King Hussein urging him not to join Egypt and Syria in trying to exterminate Israel. Hussein ignored this warning and lost control of East Jerusalem and the West Bank as a result. Israel did not force Arab residents to flee this was their (misguided) choice (substantially fueled by anti-Jewish propaganda.).

- Israel's first president Chaim Weizman signed a concordat of cooperation with the Emir Feisal as leader of the Arab world in 1919. Most Arab nations ignored this and launched hostilities and then war against Israel which led to the tragedy of Palestinian displaced persons.

These points make it clear that Israel has never sought to wipe out any population in the Holy Land/mandatory Palestine, but has sought and seeks to live in peace with them and guaranteeing that in its own society, all are equal before the law and equality of franchise, regardless of religion or race.

As far as a Palestinian state is concerned, the goal of establishing such ( a two states solution) is the official policy of the State of Israel, for which it withdrew at the time from the territories in the West Bank under the Oslo accords. Unfortunately, Palestinian violence forced Israel to reoccupy much of these. If the Palestinians will recognize Israel and cease violent acts against its citizens, they will gain their legitimate aspiration for a state (which is actually in the interests of the State of Israel as well.)

Blessings from Al Kuds Al Sharifa in the prayer that all who hold Jerusalem dear will be able to enjoy her sanctity and beauty in safety and dignity.
UNQUOTE

In 2007 the representative of the Palestinian Authority verbally informed us following points to be communicated to our Jewish counterpart :-

QUOTE
Equality of Citizenship in Israel:
It is not true that all citizens irrespective of Jews or Arab Muslims enjoy equal status and opportunities in Israel. Even all Jews are not equal in Israel.

There are 3 classes of Jews in Israel:
(a) Western Jews (European/American) the privileged Class
(b) Eastern Jews (Middle Eastern) the under-privileged Class
(c) Black Jews (African) like the slave Class

Western Jews (from Europe/USA/Canada) enjoy higher status and opportunities in Israel. Eastern Jews and African Jews suffer discrimination.

Arabs generally suffer more severe discrimination and frequent persecution, intimidation and suffocation. Even those Arabs who are in good book of the Jews and have been made Knesset members are not spared from frivolous allegations and charges based on communal suspicion.

Territory and Border of Israel :
On the entrance of Israeli Knesset (Parliament) and on one side of Israeli currency the territory of Israel is shown from the Nile to the Euphrates.

It indicates Israel’s belligerent provocative nature.

Right of Return:
The Jews from anywhere in the world are considered to have the Right of Return to Israel though those Jews or their parents or their grandparents were not inhabitant of that land.

Palestinians who themselves or their parents or their grandparents were inhabitant of that land are denied of the Right of Return.
UNQUOTE

We duly communicated the same to our Jewish Counterpart in Israel.

Honorable Chief Rabbi David Rosen of Israel sent to us following reply:-

QUOTE
Allow me to express my appreciation for the spirit in which you have initiated and continue this discussion in keeping with the injunctions of the Prophet PBUH, to engage others especially the Peoples of the Book in respectful discourse; and in keeping with his revelation of the Divine injunction "to know one another".

I am also grateful for the opportunity you offer me to dispel distortions, falsehoods and myths, that have become widespread as a result of the poison of politics and propaganda which "blind the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the just ".

I refer to your points in the order you have numbered them.

1. This allegation reveals great ignorance regarding Israeli politics and society. Not only is there complete equality of franchise for Arabs and Jews whether Sephardic (from the ME, Asia and Africa essentially Muslim lands) or Ashkenazic ( essentially from European lands), but the current President of Israel, the Minister of Defense, the Attorney General, the Chief of Staff (and I could go on) are all Sephardic Jews and the Sephardic religious party, Shas, is currently being "courted" by the candidates for the next presidency, revealing the degree to which it exerts control in Israeli political life.

Moreover my own son-in-law's parents come from Morocco and I certainly do not consider him not our grandchildren to be second class citizens in any way.

I can only conclude that the strange and spurious reference to Black African Jews concerns Jews from Ethiopia (there are of course many black Jews from Yemen and Jews from southern Africa residing in Israel.) It is true that Ethiopian Jews face many difficulties due to the fact that before their return to the Jewish homeland they have lived in a very different and disadvantaged cultural context without the same educational opportunities. However not only is there no institutional discrimination against them, but the State actually allocates additional resources for social and educational services as a means of affirmative action.

The complete falsehood of this allegation about different classes of Jews, should lead you to conclude that the allegations concerning Israel's Arab citizens are similarly as false.

2. There is no emblem of Israel's currency at the Knesset. However there is a pattern on the ten agorot coin (approximately one penny sterling hardly a significant coinage !) that could be seen as a map of the Middle East and may be seen as an allusion to the journeys of our Father Abraham. There is no basis to any claim that the motive behind this outline on the ten agorot coin is belligerent (and as I say, if there would have been any significant motive, it would have made sense to use a more prestigious coin or note! ) However let us for argument's sake allow that the reference intended by this pattern is to indicate that the Divine promise to Abraham Isaac and Jacob as written in the Torah was to inherit the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Does this imply belligerence ? Judaism like Islam forbids any act of violence against innocents and prohibits theft and robbery of any person. No Divine promise can permit the transgression of God's Law and His moral prohibitions. There are certainly Jews who dream that one day God's promises will be fulfilled, but no decent Jew thinks for one minute that that allows him to wage war against others especially believers in the One God nor God forbid to steal others' property.

The parallel would be if a Muslim country had an outline of a map of the extent of the Caliphate when Muslim rule was at its zenith. Surely that would be a legitimate memorial of the past and even a hope for the future as long as it is not achieved in a manner that shows any disrespect for the life and dignity of another.

3. This is the only point that contains a legitimate criticism. Allow me to explain how Jews see Israel's Law of Return.

Even though we were expelled from our land both by the Babylonians (in 586 BCE) and then by the Romans (70 CE) not only have there always been Jews living in the Holy land, but wherever we have been, we have maintained our fidelity to our relationship with it. It is the only "Qibla" for Jewish prayer. In our daily prayers three times a day and in grace after every meal, we prayed and still pray for our return to the land and its restoration. Our festivals are not only historical festivals but seasonal ones as well (therefore our lunar calendar is synchronized with the solar calendar) in keeping with the seasons in the Holy Land (Jews who live in Argentina for example celebrate the Spring festival in the autumn and pray for rain when it is not appropriate for Argentina, because our liturgy is conditioned by the land.) At the end of a Jewish wedding a glass is broken in remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem and hope for the return. At the end of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement, and at the end of the Passover meal we declare "next year in Jerusalem."

Accordingly we have always seen ourselves as citizens in potential and the establishment of the State of Israel has enabled us to exercise this "citizenship".

I lament that Palestinians from the Holy Land are not able to enjoy this right as well and the only reason for that is the ongoing conflict and the concomitant security concerns. I pray that these will be resolved, peace will prevail, a Palestinians state will be established; and Palestinians will be able to enjoy the same rights in their state as Jews enjoy in theirs insh'Allah.

I concur with the sentiments of his Excellency and applaud your initiatives. I think that it would also be important for us to come together and bring religious leaders from the Muslim and Jewish worlds to discuss these matters and work on a common plan for justice security and peace for all in the Holy Land.
UNQUOTE

Then the we received from the representative of the PA copy of resolution of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which we duly forwarded to our Jewish counterpart in the Dialogue.

Honorable Chief Rabbi David Rosen in his reply wrote:-

QUOTE
With regards to the file from the PA that you sent, I do not claim that every thing that the government of Israel does is right and just indeed, Israeli society is distinguished from those around it precisely by the fact that in a true democracy, people are free to criticize their governments. Not only can you see this in Israeli daily newspapers (e.g. on line at) www.haaretz.com but also in the plethora of civil rights organizations that focus overwhelmingly on Arab/Palestinian human rights (including one that I co-founded called Rabbis for Human Rights.)

However to present a litany of Israel's actions against Palestinians as if this was some kind of intentional brutality is to be disingenuous at best. Attached in response to the file from the PA, is a random compilation of daily threats by Palestinians to Israeli civilians in just the last few months. It is such actions as these that lead to the Israeli military's response which the PA file documented.

I have already addressed his Excellency on the matter of the Holy Sites which are fully protected by the government of Israel and that as far as the Haram Al Sharif is concerned, Jewish religious law prohibits Jews from entering thereon. As far as the Gay Parade is concerned, you will no doubt know that the religious authorities and communities here worked hard successfully to prevent this in the past and even when it was permitted this year, was restricted to areas far from any religious site (and far from the Old City.)

As far as libel against Jesus of Nazareth is concerned, you will not find any dignified Jew indulging in such perversities, which when they took place centuries ago, were a reaction of Jewish suffering to Christian oppression. It is obvious to all respectable Rabbinic leadership that such libel is contemptible and condemnable.

I conclude with the prayer that the Almighty and All-Merciful will enlighten all humanity to live in respect for the life and dignity of all people.
UNQUOTE

We think that the above correspondence show us light of hope and inspiration to move forward to remove impediments in the way of implementing the agreed Two State Solution.

With best wishes and best regards to all.

Maassalam,

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)

Founder Convener, CIRB-Hezbollah cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon khelafat@dhaka.net
Advisor, Islamic Democratic Party (Organization led by veterans of Afghan War of Liberation from soviet Occupation)
Team Leader, Human Rights Forum info.hrf@gmail.com

Address:
24/A, Joar Shahara (Olipara), Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh
Cell: 01819-407963. Tel/Fax:+880-2-8411436 E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net

(10)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "Mr.Faik Hamza" < >,"K A Huq" < >
Cc: "H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen" < >,
"HRH King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud" < >,
"H.E.Seyed Ali Khamenei" < >
Subject: Re: Fw: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 06:30:49 -0500

Dear Brother Huq,

Shalom Aleichem!

Let us be clear-headed about something. I know you will recall the days we spent together in Dhaka in 2007 and especially are hours-long dialogue. Brother, it is no secret that both of us began that conversation with many suspicions about one another and perhaps even doubts about each other's sincerity. We also disagreed on many specific issues that arose during that dialogue.

But during the course of that afternoon, respect replaced suspicion and doubt; and we "agreed to disagree." We recognized that as a believing Muslim and a believing Jew, we ultimately had more in common than we had in conflict. It led to further dialogue, further understanding, further mutual respect; and a genuine and heartfelt brotherhood between the two of us. It no doubt contributed to both of us taking public action in support of one another's peoples: you, for instance, publicly called for dropping Bangladesh's travel ban to Israel; I stood publicly and passionately defended Islam against those otherwise allies who see it as the root cause of the world's troubles; and we both stood for justice and each other more than once, too.

We continue to hold differing positions on certain issues, but instead of using that as an excuse to demonize one another and end dialogue; those differences only reinforce to us that we need to have more dialogue, of course based on the same level of mutual respect. Baruch Ha-Shem!

Our relationship also began with and flourishes within the soil of our individual strength of belief and defense of our own faiths and peoples as well.

There is a belief--that I share--which says it took two old warriors, two men with impeccable credentials as defenders of their faith and people, to take a giant step toward peace in the Middle East. In fact, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat took the single most important stride toward Middle East peace to date. Sadat was a decorated soldier who won his medals fighting Israel; Begin was the first Israeli Prime Minister from the Nationalist camp. Both were unreserved champions of their peoples. Yet, it was these two men who forged the longest lasting and most significant peace agreement in the sad history of the Middle East. Anwar Sadat broke a taboo in coming to Israel for the cause of peace; Menachem Begin risked his political life by uprooting Jewish communities in the Sinai. Both men remained strong in their beliefs but were able to see beyond them to what is the greater good.

I had wondered if dialogue with Mr. Hamza could produce similar results. Perhaps he is not used to genuine opposition, as opposed to phony friendship. But in the end, he advocates the elimination of the Jewish State of Israel and is implacable. He insists on demonizing the Jewish people again and again. He allows no space in which understanding can be reached--in complete contradiction to you and many other Believing Muslims I have the pleasure of knowing. He has essentially called you, my brother, a fool for engaging in honest dialogue with me. Can I be passionate in defense of my people? Of course, and I expect the same from you and others with whom I dialogue. As we both agreed, only that level of honesty can produce productive dialogue such as the sort you and I have had.

Mr. Hamza's intransigence, on the other hand is precisely what is standing in the way of any resolution of the Middle East conflict. He demands only total victory for one side (his). His absolutist position destroys the very purpose of dialogue or a peace process. His insistence on ideology over fact is what has kept and will continue to keep his people in a degraded state where they cannot see any cause for their problems that is not attributable to someone else. And that is a shame. Not only does that insure continued conflict, but it also stunts the development of his people and their children.

So, brother, I agree that the dialogue between Mr. Hamza and me has not been productive, and it likely will not be productive no matter how long it continues. But I would caution against drawing a parallel or moral equivalence between us. I believe I have earned my stripes in that regard, being a passionate Jew and Zionist, yet also a passionate defender of Muslims and opponent of those who would defame Islam. What has Mr. Hamza shown us?

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

(11)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:59:42 +0700
To: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin"< >,"Mr.Faik Hamza"< >
From: K A Huq < >
Subject: Re: Fw: Jewish point of view for consideration
Cc: "H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen" < >,
"HRH King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud" < >,
"H.E.Seyed Ali Khamenei" < >

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Dear Brother Richard,

Assalamu Alaykum.

1. We re-iterate that when we call for removing impediments in the way of implementing the agreed Two State Solution - we want both Israel and Palestine to be viable but non-belligerent states entering into long-term no-war agreements with each other.

2. We continue to uphold that believer Muslims and believer Jews ultimately have more in common than have in conflict.

3. We think that it will be unwise to permanently shut any window for discussion and consultation to improve the situation and mutual acceptability for common good. All of us have to try not to be too angry that we fail to choose good encouraging words in our discussion that Allah loves.

With best wishes and best regards.

Maassalam.

Huq

kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
Cell: 01819-407963. Tel: 8411436. Fax: +880-2-8411436
E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net

(12)
From: Faik Hamza < >
To: K A Huq
Subject: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:53:31 +0000

I never called Mr. Huq a fool, I rether believe that Mr. Huq has all the rights to present his own views, he can call to lift the ban on Bangladeshi people to travel any ware they like to.

Mr. Huq gave me a phone call requesting me not to reply to Dr. Richard slang, which was on respond to my demand return to my home at the north of Palestine, if you go back to our conversation , no ware you will find that i have defamed Muslims or Jewish people or even Israel, rather i have asked Dr. Richard to come and live among us in peace if Dr. Richard is a Jewish and Zionist, well i am a Palestinian refugee, who lost every things. who is injustice put on him, and who is demanding his rights back, is that extreme, and war did I defamed my people and their children, and in which way, I did not gave up their right of return, I did not submit to the occupation, I did not , I will not ever give up the idea of North Palestine, if Dr. Richard have ideas about how to solve the problem of Palestine and how to do real justice, and of course he can represent all the Jewish people in the world let him come forward in put his clear plans who knows maybe i am wrong the gentleman meant really business

(13)
From: "Dr. Richard L. Benkin" < >
To: "K A Huq"
Cc: rosend
Subject: Re: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:01:04 -0500

Dear Brother Huq,
Shalom Aleichem.

Movement is always good; but looking at Mr. Hamza's reply, I am not sure he is showing any. In fact, he did berate you for even talking to me. Nor did he show any movement on his position but only denied what he said was indeed what he said. (Do I have to include copies of his emails and statements? Or do we realize he knows what he said?)

Moreover, he follows the same disingenuous line of "negotiation" that his cohorts do. Notice he said he would talk to me if I had a solution--and represented all the Jews in the world!!!!! Gee, do you think that was a genuine offer? It is ironic, though, that the Arabs demand Israel negotiate, make concessions, etc., when the people they want Israel to negotiate with cannot even represent all the Palestinian factions--let alone all the Arabs and Muslims. But evidently, only we should see that as an obligation on us.

In fact, I will issue the following challenge to Mr. Hamza. If negotiators can guarantee that they will reign in all Arabs, Muslims, and Islamists and stop them from continuing their war against Israel once a deal is struck, he will have broken the barrier to productive negotiations.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin
http://www.InterfaithStrength.com
http://www.interfaithstrength.blogspot.com/
+1-847-922-6426

----- Original Message -----
From: K A Huq
To: drrbenkin
Cc: rosend@
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:13 AM
Subject: Fwd: RE: Jewish point of view for consideration

Dear Brother Richard,

Assalamu Alaykum.

I am forwarding to you the last mail I have received from Mr. Faik Hamza. He probably forgot to keep copy of his mails of 2007.

I find improvement in Palestinian position as follows:-

(a) he has no objection to our call to Bangladesh Government to lift ban on travel to Israel;

(b) now he agrees that Jews and Zionists can be citizens of proposed State of Palestine.

With slight correction of spelling I have attached the file of our recent correspondence initiated from your views which we put under the title "Jewish point of view for consideration".

With best wishes and best regards.

Maassalam

Your Brother,

Kazi Azizul Huq

(14)
From: Faik Hamza <>
To: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: RE: LINK to Muslim-Jews Dialogue in August 2009
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:42:31 +0000
ArrivalTime: 22 Aug 2009 05:42:31.0672

Mr. Huq

I like to make it clear

1- I no where i agreed for you to Bangladesh leave ban on Bangladeshi travel to Israel, I said it is ur right to demand lifting travel of Bangladeshi to travel any where, simply because you are Bangladeshi, it is a matter between you and your Government, I do nothing to do with it, and i do not interfere in it.

2- i stand by my call the Palestinian state is open for all religions, so Mr. Richard welcome to live in Palestine in peace

faik hamza

(15)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:43:03 +0700
To: Faik Hamza <>
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon <>
Subject: RE: LINK to Muslim-Jews Dialogue in August 2009
Cc: "HRH King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud"<>,
"H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen" <>,
"H.H. Pope Benedict XVI" <>,
"H.H.Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei"<>,
"HRH King Abdullah"<>,
"Palestine Embassy" <>,
"Dr.Richard L.Benkin"<>,....

Saturday, 22 August 2009.

To: Mr. Faik Hamza, Palestine Embassy, Dhaka.

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

RE: LINK to Muslim-Jews Dialogue in August 2009

Mohtaram Mr.Hamza,

Assalamu Alaykum.

By your mail it is re-confirmed that you have no objection to our persuasion of Bangladesh Government to lift ban on travel to Israel.

Best regards,

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

(16)
From: Faik Hamza <>
To: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: RE: LINK to Muslim-Jews Dialogue in August 2009
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:11:04 +0000

No Mr. Huq what i said is clear, since u represent your self, since you have freedom to say what you like to say,
you can call on your Govt. to lift ban on Bangladeshi travel to any where, I did not point out (Israel), I want to say i am not concerned about what you called for, and this issue is yours with your Govt., I did not dictate you not to say what you want to say, and I did not dictate the Govt. to take action if this against its declared policy, i do have nothing to support or not to support your call,

Mr. Huq, you must understand that i am the victim here, I am who lost his home land to the murderer of the Zionist organizations and the alien Jewish people who immegrated to my home, i am not against the Palestinian Jews, yesterday one of them was elected member of our al-Fateh revolutionary council,

and back to the weekly Blitz, just justify for me , the Bangladeshi action , war of liberation, 1971, ware Bangladeshi terrorists, how do those people think the way to go back to my home , we are fighting , to regain our freedom, according to the international legitimacy, its right given to us by the UN, now anybody who is ignorant about this can go back to the UN resolutions and read and learn, that we are not terrorists seeking destruction of any one, but freedom fighters seeking to return to our homeland.

now as we are discussing the situation of our Palestinian people at North of Palestine, i do not like to go for details, but for the latest call of the Jewish Govt. which demanding us to recognize it as a Jewish state, do you know what that means, its hinting on very soon the Govt. is going to transfer all the Palestinians from north of Palestine to Gaza and west bank.

What i Suggest is Mr. Huq to open direct contact with Arab members of Knesset, who will be glad to give you the real picture of the Palestinian daily life and the danger they face.

then if the occupation is so kind, tell what the occupation did in Gaza Strip from 1967 till 2004, what progress they did,
the camps remained as its in poverty, who did the occupation improve the life of the people, and most important how did any body think that the occupation so willing to hand over Gaza to the PA, yes they did after making the place opened for drugs, and arm smuggling, they have planted all obstacle in front the PA, and most important they have arrange to bring Hamas to the power, and successed to push the Palestinian to side of civil war.

Mr. huq if you want the facts, our struggle is not against the Jewish people, we do have no conflict with them, the problem is Palestine is occupied, our people are denied their rights to return, self determination and establishment of their independent state with Al Quds as its capital, and i think to stand on all the facts, I suggest you to form a FACTS FINDING COMMITTEE, let the committee go there and find out who is who, and what is the situation really is, and what is the facts really are

thank you
hamza

(17)
Dt: Wednesday, August 26, 2009.
To: Mr. F.Hamza, Palestine Embassy, Dhaka.
Cc: To Whom It May Concern
Re: Muslim-Jews Dialogue : Your mail dtd 23 Aug.2009

Assalamu Alaykum.

We have published your comment dated 23 Aug.2009 in our blog. Please check the link:
http://bangladeshkhelafatandolan.blogspot.com/2009/08/muslim-jews-dialogue-august-2009.html

It is the policy of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon to support the struggle for liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation, and liberation of Afghanistan & Iraq from British & American occupation.

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon recognizes just struggles to liberate Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq from foreign occupation as liberation movements; and those who are engaged in the just struggles are freedom fighters.

Our policy is compliant with Bangladesh Constitution Article-25.1(c) which reads as follows:-

QUOTE
25.1 The State shall base its international relations on the principles of respect for national sovereignty and equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, peaceful settlement of international disputes, and respect for international law and the principles enunciated in the United Nations Charter, and on the basis of those principles shall ..(c) support oppressed peoples throughout the world waging a just struggle against imperialism, colonialism or racialism.
UNQUOTE

Massalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary

APPENDIX

[Previous correspondences 1st - 3rd August 2007]

1 August 2007 from Palestine Embassy to Kazi Azizul Huq
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 14:40:58 +1100
From: Palestine Embassy < >
To: Kazi Azizul Huq
Subject: Palestine Embassy, Dhaka

Dear Mr. Huq

with my best regards, I would like to bring to your kind notice

1- Palestine Embassy in Dhaka represent all of the Palestinian people headed by their legitimate Democratically elected President H. E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas and further more the Embassy has nothing to do with any group Fateh or Hamas, since it extend help for any Palestinian.

2- The PA works under the umbrella of PLO which represented here at Bangladesh by Palestine Embassy.

3- when we send you files, we stand by it without fear of Mr. Rabi or any other criminal Jews you are intend to establish talk with them, do not you understand from their reply that they consider you as Muslim stupid who listen to them, do you know that Mr. Rabi is responsible for killing hundreds of Palestinians women, Children and old people through helping the killers of Israel Govt.

4- Mr. Huq you should know that Mr. Rabi represent those Jews who raped Musa Alihe assalm’s sister and tried to kill him they are the same people who tried to kill our Profit Mohammad Peace be upon him

5- be sure that if a wild, like lion or tiger change their nature, then Mr. Rabi will do the same, and will never do as long as Israel occupy Palestine.

6- The only solution is to send back the alien Jews to their countries out of Palestine, and allow the Palestinians at Diaspora to return to their homes and let them determined their future on their occupied soil, things which I challenged Mr. Rabi and who he represent to do.

Faik Hamza
Palestine Embassy

1 August 2007 from Kazi Azizul Huq to Palestine Embassy

Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:52:10 +0600
To: "Palestine Embassy, Dhaka" < >, < >
From: Kazi Azizul Huq
Subject: Re: Palestine Embassy, Dhaka

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Dhaka, Wednesday 01 August 2007.

To: H.E. Ambassador, Palestine Embassy, Dhaka.
Att: Mr. Faik Hamza, Counsellor.

Cc: H.E. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, CEO, Gov't of Bangladesh
H.E. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Rahbar, IR Iran.
H.E. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, KSA.
H.E. Prime Minister Euhud Olmert, Isreal.
H.E. King Abdullah II, Jordan
H.E. Secretary General, OIC, Jeddah.
H.E. Secretary General, United Nations, New York.
H.E. Secretary, Department of State, Washington D.C.
Foreign Secretary, GoB, Dhaka.
H.E. Ambassador of KSA, Dhaka.
Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of IR Iran, Dhaka.
Cultural Counsellor, Pakistan High Commission, Dhaka.
H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen KCSG,

Re: Mail dated 1 August 2007 from Palestine Embassy, Dhaka.

Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.

We acknowledge receipt of your above ref mail.
Expression of your anger is human and natural from the representative of a nation wiped out from their legitimate homeland and made stateless. But your comments are not indicative of righteousness, piety and any practical solution.

One can not solve problems by blaming others. We ethnic Muslims are stabbing each other on the back. We ethnic Muslims have deviated from the Path of Piety & Righteousness and have chosen to ignore Divine Scripture, Prophetic Mission and Human Experience. Our Iranian revolutionaries talked so much about the Divine Mission of the United Ummah. But in practice they welcomed US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Faith and Righteousness is more important today than religious ethnicity. Our Holy Prophet (Sallallahoalaihissalam) taught us not to blame the son for the offence of father. It is not correct to blame all Jews for the wrongs of a few Jew in earlier times. Is it piety for any Muslim to call the Jews sons of pigs and apes? Is it the teaching of our Holy Prophet (SM)?

Our Holy Prophet (Sm) migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Medina) on the invitation and consent of those most of who were friendly Jews and Pagans. At that time there were less than 500 Muslims in Yathrib (Medina) while the population of Yathrib (Medina) was nearly 10,000 - about fifty percent Jews and fifty percent Pagans. Those majority Jews and Pagans agreed Hazrat Muhammad ibn Abdullah (Sm) to become the political leader and administrator of the City State of Medina and Holy Prophet (Sm) guaranteed their rights and status by Medina Charter which called all citizens of Medina irrespective of religion as "Ummah". On the other hand, Holy Prophet (Sm)'s own relatives and tribe in Makkah were called "Kafir" not because they were idol-worshippers but because they were enemies.

By the Grace of Almighty Allah, though we are apparently weak and poor yet we are steadfast under Guidance & Blessings of Allah and spiritual support of the Holy Prophets and righteous saints (Blessings of Allah be upon them all).

We need the support of principled God fearing people irrespective of their ethnic or religious identities. We need the support of Vatican and other non-materialist believer Christians. We need the support of the Monotheist Jewish Clergies who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need the support of non-materialist believer God-fearing Hindus who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need to understand that the vested interests of elitist agnostics and atheists of Europe led by British administration is the prime enemy of Faith, Righteousness and Justice in the world. We need initial unity of Iran-Taleban-GCC. We need unity of HAMAS, Fatah and other important factions. We are already in the midst of the Third World War. All God fearing righteous people irrespective of ethnic religious identity have to come closer and work together to fulfill Divine Will. Our anger is not going to solve our problem. We need to be God fearing, wise and righteously active.

While we appreciate your feelings, we can not but differ with your perception and judgment. May Allah Bless us all with Faith, Peace and Justice.

Maassalam.

Sincerely yours,

Kazi Aziz

Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA)
Team Leader, Human Rights Forum (HRF); Founder Convener, CIRB-Hezbollah.

2 August 2007 from Palestine Embassy to Kazi Azizul Huq

Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:13:52 +1100
From: Palestine Embassy < >
To: Kazi Azizul Huq
Subject: RE: Palestine Embassy, Dhaka
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 01 Aug 2007 13:13:52.0563 (UTC) FILETIME=[CE7B5030:01C7D43D]

Dear Mr. Huq

I did not express my anger, but the fact which you do not like about the Embassy represents all the Palestinian, you should understand that H E. Abbas is the president of all Palestinian but not a group as u tried to make Mr. Rabbi Understand.

Now we do really know the glorious history of our Islam, and if you did see only the Jews there who opened home for our prophet peace be upon him, then I suggest you go back to the history of those Jews who betrayed each and every agreement our profit sign with them.

not only that but our holy Book the Kuran have enough evidence about the nature of Jews and I do not think that some body like you could term the KURAN as PAST.

I stand by my statement the only solution is let the Jews out of my home and allow me back there.

For you Mr. Huq after all that’s Palestine which occupied by the Jews but not Bangladesh

Faik Hamza
Palestine Embassy

2 August 2007 from Kazi Azizul Huq to Palestine Embassy

Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:10:14 +0600
To: "H.E. King Abdulllah Ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud" < >,
"H.E. King Abdullah II, Jordan"< >,
From: Kazi Azizul Huq <>
Subject: Response to your mail of 02 Aug.3007
Cc: "H.E.Prince Saud Al-Faisal" < >

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful.

Dhaka, Thursday, August 02, 2007.

To: H.E. Ambassador, Palestine Embassy, Dhaka.
Att: Mr. Faik Hamza, Counsellor.

Cc: H.E. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, CEO, Gov't of Bangladesh
H.E. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Rahbar, IR Iran.
H.E. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, KSA.
H.E. Prime Minister Euhud Olmert, Isreal.
H.E. King Abdullah II, Jordan
H.E. Secretary General, OIC, Jeddah.
H.E. Secretary General, United Nations, New York.
H.E. Secretary, Department of State, Washington D.C.
Foreign Secretary, GoB, Dhaka.
H.E. Ambassador of KSA, Dhaka.
Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of IR Iran, Dhaka.
Cultural Counsellor, Pakistan High Commission, Dhaka.
H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen KCSG, International Director of Interreligious
Affairs, AJC.and President, the International Jewish Committee for
Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC).

Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.

1. We hope Palestinian Embassy will represent the whole Palestinian Nation (including HAMAS) instead of Mr. Abbas only who represents an unpopular faction who are largely responsible for most of the undesirable fratricidal crimes in Gaza until HAMAS took over its control.

2. There are both believers and unbelievers (atheists /agnostics) in almost all the ethnic religious communities of the Books including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindus. Almighty Allah has promised that irrespective of religious ethnicity whoever believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord.

For your information and study I refer following verses of the Holy Quran.

Almighty Allah Says in the Holy Quran:

QUOTE
Surat No.2 Al Baqarah, Verse No.62
"Those who believe and those who follow the Jewish and the Christians and the Sabeins, any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."

Surat No.5 Al Maaida, Verses No.44, 45, 46, 47, 48:-

Verses No.44
It was I who revealed The Torah: therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophets who bowed to Allah's Will, by the Rabbis and the Doctors of Law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear Me, and sell not My Signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by what Allah hath revealed, they are Unbelievers.

Verses No.45
We ordained therein for them: "Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if any one remit the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by what Allah hath revealed, they are wrong-doers.

Verses No.46
And in their footsteps I sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming The Torah that had come before him: I sent him The Gospel: therein was guidance and light; And confirmation of the Torah that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.

Verses No.47
Let the people of The Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by what Allah hath revealed, they are those who rebel.

Verses No.48
To thee I sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it. and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have I prescribed a Law and an Open Way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single People, but to test you what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of matters in which you dispute.
UNQUOTE

3. While we respect your emotions, we do not accept your use of scurrilous language - which is prohibited in our religion. We should compete with others in good deeds, not in sins and bad deeds.

4. Arab leaders and Muslim fighters against Turkey's Muslim ruler were no less responsible for the creation of the State of Israel after the First World War. And it was the failure of the Arabs and the Muslims that Israel could expand beyond her 1948 borders. May be it was the Divine Punishment for fighting against Turkey's Muslim ruler.

Therefore, now we have to find out a practical solution without communal bias.

May Almighty Allah Forgive us all and Bless us with success in the Hereafter as well as in this world. May Allah Bless us with Faith, Peace and Justice for all.

Maassalam.

Sincerely yours

Kazi Aziz

Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA)
Team Leader, Human Rights Forum (HRF)
Founder Convener, CIRB-Hezbollah

3 August 2007 from Kazi Azizul Huq to Chief Rabbi David Rosen

Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 5:04 AM
From: Kazi Azizul Huq [ ]
To: H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen;
Cc: H.E. Ambassador of Palestine; ........
Subject: Copy of Reply to Palestine Embassy's mail Dtd. 02 Aug.3007

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

To: H.E.Chief Rabbi David Rosen KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, AJC.
President, the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious
Consultations (IJCIC).

Re: MUSLIM-JEWS DIALOGUE
Forwarding Copy of Selected Correspondences between 16 April to 02 August 2007

Cc: Selected Concerned Gov'ts, Authorities, Organizations, Personalities.

Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.

We are forwarding to your excellency selected correspondence from April 16 to August 02, 2007.

Kindly make a review and comments for moving forward.

We invoke Blessings of One Omnipotent Merciful Allah for peaceful resolution of the conflicts and Justice for all.

With best regards.
Sincerely
Kazi Aziz

Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA)
Team Leader, Human Rights Forum (HRF)
Founder Convener, CIRB-Hezbollah

3 August 2007 from Chief Rabbi David Rosen to Kazi Azizul Huq
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:28:03 +0300
From: Sharon Rosen <>
Subject: Response in keeping with your request for comment
To: 'Kazi Azizul Huq' <>
Cc: "'H.E. Ambassador of Palestine'" < >,...

Your Excellency,

Allow me to express my admiration for the manner in which you have addressed the issues that have been raised in this correspondence. Naturally there will be matters upon which we disagree, but I believe that the integrity and desire for honest enquiry and discussion that you demonstrate, reflect the most noble values of Islam. If we were all to employ these qualities in our relations with one another, we would be able to resolve all conflicts. Insh'Allah, your example will inspire others in all our communities to follow this path.

In response to Your Excellency's request for my comments on the correspondence below; other than the above, I respond from my own Tradition as follows:-

Judaism teaches that all human and dignity are sacrosanct and accordingly murder of any human being is the most heinous of crimes (Genesis 8v.6)

Moreover any act of intentional disrespect to another, let alone murder, is an assault against the Almighty Himself.( Midrash Genesis Rabbah 24,8;see also Sifri on Leviticus 19v.18)

Judaism teaches us that the essential Divine Attributes of Mercy and Justice oblige us to behave accordingly (Exodus 34 v.6,7; Midrash Canticles Rabbah,3)

It teaches that the goal of Torah (the Divine revelation to Moses) is Peace (Talmud Gittin 50b and 61a; see Maimonides' Code, Hilchot Melachim (Laws of Kings), 10:12) and that murder,theft and lying towards non-Jews are even worse than doing so to Jews, because they involve an additional desecration of the Divine Name (Seder Eliahu Rabbah; Sefer Mitzvoth Gadol, 167d).

Judaism teaches that all the pious/righteous of the nations of the world have their portion in the World to Come, i.e. share in Paradise ( see Maimonides' Code, Hilchot Teshuvah (Laws of Repentance), 3:5, based on the Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin.)

This applies especially to pious/righteous Muslims, as Judaism recognizes Islam as pure ethical monotheism (e.g. Maimonides, Responsa No. 448; Rabbi Menachem Hameiri, Bet Habechirah, Avodah Zarah; Netanel Ibn Fayummi "Bustan al-Oukoul" )

I conclude by stating the conviction of the overwhelming majority of believing religious/observant Jews, that the establishment of the State of Israel is a demonstration of the Almighty All-Compassionate's fidelity to His promise (Exodus 6v.4; Leviticus 26 v.42,45; Deuteronomy 30v.3-5) the hope for which has been sustained by the vision of the ancient Prophets concerning the reestablishment and revivification of the life of the People of Israel in that land.

Jews have always lived in the Holy Land, even when Christian forces (such as the Byzantines and the Crusaders) kept Jews out of Jerusalem (Of course the situation was very different and very much better, under Islam.) The State of Israel is simply a political mechanism to enable us to maintain in security and prosperity, our collective bond with the land of our ancestors, in keeping with the Divine mandate.

As I have indicated to His Excellency, this could have been achieved in a peaceful and productive way for all the inhabitants of this region (as witnessed in the joint statement signed by the Emir Faisel and Dr.Weizman in 1919.) It is a tragedy for all, that conflict ensued; and while there were, have been and still are, victims on all sides, undoubtedly the Palestinians have been the greatest victims of this and their plight has been widely exploited, not least of all within the Arab world itself. However we must work to bring an end to conflict; live in peace with one another; establish a sovereign Palestinian state living peacefully alongside the State of Israel; and find the way to compensate those Palestinians whose loss can not be restored.

May the Most Merciful enlighten us to follow this path in accordance with His paths of Peace, Justice, Mercy and Love for all,
Yours Faithfully,

David Rosen

Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Chair, the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC),
tel:+972-2-6255281 fax:+972-2-6256527

LETTER DTD 20 Aug.2009 TO H.H. POPE BENEDICT XVI

2009-08-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

DHAKA, Thursday, 20 August 2009.

To: Mohtaram Pope Benedict XVI

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Re: Remembering our Letter Dated 11 November 2004 sent to HH Pope John Paul ll
Reference Holy Pope's Speech Dated 10 Nov.2004 on Psalm 61.

Muhtaram,

Assalamu Alaikum.

Remembering our Letter Dated 11 November 2004 (copied hereunder) sent to HH Pope John Paul ll, commenting on Holy Pope's Speech Dated 10 Nov.2004 on Psalm 61.

We think that the letter continues to be relevant today in the context of continuation of Persecution of Believers and Mustazafins by the Materialists and Mustakberins.

With best regards and best wishes.

Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

---------------------

COPY OF OUR ABOVE REF. LETTER DATED 11 Nov.2004:-

(In the Letter Head of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Dhaka, 11 Nov.2004

TO: HH Pope John Paul II

RE: YOUR ADDRESS TO GENERAL AUDIENCE ON 10th NOV. 2004

Muhtaram,

Assalamu Alaikum.

We agree to and give our support to your recitation and interpretation of Psalm 61 in which "two types of trust are contrasted. They are two fundamental choices, one good and one perverse, which entail two types of moral conduct. There is above all trust in God...'God is my rock and my salvation; my fortress, I shall not be shaken'." This is the same what according to the Quran and the Tradition (Hadis) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallaho Alaihissalam) we Muslims are required to uphold "TAWHID" i.e. the ultimate Faith in and Dependence on God alone, and "AMR-BIL-MAARUF WA NAHI-ANIL-MUNKAR" i.e. enjoin the good and resist the evil.

Since the so-called European Renaissance it is being claimed and propagated by the secularist atheists that religions are responsible for hatred and wars among peoples. In this pretext they imposed secularization of states and societies. But mankind has seen that the secularist materialists killed and maimed more men, women, children and old in 2 World Wars within less than 40 years which is much higher in quantity and cruelty than total casualties of all major wars during last 1500 years. They devised Weapon of Mass Destruction and used it against Japanese civilians to terrorize the mankind that any people daring to disobey them shall face more severe consequences. Now they are terrorizing the Muslims and in a Hippocratic way accusing that the Muslims are terrorists(?).

We expect your Excellency to speak clearly that the acts of US-led Coalition is the prime organization of terrorism in today's world. Your language of condemning violence and terrorism should not give the impression that you are orchestrating US propaganda.

May Allah bless the doer of good and save us from the perverts?

Humbly,

Kazi Azizul Huq
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
International Affairs Department
24/A, Joar Shahara (Olipara)
DHAKA-1229, BANGLADESH
+880-2-9881436
+880-189-407963
E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net
-----------

Copy of VATICAN Press Release on Holy Pope's Speech Dated 10 Nov.2004

Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 14:20:03 +0100
From: Vatican Information Service
Subject: VISen 041110
To: awrozario@dhaka.net, khelafat@dhaka.net, nuntius@dhaka.net

VIS internet Press Office 11.10.2004 Fourteenth Year - N.190

AUDIENCE: DO NOT BASE YOUR LIFE ON FALSE VALUES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2004 (VIS) - Today's general audience was celebrated in two parts. The first took place in St. Peter's Basilica where the Holy Father addressed the faithful in German and English, following which he went to the Paul VI Hall to meet with other pilgrims.

The Pope spoke about Psalm 61 in which "two types of trust are contrasted. They are two fundamental choices, one good and one perverse, which entail two types of moral conduct. There is above all trust in God...'God is my rock and my salvation; my fortress, I shall not be shaken'."

"There also exists," he continued, "another type of trust, of an idolatrous nature, which the psalmist focuses on with critical attention. It is a trust that moves one to seek safety and stability in violence, covetousness and riches."

John Paul II referred to "the first false god, the violence which humanity unfortunately continues to resort to even in these bloody days. Accompanying this idol is an immense procession of wars, oppression, perversions, torture and killing, inflicted without any trace of remorse."

"The second false god is robbery which is expressed in extortion, social injustice, usury, political and economic corruption. Too many people cultivate the 'illusion' of satisfying in this way their own greed. Finally, riches is the third idol to which 'man's heart attaches itself' in the false hope of being saved from death and being assured of gaining power and prestige."

The Pope indicated that "if we were conscious of our mortality and of the limits of man, we would not choose to trust in idols, nor would we organize our life on a series of fragile and inconsistent pseudo-values. We would aim rather for another type of trust, one whose center is in the Lord, source of eternity and peace."

"The Second Vatican Council applied to priests the invitation of this psalm 'to keep our heart detached from riches'. ... However, this call to reject perverse trust and to choose trust that brings us to God is valid for all and must become a guiding star in our daily behaviour, moral decisions, in our choice of lifestyle."

AG/PSALM 61/... VIS 041110 (360)

BKA Endorses Post Editorial by Sanjeeb Chowdhury dated 13 Aug.2009 on Foul Play of Militancy Fear

2009-08-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

DHAKA, Thursday, 13 August 2009.

To: PS to HPM, Government of Bangladesh.

Cc:
(1) I.G. Police; (2) Addl.I.G.P. (CID);(3) Addl.I.G.P. (SB);
(4) Police Commissioners and Divisional DIGs;
(5) D.G. RAB; (6) D.G. NSI; (7) D.G. DGFI;
(6) U.S. Embassy, Dhaka.
(7) Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Dhaka;
(8) Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dhaka.
(9) Counsellor (Political), Indian High Commission.
(10)Foreign Secretary, GoB.

Bcc:
(1) Department of State, USA;
(2) To Whom It May Concern

Re: Op Ed by Sanjeeb Chowdhury dated 13 Aug.2009 Daily Amar Desh

Caption: "Foul-play by creating fear of ghosts of militancy"

Muhtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon is pleased to endorse the Opinion Editorial published today in the Daily Amar Desh captioned "Jongi Zuzur Bhoi Dekhanor Khela" (Foul-play by creating fear of ghosts of militancy) by senior journalist Sree Sanjeeb Chowdhury.

Thanking you with best regards.

Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
Secretary, International Affairs Department.

Links to the article: http://www.amardeshbd.com/dailynews/sub_section.php?issueID=1240&sub_section_id=4&NewsID=234789&NewsType=bistarito

Aljazeera Arabic TV Channel Visits Nooria Madrasa founded by Late Hazrat Hafezzi Huzur r.a.

2009-07-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Divine Message : The Quran : Sura Imran : Verses 107 - 115

2009-07-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

THE HOLY QURAN
Sura Imran
Verses 107 to 115

107. These are the communications of Allah which we recite to you with truth, and Allah does not desire any injustice to the creatures.

108. And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah’s; and to Allah all things return.

109. You are the best of the nations raised up for men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them are believers and most of them are transgressors.

110. They shall by no means harm you but with a slight evil; and if they fight with you they shall turn backs to you, then shall they not be helped.

111. Abasement is made to cleave to them wherever they are found, except under covenant with Allah and a covenant with men, and they have become deserving of wrath from Allah, and humiliation is made to cleave to them; this is because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and slew the prophets unjustly; this is because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.

112. They are not all alike; of the followers of the Book there is an upright party; they recite Allah’s communications in night-time and they adore.

113. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and they strive with one another in hastening to good deeds, and those are among the good.

114. And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied it and Allah knows those who guard.

115. Those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth not their children shall avail them in the least against Allah; and these are the inmates of the fire; therein they shall abide.

Some causes and effects of on-going Islam-West confrontation

2009-05-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 13:05:24 +0600
To: "US Deptt. of State"
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: Some causes and effects of on-going Islam-West confrontation

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

US Gov't wants to dominate the world politically and economically while EU wants to dominate the world culturally. Pious Muslims can accept neither domination.

So vested quarters of US & EU seem to be afraid of pious Muslims. They want to drive Muslims away from Islam. They are desperately using their firepower to humiliate the Muslims.

Islam is a religion which discourages revenge.

Islam is a religion which discourages secret societies.

But US and EU by imposing humiliation on Muslims are turning a generation to be revengeful and to form secret societies. In secret societies a generation of Muslims are becoming perverts - they are resorting to such activities and practices which are usually prohibited in Islam.

Arrogance of the Majority, Arrogance of Wealth & Power - are vices from which Islam wants to save the mankind.

Islam teaches to be modest, non-egoist and non-arrogant. Islam teaches compassion, generosity and benevolence. Islam teaches not to be selfish. Islam teaches virtues of liberty, freedom and justice.

But the problem is that majority of we Muslims have deviated from Islam. Our rulers are mercenaries of foreign hegemonies.

------

Hazrat Maulana Bhashani (Peace be upon him) on Educational Reform in Bangladesh

2009-04-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Editorial of The Daily Amar Desh 18 April 2009

2009-04-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Refuting BILIA-Heritage report regarding recruits from Madrasa in Bangladesh military

2009-04-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE : 20th April 2009

Refuting BILIA-Heritage report regarding recruits from Madrasa in Bangladesh military :
Endorsing The Daily Amardesh Editorial dtd 18-4-9

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon is pleased to endorse the attached Editorial of the Daily Amardesh of 18th April 2009 refuting the hate-campaign by BILIA and Heritage Foundation simultaneously against Bangladesh Military and Madrasa students.

The editorial has correctly pointed out that in Bangladesh since the Certificates of Qaumi Madrasa is not recognized by our government, those who are qualified from such Madrasa have no scope to be employed in the government or in the military.

Only Government recognized madrasa pupil (i.e. Alia type madrasa under the Bangladesh Madrasa Board) after completion of required level of education are eligible to apply for government services.

So the propaganda regarding Qaumi Madrasa passed recruits in the Bangladesh military is a lie.

In Bangladesh there are many in all sectors of life including scientists, doctors and engineers who in their childhood spent 2-3 years in any Qaumi Madrasa where they learnt to read the Quran and the basics and practices of Islam. Afterwards they moved to government recognized schools or madrasa from where they finally graduated. It is a practice in many western countries also. We know Europeans including diplomats who had their childhood education and grooming in Christian monasteries.

It is a universally agreed right of every community to educate their children in the basics of their religion, morality, ethics, culture, language and scriptures.

In fact those with Madrasa background are likely to be better committed to our national interests than those with so-called general educational background. Maulana Bhashani (r.a.) said that the existing general educational institutions and curriculum are not serving our national purpose. Rather these are continuing to serve as the major breeding grounds of British mercenaries who are responsible for keeping neo-colonial domination on our nation.

We expect the government to act responsibly and independently to free the nation from the mercenaries of domination seeker Euro-American vested quarters.

for Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Kazi Azizul Huq,
International Affairs Secretary
Cell: 01819-407963

Refuting BILIA-Heritage report on Recruits from Madrasa in Bangladesh Military

2009-04-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

18 April 2009

To: PS to HPM, Government of Bangladesh.

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Re: Recruits from Madrasa in Bangladesh military :

Refuting BILIA-Heritage report

Endorsing The Daily Amardesh Editorial dtd 18-4-9

Mohtaram, Assalamu Alaykum.

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon is pleased to endorse the attached Editorial of the Daily Amardesh of 18 April 2009 refuting the hate-campaign by BILIA and Heritage Foundation simultaneously against Bangladesh Military and Madrasa students.

The editorial has correctly pointed out that in Bangladesh till date Qaumi Madrasa graduates can not even apply for government services including the military since their certificate is not recognized by government.

Only Government recognized madrasa pupil (i.e. Alia type madrasa under the Bangladesh Madrasa Board) after graduation are eligible to apply for government services.

So the propaganda regarding Quaumi Madrasa passed recruits in the Bangladesh military till date is not true.

In Bangladesh there are many intellectuals, politicians, journalists, doctors, engineers, military officers, soldiers, civil servants, clerks who in their childhood spent 2-3 years in any Quami Madrasa where they learnt to read the Quran and the basics and practices of Islam. Afterwards they got admitted into government recognized schools or madrasa from where they finally graduated. It is a practice in many western countries also. I know Europeans including diplomats who had their childhood education and grooming in Christian monasteries.

In fact it is an universally agreed right of every community to educate their children in the basics of their religion, morality, ethics, culture, language and scriptures.

Maulana Bhashani (r.a.) said that the existing general educational institutions and curriculum are not serving our national purpose. Rather these are continuing to serve as the major breeding grounds of British mercenaries who are responsible for keeping neo-colonial domination on our nation.

We expect the government to act responsibly and independently to free the nation from the mercenaries of domination seeker Euro-American vested quarters.

Maassalm.

Kazi Azizul Huq, International Affairs Secretary
Cell: 01819-407963

British Link to Separatist, Leftist, Islamist Militancy

2009-03-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:24:31 +0600
From: K A Huq
Subject: British Link to Militancy : Copy of letter to US Secretary of State

DHAKA, Thursday, 26 March 2009.

Dear all,

Assalamu alaykum.

Please find attached herewith my e-mail letter faxed to US Secretary of State describing our suspicion that British Ministry of Defence and DFID are likely to be at the bottom of most of the Separatist, Leftist, Islamist militancy in the Indian Sub-continent which unfortunately is a former British colony and still is the major Breeding Ground of British Mercenaries.

We can not forget that in the Purulia Arms Drop case it was revealed that the consignment was organized and sent by British Military Intelligence. But to instigate Indian authorities against Bangladesh the cases of arms and ammunitions were intirguingly marked ‘Technical Equipment’ and ‘Central Ordnance Depot, Rajendrapur Cantonment, Bangladesh’.

It is also important to note that British intelligence is the mother of 6 member countries of the so-called Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Brtish intelligence continues to fix policies of these countries and Britain uses these countries for implementation of her conspiracies to defame Islam, Islamic institutions, Islamic Polity and pious Muslim population.

Best regards,

Kazi Azizul Huq

International Affairs Secretary,

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

-----------

Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:40:20 +0600
To: "H.E. Secretary of State H. Clinton"
From: K A Huq
Subject: British MOD is at the bottom most of the militancy in the sub-continent
Cc: usdeptstate@mailnj.custhelp.com

Dt: March 25,2009.

To: H.E. Secretary of State H. Clinton, Department of State, USA.

Cc: To Whom It May Concern

Dear Excellency,

Since the probe into Purulia arms drop case in West Bengal it has been proved beyond doubt how dirty the British can be.

Before British Colonial rule people of the Indian Sub-continent never experienced Hindu-Muslim riots. Most of the Muslim rulers had their military headed by Hindu Generals. But the British never in their entire colonial rule trusted any Indian to head their military.

We are always suspicious that the British Administration (MoD, DFID, etc.) is at the bottom of most of the ethnic separatist, leftist, Islamist militancy in the sub-continent. They are also trying to instigate separatist insurgency inside China and divert the blame on outside Muslims to turn the Chinese Government inimical toward the Muslims. The British have recently installed a Maoist government in Nepal. The British are trying to organize the militant leftists of South Asia presumably to destabilize the region and eliminate the believers. Because the British government is the prime mover of atheism and social perversion (fornication, live together, homosexual activism etc.).

We strongly suspect the British to be at the bottom of 25-26 February 2009 terrorism inside BDR Headquarters in Dhaka. Analysts say that the British managed FBI as well as CBI. They allured multiple people including Sheikh Rehana, Sajib Wazed Joy and Lt.Col. (Retd.) Faruk Khan with dream of becoming future CEO of Bangladesh.

Now it has been dugout in Bangladesh that British NGO is creating their own Madrasa in Bangladesh with militancy agenda to destabilize this nation and create pretext for media campaign and attack on genuine Islamic religious educational institutions in Bangladesh.

We hope, the US in her own interest and for protecting here own image will distance herself from British dirty games.

Best regards,

Kazi Azizul Huq
E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net

---------

Purulia arms drop: December 17, 1995.

Excerpts

• Peter Bleach, whose full name is Peter von Kalkstein-Bleach, was 46 years old at the time. He is a former corporal in British military intelligence and had served in the armed forces for over 20 years in, among other places, Southern Africa and Belfast.

• The delivery was not for the Indian government, but for an insurgent group

• The third man showed Bleach the area on a map where he wanted the illegal arms to be delivered. It was just inside West Bengal.

• The Letter of Credit was issued by a Hong Kong bank and signed by ‘Kim P. Davey’– this turned out to be the third man. (British Top Spy Chris Patten was the Governor of Hong Kong at that time)

• Bleach says he contacted the Ministry of Defence through someone he knew in the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and was put in touch with an official on the India desk, Colin Allkins, whom he fully informed of the secret plan. .....

• ‘Davey’ wanted to know if the arms could be delivered by ship and then taken by road to Purulia in West Bengal. But Bleach said he convinced him that this method was too difficult, and that it was much better to use an aircraft. If the aircraft were bought, it could be resold or used for other things, and it was this idea that attracted ‘Davey’. He wanted to base the aircraft in Dhaka.

• Peter Bleach took $30,000 from ‘Davey’ to hire the services of the crew on the assumption that the plane would in future be based in Dhaka.

• ‘Davey’ arranged for Bleach to find a cargo plane to ferry the arms. This turned out to be an ageing Russian-built Antonov 26.

• Antonov 26 freighter was registered as AH 266 and was transferred to Carol Air Services Ltd, a company based in Hong Kong but registered in October 1995 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Carol Air was reported to be a subsidiary of a Hong Kong company that had employed ‘Davey’.

• The Russian-built plane was based for the time being in Riga, Latvia, home of the five-person crew.

• On 21 November, the Antonov left Riga for India and Pakistan, but apparently did not visit Bangladesh.

• By November 1995, Bleach was in touch with a UK weapons trading company, Border Technology and Innovations Ltd (BTI) of Hexham, England, to order the consignment on behalf of ‘Davey’. BTI claimed that it had agents in 22 countries in 1990 and has secured military and civil defence contracts in 15 countries including Angola, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The company said that Bleach showed them what appeared to be a valid end-user certificate from the Bangladesh Ministry of Defence

• On 10 December 1995, the Antonov landed in Burgas, Bulgaria, to collect the 77 wooden cases of arms. Bleach says that when he departed for Burgas from Gatwick a plain-clothed UK customs officer met him and said he knew of the deal.

• Both ‘Davey’ and Bleach boarded the plane before it took off with the arms cargo and headed for Karachi.

• Flying from Karachi on 17 December 1995, the old Antonov lumbered towards West Bengal, landing at Varanasi to refuel.

• It then took off again headed for Rangoon. Close to midnight en route over Gaya in West Bengal, the crew claim that ‘Davey’ suddenly ordered them at gunpoint to fly low over the villages of Purulia in order to drop the arms.

• Defiantly, they did not fly very low, but the arms cases were nevertheless dropped and landed miles off target, using parachute rigging that had been bought in South Africa.

• Cases were marked ‘Technical Equipment’ and bore the name ‘Central Ordnance Depot, Rajendrapur Cantonment, Bangladesh’.

• After the drop, the aircraft went back on track towards Rangoon, but was refused permission to land due to ‘poor visibility’. It then headed back to Calcutta, refuelled and took off towards Phuket, Thailand, where the plane landed in the early hours of 18 December.

• Seeing the parachutes falling from the sky, and finding with amazement the broken crates of arms and ammunition, the villagers of Purulia ran to tell the authorities.

• On 21 December, the freighter re-entered Indian airspace supposedly en route to Calcutta, but because of ‘bad weather’ it changed course and landed at Madras, apparently to refuel for an onward journey back to Pakistan. Again, no action was taken by the Indian security services. It took off again at 10:45 p.m. the same night and headed for Karachi.

• Within two hours’ flying time from Pakistan, the old Antonov was ordered to land by Indian air traffic controllers because it was on an unscheduled route. It landed at Sahar airport in Bombay at 1:39 am on 22 December and was ordered to park at a remote side of the airport for refuelling. It was an hour before Indian officials turned up. ‘Davey’ simply walked off the Antonov and quickly disappeared, while Bleach and the five Latvians were arrested and jailed.

• According to Bleach, ‘Davey’ took advantage of the lax security at the airport. A Sahar airport official who had investigated the aircraft on landing said he had no knowledge of the arms drop at Purulia until Bleach told him. Up until then, all he knew was that the plane had flown off course from Thailand. According to the Indian police, a computer laptop found on the plane apparently belonging to ‘Davey’ showed 49 places over which the plane intended to fly.

• In the days after the arms drop at Purulia on 17 December, India’s news media were awash with speculation as to what had happened.

• Suspicion was directed mainly at Pakistan’s secret service once it was known that the aircraft had flown in from Karachi, while the West Bengali authorities denied having received a warning.

• Ananda Marga and the Bangladesh Government dismissed any involvement in ordering the arms, and some journalists speculated on possible links to arms for the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, but without proof.

• Meanwhile, the Bulgarian government issued a statement rejecting any responsibility for the supply of the arms. Even so, within two weeks the Indian Government decided to switch its purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Bulgaria to Romania.

• The Indian security and aviation authorities were accused of being inept, and an inter-agency panel set up by the government recommended strict monitoring of all unscheduled cargo flights, but stopped short of requiring all freight service agents to register their clients.

• Peter Bleach and the five Latvians were transferred to a jail in Calcutta and charged on 24 December 1995 with ‘abetting the waging of war against India and criminal conspiracy’, a charge comparable to treason.

• The younger brother of ‘Randy’, Vinay Kumar Singh, was accused of waiting with his brother to transport the weapons and was also arrested and charged.

• Indian police arrested eleven Ananda Marga monks, including three US nationals and a Greek and Irishman, but they were released after no incriminating evidence was found.

Purulia arms drop: December 17, 1995.

Peter Bleach, convicted in the Purulia arms drop case.

Bleach was sentenced for a life term and was in a Kolkata prison for dropping crates of missiles, rifles and rocket launchers in Purulia district of West Bengal on the night of December 17, 1995.

The British secured his release.

The demand of British Government to release him was met after Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani had a 30-minute meeting with his British counterpart David Blunkett in Delhi.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair had discussed Bleach's case with Advani in London in June 2003. India had then offered to review the matter.

India pardoned and released the five Latvian crew members of the Russian plane used to drop the arms and ammunition.

Peter Bleach, whose full name is Peter von Kalkstein-Bleach, was 46 years old at the time. He is a former corporal in British military intelligence and had served in the armed forces for over 20 years in, among other places, Southern Africa and Belfast. He claimed that his own UK-based company, Aeroserve, had a licence to handle weapons from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The delivery was not for the Indian government, but for an insurgent group. He was introduced to the third man, but he was not given the man’s name.

The third man showed Bleach the area on a map where he wanted the illegal arms to be delivered. It was just inside West Bengal. .. Bleach advised that arms could be delivered to such an area only by parachute drop or by covert landing. He insisted that only the pilot who was to deliver the arms should know the ultimate destination. ‘I stressed from the very beginning’, Bleach recalls, ‘that, in order to be successful, it is most important that this resembles a perfectly, normal transaction in every possible way… No single contractor should be aware of the entire route.’ ...

Bleach says he contacted the Ministry of Defence through someone he knew in the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and was put in touch with an official on the India desk, Colin Allkins, whom he fully informed of the secret plan. .....

The letter was issued by a Hong Kong bank and signed by ‘Kim P. Davey’– this turned out to be the third man.

Friends of ‘Davey’ apparently called him ‘Peter’, but Interpol now believes that his real name is Niels Christian Nielsen, born in Denmark in December 1961. He took the name Kim Palgrave Davey from a New Zealand infant who died at the age of five weeks and managed to acquire a New Zealand passport in that name after visiting New Zealand.

Bleach says he continued to inform officials at DESO by fax and to ask for help.10 On 14 and 22 September, and 8 December 1995, he met police Special Branch officers in North Yorkshire and told them about ‘Davey’ and his three Danish associates. Bleach claims that the Special Branch officers responded by asking him to continue the deal.

On 24 September, Bleach and his Danish contact flew to Dubai and then on to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where Bleach said he had to attend to his ‘normal’ business. On 27 September, they flew to Bangkok to finalize the new contract. Bleach said his contact told him on the journey that ‘Davey’ was in charge of the operation.

Attending the Bangkok hotel dinner meeting were ‘Davey’, his lawyer, his business partner, Bleach, his Danish contact, and an Indian called ‘Randy’. ‘Davey’ wanted to know if the arms could be delivered by ship and then taken by road to Purulia in West Bengal. But Bleach said he convinced him that this method was too difficult, and that it was much better to use an aircraft. If the aircraft were bought, it could be resold or used for other things, and it was this idea that attracted ‘Davey’. He wanted to base the aircraft in Dhaka.

‘Davey’ arranged for Bleach to find a cargo plane to ferry the arms. This turned out to be an ageing Russian-built Antonov 26. A preliminary report of the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims that ‘Davey’ provided $250,000 to buy the freighter aircraft from the bankrupt Latvian Airlines – previously part of the USSR state-owned Aeroflot – and to hire the five-person air crew and two ground engineers for three months.

Another report says Peter Bleach took $30,000 from ‘Davey’ to hire the services of the crew on the assumption that the plane would in future be based in Dhaka.

The Antonov 26 freighter was registered as AH 266 and was transferred to Carol Air Services Ltd, a company based in Hong Kong but registered in October 1995 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Carol Air was reported to be a subsidiary of a Hong Kong company that had employed ‘Davey’.

The Russian-built plane was based for the time being in Riga, Latvia, home of the five-person crew. These were:-

1. Captain Alexander Klichine, the 44-year-old pilot,
2. Igor Moskvitine (navigator),
3. Oleg Gaidach (co-pilot),
4. Yevgeni Antimenko (cargo operator) and
5. Igor Timmerman (flight engineer).

They were each offered a salary of about $1,000 for three months, provided they would move in due course to Bangladesh. It is worth bearing in mind that the salary of a Latvian pilot is probably about one-thirtieth that of a pilot in Western Europe.

On 21 November, the Antonov left Riga for India and Pakistan, but apparently did not visit Bangladesh.

By November 1995, Bleach was in touch with a UK weapons trading company, Border Technology and Innovations Ltd (BTI) of Hexham, England, to order the consignment on behalf of ‘Davey’. BTI claimed that it had agents in 22 countries in 1990 and has secured military and civil defence contracts in 15 countries including Angola, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The company said that Bleach showed them what appeared to be a valid end-user certificate from the Bangladesh Ministry of Defence, but an invoice given to Bleach for the order mentions a request for parachutes: ‘Peter…Total price is $170,000…We need EUC quickly to effect licences. Payment: $85,000 in advance, balance by bankers draft. Commission: $10,000 is in this for you. Parachutes not available.’

In any case, BTI did not need to apply for a UK arms export licence from the Department of Trade and Industry because, as with so many other UK-arranged arms deals, the firm would purchase the arms abroad and not bring them into UK jurisdiction. BTI turned to a well-known Bulgarian arms manufacturer, KAS Engineering, whose subsidiary, the Arsenal Company, was in a position to sell pistols and Kalashnikov rifles at low prices. Bleach later claimed that he distanced himself from the deal, put ‘Davey’ in touch with BTI and concentrated on finding the aircraft.

Collection and Delivery

On 10 December 1995, the Antonov landed in Burgas, Bulgaria, to collect the 77 wooden cases of arms. Bleach says that when he departed for Burgas from Gatwick a plain-clothed UK customs officer met him and said he knew of the deal.
Both ‘Davey’ and Bleach boarded the plane before it took off with the arms cargo and headed for Karachi.

Flying from Karachi on 17 December 1995, the old Antonov lumbered towards West Bengal, landing at Varanasi to refuel. To Bleach’s surprise, the Indian customs and police authorities there took no steps to search the plane or arrest ‘Davey’ and the others.

It then took off again headed for Rangoon. Close to midnight en route over Gaya in West Bengal, the crew claim that ‘Davey’ suddenly ordered them at gunpoint to fly low over the villages of Purulia in order to drop the arms.

Defiantly, they did not fly very low, but the arms cases were nevertheless dropped and landed miles off target, using parachute rigging that had been bought in South Africa.

Cases were marked ‘Technical Equipment’ and bore the name ‘Central Ordnance Depot, Rajendrapur Cantonment, Bangladesh’.

After the drop, the aircraft went back on track towards Rangoon, but was refused permission to land due to ‘poor visibility’. It then headed back to Calcutta, refuelled and took off towards Phuket, Thailand, where the plane landed in the early hours of 18 December.

Seeing the parachutes falling from the sky, and finding with amazement the broken crates of arms and ammunition, the villagers of Purulia ran to tell the authorities.

Afterwards, it was revealed that on 10 and 17 November and 15 December 1995, the UK Home Office had reported the plan to their counterparts in India, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and the CBI had taken over the case on 27 December, but the latter had obviously failed to intercept the freighter. A security memorandum of 25 November from RAW to the Indian Government stated that a European-based businessman had wanted to deliver arms to Communist rebels in West Bengal. It said he had bought an Antonov 26, visited Riga for that purpose on 15 November and would try to land it at the airstrip of a disused coal mine in Dhanbad, near Purulia, called Panchet Hill. It would appear that by 17 December ‘Davey’ had discarded the idea of landing, in favour of the parachute drop, but that for some reason the Indian authorities were not prepared to stop the flight.

On 21 December, the freighter re-entered Indian airspace supposedly en route to Calcutta, but because of ‘bad weather’ it changed course and landed at Madras, apparently to refuel for an onward journey back to Pakistan. Again, no action was taken by the Indian security services. It took off again at 10:45 p.m. the same night and headed for Karachi.

Within two hours’ flying time from Pakistan, the old Antonov was ordered to land by Indian air traffic controllers because it was on an unscheduled route. It landed at Sahar airport in Bombay at 1:39 am on 22 December and was ordered to park at a remote side of the airport for refuelling. It was an hour before Indian officials turned up. ‘Davey’ simply walked off the Antonov and quickly disappeared, while Bleach and the five Latvians were arrested and jailed.

According to Bleach, ‘Davey’ took advantage of the lax security at the airport. A Sahar airport official who had investigated the aircraft on landing said he had no knowledge of the arms drop at Purulia until Bleach told him. Up until then, all he knew was that the plane had flown off course from Thailand. According to the Indian police, a computer laptop found on the plane apparently belonging to ‘Davey’ showed 49 places over which the plane intended to fly.

In the days after the arms drop at Purulia on 17 December, India’s news media were awash with speculation as to what had happened.

Suspicion was directed mainly at Pakistan’s secret service once it was known that the aircraft had flown in from Karachi, while the West Bengali authorities denied having received a warning.

Ananda Marga and the Bangladesh Government dismissed any involvement in ordering the arms, and some journalists speculated on possible links to arms for the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, but without proof.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian government issued a statement rejecting any responsibility for the supply of the arms. Even so, within two weeks the Indian Government decided to switch its purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Bulgaria to Romania.

The Indian security and aviation authorities were accused of being inept, and an inter-agency panel set up by the government recommended strict monitoring of all unscheduled cargo flights, but stopped short of requiring all freight service agents to register their clients.

Peter Bleach and the five Latvians were transferred to a jail in Calcutta and charged on 24 December 1995 with ‘abetting the waging of war against India and criminal conspiracy’, a charge comparable to treason.

The younger brother of ‘Randy’, Vinay Kumar Singh, was accused of waiting with his brother to transport the weapons and was also arrested and charged.

Indian police arrested eleven Ananda Marga monks, including three US nationals and a Greek and Irishman, but they were released after no incriminating evidence was found.

The CBI continued hunting for several Indian nationals in addition to ‘Davey’, who was accused of running a network of corrupt officials in India.

If Bleach and the crew faced charges for which the minimum sentence is life imprisonment, while the maximum is death by hanging. They also faced charges under the Arms Act and Explosives Substances Act and the aviation laws.

Mystery Remains

Incarcerated, Peter Bleach continued to argue his innocence by saying that he was involved as an informer with the full knowledge of the British security services.

He produced faxes he had sent to UK government officials that he claimed would prove this. He alleged that the Indian security chiefs were warned long before the arms drop was made, but that they deliberately allowed the Antonov to shed its cargo in order to make political capital out of the result in West Bengal.

One fax from Bleach to the UK MoD read: ‘I was informed that my quote was acceptable and I was invited to discuss the final details with the buyers, who were acting on behalf of the end-user. This turns out to be an illicit deal and the end-user appears at this stage to be an insurgent group in India.’

Bleach also claimed that UK Special Branch officers had initially encouraged him to provide a delivery plane.

Bleach and his supporters accuse the British government of a cover-up over his failed deal and have demanded a statement admitting its role.

One of those collecting evidence for Bleach’s defence is his friend, Jo Fletcher. She says her efforts to help him were thwarted by Special Branch officers: ‘… the Police came round – twenty members of Her Majesty’s Constabulary – at six thirty in the morning, banged on my door. They took all the documentation that I had brought down from Yorkshire, they took piles of my own paperwork and they also took my computer, which they broke – and Peter’s computer...’. North Yorkshire Police confirmed to the BBC that they did ‘collect evidence’ from Jo Fletcher’s home. Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office officials could offer no contradiction to Bleach’s story.

Mystery remains as to the whereabouts and the exact role of Niels Christian Nielsen (alias ‘Kim Davey’), who has not been seen since his disappearance from Sahar airport on 22 December 1995. The Indian CBI told reporters that Nielsen had stayed in a hotel where he had made several phone calls to Bangladesh. They also believe that a Hong Kong-based businessman had financed the entire operation and that he was present in Riga with ‘Davey’ and Bleach when the deal to purchase the Antonov was struck.

The CBI allege there were 14 others, including three Danes and a Bangladeshi military officer, who were involved.

On 17 January 1997, Indian police arrested a man on arrival from Singapore at Bombay’s Sahar airport in connection with the Purulia case. The man awaiting questioning was believed by the police to be Joel Proren and was alleged by them to have helped Nielsen with the funds to purchase the Antonov in Latvia. The police said Proren was German-born, but then a US citizen who was resident in Kansas. An official from the US consulate visited Proren. When travelling from Singapore, he had used the name of ‘Schneider Martin Conrad’, but had been using six names – Ken Sando, Roy Dogen, Martin Olsen and Joel Proren. Asked what his real name was, he replied: ‘Call me Hanu man.’

__________________

1 This account is drawn largely from quoted documents, and the words of Peter Bleach, particularly his account of the affair published as ‘The Copenhagen Connection’, Sunday (reprinted from Politiken, Denmark), 11–17 May 1997, but also from the following accounts: Pranay Sharma, ‘RAW had Warned About the Covert An-26 Mission’, The Telegraph, 25 December 1995; Harinder Baweja; ‘Straining Credibility’, India Today, 11 March 1996; Chandan Nandy, ‘Indian Mole May Have Fled to Colombo’, The Telegraph, 30 December 1996; Special Correspondent, ‘Vital Clues Unearthed in Purulia Case’, The Hindu, 24 January 1997; Richard Norton-Taylor, ‘Gun Running Briton Faces Indian Death Sentence’, The Guardian, 21 August 1997; Stephen Grey, ‘Ex-soldier Abandoned after Tipping off Police’, The Sunday Times, 28 September 1997; Peter Popham, ‘I was Betrayed by MoD, Says Briton Facing Execution’, The Independent, 9 July 1998; Raymond Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes Make Arms Shipments Easy’, The Globe and Mail, 15 July 1998; Saheli Mitra, ‘The Mystery of Arms and Men’, The Telegraph, 13 January 1999; Oxfam UK, Out of Control, 1999; Anish Gupta with Sourabh Sen, Soumen Dutta & Summit Das Gupta, ‘A Twist in the Trial’, Special Report, Sunday, 30 May–4 June 1999; and Tyne Tees Television, ‘The Bleach Conspiracy’, 25 August 1999. Where important details vary, an attempt has been made to indicate a particular source.

2 Peter Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’.
3 Ibid. The other Dane has since denied that arms were discussed, claiming that they discussed the transport of prawns and turtles from Bangladesh to Hong Kong.
4 Ibid.
5 Peter Bleach, quoted by Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes...’.
6 Bleach faxed a detailed account of the planned operation to Colin Allkins at DESO on 18 August 1995, according to Gupta et al., ‘A Twist in the Trial’. DESO is part of the UK Ministry of Defence and employs about 700 staff to help UK arms manufacturers market and sell their products abroad.
7 Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’. Bleach subsequently told the UK police that the letter of credit was worth $460,000.
8 Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes…’.
9 The Hindu, 24 January 1997; Sunday, 11 May 1997; Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes...’.
10 Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’. A copy of Bleach’s fax of 18 August 1995 to Colin All-kins at DESO was published in Sunday, 1–7 January 1997.
11 Gupta et al., who quote from court evidence. Richard Norton-Taylor, ‘Army Told of Indian Arms Deal’, The Guardian, 12 September 1997, also quotes from Bleach’s correspondence, saying Bleach gave the UK police the precise grid reference for the arms drop.
12 Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’.
13 Tyne Tees Television, ‘The Bleach Conspiracy’.
14 Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’.; Peter Popham, ‘I was Betrayed…’.
15 Stephen Grey, ‘Ex-soldier Abandoned…’.
16 According to Caroline Lees & Simon Hinde, ‘Sky Full of Rifles Alerts Indians to Brewing Revolt’, The Sunday Times, 1 January 1996, Bleach had reportedly tendered to supply Russian-made helicopters to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Defence but had not won the contract.
17 Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’.
18 Ibid.
19 The Hindu, 24 January 1997.
20 Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes...’.
21 lbid. In addition, Oxfam, Out of Control, claims that shares of Carol Air were transferred to an investment company registered in the Isle of Man in November 1995.
22 Gupta et al., ‘A Twist in the Trial’. According to Oxfam and Grey, op. cit., BTI also had an address in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
23 Oxfam, Out of Control. According to Grey, the Bangladeshi end-user certificate appears to have been a forgery. According to Bonner, Bleach claimed that BTI were paid $165,000 for the first shipment.
24 Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes...’.
25 Gupta et al., ‘A Twist…’.
26 Oxfam quotes from a fax ‘between’ BTI and Bleach on 10 November 1995 that defines the consignment from KAS engineering as 300 AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 15 Makarov pistols, two sniper rifles with night vision sights, 2 night vision binoculars, 25,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, 6,000 rounds of pistol ammunition, 10 RPG-7 rocket launchers, 100 anti-tank grenades, 100 ordinary grenades, and 25 PM79 anti-personnel mines. Another fax quoted by Oxfam from BTI to KAS Engineering [no date given] states that: ‘Commercial invoice should describe goods as "goods as per contract No. 046-HPS 10.11.95" to keep within the ideal of our Swiss Bank.’ Oxfam, Out of Control.
27 Tyne Tees Television, ‘The Bleach Conspiracy’.
28 Pranay Sharma reports the Indian aviation authorities’ allegation that the crew were allowed to make a trial ‘dry run’ flight to India in December 1995 before loading the arms for West Bengal, but this may be confused with the November flight from Riga. It appears that the crew and the Bulgarians were told the arms were for delivery to Bangladesh. Sharma, ‘RAW had Warned…’.
29 Popham, ‘I was Betrayed…’.
30 Norton-Taylor, ‘Gun Running Briton’. Lees & Hinde, ‘Sky Full of Rifles…’, report that Bleach said half the arms consignment was left in Karachi.
31 Gupta et al., ‘A Twist in the Trial’.
32 Tyne Tees Television, ‘The Bleach Conspiracy’.
33 Sharma, ‘RAW had Warned…’; Ashis A. Biswas, ‘Still in a Maze’, Outlook (India), 26 February 1997.
34 Gupta et al., ‘A Twist in the Trial’; Baweja, ‘Straining Credibility’.
35 Gupta et al. ‘A Twist in the Trial’.
36 Baweja, ‘Straining Credibility’. Michael Howard, the UK Home Secretary, confirmed in January 1996 that his officials had informed the Indian authorities of the plan.
37 Gupta et al., ‘A Twist in the Trial’.
38 Ibid.
39 Tim McGirk, ‘Would-be Hero Poisoned by his Own Sting’, The Independent, 11 September 1996.
40 For this account see Grey, ‘Ex-soldier Abandoned…’; Nandy, ‘Indian Mole…’; Bonner, ‘Legal Loopholes…’.
41 Mitra, ‘The Mystery of Arms and Men’.
42 Pranay Sharma, ‘Pakistan Suspected in Arms Drop’, The Telegraph, 22 December 1995.
43 Murali Krishnan & Sinjoy Chowdury, ‘LTTE Theory Gaining Ground’, The Telegraph,
30 December 1995; AFP, ‘India to Buy Arms from Romania’, 16 January 1996.
44 Murali Krishnan, ‘Pvt Air Services to be Combed’, The Telegraph, 30 December 1996.
45 The Telegraph, 11 December 1996.
46 Lees & Hinde, ‘Sky Full of Rifles…’.
47 Mitra, ‘The Mystery of Arms and Men’; Special Correspondent, The Hindu, ‘Vital Clues…’; Bleach claims that ‘Davey’ had bribed all the necessary police in India to ensure that his gold smugglers were released within 24 hours (Bleach, ‘The Copenhagen Connection’).
48 Special Correspondent, The Hindu , ‘Vital Clues…’; Tyne Tees Television, ‘The Bleach Conspiracy’.
49 BBC Radio 4, 11 September 1998.
50 Christopher Hudson, who visited Bleach in 1997, told BBC Radio 4 : ‘He was dealing here with hardened criminals who were anxious that he knew too much. These were not the men to go back on a deal with. Having entered it, he couldn't just back off – as the authorities claimed could happen. That isn't the way it’s done. Once you're inside the tent you stay inside because to venture out is to face death.’ Hudson also claimed that Bleach’s health was deteriorating in prison, with gangrene in his toes. ‘It’s a horrid, terrible prison. He has to defecate in a bucket. There’s a smell of raw sewage everywhere.’ The Latvian crew’s relatives complained that the prison conditions for their men were worse than Bleach’s, and that there were no legal representation or family or consular visits. Two of the men had serious medical conditions.
51 BBC Radio 4; Norton-Taylor, ‘Gun Running Briton’.
52 Ibid.
53 Staff Reporter, ‘Armsdrop Trial Begins Today’, The Telegraph, 1 August 1997.
54 Nandy & Murshed, ‘RAW Tip-off to Arrest Arms Drop Suspect’, The Telegraph, Calcutta, 22 January 1997; Special Correspondent, The Hindu, ‘Vital Clues…’; Mitra, ‘The Mystery of Arms and Men’.
55 Special Correspondent, The Hindu, ‘Vital Clues…’. Hanuman is the much-loved Hindu monkey-god who is invincible, the most intelligent being on earth and one of the very few Hindu gods who lives on earth in a physical incarnation at all times.

____

Carnage at BDR Hd.Qtr.: BKA Position on Ruling Party Minister Lt.Col.(R) Faruq Khan's statements

2009-03-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

We are Worried over Minister Faruq Khan’s senseless Statements regarding Carnage in Dhaka BDR Headquarter

STATEMENT

We are worried that Lt. Col.(Rtd.)Faruq Khan, the ruling government’s Commerce Minister and Chief Coordinator of investigations of the carnage in BDR Head Quarter, is continuing to give senseless statements which are getting wide media coverage at home and abroad. His statements on the one hand raising questions about the role of the investigators, and on the other hand the suspicion about the ruling party’s complicity in the carnage is deepening. Moreover his statements are threatening future of Bangladesh military’s participation in UN Peacekeeping missions abroad.

Ruling party Minister Faruk Khan has palliated the absconding fugitive BDR men. In another statement he openly said that some BDR men had JMB complicity. During investigation such statements are indicative of motive to misguide the investigation. It may be noted that the list of suspects of Carnage in BDR Headquarter reported already in local and foreign media includes names of more than one leading personality of the ruling party. Moreover the appointment of an anti-military pro-Awami League ex-police officer as the Investigation Office is being counted as efforts to intentionally misguide the investigation.

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon demands high level intelligence analysis of the statements and role of ruling party minister Faruq Khan. This is required to ensure severe punishment to the actual perpetrators and to keep the image of our military as an institution aligned with our Freedom and Sovereignty.

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net

PALESTINE ISSUE: BKA LETTER TO IRANIAN LEADER

2009-03-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:57:38 +0600
To: "H.E. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei"
From: K A Huq
Subject: Your inaugural speech at the Fourth Conference for Support of Palestine

To: H.E. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Leader, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Cc: H.E. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
To Whom It May Concern

Mohtaram,

Assalamu Alaykum.

I have read your inaugural speech at the Fourth Conference for Support of Palestine organized in Iran. Hereunder this letter I have copied the English translation of your speech I received.

There are important points in your speech which call for our attention. But in general your speech is arrogance against arrogance, hatred against hatred. It lacks Divinity.

There are both believers and non-believers (atheists /agnostics) in almost all the ethnic religious communities of the Divine Scriptures including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindus. Almighty Allah has promised that irrespective of religious ethnicity whoever believe in Allah and in the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord.

Arab leaders and Muslim fighters against Turkey's Muslim ruler were no less responsible for the creation of the State of Israel after the First World War. And it was the failure of the Arab, Muslim and Christian authorities and people that Israel could expand beyond her 1948 borders. May be it was the Divine Punishment for helping the British administration which is the prime mover of atheistic secularism and materialism in the world.

One can not solve problems by blaming others. We ethnic Muslims have been stabbing each other on the back. We ethnic Muslims have deviated from the Path of Piety & Righteousness and have chosen to ignore Divine Scripture, Prophetic Mission and Human Experience. Our Iranian revolutionaries talked so much about the Divine Mission of the United Ummah. But in practice they welcomed US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Faith and Righteousness is more important today than religious ethnicity. Our Holy Prophet (Sallallahoalaihissalam) taught us not to blame the son for the offence of father. It is not correct to blame all Jews for the wrongs of a few Jew in earlier times. Is it piety for any Muslim to call the Jews sons of pigs and apes? Is it the teaching of our Holy Prophet (SM)?

Our Holy Prophet (Sm) migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Medina) on the invitation and consent of those most of who were friendly Jews and Pagans. At that time there were less than 500 Muslims in Yathrib (Medina) while the population of Yathrib (Medina) was nearly 10,000 - about fifty percent Jews and fifty percent Pagans. Those majority Jews and Pagans agreed Hazrat Muhammad ibn Abdullah (Sm) to become the political leader and administrator of the City State of Medina and Holy Prophet (Sm) guaranteed their rights and status by Medina Charter which called all citizens of Medina irrespective of religion as "Ummah". On the other hand, Holy Prophet (Sm)'s own relatives and tribe in Makkah were called "Kafir" not because they were idol-worshippers but because they were enemies.

We need the support of principled God fearing people irrespective of their ethnic or religious identities. We need the support of Vatican and other non-materialist believer Christians. We need the support of the Monotheist Jewish Clergies who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need the support of non-materialist believer God-fearing Hindus who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need to understand that the vested interests of elitist agnostics and atheists of Europe led by British administration is the prime enemy of Faith, Righteousness and Justice in the world.

We are already in the midst of the Third World War. All God fearing righteous people irrespective of ethnic religious identity have to come closer and work together to fulfill Divine Will. Our anger and hatred is not going to solve the problem of the mankind. We need to be God fearing, wise and righteously active.

With best wishes and best regards.
Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)

Designations:

International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Prayers for Victim of Terrorism at BDR Head Qtrs.

2009-03-01T05:35:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE Dt. Friday 27th February 2009 :

Today Special Prayers were organized by Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA) at Hafezzi Huzur Complex Mosque of Lalbagh Kellar Morr, Dhaka, for those who have been martyred and for those who have been oppressed by the deviated terrorist members of BDR at Pilkhana. The Prayer was conducted by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, Secretary-General of BKA.

Prayers were offered for the salvation of departed souls and special prayers for the oppressed and victim families.

Expectation was expressed that appropriate punitive measures will be pursued against the real miscreants.

It is also hoped that those who are innocent and were victim of circumstances will be spared. The congregation made special prayers to Allah to ensure security and peace of Bangladesh by foiling all conspiracies of local and foreign vested interests.

for Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Kazi Azizul Huq, International Affairs Secretary
Cell: 01819-407963 E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net

GAZA Issue : Excerpts of a Letter from Kazi Azizul Huq to Dr. Richard L. Benkin

2009-02-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

Gaza issue is being exploited mainly by the secularists and atheists ... to promote hatred against Israel and U.S.

One of the aims of the British administration and their collaborators seems to divert world attention from the genocide and atrocities in Iraq & Afghanistan to Gaza. We understand that Afghanistan and Iraq were occupied under long-term British policy who after failures in Iraq have preferred to go low profile and did everything possible to bring new administration in the US and divert all blames to President Bush. Many people seem to have forgotten that Britain created the false dossier to instigate President Bush to start the War on Iraq.

Local leading British agent Daily Star Group (The Daily Star, Daily Prothom Alo, ABC FM Radio, etc.) is taking a lead in organizing the hate campaign against Israel and US exploiting the current Gaza issue. ..Mr. Sanaullah Lablu, a key resource person of Daily Star Group and currently Chief News Editor ABC FM Radio of Dhaka, in a talk-show on media reports urged the new Bangladesh Prime Minister herself to participate street demonstrations and organize country-wide demonstrations on Gaza issue. The obvious aim is to pressurize the new Administration of Bangladesh to actively engage in anti-Israeli and anti-US stand and block our 2-years efforts to go into state to state relation with Israel and implementation of the Israel-Palestine Two State solution.

In our letter dated 7 May 2007 we wrote to Muslim leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia:

..."it is time to understand that the Jews, Israel & USA are not the prime enemy of the Muslims. British Government has been the prime enemy of the Muslims and of the believers. The British Government is the prime mover of God-less culture and values. They are trying to De-Faith the Muslim societies. They are trying to undermine marriage, promote fornication, and introduce Live-together and Gay culture in our societies. They have been promoting the fight between the Jews and Muslims to rule the world. We think, it is time for the Muslims and the Jews and the oppressed peoples of the world to unite to foil all British conspiracies to keep their God-less evil political/cultural domination over the world."

You may remember that in my mail to you dated 28 May 2008 I wrote :

"I came to know that Indian and British governments do not want relation between Bangladesh & Israel and the current ruling elite of Bangladesh is obeying them. BD Gov't has not lifted travel ban though Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon has repeatedly told the government that it is the religious right of the Muslims and Christians of this country to pay visit to Holy places in Jerusalem & Palestine."

On 13 February 2008 I wrote to you:
..."we are concerned whether any secret vested interest within British administration is instigating HAMAS to continue the provocative rocket-firing from Gaza. While PLO leaders and members are too corrupt and unreliable to lead any nation, HAMAS could be the rational choice to lead the Palestinians towards implementing the Two State Solution. But unfortunately both Israeli Government and majority of Jewish population are overwhelmed with prejudices against HAMAS, while HAMAS enjoys greater support of Arabs and Muslims all over the world. And if HAMAS becomes an instrument in the hands of British secret vested interests - for the time being there is little hope for Palestine & Israel and Muslims & Jews. I urge you to go deep into the matter and search and find-out pragmatic solution for mutual interests."

On 10 January 2008 in our greetings on the occasion of launching of the re-designed web-site of Interfaith Strength we wrote:

"Both Puritanism and Atheism are menace and mother of intolerant non-religious behavior. Puritans ultimately turn into materialist atheists. It has been proved both in England and Najd (Riyadh). Inflexible dogmatism of so-called Puritanism ultimately drives man into irreligious approach and behavior. Divine religion is much more a non-rigid natural and flexible way to remain obedient to God and receive His Blessings. True religion is based on Faith & Virtues - not on ethnicity."

I urge to review ..and identify the dos and donts and go for activity for common good in the light of

(1) Divine Revelations,

(2) Apostolic Heritage and

(3) Human Experience.

Stop Discrimination and Persecution of Muslims in India

2009-02-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Press Release : DHAKA, Monday, 16 February 2009. Indentifying Root of Current Islam-West Conflict

2009-02-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

STATEMENT

Minister Louis Farrakhan addressed a gathering of diplomats, politicians, intellectuals and activists in Dhaka on 7 Feb 1998 [at Restaurant Olive Garden, Gulshan-2].

He said: "...Every Muslim Country that seems to get strong militarily, there is a policy, even known or unknown, to destabilize that regime. Every Muslim country that has wealth, there is a secret policy to undermine and take away the wealth of the wealthy moderate state and the military potential of those Muslims who have some military potential.."

To keep her racial domination over the world culture and civilization Britain has been working on long-tern plans.

In the post-cold war era after the fall of Soviet Union the British network with the help of vested quarters have accommodated within her fold the atheist and leftist intellectuals and activists worldwide.

Britain continues to enjoy considerable influence over and access into the ruling elite of her former colonies - specifically the civil and military bureaucracies and the western educated elite. Britain is at the bottom of all conspiracies against Faith and Believer Muslims, Jews and Christians since she employed Darwin to create the Origin of Species Theory to rationalize colonization by one race over other races under the premise "Survival of the fittest".

The ongoing conflict has not been provoked by one or a group of Muslim or Jew. The ongoing conflict between Muslims and Jews, Islam and the West, Believers and Non-Believers have been planned and designed by Britain and executed with the help of misguided state-actors and international organizations, non-believer atheists, radical extremists, think-tanks, media, civil society and local mercenaries in the target nations.

Kazi Azizul Huq,
International Affairs Secretary
Cell: 01819-407963
E-mail : khelafat@dhaka.net, kahuq@dhaka.net

Copy of E-mail distribution Sent to Selected Governments & Media

Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:47:12 +0600

To: "H.E.Seyyed Ali Khamenei"< >, "H.R.H. King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud"< >
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: For review: A synopsis of Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations

For Further Review & Study:

A synopsis of Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

The Clash of Civilizations is a theory, proposed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world.

Huntington began his thinking by surveying the diverse theories about the nature of global politics in the post-Cold War period. Some theorists and writers argued that human rights, liberal democracy and capitalist free market economy had become the only remaining ideological alternative for nations in the post-Cold War world. Specifically, Francis Fukuyama argued that the world had reached the 'end of history' in a Hegelian sense.

Huntington believed that while the age of ideology had ended, the world had only reverted to a normal state of affairs characterized by cultural conflict. In his thesis, he argued that the primary axis of conflict in the future would be along cultural and religious lines.

The theory was originally formulated in a 1992 lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, which was then developed in a 1993 Foreign Affairs article titled "The Clash of Civilizations?",[2] in response to Francis Fukuyama's 1992 book, The End of History and the Last Man. Huntington later expanded his thesis in a 1996 book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order.

In the 1993 Foreign Affairs article, Huntington writes: It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.

Core state and fault line conflicts

In Huntington's view, intercivilizational conflict manifests itself in two forms:

1. fault line conflicts and

2. core state conflicts.

Fault line conflicts are on a local level and occur between adjacent states belonging to different civilizations or within states that are home to populations from different civilizations.
Core state conflicts are on a global level between the major states of different civilizations. Core state conflicts can arise out of fault line conflicts when core states become involved.[5]

These conflicts may result from a number of causes, such as:

• relative influence or power (military or economic),

• discrimination against people from a different civilization,

• intervention to protect kinsmen in a different civilization, or different values and culture, particularly when one civilization attempts to impose its values on people of a different civilization.[5]

Huntington argues that the widespread Western belief in the universality of the West's values and political systems is naïve and that continued insistence on democratization and such "universal" norms will only further antagonize other civilizations.

Huntington sees the West as reluctant to accept this because it built the international system, wrote its laws, and gave it substance in the form of the United Nations.

Huntington identifies the two "challenger civilizations", Sinic and Islam.

In Huntington's view, East Asian Sinic civilization is culturally asserting itself and its values relative to the West due to its rapid economic growth. He sees the hierarchical command structures implicit in the Confucian Sinic civilization, as opposed to the individualism and pluralism valued in the West.

Huntington argues that the Islamic civilization has experienced a massive population explosion which is fueling instability both on the borders of Islam and in its interior, where fundamentalist movements are becoming increasingly popular. Manifestations of what he terms the "Islamic Resurgence" include the 1979 Iranian revolution and the first Gulf War.

Huntington argues that a "Sino-Islamic connection" is emerging in which China will cooperate more closely with Iran, Pakistan, and other states to augment its international position.

Huntington also argues that civilizational conflicts are "particularly prevalent between Muslims and non-Muslims", identifying the "bloody borders" between Islamic and non-Islamic civilizations. This conflict dates back as far as the initial thrust of Islam into Europe, its eventual expulsion in the Iberian reconquest, the attacks of the Ottoman Turks on Eastern Europe and Vienna, and the European imperial division of the Islamic nations in the 1800s and 1900s.

He believes that some of the factors contributing to this conflict are that both Christianity (upon which Western civilization is based) and Islam are:

• Missionary religions, seeking conversion by others

• Universal, "all-or-nothing" religions, in the sense that it is believed by both sides that only their faith is the correct one

• Teleological religions, that is, that their values and beliefs represent the goals of existence and purpose in human existence.

More recent factors contributing to a Western-Islamic clash, Huntington wrote, are the Islamic Resurgence and demographic explosion in Islam, coupled with the values of Western universalism - that is, the view that all civilizations should adopt Western values - that infuriate Islamic fundamentalists.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Huntington is increasingly regarded [citation needed] as having been prescient as

- the United States invasion of Afghanistan, 2002
- Bali Bombings, 2003
- Invasion of Iraq, the 2004
- Madrid train bombings, the 2006
- cartoon crisis [citation needed],
- the 2005 London bombings,
- the ongoing Iranian nuclear crisis and
- the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

fueled the perception that Huntington's Clash is well underway.

Huntington's influence upon U.S. policy has been likened to that of British historian A.J. Toynbee's controversial religious theories about Asian leaders in the early twentieth
century.

As a genuine advocate of the often-elusive dialogue of religions and cultures, Pope John Paul II once observed: “A clash ensues only when Islam or Christianity is misconstrued or manipulated for political or ideological ends.”

References
1. http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.29196,filter.all/pub_detail.asp
2. a b Official copy (free preview): The Clash of Civilizations?, Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993
3. Bernard Lewis: The Roots of Muslim Rage The Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 1990
4. http://s02.middlebury.edu/FS056A/Herb_war/clash3.htm
5. a b Huntington, Samuel P. (2002) [1997]. "Chapter 9: The Global Politics of Civilizations". The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (The Free Press ed.). London: Simon $ Schuster. pp. p 207f. ISBN 0-7432-3149-X.
6. Berman, Paul (2003). Terror and Liberalism. W W Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-05775-5.
7. a b c Russett, Bruce; John Oneal, Michaelene Cox (2000). "Clash of Civilizations, or Realism and Liberalism Déjà Vu? Some Evidence". Journal of Peace Research 37 (5): 583–608. doi:10.1177/0022343300037005003. Retrieved on 3 October 2007.
8. Edward Said: The Clash of Ignorance The Nation, October 2001
9. Edward Said: [1] Prof. Edward Said in lecture, The Myth of the Clash of Civilizations, University of Massachusetts, 1998
10. Edward Said: [2] Prof. Edward Said in lecture, The Myth of the Clash of Civilizations, University of Massachusetts, 1998
11. Beyond the clash of Ignorance, Reset Dialogues on Civilizations, June 2007
12. a b Tusicisny, Andrej (2004). "Civilizational Conflicts: More Frequent, Longer, and Bloodier?" (PDF). Journal of Peace Research 41 (4): 485–498. doi:10.1177/0022343304044478. Retrieved on 3 October 2007.
13. http://www.unesco.org/dialogue2001/en/khatami.htm Unesco.org Retrieved on 05-24-07
14. http://www.dialoguecentre.org/about.html Dialoguecentre.org Retrieved on 05-24-07

Condolences on the sudden demise of Hazrat Hamidullah r.a.

2009-02-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2009 22:41:09 +0600
Subject: Condolence
From: Sunita Paul
To: K A Huq

Respected Brother Kazi Huq,

I am terribly shocked to hear that our loving brother Moulana Hafez Hamidullah, who had been championing the cause of interfaith understanding and harmony, suddenly left this world, for eternal peace.

May G-d reward him for his life long dedication towards humanity and good to this world.

We shall surely miss a real guardian in Bangladesh, who never hesitated in standing against all forms of religious hatred and fanaticism.

Kindly convey my profound condolence to the members of his family and everyone else, who loved him for his extra ordinary dedication to humankind.

I shall include him in my prayers tonight and hope everyone in the world will also do so.

Regards

Your Sister,

Sunita

Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 11:59:08 +0200
From: "David Rosen"
Subject: RE: Top BKA Leader - Sponsor of Muslim-Jews Dialogue - Dies in Dhaka
To: "Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon"

Dear Honorable Kazi Azizul Haq ,

I send you and your community my sincere condolences on the passing of Hazrat Maulana Hafez Hamidullah from this earthly abode. Such an early death of a learned and courageous lover of peace and dialogue is a loss for the world at large. I pray that his example and teaching will increasingly inspire others to follow in his paths of righteousness.

Having just lost my own brother - a great rabbi- at the same age as that of Hazrat Maulana Hafez Hamidullah, his loss is also personally poignant.

May Allah bless us to emulate their faith and goodness.

Ma salame,
David

Chief Rabbi Dr. David Rosen , KCSG
Chairman, International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC),
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
tel :+972-2-6255281 fax:+972-2-6256527 mailto:rosend@ajc.org http://www.rabbidavidrosen.net/

Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 21:42:47 +0800
From: Nizamuddin Ahmed
Subject: Condolence
To: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Dear Kazi Azizul Haq Bhai ,
Assalamualaikum

I deeply condole the sad demise of Hazrat Maulana Hafez Manidullah . May Allah place his soul to the heaven of the highest order and pray for the peace of his bereaved family and community.

Thanks and regards

Nizam Ahmed
Senior Correspondent
Dhaka Bureau, Reuters News, Thomson Reuters
Phone:+880-2-8330123, +880-2-8330121
Mobile: +880-1819-221594
nizamuddin.ahmed@thomsonreuters.com

thomsonreuters.com

Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:15:22 +0200
From: Asher Eder
Subject:
To: kahuq@dhaka.net
Cc: Salah Choudhury

Shalom / Salaam,

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Abraham's Family.

Please, receive my heartfelt condolence for the demise of our dear Brother the Moulana Hamidullah.

Although I had not the privilege to get acquainted personally with him, yet his honesty and true love of all the members of Abraham's Family in the Spirit of the Creator of all of us made - and makes - me feel so close to all of you, and share my grieve for the un timely departure of that one of us.

Sorry that I am somewhat late with that letter of mine - my PC was out of order for several days, and got fixed only to-day.

Hope to meet once personally, either here in Israel or in your country, to look into your eyes, embrace you, and share our views and hopes,

Sincerely yours,

Asher Eder
Jewish Co-Chairman,

Islam-Israel Fellowship, Yerushalayim/Israel

From: "Famigla Kossover"
To:
Subject: A message of condolence on the passing of a great man
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:25:02 +0200

My Dear Honorable Kazi Azizul Haq,

One of the duties every believing Jew is taught is to seek peace with his brothers. When a scholar who seeks to do this passes to his Eternal Reward, a bright flame is lit in the heavens, but a candle goes out here where we yet remain. Even here in Israel, I and others have heard of the efforts of Hazrat Hafez Hamidullah in his endeavors to bring peace between Moslems and Jews, so that the various Children of Abraham (PBUH) can view each other as brothers with love, and his passing to a different stage in his existence is a gain for the heavens that receive him and a loss for all of us who have not yet joined him.

I offer what puerile condolence a man can offer in the face of Destiny. The Eternal gives us so much time to accomplish His appointed tasks, and then decides when we have accomplished enough of these tasks. Apparently, developing the Bengladesh Khelafat Andolon was a big part of these appointed tasks. All we can do is praise the good deeds and pray and hope that the memory of Hazrat Hafez Hamidullah will be a blessing upon all of us. May you and your community and may the family of this great man be comforted by Allah in your time of grief and loss; may you draw courage and sustenance from this scholar's example to continue on in the holy task of seeking reconciliation and peace.

A thought for you all. The Eternal only gives us to accomplish what He thinks we can accomplish. And most of us never really exceed with our reach what we can grasp. So much remains yet for us all to do.

May you all only hear good news.

Blessings from the Mountains of Samaria,
Reuven Kossover

From: "Yehuda Stolov"
To:
Subject: Condolences
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 13:39:55 +0200
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512

Dear Honorable Kazi Azizul Haq ,

Please accept my sincere condolences on the early passing away of Hazrat Maulana Hafez Hamidullah. I wish you and your community with the traditional Jewish prayer: May God comfort you ... and you should know no sorrow!

I do wish we can all follow his footsteps and continue develop the good relations between Jews and Muslims.

Yours sincerely,

Yehuda Stolov

Yehuda Stolov, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Interfaith Encounter Association
www.interfaith-encounter.org

Top BKA Leader – Advocate of Muslim-Jewish Dialogue – Dies in Dhaka

2009-02-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE No.2009/0207.05 DATE: DHAKA Saturday 07, 2009.

Senior Naeb-e-Amir of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan and one of the prominent Islamic clergies supporting interfaith harmony as well as lifting of travel ban on Israel, Moulana Hafez Hamidullah died in Dhaka on Friday late hours at his residence at Kamrangirchar, Dhaka at the age of 63.

Late Hamidullah played important role in Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan since the inception of this party. He was also the Vice Principal of Noria Madrassa at Kamrangirchar, which was founded by his father late Moulana Mohammed Ullah Hafezzi Huzur.

Late Moulana Hafez Hamidullah was one of the very few outspoken Islamic clergies in Bangladesh, who openly condemned all forms of militancy in the name of religion. He was a true prophet of preaching peace and peaceful coexistence of people of all religious beliefs.

Hamidullah had aspiration of bringing the believers into one platform to combat all forms of social perversion, atheism and religious fanatism.

He wrote a number of letters to Bangladesh government urging to drop the false charges against editor of Weekly Blitz.

He was arrested, detained and tortured many a times during the rule of military dictator Hussain Muhammed Ershad.

At the demise of Moulana Hafez Hamidullah, Bangladesh surely loses one of the rarest individuals who dedicated his entire life for global peace, religious harmony and unity of the believers.

for Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Kazi Azizul Huq
International Affairs Secretary
Ph: +880-(0)1819407963
E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net

Support to Vatican Move on Prohibition of Cluster Bombs

2008-12-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:37:49 +0600
To: "H.E. Rev. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti", av@pccs.va,
From: Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Subject: Convention Prohibiting Cluster Munitions.
Cc: feedback@pmo.gov.bd,dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir,info@leader.ir, webmaster@shura.gov.sa, comments@whitehouse.gov, usdeptstate@mailnj.custhelp.com,

Dt: Dhaka, Friday, 05 December 2008.
To : H.E. Rev. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States, Vatican.
Re : HOLY SEE SIGNS CONVENTION CONCERNING CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Excellency,
Assalamu Alaykum.

We are happy and pleased to confirm our support and endorsement to your ratification of the Convention prohibiting the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

Vatican under the current Pope H.H. Benedict XVI has once again courageously spearheaded its principled position in support of peace and Divine values.

We specially thank your excellency for organizing and representing the Vatican in this good work.

With best wishes and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Kazi Azizul Huq
for Hafez Maulana Hamidullah ibn Hafezzi Huzur
Senior Deputy Amir and Nazim
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
314/2, J.N. Shah Road (Lalbagh Kellar Morr), Dhaka-1211, BANGLADESH.
Tel: 7320078, 8612465, 01819-407963, Fax:+880-2-9881436 , E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
12.04.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 219

HOLY SEE SIGNS CONVENTION CONCERNING CLUSTER MUNITIONS

VATICAN CITY, 4 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States yesterday participated in a ceremony, held in Oslo, Norway, to sign a Convention prohibiting the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions, the text of which was approved on 30 May in Dublin, Ireland.

In his address, Archbishop Mamberti stated that "in order to send out a powerful political signal, the Holy See is ratifying this Convention on the same day as the signing. In the first place we wish to express to victims the human proximity of the Holy See and its institutions. We also wish to launch an appeal to States - especially to the producers, exporters and potential consumers of cluster munitions - to join the current signatories, so as to assure victims, and all countries gravely affected by these arms, that their message has been understood.

"Credible security is not only possible, but actually more effective, when it is based on co-operation, on trust and on a just international order", while "order founded on the balance of power is fragile, unstable and a source of conflict", the archbishop added.

The head of the Holy See delegation to the Oslo ceremony then indicated that "through contributions on everyone's part, the house of peace is now stronger, yet perseverance and patience are indispensable for its consolidation".

An English-language declaration accompanying Archbishop Mamberti's speech states that "in ratifying the Convention ... the Holy See desires to encourage the entire international community to be resolute in promoting effective disarmament and arms control negotiations and in strengthening international humanitarian law by reaffirming the pre-eminent and inherent value of human dignity, the centrality of the human person, and the 'elementary considerations of humanity', all of which are elements that constitute the basis of international humanitarian law.

"The Holy See considers the Convention on cluster munitions an important step in the protection of civilians during and after conflicts, from the indiscriminate effects of this inhumane type of weapon", the text adds.

"The Holy See", the document concludes, "considers the implementation of the Convention as a legal and humanitarian challenge for the near future. An effective implementation should be based on constructive co-operation of all governmental and non governmental actors and should reinforce the link between disarmament and development. This can be done by directing human and material resources towards development, justice and peace, which are the most effective means to promote international security and a peaceful international order".

DELSS/CLUSTER BOMB CONVENTION/MAMBERTI VIS 081204 (420)

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Divine Heritage : Article From an American Jew

2008-10-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Yom Kippur

By Dr. Richard L. Benkin

Yom Kippur, in English “the Day of Atonement,” is considered by most Jews to be the holiest day of the year. Together, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur are known to Jews as the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the ten intervening days (often called the Ten Days of Repentance); are a time when Jews everywhere are to consider their actions during the past year and think about how to be better people in the coming year. It is not only the Jewish people who act, however, but the Jewish God, as well.

A common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a sweet year.” Jews believe that on Rosh Hashanah, God writes everybody’s name down for either another year of life or for death. Jews have a chance to change God’s decree by what they do during the High Holiday period. Because God might inscribe His judgment on Rosh Hashanah, but He does not seal it until Yom Kippur.

In the Torah, the Jewish holy book, God commands Moses to tell the Hebrew people, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations.” That is the origin of Rosh Hashanah, and it is why Jews are to do no work on that day. Instead, they are to devote themselves to prayer and contemplation; to reflect on their behavior over the past twelve months and how it might seem in the eyes of God. Traditional Jews spend most of the day in the synagogue. As for Yom Kippur, the Torah tells us that God said, “Mark, the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you; you shall practice self-denial…you shall do no work throughout that day.”

The point for us on both holy days is that we are to set aside this time, not work or engage in our common leisure activities and such. Traditional Jews do not even kindle fires or any kind or use electricity. God wants us to do that so our entire beings are turned toward the meaning of the holidays. In the above quote from the Torah, we are told to “practice self-denial” on Yom Kippur. That has come to mean fasting, and Yom Kippur is one of seven fast days on the Jewish calendar. But Judaism suffers from the same problem other religions suffer from these days; most people observe it only marginally. But the vast majority of Jews observe the High Holidays. So, Yom Kippur is by far the most observed of the fast days.

Contrary to what some people think, however, the purpose of fasting is not punishment or repentance. Judaism has no tradition of such things. God does not want us to withdraw from the pleasurable things he has provided us. (That is why, for instance, many religious Jews will have sex with their wives every week on the Shabbat to celebrate the miracles that God creates for us.) The reason we fast (or “practice self-denial”) is so we are not distracted from the gift that God has given us for the day—that if we are truly introspective, we have a chance to soften His judgment. But what a wonderful gift. God has relieved us of our worldly burdens for the day so we can take that time to examine ourselves and become better people.

Our prayers tell us that we can soften God’s decree with “repentance, prayer, and charity.” The Hebrew word for repentance is tshuva, which really means “return.” In the Jewish religion, repentance is not about saying you are sorry—although sometimes that is necessary—but it is about returning to the way God wants us to be. Just words are not enough; it takes action. So if we show this between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, God will see it. Even if we have not yet done it, but it is in our hearts and we will do it, God sees that, too. Repentance for Jews is about returning to God. Prayer can be offered with the lips only but no heart. That is the case in all religions. God, however, can tell the difference (we simple people can never expect to fool Him). If we offer prayers from the heart, God will listen; but if our prayer is false and our hearts are set on continued misbehavior, God will see that, too. The Hebrew word for charity is tzedekah, which means “righteousness.” In the Jewish tradition, giving charity is only doing what is demanded of us. If we are wealthy, we should help those in need; most importantly, we should help them help themselves. If we are safe, we should help those who are in danger. If we are strong, we should help the weak. As much as we give to others in these situations, they are giving to us because they allow us to act as God wants us to act. But it must be done with a true spirit of righteousness, understanding that it is the correct thing to do in God’s eyes, or it means little.

God also tells us that we can come to Him and ask for His forgiveness, and he can grant it. But, he tells us, for sins that man commits against God, God can grant forgiveness. For sins that a man commits against his fellow man, God cannot grant forgiveness. We must get that forgiveness from the man against whom we have trespassed. That is a wonderful value because it recognizes that if we have wronged another, true tshuva can come only when we have taken the actions that brought us closer (returned us) to our fellow man. We cannot wrong another and expect to be forgiven without making things right with that other person.

Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, all observances begin at sundown the evening before the day of the observance; and they end at sundown on the day of the observance. So, in 2008, the Jewish date of 10 Tishre, on which Yom Kippur falls, corresponds to the date of October 9. That means Yom Kippur begins at sundown on October 8 and ends at sundown on October 9. At that moment, in every congregation all over the world, the great shofar or ram’s horn is sounded as it was in ancient days at our Temple in Jerusalem, letting all Jews know that the time of the observance is over, that God has sealed our fates, and that it is now up to each of us to go forth in the world and live in accordance with the moral principles that God has set down for us and which are now in our hearts.

LETTER TO SAUDI KING REGARDING MADRID INTERFAITH CONFERENCE

2008-07-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Dt: DHAKA, Saturday, 12 July 2008.

To: H.R.H. King Abdulllah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Saudi Arabia.

Cc: H.E. Rev. Chief Rabbi David Rosen, Director of AJC, Chairman of IJCIC, Israel.
H.E. Rev. Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican.
H.E.Rev.Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenie, Rahbar, IR Iran.
H.E. Rev. Maulana Hafez Hamidullah, Secretary General, BKA.
Dr. Richard L. Benkin, Interfaith Strength, USA.
Mr. Salahuddin Shoaib Choudhury, Editor, Weekly Blitz.
Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Convener, Islamic Democratic Party (IDP)
Mr.Sanjeeb Chowdhury, Chairman, Human Rights Forum.
To Whom It May Concern

Re: Interfaith Conference Sponsored by KSA in Madrid July 16-18

Asslamu Alaykum.

We welcome the Saudi initiative to hold a major Interfaith Conference in Madrid July 16-18. We are thankful to Allah Almighty that the Dialogues of which we are also an important component have started yielding result.

We urge the believers to take care that the evil quarters of atheists, agnostics, racists, perverts and materialists do not infiltrate these Dialogues to ruin its Divine purposes. Interfaith Conferences of the adherents of the Abrahamic Faiths must also be aimed to strengthen the Unity of the Believers particularly of the Monotheists worldwide. Those who are known to be promoter of anti-Faith agenda and homosexuality should not be allowed to sit in such conference as dignitaries and decision makers.

May Allah Bless the mankind with Faith & Obedience to Allah, to His revealed Divine Scriptures and to the Heritage & Missions of His Messengers.

With best wishes and best regards.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)

Designations:
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA).

Cell: 01819-407963 Tel: 9881436
Fax: +880-2-9881436 E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net, kahuq@dhaka.net

The Naya Digonto Story Against US and Israel

2008-07-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

DHAKA, 2 July 2008.

To: Mr. Mir Quasem Ali,
Chairman,
The Daily Naya Digonto
Motijheel, Dhaka.

Assalamu Alaykum.

Today in the front page of Nayadigonto On-line edition I read read the report by Mr. Murshidul Alam Chowdhury regarding Zionist Propaganda Against Bangladesh.

We are forwarding to you following materials for your review:-

1. Letter to Chief Advisor Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed dtd 12-Feb-2007
2. Letter to Saudi King dtd 13-May-2007
3. Muslim-Jews Dialogue upto 09-06-2007
4. Muslim-Jews Dialogue on Palestine Issue
5. Medina Charter
6. Last Sermon of the Holy Prophet SAWS
7. Commandments (613) Believed and obeyed by Jews
8. Muslim-Jews early history

We have found that neither the Zionists nor the Americans are the real enemy of the Believers and the Muslims. The actual enemy of Believers and Muslims are European racists and atheists led by British vested quarters who have been secretly fueling Muslim-Jews hatred and conflict.

Probably about 50 percent ethnic Muslims of Bangladesh today do not even know the very Qalimah without which one can not be counted as a Muslim, while more than 50 percent ethnic Christian population of USA make prayer to God before taking their food. US Government continues to inscribe on its Dollar "In God we trust". People may criticize but they declare proudly that they are Believers in God. May be this is why they continue to be the leader of the world. Because US Government agrees Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Choice including Religious Freedom, Muslim preachers enjoy the freedom to convert Americans to Islam.

There are both believers and unbelievers (atheists /agnostics) in almost all the ethnic religious communities of the Books including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindus. Almighty Allah has promised that irrespective of religious ethnicity whoever believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord.

Arab leaders and Muslim fighters against Turkey's Muslim ruler were no less responsible for the creation of the State of Israel after the First World War. And it was the failure of the Arabs and the Muslims that Israel could expand beyond her 1948 borders. May be it was the Divine Punishment for fighting against Turkey's Muslim ruler.

One can not solve problems by blaming others. We ethnic Muslims are stabbing each other on the back. We ethnic Muslims have deviated from the Path of Piety & Righteousness and have chosen to ignore Divine Scripture, Prophetic Mission and Human Experience. Our Iranian revolutionaries talked so much about the Divine Mission of the United Ummah. But in practice they welcomed US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Faith and Righteousness is more important today than religious ethnicity. Our Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) taught us not to blame the son for the offence of father. It is not correct to blame all Jews for the wrongs of a few Jew in earlier times. Is it piety for any Muslim to call the Jews sons of pigs and apes? Is it the teaching of our Holy Prophet (SM)?

Our Holy Prophet (SAWS) migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Medina) on the invitation and consent of those most of who were friendly Jews and Pagans. At that time there were less than 500 Muslims in Yathrib (Medina) while the population of Yathrib (Medina) was nearly 10,000 - about fifty percent Jews and fifty percent Pagans. Those majority Jews and Pagans agreed Hazrat Muhammad ibn Abdullah (SAWS) to become the political leader and administrator of the City State of Medina and Holy Prophet (SAWS) guaranteed their rights and status by Medina Charter which called all citizens of Medina irrespective of religion as "Ummah". On the other hand, Holy Prophet (SAWS)'s own relatives and tribe in Makkah were called "Kafir" not because they were idol-worshippers but because they were enemies.

We need the support of principled God fearing people irrespective of their ethnic or religious identities. We need the support of Vatican and other non-materialist believer Christians. We need the support of the Monotheist Jewish Clergies who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need the support of non-materialist believer God-fearing Hindus who have been holding important heritage of Divine Scriptures and Missions of Prophets of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon them all). We need to understand that the vested interests of elitist agnostics and atheists of Europe led by British administration is the prime enemy of Faith, Righteousness and Justice in the world.

We are already in the midst of the Third World War. All God fearing righteous people irrespective of ethnic religious identity have to come closer and work together to fulfill Divine Will. Our anger and hatred is not going to solve our problem. We need to be God fearing, wise and righteously active.

With best wishes and best regards.

Maassalam.

Kazi Azizul Huq
(ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
E-mail: khelafat@dhaka.net

Designations:

International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Founder Convener, CIRB-Hezbollah
Advisor, Islami Gono Andolon (Organization led by veterans of Afghan War of Liberation from Soviet Occupation)
Team Leader, Human Rights Forum

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FREE FROM MONEY & MUSCLE POWER DEMANDED BEFORE POLL

2008-06-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Press Release : 28.06.2008

Meeting of Central Executive Committee (Majlish-e-Amela) of BKA Held
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FREE FROM MONEY & MUSCLE POWER DEMANDED BEFORE POLL

Meeting of the Central Executive Committee of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon [BKA] held on Tuesday, which was presided over by its Secretary General Maulana Hamidullah. In a resolution passed by the Executive Committee, BKA supported the move for holding Local Government Election before the National Election. But BKA reiterated its stand that the whole election process will be useless if ‘Level Playing Field’ is not assured prior to any election for Local or National government.

“BKA believes for making any election beneficial to the country and nation, it is necessary that devout, non-communal and non-egoist persons who may not have money and muscle power but are righteous should get elected as public representatives. The existing electoral system in Bangladesh is rather lamb’s right in choosing butcher”.

The political changes in Bangladesh of 1/11 would become meaningless if specific reforms are not ensured in the electoral system without which righteous capable candidates having no money and muscle may be defeated by the evil forces of black money and muscle. Elections held without appropriate reforms may bring back the old miscreants thus re-establishing domination and oppression of the privileged over the underprivileged.

Whatever steps the Bangladesh Election Commission has undertaken till date have been more or less in the interest of the privileged oppressors. In our meeting with Mr. Abu Hena when he was Chief Election Commissioner, we proposed specific measure such as: in each electoral area only one poster and only one leaflet containing names and symbols of all the candidates to be printed and distributed by the Election Commission banning any other poster, leaflets, banners, wall-writing, advertisement etc. by candidates or their supporters. Specific reform necessary to bar miscreants and their godfathers, killers, thugs, extortionists, usurers, rapists, drug traffickers and drug addicts, women traffickers and womanizers, homosexuals & perverts, religion haters and atheists from becoming candidate in any local or national election” the BKA Executive Committee Resolution says.

Muhammad Azam Khan
Publicity Secretary, Cell: 01672-960701
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon

Khelafat's letter to H.E. Pope Benedict XVI

2008-06-02T03:21:00.000-07:00

DHAKA, Tuesday, 26 September 2006

To: H.E. Pope Benedict XVI
00120 Via del Pellegrino
Citta del Vaticano, Vatican City,
Rome - Italy

Excellency,

It seems necessary to frankly communicate to your excellency that our Faith in Allah, in His Prophets (including Jesus - Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) and in His Revealed Scriptures (including Bible) is unconditional and does not care about any logic created by any human mind or satanic instinct. Our unconditional Faith is that Holy Mother Marium was truly Virgin Mother and no human being ever mate wtih her, and Holy Prophet Jesus was miraculously created by Allah without any father (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Hazrat Marium and her son Hazrat Isaa i.e. Jesus).

We do not rule out the possibility that any European or American or Israeli vested interests may have blackmailed your excellency and may have used your excellency for provoking confrontation after failure of their conspiracies against Hezbollah and Iran.

When we welcome dialogue, we clearly mean dialogue for peaceful co-existence of cultures - and if possible, to extend a common struggle to defeat materialism and atheism. Our Faith is that we the followers of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) are the true followers of all Prophets of Allah including Holy Prophet Jesus and Holy Prophet Moses (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon them). We think that the Christian clerics and community with few exceptions are followers of the cultures created by some monks and monarchs of Europe. They are not really the followers of Holy Prophet Jesus the son of Holy Mother Marium (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Jesus & Marium).

If our Christian brothers and sisters work "as servants of love and ... 'artisans' of peace" and "witness of blood" for "marking the victory of love over hatred and evil" - may be many of those who falsely claim to be followers of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) will be ashamed and be inspired to correct themselves.

We still hope that we shall be able to recover from the unfortunate damage in the inter-community relationship arising out of your unnecessary comments on Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) and about the religion Revealed by Allah.

May Allah forgive us all and guide us all to His Path.

Kind regards,
for Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Kazi Azizul Huq Ibn Abdul Huq Ibn Izzatullah Ibn Abdul Hamid
Secretary, International Affairs Department

AN INTERVIEW WITH SUNITA PAUL

2008-06-02T03:15:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, 29 Mar 2008 [Published partially in the Asian Tribune 30-3-81]

Sunita Paul (SP): Thanks for sending information regarding your party 'Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan'. If I am not mistaking, English translation of this name stands for 'Bangladesh caliphate Movement'. Do you preach Caliphate State in Bangladesh?

I have gone through several documents available on the net, and the name of your party was mentioned at least in a talk show on Voice of America. It was stated that, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan supports withdrawal of travel ban on Israel. This is something very unique and exception for me to hear from an Islamic political party. As I know, most of the Islamist and Islamic parties in Bangladesh are against withdrawal of travel ban. In your case, you are very exception. May you kindly elaborate the reason as to why you feel that Bangladesh should lift travel ban on Israel?

Kazi Azizul Huq (KAH): I am attaching herewith soft-copy of selected compilation of our ongoing Muslim-Jews Dialogue. Please specifically read the Appendix Pages 36-39 (BKA Letter to H.E. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Government), which we hope will answer much of your inquiries.

The word 'Caliphate' is used in the books of history also to mean the autocratic and imperialistic governments of the Umayyads, Abbasides and Ottoman Turkey. Our understanding of 'Khelafat' is different. We say "Khelafat Ala Minhazin-Nabuwat" i.e. Governance by divine viceroy treading the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)."
Our understanding of 'Khelafat' comes from the verse of the Holy Quran wherein Allah says that He decided to create His 'Khalifa' i.e. human specie (Hazrat Adam the First human) on the Earth. By 'Khelafat' we mean that the Governance to be for the human by the human who is obedient to God and knows and practices the Will of God.

(SP): Being an Islamist political party, why Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan also supports lifting travel ban on Israel?

(KAH): Ban on Travel to Israel is not a religious ban. It is a political decision of our state. Since our state policy is to support the Palestinians, our government adopted a policy not to recognize Israel unless Israel leaves all occupied lands and allow Palestinians to have an independent viable Palestinian State. Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon wants the travel ban to be withdrawn since our government should not continue to deny its Muslim & Christian citizens of the right to make pilgrimage to Holy sites in Palestine & Israel.

(SP): Does this travel ban has anything to do with Koran?

(KAH): The Holy Quran does not prohibit Muslims from travelling to any land.

(SP): Why and how you and your party became interested in promoting inter-faith dialogue?

(KAH): Hazrat Hafezzi Huzur (Peace be upon him), the founder of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, often recited verses of the Quran wherein Allah says that the whole mankind is the progeny of single pair of parents Hazrat Adam & Hazrat Hawa @Eve (Peace be upon them). He also often said "Muslims are our brethren in Faith while non-Muslims are our kin since we are all children of Adam & Eve (Peace be upon them)". Thus in Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon we have an environment of promoting compassion and generosity among mankind. So we have been trying to resolve our problems with other communities through sincere dialogue and mutual understanding.

(SP): What are the basic principles of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan in ensuring rights of religious minority?

(KAH): Our Holy Prophet (pbuh) migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Medina) on the invitation and consent of those most of who were friendly Jews and Pagans. At that time there were less than 500 Muslims in Yathrib (Medina) while the population of Yathrib (Medina) was nearly 10,000 - about fifty percent Jews and fifty percent Pagans. Those majority Jews and Pagans chose Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) to become the political head and administrator of the City State of Medina and Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) guaranteed their rights and status by Medina Charter which called all citizens of Medina irrespective of religion as "Ummah". On the other hand, his own relatives and tribe in Makkah were called "Kafir" not because they were idol-worshippers but because they were enemies. Hazrat Mohammed (pbuh) being the head of a minority religious community was chosen as the Political Head of the State by the majority who did not want to follow the religion of Hazrat Mohammed (pbuh). So while he was the political as well as religious head of the Muslims community, he was only the political head of the majority citizens of Madina who were non-Muslims. From it we can derive the principles and environment of the polity of Khelafat.

(SP): How do you look into the neo aspect of leftist-athiest-Islamist alliance in many countries in the world?

(KAH): Mr. Steve Johnson has recently (26 March 2008) written in the GLOBAL POLITICIAN under the title 'Our ally in war on terror in trouble':-

"So called seculars, who are generally anti-American and pro-Communists are playing important role in fixing strategies for the administration in Dhaka. Because of such interactions between the administration and anti-American lobbies moderate Muslims as well as liberal Islamic parties are in danger." The distinction between 'Islamist' and 'Islamic' is important. 'Islamists' are more concerned with mundane gains that are acquirable in the name of Islam, while 'Islamic' people are more concerted with salvation in the life Hereafter through growing Faith in Allah and discharging duties and obligations in this world. So 'Islamist' are also a sort of materialists like the communists. In Bangladesh leftist-atheist-Islamist alliance is still not that much visible. Rather the Communists here are trying to use US Administration to eliminate both Islamists and Islamic groups. I am not yet much aware of leftist-atheist-Islamist alliance in other countries of the world. I should be grateful if you kindly provide me with materials for study in this regard.

(SP): What are the basic reasons for many of the Bangladeshis to be anti American, anti West and anti Semitic? Who are responsible for such tendency?

(KAH): 6. People of Bangladesh in general dislike Anglo-American Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. At the same time most of them would like to see their children to go to Europe and US to earn money for solvency. Those who get education from western type schools usually are infected with vices such as ego, selfishness, hatred, revenge, arrogance, cruelty, etc. On the other hand those who get education in traditional religious schools normally learn to get rid of ego, selfishness, hatred, revenge, arrogance, cruelty etc. So, I think, western type general education system in our countries are mainly responsible for it. Anti-Semitism is an European phenomena. But since the creation of Israel and continuous propagation of Jewish oppression of Muslims in Palestine have turned Muslims to be prejudiced against the Jews. Secret British policy seems to be deliberately fueling this confrontation between Muslims and Jews.