Sunday, November 29, 2009

Freedom...

Hmm... Democracy and freedom of religion...? This looks more like hypocrisy. Its funny how these people first invent and bring to life a screwed-up image of Islam themselves, then let it scare the snot out of them, then use the fact that they are scared snot-less as an excuse to act just as stupid as the screwed-up rendition of that which they fear themselves.

A state that allows the building of certain religions' places of worship to the exclusion of others... That sounds an awful lot like theocracy without the Theo...

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Swiss voters back ban on minarets
One of four minarets in Switzerland
There are only four minarets in Switzerland

Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show.

More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban.

The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which also fears unrest among the Muslim community.

Our correspondent says voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - have ignored the government's advice.

"The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," said the government in a statement, quoted by the AFP news agency.


This will cause major problems because during this campaign in the last two weeks different mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland
Tamir Hadjipolu
Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations

Minaret vote: Your views

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the result reflected fear of Islamic fundamentalism.

"These concerns have to be taken seriously. However, the Federal Council takes the view that a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies," she said.

She sought to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".

Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets.

After Christianity, Islam is the most widespread religion in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden.

There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.

Supporters of a ban claimed that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy.

But others say the referendum campaign incited hatred. On Thursday the Geneva mosque was vandalised for the third time during the campaign, according to local media.

Before the vote, Amnesty International warned that the ban would violate Switzerland's obligations to freedom of religious expression.

'Political symbol'

The president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, Tamir Hadjipolu, told the BBC that if the ban was implemented, Switzerland's Muslim community would live in fear.

"This will cause major problems because during this campaign in the last two weeks different mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland.

"So with the campaign... the Islamaphobia has increased very intensively."

Sunday's referendum was held after the People's party collected 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months calling for a vote.

SVP member of parliament Ulrich Schluer said the campaign had helped integration by encouraging debate. He rejected the charge of discrimination.

In recent years many countries in Europe have been debating their relationship with Islam, and how best to integrate their Muslim populations.

France focused on the headscarf, while in Germany there was controversy over plans to build one of Europe's largest mosques in Cologne.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Satisfaction

The Dissatisfaction of Sin



by Arif Billah, Hazrat Mawlana Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (damat barakatuhum)



Hazrat (damat barakatuhum) says, “The question often arises: does one attain true satisfaction and contentment by fulfilling the demands of one’s base desires?



Hazrat Hakimul Ummah Thanwi (rahimahullah) says in answer to this, ‘If a person casts lustful glances at all the beautiful women of the world except for one. And then someone was to tell him whether he wants to see that one also, then he would definitely say yes.’



From this is it is understood that the example of trying to acquire fulfillment through committing sins is like hoping to extinguish a fire by adding more fuel to it.



And the example of hoping to gain satisfaction through committing sins is like the hope of trying to gain purity by washing away feces with urine.



Likewise, by closely observing the lives of people who worship their lust and are addicted to casting evil glances, one will discover a life of worries, depression, dissatisfaction and sleepless nights.



On the other hand, those people who are occupied with the remembrance of Allah Ta`ala and accompany the Ahlullah, their lives are filled with peace of mind, contentment of heart and comfort.



Through the blessings of Allah’s remembrance, a person actually enters the “lap” of Allah’s mercy. Allah Ta`ala takes the people of His remembrance into the loving embrace of His mercy.



Hazrat Hakimul-Ummah Thanwi (rahimahullah) says, ‘By continuously being involved in a tug of war with the lower self by fighting the temptations of the nafs, one actually attains more of a closeness to Allah Ta`ala, even though apparently the heart may become restless and disturbed by this.



On the other hand, by committing sin and falling into the trap of temptation, the temporary enjoyment and short-term satisfaction wherein the nafs finds gratification is actually the moment wherein the wrath of Allah Ta`ala descends.



[In other words, when a person fulfills his impermissible, base desires for the sake of coming out of the restlessness and inner agitation to gain “peace of mind”, this state is actually a cursed state, even though one may feel satisfied. This is because of the fact that this “satisfaction” has been acquired by Allah’s disobedience.]



And the continuous feeling of restlessness and non-fulfillment of desires was through taqwa and fear of Allah. [Therefore this will become a means of closeness to Allah and elevation of one’s ranks.]



A short while after committing the sin, that temporary satisfaction one was feeling will also be snatched away. After this stage, such an intense desire for sin will overtake the person that was never experienced previously.



This is because the nafs has now become strengthened by having received its vile sustenance of sin and the spirituality has become weakened. Now the onslaught of nafsani desires and temptations will be doubled.”



May Allah Ta`ala bestow us the ability to please Him and to abstain from those things which invite His displeasure. Ameen



(Kashkol-e-Ma`rifat; 367-68)