IDF in Gaza: Killing civilians, vandalism, and lax rules of engagement

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

During Operation Cast Lead, Israeli forces killed Palestinian civilians under permissive rules of engagement and intentionally destroyed their property, say soldiers who fought in the offensive.  The soldiers are graduates of the Yitzhak Rabin pre-military preparatory course at Oranim Academic College in Tivon. Some of their statements made on Feb. 13 will appear Thursday and Friday in Haaretz. Dozens of graduates of the course who took part in the discussion fought in the Gaza operation.  The speakers included combat pilots and infantry soldiers. Their testimony runs counter to the Israel Defense Forces' claims that Israeli troops observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation. The session's transcript was published this week in the newsletter for the course's graduates.  The testimonies include a description by an infantry squad leader of an incident where an IDF sharpshooter mistakenly shot a Palestinian mother and her two children. "There was a house with a family inside .... We put them in a room. Later we left the house and another platoon entered it, and a few days after that there was an order to release the family. They had set up positions upstairs. There was a sniper position on the roof," the soldier said.  "The platoon commander let the family go and told them to go to the right. One mother and her two children didn't understand and went to the left, but they forgot to tell the sharpshooter on the roof they had let them go and it was okay, and he should hold his fire and he ... he did what he was supposed to, like he was following his orders."  According to the squad leader: "The sharpshooter saw a woman and children approaching him, closer than the lines he was told no one should pass. He shot them straight away. In any case, what happened is that in the end he killed them.  "I don't think he felt too bad about it, because after all, as far as he was concerned, he did his job according to the orders he was given. And the atmosphere in general, from what I understood from most of my men who I talked to ... I don't know how to describe it .... The lives of Palestinians, let's say, is something very, very less important than the lives of our soldiers. So as far as they are concerned they can justify it that way," he said.  Another squad leader from the same brigade told of an incident where the company commander ordered that an elderly Palestinian woman be shot and killed; she was walking on a road about 100 meters from a house the company had commandeered.  The squad leader said he argued with his commander over the permissive rules of engagement that allowed the clearing out of houses by shooting without warning the residents beforehand. After the orders were changed, the squad leader's soldiers complained that "we should kill everyone there [in the center of Gaza]. Everyone there is a terrorist."  The squad leader said: "You do not get the impression from the officers that there is any logic to it, but they won't say anything. To write 'death to the Arabs' on the walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics, really. It's what I'll remember the most."  More soldiers' testimonies will be published in Haaretz over the coming days. See on Haaretz website

History vs Claims

Unfortunately when many of us try to judge the Palestinian-Israeli conflict we have one strong belief: "Peace Will NEVER Come ONLY Because Hamas DENY It."

 

In fact there is another different point of view that is rarely discussed. Trying to explain it I'll answer a question. It may take long to answer, but please be patient, it may be the first for most of you to know about the following.

 

The question: Is it really about Hamas rockets?

 

In 1987 Hamas was announced as an Islamic Palestinian resistence against the Zionist occupation. Could you read the previous date? It's 1987. Please memorize this date very well..1987.

 

I'll talk about accidents that happened before this date. Please be patient reading the following.

1938> Bomb in a train in Haifa killing 2 Arab cops, 2 British cops. (Irgun Zionist movement)

1938> Bomb in a coffee shop in Haifa killing an Arab civilian. (Irgun)

1938> An attack against a bus to Jerusalem killing an Arab Palestinian cop man. (Irgun)

1938> 3 Arab civilians killed by bullets in Haifa. (Irgun)

1938> 2 Palestinian civilians killed in Tel Aviv.

1938> 7 Arab Palestinians killed in a bomb explosion in Jaffa.

1938> An Arab civilian killed in a hospital's yard in Haifa.

1938> Many Palestinians killed in a bombing in a crowded market in Jerusalem. 

1938> Firing towards a group of Palestinians killing 7 close to Tel Aviv.

1938> Throwing a bomb towards a bus in Jerusalem killing 3 Palestinians.

1938> Explosion of 2 time-bombs in a market in Haifa killing 18 Palestinians and 5 Jews.

1938> Bombing in Jerusalem killing 4 Palestinians.

1938> Market bombing in Jerusalem killing 10 Palestinian civilians.

1938> Market bombing killing 53 Palestinians in Haifa.

1938> Market bombing killing 24 Palestinians in Jaffa.

1939> 33 Palestinian killed (24 in a market bombing in Haifa, 4 in a market bombing in Jerusalem)

1939> Land mine explosion near a cinema in Jerusalem killing 5 Palestinians.

1939> Bomb in Jerusalem killing 5 Palestinians.

1939> Bombing a mail center in Jerusalem killing the British bomb specialist.

1939> 6 Arab Palestinians killed in Jerusalem.

1939> Explosive bag on a donkey's back in Haifa market killing 20 Palestinians.

1939> 13 Palestinians killed in a fire shooting.

1939> An Arab Palestinian killed in Jerusalem market.

1939> Shooting 2 Palestinians in Lefta village.

1939> Market bombing in Haifa killing a Palestinian civilian.

1939> A Palestinian civilian killed in Jaffa train station.

1939> 6 Palestinians killed in attacks close to Tel Aviv.

1946> Bombing of the King David Hotel killing 91 persons (41 Palestinian, 28 British, 17 Jew, 5 other) {Explosives were put inside milk cans, executives of the attack wore Arab clothes}

1947> Balad al-Shaykh massacre when 70 Arabs (including women & children) were killed. {Most of the bodies were found inside the homes of the village}

1948> Bombing of Arab National Committee HQ killing 14 Palestinians.

1948> Semiramis Hotel bombing killing 24 people.

1948> Haifa train bombing killing 40 Arabs. (Lehi)

1948> Ein al-Zeitun massacre when about 70 Palestinians were killed. (Palmach)

1948> Abu Shusha massacre when 60 Palestinians were killed.

1948> The massacre of Deir Yassin village when 360 Palestinian (children, women, elderly, young men) were killed through random firing.

1953> Qibya massacre when 69 Palestinian were killed, many of them by exploding their homes when they were inside, 45 home were destroyed, a mosque and a school. {The massacre was led by Ariel Sharon, former Israeli prime minister}

1956> Kafr Qasim massacre when 48 Palestinian civilian were killed, including women and 23 child.

1956> Khan Yunis refugee camp massacre when 520 Palestinian were killed.

What was the date? It was 1987. Hamas was established in 1987!!

We should think thousands of times, use our minds and think logically before believing the claims of Israeli entity when an Israeli soldier uses his rifle, or an Israeli pilot by his helicopter or F16 killing a child, when a school is targeted by air-to-ground missiles, when a child is killed by a bullet in the head, or when a baby is killed in his mother's womb, or when the villagers of small village are killed by automatic guns. We must think if this crime or that massacre is REALLY BECAUSE a rocket was launched!!

If we asked ourselves why Palestinians fight against Israelis and these massacres and bombings were not the answer, then what is the answer?!!

Targeting schools is not a new thing in the Israeli history. In 8th April, 1970, 9:20 AM, Israeli Phantoms struck Bahr el-Baqar Egyptian school when 130 children were inside. Five bombs and 2 air-to-ground missiles were sent at the school causing 46 child killed and 50 wounded (many of them maimed for the rest of their lives). The school was completely destroyed. The usual justification; Israelis thought it was a military base!!!

Should we believe such claims?!!

If we will keep calling Palestinian side as the "obstacle stone" in the way of peace and considering Israelis as the "peace doves", ignoring all this long history, then I can assure that peace and stability in this area will be far far away.. in fact they'll never be achieved.

But if we have a balanced view of the situation, taking in consideration that there is a side who started the conflict by unilaterally declaring their Jewish state completely ignoring the Millions of non-Jews who lived for hundreds of years on the same land, then deciding to use Jews as human shields by bringing them from every spot of the world however there weren't a real ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis, they threw them in the middle of the battle ground, that's why immigration out of Israel is becoming more than immigration to Israel in the last few years.

The peoples in the west must change their view of the conflict on this small part of the land. There are two sides, the first who lived for hundreds of years on this land, the second who came to this land from other states and nationalities and unilaterally declared their entity using every illegal mean to achieve that. A very balanced view built on a good study of history is necessarily needed.

Peace?!!!!!!

Finally the bloodshed in Gaza has stopped.. (However there were in 29-1 a rocket launched from Gaza that killed no body, and an Israeli air raid causing 2 killed and 18 wounds including 11 child.)

 

So far the following numbers brief the situation;

 

1330 killed

   - 418 child

   - 108 woman

   - 88 elderly

   - 14 of medical crews

   - 230 cop man

5450 wounded

   - 50 % are children & women

   - 90 % of the wounds were affected by White Phosphorus

   - many of the wounds have "a never-seen before injuries" as described by doctors

   - many of the wounds will suffer from permanent physical disability

20,000 civil homes were targeted (4000 are totally destroyed)

27 mosques were targeted (All totally destroyed)

4 of UN buildings were striked (including 2 schools causing the killing of 40 civilians)

35,000 Palestinians are currently homless because of the destruction of their homes

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

When 40% of the killings, 50% of the wounds are children & women and the majority of the rest are not martyrs. When there are many civil homes and mosques that were striked. When there are UN schools and warehouses were striked. Can we keep calling it as 'WAR'?!!

 

Read the following words of witnesses and survivors from the raids and Israeli occupation forces assault, then we can judge.

                     

In Hay Al-Zaytoon South-East of Gaza city, forces of Israeli occupation gathered tens of the Al-Sammony families in one house. Then they striked it continuously for 10 minutes!!  Nayeb Al-Sammony narrates that the house turned into a blood lake, some of them died at once, some kept bleeding for hours and were dead at last. He said that Isreali forces prevented ambulances from reaching to them. He says that he lost his wife Hanan, his daughter Hoda and his 60 years old mother Rezka!!    Haytham Dababesh a doctor in Shifa hospital says; "What happened in Hay Al-Zaytoon was a collective execution by a cold people!!" He adds that the reception section in the hospital was incapable of treating with all the 70 citizens who reached all in the same time.

 

Dalal, a 13 years old girl who lost all her family members, the father, the mother, her sister and her two brothers who were all younger than 7 years. She survived because she were in her grandmother's home when her family's home was striked. The only thing that was left for her were photos and clothes of her family, and .. her cat. She said on the TV when she was crying; "What did I do to the Jews to kill my family?"
  

The mosques in Gaza weren't just targeted by F16 and helicopters, in addition the Israeli soldiers committed insulting things like; peeing, writing offending words on the walls, tearing Moshaf (Books containing Qur'an) and walking above them. All that before demolishing them by bulldozers.

In Gabalia where Nazar Rayyan a Hamas leader lives with his family, the home was striked by Israeli air fighters causing his killing and the killing of 15 of his sons. They all were extracted from under the destroyed home as dead bodies.

The survivors from the first day raids against police stations say that the main reason for the high number of civil victims is that the Israeli air fighters striked the same place twice; once in the first against the station, when citizens gathered at the striked place the air fighters striked again!!

  

The doctors who were in Gaza hospitals describe that they never saw or imagined wounds like what they saw in Gaza before. They say that Israel is testing new unknown weapons against Palestinians. They say that there is a weapon that force doctors to cut the leg or the arm of the wounded. Another weapon causes severe burnings. They say that they can see an enterance of a splinter, but they didn't find neither anything inside the body nor an exit hole. They describe that the internal parts of the body (lungs, liver, intestine, etc) are like "dough" that you can't realize anything from the other.

They describe the effect of the Whit Phosphorus that when the wounded arrive to the hospital he is "corroding", it keep penetrating the skin, the flesh to the bones, it turns all that into "coal". This don't stop until the burns are isolated from the oxygen. The most important features of Whit Phosphorus is that it keep burning as long as oxygen is available, breathing it for a long time may cause cuts in the mouth and breaking of mouth bones. The effect of the WP as described by Mr. Peter, the Head of Weapons Unit, Legal section in the ICRC; "This weapon is capable of causing horrible and painful injuries, or a slow and painful death".

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's the time now to study history to realize if Israeli entity really want to achieve peace with Palestinians and to share them the same land peacefully, or instead it want to dominate them. There are some facts that may settle this question; the first thing is how Israel has been established on a land where there were a people already living, the second is how Israel always kept violating International resolutions; started by the partition plan 1947 and ended by the 1860 CS resolution 2009, the third thing is the big difference in the numbers of victims between Israelis and Palestinians, the fourth thing is the continuous Israeli expanding and the continuous building of new settlements on the lands of Palestinians.

We must ask ourselves now if it's only the right of Israelis to "defend themselves" or it's the right of Palestinians to fight back when there is excessive power used against them killing and wounding thousands of children and women, whatever the justification for killing those innocents. We must ask ourselves if a terrorist is a nationality & religion, or instead acts & crimes. We must ask if Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights of life and land immunity, or it's only the right of Israelis.

What Israelis believe in!!

These are the images of what Israeli soldiers wrote on the walls of a home in Gaza..

hmmmm.. Do Israeli people really want peace?!!! 

Peace in the future?

CHILDREN OF GAZA UNDER ATTACK

To supporters of Israel,

Please don't bother yourself trying to find some thing to justify the bloodshed in Palestine - Gaza. Israel is just defending itself. They are achieving success against the source of terrorism. They are working for peace.

216 children>> No, they will grow up to be 'TERRORISTS'

89 women>> Not at all, they are wives, sisters or mothers of sisters. They will bear children who will grow up to be 'TERRORISTS'
Few medical crew members>> They are giving help to the 'TERRORISTS'

Tens of destroyed homes>> They are where 'TERRORISTS' live.

Congratulations for you ... 'TERRORISTS ARE GONE, PEACE IS COMING'

***************************************************

To All Free Men and Women of This World,

Another failure for International organizations, another evidence of how policy can affect humanity. Council of Security is incapable of stopping the killing of

 hundreds of civilians, obvious violation of international resolutions and conventions and KILLING OF PEACE. The killer is equaled to the killed and the occupier is equaled to the resistant.

216 children are killed, 89 women are killed, more than 1500 of children are injured and more. All that is not enough yet for International organizations to move, to condemn the killer, the killer keeps equal to the killed.

We must ask now; WHAT IS TERRORISM?
Is it killing children? Is it using banned weapons? Is it bombing homes of civilians? Is it using weapons causing cutting of arms and legs of civilians? Is it cutting life principles from thousands of civilians? Is it, is it, is it?!!!!!!!!!!
No body is brave enough to answer. But I'm brave, YES. That's exactly terrorism. If individuals practice that, then that's it's individual terrorism, if groups practice that then it's group terrorism and if states practice that THEN IT'S STATE'S TERRORISM.

Terrorism is not resisting to live, but terrorism is killing life. Terrorism is not protecting children, but terrorism is killing them. Terrorism is not fighting to protect your land, terrorism instead is occupying lands. Terrorism is not trying to share life with others, instead terrorism is trying to live alone.

In 14 days there are;
-776 Muslim Palestinian are killed (half are civilians, 216 child, 89 woman)
-3150 Palestinian are injured (half are children, severe injuries; cutting of arms or legs, breaking skulls, etc)
-12 ambulances were targeted by Israeli air fighters missiles
-6 of medical crew members were killed -2 schools were targeted -14 mosques were targeted by Israeli air fighters missiles
-People's Assembly in Gaza was targeted
-The Islamic University was targeted
-Medical crews are incapable of providing help to the injured because of being targeted by Israeli air fighters -Israel strike today after the prayer of Friday (All Muslims pray today in the mosques, which means more civil victims)
-Olmert declared that they won't apply the 1860 UN resolution which invites to a ceasefire

All that, and Israel is claiming that they are; "Defending themselves", "Not targeting civilians"!!!!!

I wonder; if they do target civilians, would the number of children that have been killed would be different?!!!

Balance of response?

'Merry Christmas to Gaza'

230 KILLED, 700 INJURED <=> ONE DAY!!!

No, it's not war. It's genocide.

Let them live

Now it's not about the right to domain or to own that piece of the land or to go back to where they lived for years and years. It became about the right to live. 

People in Gaza are dying under the terroristic siege of Israel. No food, no electricity, no medical aids, no clean water, no going out, no going in. It's not because of the rockets of Hamas, the truth is clear now. Hamas stopped their rockets, but Israel continued its terroristic siege against the people of Gaza. Yes believe me, it's not a siege over Hamas, it's not a siege against the Palestinian resistants; it's instead a siege against the children of Gaza, against the babies of Gaza, against the old women and old men of Gaza, against the students of Gaza.

The situation in Gaza is going worser and worser because of the siege which has been forced by Israeli government a year ago. They are closing all the entrances to the Gaza stripe, they prevent every medical aid, and they prevent food supplies and gas trucks to pass. This caused electricity stations inside the stripe to stop, so electricity is cut, and water stations can't work, so the water is no longer clean. They also prevent medical aids, so patients in Gaza hospitals are facing death. In addition; premature babies will die soon because their artificial womb can't work without electrical power. Bakeries in Gaza started using the wheat of animals because human wheat is over.

We hate you Israel. We hate your ugly face which don't see the hungry children and and the dying babies. We hate you not because you're Israel, but because you caused the pains to 1.5 Million human being who did no thing to you. We hate you because you don't let human live.

There are few demonstrations which have been made in few countries, some government and organizations demanded Israel to end the siege, petitions have been signed by thousands of people, ships from Europe went to Gaza. Regardless of all of these things; there are official international silence and freeze towards Israeli terroristic policy. In a different situation when an Israeli soldier has been taken away aids have been sent to Israel and international decisions and announcements were released, but when 1.5 Million Palestinian are forced to hunger and to face death and fear there is absolute silence!!!!

What happened to the world? To that far policy affects and controls the human feelings that every one has in the depth of his heart? Shame that policy and shame everything that make us see the oppression being practiced against weak and innocent human, and our reaction is just to ignore or watch .. or help the oppressor.

When the siege remains. Then there is a necessary question that must be asked specifically at this time; If peaceful way don't work to save the lives of 1.5 Million innocent souls, so what about force and fighting to achieve that?

I keep the answer to myself, but I ask you to answer regardless of who is under the siege and who is forcing the siege. Try to express yourself neutrally only this time.

Zakat

Today is a very special day. More than 7,500 bloggers around the world are uniting the topic, we're talking today about 'POVERTY', everyone from his unique viewpoint. As for me, I'm talking from my background as a Muslim.

I was planning to talk in detail about Zakat, the Islamic solution of poverty, but because of being busy so I'm going to review the system of Zakat quickly.

2.5% of Muslim's yearly funds. Every Muslim is required according to Islamic Shari'a to pay it every year to the poor. It's a religious duty on every grown up Muslim who has the specified amount of money, and it's very awful for a Muslim not to pay the Zakat when he is capable of paying it. 

Zakat can be considered as a system of rearranging of wealth distribution in community. It maintains security, welfare and justice among people.

If we imagined that the funds of Muslims at the moment are approximately Milliards in the year, then we're talking about Millions every year of the Zakat. Those Millions can make miracles. They can feed Millions, they can heal thousands, they can secure homes for hundreds.

I hope that the system of Zakat is applied in all the states of the world, whether Islamic or non-Islamic states. The world would be much more different.

Jihad & peace in the Qur'an

  3 months ago, exactly in 28 June, I've been asked by an American friend to tell how to find references in the Qur'an about offensive and defensive Jihad. So I decided to make a research, a research in the Qur'an. I aimed at collecting all the verses that mentioned Jihad, whether by the meaning of 'fighting' or 'struggling'. I aimed also at finding the verses which invite to peace with non-Muslims and even the verses which only mentioned the word 'peace'. Another goal was finding out how Qur'an focused on mind speech instead of clashing with non-Muslims. 

I believed that all these subjects are related very strongly, when Jihad is connected to war in the minds of some non-Muslims, so it's important to show how Islam invited to peace. On the other hand, when war is clashing with others, so it's necessary to clarify how Qur'an invited to mind speech, logical arguing, love, respect and cooperation with non-Muslims.

First of all; it's important to have a look on this website which I created to review the verses.

Second; I'd like to tell some numbers related to the research..

6236 is the number of all the verses in the Qur'an

25    is the number of the verses that mentioned Jihad

29    is the number of the verses that invited to peace with non-Muslims or mentioned the word 'peace'

38    is the number of the verses that invited to tolerance and mind-speech with non-Muslims

 

  A first thing that is noticed in Qur'an is that there is a fundamental rule that must be followed to apply Qur'an, without following this rule acts of the applier of Qur'an are suspected of its legality. This rule is that Islam must be applied as one unit, i.e. no Muslim can choose one verse of the Qur'an to apply without applying all other verses that talked about the same subject. Instead a Muslim must read every religious text related to a subject, after reading all of these texts he must understand them very well, if he couldn't he must ask a Muslim scholar, after all that he is presumed to have the complete image of the Islamic system about that subject, and he must then follow this complete image not only one part of it.

An example for that is the one who read a verse inviting to fight, and then he goes to kill a civilian in his work place(!!!) He completely ignored other verses that show who to fight against whether soldiers or civilians, how to fight, what are the limits of fighting, when to fight, etc. He took only one part of the image. Another example is the one who read these verses; "So woe to the worshippers * Who are neglectful of their prayers,* Those who (want but) to be seen (of men), * But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs." 107: (4:7) If he stopped on reading the first verse which talks about ".. woe to worshippers .." he would say: 'Then I won't worship', but if he completed the verses he will see the whole image, and will instead better his worshiping. 

This rule is taken from more than one verse; one of them is;  "... Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do." 2:85  So such a Muslim that kill and destroy civilian targets justifying his acts by some verses of the Qur'an is doing something against Shari'a and Qur'an.

  The first verse I met which was talking about fighting was the following; "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors." 2:190  I noticed that there are 2 conditions for fighting in this verse. The first is; ".. those who fight you ..', the second is; ".. but do not transgress limits ..".  The second condition has been clarified by prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he was saying to his followers every time they go in a battle that they shouldn't kill a woman or a child or a monastic or priest, and that they shouldn't cut a palm tree or burn a tree or demolish a house or a temple.

  When I continued reading Qur'an and extracted some of the verses I realized that however Islam orders to fight against those who fight Muslims, and to punish severely those who kill innocents and terrify safe people, and to be always prepared by strength, but I understood that all these things come from the fact that Islam isn't just a system for personal life but instead is a system for both the individual and the state. It aims at organizing the daily life of a human, and in the same time to establish the Islamic state. So it's understood that 'self-defense' and 'punishing those who break the state law' and 'being a powerful and respected state' are only the normal rights of every state. These rights are applied and recognized by all members of international society nowadays.

So, when we read verses like;  "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, .." or  "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, ..." or   "Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, .." We musn't be amazed or offended from them.

  Another fact I realized is that Islam isn't a religion of clashing with others, is NOT a religion that believes in; "To be a friend of mine you have to follow my belief", but instead it respects others and invites to deal kindly and with love with them. It says about current enemies; "It may be that Allah will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies" It invites to peaceful social relations with non-Muslims; "The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book .." 

From those two examples of verses that clarify the image about the relations which must be between both Muslims and non-Muslims we can find out how Islam is building a society that is built on cooperation and love NOT clashing and hatred.

  One of the things that made me feel the greatness of this holy book (The Qur'an) is that it always invites non-Muslims to real discussion and logic arguments. I always read verses like; ".. Produce your proof if ye are truthful" and even in the most things that Islam refuse which is the belief in the son of god it invited non-Muslims to logically argue it; " They say: "(Allah) hath begotten a son!" .... No warrant have ye for this! ..".  Also Qur'an always clarifies that converting to Islam isn't be enforcement or compulsion, but instead it must come after a complete convincing, if not so it's a useless faith. It says; ".. shall we compel you to accept it when ye are averse to it? "

It may be called as Democracy or Freedom of speech or Freedom of belief or Logic argumentations. But whatever, it's showing the good face of Islamic religion, and the real tolerance of this great religion.

********************************************

I've finished my words. Waiting for comments..

*****************************************************

Share in the action

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

"Thy Lord hath decreed that .."

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. *

And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." *

Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence). *

And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. *

Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful. *

And even if thou hast to turn away from them in pursuit of the Mercy from thy Lord which thou dost expect, yet speak to them a word of easy kindness. *

Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute. *

Verily thy Lord doth provide sustenance in abundance for whom He pleaseth, and He provideth in a just measure. For He doth know and regard all His servants. *

Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. *

Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). *

Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him nor exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). *

Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). *

Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination. *

And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). *

Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. *

Of all such things the evil is hateful in the sight of thy Lord. *

These are among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee. Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected. *

Has then your Lord (O Pagans!) preferred for you sons, and taken for Himself daughters among the angels? Truly ye utter a most dreadful saying! *

We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an, in order that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their flight (from the Truth)! *

Say: If there had been (other) gods with Him, as they say,- behold, they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne! *

Glory to Him! He is high above all that they say!- Exalted and Great (beyond measure)! *

The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving! "

Qur'an, Surah 17. Isra', The Night Journey, Children Of Israel, verses 23:44

Just a scream

-When Zionistic entity is insisting on building the West Bank barrier violating the CJ decision that it's illegal, forcing thousands of Palestinians to live in isolated areas, expropriating lands of Palestinians, isolating them from their work places and schools and cutting olive trees that lived for hundreds of years.
-When they insist to assassinate life on Palestinian lands.
-When they insist to lock children and women in their prisons.
-When they insist to force a siege against Gaza and kill Palestinians in Gaza stripe however Hamas stopped rockets.
-When Zionistic government insist in building settlements in Jerusalem and demolishing homes of Palestinians.
-When Zionists keep misleading 'their funders'.

Then let's stand only one time in our lives beside the justice against the opression and try to understand and reveal what is made to keep the oppresser powerful and the oppressed weak, and what is made to make the most powerful states in this world pay Milliards every year for 'the security' of a tiny entity and ignore a whole continent starving.

Do this make you amazed like me?!!

"Those will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven .."

"And the servants of ((Allah)) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!"; *

 Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing; *

 Those who say, "Our Lord! avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous,-*

 
"Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in"; *

 Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes); *

 Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. *

 (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- *

 Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, 
And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion;- *

 Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honourable (avoidance); *

Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind; *

And those who pray, "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous." *

Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy: therein shall they be met with salutations and peace, 
Dwelling therein;- how beautiful an abode and place of rest! * "

 

Qur'an, Surah 25. The Criterion, The Standard, verses 63:76

Different perspective

Palestinian-Israeli conflict..60 years old..

It started by some Zionists who aimed at collecting Jews in one place, the choice wasn't an empty land but instead a land already having a people who lived for many generations on it, they declared an entity and called it a state, many innocents have been killed and lands have been stolen.

The amazing thing about this conflict is that it's not clear by all its sides until now. However being in the era of Satellite and the Internet facts are kept hidden. That's why I'll try here to focus on another side of this bloody conflict. I don't claim that I have the absolute complete fact, but it's just like an alarm to re look..

Always it's said that Palestinian never had a state before or that they aren't a people .. or that there is nothing at all called Palestinians. If we looked from another perspective i.e if we looked at Palestinians as human-being not as a people or a state I think that our ideas will be different.

Let's imagine that Zionists weren't mistaken at all to declare a state on another land, in fact let's imagine that it's the right of Zionists to establish their state on that land. Then we must ask ourselves a necessary question; IS IT AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT?

"His Majesty's Government view with favour
the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, .... it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may
prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in
Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any
other country."

"Freedom of conscience and the free
exercise of all forms of worship,.., shall be ensured to all, No
discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants on the ground
of race, religion, language or sex, .. , No expropriation of
land owned by an Arab in the Jewish State (by a Jew in the Arab State) shall be
allowed except for public purposes."

That's what Balfour declaration and UN partition plan stipulated very clearly. So, it's so obvious that 'the right' of Zionists to declare a state upon this land isn't absolute at all. There is a people already living on this land, this people have rights, right of life, of safety, of freedom, of insured earning, of free transition, etc. In another word; when Zionists decided to establish this state on this land they have to consider the people already living on it, whether this people own this land or just was a temporary inhabitants. This people has the right to .. at least .. live safe on the land where it lived for many generations.

That's what international law texts stipulated. But what Zionists did?!!

Zionists broke all these rules. 1) They killed inhabitants, 2) They terrorized villagers of about 400 villages to force them to leave their homes and farms, they evacuated about 60% of Palestinian people from their homes, 3) About 1.3 Million Palestinian live in refugee camps because of Israelis, 4) Expropriation of lands owned by Arabs is working in a horrible rate that most of Palestinians lands are ruled by Israelis, 5) Government of Israeli entity obviously discriminate between Palestinians and Jews because of race and religion.

So, when Zionists clearly are against international law texts which created their state then should we require Palestinians to keep silent when they see their children are being daily killed, their farms are being burnt, their homes are being destroyed, their lands are being expropriated, etc?!!!!!

If we don't support them in 'land-defence', why don't we support them in -at least- 'self-defence'?

It's an important question which must be settled if we really aim at a solution for this conflict. Rigid minds don't make solutions but instead make the problem more complicated, that's why looking at the problem from more than one perspective is very necessary so as to settle it.

To all my friends and guests

I'll be busy for a week.

Have a look on my other blog for my photos until I come back..

See you soon,

Breaking ceasefire

Israeli entity claims that it wants to stop rockets from Gaza.

 

Rockets are stopped.

 

And what Israeli entity did?!!

 

Israeli entity continue to kill Palestinians in the West Bank, force siege against Gaza and close crossings with Gaza.

 

I believe that Israeli entity will keep provoking Palestinians to force them to response, then it will say; "Palestinians broke the ceasefire", and for pity a lot will believe this lie.

Once upon a time in Rafah

Kill Kill, no body is talking!!

However Gaza stripe is already suffering from severe inhuman situation because of Israeli siege, Israel is going to make vicious process against it very soon. And here you're the sinareo that will happen; at least 30 children will be killed, 20 women will be killed and some of Palestinian resistants will be killed also. The Israeli target of killing Palestinians and decreasing the number of protesters against its existence will be achieved, but no other targets will be achieved. American server will automatically express that it's the right of Israel to defend itself, and that it's the responsibility of Hamas for killing children.

 

That's right that it's the right of states to defend themselves against attacks against its safety, but a) Israel isn't approved by all peoples as a real state, b) Israel is the occupier of Palestinian lands and it's the right of Palestinians not Israelis to defend themselves, c) Israel has no specified borders until now since its declaration 60 years ago i.e it's not a state according to international law rules.

Even if we approve Israel as a real state with real borders and have the right to defend itself, do we accept using every way for practicing this 'self-defence'?!!  To be clear; do we approve on killing children, woman, cutting trees and using cluster bombs and other banned weapons as a justification for 'self-defence'?

 

States of world realized that killing children has no thing to do with the right of self-defence that every state can practice. That's why they signed the Geneva convention for protecting civilians in war times in 12 August 1949.

 

So I strongly believe that targeting children and killing them, and forcing siege against a people regardless of their nationality or beliefs is a dirty pressure way for achieving political or even militant aims.

 

And by a simple compare between the number of civilians and soldiers that are killed from both Israel and Palestinian side we'll realize that Israel don't care about if the bullet is being targeted to a child or woman, or I can say hat they do target Palestinian civilians.

 

On the other hand; how the peaceful demonstration made by Palestinians after the call of Hamas has been faced by Israel?!! Bullets and injuries among Palestinians. The message is clear; (Palestinian peace<>Israeli bullets)

 

Actually what is happening now is exactly the same what Jews gained sympathy of the world for. A Holocaust against Palestinians in Gaza, a separation wall, random killing. The world is silent when people in Palestine are being killed under the siege and children are in deep suffer. So, will the world wake up in the right time, or when it's too late.