I'm being overworked ....

This is my desk at work. Cool eh?

Imperial history of the Middle East

Click on this link to see a graphic representation of the Imperial history of the Middle East over the past 5000 years.

Punishments too soft

With Britain's prison population hitting an all-time high and the prison system reaching exploding point it seems as though the British government is trying to address the problem in every way possible but the correct one.

The latest hair-brained idea is to re-introduce floating prisons. This is just one more idea that is destined to fail like previous silly ideas such as sending young offenders on holidays to "rehabilitate" them. I wonder why harsher punishments are not implemented?

Lets take the case of Ian Huntley. Not only did this evil man kill two innocent girls after sexually abusing them, he then had more child porn smuggled to him in prison. He is kept jailed, and fed, and protected from the wrath of other inmates at the tax payer's expense. Thats your and mine tax money going towards his welfare and protection. Now if capital punishment were to be applied here, Huntley's life would come to what most people would agree is a deserved quick end. Not only that, our taxes wouldn't be spent on keeping this evil man alive. And lastly, a decisive punishment would have a deterring effect on others who would think of committing a similar crime.

I remember watching a debate about the death penalty in America in which the pro-camp brought some guy who had been in a bank in Texas when a young man burst in to rob the bank. The robber threw the man to the ground and pointed a gun to his face. He was just about to pull the trigger when the guy says "Son, this is Texas. You kill me and when they catch you, you'll get the chair." The robber hesitated for a moment and then ran out of the bank.

Now i think that lots of people in the UK are in favour of harsher punishments, but the prime worry that people have is how can you ensure that justice will be served correctly? What happens if you kill an innocent man? After all, had the death penalty not been abolished the Guilford four would not be alive and free today. The obvious answer is that you don't establish such punishments unless you have conclusive proof that the perpetrator of a crime really is the perpetrator.


A thought on a verse of the Qur'an

During Friday Prayer Imam Abdul-Qayyum from East London mosque recited surah at-Takathur from the Qur'an. The last verse reads "Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about an-Na'eem." What this is referring to is that on the Day of Judgment we will be questioned about the enjoyments and blessings we were given in this life. And i thought, imagine that you are standing in front of Allah, and a huge list of blessings that you were given is being read out. Family, dwelling, friends, good health, food, drink, sound mind, good upbringing, and the million other blessings that are between you and Allah. Imagine one is standing there and this huge list of blessings that were bestowed is being read out and you are acknowledging that you received every single one of them... how shameful and unthankful and embarrassing and humiliating will it seem were even one sin of ours to be read out after that huge long list?

May Allah not let this month of Ramadan end without forgiving each and everyone of us.

Help Sh. Ali

There is a new appeal for helping in the case of Dr. Ali al-Timimi. His supporters have set up a new site which i've added to my list of links: http://freeali.org

There are some problems with online payments at the problem, but if you have the cash now and are in the UK, you can send the money to the following account from which it will be forwarded to the brothers in the States.

You can send a cheque made payable to 'ISLAMIC MAIL' to the following address:

Islamic Mail
PO Box 35369
East Ham
London, E6 2WF.

If you have online banking, you can transfer the money directly to the account:

Account name: ISLAMIC MAIL
A/C #: 01418904
Sort Code: 40-02-34

Please remember that the above details are relevant to UK residents only.

More PC madness in Britain

Sometimes you can't blame the British public for thinking that Muslims have come to these shores and are in the process of taking over, while the indigenous population is starting to be treated as second class citizens. Take for example, the case of Nadia Eweida - one of British Airways checkin staff. She's been put on unpaid leave by the company until she decides to hide away a small cross that she wears on her necklace. No doubt, some BA bigwig thinks that this instruction to their employee will avoid people like me, Muslims, being offended. Well, Mr BA bigwig, i'm not offended when i see a cross round someone's neck.

Issues like this seem almost manufactured and unsurprisingly, breed resentment in the vast majority of the UK population who have Christian roots. What i'd like to ask is which Muslim(s) did they consult before coming up with such ludicrous policies? In my life i've never met a Muslim in the UK who was offended when they saw someone wear a cross. Thats not to say that i agree with what the cross symbolises, but a cross certainly never caused me nightmares.

Neither have i met a Muslim who was offended when they saw a Christmas Tree.

History shows that Muslims & Christians have been able to live together for over a milennia whilst maintaining their own religious rites. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Holy Land where still today Palestinian Muslims live side by side with Palestinian Christians.

Hopefully, common sense will prevail and the lady will be allowed back to work without having to hide her cross. But don't hold your breath, common sense is in short supply in PC Britain.

Yeah, i'm really going to listen to her...

Today's Daily Mirror has more comment on the niqab controversy. Arguing against the use of the veil they've got former Apprentice star, Saira Khan. What this clearly demonstrates to me is the inability of the media to engage with practising Muslims on the right level. How do you expect a practising Muslim to take advice from someone who is married to a Christian (prohibited in Islamic law), and grew up wanting her dad to go to the pub and drink a beer?

Back

What do you expect when you live in a non-Muslim country? That non-Muslims are going to embrace every aspect of Islam with open arms?

What doesn't help is non-practising Muslims ringing up radio stations, writing to papers and whose faith "is in my heart" giving their own interpretation to what Islam commands and prohibits.

On another note, I've often wondered about the effect on Muslim convert's parents when their son/daughter changes their name upon conversion. It seems a bit anti-da'wah to me. Its like a rejection of their first gift to their child - the name.

This is just a personal thought - i'm not a revert myself, so i don't know what effect changing names has. If you're a revert who changed his/her name how did your parents feel when you told them you'd changed your name?