According to the authorities in the absolute monarchy the results of the reforms to moderate the kingdom's form of Islam in school textbooks and mosques will take time to appear.
But the report by the US-based Institute for Gulf Affairs, run by Saudi opposition figures, and US think-tank Freedom House says material currently taught at primary and secondary school level shows the reforms are far from complete.
Schoolbooks condemn Muslims around the world except those who follow Wahabism – the State’s version of Islam. The textbooks are taught in Saudi government schools around the world.
The fear of death, for most of the people, is not a matter which requires any evidence because it is totally obvious and we also see that a lot of people manifest extra-ordinary sensitivity with respect to the term 'death' and its reality. Thus the actual matter is self-evident. That which requires proof and an answer is the reason for this fear and alarm as to why we fear death? Reasons for the Fear of Death In answer to this question, it is possible to mention some reasons, which have also appeared in our traditions, and which are as follows: 1. Not having a correct insight In the previous discussions, we had mentioned that a lot of people considered death to be an eternal destruction of themselves. Consequently, it is but natural that they fear death and visualize it dark and gloomy, because the love for permanence and eternity is one of the natural instincts of people and each one in his own way, tries to protect himself from calamities and diseases and ensure his own permanence, and death, in his view, is greater and more pain-inflicting than any disease or calamity, because it is the start of his everlasting extinction. Nevertheless, if the alarm and fear of death is as a result of non-recognition of the reality of death, then for the removal of this fear, it is vital that its reality, which is found in the Islamic insight, be understood and with regard to it, a strong conviction be developed. If a person bases his views regarding death on correct foundations, many of his fears regarding death will cease to exist because, once he comprehends that with death, he shall enter into a world, more extensive and eternal and also that he shall be liberated from the material, natural and corporeal shackles, how then would he consider it to be abominable and hateful. 2. A new and an unfamiliar path One of the causes due to which man tends to fear death is that man, after death, steps onto an entirely new path and embarks upon an entirely new journey. Man, usually tends to travel on frightful paths, over which he has traveled a number of times and has not encountered any trouble, better than paths which are comparatively safer, but which are totally new. Since, the path being new and unfamiliar, it becomes reason for hesitation and anxiety, especially since no one, who has traveled this path, has brought any news about it, for the others. Anyway, if the fear of death is due to the place and path being unfamiliar, then it is necessary that the reality of death be completely comprehended and one's conviction strengthened. In addition to this, it is necessary to obtain the necessary information by means of the Revelation and the traditions of the Infallible Imams (a.s.) and the righteous people, regarding the stages, places of danger and the other particularities of death and after it, then believe in them and prepare oneself to encounter them. Just like a person, who during the course of a journey, finds himself lonely and unaware of his whereabouts, manages to lessen his perplexity with the help of necessary information, maps and equipment’s, we too must obtain the map of the way and the necessary information from authentic and reliable sources. In a tradition from Imàm ‘Ali ibn Muĥammed (‘a), it is narrated that he (‘a) approached one of his companions who was sick and in a state of crying and grieving and complaining due to fear of death. The Imàm (‘a) then addressed him saying: “O servant of Allàh, you fear death because you do not comprehend it”. Then the Imàm (‘a) presented an example and said “If you had become dirty, and due to the excess of dirt and dirtiness you were in suffering and inconvenience, and you knew that the cure for all this lay in your taking a shower, would you wish to go to a bath and clean yourself or would you wish to remain in the same state of dirtiness and as a result continue to undergo the suffering.” The sick man said, “ Yes, I would wish to take the shower “. Then the Imam (‘a) replied “death (for you) is the very same shower...”[1] The point to be considered in the above tradition is that, the sick person was one of the companions of the Imam (‘a) and was aware of the Islamic insight regarding death, but in spite of this, was intensely fearful of death. And so, the Imàm (‘a) by presenting an example explained to him the states and circumstances after death and thus calmed him. 3. Lack of preparation Some of the people have comprehended the reality of death and are also aware of the Islamic insight regarding death. On the other hand, they have also obtained some information regarding the stations and the journey after death, however, in spite of all this, they still fear death. This fear is not due to the two reasons previously mentioned but because they have not made available for themselves the tools and things necessary for this journey of theirs, while, on the contrary they have been paying more-than-necessary importance to their present lives; like a person who knows that he would have to spend the rest of his life in another country, but has not collected any money for his journey. Instead, all that he has gathered is in the form of house, shop, land or other things which, presently, are neither capable of being changed, nor transferred. In other words, he has strived and worked and collected a capital, but the capital is such that it cannot be transferred and there is also nobody who will buy it. In short, it is not useful in any way for the objective, which he had in mind. It was because of this that Imàm Husain (‘a) said: “You have ruined and destroyed your hereafter and instead have made habitable the present life. So you do not like the transfer from a habitated and comfortable place to a ruined and destroyed one.” [2] This kind of fear of death, which results from the lack of preparedness and the absence of the provisions of the journey usually occurs with the believers, which in reality is not fear of death but instead, fear of not possessing the sufficient provisions necessary for this journey. Another point is that such a fear is usually mixed with eagerness. Because, on the one hand, a believer is eager for the Divine meeting and also for the companionship of the Righteous people. On the other hand, due to lack of sufficient piety and the necessary provisions, finds himself in a state of anxiety and fear, whereas the unbelievers do not possess such a fear and eagerness. They fear the actual death, because they consider it to be a complete annihilation. Of course, it could be said that the fear of the unbelievers could have a universal meaning, and the causes of it could be those mentioned and also those not mentioned. Nevertheless, death or transfer into another world is a universal law, acceptance of which or fear of which shall create no change in the law itself, and finally sooner or later, everyone shall taste the nectar or the poison of death. That, which is more important than death, is the preparation for it, and Insha-Allàh, Allàh shall bestow such a success upon us. 1 - Ma'anil Akhbar, Pg. 290
Saudi Arabia always claims to be fighting against the Islamist terrorists. It also claims to be a moderate Muslim country which supports the ‘moderate’ version of Islam. The gullible infidels in general and the west in particular, erroneously trust this hypocritical stand of Saudi Arabia with regard to Islam and Islamist terrorists. Being a native of Saudi Arabia I shall explain why this is so
To expose this hypocrisy and the double-standard of Saudi Arabia, I am going to write, explaining what is really going on with the education system of this country. Once you comprehend the duplicity and pretensions of Saudi policy vis-à-vis Islam and its dissemination of unbound hatred for anything un-Islamic, you will certainly come to terms with the realities of Saudi Arabia. Please bear in mind that the Saudi education system, in particular its religious education system, is in the heart of all the terrorism we are experiencing in to today’s world.
The first aspect of the religious education system (Wahabe) in the schools of Saudi Arabia is the teaching and propagation of intense hatred towards the non-Muslims and other sects of Islam. This unbound abhorrence for the so called infidels is the prime reason for the isolation of the students and the people of Saudi Arabia from the rest of the world. This is the truth, I must write, firstly.
Though, I must admit that all schools in Saudi Arabia, especially those in the non-Wahabi Area, might not be exactly what I wrote above, but I am certain the majority of the schools will be the mimicry of the type of hate-schools I described above. I am not an inhabitant of the Wahabi area, such as Riyadh and Qasem (land of the terrorists), but I am definite that the people in those areas have their own stories of sufferings in the hands of the religious bigots,•surely more than other areas of Saudi Arabia.
I vividly remember that during our school days we were forced to attend classes wearing those uncomfortable cassocks of the religious preachers. This utterly clumsy and distasteful apparel contains ‘Thoub’ with ‘Gutra’ (head covering) without black head rings. Everyone in Saudi Arabia very easily recognizes this peculiar dress as the gear of the religious people. The difference between this religious uniform and the Saudi garb for the ordinary people is that the religious dress is a little short and without the black rings on the head-covering, whereas the ordinary Saudi dress is flowing and contains the black rings on the head-covering. All students in Saudi Arabia must wear the religious dress•it is compulsory, presumably, first to force the students to accept this mode of dressing and, secondly, to surrender to the might of Saudi religious authority. To add more teeth to the authoritative power of the clerics, a student is not allowed to walk around in the school compound if he is not fully attired in the religious garb mandated by the Religious Education Department. We used to be expelled, many times, for the slightest deviation from this regimentation. This could be as minor as forgetting the head-cover (gutra). Such is the absolute power and authority the clerics in Saudi Arabia wield on the school children.
Needless to say•pants, shirts, trousers and T-shirts are absolutely haram (forbidden). They are the apparels of the infidels•we were told in no uncertain terms. If any students dared to attend school wearing any such dresses of the Kafirs (non-Muslims), he was immediately branded as an infidel and leered at, identifying him to be disloyal to the country and religion.
In class-rooms, our preceptors told us that saluting our national flag was haram. We must not show any deference whatsoever to the government or to any human being•the respect is reserved exclusively for Allah only•they told us bluntly. Strangely though, everyday we always started our school time with the national anthem and with saluting the national flag. The clerics had to keep their mouth shut because these rituals were mandated by the government. They could only grumble, and that was all.
Those rituals finished, we would start our morning program with the recitation of the holy Qur’an and Hadis. They were compulsory daily studies, without any exception. Then we would be bombarded with short poems deriding the Kafirs and extending support for the Muslims in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, the Philippines and such places where Muslims were presumably oppressed•we were let to believe. Then more poems would be recited eulogizing the acts of the mujahedens (read Islamic terrorists) around the world and in support of them. Our teachers would let us memorize the names of those Muslim countries (where Muslims were reportedly tormented) and we would go out to collect charity for the jihad those mujahedens were fighting against the infidels. We were exhorted that the jihad is compulsory to protect Islam from its enemies.
Then, we had to listen to the harangue about Islam and its ostensible glorious past. This was done solely to enthuse and imbibe our tender, impressionable minds to bring back the lost glory of Islam. The religious abbot then would lecture us on the evils of bad behavior in young people, such as: smoking, cutting hair in western style, dressing in western costumes, wearing women’s dress (effeminate men), listening to music•especially western music and watching television. By the way, watching television was the greatest sin•we were led to digest this thesis.
In fact, there is a fatwa which says that anyone possessing a satellite antenna will not go to Paradise! Grooming hair in western style is considered an absolutely insolent behavior. Believe me; to guarantee that none of us were following western hair•style and to ensure that our hair was cut in front and back, the headmaster of our religious school would inspect individually the head of every student. Anyone found guilty of flouting the rule on hair•style would have his haircut done, forcibly, in the school saloon•in many cases this meant trimming the hair to zero•the crew•cut, so to speak. This would make us look like young soldiers in the army and not like the students in a seminary.
We were continuously reminded about death. Death is one of the most important aspects of Islam, and remembering death is a very pious act, we were lectured. Then we had the description of the procedures of burial of dead bodies and other obsequies associated with bereavement. In reality, our religious education system is obsessed with eschatology (the doctrine of death), caring very little about our young age. Sometimes, I wondered why, in the first place, Allah sent me in this world if death is to be the only goal towards which I must direct all my attention. To further instill this fear, we were provided with a vivid picture of the torture in grave. Thus we would be absolutely reluctant to do anything to avoid this dreadful torture in grave.
Ruminating those days of my religious school, I am now convinced that the teachers made up those fibs just to implant fear in our young minds•to frighten us to stick to Islam at all cost. I could still recollect the story of a black snake. The story runs thus: a man died and when his family took his dead body to a grave they discovered a snake waiting for him. So they took him to another grave but with the same result•another snake was waiting for him. They continued but with the same consequence. Tired and desperate, they buried the dead body ignoring the snake standing nearby.
But, when they were about to leave, they heard a commotion inside the grave. When they opened the burial chamber they noticed that the snake had slithered the man and had broken his bones. So they asked the father of the dead man, “What wrong did your son do?” The father replied, “He did nothing wrong, except that he did not pray regularly.”
I shall vouch that the religious teachers narrated to us many such dreadful stories, which, of course, now I find to be total lies. Now that I have grown to maturity I could never believe in such Islamic movies•the cock•and•bull stories of the Mullahs. How laughable is it when I recall that during those formative years of my life, I did indeed believe in those horrific tales, especially when they emanated from the mouths of our all-powerful religious teachers? I could never ever imagine our religious teachers told us utter lies. We believed in every word they uttered and we were totally engulfed with intense fear and horror. We used to see terror, panic and trepidation everywhere. We were utterly afraid of death, of the torture in grave, the torture on the judgment day, the anger of Allah, the west, the Kafir, Israel and so on. It was fear, fear and fear•everywhere, we saw nothing but fear. We were desperately frightened that the west and Israel was scheming to destroy us with their atom bombs.
Please do not laugh if I tell you that the son of a friend of mine cries every time he hears the roaring sound of an airplane. To him it is the start of a war. All these morbid fear of unknown has been ingrained in us from our very childhood, to say the least. We are born with fear, live with fear and die with fear. This is the policy of the government•to subjugate people in a state of permanent fear.
Our religious teachers are not convinced that the proper teaching of the English language would be of any benefit to Saudi students. They are completely misguided and live with false pride and pretentious vaunt. The rudimentary English which is taught in our schools is just a sham. The truth is: the examination of the English language is terribly infected with rampant cheating. I had plenty of discussions with the teachers on this massive cheating in our examination system. But these teachers are adamant that English is not essential, that we are to be proud of our language•the language of the Qur’an.
In our system of education, showing admiration for non•Muslims’ achievements is a great sin and indulging in such praise deserves severe punishment. Our teachers always talk of jihad and its rewards for those who participate in it. We are exhorted to admire the jihadists and emulate them. We are urged to participate in jihad, at least once in our lifetime. Here is a hadis, often used to call Muslims to partake in jihad :
Narrated Abu Hurayra: Allah’s messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If anyone meets Allah with no mark of jihad, he will meet Allah with a flaw in him”. (Tirmidhi No1068).
In our society, the good students are always the religious students. They command all the respects from the headmaster and the ordinary teachers. They cut their hair in zero. They dress in short ‘Thoub’ and usually work as religious police in the school in which they had studied. As a reward, they receive many facilities and respect. This is the reason why many students become religious•they just covet this sumptuous respect and rich amenities showered unabashedly by the people and the government. To sum up; the religious people in Saudi Arabia receive special respect from the government and the public. They are, in all respect the caretakers of Allah, to tell it plainly.
In our schools, it is quite normal for a mathematics teacher to speak about jihad, and for that matter, a science teacher to speak about the latest discovery by the infidel west which was invariably discovered by early Islam, long before the Kafirs discovered! Our sports teachers talk about the haram and halal attires in Islamic sports. For example: shorts and jerseys which bear any symbols are out.
I clearly remember that one day, during a football match between the students and the teachers; one of the teachers was wearing a short pant. On observing such an odious act, our headmaster ordered him to change his despicable infidel’s dress, failing which he would have to be out•he was warned. The headmaster’s argument was that the teacher had set a bad example to his students. The harassed teacher concerned steadfastly refused to comply with the headmaster’s order. So, he was dismissed from the school. A religious teacher sporting long Islamic beard and wearing a lengthy, baggy trouser replaced him.
I vividly remember our callous history teacher told us that when the Muslims defeated the Christians in the battle of the Toors in 732 AD, it was proclaimed that Azan would be heard in all of Europe. I would like to remind this dim•witted teacher that Azan is already being heard all around Europe. Today, this (Azan) is more ubiquitous in the USA, Canada, UK and many other infidel lands. This has been achieved even without fighting a single battle.
I would like to call this as the fruit of the stupid system of the west•the system of democracy. Jihadi Islam is poised to topple the western civilization by using their (infidels’) own weapon•it is Democracy. My view is that if left unchecked, the Islamists will topple the western governments by using the method of democracy. These Islamists need not fight any bloody battle•democracy and the system of freedom of expression are the two best arsenals the Islamist will take advantage of. The Kafirs have unhesitatingly handed over these powerful weapons to Islam!
Therefore, we note that everyone in our school, notwithstanding the religious teachers speaks about religion (Islam, of course). Our entire life is surrounded with religion. Everywhere we go there is nothing but omnipresent, omnipotent religion•even our English class is about religion•about Makkah, Medina and their history. In each term we used to study six religious subjects. They were: the Qur’an, ahadith, tafsir (Qur’an exegesis), tajowed, tawheed and fakih. In addition to those subjects we had to attend the lectures in the morning, after breakfast intermission and after the Zohr prayer. Students who desired to be hafizs (Qur’an memorizers) had to attend the mosque in the evening for Hafiz Qur’an ‘preserve’.
Was there any provision for music lesson in our school? Forget about music as a subject in any Islamic schools. In Islam, music is ‘Satan’s sound’.
During those days of my school life our best topic of discussion was the mujahidins who had just returned from fighting in Afghanistan. During our breakfast break, we would keenly absorb their stories of how the angels had fought with them and how one mujahed could kill so many Russians by simply saying Allah Akbir la elah elah Allah. We would hear about the wounded mujaheds and how they had recovered very fast.
We would also listen to the claim of excellent smell which emanated from the martyr’s dead bodies. All those gripping, spell•binding, incredible and miracle stories about the mujahedins in Afghanistan would make many of us jealous about them. Many of us could not wait to go forward and join in the jihad, wherever it might be fought. Such was the intense motivation to participate in the Holy War•to kill and get killed.
It is now quite simple to understand that the unbound fear, unremitting hate (for the non•Muslims) and an undying penchant to be a martyr made many Saudis to think that why should they not participate in the fight against the infidels. Look at the number of Saudis killed in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq and other places around the globe. These diehard Islamists consider education as a waste of time. Their preferred method to go straight to Paradise is death in Allah’s path.
Having been highly motivated to forsake the meaningless temporal lives in the way of Allah, many of us sought the opinions of our flippant religious teachers. The answer from them differed. Some of them said we must make proper preparations before setting out for fighting (we were not ready, according to them). Some teachers opined that we must seek permission from the muffitee), the religious expert. And when the muffitee permits us we must embark on the war path to kill the infidels. They told us there was no need to carry guns or any other weapons, because, according to them, we will be the winner•come what may. If we are killed then we are headed straight to Paradise, and if we win then this is the victory of Islam. Both ways, we are the victorious. There is no way Muslims could lose a war•we were convinced by our teachers.
I remember how we were tortured in school with prayers• above the required prayers. I wrote before that we had to offer the zohir prayer before the school hours ended for the day. But this was not the last ritual we were forced to perform. In addition to the hateful zohir prayer, we were required to offer the distasteful Sunni prayer every day. This was done, under compulsion by our teachers, as a demonstration of our extra love and devotion for Muhammad, our Prophet and for his companions.
All those school activities made us to live in the distant past•during Muhammad’s time. When I reminisce those fearful school days, I really think we were on a time•travel, retrogress, of course. We were living in the seventh century, not in the current period. Even our teachers used to tell us that the modern time is Taleban and nothing else. Time did not exist except for the Taleban time, which was nothing but the re•emergence of Muhammad’s period, the Islamic Period. This is nothing but the incredible Islamic Time Machine, we must admit.
All those incidents I described above dates to my school days. With the end of Afghan war and with the departure of the infidels (the Russians) from the Islamic land of Afghanistan, I was expecting the passionate fervor for jhad and martyrdom to die. After 9/11, and after all the troubles that took place in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of this horrible event, I was under the impression that Islamist will lie low, at least for a time. But I am totally wrong.
It is sad to say that nothing has really changed, so far as the Islamic zeal is concerned. My younger brother who attends the same school as I did decades ago informed me that many of my classmates have become teachers in the school, propagating with unbound fervor whatever they had learned during their school days. In a true sense, these teachers of religious schools have turned into Islamist terrorists, so much so, that even the government is scared of these teachers. This is definitely a victory for them (the Islamist terrorists). They got what they wanted. They are now fully satisfied that they have no serious threat from any source. They (these Wahabi terrorists) are now so bold and powerful that they openly declare their intention to control the education system. Recently they got what they wanted. The new minister of education is from Qasem (land of Wahabi).
What about the Universities?
Saudi Arabian universities are not immune from Islamic zealotry. All Saudis attending universities must study the compulsory religious subjects to graduate. Obviously, the extent of Islamic studies is not as comprehensive as in schools, but never the less, the university students also have to endure the religious torment perpetrated by the religious department. As it stands now, to graduate, every university student must study at least four subjects on Islamic culture. In an Islamic university a student must complete ‘preserve’ of the Qur’an, or at least one part of the Qur’an (jouza). Needless to say, all such mindless and brainless provisions at the highest level of learning are nothing but the perpetuation of inhuman religious ordeal which had started at schools.
A few years ago, at Muhammad bin Saad Islamic University in Riyadh, the students were ordered to offer their daily morning prayers in the congregation at the university mosque. This meant that every student must travel to the university mosque very early in the morning to offer his prayer in a group. Individual prayer at room was not acceptable. To enforce this vicious and mindless provision, the Imam of the mosque was empowered to check the attendance after the prayer was over (not before the prayer commenced). If any student was found absent, on three consecutive occasions, without any legal reasons, he was liable to be expelled out of the university accommodation. After a short period, this compulsory provision was withdrawn.
This was not due to the mercy of the religious people. It was because, soon after the enforcement of such draconian rule, most accommodations in the university went empty. This became so rampant•the student vacating their university accommodations due to the harsh rule that the university authority had to close down the accommodation facilities. Now, except for smaller universities, the government has closed down all student accommodation facilities.
But the Wahabis do not care. They are still dominant in many places and are getting what they want. They are absolutely adamant in establishing Islamic Colleges and Islamic Universities for boys and girls everywhere. In a branch campus of the University of Medina, an intending student must execute a written bond pledging not to trim his beard while he remains a student in the university. If the student reneges on this pledge, the university has the right to expel him. On top of all these imbecile rules, in Islamic Universities, students are not allowed to wear infidel’s attire, i.e. jeans and T•shirts. If any student attends a class wearing such infidel’s dress, the teacher is obliged to exclude him from the class.
Please know that a few years ago, in the Islamic University I mentioned above (i.e. Muhammad bin Saad Islamic University), a post•graduate student received his Ph.D for his dissertation on the infidelity of one hundred scholars and thinkers in the Arabic world. According to this Ph.D holder, many journalists, actors, singers and those people who call themselves as moderate (Muslims, of course) are infidels; so they deserve death sentences.
Whatever I wrote about our education system dealt with boys or adult men. Now, can you imagine what could be the situation of the girls’ and women’s education in Saudi Arabia? To the civilized world it is simply unimaginable what the religious people do to our girl or women students. Words fail to describe the plight of these wretched Arab women. Here are some examples of how Saudi women (and girls) are routinely harassed by the religious department’s enforcement officers.
They have the authority to check any a women’s accommodation, without any permission or notice. They have the power to ban any Televisions, magazines or mobile phones in a woman’s quarter.
Girls have to hide many simple items needed for their daily requirements to prevent being caught from the vultures’ eyes of the religious department. This might be for the simple fact that the religious officer attached to the girls’ accommodation does not like those items.
Girls are not allowed to go out of their dormitory under any circumstances. They must stay in their rooms, virtually as prisoners. The only person who could take them out is their mahrams (the owners or the guardians) or the university guardian.
Girls from remote areas or whose mahram cares very little about her must remain in the university accommodation for the complete term of the academic session. This is akin to life•sentence. There life is s round circle:•boarding the bus•attending university•boarding the bus•returning to dormitory•eating and sleeping•that is all they have for their lives. When they need something they must handover the money to her appointed mahram and totally depend on him for whatever he brings.
During the term break the girl must board a bus (exclusively for females). When the bus arrives at the destination she cannot walk on her own to travel to her family house. She must wait for her mahram to arrive at the bus stop and take her home. The girl students have to undergo such mindless ordeals just to ensure that she has no chance to meet or talk to a male person.
When it comes to higher education, it is amazing to note that every Saudi student simply wants to get out of Saudi Arabia. Before he sets out in his overseas trip he usually undergoes a two•week familiarization program to guide him to the depraved life of the infidels. This orientation program is usually organized by the university in which he enrolls for his study. These are what he is grilled about when he is in the infidels’ land.
How to avoid infidels and keep a far distance from them
What good answer he must provide if any infidels asks him about Islam
The probable embarrassing questions he might face and how to provide good answers to them
What should he do if he is asked to convert to their religion
What he must do if any infidels invite him to a party
What should he do if he is offered a drink by the infidels
What he should do if offered non•halal food
How he can complete his education successfully without being polluted by their culture.
In essence, all these tactics are designed for one purpose only•to keep away the Saudi students from non•Muslim students
At the end of this article, I am attaching a report from a Saudi newspaper (Arab news), which talks about the tolerance of Islam and at the same time shows the efforts of Saudi Arabia against the terrorists.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006, (a flower shop owner closed his stores for three days in order to avoid harassment from the moral police. Al-watan daily reported. valentine’s day is favorite target of the committee for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, viewed by the religious police as a holiday that promotes immoral behavior. Red roses often disappear from stores before, during and after the holiday in order to avoid attracting the attention of the police patrols, specially in the kingdom’s capital .
I personally had witnessed many flower shops remain closed on the Valentine’s Day, because they were fined last year for opening their doors on this day. They must remain closed even when they do not sell any roses at all. The religious police forces this closure because they do not want students and young people to emulate the infidels. These religious zealots are afraid that these young people might fall in love with the infidels.
The religious authority does not tolerate any reason to love a non•Muslim. They must promote hatred towards the non•Muslims to erase from the minds of young Saudi any trace of love or compassion for them (non•Muslims). The saddest reality is that they (religious police) are very successful in creating fear and utter disdain for the non•Muslims through coercion, intimidation, terror and through sheer brute force•the almighty force of Islam.
In summary, I can say that signs of love are a great sin in Saudi Arabia. Music is “Satan’s sound” and loving a non•Muslim is a serious crime, sometimes punishable with severe punishment. All these depravity and inhuman acts are perpetrated right in front of government’s eye. It is, in fact fully supported by the state through money and infrastructure. Please note that all Islamic organizations in Saudi Arabia are supported by the government.
The government is a silent supporter of all religious extremism in Saudi Arabia. This silent support for the Islamist bigots is to ensure that no one dares to criticize the royal family. The Saudi royal policy to wards the Islamist terrorists can be summed up in these few words: Burn the whole world if you (the Islamist terrorists) want, but do not say or do anything against us.
Therefore, who could really believe that Saudi Arabia is against the terrorists? Please do think this over.
Courtesy: Faith Freedom International
Saeed Shehabi* In year 2002, Dr Ahmad Zaki Yamani, the former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia, delivered a lecture at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, on a subject that had not been openly discussed at this level. Dr Yamani’s lecture was about a project that he had undertaken to excavate the site of the Holy Prophet’s house in Makkah. A team of more than 300 workers, engineers, archaeologists and other experts worked over a 24-hour period, excavated the house, took detailed images of its design and structure, and filled it with sand before they left. When Dr Yamani was asked why the house was hidden again, he said that there were powerful people in his country who would object to the whole operation, arguing that it was blasphemous to glorify anyone but God. During the discussion, a young Jordanian man stood up and said: “Isn’t it a waste of money and effort to do what you had done in order to unearth old stones that would benefit no one?” Dr Yamani replied: “Thank you. You have made my task easier. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the mentality we are facing in Saudi Arabia. I hope you now understand why we had to cover the findings in haste.” During this year, 2006, the extent of the destruction of historic Islamic monuments has come to light with devastating impact. It is now estimated that more than 90 per cent of historic mosques, mausoleums and other artefacts have been erased from the face of the earth, to the extent that some Saudi voices, especially from the Hejaz, have begun to question the wisdom of the eradication of the country’s historic wealth. The policy of destruction and enmity to anything that is of symbolic value has now crossed the borders of Saudi Arabia to other countries. The destruction in February 2006 of the ninth-century tomb of Samarra in Iraq has extended the boundaries of this policy to other parts of the Arab and Muslim world. There is now a growing fear that other monuments and mausoleums in Iraq and elsewhere may be targeted by elements loyal to the Salafi School of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahabi, the godfather of the most destructive force in the Muslim world. In May 2001, the 2000-year-old statue of Buddha in the Afghan city of Bamyan was demolished by the Taliban forces, which ruled Afghanistan for five years (1996–2001). Although several delegations from Muslim countries flew to Kabul to dissuade the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, from destroying the monument, they failed in their mission. The extremism of today’s Salafi movement has become a force of annihilation, which spares no one in its drive to dominate the Muslim world. It is closely linked to the Wahhabi movement founded by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahab (1703–1792 ac). His aim was to purify Islam by returning all Muslims to what he believed were its original principles as typified by al‑Salaf al‑Şalihīn (the earliest converts to Islam). He rejected what he regarded as corruption introduced by bid‘a (innovation, reformation) and shirk (idolatry). During his lifetime, he denounced the practices of various sects of Sufism as heretical and unorthodox, such as their veneration of saints. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahab revived interest in the works of an earlier scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah (661–728ah/1263–1328ac), and his disciple, Ibn al‑Jawziyyah (d. 1350 ac). Ibn Taymiyyah was reported to have said: “The leaders of Islam agreed that it is not permitted to build the mausoleums over the graves. They cannot be considered mosques and praying in them is not permitted.” Later, Ibn Jawziyyah said: “The mausoleums that are built on graves must be demolished. It is not permitted to keep them for one day if there is the power to demolish them.” Seven centuries had passed after the advent of Islam with none of the scholars raising the issue. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahab, who came four centuries after Ibn Jawziyyah, went further in his extremism and adopted doctrines that label people with differing views as unbelievers and polytheists. Those falling into these categories, according to him, were worthy of nothing but extermination. Their lives deserved no sanctity, their wealth could be plundered and their families could be enslaved or killed. The legacy of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahab has not only survived for two centuries, but has also acquired new international dimensions. Extremists are now distributed over the five continents and are threatening not only non-Muslims but also the very fabric of the Muslim Ummah, which is being destroyed in the rising sectarian discord promoted by followers of the neo-Salafis. Within Saudi Arabia itself, fear has become a major factor in silencing the voices of dissent. Despite the atrocities of recent years, which are committed by the neo-Wahhabis and neo-Salafis against non-Muslims as well as Muslims, the Saudi government has refused to disengage from its historic pact with the Wahhabis. Apart from the ideological and political consequences of this pact, the country’s heritage has been subjected to utter vandalism and eradication. Although some brave writers and commentators have questioned the wisdom of this destruction, their pleas are ignored. It is a religious or political war? What is the role of politicians in encouraging this policy? Is it an interest-based war or the result or ignorance and prejudice? Earlier this year (2006), the grave of Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf, Prophet Muhammad’s grandfather, in the Palestinian city of Gaza was desecrated. Mr ‘Abd al‑Latif Hashim, the Director of the Documentation Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments, accused the Salafis and Wahhabis of carrying out this heinous act, and described the destruction of the grave as the loss of a historic monument in Palestine. The desecration was in line with the pattern of destruction followed by the Wahhabis over the past two centuries. Muslims consider these acts a disaster for the Muslim world for several reasons. First, they are an attack on civilization and culture and the losses are irreplaceable. Second, targeting symbols that are sacred to others can only provoke sectarian and religious tension, which could lead to bloodshed. Third, it compromises the principle of tolerance that Islam promotes among people to safeguard social and religious peace. Fourth, targeting the graves and tombs of historic Muslim figures is tantamount to humiliating these noble ancestors and is contradictory to Islamic values and teachings. Historically, the destruction of graves goes back to the early days of Islam, although at that time, it was carried out for different reasons. In 236 ah/850 ac, the Abbasid Caliph, al‑Mutawakkil, ordered the destruction of Imam Hussain’s grave. The earth was levelled and the ground flooded with water. It was a political revenge for the rebellion against the Abbasid rule, spearheaded by followers of the descendants of the Holy Prophet. It was an act to prevent the use of this holy site becoming a centre for the opposition to the Abbasids. Attacks on graves on the early days of Islam were motivated by politics rather than religion. However, during the past two centuries, enmity against religious symbolism has been presented with the support of religious edicts in line with the teachings of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al‑Wahab. Visiting tombs of disciples or faith symbols has been equated to polytheism (shirk), which is liable to the maximum punishment. Tension with other schools of jurisprudence has escalated and a state of religious polarization has been forming in the Muslim world. The present Saudi rule in the early twentieth century is a marriage of convenience between the Salafi trend based on Wahhabi traditions and the Saudi ambitious political agenda. Relations among Muslims have become strained as the Salafi movement has taken root in many places, thanks to the Saudi petrodollars that have been abundant since the mid-1970s as a result of the oil boom. Two hundred years ago, the Saudi–Wahhabi alliance wreaked havoc in Iraq. When its forces invaded the country in 1816, they destroyed the mausoleum of Imam Hussain and other sacred places before they left. The Arabian Peninsula became the launching pad for the new politico-religious trend. This led to the destruction of more than 90 per cent of Islamic monuments, holy places, tombs and mausoleums. Anything that had symbolic significance unrelated to the Wahhabi school of thought was deemed “polytheistic” and faced destruction. In 1924, ‘Abd al‑‘Aziz ibn Sa‘ud and his troops occupied Makkah in the region of Hejaz. Among their first actions was the destruction of al‑Mu’alla graveyard, which contained the grave of Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad’s wife, and that of his uncle, Abu Talib. Two years later, in 1926, Ibn Sa‘ud occupied Madinah and demolished the tombed mausoleum over the graves of several of Prophet Muhammad’s descendants, including those of his daughter, Fatimah, and his grandson, Hassan ibn ‘Ali. Since no tangible resistance to their heinous actions was mounted by Muslims, they went even further and demolished the famous Seven Mosques of Salman al‑Farisi, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Fatimah, ‘Ali, al‑Qiblatayn and al‑Fath. Their sites have been transformed into banking facilities such cash dispensing machines. The pain of the people of the Hejaz has become so intense that their journalists have begun to raise their voices. On 10 September 2004, Muhammad al‑Dubaisi wrote in the newspaper, al‑Madinah, an article entitled “The destruction of these mosques has deprived Madinah of one pillar of its immortal history, and a minaret of its traditional glory”. Saleh al‑Fawzan, a Salafi writer, contributed an article in response a week later to the same newspaper, justifying the destruction of the historic mosques. The Wahhabis have gone even further. They have demolished the grave and tomb of Hamza ibn ‘Abd al‑Mutallib, Prophet Muhammad’s uncle. They have cleared the graveyard of the martyrs of Uhud (the second battle of Prophet Muhammad after the Conquest of Madinah). The routes of the battles of Badr and Uhud (first and second battles of Prophet Muhammad) have also been cleared. Serious consideration is now being given to the idea that the Cave of Hirā’ (where Prophet Muhammad received God’s Message from the Angel Gabriel) should be destroyed. This is not a building, but a cave in the mountain. Four years ago, heavy demolition equipment, including excavators, were dispatched to desecrate the mausoleum of Sayyid ‘Ali al‑Araidhi (d. 825 ac). On 12 August 2002, the grave of this respected figure (the son of Imam Jaffar al‑Sadiq) was removed from the face of the earth. An order is now in place to desecrate the grave of one of Prophet Muhammad’s Companions, Rafa‘ah ibn Rafi‘al‑Zurqi. He took part in the battles of Badr, Uhud and al‑Khandaq. He also participated in the Bay‘at al‑Ridwan. An adjacent historic mosque known as al‑Khandiq is due for destruction. Another symbolic site has recently been desecrated. The birthplace of Prophet Muhammad has been removed and new toilets built on the sire. There is also a plan to separate Prophet Muhammad’s grave from his mosque in preparation for the desecration of the grave itself. The connecting doors between the two sites are regularly closed as a prelude to the implementation of the plan. It is known, too, that the Ka‘bah has not been spared the heinous actions of the Wahhabis. Early in 2006, many of the artefacts and historic items inside it have been removed and destroyed, including engraved writings, silk ornaments and curtains. On 25 August 2005, the web site of al‑‘Arabiyyah (the leading Saudi satellite channel) published an important article with the title, “A new plan for Madinah angers archaeologists…. Historians and intellectuals call for a review of the destruction of artefacts in Makkah and Madinah”. The article argued that these artefacts cannot lead to religious inventions and must not be destroyed. It quoted Dr Anwar Ishqi, a renowned thinker, as refuting the arguments that these historic items can create religious confusion and it called for the protection of the mere 10 per cent that have so far been spared destruction. Another thinker, Dr Sami Anqawi, a senior researcher in the artefacts of Makkah and Madinah and a former Director of Pilgrimage Research, called for a comprehensive view of the Muslim scholars, and confirmed that only a small percentage of historic works remain and that the continued destruction will bury Islamic history and civilization. On the same day, the Saudi daily newspaper, al‑Watan, confirmed that a new plan for Madinah would certainly destroy one of the most important historic quarters of the city. The area of Shraibat would be annihilated in the following months, together with all the sites relating to early Islamic and Prophetic history. Extremist trends have mushroomed from the Wahhabi–Salafi movement and have become a threat to the political and social fabric of Muslim countries, in addition to world peace and security. Muslim scholars and thinkers are thus urged to deal effectively with this destructive ideology before it achieves the total eradication of the Islamic heritage, not only in the Arabian Peninsula but also elsewhere. The destruction of several historic sites in Iraq, including that of the Askari Mausoleum in Samarra, is a wake-up call to everyone. It must be heeded without any further delay.
While florists worldwide are happy to benefit from their second busiest period of the year behind Valentine's Day • the Mother's Day • Save the Children, an international humanitarian organization, is focusing on the 60 million mothers in the developing world who give birth every year with no professional help and their newborns, many of whom struggle to live past their first month of life.
The organization recently released "The State of the World's Mothers 2006" report which lists the best and worst places to be a mom, the causes of maternal and newborn deaths, and low-cost solutions that are saving newborn lives across the globe.
According to the 2006 Mother's Index, the top and bottom ranked places to have a child are as follows: Top-ranked Countries
Bottom-ranked Countries 1. London/CITY />'s Reuters (May 9) reported on the study's results, noting: "Scandinavian countries sweep the top rankings of the best places to be a mother, while countries in sub-Saharan Some alarming mortality statistics were highlighted by China/COUNTRY-REGION />'s Xinhua (May 9) emphasized the fact that mothers were also at risk: "Expectant mothers also fare poorly in undeveloped countries, with half a million women dying annually from complications during pregnancy or birth. A huge number of women give birth at home alone or with no skilled attendant. 'In most of the developing world, childbirth is a dance with death for both mother and baby, even though 70 percent of those deaths could be prevented,' said Anne Tinker, director of the Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives Initiative. The 50-page report compiles data from the world's nations as well as the World Health Organization and UNICEF and presents a bleak look at the challenges pregnant women and newborns face in impoverished countries, where up to 99 percent of deaths occur."
America/COUNTRY-REGION />'s Lackluster Showing
When analyzing the report's findings, one of the topics appearing consistently in the international press was the India's ZeeNews (May 11) pointed out that while most infant deaths occur in developing nations, all is not well in America: "In a sobering message to the world's superpower, the United States has been relegated to the bottom of the pile among industrialized nations with one of the lowest survival rates for newborns."
Germany/COUNTRY-REGION />'s ShortNews.com (May 9) was more specific: "A recent global study of newborn babies has found In an article preceded by a headline proclaiming, "Death rate tarnishes 'world leader' image," China's People's Daily Online (May 9) noted: "The United States' survival rate for newborn babies ranks near the bottom among developed nations. … Other possible factors in the 'Every time I see these kinds of statistics, I'm always amazed to see where the United States is because we are a country that prides itself on having such advanced medical care and developing new technology ... and new approaches to treating illness. But at the same time not everybody has access to those new technologies,' said Dr Mark Schuster, a Rand Company researcher and pediatrician with the "In the In the same vein, India's Hindustan Times (May 10) reported: "Of the 33 industrialized nations, the United States is tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia with a death rate of five per 1000 babies. Only Also weighing in was Canada's Toronto Star (May 10): "America may be the world's superpower, but its survival rate for newborn babies ranks near the bottom among modern nations, better only than Latvia."
Some Countries Proud Of Ranking
Some countries had a reason to be proud of their ranking. Denmark.dk Online (May 10) reported: " According to The Australian (May 9): "Mothers in Canada's Globe and Mail (May 11) struck an appreciative tone: "With Mother's Day just around the corner, Canadian moms can be grateful that their country has been ranked as the ninth best place in the world to be a mother. MaltaMedia (May 10) reported that: " Intimating that there was some room for improvement in their country, the Korea Times (May 10) reported: "South Korea's newborn health index ranked 30th among 167 countries this year, while North Korea came in 70th place, according to a report by Save the Children, a U.S.-based global independent humanitarian organization. Suggestions To Improve Mortality Statistics
What should be done to help improve the dismal infant mortality statistics in the developing world? The BBC (May 9) noted that: "Save the Children argued that low-cost interventions could reduce newborn deaths by up to 70 percent. It said France'sInternational Herald Tribune (May 9) weighed in: "…some developing countries that made newborn and maternal health a priority had succeeded in cutting newborn death rates, among them Indonesia, Eritrea, Nicaragua and the Philippines. Parents must also be educated about the importance of breast-feeding, the group recommended, and of not introducing liquids or foods that contain dirty water, which can cause diarrhea. Another element of a strategy to reduce deaths is to give women access to modern contraceptives, the group said. Birth control lets women plan to have children with enough time between births to preserve the mother's health and to reduce the likelihood that their babies are born with low birth weights."
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We would like to inform you that AlMujtaba Islamic Network is back up and the technical problems are now fixed and the site is being daily updated as usual. Please visit http://www.almujtaba.com to view the site and view the latest updates. Latest Updates: - Holy Quran page updated - 12 new articles - 1 new related site - 7 new PowerPoint Presentations - 6 new latmiyat/eulogies by Ahmed Al-Karbalaei - 1 new Eulogy Album by Bassim Al-Karbalaei -