Hajj and Today's Reality - Do Good the First ten Days of Dhul- Hijjah

ALL praise is due to Allaah, and may He render our Prophet Muhammad safe from every derogatory thing, and exalt his mention, and the mention of his household and Companions.

Ibn Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: There are no days during which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days; meaning the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They inquired: Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah? He said: Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah, unless one goes out for Jihad sacrificing both his life and property and returning with neither. (Al-Bukhaari)

In another version, Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhumaa) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), said: There are no days during which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allah than these ten days. So recite more often the Tahleel (Laa Ilaaha Illallah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), Tahmeed (Alhamdulillah). (Imam Ahmad) Jaabir reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The best day is the Day of Arafah. There are no days during which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allaah than these ten days. So recite more often the Tahleel (Laa Ilaaha Illallah) , Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), Tahmeed (Alhamdulillah).

Ten Kinds of Observances In These Days

With regard to the types of worship to be performed during these ten days: one must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allaah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the duty of a Muslim to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His slaves, Allaah has given us many ways in which to do good and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are:

First: Performing Hajj and Umrah, which are the best of all observances. Its excellence is signified by many Prophetic traditions. The Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wa sallam) said: Performing Umrah and following it with another expiates sins that are committed in between. And the perfect Hajj would be requited with nothing other than Jannah. There are also many authentic traditions to that effect.

Second: Observing fasting on all or some of these days, particularly on the Day of Arafah. There is no doubt that fasting is the best of observances; for it is one of the observances which Allah relates to Himself, according to the holy tradition (hadith Qudsi): Fasting is for Me, and I shall requite it. My slave relinquishes his desires, food, and drink for My sake.

Abu Saeed al-Khudri (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Any slave of Allah who observes fast of a day in the cause of Allah, Allah would separate between him and the Fire a distance of seventy years on account of observing that day. (Agreed upon).

Abu Qataadah (radiallahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Observing fasting on the Day of Arafat; I expect Allah to expiate the sins that were committed during the preceding year, and the sins that will be committed in the year after. (Imam Muslim)

Third: Reciting takbeer, and Dhikr in these days according to the words of Allah, the Exalted: And mention the name of Allah in certain days [Al-Baqarah 2:203]. These certain days are said to be the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Therefore, scholars recommend Dhikr more often during these days, according to a tradition which is reported by Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhumaa): Therefore, recite more often, tahleel, takbeer, and tahmeed. Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah (radiallaahu anhum) used to go out to the marketplaces during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and recite out loud the takbeer and people would repeat it after them. Ishaaq (rahimahullah) reported that the jurists (rahimahumullah) used torecite during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa Ilaaha illallah, wallahu Akbar, wa lillaahil-hamd. It is commended to recite them out loud in marketplaces, at homes, roads, mosques and elsewhere. According to the commands of Allaah: That you may exalt Allah for having guided you, and that you may be grateful to Him. [Al-Baqarah 2:185]

Fourth: Repentance and relinquishing acts of disobedience and all sins, in order to acquire forgiveness and mercy. Acts of disobedience are means of banishing, while acts of obedience are means of gaining favour with Allaah. Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily Allah feels jealous, and the jealousy of Allaah is aroused when man violates what Allaah prohibits. (Agreed upon)

Fifth: Accomplishing more good deeds of voluntary observances, such as: salaat, charity, Jihad, Qur'ânic recitation, enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, and the like; for the rewards of such observances are multiplied during these days. Observances during these days are unsurpassed in excellence and they are better and more beloved to Allaah than other excellent observances including Jihad, which is the best of deeds, unless one sacrifices both, his life and his steed.

Sixth: It is legal during these days the recitation of the takbeer in general at all times, day or night until Eid prayer. The restricted takbeer is that which is to be recited after the obligatory prayers. As for the non-pilgrims, the takbeer begins from the Day of Arafah, and for pilgrims it begins from the noon prayer of the Day of Sacrifice and continues until Asr prayer of the last of the days of Tashreeq.

Seventh: Offering the sacrificial animal during the day of sacrifice and the Days of Tashreeq. It is the sunnah of our father Ibraheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, in commemoration of the occasion when Allaah ransomed Ibraheems son with a large ram. It has been authentically confirmed that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) sacrificed two black and white rams with horns. He killed them with his own hand, and invoked the name of Allaah upon them, recited the takbeer, and placed his foot on their sides, when he killed them. (Agreed upon.)

Eighth: Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: When you see the new moon of Dhul Hijjah, and one of you wants to sacrifice an animal let him refrain from cutting or shaving his hair or clipping his finger nails, or toenails. In another version: Let him not cut his hair or his fingernails until he has slaughtered his sacrificial animal. This perhaps is enjoined on non-pilgrims to have something in common with the pilgrims who bring along with them their sacrificial animals. Allaah, the Exalted, says: And do not shave off your heads until the sacrificial animal is slaughtered. [Al-Baqarah 197] This prohibition seems to apply only to a person who is making the offering, not his dependents, unless one of them has his own sacrificial animal. There is no harm in washing the head even if some hairs fall off.

Ninth: The Muslim must make sure to observe Eid prayer in its designated place, and attend the khutbah of the Eid. He should also know the purpose of the Eid, and that its a day of giving thanks and a chance for accomplishing good deeds. He should not turn it into a day of mischief, disobedience, or an excuse for violating the prohibited things; such as singing music, illegitimate amusements, consuming liquor, or the like. All of these things are detestable and nullify the good deeds that one may have accomplished during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Tenth: After knowing all the above observances, every Muslim, male or female, must utilise these days in obedience to Allaah, remembering Him, expressing gratefulness to him, fulfilling all the obligatory observances, avoiding the reprehensible things and taking advantage of this season to acquire His mercy and the pleasure. It Allah alone who grants success and guides to the right path. May He exalt the mention of Muhammad, and his household, and Companions, and may He render them safe from every derogatory thing.

The Real Battle for Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan - As Ground is Laid for Resource Plunder, High Time Progressives Support the Insurgency and End this War

~Younus Abdullah Muhammad


A recent interview conducted for Forbes online entitled In the Shadow of the Taliban, Afghanistan Mining Sector Open for Business (HERE) documents the pillar points of the elite establishment's post-occupation policy for the war-torn country. In remarks that represent initial efforts to usher in an era of multinational exploitation of Afghanistan's vast resources, the latest economic dimensions of the conflict become clear. 

In parallel efforts to what was witnessed in Iraq as the war there grew more complicated, the new Afghan elite are now being pressured to assume more indigenous responsibility for the fiscal strings that propel the war. Because there is no present flowing crude, gas, or pipeline, the country has been destroyed (again), and the people do not represent a reliable or sufficient tax base to maintain the civil wars and looting coming after occupation, the nation's mineral wealth will become the subject of focus for potential corporate plunder.

Pressure for heavy returns and limited regulation will allow foreign investors to make a killing on high risk investments while labor costs will be as low as anywhere in the world and the absence of financial regulation will allow for all kinds of new corruption, speculation and embezzlement. Regular Afghans will never see a dime. It is the latest attempt to implement the neoliberal economic policies that are the norms of  'globalization' as America, on behalf of the corporations and international elite it serves, tries to turn a profit and sustain control of the corporatist world order.

The interview was conducted with Afghan Minister of Mines, Wahidullah Shaharani, during his recent trip to the United States where he held bilateral and multilateral meetings with the US Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce; USAID; the World Bank; IMF and others before engaging on a month long tour with fellow diplomats holding conferences and public speakings that touted the economic prospects of Afghanistan and the 'successes' of the American partnership.  The quotes included by Forbes, a  magazine largely in favor of the international elite, are troubling in some prominent ways. Here is a selected section with comments,

 Forbes: The Aynak project had allegations of corruption. How is Hajigak going to be different?

Shahrani: There was a lengthy bidding process for Aynak for which the government received support from the World Bank. We recognize there have been reported allegations. But the process was very transparent and MCC was the clear winner. Companies’ bids are public for everyone to see. The process for awarding the Hajigak deposit will be transparent and open.  

The Aynak project refers to copper mines that were granted to a Chinese State Corporation so enthusiastic about the prospects it outbid its competitors by $1 billion.  The contract represented the first major international exploitation of Afghanistan in the post-American era.  As in Iraq, Chinese State Corporations were authorized to receive initial contracts so to play down speculation that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were of the imperialist variety. The press plays along; the New York Times critically commented that, "while the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda here, China is securing raw material for its voracious economy. The world’s superpower is focused on security. Its fastest rising competitor concentrates on commerce."  In truth of point the occupation itself is commerce for many American individuals and corporations.  

Shahrani was questioned not only due to the granting of concession to a Chinese company but also because U.S.-Chinese are growing more tumultuous. As a result, there is considerable concern that more contracts will go to international firms apart from the Anglo-American arena and thus the potential for a disruption of the balance of power in the world. The truth however is that as long as the private, corporate order is preserved it matters little where the contracts go. The U.S. is concerned with controlling the entry way to the Middle East and preserving the continuation of dollar dominance as reserve currency; all the dollars floating freely through Afghanistan almost guarantee that to be the case, but for Shahrani touting capitalism, while at the same time assuring Western investors that the mineral wealth of Afghanistan is theirs for the taking, guarantees his continued successes within the system. He goes on to explain that legal requirements and problems with taxation and capital flight have been removed as well,

Forbes: How safe is it to invest in Afghanistan?

Shahrani: Regarding the security of contract, the minerals law in Afghanistan provides a clear legal basis for a mineral right. It allows the repatriation of capital and there are no foreign exchange restrictions. Afghanistan also has a new law on private investment which encourages and protects private investment. 

"Repatriation of capital" is also known as the potential for 'capital flight.' Shahrani is letting potential investors know that laws have been laid to guarantee that profit made in the country can be transferred abroad with little to no taxation. This phenomenom has been a crucial component within the international looting of the third world in the modern era. It is quite common knowledge that repatriation of capital represents one of the many ways the international economic order creates opportunities for continued imperialisms to exist in the post-colonial world and any policy for Afghans must include capital flight restrictions if the vast resources of the country are to be used for internal development rather than to create a group of oligarchs that run the country into the ground.  

It is a familiar process to anyone who understands neoliberal imperialism. The process was initiated when we saw the minerals of Afghanistan used by the NY Times to stimulate interest amongst the elite, liberal classes in the West. Publicizing the widespread presence of resources, something known for many years, helped gain support at home from an educated class that was starting to doubt the benefits of occupation abroad.  Despite plummeting support for the war in Afghanistan, most understand it is elite opinion that counts.  Shahrani, in typical neoliberal fashion, and in accordance with this awareness laid the framework for the potential looting of the country.

Structures like these are not new. The catastrophe of this situation lies today in the reality that the ravishing consequences of financialized globalization are commonly known throughout the world. It is not possible to argue on behalf of such principles any longer. However, because the phenomenon of contemporary globalization was mostly inaugurated by back room political and economic maneuvering, it is  most troubling to note that the implementation of such policies in Afghanistan and Iraq represents a potential new wave of 'gunpoint globalization' where policies, known to effect disastrous consequences for the population on the whole, are implemented regardless and via American/NATO military occupation and genocide rather than corporate hallways and within think tanks.

Capital fight allows financial institutions to loot whole countries. It has accompanied numerous operations in the past and is a major part of maintaining the international order that dominates the world today.  The European Network on Debt and Development reports,

Illicit capital outflows are a major challenge for states in all regions. According to experts' estimates, crossborder illicit flows from developing countries amount to $1 trillion each year. More than 60% of these illicit flows are related to corporate tax avoidance and evasion schemes, mostly using tax havens as a conduit. These outflows dwarf official aid to developing countries.

Yet, Shaharani is touting that in Afghanistan capital outflow has conveniently been legalized. The devastating effects of the liberalization of Afghanistan are evident in the recent corruption and bailout of Kabul Bank, where a run on the nation's biggest bank and banking home of its elite almost created a national crisis. Afganistan is a country that reportedly has millions of dollars worth of currencies illicitly flown from it each day in capital flight associated with the thievery of international aid, corruption in government, and illicit trade in narcotics.  The declared capital flight from 2009 alone was greater than cumulative government revenues. However, as former British spy and novelist John la Cerre explained on Democracy Now recently,  illegal money is a necessary component of the contemporary order. He said,

On the grand scale, it’s endemic to banking. You have to bear in mind that when Lehman Brothers wasn’t going to function anymore and the big banks weren't lending to one another, back at that terrible time, $352 billion of illegal money were then tacitly released upon the market, and that was about the only money people were lending to one another. So, money laundering is not some distant fantasy. It’s actually how you handle the profits of extortion, tax evasion, criminal conspiracy and huge quantities of drug money, how you get that into the white sector.  And what we are gradually learning from these little exposés that come to light is that there is almost no way of denying people, in the end, the profits of their crime, which is a tragedy. And it’s also a frightful annoyance, because we pay vast sums of money across the way here to agencies that are supposed to stop money laundering. It doesn't happen.

So while heavy corruption should plague foreign investor interest in a country like Afghanistan, as long as the legal framework is set for quick withdrawal, limited risk and heavy return in accordance with the international norms of globalization, all is well. And so the promotion of resource wealth in Afghanistan is to not only sustain interest in the country's occupation but also to help cement the continuation of policies and practices that have been exposed as fraudulent for quite some time.

Professor Noam Chomsky explains that the process and function of capital flight is akin to a "virtual senate", where the private power that controls the politics of the developing world "can effectively decide social and economic policy by capital flight, attacks on currency that undermine the economy, and other means that have been provided by the neoliberal framework of the past thirty years"

It is now common knowledge that the liberalization of capital benefits only an elite, both domestic and foreign, and is a sure sign of conscious imperialism most in the world recognize but are concerned little with doing anything about. Professor Gerald Epstein published a detailed volume that accounts specific examples of capital flight catastrophe on several developing nations since the onset of globalization and which also helps to refute the standard and now ancient myth that capital liberalization leads to positive gains in income distribution and growth. Professor Epstein says in his introduction to the work that, "capital flight is an inherently political phenomenon involving the role of the government and the prerogatives of those – usually the wealthy – with access to foreign exchange. As a result, the issue of capital flight necessarily involves the political economy of class power, conflict and the state."  No example could be more evident than in this type of showboating by a foreign official inside the country occupying his nation while that country and its occupation is widely resented by a substantial majority of the citizenry he claims to represent.  Shaharani is a fraud, but is part of a much larger endemic disease.  

While governments agreed at the 2005 UN World Summit to “support efforts to reduce capital flight and measures to curb the illicit transfer of funds,” little has been done to curb the mechanisms which help to preserve a parasitic, financialized economy that serves a speculator class gambling on real world economic variables that potentially spell disaster for millions. As long as foreign investors can pull out at first sign of crisis, a little help from the World Bank and IMF can postpone any crisis or devaluation long enough to save investors and then destroy the population.  The same effect will be possible in Afghanistan, thus the 'virtual senate' will forever hold the people's fate in their hands.    

This is a familiar scenario that has been played out time and time again.  The corruption we have grown accustomed to hearing about with regard to the Karzai regime and international  assistance would be nothing in comparison to the looting and corruption associated with the country's rich natural resources.  Of course, in this case we should expect to hear absolutely nothing about the private, corporate looting of the entire landscape.   Thus this new, evolving threat is as important as exposing the atrocities committed by boots on the ground, which leads to the million dollar question upon which the success of the looting operation ultimately relies,

Forbes: And what about the physical security?

Shahrani: The international coalition has been instrumental in building Afghanistan’s security institutions as well as fighting the extreme elements of the Taliban. Additionally, efforts to reach a political solution are likely and will help us achieve long term security. But not all of Afghanistan is unsafe. The area around the Hajigak deposit is very safe. The government is also setting up a Mines Protection Unit which would provide security to companies coming in for exploration and mining.

In reality, as all know, the "international coalition" has completely destroyed the country. While this may prove an effective strategy for potential investors in the event that military efforts prevail, the insurgency is far from defeated and most unbiased reports place momentum with the "extreme elements of the Taliban," more properly defined as 'Afghans that see through the propaganda of the elite and refuse to hand the country over to foreign, corporate plunder'. In reality, the infrastructure that is required for the extraction and exploitation of these minerals is also non-existent and security of transport is dependent on defeat of the insurgency as well in order to protect routes leading to export.  The posed political solutions and negotiations with moderate Taliban are in essence a psych-op, an effort to buy time and lure undedicated insurgents away from a growing insurgency while efforts continue to murder the majority of them.

Make no doubt about it, the only successful end in Afghanistan for the imperialists requires a military defeat of the insurgency and so a formidable obstacle stands in the way. In order to effect that outcome General Patreus' plan, as he launches a much touted offensive in Kandahar, home of the resistance, is for more air raids that will kill more civilians and probably push many more Afghans to support the insurgency.  The other, more probable end, is the complete annihilation of Southern Afghanistan with indiscriminate airstrikes reminiscent of ends in Vietnam and Cambodia. The domestic, U.S. population's passive reaction to Wikileaks' release of 400,000 documents documenting war crimes and genocide in Iraq adds additional plausibility to this prediction.  Today, with no draft and economic trouble at home, Americans could generally care less about civilian deaths anywhere outside of America.  America's corporations would be happy to turn a profit as a result of them and so we should prepare for one of the great tragedies of our time unless of course conscious citizens are suddenly compelled to act.

As the mainstream CBS News reported in an article that garnered no public reaction entitled U.S. Trying to Kill its way out of the Afghan War,

Air strikes in Afghanistan are up 50 per cent and now Defense Secretary Gates has ordered a second aircraft carrier, the USS Lincoln, into the fight. 

Two carriers operating off the coast of Pakistan means about 120 aircraft available for missions over Afghanistan. And that's not counting U.S. Air Force missions flown out of Bagram and Kandahar. 

Although American commanders frequently say "we cannot kill our way out of this war," that appears to be exactly what the U.S. is doing - unleashing air strikes and special operations raids against the Taliban in an effort to force them to the bargaining table. 

 Shaharani touts this as progress. Still, the Financial Times reported this past week on the complications of investment, admitting that most of the immediate foreign interest would be from nearby China and India. The bastion of the City of London wrote, "Beijing and New Delhi are both deepening commercial ties with Kabul as part of a broader rivalry. 'If you want to see long-term geopolitical considerations, watch these deals,' said Robert Kaplan, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security." An interview at the end of the article reveals the only obstacle to the plan, 

Security at the site is better than in many places, though not assured. "We will fully back the project," said Mohammad Sadiq, a wheat farmer. "But I can't speak for any insurgents in other parts of the country."

However, the "insurgents" have indeed spoken for themselves. In reaction to collaborative propaganda that implies talks are under way between the Taliban and the Karzai regime, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) issued its own declaration documenting an awareness of the connection between promoting the idea that security is on the horizon and the future imperialist plunder of their country. The Taliban report,

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan refutes outright these false claims neither has it sent any delegations for talks and neither does it intend to negotiate at a time when the country is under occupation.

In this regard, we must say to Burhanuddin Rabbani and the other degraded faces not to revive old enmities by promoting these false allegations nor should they run the propaganda campaigns to please America. As Afghans, they should not aid General Petreaus’s strategy (bullets and negotiations) developed by the Pentagon because the General wants to have this strategy worked through your hands in such a wicked way that Afghanistan may permanently become a colony of America. 

From our point of view, another reason for this intense fabricated propaganda by Karzai and General Petreaus is also likely to win the confidence of the people by making it seem as if Kabul administration (the crooked and corrupt regime) could bring forth a solution to the problems of Afghanistan. 

The Islamic Emirate irrefutably believes that in the presence of foreign invaders, peace talks and any kinds of negotiation deals will be futile as they will not yield a positive outcome for the believing people and nation. For this reason, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan once again calls on the invaders to stop wasting their time on failed propaganda and military campaigns instead leave Afghanistan so it can enjoy a few years in peace and independence.

Members of the Haqqani network, allies with the Taliban, acknowledged that the Karzai regime had put forth proposals for communication but that the regime was asking for preconditions including an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of support for foreign fighters amongst their ranks. To this later conditon a senior commander responded,

“How can we break our long association with these mujahedeen who left their families and came from all over the world to join us in jihad against the U.S. and its allies?” he told The Daily Beast. “If the U.S. can bring together all major world powers to overthrow [the Taliban,] then we, too, have the right to collect our likeminded people for the liberation of our homeland.”

While many enlightened liberals denounce both the occupation of Afghanistan and so-called Islamic extremism, it is high time that an international community of conscious citizens all over the world reconsider this popular neutrality. Status quo liberals like Rachel Maddow at MSNBC cement the moral imperativeness of the mission, and in so doing have convinced many of those that claim to reject American imperialism to give the U.S. establishment the benefit of the doubt. This attitude, representing a "death of the liberal class," helped to vote in the failing Obama administration, derail protest over the multiple bailouts for banks and corporations, and sustained support for war in Iraq previously on the grounds that "we were there to prevent a civil war"... "we" actually created. The only populist, progressive, liberal, or just solution in Afghanistan is with the Taliban heading the way in creating a unified government. It is time citizens with truly moral principles accepted this notion, pronounced and defended it. Advocation for the defeat of US empire would then actually mean something. Taliban victory there is the best, ideal solution and then people could truly help build a nation in Afghanistan. 

It is obvious that the Taliban represent a government that truly cares about the future of the nation and its people. This is a fact that most on the left do not have the guts to claim. Say what you want about liberal values, the prerequisite for any type of social development in Afghanistan should be the removal of foreign troops and all the ideologies that have helped dismantle other developing nations in years prior. Any other position is simply a false proposition of peace. Karzai and his cronies are all corrupt, the country is being prepared for looting and as long as the dead continue to be men, women and children in Islamic garb, few possess the courage to call it genocide. 

The resources of Afghanistan should be used to benefit the Afghan people. Proper policy formation would include not only capital flight restrictions but plans on how to use the rich resources of Afghanistan to develop the country, its natural, social, and human resources. As the western press comments on "peace talks" for negotiations to end the war, we hear nothing of the fact that the Taliban have denied altogether the existence of such communications, it should be obvious who we should believe. This was expressed by former CIA head of 'the Bin Laden Unit' Michael Sheuer last month in an interview with German press outlet Dier Spiegal. In the interview Scheuer was asked, "Is Washington being energetic enough in trying to fight corruption?" To which he replied, 

"We're really not in a position to push these people. Who's going to replace them? There isn't anyone less corrupt. Probably the only incorrupt people in Afghanistan are the Taliban. If you want no corruption, give the government back to the Taliban."

The productive dimension of the Taliban's vision for a post war Afghanistan is in their rejection of the international, economic consensus. Having learned from past and present experience, the Taliban would most probably work in conjunction with development agencies and sincere institutions to craft policies that create feasible opportunities for national development. As Washington prepares to bombard Southern Afghanistan and then tactically pull out over the next few years, concerned and conscious human beings everywhere should pay attention to the imperialist processes destined to be at work trying to guarantee that Afghanistan follows the typical norm (see Vietnam post withdrawal as one example). 


Economic warfare causes at least as much strife as war. The real battle for hearts and minds is being waged in Afghanistan. As the ground is laid for resource plunder, it is high time progressives, liberals and all those opposed to empire support the insurgency and end this war. 

Professor Richard Bulliet - History of the World to 1500 CE - Session 1

PLAYLIST HERE FOR BOOKMARK 

- Professor Bulliet is a very balanced Western Academic and this series is ongoing with the current semester at Columbia University.  Goes up to the reconquest of Muslim Spain and Christopher Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492 to massacre all the indigenous people.  It is a great free course. He has written quite a bit about Islam, even before 9/11, and is worth knowing more about (see here for example).

Killing Reconciliation: Military Raids, Backing of Corrupt Government Undermining Stated US Goals in Afghanistan

The Obama administration says it is backing a strategy of reconciliation with the Taliban. But just back from Afghanistan, unembedded investigative journalists Jeremy Scahill and Rick Rowley say night raids by US Special Operations are killing the reconciliation the administration claims to support

Bank of England Chief Mervyn King Proposes Eliminating Fractional Reserve Banking

This is an important call that should be coming from those that are so adament about shariah-compliant finance...
Source Mervyn King - the governor of the Bank of England - has proposed abolishing fractional reserve banking.

As the BBC noted last week:

Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has tonight made a big intervention into the debate on banking reform. In a speech at Buttonwood, New York, he [listed] much more radical proposals.

1. Forcing the riskiest banks to hold capital "several times the magnitude" of requirements at present.

2. The Volcker rule-style enforced breakup of banks into speculative and non-speculative arms.

3. The "Kotlikoff proposal", which forces banks to match each pool of risks with a requisite amount of capital, preventing losses in one spilling over into another.

4. Stunningly, Mervyn King imagines the "abolition of fractional reserve banking":

"Eliminating fractional reserve banking explicitly recognises that the pretence that risk-free deposits can be supported by risky assets is alchemy. If there is a need for genuinely safe deposits the only way they can be provided, while ensuring costs and benefits are fully aligned, is to insist such deposits do not co-exist with risky assets."

King does not advocate any of these radical plans - but the fact that he goes out of his way to list them, and to place them on the agenda of the UK's Independent Commission on Banking, means that we are not yet at the end of the debate about long-term reform of the banks.

***
Beyond the technicalities, the fact that a central banker in a G7 country is prepared to imagine such outcomes is itself significant.

Moreover, King wrote to Ben Dyson and stated:

 You suggest that banks should be forced to conform to the underlying purpose of the 1844 Bank Reform Act. You might be aware that I have said publicly that I think ideas in this spirit - such as those advocated by John Kay - certainly merit serious consideration in the debate as to how we reform our financial system. I remain sympathetic to these views. But as I said in my previous letter, I do not want to prejudice the outcome of the Banking commission's deliberations. Now the Commission has been set up, I think we all should wait to see its conclusions."

 As Dyson explains:

The 1844 Bank Charter Act ('Reform' is a typo) was a piece of legislation that prohibited commercial banks from printing paper notes (£1, £5, £10 and so on). Before this law was passed, banks were permitted to print as many paper notes as they wanted, up to the point where they printed too many and went bankrupt (as everyone cashed in their paper notes at once).

That situation should sound very similar to the situation that we have today - we currently allow commercial banks to 'print' money in the form of digital bank deposits (the numbers in your bank account). In the years up to 2007, the banks 'printed' far too much of this digital money, to the extent that they - and the economy - started to collapse.

The 'underlying purpose' of the 1844 Bank Charter Act was to prevent the commercial banks creating money and to restore that privilege to the state. It had become obvious to the government of the day that if banks were allowed to create money, they would keep creating money up until the point where it destabilized the economy, so they could not be trusted with this responsibility.

So, in plain English, Mervyn King appears to be saying:

"I agree that banks should probably be stopped from creating money, and recommend John Kay (or Laurence Kotlikoff's) proposals. But it's not for me to say - let's leave it to the Banking Commission."

It's very reassuring to know that the top guy at the Bank of England understands the root of the issue and is promoting solutions that would go a long way to addressing it. Both John Kay and Laurence Kotlikoff's proposals would prevent commercial banks from creating money (or 'issuing credit') for their own benefit at the expense of the wider economy and the public.

Ironically, while King is proposing the potential elimination of fractional reserve banking (i.e. a return to 100% reserves), Ben Bernanke has proposed the elimination of all reserve requirements (i.e. requiring no reserves):

The Federal Reserve believes it is possible that, ultimately, its operating framework will allow the elimination of minimum reserve requirements, which impose costs and distortions on the banking system.

Kalamullah.com releases Collection of Fatawaa from Ibn Uthmayin

LINK TO DOWNLOADS HERE

Oil, Islam, and Conflict: Central Asia since 1945

Oil, Islam, and Conflict: Central Asia since 1945 (Reaktion Books - Contemporary Worlds) By Rob Johnson
Publisher: Reaktion Books | Pages: 240 | Date: 2007-10-15 | ISBN: 1861893396 | PDF | 1MB

The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan while Chechnya still struggles under a shadow of violence, and the nations surrounding them are barely more stable. Add in the significant reserves scattered throughout Central Asia and you have a volatile political cocktail that makes the region, in Rob Johnson’s words, the “new Middle East.” In Oil, Islam and Conflict, Johnson provides an essential analysis of the region’s tumultuous history and uncertain future.Johnson examines the problems that have plagued the region, including civil wars in Afghanistan and Tajikistan and burgeoning Islamist terrorist movements in several nations. He explains the complex role played by narcotics, ethnic tensions, and the potential wealth from oil and gas reserves in the region’s political maneuverings, and delineates the complex links between civil violence and the policies of Central Asian governments on such crucial issues as human rights, economic development and energy.A timely investigation, Oil, Islam and Conflict will be required reading for all those invested in the threat of terrorism and the future of energy security.

DOWNLOAD HERE

The United States of Inequality

The distribution of income and wealth has become increasingly unequal. Middle-class incomes have stagnated while the top one percent of earners have seen their share of national income climb to 24 percent. Workers no longer benefit from productivity increases, and upward mobility, long the saving grace of the American economy, has faltered. Why is this happening? In a recent 10-part series in Slate, Timothy Noah weighed eight possible causes of the Great Divergence and what it might mean for our collective future. Join us for a discussion of these trends and their causes, costs, and consequences. 

An account of the martyrdom of Syed Qutb:

 There was a man called Fawad Dajawi - the coward, who claimed to be a judge (even though he was an ignorant commoner), he would make judgments upon the Ikhwanis’ in court. To show how much of a coward he was, when he went to fight the Jews in 1956, and the Jews surrounded the Muslims, he joined the side of the Jews against the Muslims. So the Jews let him go due to his betrayal of the Muslims. This man was the judge against Syed Qutb, and he was extremely rude to him.  Syed Qutb would look at Fawad Dajawi, and had no respect for him at all. He would look at him with such a harsh stare, that Dajawi became terrified of Syed Qutb. So in court, Syed Qutb took the blame for everything for the Ikhwani movement.  Syed Qutb was sentenced, and he knew that his execution was going to be near. So he sent letters from prison to his family during this period.

Human Rights Organisations, and many leaders [including Shaykh bin Baz) said that Syed Qutb should be released. When Malik Faisal [the king of Saudi Arabia], said he should be freed, Abdul Nasir became very angry and said that we will do the execution the next day.

His sister Hamidah was told to ask forgiveness from Abdul Nasir, and say that it wasn’t you who was responsible for this Ikhwani revolution. And that if you admit to this, then all charges will be lifted from you and you will be safe and free.

So Syed Qutb said;

I swear in the Name of Allah, if this "thing or talk" [of another group doing the revolution] was correct, then I would say it and there will be no force on the face of the earth that can prevent me from doing it. And I will not speak a lie, ever.

They tried to seek pardon from Syed Qutb in any way they could, but he didn’t change his word. Syed Qutb said to his sister.

He said, because Hasan Hudaibi was still really in charge of the Ikhwan al Muslimeen.

“If you see Hasan Hudaibi, the guide of the Ikhwan [brotherhood]. Then give him Salam (the greeting of Peace), and tell him that Syed has faced as much punishment as the human can suffer, so that you and the brotherhood as a whole does not suffer.”

They then came to him again on the last point before he was going to be executed, and said; Just say sorry you’re sorry for what you did and you will be free.

So Syed Qutb said

“I will never seek any excuse for work for the sake of Allah.”

They told him to say just a line or a few words to Abdul Nasir tosay that I’m sorry for what I did, and you won’t be executed, and you will be free.

So Syed Qutb said;

“Indeed this finger which testifies the Oneness of Allah in salah [prayer], it refuses to agree on anything – in support - of this oppressive regime.”

The Day of Syed Qutb’s Execution

Generally prisoners would not know when they are due to be executed because of public sensitivities. Consequently, the date of the execution of Syed Qutb was kept hidden even from Syed Qutb himself. On the day of his execution the military officer entered Syed Qutb’s cell under the pretext that he has been ordered to change his cell quarters. However ash-shaheed Syed Qutb knew that this was not just another cell change and said, ‘I know where you are taking me, for the Prophet Muhammed came to me in my dream and told me (about today), so take me. ’

So they took Syed Qutb to the place of his execution. Everybody saw him with a beaming smile on his face, he was extremely happy and waving to the prison guards.

He was saying before his execution; I am waiting for this moment.

And he said;

I am living a life that I have never lived before. I am feeling the true meaning of Emaan [true Belief]. I fully understand ‘Aqeedah (Islamic belief) as its meant to be understood more than ever before. I am waiting for my shahadah (martyrdom), and I have never lived a life better than the life I am living right now.

This is what he said before he was about to be executed.

"On receiving his death sentence in court, Sayyid Qutb said, 'Alhamdullilah (all praise is for Allah) I performed Jihad (struggle) for fifteen years until I earned this Shahadah (martyrdom).' "

His face was beaming, as was recorded on the cameras and TV. This was the reality of life, and he was expecting it, looking pleased to meet Allah. He knew that this was the truth, knowing that if you work sincerely in your life for the sake of Allah – then your end no doubt – will be shahadah (martyrdom) in Allah’s/God’s cause. This is what he had been waiting for, for so long. On the 29th August 1966, with Abdul Fattah Isma’il, and Muhammad Yusuf Hawash (who were also great leaders of the Ikhwan), they were all hanged, may Allah have mercy on them.

And relate to them the story of the two sons of Adam...

On that day, the Imam of the Ikhwan al Muslimeen in the Jumu’ah
[Friday congregation] prayer recited from the Qur’an Surah Maa’idah (5:27) on the two sons of Adam;

And relate to them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth when they both offered an offering, but it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. He said: I I will most certainly kill you. (The other) said: Allah only accepts from those who are Muttaqin [guard (against evil).]

When it was recited, they all burst into tears and began to cry. Syed Qutb became shaheed for the ideas he carried. And this shahadah brought life to the Ummah [muslim nation].He himself would say;

'Indeed our words will remain lifeless, barren, devoid of any passion, until we die as a result of these words, whereupon our words will suddenly spring to life and live on amongst the hearts that are dead, bringing them back to life as well…'

His books spread around Egypt even though the government tried to stop them. His books were handwritten – since the government made it illegal to publish his books - and they spread around the whole Muslim world at speed. So any Muslim that you see who is affected by Islamic revival today, has read his book Ma’alim fil Tareeq [Milestones], and any Muslim who has read his Fi Dhilal al Qur’an [Under the Shade of the Qur’an], this is when they started to understand the Deen [Religion] from a revival perspective properly and comprehensively.

Sick American Zionist calls for War with Iran to Boost Economy in Op-ed

This article is disgusting. Howevee, with Republicans expected to win big. The war push may be on as a quick fix to win the economy. If the U.S. chooses this route however, it will be fall much earlier than expected now.  Check out how sick-fascism is discreetly packaged by the mainstream press.  

How Obama Might Recover

SOURCE Washington Post - When the midterm election cycle began, the prevailing opinion was that Barack Obama was cleverer and more inspirational than anyone else on the scene. As it ends, nothing appears to have changed.

OH, YES, I know that Democrats have fallen into a peck of trouble and may lose control of Congress. But even if they do, Obama can still storm back to win a second term in 2012. He is that much better than the competition.

In what respects is he enduringly superior? Let's start with the basics. He is much smarter than his challengers in either party, better able to read the evidence and come to the right conclusions.
Over time, his conclusions are likely to stand scrutiny better than those of other politicians. The crucial case in point is his analysis of economic forces. No one would pretend that this is anything but a daunting situation. The nation is suffering simultaneously from high and persistent unemployment, lagging investment, massive public and private debt, and a highly inefficient tax system.

The steps that have been ordered so far in Washington have done nothing more than put the brakes on the runaway decline. They have not spurred new growth.

But if Obama cannot spur that growth by 2012, he is unlikely to be reelected. The lingering effects of the recession that accompanied him to the White House will probably doom him.
Can Obama harness the forces that might spur new growth? This is the key question for the next two years.

What are those forces? Essentially, there are two. One is the power of the business cycle, the tidal force that throughout history has dictated when the economy expands and when it contracts. Economists struggle to analyze this, but they almost inevitably conclude that it cannot be rushed and almost resists political command. As the saying goes, the market will go where it is going to go.
In this regard, Obama has no advantage over any other pol. Even in analyzing the tidal force correctly, he cannot control it.
What else might affect the economy? The answer is obvious, but its implications are frightening. War and peace influence the economy.
Look back at FDR and the Great Depression. What finally resolved that economic crisis? World War II.

Here is where Obama is likely to prevail. With strong Republican support in Congress for challenging Iran's ambition to become a nuclear power, he can spend much of 2011 and 2012 orchestrating a showdown with the mullahs. This will help him politically because the opposition party will be urging him on. And as tensions rise and we accelerate preparations for war, the economy will improve.

I am not suggesting, of course, that the president incite a war to get reelected. But the nation will rally around Obama because Iran is the greatest threat to the world in the young century. If he can confront this threat and contain Iran's nuclear ambitions, he will have made the world safer and may be regarded as one of the most successful presidents in history.

davidbroder@washpost.com

"Libya Today" A discussion with Ali Ahmida, Mansour El-Kikhia, Hisham Matar & Lisa Anderson