Sunday, January 31, 2016

آیا بچۀ سقو از ظاهرشاه، با ناموس تر بود؟ - محمد اعظم سيستانی

تقريباً ميتوان گفت :افغان جرمن آن ين سال ٢٠١٥ را با بحث پيرامون حبيب + (بچۀ سقو ) آغازکرد و با معرفی کتاب «تذکرا4نق ب (» آئينۀ تمام نمای فجايع سقوي )ان ، اثرگران سنگ کاتب ھزاره، به پايان برد؛ درحالی که بحث برچگونگی آوردن واز ميان بردن حبيب + کلکانی و روی کار آمدن نادرخان، با نقش تعيين کننده انگليس در سرنوشت سياسی افغانستان، ھنوز ھم ادامه دارد.

 سال پار، درسلسله بحث وفحص برپيشه وشغل حبيب + کلکانی، از کتاب «عياری ازخراسان» نوشتۀ استاد خليلی، نيز ياد شد و نويسندگان افغان مقيم خارج، نظريات واط عات خود را دربارۀ خليلی وشخصيت او ھم ابراز کردند . من نيزدر بارۀ اينکه : چرا استادخليلی کتاب «عياری از خراسان» را نوشت؟ ،مقالتی نوشتم ود4يل خود را بيان کردم. البته ھستند کسانی که وانمودميکنند شعر دوست اند وشعرخليلی برای آنھا یتلذ خاص دارد،لذا قطعه ای از اشعار خليلی را برمی گزينند و جم تی بر پيش وپس آن می افزايند ودل خوش ميکن ند که حق استاد را ادا کرده اند، درحاليکه واقعيت چيز ديگری است : آنان از اين جھت به استاد خليلی ابراز ع قه ميکنند که او روزگاری شاعر دربار ظاھرشاه بوده و شاه را مدح ميکرده است. پس استاد خليلی نيز دوست ظاھرشاه است وسلطنت طلب ،حا4نکه گذشت زمان، ثابت ساخت که استادخليلی، نه سلطنت طلب وب د و نه ظاھرشاه طلب، زيرا ھنگامی که درخدمت ضياء الحق حاکم نظامی پاکستان قرارگرفت و بعد بدستور ربانی کتاب«عياری از خراسان» را به نام حبيب + کلکانی نوشت و بد ست نشر سپرد، ثابت کرد که او عضوجمعيت اس می برھبری ربانی شده و ديگر ع قه ای به ظاھرشاه و دستگاه سلطنت او ندارد . پسرانش نيز با پيروی از پدر درخدمت شورای نظار در آمدند،

توھين به ظاھرشاه از سوی خليلی:  خليلی آنجا که به آقای مايار ميگويد «: امير حبيب + دوم را عيار ناميدم، زيرا وی يک انسان با ناموس بود.» در واقع بچۀ سقو را در ناموس داری برتر از ظاھرشاه شمرده ً و صريحا به ظاھرشاه توھين کرده است. اين درحالی است که حقی را که ظاھرشاه برگردن خليلی داشت، بچۀ سقو برگ در ن خليلی نداشت ، زيرا درھمان لحظه ای که خليلی، اين سخن را به آقای مايار اظھار کرده بود، ظاھرشاه چھارحق مسلم ذيل را برگردن خليلی داشت:

 اول، ظاھرشاه ، خليلی را از اعدام نجات داده بود. خليلی با مامای خود نايب سا4ر عبدالرحيم خان صافی، متھم به دست داشتن در شورش صافی ھا در١٣٢٤ بود ومحمدھاشم خان صدراعظم برايش اعدام تقاضا کرده بود، ولی شاه حکم اعدام خليلی را امضا نکرد و خليلی از مرگ نجات يافت. دوم، ظاھرشاه، مدتی بعد خليلی را به حيث رئيس دارا4نشای( دفترشاھی) خود مقرر نمود. س ،وم ظاھرشاه از پول شخصی خود برای خليلی خانه ای مجلل در کارتۀ پروان ساخت و بعد از تکميل آن خانه را با قبالۀ آن دراختيارخليلی قرارداد. چھارم، امتيازات الکو : ت شورا و ت قرر او بحيث سفير درعربستان و بغداد،نيز ازجانب شاه به خليلی داده شد.

با اين ھمه کارھا ، آيا شاه برگردن خليلی حق نداشت که آن کتاب را بجای حبيب + دزد ناموس مردم، بنام ظاھرشاه مينوشت ودين خود را در برابر ولی نعمت خود ادا ميکرد؟  گيريم که خليلی آن کتاب را به دستور ويا خواھش استاد ربانی نوشته بود، مگر در نزد اقای مايار که خود را از اخ صمندان آن شاه ميشمارد، نبايد چنين استد4ل ميکرد که حبيب + دوم، درميان پادشاھان افغانستان ، شخص با ناموسی بود، يعنی که ظاھرشاه، شخص متجاوز به ناموس ديگران بود؟ درحالی که تا کنون ھيچکسی وھيچ تاريخی شھادت نداده که ظاھرشاه با زور عسکر ناموس کسی را به حضور خود خواسته باشدو بمنظور کام گرفتن از او، شب او رانگھداشته باشد . مگر حبيب + دوم و ھمراھان دزدش، به استناد کتاب فيض محمدکاتب، بی ناموسی ھا وھتاکی ھای زيادی درحق زنان خاندان نادرشاه وامان + خان کرده بودند.

اکنون سوال من از آقای مايار اينست: چرا وقتی که خليلی به پاسخ شما،حبيب + کلکانی را پادشاه با ناموس ناميد وھدفش کم زدن وبی ناموس گفتن ظاھرشاه بود، از ظاھرشاه دفاع نکرديد؟ آيا شما سخنی برای دفاع از ظاھرشاه نداشتيد و نظر خليلی را تائيد کرديد، يا مصلحت را بر دفاع از شاه ترجيح داديد تا خليلی از شما خفه نشود؟

يقين دارم اگرخليلی به شھيد داودخان چنين توھينی درحضور قاسم باز ميکرد، با جواب دندان شکن قاسم باز منحيث يک اخ صمند داودخان روبرو ميشد و ديگرنام خليلی را به نيکی بر زبان نمی آورد

کسی که خود وخاندانش عمری درخدمت اعليحضرت ھمايونی و مورد الطاف و نوازش ذات ملوکانه قرارداشته است، اما جرئت دفاع منطقی از ولی نعمت خود را ندارد، آدم حيران ميماند که به چنين اشخاصی چه خطاب کند؟  شاھی که تا ديروز بوت پاکی اش مايه افتخار درباريان شمرده ميشد ، مگر امروز که ديگربرسر قدرت نيست، تا مقام وامتياز ببخشد ، دزدی را بر او ترجيح ميدھند  و جواب يک مداح ابن الوقت و ومرتجع اپورچونست را داده نميتوانند تا مبادا خم بر ابرو آورد و مبادا آزرده شود؟
- Read More at the محمد اعظم سيستانی

آیا بچۀ سقو از ظاهرشاه، با ناموس تر بود؟

درخاطرات خلیلی مقام حبیب الله کلکانی بالاتر از پیغمبر قرارگرفته است؟
 تذکرالانقــلاب،آئینۀ تمام نمای فجایع حکومت سقوی - More

U.S. Broadens Fight Against ISIS With Afghanistan Raids - nytimes

The operations followed President Obama’s decision to expand the authority of American commanders to attack a new branch of the militant group in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON — The United States has carried out at least a dozen operations — including commando raids and airstrikes — in the past three weeks against militants in Afghanistan aligned with the Islamic State, expanding the Obama administration’s military campaign against the terrorist group beyond Iraq and Syria.

The operations followed President Obama’s decision last month to broaden the authority of American commanders to attack the Islamic State’s new branch in Afghanistan. The administration — which has been accused by Republicans of not having a strategy to defeat the group — is revamping plans for how it fights the terrorist organization in regions where it has developed affiliates.

Many of these recent raids and strikes in Afghanistan have been in the Tora Bora region of Nangarhar Province — an inhospitable, mountainous area in the eastern part of the country, near the border with Pakistan. It was in Tora Bora that Osama bin Laden and other senior Qaeda militants took refuge during the American-led invasion in 2001, and eventually evaded capture by slipping into Pakistan.

American commanders in Afghanistan said they believed that between 90 and 100 Islamic State militants had been killed in the recent operations. Intelligence officials estimate that there are roughly 1,000 Islamic State fighters in Nangarhar Province, and perhaps several thousand more elsewhere in the country. But even the generals leading the missions acknowledge that a resilient militant organization can recruit new fighters to replace those killed in American attacks.

“The new authority gives us the ability to take the gloves off to hold them in check, and we have been targeting them heavily and it has had quite an effect,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, the military’s deputy chief of staff for operations in Afghanistan. “But just because you take a bunch of guys off the battlefield doesn’t mean you will stop this organization.”

Although Mr. Obama had declared an end to combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the operations are part of a continuing and potentially expanding American military footprint in south-central Asia, the Middle East and Africa for the fight against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. 

At a hearing last week, Mr. Obama’s nominee to be the next commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., was asked by Senator John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, if he believed that the overall security situation in Afghanistan was deteriorating, rather than improving.

“Sir, I agree with your assessment,” said General Nicholson, a veteran of several deployments to Afghanistan. He said that the Taliban had fought against Afghan security forces “more intensely than perhaps we anticipated” and that the emergence of the Islamic State there had been unexpected.

General Nicholson said that, if confirmed by the Senate, he would take his first 90 days to review the two primary missions in Afghanistan — counterterrorism and advising and assisting Afghan forces — before offering his recommendations on American troop levels in the country. The departing commander, Gen. John F. Campbell, is scheduled to testify before Congress this week, and he is expected to likewise underscore the rising threat from the Islamic State.- Read More at the NYT

U.S. Broadens Fight Against ISIS With Attacks in Afghanistan


Saturday, January 30, 2016

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani Diplomat, Dies at 95 - nytimes

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, a former military leader, foreign minister and diplomat who was Pakistan‘s public face in international affairs for three decades, died late Monday or early Tuesday in Islamabad. He was 95.

His death was announced by the Aga Khan University. Mr. Yaqub Khan was founding chairman of the university’s board of trustees, serving for 16 years until his retirement in 2001.

Mr. Yaqub Khan had helped facilitate President Richard M. Nixon’s overture to China in 1972. In the late 1980s, as a United Nations-sanctioned envoy, he helped negotiate the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the windup of the civil war in Nicaragua.

In 1999, William Safire, the New York Times Op-Ed columnist, described him as “the most skillful diplomat in the world today.”

As Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Mr. Yaqub Khan was one of several Muslim diplomats who interceded to end the so-called Hanafi siege in 1977, in which a breakaway group from the Nation of Islam seized three buildings and at least 134 hostages in Washington. A radio reporter was killed, and the remaining hostages were released after a 39-hour standoff.

Mr. Yaqub Khan also served as Pakistan’s envoy to the Soviet Union and France, and was Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar’s United Nations special representative for Western Sahara.

He demonstrated his savvy in the military sphere in 1970 when, as a lieutenant general and governor of East Pakistan, he refused a superior’s order to deploy troops to quell a mutiny there. His defiance ended his army career, but he was vindicated when his successor’s crackdown led to a massacre, Indian intervention on behalf of the insurgents and the breaking away of East Pakistan, into what became Bangladesh.

Sahabzada Muhammad Yaqub Khan was born to the royal family of Rampur on Dec. 23, 1920, in Rampur, in the northeast of what was then British India. His father, Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan Bahadur, was a diplomat. His mother was Sahabzadi Aliya Sultan Amir Dulhan Begum Sahiba.

He studied at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (now the Rashtriya Indian Military College) in Dehradun, India; served with the British Indian Army in North Africa in World War II; and was captured at Tobruk, where the British repelled a prolonged German siege, and imprisoned for three years.

When Britain granted independence to what became India and Pakistan in 1947, Mr. Yaqub Khan was among the Muslims in India who migrated to Pakistan.

He served as an ambassador from 1972 to 1982, then under seven governments as foreign minister until 1991, and again briefly beginning in 1996. 

Mr. Safire, a language maven, noted Mr. Yaqub Khan’s erudition, lauding him for what he called the best new politico-diplomatic usage of 1982.

Mr. Safire wrote that the ambassador “used a word I never heard before to describe the country that lies between the Soviet Union and the gateway to the Persian Gulf: ‘Afghanistan might one day be intended by the Soviets to be a glacis.’” (The word is loosely defined as “buffer.”) - Read More at the NYT

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani Diplomat, Dies at 95



Britain might deport Muslim women who fail an English test. As a Muslim, I actually support that

Under current immigration rules, spouses coming to Britain must show basic fluency in English before they arrive. On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron said such immigrants must prove they’re continuing to learn English, or could be deported

There’s a rub: The proposal focuses on Muslim women.

Outrageous, his targeting one group, right? This might surprise you, but I’m an American Muslim whose parents immigrated to this country after a few years in the United Kingdom, and I’m on board.  The policy would be good for Britain, great for Britain’s Muslims and terrible for the far right.  What’s not to like?

On the American far right, Donald Trump has seen his support surge with calls for blanket evictions of large numbers of Americans, and he’s even gone so far as to challenge the idea of birthright citizenship altogether.

Following a series of sexual assaults on women in Germany that authorities said some Middle East refugees were involved in, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat argued that all able-bodied refugee men should be deported from Germany. This left me wondering: Should we put them on planes or trains?

Unlike Trump and Douthat, Cameron actually cares about the people he’s threatening to remove.  Cameron has called for $28.5 million to push this initiative. He’s going to actively invest in communities to make them smarter, give them a leg up on jobs and education and help them become that much more politically successful and economically mobile.

But isn’t it, you ask, potentially heartless to rip up someone’s family just because they can’t learn a second, third or even fourth language?  At a time when many Britons have trouble with the one language they’re born speaking, forcing Muslims to become more educated, and weeding out the lesser-educated ones, might sound like eugenics, except it’s not clear who’s supposed to be the master race.

What better way to help Muslims enter society, succeed in government, and communicate their ideas more effectively, than to help them communicate in the first place! It’s almost too good to be true, unless… could Cameron be a “closet Muslim,” like President Obama? If I were an anti-Muslim bigot, I might be suspicious. - Read More at the Washingtonpost

Obama to make first visit of his presidency to a U.S. mosque next week

President Obama will make the first visit during his presidency to a U.S. mosque, the White House announced Saturday, part of the administration’s push to promote religious tolerance at a time when rhetoric linking Islam with terrorism is growing.

On Wednesday, the president will visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore, a sprawling community center in the city’s western suburbs that serves thousands of people with a place of worship, a housing complex and schools,according to its website. It is one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest Muslim centers and describes itself as aspiring “to be the anchor of a growing Muslim community with diverse backgrounds, democratically governed, relating to one another with inclusiveness and tolerance, and interacting with neighbors in an Islamic exemplary manner.”

The president is making the visit “to celebrate the contributions Muslim Americans make to our nation and reaffirm the importance of religious freedom to our way of life,”  a White House official wrote in an email Saturday. “The President believes that one of our nation’s greatest strengths is our rich diversity and the very idea that Americans of different faiths and backgrounds can thrive together – that we’re all part of the same American family. As the President has said, Muslim Americans are our friends, and neighbors; our co-workers, and sports heroes – and our men and women in uniform defending our country.”

For years, Muslim Americans have lobbied him to visit a mosque, citing Islamophobia. At the same time, a segment of Obama’s critics have said since he took office that he is a Muslim pretending to be Christian, and that he plays down the religious aspect of Muslim extremism. Recent polls show that 29 percent of Americans and nearly 45 percent of Republicans think he is a Muslim. The visit comes in the last year of his presidency.

The possibility of a mosque visit came up again a month ago, when several prominent Muslim Americans met with senior White House officials to discuss concerns about rising hostility toward people of their faith. During that session _ which was attended by White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, Domestic Policy Council director Cecilia Muñoz and deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes — the Islamic leaders asked for Obama to visit a mosque, ideally with former president George W. Bush.

 In 2001, Bush visited the Islamic Cultural Center of Washington, six days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where he declared, “Islam is peace,” and “the face of terror is not the true faith of Islam.” - Read More at the Washingtonpost


Germany's Merkel says refugees must return home once war is over

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried on Saturday to placate the increasingly vocal critics of her open-door policy for refugees by insisting that most refugees from Syria and Iraq would go home once the conflicts there had ended.

Despite appearing increasingly isolated, Merkel has resisted pressure from some conservatives to cap the influx of refugees, or to close Germany's borders.

Support for her conservative bloc has slipped as concerns mount about how Germany will integrate the 1.1 million migrants who arrived last year, while crime and security are also in the spotlight after a wave of assaults on women in Cologne at New Year by men of north African and Arab appearance.

The influx has played into the hands of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose support is now in the double digits, and whose leader was quoted on Saturday saying that migrants entering illegally should, if necessary, be shot.

Merkel said it was important to stress that most refugees had only been allowed to stay for a limited period.

"We need ... to say to people that this is a temporary residential status and we expect that, once there is peace in Syria again, once IS has been defeated in Iraq, that you go back to your home country with the knowledge that you have gained," she told a regional meeting of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Merkel said 70 percent of the refugees who fled to Germany from former Yugoslavia in the 1990s had returned.

Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU's Bavarian sister party, has threatened to take the government to court if the flow of asylum seekers is not cut.

Merkel urged other European countries to offer more help "because the numbers need to be reduced even further and must not start to rise again, especially in spring". - Read More
Germany's Merkel says refugees must return home once war is over

Almost 40 dead after migrant boat sinks off Turkey - Reuters

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bush: Trump rhetoric on Muslims 'toxic' - Thehill

Jeb Bush repudiated Donald Trump for creating a "toxic" environment for American Muslims with his call to ban Muslim immigrants. 

"It's important then, when we are running for the highest office in the land that we recognize that we are living in serious times and our words have consequences," the 2016 hopeful said during Thursday's Fox News GOP presidential debate. 

"Mr. Trump believes that in reaction to people’s fears we should ban all Muslims. That creates an environment that is toxic in our own country."

Bush has repeatedly bashed Trump for that policy proposal, taking one of the hardest lines of any candidates against the party front-runner's comments.

Bush's answer came in response to a YouTube question from Nabela Noor, a woman who makes lifestyle videos on the internet. She cited the rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes and hate speech on Twitter and asked the candidates how they'd address it. 

"Nabela is a rising entrepreneur. She wants to pursue the American dream, she is an American citizen, she should not feel uncomfortable about her citizenship," the former Florida governor said. 

"She’s not the threat, the threat is Islamic terrorism and we need to focus our energies there, not these broad blanket statements that will make it harder for us to deal with ISIS." - Read More

Bush: Trump rhetoric on Muslims 'toxic'


Next Afghan War Commander To Re-Evaluate U.S. Response - Tom Bowman

The war in Afghanistan is getting a new commander even as events there are not going well. The Taliban control the most territory since the U.S. invasion, and Afghan government casualties continue to mount. NPR takes a look at how American forces might respond.

The war in Afghanistan is entering its 15th year and will soon have its 17th commander. That man is Lieutenant General John Mick Nicholson. Nicholson's now with NATO in Turkey, but he's served several years in Afghanistan. NPR's Tom Bowman reports that with a resurgent Taliban, General Nicholson has his work cut out for him. - Read More at the NPR

Next Afghan War Commander To Re-Evaluate U.S. Response

Denmark's Far-Right Party Argues Migrants Should Help Pay for Their Stay

Steve Inskeep talks to Martin Henriksen of the Danish People's Party about a new law in Denmark requiring migrants to hand over personal property, to pay for government services they'll be getting.

As we've reported, Denmark is the latest country working to limit exposure to refugees. Legislators there have passed a new law demanding the assets of asylum seekers. And we've been talking with a Danish lawmaker who approves.

INSKEEP: Martin Henriksen is with the far right Danish People's Party. He is among those who say migrants should pay for their asylum in Denmark by surrendering any cash they're carrying beyond 1,500 U.S. dollars. This move has sparked an outcry, but Henriksen told us he would like to go further. He wishes he could find out if asylum seekers have real estate or bank accounts that could be seized. - Read More at the NPR

Denmark's Far-Right Party Argues Migrants Should Help Pay for Their Stay

Fury as David Cameron calls Calais refugees 'a bunch of migrants' - smh

London: British Prime Minister David Cameron has been condemned over his response to the refugee crisis in Europe after describing people in a camp in Calais as a "bunch of migrants".

The British Refugee Council said Mr Cameron's comments were "disappointing" and called on him to show political leadership in response to the "desperate" situation.


Opposition MPs also lined up to criticise the Prime Minister, who made the inflammatory comments during a House of Commons clash with Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn​ as part of his response to Mr Corbyn's criticism of the British Government's deal with Google over its £130 million ($262 million) backdated tax bill.


Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Council's head of advocacy said: "When we are facing the greatest refugee crisis of our time, it is disappointing the Prime Minister is using flippant remarks to score political points.


"We have all seen the pictures of the desperate conditions people are living in across Europe, including just miles from the UK's border. The Prime Minister should be showing political leadership and work with other European countries to ensure that people can live in safety and dignity." - Read More at the refugees

Migrant crisis: Dutch plan for return ferry to Turkey

Migrants and refugees arriving on the Greek islands would immediately be sent back by ferry to Turkey, under a Dutch plan aimed at solving the crisis.
Under the proposal, Labour party leader Diederik Samsom says that in return the EU could offer to take in up to 250,000 refugees a year currently in Turkey. The plan would need to be in place by spring, before the next surge in numbers is expected, he says.

The European Union said it was unaware of the proposal, adding that it did not "push back" asylum seekers.

On Wednesday, a draft European Commission report said Greece had "seriously neglected" its obligations to control the external frontier of Europe's passport-free Schengen zone.  But Greek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili accused the Commission of "blame games".

The Dutch proposal "to force a solution" to the migrant crisis came as the Swedish authorities said as many as 80,000 people who arrived there last year could fail in their requests for asylum and face deportation.

Interior Minister Anders Ygeman said charter aircraft would be used to deport the migrants but it would take several years. - Read More at the BBC

Migrant crisis: Dutch plan for return ferry to Turkey - BBC


Muslims May Have Regressed But Here's What's Really to Blame - Atif Rashid

How extremists are more motivated by greed, power and worldly desires as opposed to true faith and Islamic values
Muslims claim their religion teaches peace, harmony, love and goodness while the actions of some so-called adherents to the faith prove contrary. How can it be that on the one hand, the religion teaches good while some Muslims commit evil? Some suggest the reason being the inherent evil of the religion itself.

So is the religion itself evil or are the adherents today evil? Or both?

Well, we can safely conclude that the majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims are not evil. Nor are they violent. Rather, they are the peaceful adherents of the religion of Islam. They constitute the large majority of the Muslim population the world over. This is a self-evident truth. There's no denying extremist elements exist yet that's no surprise since you'll find good and evil in all spheres of life regardless of faith, race, nationality, political stance, career or any other distinguishing criteria.

A cursory look at the fundamental holy book, the Qur'an would also lend support to the belief that Islam is actually a peaceful religion. After all, it exhorts to peacejustice,charity and unity. Harvard went so far as to declare one verse of the Muslim holy book as one of the best expressions of justice ever. True, there are violent verses but that's already explained by my counterparts here and here.

Why then are some Muslims today totally disregarding these peaceful teachings and acting like primitive, violent people? Well let's have a look.

For one, Muslims have forsaken the fundamental teachings of the Prophet and have given themselves over to superficiality and worldliness which pervades their religious practices. Their actions betray their self-righteous speech. It's the same with theChurch - religion becomes a business. When people forget the true teachings or distort them, misunderstand the true purport or yet are misguided and tempted by worldly motives they inevitably become superficial and religious by name only. This is a phenomenon which we see all too often in religious history.

Outward observance without regard for the spirit of the teaching leads to bigotry, prejudice and hard-heartedness. Religion is meant to invoke feelings of spirituality, love and open-heartedness. The form is meant to induce the spirit, the spirit being the main goal. However the spirit can't survive without the shell, but when religion becomes a formal, hollow exercise, we see only superficiality, intolerance and judgmental mindsets - leading to violence against opposing beliefs.

It isn't anything new. Man is negligent, vain and driven by selfish desires - which true religion seeks to curb. Over time and generations the core values and principles once instilled by elders fade away being replaced with an ideology consisting only of prejudice, intolerance and superficiality. Reminders are of paramount importance therefore. In a world filled with materialism, egotism, jealousy and manic pursuit of power, the higher values of life are often overlooked with worldliness becoming intermingled with religious values. Groups like ISIS are undoubtedly more motivated by geopolitical motives than actual Islamic values.

You can't blame the car for a drunk driver crashing though. If Islam's teachings are being misused and driven by leaders drunk with power and worldliness, then the drivers (and those who fuel the drunkenness of the drivers) are to blame, not the car.

If you want to understand what's happened to Muslims, just look at Christian history. Jesus (peace be on him) would never have approved of the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition or witch hunts up to the 18th century. Similarly, Muhammad (pbuh) warned his followers not to become disbelievers by shedding blood.

Anyhow, the religion of Islam or its Prophet Muhammad cannot be held accountable for the actions of Latter Day followers the leaders of which he himself labelled as 'the worst creatures under the heavens'. He warned his followers, that in the Latter Days, they would go to their leaders searching for guidance but instead find 'apes and swine' sitting there - he of course was referring to the degraded moral and deplorable spiritual condition of many Latter Day Muslim clerics. It goes without saying, if the leaders themselves are corrupt, their adherents will follow suit.

Muhammad (on whom be peace) foretold of a time when Islam will be beset with superficiality and so-called scholars with their own vested motives will misguide the masses. Just as we can never place blame upon Jesus (on whom be peace) for the actions of his followers who came later, we can't blame Muhammad for the actions of Muslims today. Nor can we hold the Qur'anic teachings or Islam as a religion responsible since Islam itself condemns the hypocritical and selfish, violent actions of some Muslims today. Likewise, Moses (peace be on him) can't be blamed for the Jewish violence today nor can Buddha (on whom be peace) be held accountable for the genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Further, what we may see as violent behavior by Muslims today is only a matter of perspective. Undue emphasis is given to terror acts by Muslims whereas if we look at the world today generally, terrorism, inhumanity and infringement of human rights happens by non-Muslims just as much as it does by Muslims, if not more so. - Read More at the Huffingtonpost

Muslims May Have Regressed But Here's What's Really to Blame - Atif Rashid

Obama taps new Afghan commander as security deteriorates

Army Lt. Gen. John “Mick” Nicholson, a veteran of the Afghanistan War, has been nominated to command U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan.

His nomination comes amid growing concerns about increased violence in the country.

If confirmed by the Senate, Nicholson will succeed Gen. John Campbell, who has served as commander in Afghanistan since 2014 and is expected to complete his tour shortly.

“For nearly 18 months, Gen. Campbell has given his all to the mission as our top commander in Afghanistan, and his personal sacrifices on behalf of his troops and the Afghan people will be remembered by us all,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook on Wednesday quoted Defense Secretary Ash Carter as saying.

There will be more news about Campbell’s future in the coming days, Cook added.

Nicholson is currently the commander of NATO's Allied Land Command, headquartered at Izmir, Turkey. He has also served as commanding officer for the 82nd Airborne Division and deputy commanding general for operations in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012.

Carter is confident Nicholson can help secure a “bright future” for Afghanistan, Cook said.

The new commander will face an Afghanistan that looks increasingly perilous despite the official end of U.S. combat operations in the country more than a year ago. A Special Forces soldier was killed in a firefight earlier this month, and six airmen were killed by a suicide bomber in December. - Read More at the hill

Obama taps new Afghan commander as security deteriorates

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

World Report 2016: ‘Politics of Fear’ Threatens Rights - Human Rights Watch

Terror Attacks, Refugee Crisis, and Broad Global Crackdown
(Istanbul) – The politics of fear led governments around the globe to roll back human rights during 2015.

In the 659-page World Report 2016, its 26th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth writes that the spread of terrorist attacks beyond the Middle East and the huge flows of refugees spawned by repression and conflict led many governments to curtail rights in misguided efforts to protect their security. At the same time, authoritarian governments throughout the world, fearful of peaceful dissent that is often magnified by social media, embarked on the most intense crackdown on independent groups in recent times.

“Fear of terrorist attacks and mass refugee flows are driving many Western governments to roll back human rights protections,” Roth said. “These backward steps threaten the rights of all without any demonstrated effectiveness in protecting ordinary people.”
Significant refugee flows to Europe, spurred largely by the Syrian conflict, coupled with broadening attacks on civilians in the name of the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS), have led to growing fear-mongering and Islamophobia, Human Rights Watch said. But as European governments close borders, they are reviving old patterns of shirking responsibility for refugees by passing the problem to countries on Europe’s periphery that are less equipped to house or protect refugees. The emphasis on the potential threat posed by refugees is also distracting European governments from addressing their homegrown terrorist threats and the steps needed to avoid social marginalization of disaffected populations.

Policymakers in the United States have used the terrorism threat to try to reverse recent modest restrictions on intelligence agencies’ ability to engage in mass surveillance, while the United Kingdom and France have sought to expand monitoring powers. That would significantly undermine privacy rights without any demonstrated increase in the ability to curb terrorism. 

Europe’s response to the influx of refugees has also been counterproductive. The effect of leaving most asylum seekers little choice but to risk their lives on rickety boats at sea to reach Europe has created a chaotic situation that would-be terrorists can easily exploit.

“Creating a safe and orderly way for refugees to make their way to Europe would reduce lives lost at sea while helping immigration officials to screen out security risks, increasing security for everyone,” Roth said. - Read More
World Report 2016: 'Politics of Fear' Threatens Rights

World Report 2016: 'Politics of Fear' Threatens Rights ...- More

Afghanistan: Failure to Deliver on Key Reforms - Human Rights Watch

Civilians at Risk as Security Deteriorates
(Kabul) – Afghanistan’s new national unity government failed to make significant gains in achieving human rights reforms in 2015, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2016. Little progress was made in reining in abusive militias, reducing corruption, promoting women’s rights, and reforming the courts.

In the 659-page, its 26th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth writes that the spread of terrorist attacks beyond the Middle East and the huge flows of refugees spawned by repression and conflict led many governments to curtail rights in misguided efforts to protect their security. At the same time, authoritarian governments throughout the world, fearful of peaceful dissent that is often magnified by social media, embarked on the most intense crackdown on independent groups in recent times.

“Afghanistan’s national unity government squandered important opportunities to tackle serious human rights problems,” said Patricia Gossman, senior Afghanistan researcher. “As reforms have slipped, so have essential human rights protections for detainees, women, and the media. Donors will need to work more closely with the Afghan government to ensure that the fragile gains of the past 14 years aren’t lost.”

During the past year, the government struggled to overcome internal divisions and conflicts with local strongmen and power brokers, while infighting among government institutions jeopardized the broader reform agenda. Abuses by government security forces and advances by the Taliban further undermined public confidence in the government. - Read More 

Afghanistan: Failure to Deliver on Key Reforms