Discrimination will only impair Myanmar

The ongoing plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar is talked about a great deal throughout the world, but still remains without a solution. Despite having lived in the country for several generations, the Rohingya are not even recognized as one of Myanmar’s 135 ethnic minorities.  According to official figures, Muslims constitute 4% of the country’s populace, while experts suggest they make up ten percent of the country’s population of 51 million. Despite this, since the passing of the country’s 1982 citizenship law, the Muslims living in the state of Rakhine are not recognized as an ethnic group, and declared as ‘stateless,’ stripping them from basic civil rights such as education and health.

In addition to the abolition of their legal presence in their own country, there has been a rise in antagonism against Muslims in Myanmar following the replacement of the military junta in 2011. In the face of clashes that broke out in 2012 and ended in the deaths of hundreds of Rohingyas in the country, many Muslims were forced from their homes and workplaces and taken into refugee camps. The Myanmar government prevented them from moving within the country. Eventually, due to this inhumane onslaught, according to UNHCR, South-East Asia Mixed Maritime Movements, April - June 2015 estimates, between January 2012 and June 2015, some 150,000 people fled from the Myanmar-Bangladesh border area.

Currently, there are about 140,000 Rohingya who live in Internally Displaced People’s camps (IDP). While trying to run away from the daily killings and clashes in their homes, some even fled the country on rickety boats by sea and this was when the global community finally recognized the plight of the Rohingya Muslims. The United Nations reported that 370 Rohingyas drowned between January and June of this year. According to Amnesty International, however, the actual figure is likely much higher. Witnesses state that dozens of boats have set out from the shore, but that only a few have reached Indonesia or Malaysia.

In other words, the drama of the Rohingyas is continuing beneath the radar and they are still being persecuted most feverishly by extremist groups in the country. The most hostile ones targeting the Rohingya are extremist Buddhist monks such as Wirathu and his nationalist 969 group along with the hardline nationalist political movement Ma Ba Tha. These fanatics have in recent years held many rallies across the country inciting violence against Muslim minorities and have introduced four discriminatory “race and religion bills” which further diminish the rights of all non-Buddhists.

The way in which extremists have resorted to physical and political assaults and have been promoting fear and hatred against Muslims were publicly criticized by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) this year. “Burma cannot expect to build a democracy while sowing religious and ethnic hatred and divisions.  With these elections, the country moved the needle in its political transition, but it has not yet become a rights-respecting nation that genuinely adheres to international standards for religious freedom and related human rights,” said Chairman George.  The same governmental body recommended in 2015 that Burma be designated as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for its particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

In the meantime, while the elections held in Myanmar last month resulted in a major success for the National League for Democracy (NLD) under opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, that success does not necessarily mean that the country is now fully democratic. The Rohingyas are no doubt quite pleased at the fall of the existing regime, but they are also not entirely happy with Suu Kyi, of whom they held high hopes in the past. The ongoing tragedy afflicting Myanmar’s Muslims will head the list of matters that the regime will not wish to change.

In fact, the United Nations has also been monitoring the events in Myanmar for a very long time. The UN Human Rights Council has published five reports about Myanmar and the UN General Assembly has adopted 15 separate resolutions. In the latest of these, dated February 24, 2014, the General Assembly reported on arbitrary arrests and detentions, forced displacement, rape, torture, discrimination affecting various ethnic and religious minorities, violence and violations of international humanitarian law.  In the wake of that report, the UN Security Council considered the question of Myanmar in its session on May 29, 2015.

On top of all this history of ill treatment of the Rohingya, the reports specify the deaths of five people in the townships of Akyab (Sittwe), Pauktaw, Kaukpru, Kyauktaw and Buthidaung in December 2015 alone as a result of violence. The details of these callous acts of murder present an unidentified person hanged on December 7, 2015 in Kyaupru (Narinjara) and 25-year old Maung Hla Bray Aung hanged on November 17, 2015 in the same town. The other people who were hanged the same way were Maung Maung and Mohammed Musa, 25, in Buthidaung, Mohammed Harun, 27, in Sittwe and Kasim, 27, in Pauktaw; the report duly notes that   rape, extortion, confiscation, discrimination, physical attacks and many other heinous crimes are going on.

The International State Crime Initiative has described this most obvious abuse as “systematic, planned and targeted weakening of the Rohingya through mass violence and other measures, as well as the regime’s successive implementation of discriminatory and persecutory policies against them, which amounts to a process of genocide” in its 2015 year dated report. This is a clear pronouncement to people of good conscience all over the world, including representatives of governments, international human rights organizations, non-governmental bodies, opinion leaders, members of the media, academics and journalists to make this pogrom their agenda.

If the discriminatory policies of Myanmar are not obliterated, and the democratic rights of every ethnic group and faith - including the Muslim Rohingya - are not secured, that would be detrimental for the entirety of the people of Myanmar who seek peace, democracy, harmony and open and unreserved international friendship for their country.  The global community witnessing this obvious “genocide” of the Rohingya is about to lose its ability to trust the Myanmar government to stand for human rights, justice and freedoms for the whole nation and that leaves Myanmar, and its people, in a precarious position.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Burma Times:
http://www.burmatimes.net/discrimination-will-only-impair-myanmar/

Acquiring knowledge is key to understanding Allah Almighty

In QUR'AN, we find the most fundamental matters that Muslims ought to know and understand are explained quite explicitly. 

For instance, Allah Almighty describes His creation; He describes satan, reveals what is lawful and unlawful and tells us of the lives of the prophets. It is revealed how the life of this world is a test and how our abiding home is in the Hereafter. Paradise and Hell are described in the Qur’an too. Besides, the Holy Book contains specific signs that Allah has deliberately concealed in it for believers. Through these signs, our Lord tells us how we should behave with deniers, the best way of preaching the word and what they must do if the moral values of the Qur’an are to be made the basic but a global yardstick.

These signs are only, of course, comprehensible to those servants who can look at the Qur’an with the eyes of the heart and good conscience, who can grasp the radiance and message of the Qur’an, and with whom Allah is well pleased.

The Qur’an is galore with innumerable scientific and mathematical miracles that confirm its sublime nature and the fact that it is a divine scripture. Besides, Allah makes science obligatory for believers. He advises believers to reflect on the extraordinary creation they witness and to learn the knowledge of the creation of the Earth and sky: “Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth: “Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Qur’an, 3:191)

Scientific development and progress proves the extraordinary nature of Allah’s creation in the most perfect way. More the people of good conscience possess this knowledge, more are they amazed by Allah’s sublime artistry. Just a single cell, the glorious DNA within a single cell or a single protein is enough to see the power and might of Allah. Almighty Allah is powerful enough to create worlds within a world, to create all things from nothing, and gloriously shows His sublime omniscience by creating atoms in tiny specks of space and making atoms, which themselves consist of 99 percent empty space, the natural causes of matter itself.
 Almighty Allah is powerful enough to bring the Earth and sky into being through a single explosion, out of nothing, out of emptiness. Almighty Allah reveals this sublime creation, the Big Bang miracle in other words, in this verse: As for heaven – We built it with great power and gave it its vast expanse. (Qur’an, 51:47)

Almighty Allah has made science essential for Muslims in order for them to comprehend and see His matchless artistry and the glories in the entities He creates. Those who deepen in science with the knowledge of the Qur’an will also grow in faith since they will witness His omniscience. For that reason, Allah advises true Muslims to learn and research the scientific facts and to become aware of what is all around them: “Have they not looked at the sky above them: How We structured it and made it beautiful and how there are no fissures in it? And the Earth: How We stretched it out and cast firmly embedded mountains onto it and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to grow in it, an instruction and a reminder for every penitent human being.” (Qur’an, 50:6-8)

“Have they not looked at the camel – how it was created? And at the sky – how it was raised up? And at the mountains – how they were embedded? And at the Earth – how it was smoothed out? So remind them! You are only a reminder.” (Qur’an, 88:17-21)

As believers grasp and see the scientific facts and grow in faith by studying Allah’s stunning artistry they will also come to possess the means of overcoming, using science and knowledge, the snares of those who slander Allah using supposed evidence. Those who adopt chance, nature and matter as their gods by seeking to deny Allah’s magnificent creation will be defeated in the face of the artistry displayed by our Lord and their false claims thus demolished. All the superstitious evidence brought forward by these people is eliminated by science and their empty struggles against Allah are all for nothing.
 Allah advises people to reflect on creation, and the miraculous systems and each of the extraordinary 100 trillion cells that emerge in so doing by themselves rebut all these superstitious claims. Allah advises us to consider the creation of the heavens, and His creation through the Big Bang and the extraordinary equilibrium in the universe again eliminate this superstitious way of thinking. Allah advises us to look at the evidence in the Earth.

One wise aspect behind the evidence for Allah’s creation that believers produce with knowledge and science is that it enables some people who blindly and ignorantly believed other people with their materialist mindsets to conclude, through the scientific evidence, that Allah is the sole Creator. The scientific evidence is instrumental in these people seeing the omnipotence of Allah in the things He creates and thus in coming to have faith.

A single tree, a single leaf or even a single seed is certainly enough to see the glory and Absolute Existence of our Almighty Lord. But for the pure and faithful who truly believe, seeing the extraordinary artistry in Allah’s detail by way of science is a great means whereby they can properly appreciate the might and greatness of Allah. It is for that reason that Almighty Allah has made science obligatory for all believers.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Arab News: http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/726921

oroginal resource: Harun yahya

Scientific evidences lead to faith

When we read the Qur’an we see that the most fundamental matters that Muslims have to know and understand are set out quite explicitly.

Allah describes His creation in the Qur’an. He describes Satan, reveals what is lawful and unlawful and tells us of the lives of the prophets (peace be upon them). It is revealed how the life of this world is a test and how our true homes are in the Hereafter. Paradise and Hell are described in the Qur’an and people are warned against the torments in the latter.

In addition to all these basic issues, the Qur’an also contains special signs that Allah has deliberately concealed in it for believers. Through these signs, our Lord tells believers how they should behave toward deniers, the best way of preaching the word and what they must do if the moral values of the Qur’an are to rule the world. These signs are only, of course, comprehensible to those servants who can look at the Qur’an with the eyes of the heart and good conscience, who can grasp the radiance and message of the Qur’an, and with whom Allah is well pleased. This is just one of the hundreds of miracles of the Qur’an.

The presence in the Qur’an of scientific and mathematical miracles is itself a miracle that confirms the sublime nature of the Qur’an, its miraculous aspect and the fact that it is a divine scripture. But in addition to that specific miracle, when we look at the verses of the Qur’an we see that Allah makes science obligatory for believers. Allah advises believers to reflect on the extraordinary creation they witness and to learn the knowledge of the creation of the Earth and sky. In Surah Ale-Imran, our Lord says:

“Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth saying: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire’.” (Qur’an, 3:191)

Scientific development and progress proves the sublime and extraordinary nature of Allah’s creation in the most perfect way. The more that people of good conscience possessed of this knowledge deepen in science, the more amazed they are by Allah’s sublime artistry. Just a single cell, the glorious DNA within a single cell or a single protein is enough to see the power and might of Allah. Almighty Allah is powerful enough to create worlds within worlds, to create all things from nothing, and gloriously shows His sublime omniscience by creating atoms in tiny specks of space and making atoms, which themselves consist of 99 percent empty space, the natural causes of matter itself. Almighty Allah is powerful enough to bring the Earth and sky into being through a single explosion, out of nothing, out of emptiness. Almighty Allah reveals this sublime creation, the Big Bang miracle in other words, in this verse:

“As for heaven, We built it with great power and gave it its vast expanse.” (Qur’an, 51:47)
 
Almighty Allah has made science essential for Muslims in order for them to comprehend and see His matchless artistry and the glories in the entities He creates. Those who deepen in science with the knowledge of the Qur’an will also grow in faith since they will witness His omniscience. Allah tells us in another verse:

“But those of them who are firmly rooted in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you: Those who establish prayer and pay alms, and believe in Allah and the Last Day, We will pay such people an immense wage.” (Qur’an, 4:162)
For that reason, Allah advises true Muslims to learn and research the scientific facts and to become aware of what is all around them:

 “Have they not looked at the sky above them: How We structured it and made it beautiful and how there are no fissures in it? And the Earth: How We stretched it out and cast firmly embedded mountains onto it and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to grow in it, an instruction and a reminder for every penitent human being.” (Qur’an, 50:6-8)
As believers grasp and see the scientific facts and grow in faith by studying Allah’s stunning artistry they will also come to possess the means of overcoming, using science and knowledge, the snares of those who slander Allah using supposed evidence. Those who adopt chance, nature and matter as their gods by seeking to deny Allah’s magnificent creation will be defeated in the face of the artistry displayed by our Lord and their false claims thus demolished. All the superstitious evidence brought forward by these people is eliminated by science and their empty struggles against Allah are all for nothing.

Allah advises people to reflect on creation, and the miraculous systems and each of the extraordinary 100 trillion cells that emerge in so doing by themselves rebut all these superstitious claims. Allah advises us to consider the creation of the heavens, and His creation through the Big Bang and the extraordinary equilibrium in the universe again eliminate this superstitious way of thinking. Allah advises us to look at the evidence in the Earth, and those glorious marvels of creation.

One wise aspect behind the evidence for Allah’s creation that believers produce with knowledge and science is that it enables some people who blindly and ignorantly believed other people with their materialist mindsets to conclude, through the scientific evidence, that Allah is the sole Creator. The scientific evidence is instrumental in these people seeing the omnipotence of Allah in the things He creates and thus in coming to have faith.

A single tree, a single leaf or even a single seed is certainly enough to see the glory and Absolute Existence of our Almighty Lord. But for the pure and faithful who truly believe, seeing the extraordinary artistry in Allah’s detail by way of science is a great means whereby they can properly appreciate the might and greatness of Allah. It is for that reason that Almighty Allah has made science obligatory for all believers.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Arab News:http:

//www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/824286

The source of this article is Harun yahya

Mother’s milk has miraculous benefits

And We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: His mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his weaning was in two years: “[Hence, O man,] be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the eventual coming.” (Qur’an, 31:14)

Mother’s milk is a matchless compound created by Allah to meet the baby’s nutritional needs and protect it against possible infections. The balance of the nutriments in mother’s milk is at ideal levels and the milk is in the ideal form for the baby’s immature body. At the same time, the mother’s milk is also very rich in nutrients which accelerate the growth of brain cells and the development of the nervous system. Artificial baby foods prepared with present-day technology cannot replace this miraculous food.

The list of advantages to the baby provided by mother’s milk is being added to every day. Research has shown that babies who are fed mother’s milk are particularly protected against infections concerning the respiratory and digestive systems. That is because the antibodies in mother’s milk provide a direct defence against infection. Other anti-infection properties of mother’s milk are that it provides a hospitable environment for “good” bacteria called “normal flora” thus constituting a barrier to harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Furthermore, it has also been established that there are factors in mother’s milk which arrange the immune system against infectious diseases and allow it to function properly. 

Since the mother’s milk has been specially designed, it is the most easily digestible food for babies. Despite being nutritionally very rich, it is easily digested by the baby’s sensitive digestive system. Since the baby thus expends less energy on digestion, it is able to use that energy for other bodily functions, growth and organ development.

The milk of mothers who have had premature babies contains higher levels of fat, protein, sodium, chloride and iron to meet the baby’s needs. Indeed, it has been established that the functions of the eye develop better in premature babies fed on mother’s milk and that they perform better in intelligence tests. In addition, they also have a great many other advantages.

One of the ways in which mother’s milk is important to the development of the new-born baby is the fact that it contains omega-3 oil alpha linoleic acids. As well as being an important compound for the human brain and retina, it is also of great importance from the point of view of new-born babies. Omega-3 is of particular importance throughout pregnancy and the early stages of babyhood if the brain and nerves are to develop normally. Scientists particularly emphasise the importance of mother’s milk as a natural and perfect store of omega-3. 

Furthermore, research by Bristol University scientists revealed that among the long-term benefits of mother’s milk are its positive effect on blood pressure, thanks to which the risk of heart attack is reduced. The research team concluded that the protective nature of mother’s milk stems from its nutritional content. According to the results of the research, published in the medical journal Circulation, babies fed on mother’s milk are less likely to develop heart disease. It has been revealed that the presence in mother’s milk of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids—these prevent hardening of the arteries—along with the fact that babies fed on mother’s milk consume less sodium—this is closely linked to blood pressure—and do not, as a result, gain excessive amounts of weight are among the ways that mother’s milk benefits the heart.

In addition, a team led by Dr. Lisa Martin, of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre in the USA, found high levels of the protein hormone known as adiponectin in mother’s milk. 5 High blood levels of adiponectin are associated with a reduced risk of heart attack. Low levels of adiponectin are found in people who are obese and who are at increased risk of a heart attack. It was therefore established that the risk of obesity in babies fed on mother’s milk declined in relation to this hormone. Furthermore, they also discovered the presence of another hormone called leptin in the mother’s milk which has a central role in fat metabolism. Leptin is believed to be a signal to the brain that there is fat on the body. According to Dr. Martin’s announcement, therefore, these hormones absorbed in babyhood through mother’s milk reduce the risk of such illnesses as obesity, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, and coronary artery disease.

Facts about “The Freshest Food”
 
The facts about the mother’s milk are not restricted to these. The contribution it makes to the baby’s health alters according to the phases the baby undergoes and whichever foodstuff is required at a particular stage, the contents of the milk change to meet those very specific needs.
Mother’s milk, ready at all times and at the ideal temperature, plays a major role in brain development because of the sugar and fat it contains.
In addition, elements such as calcium in it play a large role in the development of the baby’s bones.

Although it is called milk, this miraculous compound actually consists mostly of water. This is a most important feature because in addition to food, babies also need liquid in the form of water. Full hygiene may not be established in water or foodstuffs other than mother’s milk. Yet mother’s milk—90% water no less—, meets the baby’s water needs in the most hygienic manner.

Mother’s Milk and Intelligence
 
Scientific research shows that the cognitive development in breast-fed babies is greater than that in other babies. A comparative analysis of breast-fed babies and formula-fed babies by James W. Anderson—an expert from the University of Kentucky—established that the IQs of babies fed on mother’s milk were 5 points higher than those of other babies. As a result of this study, it was determined that intelligence is benefited by mother’s milk for up to 6 months and that children who are breast-fed for less than 8 weeks show no IQ benefit.

 Does Mother’s Milk Combat Cancer?

As a result of all the research performed, it is proven that mother’s milk, on which hundreds of papers have been published, protects babies against cancer. This, despite the fact that the mechanism is not yet fully understood. When a protein from the mother’s milk killed off tumour cells which had been grown in laboratories without damaging any healthy cells, researchers stated that a great potential has emerged.
Catharina Svanborg, professor of clinical immunology at Lund University in Sweden, headed the research team that discovered these miraculous secrets of mother’s milk.  This team at Lund University have described the way that mother’s milk provides protection against many forms of cancer as a miraculous discovery.

Initially, researchers treated intestinal mucous cells taken from new-born babies with mother’s milk. They observed that the disorder caused by the bacterium Pneumococcus and known as pneumonia was efficiently halted by mother’s milk. What is more, babies fed on mother’s milk encounter far fewer hearing difficulties than those fed on formula and suffer far fewer respiratory infections. After a series of studies, it was shown that mother’s milk also provides protection against cancer. After showing that the incidence of the lymph cancer observed in childhood was nine times greater in formula-fed children, they realised that the same results applied to other forms of cancer. According to the results, mother’s milk accurately locates the cancer cells and later destroys them. It is a substance called alpha-lac (alphalactalbumin), present in large quantities in mother’s milk, that locates and kills the cancer cells. Alpha-lac is produced by a protein that assists in the manufacture of the sugar lactose in the milk.

 This Matchless Blessing Is a Gift from Allah

Another miraculous feature of mother’s milk is the fact that it is exceedingly beneficial for the baby to be fed with it for two years.  This important information, only recently discovered by science, was revealed by Allah fourteen centuries ago in the verse: “Mothers should nurse their children for two full years—those who wish to complete the full term of nursing…” (Qur’an, 2:233)
 
In the same way that the mother does not decide to produce milk, the most ideal source of nourishment for the helpless baby in need of feeding in her body, neither does she decide on the various nutritional levels within it. It is Almighty Allah, Who knows the needs of and displays mercy to every living thing, Who creates mother’s milk for the baby in the mother’s body.

 The source of this article is Harun yahya

The human body: A carefully protected fortress

No matter how clean our environment may be, we share our living space with many microorganisms. If you could examine with a microscope the room you are now sitting in, you would clearly see the millions of creatures you are living with.

So, in this sense, a human being is a besieged fortress. It goes without saying that to protect this fortress under assault a failsafe plan is necessary. Human beings were created with the perfect protection that they need; they are not defenseless against these enemies. God Almighty has created micro defense systems in the human body, protecting it from all sorts of dangerous organisms and fighting to defend it on multiple fronts.
Invasion forces have to cross the first lines of defense. Even thought the first line of defense may suffer setbacks, it will give the enemy a hard time and reduce its invasion ability.

Deterrents Waiting for Micro-enemies

The first front that the enemy must pass in the human body is our skin. The skin covers the whole body like a sheath and has many special features. One of the vital features of this miraculous packaging is its ability to protect the body from the micro-enemies that make the body sick. If we accept that the body is like a besieged fortress, we can say that the skin, with its outer layers of dead cells and the creatures that live on it, is the strong ramparts of this fortress.

One of the ways in which microorganisms reach us is through our breathing. Every moment there are hundreds of different kinds of germs in the air we breathe waiting to enter our bodies. But they are unaware of the nasal guards to repel them. A special secretion in the mucosa of the nose traps and expels between 80% and 90% of the microorganisms that that enter the respiratory system either directly or through dust, vapor or other carriers.

Germs can also enter the body through the food we eat. But our body’s defense

system is aware of this route and waits for the intruders in the stomach where the food goes. Stomach acid destroys most if not all of the germs that manage to overcome all the other obstacles and reach the stomach. The germs that make it through the stomach are destroyed by digestive enzymes produced in the small intestine.

The Truth Revealed by our Defense System

There are some important questions that have to be asked in the light of all these facts; Who drives these external microbes to entering our bodies through our food? 

Who decides the route the food follows, what kind of a system must destroy the microbes, what will the microbes’ next target if they escape this deterrent, and what alternatives they take if they encounter a more powerful substance? 

Body cells have never been outside the body and so have not had the opportunity to examine the chemical structure of these external microbes, nor have they ever studied chemistry. So how do they know what substances will kill the microbes?
Indeed, Allah, the Lord of the heavens and Earth, created such a non-sleeping defense system protecting the human body surrounded by microbes like a besieged castle. In a verse, Allah describes His wisdom of perfect creation as follows:


    He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur’an, 59:24)

We must remember that the human body is helplessly exposed to microbes 24 hours a day. The fact that you are able at this moment to read this text without being adversely affected by the microbes around you, is due to the operation of the defense system inside your body inspired by our Almighty Lord. It must also be remembered that Allah has specially created germs and viruses to remind us of our helplessness against these minute structures entering a human body and making it sick and even cause its death.

The source of this article is Harun yahya

God increases his blessings on those who are grateful

Every person is in need of God at every instant of life. From the air one breathes to the food he eats, from the ability to use one's hands to the faculty of speech, from being sheltered to being in a joyful spirit, one lives completely in need of what God creates and grants him. Still, a vast majority of people do not perceive their weaknesses and that they are in need of God. They suppose that things develop spontaneously or that they acquire everything by their own efforts. This is an important error, as well as a serious ingratitude towards God. Ironically, people who render their thanks to a person for even an insignificant gift, spend all their lives ignoring the countless blessings that God gives them all through their lives. However, so great are the blessings granted to a person that one could never count them. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

  If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 18)

  

Despite this fact, most people fail to give thanks for any of the blessings they have. The reason for this is related in the Qur'an: Satan, who pledged to misguide people from God's way, said that his ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to God. Satan's defiant statements to God emphasize the importance of giving thanks to God:

    'Then I will come at them, from in front of them behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful.' He (God) said, 'Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them (mankind) who follow you, I, will fill up Hell with every one of you.' (Surat al-A'raf: 17-18)

Believers, on the other hand, aware of their weaknesses and in humility before God, render their thanks to Him for every blessing granted. Wealth and possessions are not the only blessings for which believers render their thanks to God. Knowing that God is the Owner and Possessor of everything, believers express their inner gratefulness for good health, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, love of faith and hatred from disbelief, understanding, insight, foresight and for power. They are thankful for being rightly guided and for being in the company of believers.

A beautiful landscape, easy handling of their affairs, fulfillment of their wishes, tidings of great joy, respectful conduct or any other blessings make believers immediately turn to God, express their gratefulness to Him and reflect on His mercy and compassion.

In return for good morals displayed, a reward awaits believers. This is another of the secrets revealed in the Qur'an; God increases His blessings on those who are grateful. For example, God grants even more health and power to those who render their thanks to God for the good health and strength they have. God bestows even more knowledge and property to those who are grateful for their knowledge or wealth. This is because they are sincere people who are contented with what God gives and are pleased with the blessings and who take God as their friend. God relates this secret in the Qur'an as follows:

  And when your Lord announced: "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe."' (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

Being grateful is also a sign of one's closeness to and love of God. People who give thanks have the insight and capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates. God's Messenger, peace be upon him, also referred to this when he said:
When God gives you property, the bliss of God's blessing and offering must be reflected on you.

On the other hand, a disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment, and thus will be unhappy and discontented. Indeed, as a divine purpose in God's creation, such people, always come across with seemingly unfavorable events and unpleasant scenes. On the other hand, God displays more of His bounties and blessings to those who have a sincere and insightful outlook.

God increases His blessings to those who are grateful is one of the secrets of the Qur'an. However, one needs to keep in mind that sincerity is a prerequisite for being grateful. No doubt, one's way of showing his gratitude without turning sincerely to God and feeling the inner peace of God's infinite mercy and compassion, which is solely intended to impress people, would be sheer insincerity. God knows what hearts harbor, and will bear witness to this insincerity. Those who have insincere inner intentions may conceal it from other people, but not from God. Such people may render their thanks with affected manners when there is no affliction, but at times of hardship, it is possible that they may readily lapse into ungratefulness.

It should be also noted that true believers remain grateful to God even under harshest conditions. Someone looking from outside may see the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy. However, believers, who are able to perceive the good aspect of every event and situation, see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test people with fear, hunger and loss of wealth or life. In such a situation, believers rejoice and feel grateful, hoping that God will reward them with the gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness they displayed in this test.

They know that God does not impose on anyone more than he can bear. The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to patience and gratitude. Therefore, it is an obvious attribute of believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and God promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the life of this world and in the Hereafter.


 The source of this article is Harun yahya

21st century will be the era of Turkish Islamic union

By: Adnan Oktar 

Many philosophers of our age think that the future of the Islamic world has a direct bearing on world peace and security, for it is potentially a serious power. The Islamic world is a great power with its population of 1.2 billion Muslims (Muslims constitute one-fourth of humanity), the strategic importance of its lands and rich natural resources. From the Caucasus to Tanzania, and Morocco to Fiji, the Islamic world now stretches over a huge area and covers the lands that gave rise to the greatest civilizations in history. The region's geopolitical, cultural, and geo-economic qualities place this geography on the agenda of international relations and world politics even today. It is also significant that the crossroads and transit routes of world trade are located within this area. Considering that the canals and straights joining the Black and Mediterranean seas, the Mediterranean Sea with the Persian Gulf, and the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean are under Muslim control, the Islamic world's importance in terms of global balance becomes better understood. Additionally, the world's richest lands, in terms of such strategically important natural resources as oil and natural gas, are located in Muslim countries. The effective use of these resources represents a strategic opportunity for the Islamic world to increase its impact on world politics.

The current situation clearly suggests that Muslims will influence the developments of the twenty-first century in one way or another. However, what really matters here is that this influence must benefit the Islamic world in particular and humanity in general. The first thing that comes to mind at this stage is whether the Islamic world can play such a role, given its present condition. No doubt, Muslims have the necessary ability and awareness to shoulder this responsibility. However, looking at Muslim nations today reveals many problems, among them the lack of established democracy, the inability to keep up with technological progress, and an underdeveloped economy. An Islamic world preparing to play an active role in world politics must solve these and similar problems first.
The Islamic world's disunity and fragmentation is an even more urgent and vital problem that must be resolved. The fact that the Muslims have not been able to create a powerful and active Islamic Union is a major contributor to many of today's ills. When a strong Islamic Union is formed, such problems will either not arise or will be resolved far quicker than anticipated.

The Turkish Islamic Union Should Happen At the Earliest

The necessity for such a union is based not only on the need for a political solution to end the current situation; rather, and more importantly, unity is a requirement of being a Muslim. As in all areas of their lives, Muslims have to abide by the Qur'an's values in their national and international policies. As this morality requires the Islamic world's reunification as a priority, taking Islamic morality as the guiding principle will make this alliance possible, as well as long-lived and active.

Islamic morality requires Muslims to be conciliatory at all times and to be brothers and sisters in faith, as well as in solidarity and union. Allah commands the believers to: "not quarrel among yourselves" (Surat al Anfal, 46) for doing so will only weaken them. Another verse commands the following:

    Do not be like those who split up and differed after the Clear Signs came to them. They will have a terrible punishment. (Surah al Imran, 105)
It is impossible for Muslims who have common sense and conscience not to unite with other believers or to be engaged in an ongoing dispute with them. This is true on an individual basis, as well as on the level of communities and nations. Allah points out this fact in the Qur'an and forbids Muslim nations to be unfair or hostile to one another. The Qur'an states that those who engage in such harmful activity must be stopped, and instructs other Muslim nations to "make peace between them":

    If two parties of the believers fight, make peace between them. But if one of them attacks the other unjustly, fight the attackers until they revert to Allah's command. If they revert, make peace between them with justice and be even-handed. Allah loves those who are even-handed. (Surat al Hujurat, 9)

Of course, there can be cultural, traditional, and local differences of attitude and practice between Muslim nations due to different views, interpretations, and schools of thought. Such things are natural. However, these differences should not lead Muslim nations to antagonize one another, end their mutual dialogue, and consider the other nation as foreign and hostile, instead of agreeing on their common values. Doing so only leads to intolerable situations.

Exemplary Muslims approach other people with love, compassion, and mercy, for they view all people as manifesting some of our Lord's names and attributes. They consider all people who share the same belief, and who believe in the Qur'an, obey Allah's commandments, and abide by the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as their brothers and sisters, and never forget that they are one another's guardians. They must refrain from factionalism rooted in cultural, traditional, or differences of opinion and, instead of making an issue of them at every opportunity, must support unity under the Qur'an's values. Muslims must support one another in this union and be tolerant and understanding when dealing with disputed matters. As we pointed out previously, sincere Muslims who are aware of this issue's importance, as well as the Islamic world's leading thinkers and intellectuals, are especially obligated to work resolutely for Muslim solidarity and unity. A solidarity based upon love, respect, compassion, and tolerance must be established in the Muslim world.

Fostering a Sense of Unity
Unity requires awareness, devotion, allegiance, and loyalty. Allah prescribes unity for Muslims and reveals that Satan will attempt to create conflict in order to prevent this unity. Muslims are obliged to refrain from hurtful words, anger, disrespectfulness, and all other behavior that could damage this sense of unity when dealing with fellow Muslims. Each Muslim is required to be devoted to others, patient, work for the good of others, and loyal and true. All Muslims must adopt these superior qualities.

A good example of this is the relationship between those Muslims who emigrated to Madinah with our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and those Muslims who were already settled there. The Muslims who pledged their allegiance to our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Madinah welcomed the Makkan migrants in the cause of Allah in the nicest possible way and took good care of them. These two different communities, which had no mutual tribal bonds, considered loyalty to Islam to be the only important yardstick. The Muslims of Madinah proved their loyalty by opening their homes, sharing their food, and considering the migrants' needs before their own. Our Lord reveals their good conduct in the Qur'an:

    Those who were already settled in the abode, and in faith, before they came, love those who have emigrated to them; do not find in their hearts any need for what they have been given; and prefer them to themselves, even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al Hasr, 9)

The exemplary and superior character demonstrated in this verse reveals how the relationship between two Muslim communities should be. Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) describes solidarity in the following hadith:

Muslims are like one body. If the eye is sore, the whole body aches; if the head aches, the whole body aches.

The love between Muslims and the absence of any ill-will are great gifts of Allah. The Qur'an says the following about this gift, which will be completely fulfilled in Paradise:

    We will strip away any rancor in their hearts—brothers, resting on couches face-to-face. (Surat al Hijr, 47)
Therefore, Muslims must act with the awareness that solidarity, fraternity, and a sense of belonging are gifts that must be protected by means of patience and strong will. The following verse also reveals the importance of this unity:

    So heed Allah and put things right between you. Obey Allah and His Messenger if you believe. (Surat al Anfal, 1)

Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) states the importance of unity in the following hadith:

Do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another. Rather, O servants of Allah, be brothers…

Muslims are always obliged to be forgiving, but if the other party consists of Muslims, the first party must be even more patient. They must remember that the second party consists of fellow Muslims, and that both parties fear Allah, obey the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and abide by the Qur'an's definitions of right and wrong. All Muslims know that they must have only goodwill toward their fellow Muslims; that they should be considerate; and that they should respond with patience, compassion, and love when disagreements arise. Clearly, this mentality creates a very strong sense of belonging and unity, for our Lord states:

    Allah loves those who strive in His Way in ranks like well-built walls. (Surat as Saff, 4)

This ideological struggle against irreligious philosophies and ideologies is a duty of all Muslims. No doubt, it is a historical mistake to develop a closed community struggling with internal affairs instead of shouldering the responsibility of this ideological struggle to bring light to an otherwise dark world. At present, humanity, especially the oppressed Muslims, is looking for a way out of this situation and is awaiting the arrival of a guidance that will bring peace, happiness, and justice to the world and remind all people of the true purpose of their existence. This guidance is the responsibility of the Islamic community, and all Muslims are obliged to act with awareness.

The fact that violence, terror, cruelty, fraud, dishonesty, immorality, conflict, and poverty are common proves that the world is full of "corruption." In the face of this reality, many issues that have become a problem among Muslims lose their importance. All of this cruelty and degeneration feeds off the false systems established by those who deny Allah's existence and unity and do not believe in the Hereafter. Therefore, people of conscience must unite in righteousness.

This unity will be one of the most important phases in the defeat of irreligious ideologies. Our Lord points out the nonbelievers' alliance and reveals the necessity of Muslim friendship and solidarity in order to rid the world of cruelty. The Qur'an says:

    Those who do not believe are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way [protect each other], there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Surat al Anfal, 73)

Conclusion
Given that the Muslims have such a large responsibility, they must unite. If situations prevent them from doing so, they should consider the following questions:

"Is this issue more important than the unity of Islam?"

"Is it beyond resolution?"

"Is it acceptable to dispute with another Muslim community instead of working against irreligious ideologies?"

Everybody who answers these questions conscientiously will know that the higher priority is to refrain from endless disputes and to establish a union based on the Qur'an's values.

Muslims must never forget that Satan is always working to cause enmity between Muslims in order to prevent their unity and solidarity. Our Lord warns believers of this danger:

    Say to My servants that they should only say the best. Satan wants to stir up trouble between them. Satan is an outright enemy to man. (Surat al Isra, 53)

This verse advises Muslims to avoid directing hurtful, mocking, harsh, and accusing words against other Muslims and points out the need for decent conduct in the pursuit of unity.

The Qur'an also points out that such disputes and other damaging behavior impair one's sense of belonging and weaken the Muslims' power. Our Lord says:
    Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel among yourselves, lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast. (Surat al Anfal, 46)

As stated earlier, this is true for Muslim individuals as well as Muslim nations. If the Islamic world wants to erect a powerful, stable, and prosperous civilization that guides and illuminates the world in every aspect, it must act in union. The lack of such a union is responsible for the Islamic world's discord and separation, the absence of a common voice, and the defenselessness of innocent Muslims. Countless poor women, children, and elderly people are desperately in need of rescue from oppression in Palestine, Kashmir, East Turkistan (home of the Chinese-ruled Muslim Uighur people), the southern Philippines (home of the Muslim Moro people) and many other regions. The responsibility for these people belongs to the Islamic world before anyone else. Muslims must never forget the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) following words:

A Muslim is a Muslim's brother. He does not wrong him or abandon him.
The Islamic world must put its various disputes aside and remember that all Muslims are "brothers" and "sisters" so that it can provide role models who reflect the true character of Islam and its ideals. This unity of the believers is a gift and grace of Allah. Sincere Muslims must thank our Lord for these benefits and obey His command "not to separate":

    Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah's blessing to you when you were enemies, and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire, and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surah al Imran, 103)


The source of this article is Harun yahya

The scientific collapse of materialism

How did the endless universe we live in come into being?

How did the equilibrium, harmony, and order of this universe develop?

How is it that this Earth is such a fit and sheltering place for us to live in?

Questions such as these have attracted attention since the dawn of the human race. The conclusion reached by scientists and philosophers searching for answers with their intellects and common sense is that the design and order of this universe are evidence of the existence of a supreme Creator ruling over the whole universe.

This is an indisputable truth that we may reach by using our intelligence. God declares this reality in His holy book, the Qur'an, which He inspired as a guide for humanity fourteen centuries ago. He states that He has created the universe when it was not, for a particular purpose, and with all its systems and balances specifically designed for human life.

God invites people to consider this truth in the following verse:

Are you stronger in structure or is heaven? He built it. He raised its vault high and made it level. He darkened its night and brought forth its morning light. After that He smoothed out the earth… (Surat an Naziat: 27-30)
 
Elsewhere it is declared in the Qur'an that a person should see and consider all the systems and balances in the universe that have been created for him by God and derive a lesson from his observations:

He has made night and day subservient to you, and the sun and moon and stars, all subject to His command. There is certainly Signs in that for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 12)
 
In yet another verse of the Qur'an, it is pointed out:

 He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the sun and moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is God, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Surah Fatir: 13)

This plain truth declared by the Qur'an is also confirmed by a number of the important founders of the modern science of astronomy. Galileo, Kepler, and Newton all recognized that the structure of universe, the design of the solar system, the laws of physics and their states of equilibrium were all created by God and they arrived at that conclusion as a result of their own research and observations.

Materialism: A 19th-Century Fallacy
 
The reality of the creation of which we speak has been ignored or denied since the earliest times by a particular philosophical point of view. It is called "materialism". This philosophy, which was originally formulated among the ancient Greeks, has also made an appearance from time to time in other cultures and has been advanced by individuals as well. It holds that matter alone exists and that it has done so for an infinity of time. From these tenets, it claims that the universe has also "always" existed and was not created.

In addition to their claim that the universe exists in an infinity of time, materialists also assert that there is no purpose or aim in the universe. They claim that all the equilibrium, harmony and order that we see around us are merely the product of coincidence. This "coincidence assertion" is also put forward when the question of how human beings came into being comes up. The theory of evolution, widely referred to as Darwinism, is another application of materialism to the natural world.

We just mentioned that some of the founders of modern science were faithful people who were in agreement that the universe was created and organized by God. In the 19th century, an important change took place in the attitudes of the scientific world with respect to this matter.
Materialism was deliberately introduced to the agenda of modern science by various groups. Because the 19th century's political and social conditions formed a good basis for materialism, the philosophy gained wide acceptance and spread throughout the scientific world.
The findings of modern science however undeniably demonstrate how false the claims of materialism really are.

The Findings of 20th-Century Science

Let us recall the two assertions of materialism about the universe:

The universe exists in infinite time and, because it has no beginning or end, it was not created.

Everything in this universe is merely the result of chance and not the product of any intentional design, plan, or vision.

Those two notions were boldly advanced and ardently defended by 19th-century materialists, who of course had no recourse other than to depend upon the limited and unsophisticated scientific knowledge of their day. Both have been utterly refuted by the discoveries of 20th-century science.

The first to be laid in the grave was the notion of the universe existing in infinite time. Since the 1920s, there has been mounting evidence this cannot be true. Scientists are now certain that the universe came into being from nothingness as the result of an unimaginably huge explosion, known as the "Big Bang". In other words, the universe came into being-or rather, it was created by God.

The 20th century has also witnessed the demolition of the second claim of materialism: that everything in the universe is the result of chance and not design. Research conducted since the 1960s consistently demonstrates that all the physical equilibriums of the universe in general and of our world in particularly are intricately designed to make life possible. As this research deepened, it was discovered each and every one of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, of the fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism, and of the details of the structure of atoms and the elements of the universe has been precisely tailored so that human beings may live. Scientists today call this extraordinary design the "anthropic principle". This is the principle that every detail in the universe has been carefully arranged to make human life possible.

To sum up, the philosophy called materialism has been utterly refuted by modern science. From its position as the dominant scientific view of the 19th century, materialism collapsed into fiction in the 20th.

How could it have been otherwise? As God indicates "We did not create heaven and earth and everything between them to no purpose. That is the opinion of those who are disbelievers." (Surah Sad: 27) it is wrong to suppose that the universe was created in vain. A philosophy so utterly flawed as materialism and systems based on it were doomed to failure from the very beginning.

The source of this article is www.harunyahya.com

A cruel ideology in the economy: Capitalism and fight for survival

The term capitalism means the sovereignty of capital, a free and unrestricted economic system totally based on profit and where society is in competition within these criteria. There are three important elements in capitalism: individualism, competition, and profit-making.

Individualism is important because people see themselves not as a part of society, but as "individuals" standing alone on their own two feet. "Capitalist society" is an arena where individuals compete with one another under very harsh and ruthless conditions just like that described by Darwin, where only the strong survive, where the weak and powerless are crushed and eliminated.

According to the logic capitalism is based on, every individual–and this can be a person, a company, or a nation–must only fight for its own development and advantage. In this war, the best producers survive, the weak and incompetent are eliminated and vanish. What is seen as worthy of attention is not human beings, but economic development, and goods. For which reason the capitalist mentality feels no ethical responsibility or conscience for the person whom it crushes underfoot and climbs on top of and who has to live in great difficulty. This is Darwinism put into total practice in society in an economic way.

By proposing that it was necessary to encourage competition in all areas of society, and announcing that it was necessary to provide no opportunities or support for the weak in any field, the foremost theoreticians of Social Darwinism prepared a "philosophical" and "scientific" support for capitalism.

In the view of Herbert Spencer, the main theorist of Social Darwinism, who introduced the principles of Darwinism to the life of society, if someone is poor then that is his mistake; nobody must help this person to rise. If someone is rich, even if he has acquired his wealth by immoral means, that is his competence. For this reason, the rich man survives, while the poor man disappears.

Social Darwinists used Darwin's theory of evolution as a "scientific" comment on capitalist societies. As a result of this, human beings began to lose such concepts, which religion had brought with it, as mutual assistance, philanthropy, and co-operation, and instead of these virtues to give pride of place to selfishness, cunning, and opportunism.

In his article Darwin's Three Mistakes, the evolutionary scientist Kenneth J. Hsü, reveals the Darwinist thoughts of America's foremost capitalists:

Darwinism was also used in a defense of competitive individualism and its economic corollary of laissez-faire capitalism in England and in America. Andrew Carnegie wrote that the "law of competition, be it benign or not, is here; we cannot evade it." Rockefeller went a step further when he claimed that "the growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest; it is merely the working out of a law of nature."

As has been seen from what has been explained so far, capitalism has dragged human beings to worship only money and the power that comes from money. This capitalist morality holds sway in almost all societies in our day. For this reason the poor, the helpless, and the crippled are denied charity, and are not looked out for or protected.

Today the reason for countries such as Ethiopia having drought affected areas and living in starvation is the dominance of this capitalist morality. While aid and support from many countries could save these hungry people, they are abandoned to starvation and poverty.

Another feature of capitalist society is the way it gives room to inequality within itself. In societies of this kind the divide between rich and poor grows ever wider, as the poor grow poorer, the wealth of the rich grows greater.

Throughout history there have always been societies where the poor and weak were trodden down, where only material things were important, and where selfishness, self-interest, and cheating were seen as the only way to become rich. But from the second half of the 19th century people with such views entered a very different period. For the last 150 years people and societies which possess this ruthless make-up have begun not to be condemned or criticized like the others. Behavior of this sort began at last to be accepted as a law of nature.

Robert E. D. Clark explains the situation this way:

    Evolution, in short, gave the doer of evil a respite from his conscience. The most unscrupulous behaviour towards a competitor could not be rationalized; evil could be called good.
As we have seen, lack of religion and the Darwinism which inspired it lay behind all the people, systems, and ideologies which have brought worry, difficulty, pain, and hopelessness to the world, particularly in the last 150 years. Those who thought that they could protect their own interests saw Darwinism as a savior for themselves.
They were not aware of it, but these people who thought they were preparing a great trap for all of mankind, actually prepared it for themselves. Because no matter how much they struggle to survive, there is actually one Judge, one Lord, and one Master, whether of themselves, of the whole world, of everything they try to possess. Allah is the one Judge and Power. The wealth, strength, and power which a human being thinks he gains by himself are actually given to him by Allah to try him. No matter how much he may believe that he is in an arena of struggle, in actual fact every human being is living a test set by Allah for himself. Allah reveals in a holy verse that he tries human beings by means of the opportunities he gives them:

    We made everything on the earth adornment for it so that We could test them to see whose actions are the best. (Surat al-Kahf: 7)
Those who think that they have won what they possess as the result of a "fight for survival" will feel a heart-rending pain for which there is no compensation, and great sorrow when they come face to face with reality in the hereafter and see what an empty idea they followed:

    The Companions of the Garden will call out to the Companions of the Fire, 'We have found that what our Lord promised us is true. Have you found that what your Lord promised you is true?' They will say, 'Yes, we have!' Between them a herald will proclaim: 'May the curse of Allah be on the wrongdoers those who bar access to the Way of Allah, desiring to make it crooked, and reject the hereafter.' .... The Companions of the Ramparts will call out to men they recognize by their mark, saying, 'What you amassed was of no use to you, nor was your arrogance. (Surat al-A'raf: 44-5, 48)

As for those who have not been influenced by Darwinist-capitalist thinking and who have not forgotten the reason for their being in the world and the existence of Allah, they see other human beings as living things created by Allah. As Allah has ordered them, they always treat other human beings pleasantly, feel affection and compassion, and do everything that they possibly can to take away their difficulties and worries.
They always speak the pleasantest words, look after the orphaned, help the sick and crippled, and protect and watch after them. People like this avoid sin and keep their duties to Allah as it is revealed in the Qur'an and are the most superior in Allah's sight: they pay no attention to wealth, race, color, class, ideology, or philosophy.

The source of this article is Harun yahya

Islam is not the source of terrorism, but its solution

Introduction

During the last two decades in particular, the concept of "Islamic terror" has been often discussed. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on targets in New York and Washington which caused the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, this concept has once again returned to the top of the international agenda.

As Muslims, we completely condemn these attacks and offer our condolences to the American people.
In this article, we will explain that Islam is by no means the source of this violence and that violence has no place in Islam.

We strongly condemn the cruel terrorist acts which targeted the innocent people of the United States.

We strongly condemn the cruel terrorist acts which targeted the innocent people of the United States.One point that should be stressed at the outset is that the identities of the perpetrators of the acts of terrorism which targeted the United States are not yet determined. There is a chance that these horrible attackers are linked to quite different centres. It may well be a communist organization harboring rage and hatred against American values, a fascist organization opposing federal administration or a secret faction in another state. Even though the hijackers have Muslim identities, the questions regarding by whom and for what purposes these people were used will probably remain to be a mystery.

The fact remains however, that even if the terrorists have Muslim identities, the terror they perpetrated cannot be labelled "Islamic terror", just as it would not be called "Jewish terror" if the perpetrators were Jews or "Christian terror" if they were Christians.

That is because, as we will examine in the following pages, murdering innocent people in the name of religion is unacceptable. We need to keep in mind that, among those who were killed in Washington or New York, there were people who loved Jesus (Christians), Prophet Moses (Jews) and Muslims. According to Islam, murdering innocent people is a great sin that, unless forgiven by God, brings torment in Hell.

Thus, a religious person who has fear of God can never commit such an act.

In fact, the aggressors can commit such violence only with the intention of attacking religion itself. It may well be that they carried out this violence to present religion as evil in the eyes of people, to divorce people from religion and to generate hatred and reaction against pious people. Consequently, every attack having a "religious" facade on American citizens or other innocent people is actually an attack made against religion.

All the three Theistic religions command love, mercy and peace. Terror, on the other hand, is the opposite of religion; it is cruel, merciless and it demands bloodshed and misery. This being the case, while looking for the perpetrators of a terrorist act, its origins should be sought in disbelief rather than in religion. People with a fascist, communist, racist or materialist outlook on life should be suspected as potential perpetrators. The name or the identity of the triggerman is not important. If he can kill innocent people without blinking an eye, whatever his label is, then he is a disbeliever, not a believer. He is a murderer with no fear of God, whose main ambition is to shed blood and to give harm.

For this reason, "Islamic terror" is quite a erroneous concept which contradicts Islam's message. That is because, the religion of Islam can by no means concur with terror. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for preventing terrorist acts and bringing peace and justice to the world.

The Values of the Qur'an demands Goodness, Justice and Peace
Terror, in its broadest sense, is violence committed against non-military targets for political purposes. To put it in another way, the targets of terror are entirely innocent civilians whose only crime is, in the eyes of terrorists, to represent "the other".
This is an act bereft of any moral justification. This, as in the case of murders committed by Hitler or Stalin, is a crime committed against "mankind".

The Qur'an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this Book, God commands man to adopt good morals. This morality is based upon concepts such as love, compassion, tolerance and mercy. God calls all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy, peace and tolerance can be experienced all over the world:

You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara :208) 

The values of the Qur'an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the "dissemination of mischief". Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As God says in a verse, "God does not love mischief makers". (Surat al-Qasas: 77)

Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of mischief. God repeats in the Qur'an a command He formerly revealed to Jews in the Old Testament thus:

So We decreed for the tribe of Israel that if someone kills another person - unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind. Our Messengers came to them with Clear Signs but even after that many of them committed outrages in the earth. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 32)

As the verse suggests, a person who kills even a single man, "unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth", commits a crime as if he had murdered all mankind on earth.

This being the case, it is obvious what great sins are the murders, massacres and, attacks, popularly known as "suicide attacks", committed by terrorists are. God informs us how this cruel face of terrorism will be punished in the hereafter in the following verse:

There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act as tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will have a painful punishment. (Surat ash-Shura: 42)

All these reveal that organizing acts of terror against innocent people is utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any Muslim could ever commit such crime. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for stopping these people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace and security to all people all over the world. Being a Muslim cannot be reconciled with terror. Just the contrary, it is the solution and prevention of terror.
This being the case, how did the popular term "Islamic terror" emerge?

What has been examined so far reveals that it is not possible to talk about an "Islamic" terror. Indeed, a closer look at the characteristics of the perpetrators explicitly reveals that this terror is not a religious but a social phenomenon.

 Crusaders: Barbarians Who Trampled Their Own Religion

The true message of a religion or another system of belief can be at times exposed to distortion by its pseudo-adherents. The Crusaders, who constitute a dark episode of Christian history, set a good example of this.

Crusaders were European Christians who undertook the expeditions at the end of the 11th century to recover the Holy Land (the area around Palestine) from the Muslims. They set out with a so-called religious goal, yet they laid waste each acre of land they entered with fear and violence. They subjected civilians to mass executions and plundered many villages and towns.

Their conquest of Jerusalem, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived under Islamic rule in peace, became the scene of immense bloodshed. They violently killed all Muslims and Jews. The Crusaders' barbarism was so excessive that, during the Fourth Crusade, they plundered Istanbul, also a Christian city, and stole the golden objects from the churches.

No doubt, all this barbarism was utterly against Christian political doctrine. That is because, Christianity, in the words of the Bible, is a "gospel of love". In the Gospel according to Matthew, it is said that Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" to his followers (Matthew, 5/44) In the Gospel according to Luke, it is said that Jesus said "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." (Luke, 6/29) No doubt, in no part of the New Testament, is there reference to the legitimacy of violence; murdering innocent people, on the other hand, is unimaginable. You can find the concept of "massacre of the innocents" in the Bible; yet, only in the cruel Jewish King Herod's attempt to kill Jesus while he was a baby.

While Christianity is a religion based on love that accommodates no violence, how did Christian Crusaders carry out the most violent acts of history? The major reason for this is that, Crusaders were mainly made up of ignorant people who could better be defined as "rabble". These masses, who knew almost nothing about their religion, who had never read or even seen the Bible once in their lifetime, and who were therefore completely unaware of the moral values of the Bible, were led into barbarism under the conditioning of Crusaders' slogans as "God wills it".

It is worth mentioning that in that period, Eastern Christians - the people of Byzantium, for instance - who were culturally far ahead of Western Christians, espoused more humane values. Both before and after the Crusaders' conquests, Orthodox Christians managed to live together with Muslims.
According to Terry Johns, the BBC commentator, with the withdrawal of the Crusaders from Middle East, "civilized life started again and members of the three monotheistic faith returned to peaceful coexistence." [1] The example of the Crusaders is indicative of a general phenomenon: The more the adherents of an ideology are uncivilized, intellectually underdeveloped and "ignorant", the more likely they are to resort to violence. This also holds true for ideologies that have nothing to do with religion. All communist movements around the world are prone to violence. Yet the most savage and blood-thirsty of them was the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia. That is because they were the most ignorant.

Just as ignorant people may take a violence-ridden opinion to the point of insanity, so they may confuse violence with an opinion against violence (or to religion). The Islamic world also experienced such cases.

The Bedouin Character in the Qur'an
In the period of our Prophet, there existed two basic social structures in Arabia. City-dwellers and Bedouins (Desert Arabs). A sophisticated culture prevailed in Arab towns. Commercial relations linked the towns to the outer world, which contributed to the formation of "civilized life" among Arabs dwelling in cities. They had refined aesthetic values, enjoyed literature and, especially poetry. Desert Arabs, on the other hand, were the nomad tribes living in the desert who had a very crude culture. Utterly unaware of arts and literature, they developed an unrefined, harsh character.
Islam was born and developed among the inhabitants of Mecca, the most important city of the peninsula. However, as Islam spread to the peninsula, all tribes in Arabia embraced it. Among these tribes were also Desert Arabs, who were somehow problematic: their poor intellectual and cultural background prevented them from grasping the profundity and noble spirit of Islam. Of this God states the following in a verse:

The Desert Arabs are more obdurate in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely not to know the limits which God has sent down to His Messenger. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 97)

The Desert Arabs, that is, social groups who were "obdurate in disbelief and hypocrisy" and prone to disobey God's commands, became a part of the Islamic world in the Prophet's lifetime. In latter periods, they became a source of trouble for the Islamic world. The sect called "Kharijis" that emerged among Bedouins was an example. The most distinctive trait of this perverse sect (which was called "Kharijis" the rebels because they greatly deviated from Sunni practises), was their extremely vulgar, wild and fanatical nature. The "Kharijis", who had no comprehension whatsoever of the essence of Islam or of the virtues and the values of the Qur'an, waged war against all other Muslims and based this war on a few Qur'anic verses about which they made distorted interpretations. Furthermore, they carried out "acts of terrorism". Caliph Ali, who was one of the closest companions of the Prophet and was described by him as the "gate of the city of knowledge", was assassinated by a Kharijite.

In latter periods, "Hashashis" (Assassins), another brutal organization, emerged; this was a "terrorist organization" made up of ignorant and fanatical militants bereft of a profound understanding of the essence of Islam and thus who could be readily influenced by simple slogans and promises.

In other words, just as the Crusaders distorted and misinterpreted Christianity as a teaching of brutality, some perverted groups emerging in the Islamic world misinterpreted Islam and resorted to brutality. What is common to these sects and the Crusaders was their "Bedouin" nature. That is, they were ignorant, unrefined, uncultivated, vulgar, and isolated people. The violence they resorted resulted from this social structure, rather than the religion to which they claimed to adhere.

The Actual Source of Terrorism: The Third World Fanaticism

These examples from history are enlightening for a better understanding of the phenomenon, the so-called "Islamic terror", which is nowadays on the top of the international agenda. That is because those who emerge and carry out acts of terrorism in the name of Islam or those who back such acts -these people, no doubt, represent a minority in the world of Islam- stem from this "Bedouin character", not from Islam. Failing to understand the essence of Islam, they try to make Islam, essentially a religion of peace and justice, a tool of barbarism, which is simply an outcome of their social and cultural structure. The origin of this barbarism, which may well be called the "Third World Fanaticism", is the benighted initiatives of people who are devoid of love for humans.

It is a fact that, for the last few centuries, Muslims in all corners of the Islamic world, are being subjected to violence by Western forces and their affiliates. The colonialist European states, local oppressive regimes or colonialists backed by the West (Israel, for instance) caused great suffering for Muslims at large. However, for Muslims, this is a situation that has to be approached and responded to from a purely Qur'anic stance.

In no part of the Qur'an does God command believers to "respond to violence with violence". On the contrary, God commands Muslims to "respond to evil with goodness":

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surat al-Fussilat: 34)

It is no doubt a legitimate right of Muslims to react against cruelty. However, these reactions should never turn into a blind hatred, an unjust enmity. God warns about this in the following verse:

 "... Do not let hatred for a people who debar you from the Masjid al-Haram incite you into going beyond the limits. Help each other to goodness and heedfulness. Do not help each other to wrongdoing and enmity. Heed God Allah (alone)..." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 2)

Consequently, carrying out terrorist acts under the pretence of "representing the oppressed nations of the world", against the innocent people of other nations is by no means compatible with Islam.
Another point that deserves a special mention here is that all the Western world cannot be held responsible for the aforementioned colonialist (or "neo-colonialist) violence and oppression against Muslims. Actually, the materialist, irreligious philosophies and ideologies that prevailed in the 19th century are responsible for these dismal acts. European colonialism did not originate from Christianity. On the contrary, anti-religious movements opposing the values of Christianity led the way to colonialism. At the roots of the greatest brutalities of the 19th century lies the Social Darwinist ideology.

In the Western world today, there are still cruel, mischievous and opposing elements as well as a culture dominated by peaceful and just elements that have its roots in Judeo-Christian faith. As a matter of fact, the main disagreement is not between the West and Islam. Contrary to the general opinion, it is between the religious people of the West and of the Muslim world on the one hand, and the people opposing religion (like materialists and atheists.) on the other.

Another indication that Third World Fanaticism has nothing to do with Islam is that, until recently, this fanaticism has been identified with communist ideology. As is known, similar anti-Western acts of terror were carried out in 1960s and 70s by Soviet-backed communist organizations. As the impact of the communist ideology faded, some of the social structures which gave birth to communist organizations have turned their attention to Islam. This "brutality presented under the guise of religion", which is formulated by the incorporation of some Islamic concepts and symbols into the former communist rhetoric are entirely against the moral values constituting the essence of Islam.
A last remark about this issue is that Islam is not peculiar to a particular nation or geography. Contrary to the dominant Western perception, Islam is not an "Eastern culture". Islam is the last religion revealed to mankind as a guide to the true path that recommends itself to all humanity. Muslims are responsible for communicating the true religion they believe in to all people of all nations and cultures and making them feel closer to Islam.

Consequently, there is a unique solution for people and groups who, in the name of Islam, resort to terror or establish oppressive regimes and turn this world into a dreadful place instead of beautifying it: revealing the true Islam and communicating it so that the masses can understand and live by it.

Conclusion: Recommendations to the Western World

Today, the Western world is concerned about the organizations that use terror under the guise of Islam and this concern is not misplaced. It is obvious that those carrying out terror and their supporters should be punished according to international judicial criteria. However, a more important point to consider is the long-term strategies that have to be pursued for viable solutions to these problems.

The assessments above reveal that terror has no place in Islam. They further show the inherently contradictory nature of the concept of "Islamic terror". This provides us with an important vantage point:
1) The Western world, especially the United States, will surely take the most dissuasive measures to cope with terror and it has the right to do that. However, it has to state explicitly that this is not a war waged against Islam and Muslims but, on the contrary, a measure serving the best interests of Islam. The "Clash of civilizations", the dangerous scenario envisioned in the 90's should be at all costs prevented.

2) Support should be provided for the spread of "True Islam", which is a religion of love, friendship, peace and brotherhood, and for its true understanding by Islamic societies. The solution for radical factions in Islamic countries should not be "forced secularization". On the contrary, such a policy will incite more reaction from the masses and feed radicalism. The solution is the dissemination of true Islam and the appearance of a Muslim role-model who embraces Qur'anic values such as human rights, democracy, freedom, good morals, science and aesthetics, and who offers happiness and bliss to humanity.

3) The source of terrorism is ignorance and bigotry and the solution is education. To the circles who feel sympathy with terror, it should be said that terror is utterly against Islam, that terror only does harm to Islam, Muslims and to humanity at large. Besides, these people have to be provided with education in order to be purified of this barbarism. The United States' support to such an education policy will yield very positive results.

Our hope is that these measures will help to the world get rid of terrorism and all other bigoted, brutal, barbarous structures. With its Christian-dominated culture and population, the United States, which defines itself as "a nation under God", is in fact a real friend of the Muslims. In the Qur'an, God draws attention to this fact and informs us that Christians are those who are "most affectionate to those who believe". (Surat al-Ma'ida: 82) 

In history, some ignorant people (for instance, Crusaders) failed to understand this fact and caused conflicts between these two great religions. To prevent the repetition of this scenario, true Christians and Muslims need to come together and co-operate.

The source of this article is Harun yahya