Israellycool

From the Middle East Times:

Al-Sharq (QATAR): Azhar Sheikh’s Handshake With Peres Sparks Crisis in Egypt Parliament – The Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc in Egypt Thursday denounced the handshake between the top cleric of al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, and Israeli President Shimon Peres during a U.N. General Assembly interfaith meeting in New York this month. The Islamist group said the handshake provokes the sentiments of the Egyptian people and harms the image of al-Azhar, the highest Muslim Sunni authority, at a time when Israel is besieging “our people in the Gaza Strip.” The lawmakers demanded an apology from Tantawi.

The MEMRI blog follows up:

In response to photos published in the Egyptian and Arab press showing Al-Azhar Sheikh Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi shaking hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Tantawi stated that he hadn’t known who Peres was and that the handshake was by chance, not intentional.

He added that on this occasion he had shaken the hands of over 20 people all at once, instinctively and with good intentions.

Source: Al-Jarida, Kuwait, December 1, 2008

The shocking photograph is flying through Islamist message boards.

Jew Cooties is of course a horrible disease, and it is communicable, so now Sheikh Tantawi cannot touch anyone else until he goes through a painful decontamination procedure which is a cross between the process used to clean up people exposed to high doses of nuclear radiation, and an exorcism.

Of course, after this scandal, he is now washed up as a leader of Al Azhar. It appears that he might be growing his beard to get a new job as a department store Santa.

In an MSNBC report on some Muslim reactions to the Mumbai terrorist attacks:

Many Muslims said they are worried such carnage is besmirching their religion.

“The occupation of the synagogue and killing people in hotels tarnishes the Muslim faith,” said Kazim al-Muqdadi, a political science lecturer at Baghdad University. “Anyone who slaughters people and screams `Allahu Akbar’ (God is Great) is sick and ignorant.”

I would have thought the killing of people in aforementioned synagogue would also have tarnished the Muslim faith. But what do I know? I’m just a Jew.

And further on in the report:

“I think that Muslims should raise their voice against such actions. They should forge a coalition to fight such phenomena, because it harms them and damages their image,” said Ali Abdel Muhsen, 22, a Muslim engineering student in the West Bank city of Nablus.

How about because it is morally reprehenisible?

Yes, clearly there are Muslims out there who condemn such attacks since they tarnish the image of Islam. What I want to hear more of are Muslims who condemn such attacks because they are plain wrong.

For those of you hoping for me to provide some updates or clarity on the situation in Mumbai, I am going to disappoint. Quite frankly, I am in no mood to do so. Instead, I am going to rant.

I am quite aware that the terrorists murdered people from all parts of the world, and my heart goes out to the all the victims and the loved ones they have left behind. But I am going to focus on the Mumbai Chabad House massacre in this post, because as a Jew, I am taking it rather personally.

Islamic terrorists deliberately chose a Jewish - not Israeli like some in the media are reporting - target and murdered 8 people in cold blood, including a Rabbi and his wife. They would have seen the bookcases filled with prayer books, photographs of the young Rabbi and his family, seen that this was a place of peace and worship, yet still murdered them.

I sometimes feel like a broken record saying this, but the Islamic terrorists do not do what they do because of some injustice inflicted on them. They do not do it because of supposed Israeli atrocities against the palestinians (about which no-one in the Arab world really cares). They do it, because they want to establish a global Islamic Caliphate and impose Sharia law on societies currently based on Judeo-Christian principles. And rejecting this truth will not protect you from a terrible fate should these terrorists achieve their ultimate goal.

It is no coincidence that the terrorists target Jews. Evil will always target Jews because we represent G-d in the world. It was true with the Nazis, and it is true with Islamic terrorism, the new Nazism. We have the task to be a light unto the nations, and even when though we may not always be completely successful, we have not done such a bad job. Especially when you look at the amazing work performed by a Jewish organization such as Chabad.

Those of you reading this have two choices. You can agree with what I am saying, and help fight the terrorists. Or you can reject my words, and be part of the problem. And when I talk of fighting the terrorists, I mean waging a war against them online, and throwing your support behind Israel and democratic countries under attack. It means telling those referring to themselves as “palestinians” that they will never get a state while they support terrorism. It means supporting governments who crack down on terrorists and do not appease them.

I pledge to continue the fight against terrorism and those who support it, while trying to spread goodness through the world by increasing acts of charity and lovingkindness, like the Chabad victims of this attack.

If you are with me, let’s do this together.

If you are against me, then you can go to hell. Which I assume you won’t mind since that is precisely what you’ll get with a global Islamic Caliphate.

Mail from a new Muslim reader:

Greetings!

My name is Khadija and I’m an American Muslim, born and raised in Upstate New York and currently residing in the DC area. I landed onto your website while surfing the internet.

In reading your “About Me” section, I saw the following response to the “Do you hate Islam” question.

“I do not know enough about Islam to hate it. What I do hate, however, is the version of Islam, which is being propogated by the Islamic terrorists. Whether or not this is the “authentic” version is something I need to investigate further.”

As an observant and proud Muslim and global citizen, I’d like to offer my help in clearing up any misconceptions and help to create understanding.

I’ll start by giving a verse from the Quran:
“VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ (ie. Muslims)], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians (this is an ancient monotheistic faith, of which only a small community exists today somewhere in Iraq)-all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds-shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.”
~ Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2, Verse 62)

I have also included the following which illustrates Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) respect for the Jews that lived amongst the Muslims in his time.

“Narrated ‘Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila

Sahl bin Hunaif and Qais bin Sad were sitting in the city of Al-Qadisiya. A funeral procession passed in front of them and they stood up. They were told that funeral procession was of one of the inhabitants of the land i.e. of a non-believer, under the protection of Muslims. They said, “A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, “Is it not a living being (soul)?” ”
~ This is a Hadith, which basically means it’s a report on a saying or action by Muhammad (peace be upon him), which Muslims take to be the second-most in authority, second to the Quran. Our religion is derived from these two sources.
NOTE: Another version says that when the unnamed Muslim said that the procession was for a Jew, Muhammad (peace be upon him) simply said, “Rise (in commandment).”

I too, am disgusted and angered by the extremists in the world that claim to follow Islam yet resort to violence against innocents to achieve their goals. I am also saddened every time I see the term “Islamic terrorist.” “Islamic” is an adjective, referring to the person its describing as “Islamic,” ie. observant, a good Muslim, etc. By the teachings of our faith, they are exactly the opposite- “unIslamic terrorists.” They are going against everything that Islam stands for and absolutely NO Muslim I know sympathizes with these people.

The very idea of extremism is, in Islam very much discouraged. Whether it is extremism on the side of being lax with our religious edicts and not following them, or being more strict than the religious edicts require, it is forbidden. For example, in the Holy Month of Ramadan, we are instructed to fast from sunrise to sunset. It is forbidden to fast longer than that as a show of religiosity. We are to follow what our faith requires and nothing more or less. It makes us no more religious to place more restrictions on ourselves or do more than is required of us.

I love my faith and have been raised to respect and treat kindly all people, regardless of race, religion, or socio-economic status.

There are over a billion Muslims in the world and the vast majority of us are peaceful people, just trying to get by and coexisting with other people and don’t want any trouble with them. Unfortunately, the very small minority of extremists are the ones that that receive the most media attention (due to their actions).

As for me personally, I disagree with you politically on the issue of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, however I understand how important Israel must be emotionally to Jews worldwide as there is no other Jewish state. I honestly wish for nothing more for the Jews than to be able to have a home state in peace and prosperity. However, the Israeli government currently has the Palestinian lands of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under illegal occupation and its crimes against the Palestinian people are many. There are numerous UN resolutions against actions by Israel.

I invite your response.

Best,
Ms. Khadija

Malaysia’s top Islamic body has decreed yoga off limits for Muslims.

Malaysia’s top Islamic body on Saturday ruled against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of other religions that could corrupt Muslims.

The National Fatwa Council’s non-binding edict said yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.

“It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim,” Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters.

He noted that clerics in Egypt issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga “an aberration.”

Though the council’s decisions are not legally binding on Malaysia’s Muslim population, many abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.

The Malaysia fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multi-ethnic population. About 25 percent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.

Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.

The Fatwa Council took up the yoga issue after an Islamic scholar last month expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic.

But yoga teacher Suleiha Merican, who has been practicing yoga for 40 years, called yoga “a great health science” and said there is no religion involved.

“We don’t do chanting and meditation. There is no conflict because yoga is not religion based,” Merican, 56, told The Associated Press.

There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.

Putri Rahim, a housewife, said she was no less a Muslim after practicing yoga for 10 years.

“I am mad! Maybe they have it in mind that Islam is under threat. To come out with a fatwa is an insult to intelligent Muslims. It’s an insult to my belief,” Putri said.

In a recent blog posting, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it “a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance.”

Not to be confused with toga, which is still kosher halal.

The title of this post is taking from The Sun, which reports that Islam has a new, wacky recruit.

Michael Jackson has become a Muslim — and changed his name to MIKAEEL.

The skint superstar, 50, donned Islamic garb to pledge allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a pal’s mansion in Los Angeles, The Sun can reveal.

Jacko sat on the floor wearing a tiny hat after an Imam was summoned to officiate — days before the singer is due to appear at London’s High Court where he is being sued by an Arab sheik.

A source told last night how Jacko, brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, decided to convert as he used a studio at the home of his chum to record a new album.

The star — whose hits include The Way You Make Me Feel — was spotted looking “a bit down” by a producer and a songwriter who had both embraced Islam.

The source said: “They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea.

“An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief.” Mikaeel is the name of one of Allah’s angels.

“Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa — meaning “the chosen one”.

Brit singer Yousef Islam, 60 — who was called Cat Stevens until he famously converted — turned up to help Jacko celebrate.

It was his pals David Wharnsby — a Canadian songwriter — and producer Phillip Bubal who counselled Jacko.

The pair’s new names are Dawud Wharnsby Ali and Idris Phillips.

Jacko now prays to Mecca after the ceremony at the Hollywood Hills home of Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro, 51, who composed music on the singer’s Thriller album.

Jacko, who rarely ventures out without a mask, is due to give evidence on Monday in a £4.7million lawsuit brought by Prince Abdulla Al-Khalif of Bahrain.

The sheik claims he bankrolled the singer’s lavish lifestyle in exchange for an exclusive recording contract. The billionaire sent songs for him to record but claims he was blanked.

He told the court yesterday: “Many times he confirmed to me he would pay me back.”

Mikaeel? Sounds more like he has converted to Russian mob boss.

In any event, I will take this with a grain of salt, especially considering there were reports about Jackson’s supposed conversion almost two years ago (as reported on Israellycool). And we are talking about The Sun here.

But if it turns out that Jackson did convert to Islam, I wonder if he will adapt some of his old songs to conform with his new beliefs. I am guessing Beat It may be a prime contender.

Freaky.

Someone has found about my secret ambition to set up a Muslim-Gothic/Gothic-Muslim dating site.

Alice (http://www.muslimfriends.com) wrote:
Dear webmaster,

This is Alice from Muslimfriends.com, I wonder whether you have interest in running your own Gothic dating site or work-at-home business. We would like to work with you setting it up.

You can pick the name for your own Muslim dating site , own the domain and brand. We take care of all the backend and engineering work.  Also customer service work. You can earn money if you can get users registering at your Gothic dating site.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am looking forward to your reply.

Alice
Marketing manager
www.muslimfriends.com

Update: Apparently the two do go together.

Urban Infidel has a great photo spread from yesterday’s Muslim Day Parade in Manhattan. 

Here a small sample of his photos with some Israellycool commentary.

Meet the Fisher-Price “Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo.”

Or you may know it by its factory name “Little Freaky Doll That Digs Allah and Satan.”

Parents are outraged about the messages they’re hearing from a doll. It’s Fisher-Price’s “Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo” doll.

People claim they can hear it mumble “Satan is king,” and clearly speak “Islam is the light.”

Gary Rofkahr of Owasso was at his office, when a man brought the doll in to show his co-workers.

“There’s no markings on the box to indicate there’s anything Islamic about this doll.”

Rofkahr said he found several versions of the doll at Wal-Mart and Target in Owasso.

Those stores have since been pulled the dolls from the shelves.

As of Wednesday night, 2NEWS had not heard back from Fisher-Price or its parent company, Mattel.

A Target spokesperson said their company has no plans to pull the doll from all of its shelves.

The dolls are sold nationwide and 2NEWS has heard the dolls are in Tulsa and Sand Springs.

Just keep it away from my Cody doll.

Update: You can hear the doll here.

In the Gaza concentration camp, palestinian children scavenge for scraps of food…

..while palestinians of all ages engage in good, clean fun..

Meanwhile, the palestinians of occupied Ramallah endure horrendous pain in various Zionist torture devices.

Is that an Allah in your rotten mango or are you just happy to see me completely off your rocker?

Rubina Sheikh from Helsingborg in southern Sweden believes she’s received a message from God – in a rotten mango.

As the two halves of Sheikh’s freshly sliced mango fell away from her knife last Saturday, she discovered what she says is a sign from God.

“When I sliced the mango in two, ‘Allah’ was written in one half and ‘Muhammad’ in the other. It’s a miracle, a sign from Allah,” said Sheikh to the Metro newspaper.

The practicing Muslim is convinced that the black lines emanating through the fruit form characters in Arabic which spell the holy words.

And local Muslims have been streaming in to see the miracle for themselves.

“I’d heard of the phenomenon earlier, but never before seen it with my own eyes,” Ghulam Mughal told Metro.

But an emeritus professor in Islam from nearby Lund University is less convinced the rotting fruit is a sign from Allah.

“There are 14 recognized ways to create the word ‘Allah’. When you think about how many mangoes there are out there, it’s not strange that one of them has a pattern which can be interpreted to be the right combination of characters,” said Jan Hjärpe to Metro.

Incidentally, this is not the first time something has been sliced in two for the name of Allah.

Karma’s a b*tch.

The daughter of the radical Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed is a pole dancer, it emerged last night.

Yasmin Fostok, 27, has admitted rebelling against her father’s strict Muslim beliefs by performing semi-naked in London bars and nightclubs.

She lives as a single mother in South East London, bringing up her three-year-old son conceived during an arranged marriage to a Turkish man which has since collapsed.

Miss Fostok, who left the Bakri former home in North London four years ago, said: ‘I don’t get on with my dad. I don’t agree with his views  -  I just get on with my life and that is it.’

It has been reported that Miss Fostok regularly works in bars in the West End and has toured other countries as a podium dancer with a troupe called Ibiza Untouched.

She is also thought to work a fire-eating routine into her act and performs semi-naked inside cages.

She has dyed her hair blonde, has several tattoos of her name on her ankle and a dragon on her back and changed her Muslim name Youssra to Yasmin to try to conceal her identity.

She said: ‘I don’t normally do topless work but I’m willing to go topless if the venue is right.’

Last night her father said: ‘If this is true I am deeply shocked.’

Speaking from Lebanon, where he has lived since being exiled from the UK three years ago, he added: ‘She was brought up properly in the Muslim faith but she is free to make her own choices in life. But I am still shocked.

‘I haven’t spoken to her for a long time, because I believed she was living with her family in Turkey. But I knew nothing of this.

‘She should not seek forgiveness from me, she should seek forgiveness from God.

‘If she has done these things she will be judged on Judgment Day. But God will forgive her anything except becoming a non-Muslim.’

Miss Fostok grew up in North London with six other children of Bakri and her mum Hanah.

She remained a devout Muslim in her teens wearing a veil and covering herself from head to toe.

Her marriage came unstuck after she became disillusioned by the strict Muslim principles.

She now lives in Catford in a ground-floor flat.

Her father sparked outrage for his preaching of hate when he praised the 9/11 bombers and said he would ‘never condemn Osama bin Laden or any Muslims.’

Mohammed has recently been in the news for his threats to kill Paul McCartney if he played in Israel.