In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

This was published on the Chicago Tribune’s religion blog, The Seeker.

Some believe that male circumcision is "genital mutilation." Others believe it is a religious obligation, a sign of the Covenant between God and humanity. Yet, some are so against male circumcision that they placed a proposal on the ballot in San Francisco to ban the practice. Jews and Muslims have objected, claiming that this violates their religious freedom. I tend to agree.

Say a Muslim resident of San Fransicso managed to get a measure on the ballot to ban pork, citing the possible health hazards of this meat if it is undercooked? Or, a Muslim places a ban on alcohol on the ballot? There would be uproar, and many would be screaming about "creeping Sharia" and how Muslims want to impose their religious views on the rest of America. Discarding the bombast, this criticism would be rightly placed.

My prohibition against drinking alcohol or eating pork does not give me the right to prevent my non-Muslim neighbors from consuming either. The fact that I choose to follow the dictates of my faith and refrain from eating pork and drinking alcohol does not give me the right to prevent my Muslim neighbors, who are not as religious as me, from consuming either.

That is the beauty of our country: everyone has the freedom to be as religious or areligious as they choose. Islam, in fact, also has this concept. The Quran says, "There is no compulsion in matters of religion."

Of course, I realize that the circumcision of male infants and eating pork are not the exact same thing. But, the concept is the same: it is not right to ban a practice that is well within the mainstream because of a personal disagreement with it.

If you disagree with having your son circumcised, then do not have him undergo the procedure. But, don’t prevent your Jewish or Muslim neighbors from doing it because you disagree with it. This is a disconcerting slippery slope.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

At long last, the criminal behind many of the worst atrocities of the Bosnian War – Ratko Mladic – was arrested today in Serbia. At long last, man behind the massacre of Muslims in Srebrenica; the man behind the brutal siege of Sarajevo; the man who commanded systematic rape of women, will finally face justice. At long last, the families of the victims of the Bosnian War, who still live with the grief and pain of their horrific loss, can rest easier knowing that the butcher of Sarajevo will face trial for what he has done.

It calls to mind these verses of the Qur’an:

“And, withal, we have come to know that we can never elude God [while we live] on earth, and that we can never elude Him by escaping.” (72:12)

“LET IT NOT deceive thee that those who are bent on denying the truth seem to be able to do as they please on earth: it is [but] a brief enjoyment, with hell thereafter as their goal – and how vile a resting-place!” (3:196-197)

Now, despite his horrific crimes and hatred, I can’t say that Mladic is going to hell. Only God will determine that. Yet, his arrest shows that, no matter how long one can hide, no matter how long one thinks he can escape justice, its long arm will eventually take him in. May Ratko Mladic face the punishment he so justly deserves.

His is the face of pure hatred: slaughtering innocent Muslim men and boys for no reason other than they are Muslim. Raping innocent women for no other reason that they were Muslim (and Croats). Casuing so much pain and suffering and torture to “cleanse” the land from human beings who were of a different religious background. After the world said “Never Again,” it happened again, and this monster Mladic was behind it. At last, he is no longer a free man.

I look forward to his standing trial at The Hague for his crimes. I look forward to his being punished for his crime. I look forward to knowing that this monster will spend the rest of his life behind bars. May Ratko Mladic face the punishment he so justly deserves.

God is in charge, and thus, Justice will always win out.

Read more:

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

It was an act of shocking courage: a young Libyan woman, a lawyer by training, burst into a hotel in Tripoli and yelled out that she had been gang-raped by Qaddafi forces. The hotel was full of Western reporters having breakfast, and almost immediately, she was carried away to an unknown location. According to the report in CNN:

The 29-year-old law school graduate burst into a Tripoli hotel last month to tell her story to journalists. Authorities rushed her away from the hotel, but she is no longer in custody. Still, she told CNN’s "AC360" Tuesday she fears for her safety in Tripoli, which she called a "large prison." She said authorities had taken her passport and were not letting her cross into Tunisia.

[...]

Al-Obeidy said she spent 72 hours under interrogation after being dragged away from the Tripoli hotel where she tried to tell journalists about her alleged abuse. She has said the public statements from a state TV anchor and government officials, who initially called her mentally ill, drunk and a prostitute, have ruined her reputation.

We have all failed Iman al-Obeidy. And there are more than one "we" here. First, we in the West have failed her. For far too long, we in the West have accepted – and overtly supported – brutal dictators, especially in the Muslim World, who decimated their own people in the quest to remain in power. And for what? "Stability" and a steady stream of oil.

While I understand the need to secure the prime source of energy that fuels our way of life, yet, had we supported Democracy rather than Dictatorship, we would have had both real stability and our oil. They were never mutually exclusive. Sadly, however, we did not do that, and thus, we failed Iman al-Obeidy. While it is shocking to behold what happened to Iman al-Obeidy, it is without doubt that there are many, many more Iman al-Obeidys all across the Middle East. And we have failed all of them.

Another "we" that has failed Iman al-Obeidy is the Muslim "we." Her faith community has failed her as well. Aisha Ahmad, al-Obeidy’s mother, told CNN:

I want [President] Obama and all the Western world to get involved and bring me back my daughter. Just bring her back to me. I would like to tell the mothers all over the world, and the Arab world, that if something happens to someone, they need to speak out. They just need to speak out.

Yet, I really feel that it should never have come to the West having to bomb Libya. The Muslim World should have acted to save their LIbyan brothers and sisters, Iman al-Obeidy among them, from the brutality of their leaders. The Quran says:

And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of God. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, God loves those who act justly (49:9)

How can what Qadhaffi has done be anything but oppression, of the worst kind? How could it be that the Muslim World sat by, silently, while he was slaughtering his own people, for the "crime" of protesting against him? How could it be that the Muslims did not send a helping hand to their fellow Muslims who were suffering in Libya? Yes, there were protests in some places in the world, especially here in the United States. But, Muslim governments did nothing while there was mass murder committed before their eyes.

Yes, we have all failed Iman al-Obeidy.

You know, many Muslims are so quick to blame "the West," or "the Christians," or "the Jews," or any other "the…" for their dire predicaments. They are so quick to protest the injustices committed against them by those other than they, which is their right to do. Yet, many evils committed against Muslims are at the hands of fellow Muslims themselves. Case in point: Darfur. Remember Darfur? Where Muslims killed fellow Muslims; Muslims raped fellow Muslims; Muslims destroyed mosques and desecrated copies of the Quran. And what was the response of the Muslim world?

Deafening silence.

I do not excuse any injustice committed upon the Muslim world by the West. But, I do not give a free pass to injustice committed against Muslims by Muslims. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. The Muslim world should have acted to stop Qaddafi from his madness. But, it didn’t, and the West stepped in. Yes, it may be because Libya has oil. But, the West did it nonetheless, and it stopped the Libyan regime from committing even more mass slaughter. And for that, I have nothing about which to be angry at all.

Hearing Iman al-Obeidy’s story hurt me to the core of my being. It was horrific what happened to her, and I am so sorry for what has happened to her. I pray that the Lord gives her strength, comfort, and peace. I pray that the Lord gives her family comfort in this horrific time. I pray that the people responsible for the inhuman crime committed against her are brought to swift justice. And I pray that the light of justice, freedom, and dignity shines over the Middle East once and for all.

On March 10, NY Rep. Peter King held the first in a series of hearings about the radicalization of the American Muslim community and what can be done about it. In his opening remarks, Mr. King said, "Congressional investigation of Muslim American radicalization is the logical response to the repeated and urgent warnings which the Obama Administration has been making in recent months." Despite the numerous voices decrying his singling out of the American Muslim community, he remains undeterred.

If I could have testified at his hearing, this is what I would say:

Honorable Chairman King, Distinguished Members of the Homeland Security Committee:

The security of the United States is of the utmost importance to the officials of the U.S. Government. It is, perhaps, the most important duty of the President, his Administration, and that of the Congress. I respect and fully support, Mr. Chairman, your effort – and the effort of this entire Committee – to keep America safe from all threats, domestic and foreign. I commend your relentless struggle – a noble "jihad," in fact – to find and eliminate all the threats to the security of our country. I thank you on behalf of myself, my family, and the rest of America for this struggle.

Mr. Chairman, the radicalization of some in the Muslim community disturbs me just as much as it disturbs you. Why any Muslim in this country would betray her good graces and seek to kill and injure innocent fellow Americans continues to baffle me to the core. Without an iota of doubt, the best place on earth to be a Muslim is here in America. To commit an act of terror against America is a betrayal of the highest order, and it is an affront to everything for which Islam stands. Not only are people like Faisal Shahzad traitors to America, they are traitors to Islam as well.

But, they are criminals, plain and simple. They do not represent the entire American Muslim community. According to a recent study from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there were 161 Muslim terrorist plots (both foreign and domestic) since 9/11. That is to be compared with the approximately 15,000 murders that occurred each year in the United States since 9/11. In 2010, there were more than 30 domestic terrorist plots, and only 10 were committed by Muslims. Now, to me – and to everyone in this room, I am sure – that is ten too many. Nevertheless, out of a population that is, conservatively, over 3 million, it is an exceedingly small number. Yet, by focusing your hearings on the radicalization of only American Muslims, you seem to intimate that the problem of violent extremism is only in the Muslim community, and that is clearly not the case.

Mr. Chairman, you have claimed that the American Muslim community is not cooperating with law enforcement in trying to prevent attacks. That is simply not true. Again, according to the UNC Chapel Hill study, of 120 Muslim plots since 9/11, almost half – 48 to be exact – were disrupted by tips from the American Muslim community itself. This completely belies the assertion, albeit implicit, that American Muslims are complicit in the terror attacks directed against America.

Every single day, in fact, American Muslims are actively engaged in the effort to keep America safe. American Muslims are police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and first responders. They are mayors of cities, city council members, and school board members. They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and other professionals. They participate in local PTAs, they coach Little League, softball teams, and soccer teams.

On a personal level, sir, there is not a day that goes by that I am not totally committed to the security of my country. I am a physician in the Chicago area. Every single day, I am dedicated to saving the lives of countless of my fellow Americans, the overwhelming majority of which are not Muslim. I don’t care, in fact, what religion my patients follow. All I care about is to help them feel better and become well. I counsel my patients about the dangers of cigarette smoking, and I try to help them improve their health every single day.

Since I practice frequently in the Intensive Care Unit, I am frequently faced with the death of my patients despite all my medical efforts to keep them alive. I am always trying to comfort often frightened and grieving family members when faced with the death of their loved ones. I draw upon my own personal 9/11 – the death of my daughter from cancer – to help counsel them at their darkest hour.

I speak at my daughter’s school to the youth – our future generation of Americans – about the dangers of cigarette smoking and other drug use. I want them to live long, healthy, and prosperous lives. I vote in every single election – big and small – and every April 15, I faithfully (albeit not necessarily happily) pay my taxes to the U.S. Government, and I have even preached from the pulpit that it is our religious duty as Muslims to do so.

And my experience is not unique. Countless American Muslims do the same – and even more – than me every single day. If I, or any other American Muslim, ever came across a plot to harm America or her people from within my community, know, Mr. Chairman, that we would rush and report it to the authorities in an instant. American Muslims are part of the fabric of this country, and to say that "There is a real threat to the country from the Muslim community" lumps us all together with the tiny number of criminals who commit violence and terrorism in our name.

Sir, the threat of homegrown terrorism is real. And as much as I hate to say it, part of that threat does come from individuals in the American Muslim community. Yet, there is also a real threat from other segments in our society. Your hearings must focus on the threat to America from all groups, including those that – most recently – planted a bomb along the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade route in Spokane, Washington. This bomb was quite sophisiticated, and had it detonated, it would have caused serious harm and loss of life.

Mr. Chairman, once again, I laud your dedication to the security of the United States. By your efforts, and the efforts of every member of this Committee, my family and I are able to sleep more soundly at night. We are able to walk the beautiful streets and sidewalks of our beautiful country in safety and security. We are able to go to the mall, or a basketball game, or my daughter’s softball game, without fear of being blown apart by a terrorist thug’s bomb. I thank you for that on behalf of every American family from the bottom of my heart.

But, we American Muslims are not the problem. It is, rather, the criminals who commit the crimes of terrorism, and they are a fraction of a fraction of the whole of the American Muslim community. By singling out the American Muslim community, you lump all American Muslims – who are loyal, patriotic Americans who love their county, with the criminals in their midst. This is not right, sir.

All of us are together in this fight against violent extremism, whether it comes from Muslims or not. We are all on the same team, sir. Please remember, we are all on the same team.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

As I watched the protests and popular uprising in Egypt unfold, I was never more proud as an American of Egyptian descent. I was never more proud to share the ancestry of the people who marched on the streets of Cairo and asked for their freedoms peacefully and, sometimes, even festively. I was never more proud to share the ancestry of the people who formed human chains around the Egyptian Museum to protect the precious artifacts housed inside. I was never more proud to share the ancestry of the people who stood their ground in the midst of a brutal police crackdown, inspiring the entire world with their courage and heroism.

Then came the vicious, brutal Government crackdown: sending in "pro-Mubarak" thugs to attack innocent and unarmed protesters with the utmost of brutality; having police cars in the street; attacking innocent people with Molotov cocktails and even guns. According to my cousin, who has been in touch with our family and people in Egypt, there have been people killed with gunshot wounds to the head. As my cousin told me, "Firaoun (Pharoah) has nothing on Mubarak." That is after the Government took away the police and replaced them with newly-released criminals from jail, free to steal, rape, and pillage at will. And that is after the Government shut down all Internet traffic, all cell phone traffic, all land lines, and even trains to prevent people from peacefully assembling.

Then came the ugly attack on journalists all over Cairo: Americans, Arabs, Europeans; they were all equally targeted. They were accosted, attacked, detained, beaten, stabbed, and hospitalized. The offices of Al Jazeera were closed. One was threatened with beheading. It was clearly a systematic attack on those brave souls who dared to report what was happening on the ground in Egypt, and it was clear that the Government were trying to keep the rest of the world, watching in horror, in the dark about the truth. It was state-sponsored terrorism, and my heart has been tremendously heavy over what has happened.

Watching the dark side of the Egyptian Government and its tactics, I have never been more disgusted.

What was the crime of those people being run over by a police van? What was the crime of those people who were killed? Over and over again, the protesters wanted this to be a peaceful movement. Over and over again, they kept saying, "Selmeya, Selmeya" or "peaceful, peaceful." When an Army officer was clearly terrified, pointing his gun at unarmed protesters, the people shouted, "The people and the Army are one." This was no "Islamic revolution," as some are claiming. It was a grassroots, popular uprising against a regime that has brutalized its people for well over three decades.

And the response? Brutal violence and state-sponsored terrorism. I have never been more disgusted.

Today has been dubbed "Day of Departure," an anticipation that, on this day, President Mubarak will finally leave office. Indeed, there are intense diplomatic discussions regarding this very topic currently ongoing. An Al Jazeera correspondent reports that Christians and others are forming human chains around Muslims performing Friday prayers in Alexandria. Hundreds of thousands of people are coming together and saying, "No!" to the brutality and depravity of the last several days. I hope and pray that this day will bring back that feeling of awe, admiration, and hope that I had just a few days ago. And I hope and pray that the brutality that so disgusted me never again rears its ugly head, and that those responsible are brought to justice.

I have never been more disgusted at the brutality of the regime, but I also have never been more hopeful for the future of Egypt. May the Precious Beloved Lord our God bless the people of Egypt, grant them the freedom they so rightly deserve, and give all peoples on this earth the gifts of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

In Your Most Holy Name do I ask this, Amen.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Thank God, December 30 is finished. It was my daughter Bayan’s birthday, and it was very hard having to keep writing the date – 12/30/10 – over, and over, and over again. Bayan, if you don’t already know, passed away from lymphoma in June 2009. It has been very tough, especially this year, and I pray the Lord brings my wife and me comfort as the years go by. I have shed many tears this year over my baby…

But, as I reflect at the close of 2010, I can only focus on the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. Despite the daily pain and anguish of living with the fact that my daughter is gone, there have been many good times this year. There have been many smiles, and many moments of happiness and joy. I thank the Precious Beloved for all of them.

Yet, when I look back on 2010, one of the things that will play prominently in my mind is the 2010 Chicago Marathon. This year, I ran it in honor of my late daughter. It was one of the happiest moments in my life. Last year, I watched my cousin run the 2009 Chicago Marathon in my daughter’s honor. When I watched him limp across the family reunion area, I almost broke down in tears. His run and pain in Bayan’s honor really touched and inspired me. Thus, for 2010, I decided to sign up, train, and run the Chicago Marathon.

I am not a runner, and thus, finishing a Marathon seemed to be such a daunting task. But, I knew that with the Lord, anything is possible. Training took up almost all of my free time for the entire summer. My golf game, not a beautiful thing to begin with, really took a hit because, instead of golfing, I would be running almost every Sunday morning. There were many days where I would run next to the golf course and wish I was there…I would re-focus my energy on the run; I would re-focus my energy on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10).

There were so many days of painful, sore legs; so many days of blisters on my toes; so many days of blood feet; so many days of dehydration; so many days of fatigue and knee pain. Yet, I had to continue…I had to make it to 10/10/10. In fact, just before I took a Ramadan break, I injured my hamstring, and I could barely walk, let alone run. Thank God, the rest during the month of fasting allowed my leg to heal well enough for me to continue my training. On the Thursday before the race, I ran a very short 3 miles, and I got on the ground and turned my hands up in prayer to the Lord:

"Lord, I have done everything I can…I have followed the training regimen as best I can. Now, it is up to You. Please, help me run and finish this race for Bayan."

Then came the fateful day. I knew it was going to be hot, and so I made sure I drank a lot of Gatorade on the night before and the morning of the Marathon. Of course, I was up all night going to the bathroom…but even if that was not case, my nerves made sure that I didn’t get a restful sleep. It was so cool to see all my fellow runners get ready as I waited in the Starbucks to get a scone for my pre-race meal. There were so many people walking to the Start Line that morning, and the cool AM Chicago breeze was so refreshing as my insides were shaking with nervous fear.

I met my cousin, the one who inspired me to run, and we started the race together. As I crossed the START line, I could hardly believe that I was actually running the 2010 Chicago Marathon. In fact, my cousin even asked me: "Has it sunk in that you are actually running this race?" The first half was really enjoyable: the weather was perfect; the spectators were awesome; the city was absolutely beautiful. I felt great, and we crossed the half way point at 2:26. We were poised to finish the race in under five hours, and I was really excited.

Then came the oppressive heat.

It became more and more difficult as the second half of the race continued. My legs began to burn more and more as miles 16, 17, and 18 passed. We stopped for a bathroom break at mile 18, and after that it was very difficult. The sun bore down on us as the early afternoon progressed. Inevitably, I slowed down. I walked through each and every aid station, drinking as much Gatorade as I could. But, when it came time to run again, it became much more difficult. Many times, we resolved to continue walking until the next mile marker. It was not my original plan to do so, but I was just so completely exhausted.

At around mile 23, the final stretch of the race was upon us: Michigan Ave and 35th street. I knew it was a very long while until I saw the fabled FINISH sign. I kept telling myself, When in God’s name is Roosevelt Road going to come? Roosevelt Road is the very last street before the finish line. We walked a lot of the last 3 miles: I was disappointed, but I couldn’t help it. Yet, despite how much pain I felt, it never even crossed my mind to give up. Never. If I had to crawl across the finish line, I was going to do it. Bayan never gave up, even though I know she was in so much pain, and so there was no way on God’s green earth that I was giving up.

At around mile 24, we were walking and in a lot of pain. I heard someone on the loudspeaker saying, "You have only two miles to go! You will finish this race! Keep going." Even though I would never even think about stopping, it did help to know that I was almost there. Finally, Roosevelt Road was upon us, and I was already jogging again. Roosevelt is a pretty steep hill, and it was so very painful to run up hill after such a long, hot day of marathon running. But, at the top of the hill, I turned left and saw it.

It was the sign that read FINISH.

I broke down in tears, and my cousin held me. All those months, all those long hours of training, all those many, many miles in the heat, humidity, rain, and cold. It was finally there: the finish line. We crossed at 5:37:51. No, it was not a great time. I finished close to the end of all male marathon runners. But, it was my time. It was my race. It was my marathon to honor my fallen baby.

I was in a lot of pain at the end of the race. I could not sit down my legs hurt so much. But, I was ecstatic. By the Grace of the Precious Beloved, I finished the Chicago Marathon. By the Grace of the Precious Beloved, I ran for my daughter who could never run on her own again. By the Grace of the Precious Beloved, I joined the ranks of an elite few who can say that they ran 26.2 miles all on one day. It was a day I will never forget; it was one of the happiest days of my life.

My wife called me, with sheer elation in her voice, congratulating me. She told me how proud she was of me, and it meant so much to me to hear her joyful voice. It meant more to me than she will ever know. And I will also never forget the many happy congratulations that I received from colleagues and friends. It was a nice ending to a very happy occasion.

The year 2010 had a lot of pain for me: the one year anniversary of my daughter’s death; her birthday; and the constant pain in my heart from the wound that will never heal. But, 2010 was also the year that, by the Grace of my Precious Beloved, I was blessed with completing the 2010 Chicago Marathon. And I am truly, my Lord, forever grateful.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Thanks be to the Precious Beloved, my newest book, Noble Brother, was featured in the Chicago Crescent, a local Chicago area Muslim newspaper. The review was very positive and is reproduced below.

A life of perfection – presented in poetry

As he stood before the grave of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, in Madinah, the author couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face.

“Finally I have come so far to be with the man who has guided every aspect of my life, even though he died centuries before I was even born,” writes Dr. Hesham Hassaballa in the introduction to “Noble Brother” – the story of the Last Prophet in poetry.

It is this same love and humility that permeates every page of this book. The author’s sincere devotion to the Prophet Muhammad is an inspiration for every reader, young or old. It is equally interesting for those well versed in the seerah of the Prophet and those that are not.

The best part of this slim edition is that after enjoying each poem, readers can flip to the appendix for a brief historical background that will add layers of meaning to the already rich words. Even if you have read and re-read stories like “The Boy and the Monk” and “Retreat to the Cave,” reading them in the form of poetry will be like adding another dimension to the life of the greatest man that ever lived.

Excerpt from “Noble Brother”

His Work is Done

His Work is done, and the people have believed
The disquiet in the soul he has beautifully relieved
Order was restored to the house that Abraham built
Out of scattered tribes was sewn a radiant quilt

The darkness of the past was as dust
Shines on the heart replaced the rust
A new era of humanity was conceived
His work is done, and the people have believed

My thanks to the Chicago Crescent for this review. To order your own copy of Noble Brother, visit www.noblebrother.com.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

As the fallout of the massive WikiLeaks release of State Department cables continues to play itself out, there has been much commentary about the hypocrisy and shame of Arab and Muslim governments. These commentaries totally echoed my own personal sentiments, and they were much more eloquent that whatever I could have written. Thus, I will reproduce them here, starting with Muqtedar Khan, Associate Professor of Islam and Global Affairs at the University of Delaware:

The revelations so far about the Muslim world are eye opening. Muslims, even some American Muslims have raised criticism of American foreign policy to the level of religious ritual. Often Muslim radicalism and alienation is explained as a direct consequence of US foreign policy alone. The point being, US foreign policy is anti-Islam and subversive of Muslim nations. Therefore Muslim anger and radicalism against the U.S. while often expressed in unjustifiable ways is still understandable.

But now that the Shenanigans of Muslim nations, most importantly their collusion with America’s so called anti-Islam foreign policy, is exposed, what will Muslims do? Will they also hate Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar and other nations just as much as they hate America? Or will they recognize that nation states, have interests and they pursue them in whatever ways they can; and understand that US foreign policy neither advances nor targets any religion.

The preliminary review of the cables by New York Times and the Guardian reveals the duplicity of many Arab nations on foreign policy, especially in the case of Iran. For example in the past few years, Arab nations have publicly countered Israeli propaganda that Iran is a bigger threat to the world, than the resolution of the Palestinian issue, with claims that the failure to bring a just solution to the Palestinians was the number one issue for Arabs and Muslims. But apparently, privately these same nations have been parroting Bibi Netanyahu’s mantra to the U.S., repeatedly asking the US to bomb Iran and even invade it with ground troops.

The Saudis refer to Iran, a fellow Muslim and “Islamic nation” as “evil” and have requested the U.S. to “cut of the head of the snake”. The same cables also reveal that even now the main financiers of Al Qaeda are Saudi donors. American Presidents, George W. Bush and Barak H. Obama have identified Al Qaeda as the biggest threat to the U.S. and yet they collude with the nation whose citizens are its biggest financiers. Why don’t the Saudis cut off the head of the real snake, Al Qaeda, by arresting and imprisoning its financiers? Most Americans know that fifteen of the nineteen terrorists that attacked the US on September 11, 2001, were Saudis. None were Iranians. A significant number of foreign fighters who joined al Qaeda in Iraq were Saudis. This is a classic case of “the pot calling the kettle black!”

Professor Khan finishes his fantastic piece by saying:

Anyway now thanks to WikiLeaks, at least Muslims who hate America for its foreign policy must realize that their own countries are collaborators. Perhaps their hatred will now be more evenly spread rather than just focusing on the U.S. If they don’t, then they will be like their own governments – hypocritical.

I could not agree more.

Rami G. Khouri, Editor-at-large of The Daily Star and Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, has an even more scathing assessment:

A collective Arab policy of covert appeals for American and Israeli foreigners to carry out aggression against a (Muslim) neighbor without evidence of that neighbor’s culpability — affirming that one’s own immense, nearly immeasurable, Arab national wealth spent for security in the end is not able to provide that security — is a sad testament to the poor quality leadership in the national security realm, to say the least.

[...]

Public opinion in the Gulf, Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries is varied, not monolithic. Many Arabs support Tehran’s policies, and many others oppose them. Some Arabs covet American support, others distrust it. Some Arabs want to make peace with Israel, others want to fight it.

This variety, however, is totally detached from the policies and the public or private statements of Arab leaders — which weakens the leaders, keeps Arab countries vulnerable, and leads to the sort of sad, shocking and even pitiful examples of behavior we now read about. Wasted billions, perpetual vulnerability, chronic non-credibility, duplicitous policy pronouncements, and, in the end, no success to show for all these, adds one more serious and priceless, if intangible, casualty to the list: national dignity.

Yet, as I read about the actions of these mainly Arab Muslim leaders, a thought comes to mind: this sort of behavior is exactly what Islam was supposed to erase: the wanton disregard for human life and putting national/tribal rivalry above the common good. Did these leaders forget this essential command of Islam?

That any country would privately urge a military attack on its neighbor, inevitably causing the loss of innocent civilian life, is reprehensible. Just because Iran is an ethnic (Persian vs Arab) and religious (Shiite vs Sunni) rival, that is no justification for the desire to see it attacked which, by all accounts, would be a total disaster for the entire region. And this by the person who’s title is "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques."

Just as Professor Khan wrote, decrying the Saudi King’s call to "cut off the head of the snake" does not constitute my support for Iran. Far from it. But, our world, and the Middle East, has seen too much war, too much discord, too much bloodshed. Thus, when Arab leaders are privately calling for war – when that is the absolutely last thing the region needs – it is nothing short of horrific.

We will see what other juicy tidbits the coming weeks and months will bring as more of the cables are revealed. But, if what was released so far is any indication of what is to come, I should stock up on my Alka Seltzer…because I will probably be sick to my stomach.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Thanks be to the Precious Beloved, my article on Beliefnet about Thanksgiving was featured on a suburban Chicago website. It was a nice recognition:

A typical American Thanksgiving might include turkey and pumpkin pie, family and friends, football games and thanking God.

But nowadays Thanksgiving is just as likely to include fufu (a goatmeat and green pie), a visit to the temple and prayers to many different gods–or to no god at all.

"Growing up, my family frequently would get together on Thanksgiving Day for dinner," says Hesham A. Hassaballa in his 2003 blog post entitled Ramadan, Eid, and Turkey Day. "We would not celebrate the holiday, per se, but we were all off work, and so it was convenient to have dinner together. Furthermore, we ate turkey because it was on sale at that time."

But later in the same post, Hassaballa explains that as he got older he decided there was nothing wrong with Muslims celebrating Thanksgiving as long as they honored Islamic principals while celebrating.

Read the rest of the article here. It is a very good read.

In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Time and time again, I have reiterated the stance – and my staunch belief – that Islam absolutely condemns any and all violence against the innocent. I have reiterated the stance – and my staunch belief – that in no way, shape, or form does Islam condone the taking of innocent life. I have reiterated the stance – and my staunch belief – that Islam’s stance on the sanctity of life is unequivocal and drives my perpetual condemnation of all violence against the innocent.

It just could not be more clear than that. The Qur’an can’t be more clear about the sanctity of life:

"And do not take a life that God has made sacred, except for just cause." (17:33)

"And do not kill yourselves, for God has been merciful to you." (4:29)

Yet, still, fmany detractors, including some who have commented on my past articles, intimate that I say so with a "virtual wink." They have claimed to me that, when I say "innocent," it is a loaded term, that it does not mean what people may think it means. They think that "innocent" does not really mean "innocent"; that my definition of "innocent" is not their definition of "innocent."

Let me say this and say this clearly: "Innocent" means just that.

So, when I say "innocent life," I mean people walking the streets and riding the buses of Tel Aviv. When I say "innocent life," I mean the soldiers eating lunch at Fort Hood who were mercilessly gunned down by their fellow soldier Nidal Malik Hasan. When I say "innocent life," I mean my fellow Americans walking the streets, and sidewalks, and malls, and city centers, and town squares of this beautiful country of ours. When I say "innocent life," I mean the Muslims all across the world who go to worship at their respective mosques on Fridays, or shop at local markets, or stand in line at police recruiting centers and get blown apart by the barbarian neo-Kharijites. When I say "innocent life," I mean the Christians, and Jews, and Ismailis, and other religious minorities that live in Muslim majority societies.

When I say "innocent life," I mean just that.

Indeed, perhaps the extremists equivocate when they say "innocent life," but that’s just it: they are extremists, and their twisted version of reality is not to be taken seriously. It is to be resisted at every step and every turn. Wherever it occurs, the taking of innocent life is decried by my faith and abhored by me and the overwhelming majority of Muslims like me. And when I say "innocent life," I mean just that.