April 28. 2009 CAIRO // Muslims should go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to force the world to recognise the city as the capital of any future Palestinian state, Egypt’s minister of religious endowments, Mohammed Hamdi Zaqzouq, has said stirring controversy and renewing debate over the normalisation of cultural ties between Egypt and Israel.  “I urge all Muslims to visit Jerusalem, even with Israeli visas. I know well that I will be severely attacked for saying so, but this is my point of view, which I believe in,” said Mr Zaqzouq, 67, in a seminar titled Jerusalem from an Islamic perspective at al Nour Mosque in Cairo.

“I believe that the Jerusalem issue shouldn’t be dealt with as just a Palestinian or an Arab issue, but as an Islamic issue,” he said. “Just as Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca, they should also go to Jerusalem and to the Al Aqsa Mosque by the hundreds of thousands every year,” he said in comments published on Thursday.

East Jerusalem is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s holiest site after the cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.  [...]  “I refuse to visit Jerusalem while it’s shackled [by the] Israeli occupation,” said Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, grand sheikh of the Al Azhar seminary, in comments published on the Al Arabiya website Sunday. “The visit of any Muslim currently would be considered recognition of the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation and reinforcement of its oppressive power.” Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, has also banned Copts from visiting Jerusalem.  Recently, however, some religious authorities have changed their minds about the acceptability of Muslims visiting the city that is revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Sheikh Tayseer al Tamimi, an Islamic judge and the chairman of the Muslim-Christian Committee for the Defence of Jerusalem and its Holy Places, said by telephone from Jerusalem that “Muslims from around the world should crawl to Jerusalem right away”.

“I used to say that Arabs and Muslims shouldn’t visit Jerusalem until it is liberated. Now I say that the situation is very grave: Israel is besieging Jerusalem, isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings, banning Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank from reaching it and feverishly going on with the Judaisation of the city. Therefore, we need Muslims from all over the world to come to pray in Al Aqsa Mosque and show solidarity with us, not for tourism in Israel,” he said. Those in Egypt’s anti-normalisation camp, however, are not swayed by such pleas, even as they come from Palestinians.  [...] Salem Abdel Gelil, Mr Zaqzouq’s deputy, said in an interview. “He’s not forcing people to go, but if Muslims do actually go, there will be a more Islamic atmosphere in the city.”

“Visiting Jerusalem is a political, not a religious issue because it has to do with the state’s sovereignty,” said Sheikh Khaled al Gendy, an Egyptian preacher with a show on satellite television. “What Minister Zaqzouq said is his opinion, which he is entitled to, its not a fatwa.”  While Egypt’s more hardline religious and political commentators refuse to budge on the issue, Mr Zaqzouq’s call for Jerusalem-bound tourism by Muslims may influence public opinion.  “I don’t mind visiting Jerusalem and praying at Al Aqsa even if it would mean having a devil’s stamp on my passport,” said Mohammed Selim, 29, an accountant in a computer company. “We’ve been waiting for years for the liberation of Jerusalem. We need to take new and different actions and see what Israel’s reaction would be.” http://tinyurl.com/cr7k6j

Israel to Judaize more of al-Quds

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:32:06 GMT

Israel is to demolish some 90 houses in mainly Arab east al-Quds in a move that will deprive more than 1,500 Palestinians of their homes. Israel in February had ordered hundreds of Palestinians living in eastern al-Quds to evacuate their houses, claiming they had pursued "illegal construction". The decision drew Palestinian ire. Scores of people in the West Bank later took part in a general strike, protesting Israel's decision to demolish the houses in the village of Silwan near al-Quds (Jerusalem) to empty space for a national park. According to Hatem Abdul Qader, who handles the affairs for the Palestinian Authority in al-Quds, the 'discriminatory plan' has gathered considerable momentum since the appointment of new al-Quds (Jerusalem) mayor, Nir Barkat. Palestinian officials say that if the demolitions go ahead, it would mark the largest destruction of Palestinian property in eastern al-Quds since 1967. This is while the Czech presidency of the European Union in a statement reminded Tel Aviv of its obligations under international law. "Demolition of houses in this sensitive area threatens the viability of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, in conformity with international law," reads the statement issued on behalf of the bloc's 27 member states. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has also expressed concern over the plans to demolish scores of Palestinian houses in mainly Arab east al-Quds. "We view with real concern the proposed demolitions in east Jerusalem. Jerusalem should be the capital of both the Palestinians and Israel," Miliband said in Jordan on Thursday. Israel captured the mostly Arab east al-Quds in 1967 and later annexed the part in a move not recognized by the international community. Tel Aviv continues to erect new homes in the occupied Palestinian territory despite strong opposition from the international community. Some Muslim states and also Palestinians insist that there will be no peace in the Middle East until Israel quits eastern al-Quds and allows it to become the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

MP/AA

Friday, April 24, 2009

'New world order' a threat to independence

For decades, John Birch Society members warned that a "new world order" was being created by power elites such as David Rockefeller, top government leaders in Europe, some American politicians, and many in the Council on Foreign Relations. The John Birch Society published books such as the 1970 "None dare call it conspiracy" and the 1988, "Shadows of power--The Council on Foreign Relations and the American decline." For their consistent warnings, John Birch Society members were labeled by some as "conspiracy theorists," but today, aware Americans see the patterns of history and action that prove the society's evidence was not theory, but fact. "The new world order," a euphemism for global government, is an emerging danger to our national independence.

http://www.standard.net/live/news/170751

President Obama's New Approach to a New World Order?

Wilmer J. Leon III  http://www.truthout.org/041909B

Excerpts:  "In the 20th and early 21st centuries, a number of world leaders, such as Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger and Gordon Brown, have used the term 'new world order' to refer to a new period of history evidencing a dramatic change in world political thought and the balance of power. When President Bush 41 used the term, his phrasing sent shock waves through the Christian and secular hard-right world, since for decades the phrase has been used to represent a collectivist One World Government ... Recently, these fears have been supported by many of the actions and policies implemented under President George W. Bush (Bush 43) and his administration. Actions such as the illegal invasion of Iraq, the increase of private military contractors, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary renditions, secret prisons, torture and the suspension of habeas corpus in Guantanamo are seen as evidence supporting the NWO conspiracy in the new globalized economy... Against the backdrop of this recent historical context and in the wake of the dreaded foreign policy blunders of President Bush 43, President Barack Obama appeared on the world stage at the G-20 Summit and held subsequent meetings with European leaders. At the Summit and in these meetings, Obama set a new tone for dialogue and diplomacy. He listened, engaged in constructive dialogue, demonstrated an appreciation for and understanding of cultural difference and nuance, and apologized for American arrogance, thereby laying the groundwork for a new diplomatic approach to a new world order. A "world order" in which "the principles of justice and fair play protect the weak against the strong. A world where the UN is poised to fulfill the historic vision of its founders. A world in which freedom and respect for human rights find a home among all nations. A world order based on a truer sense of diplomacy, not Bush 43's unilateral and destructive sense of "American Internationalism." Brave, and needed words, indeed ~ but eloquent words are no longer enough ~ what is needed now is decisive action. President Obama must clearly redefine 'The New World Order'  to the American people and back it up with action ~ such as implementing much needed structural change to our unregulated financial system and punishing the perpetrators of our past abuses of power, such as torture, rendition and illegal wiretapping, and guaranteeing that they will never happen again. 

In December of 1995 the Jerusalem Masonic Lodge was established adjacent to the Temple Mount in the underground Grotto of King Solomon. The lodge was founded by the Grand Master of the Italian illuminati Giuliano Di Bernardo who at the opening ceremony declared, “The rebuilding of the Temple is at the center of our studies.”

50 Israeli settlers enter Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Compound - Date: 12 / 04 / 2009

Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli police allowed 50 right-wing settlers to tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday afternoon without a police escort.  Ma’an’s correspondent in Jerusalem reports that the settlers entered the compound during a time slot reserved for foreign tourists.

Palestinians who were in the compound at the time said that they found the settlers’ tour “provocative.” They said that Israeli police stationed at the entrance refused to remove the settlers when this was requested by Palestinians.

The third holiest site in Islam, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is also the location of the iconic Dome of the Rock and a major symbol of Palestinian nationalism. The area on which it rests is also claimed by Jews who believe it to be the location where the ancient Second Temple.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&Do=&ID=37075

Israeli settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque

Bush and Obama the perfect team.  Bush practically paved the way for a "need" of a "new world leader".  Obama with so much charisma and hope; just another advocate of the new world order....

By PHILIP ELLIOTT – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Global cooperation is needed to tackle the financial meltdown, climate change, nuclear proliferation and other pressing problems, President Barack Obama said Saturday.

Fresh from his first trip overseas as president, Obama used his radio and Internet address to ask people in the United States and around the world to focus on areas of common interest.

"These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone," Obama said. "The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations."

Obama pointed to his London meeting with leaders of the G-20 nations — a gathering that represented 85 percent of the global economy — where he pressed for increased regulation and economic stimulus. He also noted his attendance at the NATO summit in France to discuss strategy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as his speeches against nuclear weapons in the Czech Republic and about faith divisions in Turkey.

All are big-picture priorities for the young administration and most have general support among Obama's U.S. constituents.

"With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can't afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern," Obama said. "We can't afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find — and build on — our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins."

Obama used the eight-day trip to highlight his ambitious foreign policy agenda, including starting negotiations with Russia about reducing nuclear stockpiles. Such talks, announced alongside Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, would be the first in years and are part of Obama's pledge "to free the world from the menace of a nuclear nightmare."

Taken as a package, Obama said, his agenda in Europe should be the common goals among people of faith during holy days of Easter and Passover.

"These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week," Obama said. "For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iA8-PO2FL6o5HDf_LRSl1lpqDheAD97GJNL80

Al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) was the first of the two qiblahs (prayer direction), and is one of the three mosques to which people may travel for the purpose of worship. It is said that it was built by Sulayman (Solomon, peace be upon him), as stated in Sunan an-Nasa’i and classed as authentic by al-Albani. And it is also said that it existed before Sulayman (peace be upon him) and that Sulayman rebuilt it; this is based on the hadith reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, which mosque was built on earth first?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid Al-Haram [in Makkah].’ I said, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.’ I said, ‘How much time was there between them?’ He said, ‘Forty years. So wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, pray, for that is the best thing to do.’”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken on the Night Journey (isra’) to Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), where he led the Prophets in prayer in this blessed mosque. Allah says: “Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram) to the farthest Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Aqsa), whose precincts We did bless, in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).” (al-Isra’: 1)

The Dome of the Rock was built by the caliph `Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan in 72 AH. It is mentioned in Al-Mawsu`ah al-Filastiniyyah (4/203): “The name Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa was historically applied to the entire sanctuary (Al-Haram Al-Sharif) and the buildings in it, the most important of which is the Dome of the Rock which was built by `Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan in 72 AH/691 CE, which is regarded as one of the greatest Islamic historical buildings. But today the name is applied to the great mosque which is situated in the southern part of the sanctuary plateau.”

It also says in al-Mawsu`ah (3/23): “The Dome of the Rock is situated in the middle of the plateau of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which is in the southeastern part of the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem). It is a spacious rectangular plateau which measures 480 meters from north to south, and 300 meters from east to west. This plateau occupies approximately one-fifth of the area of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The mosque which is the place of prayer is not the Dome of the Rock, but because pictures of the Dome are so widespread, many Muslims think when they see it that this is the mosque. This is not in fact the case. The Mosque is situated in the southern portion of the plateau, and the Dome is built on the raised rock that is situated in the middle of the plateau."

We have already seen above that the name of the mosque was historically applied to the whole plateau. The Muslims’ fondness for the picture of the Dome may be because of the beauty of this building, but this does not excuse them from the resulting mistake of not distinguishing between the Mosque and the buildings that surround it.

This may be one of the plots and tricks of the Jews in order to give importance to the Rock so that they can fulfill their desire to build the so-called Temple of Solomon on the ruins of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. This is by making the Muslims think that Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa is the Dome of the Rock, so that if the Jews start to destroy Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and the Muslims denounce them for that, they will tell them, “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is fine,” and will show them a picture of the Dome of the Rock. Thus they will achieve their aims and be safe from the Muslims’ criticism.

Source: www.islam-qa.com