The Ultimate Bigger Picture

Most of us understand the concept of “the bigger picture”. Everything in life is part of something bigger. It is sometimes easy to understand the “smaller picture”, or the circumstances that affect us directly, but not always how this fits in with the reality of the world around us.

This is of greater importance than most of us realise. Unless we know exactly how the entire system operates, we are in danger of being instrumental in our own hardship and pain.

For exsmple, most of us have financial difficulties. We may have tried to solve the problem by working harder. We may have taken on a second, and sometimes a third job, but to no avail. Understanding the bigger picture is the secret. Once we know how our activities fit into the larger world around us, we can figure out what must change for our lives to become better. We must always keep at the back of our mind that God says he guides us so that we may be free.

Lack of freedom is the root of all our problems, but most of us are unable to identify any “enslavement” or how it comes about.This has been discussed elsewhere on taxes and freedom. The quest for more taxes serves to make us more enslaved. 

There is another aspect of “the bigger picture” that most of us seem not to have thought of.

By way of introduction, let us begin with an analogy.

Consider a factory assembly line. Each worker is familiar with his role, whether it is cutting a fabric, or attaching a label etc. Each person knows his specific task. The owner of the factory has a different perspective. He sees himself producing bags, or garments. The employee does not have to know why he is attaching the label, for example, but knowing helps him understand his role better and helps give meaning to his labour. He realises the greater purpose to his efforts which could spur him to being better at his job.

Most of us have asked ourselves at some point or other why we are on Earth? What is our objective here? In previous discussions I arrived at the conclusion that it is to prove our worthiness of our place in Paradise. This is the equivalence of “the bigger picture”. It helps give perspective and meaning to our life.

But there is another question, why did God make us, and why has He sent us to Earth? God does not need us in any way nor does He require our worship. God did not HAVE to make this universe or this Earth. He did not HAVE to make man. God is under no such compulsion from any source whatsoever. Why then did He make us and why send us here?

What we do know is that God loves us. How do we put all that we know into perspective so that we can arrive at a possible explanation, reminding ourselves that this is speculation and cannot be verified, but an explanation nonetheless which is consistent with everything we do know.

What follows is a possible explanation, and must be read with that understanding.

God exists. He is the epitome of peace, tranquility, love and contentment. There is no possibility that He was “lonely” or sad or in need of anything whatsoever. He is overflowing with love and peace, and we presume He wanted others also to experience this, but there was no one else. God is uniquely unique, all encompassing, ever-existing. He is neither born nor does He give birth. Alow my digression here, as this is something we need to try and understand.

God is. This all-encompassing nature precludes the possibility of “giving birth”. A new-born is a separate entity from the parent. If God where to give birth, it would require a “space” for this “new born” to occupy, and no such space exists because God encompasses everything. Hence birth is something we can conclude does not happen, and God does not tell us anything to suggest otherwise. On the contrary, God specifically tells us in the Quraan that it does not.

God was not created or born because for this to happen would require a space into which God is to be born, and God being all encompassing, no such space can possibly exist. God has always existed and will always exist and encompasses everything.

This is the reason why some have concluded that we are all a part of God. God encompasses everything and it is not possible for anything to “exist” other than God. For us to “exist” it can only happen as a “part” of God (but this does not make us God in much the same way that a cell of our body is not a human and cannot experience being “human”. A cell is nonetheless a unit of existence).

God is at a level of existence far removed from man. We can compare man with other men, but there is no comparison between man and God. That is why those Christians and Muslims who seem to equate Jesus and Mohammed (PBUT) with God are in grave error. In the realm of men they are far removed, but they are men, and only worthy of comparison with other men. No man comes even close to comparison with God.

God willed that this “peace, beauty, serenity” may be experienced by "others"and decided to create entities for this purpose. How great Gods desire is to “share” this experience can be seen by the numbers in which He created His creations (truly boundless).

By His command, God brought the “physical” world into being. God is the epitome of order, and everything about Him reflects this. In an instant, what scholars call “the big bang” came to pass. Initially, the dominant form of energy was electromagnetic waves, light, gravity etc. God gave the ultimate expression of “order” or “ordiliness” to light by harnessing it into a form to which He gave “life”; the ability to understand, carry out instructions and function as “a separate entity”. This entity he called angels. Angels are light organized into a life form, and incapable of acting other than as willed by God.

As “matter” coalesced into spheres, it formed balls of fire, and God gave the ultimate level of order to fire by organizing it into a “separate” entity, and these He called ginn. Ginn is the highest manifestation of “order” or “ordiliness” of fire. It was created with free will. Free will gives a life form the ability to desire a particular action. All actions are carried out by God, He either gives effect to the desired action or does not. God is in total control at all times.

As the fire cooled, earth was formed, and He gave the ultimate expression of order to “earth” or “clay”, by organizing it into a life form, which He called man. Earth being the most stable, or least excitable of the three is the reason why the creation of clay is superior to that of fire or light. It is in the nature of things.

We may presume that just as humans have DNA, which is a store of information and the manifestation of the “intelligence” that created us and which makes each of us unique, so too there must be an equivalent system applicable with ginn and angels.

If Gods intention is to “create” an entity that is capable of undergoing something which we can call “an experience” and He desires this to be a pleasant one, why did He create Earth, Heaven and Hell. We know that Heaven was created as our final abode, and is the place where this experience will reach its ultimate expression. Why were we not simply sent there?

By our very nature, we are incapable of understanding anything or give meaning to any experience without having something with which to compare it with. God alone is absolute. In the world which we can comprehend, nothing is “absolute”, whether it is wealth, beauty, age, knowledge etc. Everything is compared with something else. Said differently, everything is relative.

For man to truly appreciate the experience in Heaven, he needs something to compare it with. That is why we have Earth. It is the experience here that allows us to truly appreciate Heaven, our intended final abode.

Earth is not a place for punishment. That is what hell was created for. Having free will gives man and ginn the ability to intend things “good” and “bad”. God guides us so that we may avoid “bad” and pursue “good”, (with "good" and "bad" indicating that which is ultimately advantageous or disadvantageous to us). Those who do not maintain a reasonable level of purity leave Earth in a state unworthy of Paradise, making a period in hell necessary in order to achieve the "purity" that qualifies us for admission to Paradise. Everyone enters Earth in a state of total purity. To arrive otherwise would be a grave injustice (being held responsible on the Day of Judgment for something that was not of our doing).

Many activities on Earth result in an experience of “pleasure” and many of these “pleasurable” experiences result in more “bad” than “good”. God guides us away from these. We may choose whether to accept the advice or not.

Man is the highest manifestation of “order” of “ordiliness” of clay, but the clay houses a second part, which we call the soul. We understand that this may be a form of light. It is understood we will reside in Paradise in our clay form housing the soul, in the same way as the first man that was created.

God willed many other forms of life (plants, insects, animals) as a means of bringing “knowledge” to the realm of man; information which he can acquire and use to make his stay on earth a more pleasant one.

Acquisition of wealth, power etc is meaningless. It is not why we are here. Armed with this knowledge, we should be able to apply ourselves in ways that facilitate our passage to Paradise. This is our understanding of the bigger picture.

Before we are judged by God, everything will be “destroyed” and all of us will be recreated. This is necessary for true justice and equality. This is the only way that ensures that everything experiences “death”. (those that exist before the day of Judgement also get to experience death) and this is a pre-requisite for us to understand and appreciate the experience of “end-less life” that awaits us in Paradise. Without experiencing death, we will not understand or appreciate our “death-less life” in Paradise.

God does not need to experience any of this, but knows that his creations do.

Our stay on Earth is a short, but necessary, interlude on our way to our final abode, which may or may not require a diversion through hell. What we intend here determines whether hell is required or not (we are judged by God in terms of our intentions).

From our perspective, our objective should be to prove our worthiness of our place in Paradise. This is most easily achieved by voluntary submission to the guidance of God alone; to worship God alone.

To do that, we can have no other master; we can be the “slave” of no one else. A person cannot voluntarily submit to God alone if he is already a slave to someone else.

Overt slavery was abolished, only to be replaced by a covert form, and the chains that bind us are taxes. It is the ultimate crime against humanity. It is only made possible through laws. God informs us that He alone is competent to make laws. When we disobey His guidance (for example by allowing man to make laws which he then uses to bind other men in paying taxes), the ramifications are so great that we are eventually incapable of seeing the association between the guidance that is not followed and the myriad negative consequences.

If we cannot understand the need to eliminate taxes because it is not needed for a society to function efficiently (a tax free nation has wealthy people and a poor government, a taxed people are poor with a government that is rich and which succumbs to abuse), then we must eliminate it as a requirement for us to be able to worship God exclusively.

If there is one measure alone that we must take, this is it. By this means we restore mans freedom, eliminate abuse and wastage by government, allow man to worship God exclusively, restore the association between wealth and hard work, break down the huge conglomerates that acquire their size and power through state sponsorhip (fascism), and make it possible for us to explore life from a position of "independence" and "freedom". Only as free people can we make the best of our experience on Earth. Remaining slaves destroys what is supposed to be an important aspect of our experience here.

Furthermore, each person will be accountable for how he used the gifts that God entrusted him with, in practical terms, on what we spent our money. Taxes are an abuse and are used to create more abuse. We become indirectly responsibile for these. We cannot claim immunity on the ground that we are forced to pay the tax since we have the power to elect people who will abolish taxes. We are responsible and cannot escape our liabilty.

We do not need to experience slavery on Earth, because we are already Gods slaves and can be nothing else. On the contrary, on Earth God has given us the opportunity to experience the "illusion" of freedom, the true nature of which is God alone. That is why He has sent many messengers whose objective it was to set us free. It helps us in some small way to get a better understanding of God.

Whether we fulfill our purpose here is left to us. This is the essential counterpart to having free will. If God were to eliminate the possibility of us being enslaved, it would mean revoking our free will, and that would mean no longer being human.

Choosing to be a slave is also a manifestation of "freedom", ie the freedom to choose, so either way Gods purpose for us being here is fulfilled, but our experience here is a much more easier and pleasant one as a non-slave.

Unless we understand this “even bigger” picture, we are doomed to passively accepting our slavery, treasuring it, and in some instances fighting to preserve it because of the short term benefits it seems to provide.

God informs us that the time of our birth and of our death is “written” before we are born. Nothing we do will change that. All we can influence is the state of our being when the time comes for us to leave, whether worthy or unworthy of Paradise.

The need to free ourselves of involuntary taxes is inseparably tied to our most important objective while on Earth (qualifying for Paradise). Failure is not an option.

Is this another planned “Order out of Chaos” scenario?

We watch in awe as country after country across the roof of Africa is shaken to its roots as ordinary citizens’ rise in anger against their despot rulers.

Those charged with ensuring that the state is protected from the wrath of its people are trained to act against criminals, not to fire upon their own families, friends and tribal members. Faced with this dilemma, it is not surprising that the “boots on the street” are deserting the state in droves and working with the people to bring about change.

Watching this unfold is mesmerizing. If only it were the whole story.

One cannot help but marvel at the pace at which events are unfolding and the organization that must be involved, for without doubt, what we are witnessing is the outcome of immense planning and organization, even though it may not initially appear as such.

I read a report that discussed a conference that was held last year (2010), and apparently followed another that was held two years earlier, in which youth groups from around the world gathered and were briefed on how to use the internet, cell phones and social networks to bring about the kind of change we are witnessing. The last conference included input from representatives of Google, Microsoft, and the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

As the scenes play out, we are reminded of the words of Karl Rove, consultant and political advisor to former US President George W Bush, “We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

Are we once again left to study the new reality they are creating? While we are still busy trying to make sense of it, will they be creating another new reality with the formation of the New World Order (NWO) single world government.?

We ignore at our own peril the response of “western” nations to these uprisings. In the past, irrespective of the country concerned or the number of people involved, these countries sent in their troops and their equipment to stifle and crush the opposition “in response to the request of the legitimate government for assistance”.

The legitimate complaints of the people were ignored using any excuse, no matter how implausible, but not this time.

We saw the legitimately elected government of occupied Palestine being rejected while the illegitimate “government” of Somalia is being imposed upon the majority. The History of Algeria and the rejection of the election results when the “wrong” people won cannot be forgotten. We find Afghanistan under siege, but these troops are there assisting “the government”. What has changed that the puppets are now finding themselves isolated and “betrayed” by their own puppet masters?

The allies of these despots are reported to have turned down calls for assistance, and are actually supporting the calls for change.Why? Surely this does not make any sense? What possible benefit can there be in replacing their loyal decades-long puppets with “democracy”. Indeed, it all seems quite bizarre until we study the bigger picture.

These puppets served their purpose in the past, but are now a liability. It is now time for chaos, out of which will arise “the New World Order”, a single government, unelected, that will rule the world.

To make this a reality requires compliant “leaders” across the globe. They will have to sign away sovereignty and allow their nation to be incorporated into the single world government. These current despots do not fit the required profile. They will not relinquish power. Faced with the loss of national sovereignty and their personal power, they could rouse their people against the plans for world government, and in so doing take away even the fig-leaf of legitimacy the architects of such incorporation desire. They will not want too much dissent, since their numbers are small compared to that of the rest of humanity and cannot hope to take on everyone at once. Those who oppose the plan have ways of getting themselves heard and this could proove problematic.

It is my belief that the would-be world rulers have decided that now is the time to use the people against their despots. This eliminates one of the problems. It makes no difference who is elected in the immediate aftermath; in time their agents will be insinuated into the highest levels of government. These puppets, the “authorized” leaders of the nation, will betray their countries and incorporate into the NWO.

It makes no difference that the process will be illegitimate. It will be “legitimized” by one of many possible means, such as rigged referendums or a "majority decision" of Parliament despite unversal condemnation by the people. It is amazing what some people will do for personal apparent gain.

Then, protest by the people will be treated very differently. They will be labeled as terrorists, and the world army will descend upon them to squash this rebellion in “their” province.

This sounds very gloomy, but it is where I believe we are heading. While I have no doubt that what we are witnessing across Northern Africa and the Middle East is a reflection of the sincere attempts of people to free themselves from oppression, I believe that the process is being assisted and abetted by the inaction of foreign nations, and their verbal support for change is motivated by their desire to eventually abuse what is happening for their own long term benefit.

The response of Big Business also sheds light on their view of the happenings. In the case of Assange of Wikileaks, the banks refused to process donations to him and his organization, and Google did not allow “Wikileaks” to appear on search lists. Today we find Google assisting people by making available “speak to tweet” and other means to bypass state censorship and its attempt to stop people from organizing themselves. This clearly indicates where the western elite stand in these uprisings. When these elites act, it is never for the benefit of anyone else but themselves.

The response of ordinary Israeli’s to the happenings in Egypt is also enlightening. They appeared to be at quite a loss. Their government’s initial response also suggests that they were not quite “in the loop”. For the New World Order to become a reality, every nation will have to lose sovereignty; that includes Israel. There is no place for a sovereign Jewish state under the NWO.

Jerusalem is slated to be the capital of the new World Government. One may speculate that it will be sold as the Capital of Muslims, Jews and Christians. One can imagine news reels showing people singing in the streets at the announcement, but not the images of those who oppose the new government, or their dead bodies or that of those rotting in rat infested dungeons.

Another practice common to the despots has been exposed in the last few weeks, and that is their use of thugs, criminals and mercenaries to perpetrate acts of violence against protestors and to destroy property. These criminals are on the bankroll of the “government”. This should make everyone stop and think long and hard.

Their acts are then attributed to the protestors, and used as justification for further state violence against them. It has not worked this time round, but it should be a somber lesson to us all. In existing democracies, the state uses the  alleged threat posed by criminals to justify the huge numbers of police in their employ, but these police are not there to protect us against criminals; they are there to protect the state against the backlash from civilians. This is the clearest indication to all thinking people that to have peace and prosperity, we require a government without the power to impose taxes, and a small police force that is made up of civilians, is under civilian control and which acts in our service.

We need to ensure that the revolutions produce the result we seek. The only way to do this safely is by eliminating the system of Parliamentary “democracy”, where one individual is empowered to make decisions that bind a whole nation, and to replace it with one where power lay the hands of each individual. The role of government must be to protect the free will of the individual and protect the peace. Only by implementing Shariah is this possible.

Under Shariah no nation can be illegitimately incorporated into a world government, because under this system the people are the government and they are the army and are empowered to arm and defend them selves, their families, their nation, and their freedom.

If we are to make sure that the martyrs did not make their sacrifice in vein, we must ensure that Shariah is the system we all adopt, and this applies to every individual, irrespective of our faith, race, culture or nationality. This is the only way to secure our independence.

It is time for Jew and gentile, white and black, European, African and Asian, monotheist, polytheist and atheist and everyone in between to join together in securing our future and that of our future descendants.

Umtil next time.

From the words of Mark Twain ...

Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that,
but the really great
make you feel that you, too, can become great.

To which I like to add

and the exceptionally great

Make you realize that you are great.

All you need to overcome is your fear.

Amputation for theft - barbarism or infinite wisdom?

I was at a social gathering recently and when we returned home my wife mentioned someone complaining that the cutting off of hands was unacceptable. The person concerned qualifies as a “good” Muslim by any standard.

This is a matter of far greater importance than simply the way we approach punishment for theft. Have we stopped to think about the implications of speaking in this manner, or of our duty as a Muslim when we hear someone speak in this way? Of even greater importance, what is our view of this practice?

One wonders how it is possible for one gifted with the awareness of God to feel revulsion for a practice enjoined by God and implemented by His Prophet (PBUH). What does this tell us about our trust in God and His guidance to us?

To voice such disapproval in public is tantamount to a renunciation of our faith. How many of us have inadvertently become apostate, and end up dying in this state of disbelief, God forbid. Anyone who feels this way about amputation must review his faith or belief.

This episode also serves as a warning that we need to review this aspect of the criminal justice system.

Only four misdemeanors are defined (they are regarded as crimes against the Almighty) and punishment has been prescribed. These are theft, robbery, perjury and adultery. Strict criteria must be met for ones activity to qualify and for the punishment to be effected.

Here are some of the guidelines as stated in “Hidaya, Commentary on the Islamic Laws” regarding theft, the crime which qualifies for amputation.

The item in question

-Must be in safe custody (such as locked in a home or shop, or clearly under ones personal protection). It does not apply to items left carelessly in public and unattended.

-Must be valued in excess of 10 Dirhams. At today’s price (14/02/2011) that means more than R231.50.

[1 Dirham = 3 grams of silver

 Price of silver = $30/oz

 1 oz = 28.35 grams

Price of silver = $30/28.35/g of silver  = $1.06 per g of silver

10 Dihhams = 30 g silver = 30 x $1.06 = $31.8

$1 = R7.28

10 Dirhams =  R7.28 x 31.8 = R231.50].

Taking items of trivial value does not qualify one for amputation.

Taking possession of the following does not qualify as theft.

-Relatively unimportant items such as grass, bamboo and wood

-Unharvested grain

-Perishables such as milk, meat or fruit

-A copy of the Quran

-The door of a mosque

-Items taken from within a mosque

-Crucifix or chess pieces even if made of Gold

-Stray dog

-a drum or pipe

-Items that belong to ones mother, father or child

-Items belonging to a person one may not marry (the forbidden relationship)

A confession by the thief or the testimony of two competent witnesses completes the requirements.

For a first offence, the punishment is amputation of the right hand, and for a second, the left foot.

It is abundantly clear that amputation is not something that is taken lightly, and strict criteria must be met for its application.

But more to the point of our discussion, why is amputation appropriate punishment, and hence ordained by the Almighty.

In its absence, some other form of punishment is called for, and it has to be one that serves as a potent deterrent; a vitally important objective. Everyone knows that stealing is wrong, even if we do not understand the deep ramifications of this to a civilization at large. The temptation to have what others enjoy is strong. But no one has any inherent right to every privilege available on Earth. Most of us have to learn patience and to be accepting of our limitations. We need to learn that for things we wish to acquire, personal sacrifice is required. We do not usurp the products of the efforts of others.

We need to develop self respect, dignity and a sense of personal honor. Stealing destroys all of these, and in the process destroys the entire civilization. Once started, there is no end. We become tolerant of theft by others (such as taxes) as we learn to become adept thieves ourselves, whether by way of medical aid fraud, insurance scams, fraudulent business practices etc. These are all manifestations of the same underlying disease. Theft is no minor issue just because, generally, no physical harm is caused to anyone, and the punishment has to reflect the seriousness of the pathology at hand.

What may these alternative punishments be?

The individual may be whipped or flogged. Here the thief’s back is usually affected. This is contrary to the underlying principles of Islam since it was not the back that was used to commit the crime. The back will heal, and the crime may be committed again.

By removing the hand the point is also being made that this individual does not value this gift of God and does not know how to use it with respect and dignity. He has lost the right to its use. In effect, this hand will never again be a party to this crime. The idea that one can be educated against stealing is a fallacy. All the education available has failed to deter this individual, and in the absence of insanity, we have to accept that it will continue to fail.

The person may be levied a fine, which is nothing but another form of taxation and much loved by Democracies. This is most unsuitable as a deterrent. In most cases the guilty party may not have the means to pay.  Does he do community service instead? If so, what is to stop him stealing from the community he is sent to serve? If he does settle the fine, what is to there to discourage him from stealing again in order to recover his “loss”?

Imprisonment transfers the burden of the crime to those who are innocent, since it is their money which is used to house and feed the criminal. This is an injustice.

Whatever alternate punishment is instituted, it requires some form of permanent record keeping. Premises, equipment (stationery, cupboards, air-conditioning etc) and staff make this a costly process, and again puts a financial burden on those innocent of the crime. These records can be stolen, destroyed, either accidentally or by intent, or falsified making this system unreliable. People who wish to know about the individuals past have to endure much cost and difficulty trying to acquire this information. In time, the guilty person can easily fall victim to the temptation once more.

All these problems are solved by the application of amputation.

No one else bears any cost or inconvenience as a result of the actions of the thief.

There is a permanent reminder to the thief to resist the temptation to steal.

When dealing with such a person one is immediately aware of his past and this is important where a criminal past excludes one from occupying public office or from appearing as a witness. This practice excludes thieves from positions of responsibility. Can we say the same for today’s “Democracy”?

Moving around with the tell tale sign of the missing hand is a permanent source of embarrassment to the thief and serves to reinforce our determination not to find ourselves in that situation.

Some may claim that it is inhumane to subject a person to a lifetime of humiliation for a once off crime. Who thinks in this way and who is it that wishes us to think like this? To steal the hard earned fruit of another’s efforts shows a total disregard for the welfare of others or of the pain they must endure from their loss. The items taken may have sentimental value, making them priceless and irreplaceable. There is no end to the loss. Why should anyone who does this to others not be made to bear a similar burden?

There are advantages and disadvantages to the practice, but the good far outweighs the bad and the Almighty has guided us to it. People of wisdom should ponder on this.

We must remember to think very carefully before voicing disapproval of anything advocated by God or His messengers (PBUT). Should we have doubts, we should research the issue with sincerity and an open mind and trust that God will guide us to the truth and the proper explanation.

The current education system has destroyed our foundation of thinking. We no longer think with the mind of a Believer. This is why we fail to appreciate the great wisdom and forethought behind the guidance we have received. We accept the modern understanding of “barbarism” failing to realize that its practice is rooted in injustice and slavery, something which is incomparably barbaric compared to the practical and wise advice of the Almighty.

We owe it to ourselves to revert back to the teachings of the Almighty and to strive to make our world the image of God’s vision for us. Shariah is a comprehensive system that guarantees the free will of every individual and ensures peace and security for everyone who does not violate the rights of others.

To make this a reality requires that we first revert back to Gods guidance, study it and master its reasoning. This will help us develop that degree of trust which compels us to accept all His guidance even when we feel reservations. When we act in this way, in time, He will grant us the cool tranquility of knowing that we are in the right when acting in terms of His guidance, irrespective of what the injunction may be.

May God make this easy for all of us. Amen.

Until next time (God willing).

Letters to the editor - Daily News (updated 12/02/2011)

12 Feb 2011

The Editor

The Daily News

Fax: 031 308 2715

Dear Sir

Re: Intelligence failures surrounding the recent regime changes

In the wake of the political tsunamis in Tunisia and Egypt, the total failure of the US and Israeli intelligence communities to even anticipate these has been questioned.

The answer may be found in this quote by Karl Rove, consultant and political advisor to former US President George W Bush, “We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

When people become deluded into thinking that they alone create the realities of our existence, they show absolute contempt and disregard for everyone else. They are so preoccupied with the next “illusion of reality” they are going to create, they do not believe it possible for any other reality to exist.

It is people with this mindset that occupy the corridors of power in the world today. This tsunami that started in the Middle East is going to sweep across the globe. For once, these people are left to study what others are doing, and how they are changing the world.The way of the past is over, and this bodes well for Democracy, liberty and freedom.

NC Kamdar

Chatsworth.

07 February 2011

The Editor

The Daily News

Fax: 031 308 2715

Re: Change in Egypt

The Egyptian President says he will not seek re-election and will use the remaining time before the end of his term in September to introduce democratic reforms.

Since then we have seen

1. Demonstrators attacked and killed by thugs, some of whom were shown to be carrying police ID and others who claimed they were paid by government officials to carry out the attack
2. Ongoing arrests and assaults on reporters and media offices
3. A continuation of the State of Emergency with regular imposition of curfews.

A person is best judged by what he does, not what he says.

With the entire government apparatus still intact, there is nothing to prevent this dictator keeping himself in office on one excuse after another and continuing his persecution of opponents including those involved in the demonstrations.

He and his associates cannot be trusted. Pressure must be brought to bear to force the immediate resignation of the Presidency and the People’s Assembly. The provisions of Article 84 of the Egyptian Constitution will see the

Constitutional Court

supervising the return to Democracy. There is no need to delay.

The South African government should do what is right and add its voice to that of President Obama in calling for immediate change.

NC Kamdar

Chatsworth.

06 Feb 2011

The Editor

The Daily News

Dear Sir

Re: Crisis in Egypt

There is much talk about Hosni Mubarak remaining as Egypt’s President until the end of his (self) appointed term, and how this is a stabilizing factor, and that those who reject this generous offer should not be supported. This is true for the USA and Israel, giving them time to insinuate someone suitable to their goals and objectives, but not for those who risked everything to take to the streets against a tyrant of his stature. They simply do not trust him.

How can any sane person expect a three decade long dictator, who mercilessly crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in the past, to suddenly become a champion of democracy? No one believes this is remotely possible.

There is unlikely to be a single protestor who does not believe that the helicopters overhead are recording everything, and that when things "settle down" they will be taken out, tortured and killed.

 The only way open to the protestors is to hold their course until the Cabinet, Parliament and Presidency resigns. They have no plan B.

The western Democractic governments prefer Mubarak while publicly voicing their support for the "principles" of Democracy. Their hypocrisy and double standards are well known to the protestors.

Israel’s open support for Mubarak emphasizes their confidence that their henchmen will prevail. If that is the case, it does not bode well for Democracy.

Or is this just wishful thinking on their part?

NC Kamdar

Chatsworth

04/02/2011

Re: Is this how Tel Aviv treats its friends? 

It makes one wander what Tel Aviv was really thinking when it decided to openly support Hosni Mubarak in his stand off with the pro-democracy demonstrators, and to call for western leaders to end their criticism of his rule.

Is this how they help a friend, which we all know Mubarak is? In so doing thay have, in the public mind, consolidated the image of Mubarak being one with Mahmood Abbas, the leader of the Palestine Authority, a puppet of the Zionist State who serves no other purpose but to suppress his people, and kill them, for the good of Israel.

If this is the way one treats ones friends, who needs any enemies?

NC Kamdar

Chatsworth

Who missed the train?

I followed an interesting discussion on Al Jazeera this morning (Thurday 3 February 2011), The host was speaking to Tariq Ramadan, the grandson of Hassan Al Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and another gentleman whose name I did not get, but it sounded Eastern European. I shall call him Eastern European Gentleman (EAG).

Both were very impressive, and in their own way, supported what the other was saying about the happenings in Egypt and the need for political change.

EAG then went on to make a point about the need for for peole to act and  to take responsibility for their actions, and used the following anecdote to make his point.

He was with a Persian philosopher in a café in Iraq drinking tea, and the thinking man mentioned that it is only foolish people who on getting to the station and finding that that had missed the train, blame fate or destiny. He then added that they must look at their role in their misfortune.

I cannot say for sure whether he was representing the philosopher’s thoughts correctly; neither can I tell what Tariq Ramadan was thinking, but his mood was pensive, having lost the smile that creased his face a minute earlier.

Listening to him talk I felt that this man probably had not yet found God.

The Almighty created us with free will. There is no limit to what we may plan. We do not always act on our plans. There are no consequences for planning, or just thinking about things, whether good or bad.

We may choose to act on our plans. When this happens, our intention is either “good” (do not wish to harm anyone) or “bad” (we wish to harm someone for no good reason). We do not have the power to actually give effect to our plan of action. God decides whether our action will be carried out as we had planned. He does not revoke our free will, but gives effect to our intention or vetoes it. This He does through His absolute control over all things that He has created without free will (and God knows best).

When we choose to act with good intention, God rewards us tenfold the benefit such an action will produce (and we receive this benefit whether God gives effect to our intended actions or not, and whether the actions produce our desired effect or not).

When we act out bad intentions, (or act contrary to good advice) our actions result in negative consequences for us, some in this life and some in the next. And they occur whether we believe in God or not, and whether we are aware of the association between the act and the consequence or not.

When our intended actions are contrary to God’s guidance we end up with consequences that God was helping us avoid (for eg. the Jews who fled Egypt with Prophet Moses (PBUH) wandered through the desert for forty years as a result of failing to act on Gods guidance to attack the inhabitants of a particular area. They brought this consequence upon themselves). It is these negative consequences that we bring upon ourselves that is commonly referred to as “God’s punishment”, and God knows best.

God helps us along in life in a silent and “hidden” manner. We are not aware of Him acting because it is a continuous and lifelong process. His involvement with us is there all the time. We either learn to recognize it or are blind to it. It is much like someone in an airplane; we feel the initial acceleration and then nothing even though the plane is still traveling at a great speed. The initial acceleration occurs at conception.

He does this by selectively giving effect or not giving effect to an intention of ours. Consequently He, and by implication His help, is always with us (we are told He is closer to us than our Jugular Vein). When a train is missed, it is because God had intended it to be so, and there is usually an important reason underling this decision.

Sometimes we discover the connection between the missed train and the benefit this confers, but not always. God knows best. But things happen for our overall benefit, if only we can put our trust in God, become accepting of His decisions, and learn from them, instead of obstinately fighting against them and constantly trying to find someone to blame for our perceived mishaps ( either by way of demanding apologies or pursuing lawsuits).

As an aside, we should note that when we hold others responsible for what happens, we are saying that it was in the exclusive power of that individual to do things in a certain way and must therefore bear responsibility. We are attributing to them the power that is the domain of the Almighty alone. This is an example of how we attribute partners with God, called shirk, in Arabic. No one is worthy of such honor.

Getting back to what I was saying. Let me share one experience with you. I had a meeting to attend at my son’s school (it was compulsory!) and it was scheduled during my consulting hours. I was getting late, and the last patient was taking much longer than I had expected. The conversation was drifting to matters none medical. Towards the end I was made aware of an educational institution which my son was looking for, but which I did not know existed. My delay had a purpose and by being “patient” I enjoyed the benefit. Such things have happened before, and they happen to all of us all the time if only we practiced identifying them. Incidentally, I was 10 minutes late, the other parents having already arrived, but for some unknown reason, the meeting also started 10 minutes late. Coincidence? I didn’t think so.

There are two important lessons we can learn from this.

Firstly, God provides assistance.

Secondly, This assistance is provided to everyone, the pious and the ordinary, those who worship Him and those who deny His existence; and proof of this is the fact that I, who has no claim to any distinction as a Muslim, can feel God’s help in my life. All we need to do is learn how to interpret it and allow it to benefit us. Without the correct mental foundation, we misinterpret every action we experience, and instead of learning from them and drawing closer to God, we force ourselves further away.

We may protest that if everything is in God’s power, and that all actions must be sanctioned by Him, why does he not intervene and block our actions and in so doing make the world a better place? Why do we have all these wars and bloodshed?

To intervene to this extent would mean totally over riding our free will. There will be no possibility of freedom, or accountability. We will have lost the essence of what it means to be human. It would be saying that in order to make the world a better place, God will have to destroy us first..

God is telling us that the world will be a better place if this is what we seek, and if we choose to act with that intention. Then He will make it happen. God does not change the condition of a people until they change it themselves. What we see happening in the world is a manifestation of our intentions or lack of it.

We need not fear death, since that can only take place at its allotted time. What we need is to fearlessly champion liberty and freedom, and God will take care of the rest.

Only foolish people who on getting to the station and finding that that had missed the train, blame fate or destiny. The wish person does not blame himself, he thanks God for His intervention and seeks the benefit he knows this is meant to bring him.

I think EAG may have missed the train on this one.

How many trains do we have to miss before we realize that in some instances this is necessary, and in others, there was probably no train to begin with?

Until next time.

Uprising in Egypt

The land of the Pharaohs is an ancient Civilization and one which is a constant source of enlightenment.

Egypt is a democracy, something we must not lose sight of. People in power describe other governments according to their strategic self interest. Yesterday it was a Democracy, and today it is called a dictatorship, yet nothing has changed in that time.

Egypt is a Democracy. It has a Parliament. There are regular elections. Parliament makes laws. A judiciary interprets these laws. A police force enforces them. They have a State President. Egypt is a Democracy.

I am emphasizing this point because what is true about Egypt is true of all Democracies. We may not notice it because the truth is usually carefully camouflaged, but when those in power are challenged, the true colors are revealed, and what underlies all democracies is no different from what we see in Egypt today. And we need to take this seriously because we, too, live under a Democracy.

We are told Parliament represents us. When laws are made they are in our best interest. The Military is our force for our benefit. Egypt exposes the worst of Democracy and we must not lose this opportunity to learn the lessons.

As in Egypt and elsewhere, Parliament does not represent us; the laws are made irrespective of our views, and often against the wishes of the majority. The military is funded by us but is not answerable to us, and will often be used against us.

The commentary on television can be very illuminating. The visuals on one occasion showed members of the public directing traffic, cleaning up the streets and introducing security checks in their neighborhoods at night. Order was being restored by the people.

The commentator described what we were seeing as “scenes of utter chaos”. What would cause someone to see exactly what I have described and to interpret it in this way?

I do not believe that there was any malicious intent. This is simply the reflection of how she was brought up to think. In her mind, if we do something for ourselves, this is “utter chaos”, but when we are acting under instructions (of someone else), that is order.

This is the slave mind, created by social engineering, mind controlled and the subject of extensive indoctrination. Things are in plain sight yet we are unable to see.

This also manifested in another aspect of the commentary. There was a hysterical cry of “where is the police?” when they were no longer visible on the streets. Those interviewed and the commentator where equally distressed by this.

We have become programmed to think that safety and security means having the police around. We have learned to see them as a source of comfort. We have lost our trust in the Almighty and in our own ability to defend ourselves. We have been slaves for so long that we no longer know how to live as free people, in much the same as an animal bred in captivity that is now released into the wild. It will take time, but we will learn, if we give ourselves the chance.

Free people defend themselves. They have weapons and need no ones consent to carry or use them. They do not need or want others, including police, telling them what to do. There is no fear when this armed wing of government is absent.

Finally, there is a persistent clamor for clarification on “who is to lead”. Under slave systems, it is unimaginable that we will simply lead our lives as we wish, without anyone having to tell us what we may or may not do, without decisions being made for us, on our behalf, without our consent, and which we are forced to go along with even if we disagreed. With the outpouring of people on the streets, for the purpose of replacing the regime, the cry from the commentators is, “who will lead”?

Why is this so?

People are leading themselves but a slave cannot understand this, neither, I suspect, can most of the people themselves. This is a new experience.

There will be numerous leaders at different levels. National leaders will be decided upon during elections, not now. By creating a “leader” what it does is hamstrung the entire process by placing authority in the hands of a single person, one who can potentially be bought, and this has been the sorry history of Middle Eastern politics. It prevents the honest and spontaneous actions of people as they strive to end the tyranny they have been forced to endure for over three decades.

And here lies another interesting observation. When people act as a group with a leader, their actions are criticized as being “orchestrated” and not spontaneous. When people act spontaneously, there are demands for a leader.

As Egypt braces itself for the planned “million man march” in Cairo, the military, which has been building barricades around Liberation Square during the night, says it is one with the people, will not fire on them, and is there simply to maintain law and order. Whose law, we may well ask?

The people are on the streets because they no longer consider their government legitimate, and that means their laws as well. The Army promises to enforce these “laws”. How can they enforce them and still be at one with the people? Who is the army really protecting? If they are one with the people, then they too must accept that the government is illegitimate, and as such they can no longer enforce their laws. They are duty bound to remove the illegitimate people from office. The people are being hamstrung by the very people who claim to be with them, and this has been the sorry history of this ancient land. Today, 01 February 2011 is a watershed day.

The Egyptian people are in revolt (they are not revolting as I heard one commentator say). They are leading by themselves and need no “leadership for this.

The United States of America and others like it wish to see another puppet replace their current one. They parrot the lie of seeking “democracy” and for the will of the people to be respected, but are quick to note that it did not work out as they would have liked in Occupied Palestine and the same is almost certain to happen here.

There are renewed cries for increased support for the only Democracy in the Middle East, Israel.

Is Iran not a Democracy? It has a Parliament. It holds regular elections. The police maintain order. The judiciary interprets the law, but Iran, according to these people, is not a Democracy, it is an Islamo-fascist dictatorship (sic).

There will be false cries for the “strengthening” of Democracy in the Middle East in the light of the happenings in Egypt, the very opposite of what western dictators actually want. What can be more ironic? This is what the poor Egyptian people believe is best for them, and this is exactly what the "Democratic" west wishes to deny them.

I think the point has been made; they are all Democracies - Iran, Israel, USA, Egypt, UK, France, Russia etc. All are Democracies and they are all bad. The only difference between them is the extent to which they are corrupt and the degree to which they keep up the veneer of “freedom”.

The USA does this pretty well by having 2 dominant political parties, both of which follow the same primary policies, making it impossible for the people to introduce change no matter how many times they change from one to the other. And most do not see the futility of their actions. They have a ruthless security apparatus and a total disregard for the privacy of individuals.

What we require is the perfect system that is the product of the Perfect Designer, whose objective is to protect our freedom and to maintain peace, and is one which recognizes who the real “Supreme Authority” actually is, and one which needs no modification till the end of time.

Do we wish to remain under the dictatorship of a “Democracy”, or do we want the freedom to be ourselves? Egypt is moving painfully from one manifestation of dictatorship to another. What do we do for ourselves?

Until next time (God willing)

Guidance and law that is valid till the last day?

A mind trapped in “The Evolution Syndrome” cannot envisage a message being valid till the end of time. Everything changes, our mind tells us, so our laws and our approach too must change. We are evolving and improving all the time, so our laws must change in tandem.

Such a mind cannot envisage that there can exist any thing that is already at the end point, some thing that is already the ultimate best and for which there can be no more “improvement” or evolution.

Such a mind cannot envisage God, or the divine knowledge from God which is at its maximum of competence and relevance and for which there can be no improvement, no need for change.

What is this message for which no change is needed?

It is commonly referred to as the message of the last Prophet (PBUH), which is true, but it is not exclusively his; it was in fact the message of all prophets (PBUT). While many (especially "Muslims") do accept that the message is valid till the last day, no one seems to ask a very pertinent question, from when does its validity begin? This knowledge, which God has shared with mankind and which is meant for all mankind, has been valid from the beginning of creation and will remain as such till the last day. This is in stark contrast to everything held "sacred" by the evolution mindset.

What is this message? What follows are some of the important aspects.

There is only one God.

God alone is competent to make laws. The one we worship is the one whose laws (directives) we follow, hence, the directives of God are the only ones worthy of being followed, ie God is the only one worthy of being worshipped.

The poor have a right to a small portion of what God grants us as earning; this is not ours and is their right. Failing to honour this trust is a grave injustice, and has the effect of polluting our entire wealth just as a drop of urine pollutes an entire barrel of water. Everything that is acquired with this polluted wealth is itself polluted and a source of pain, not a source of comfort.

Abstinence or fasting is recommended and has great spiritual and physical benefits.

Four actions are crimes against God, and if the criteria for guilt are met, the perpetrators qualify for the prescribed punishment, and there is no exception. These are adultery, theft, robbery and perjury. We are not authorized to criminalize any other action.

Any one who feels his rights have been violated is entitled to bring his complaint before a competent adjudicator.

We should always uphold the truth, even against our self and family, fulfill all our pledges and keep all our promises.

All debts should be paid as agreed upon, or earlier if possible since no one knows when we are to die. No debt is anulled by death or the passage of time and one will be held accountable for all unpaid debts on the day of judgment.

Respect and honour our parents, but not to the extent that we violate Gods guidance.

Be kind and protective to the orphan, traveler, the infirm and the poor.

Everyone is created with free will and no one may violate the free will of another, or allow their own free will to be violated (we are born free and guided on how we can preserve our freedom).

Everyone is born subservient to the will of God.

We all have common ancestors in Adam and Eve (PBUT), this makes us all members of one family. Our differences are there to help us identify each another, and not for us to despise one another.

Everyone is born pure and sin free; to be born otherwise would be an injustice (answerable for a sin that was not of our doing).

No one is accountable for the deeds of another, only for our own.

Everyone will be treated with full justice, and any claims brought against us on the Day of Judgment will be backed with full proof.

We will all be tested, whether we recognize the existence of God or not, but we will not be tasked with a burden that is greater than our capability.

Guidelines on things that we should avoid (that we should treat as "forbidden") apply to all mankind, whether we acknowledge them as such or not.

Man has a status higher than woman, this means a degree of responsibility that is greater, and has been made differently so as to be able to fulfill this greater responsibility.

God judges us on our piety, and nothing else.

God judges our actions on the basis of our intention.

Our actions only qualify as a service to God if done in a manner accepted by God and when done exclusively for Him. Actions not approved by God can never be a source of benefit or a way by which we worship God.

We should seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. God has created the world in such a way that the knowledge he wishes to share with us can be learned through observation of his creations.

The time of our birth and of our death are determined before we are born; we cannot influence the quantity of our life, only the quality.

Satan has vowed to subjugate man (make man his slave, deprive man of his free will). He deceives us by mixing truth with falsehood. We are guided to protect ourselves against him.

Nothing that the Messenger’s of God did or implied varied from the above. They are guidelines that are truly eternal, and valid to the last day. God has promised to protect and preserve this guidance which we can access in the Quraan and the practice of God’s last Messenger on Earth (PBUH)

These guidelines are valid from the beginning to the end of time.

In keeping with the promise not to place a burden on us greater than we can bear, God has spared us the responsibility of making laws. All the guidance and directives we require for a successful stay on Earth have been revealed. Any addition or subtraction on our part is retrogressive and to our detriment..

Our duty is to ensure that no one violates the rights of anyone else; that everyone is free. The role of Government is not to make laws, but to give effect to the guidance of God, and in practical terms, it means ensuring that the free will of no one is violated and that those who are guilty of the prescribed crimes are duly punished. Our government is supposed to help preserve our freedom and keep the peace.

The guidance is simple, so that everyone can understand them, and will be in a position to recognize when attempts are made to violate them.

It becomes abundantly clear that involuntary taxation is theft and strictly forbidden. It is the yoke on the beast of burden, on the human slave. No one is free if burdened in this manner.

It should be clear to anyone who is honest and unbiased, that these guides are “evergreen”; that they have been valid from the beginning of creation, and will be valid till the end of time? This is why it is possible for every human to be judged fairly (in relation to their contemporaries as well as people of other eras).

When we create our own criteria of what qualifies as good or bad, right or wrong, we do not worship God but ourselves.When we make our own laws, we are treading on the exclusive domain of the Almighty. Failure is a certainty. Everyone has the right to do this in terms of our free will, but it denies us the hidden benefits that are present in certain actions only, and these are the ones God has sanctioned and guides us towards.

They are hidden simply because the way in which God created us makes it almost impossible for us to make the connections between our actions and all their consequences. God, in His infinite mercy does not deprive us of this benefit which we are incapable of appreciating because of no fault of our own. All that is required of us is to place our trust in Him. By following God’s guidance we are led to these benefits and protected from those actions that lead to negative consequences which we are similarly incapable of anticipating or predicting.

Do we acknowledge God’s infinite wisdom and follow His perfect guidance, or do we follow a course of trial by error. If we do not act to secure our freedom, we will not have the luxury of choice; that decision will be made for us.

Do we dare take this risk?

Until next time (God willing).