Skip to content

General Issues / Questions

This area deals with any general questions/issues regarding God / Islam / Quran not covered under other headings.

This category can be followed from the open social web via the handle [email protected]

7.2k Topics 133.2k Posts
  • Interesting link

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    36 Views
    S
    Salam, http//www.harunyahya.com/ At first glance, it seems interesting. Enjoy.
  • Two misconceptions I frequently see among members

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    24 Views
    S
    The misconceptions I see among the members are 1-The belief in the Quran is based on some sort of "faith", a blind belief that is. 2-You can individually 'live your life' in the current society as per Quranic laws and you become entitled to Jannah. Let me address them. 1-Belief in the Quran is not based on some blind faith, but it is based on conviction. Conviction derives itself from reason and logic. There are two ways to appeal human beings. Appeal to emotion and appeal to logic. Religions appeal to emotion (note islam is not a religion). Priests like to manipulate emotions because it gives them the illusion of power over masses (includes Muslim priests too). Some people go through the following thought process. First they acquire emotional faith. Then they MAY try to justify what they believe in. This is a weaker form of belief. Imagine never having the experience of burning your hand. Imagine not having ever felt that pain. Imagine only being TOLD that 'if you put your hand in fire, then it will burn'. Now if someone offers you $$, to jump ion fire, would you do so? It seems that at least you would go through a conflict, contemplating the offer. Afterall, you REALLY don't know that you will burn. You have only been scared by others. On the other hand, if someone today does offer you $million for jumping into fire, I'm sure you won't do it. What is the difference between the two thought processes? One is not based on experience and hence reason, and the other one is. Belief is the Quran derives itself from reason. Even the Quran asks us to reason and to not to believe in things blindly. It frequently states the Momineens are the ones who contemplate all the time. I don't have the exact verses on my at the moment to quote them here. (You can now appreciate why I'm pushing for a Quran-soft). Hence don't go about believing in the Quran out of pure 'faith'. Reason, understand. Furthermore, learn about the existing human conditions. The flaws in our society. Then you will appreciate how strong the Quranic laws are. Furthermore, when you DO delve into reasoning, make sure that you know how to use the 19 logic inference rules AND you know how to stay clear of the 13 biases humans introduce in reasoning. 2-The Quranic laws need to be implemented in a society. Individual living in the current society will unfortunately not be able to enhance his/her inner potentials. We need a society to implement the Quranic laws.
  • FREEDOM!!!!!!! (YEAH RIGHT, DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH)

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    44 Views
    E
    http//edition.cnn.com/2003/US/West/12/28/football.furor.ap/index.html IRVINE, California (AP) -- The idea was innocent enough A group of young men organize a holiday football tournament and give their teams such innocuous names as "4th and Goal" and "1988'ers." It was some of the other team names that raised eyebrows Intifada, Soldiers of Allah and Mujahideen. The furor that followed has forced some teams to change their names and a handful of players to quit. It also sparked a debate that threatens to overshadow the tournament, which was planned primarily for young Muslims and scheduled for January 4. "This was really just supposed to be about the youth playing football. Now it's become so political that a part of me thinks we shouldn't even play," said Tarek Shawky, 29, one of the tournament's organizers. Those involved in the league said they never set out to upset or offend anyone. But critics say such names as Intifada and Mujahideen glorify terrorism. Intifada, "uprising" in Arabic, is a term used by Palestinians for their revolts against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 and over the past three years. Mujahideen, which means "holy warrior," is associated with several Islamic groups that are on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. "The issue is these are words that are linked to real terrorists, real threats, real murders today," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "There shouldn't be young Americans chanting the name Mujahideen as American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are put in danger and attacked daily," Cooper said. "As for Intifada, it has been a disaster for the Palestinians and the nearly 1,000 Israeli children and parents murdered by suicide bombers." Muslim leaders have asked the teams to reconsider the names. "Sensitizing our youths is our role as adults," said Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Southern California. But he also said he believed the players were not being malicious when they decided the names. "In this case, the choices were totally innocent and meant for a small intra-Muslim tournament whose members all knew what the terms stand for," Ayloush said. "Unfortunately, we are aware that a few of those terms are being tainted by the abominable actions of a few Muslims." Some team members forced to quit Ayloush and others believe the incident can be used to teach youths about freedom of speech and sensitivity to others. One member of the Intifada team said a few of his friends were forced to quit because their parents were worried for their safety. "It's kind of annoying me how big it's gotten," said 16-year-old Mohamad, whose family asked his last name be withheld. Mohamad, whose family is Palestinian, said little discussion went into selecting the team name. Mohamad's mother, Nuha, said she wants her son to play despite the controversy but said her sister is considering withdrawing her own son from the tournament. The uproar began about a month ago after 18-year-old Sabih Khan, who attends community college, began organizing a football tournament for the New Year's holiday weekend. Khan had played football in high school. "I've been missing it all these years," he said. Although the league was named "Muslim Football," Khan said it was not limited to Muslims. He passed out fliers at an Orange County mosque and set up a Web site, inviting teams to register and submit names. Although most submitted names such as "4th and Goal" and "Muslim Football Allstars," three came under fire. Since then, the tournament's founder has received numerous hate e-mails. The team names also prompted a war of words in local newspapers and on talk radio. "I don't understand it all. They are just words," Khan said, pointing to professional teams such as the Washington Redskins, a nickname deemed offensive by some American Indian groups. But Khan said he also has asked the teams to change their names. While two teams -- Soldiers of Allah and Mujahideen -- agreed, Intifada has not. Shawky said the team was considering a name change before the tournament. The league also posted an open letter on the Internet, apologizing "if anyone took offense to what was intended to simply be a positive outlet for Muslim youth." The letter also defended the use of the word Intifada, citing the Palestinian movement. Khan and others said they intend to continue with the tournament. "Controversy comes and goes," he said. "Today it's about the tournament; tomorrow it will be something else."
  • Quran soft

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    29 Views
    S
    Pool in your ideas for a Quran-supporting software running in English (primarily at least). My previous post lableld 'tons of questions' elaborates that idea. From the set of ideas in this thread, we can develop a software that assists in extracting information from the Quran.
  • Conversion tools

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    18 Views
    S
    Pool in your for-Quran or for-Islam arguments in this thread so we may refer to them as and when needed. I have an argument for those who seek clear cut, mathematically explicit argument before accepting Islam. Suppose you stumble across an island somewhere in the Pacific. You look at your map and your GPS, and you find that there is no mention of this mile long landmass. You ask your navigator. He is bewildered. You radio base, and they mention that this island has not be identified before, and hence you are the first person EVER to land on it. So you hop down. Indeed the island is all-natural beautiful and lush-green. Seems like no one has been here before. Then you reach the mid of the island and behind a thick bush, you discover a crude hut made out of mud, stones and has windows. At this point, you conclude, explicitly, that this island may not have a human right now, may not have had a human recently, but this island DEFINITELY had a human at least once! You did not see the human. All current information indicates that there never was a human there before. Yet you are convinced. WHY? Because, the order that you observed amid the chaos could not have been a mere chance, despite the fact that the elements, the mud, the glass, the bushy roof were created using material already found in the island. Those materials, no matter how hard the wind blew, or at what angle, could not have arranged themselves. There HAD to be a work of INTELLIGENCE somewhere. Clearly, in the above thought process you reached a conclusion without having clear-cut, mathematical, logical argument. Hence, you CAN conclude something WITHOUT having a clear-cut, mathematical, logical argument. The key is the identification of an intelligent work where it seems to be unlikely. Is Quran such an intelligent piece?
  • Strengths and weakness of individuals

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    27 Views
    S
    Myers-Briggs is a powerful team building tool frequently emplyoed to identify strengths of individuals. If you are a pledger, please take the personality test at http//www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm You will be given four letters of your personality. Post them here. And read your strengths. The purpose of this test is to assign tasks based on one's natural skills. The other tests on the site are bogus. I am ENTJ- Field Marshall personality type. Extravert, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging.
  • The plan to move forward

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    29 Views
    S
    Ladies and gentlemen, ASMK, This thread is to call unto the planning of a society that is built on the laws of the Quran. I consider the following to be evident from the Quran 1-Islam is not a religion. It is a way of life which a collective spends, using the laws prescribed. 2-Jannah is acquired once the laws stated in the Quran are fully applied. It is a state of order and peace unimaginable by man. The similie of garden with honey and milk is used by Quran to indicate the beauty of such a society. 3-Jahanam is the state of the society if the Quranic laws are not applied. The current state of the world is evidence of this truth. 4-The entire soci-econo-political setup exists in the Quran. 5-Quran's economic system is neither capitalist, nor communist. it encourages expenditure of excess wealth for the help of the needy. In essense, instead of a creating a society on the basis of 'me first', it creates a society on the basis of 'the others first'. In any event, I disagree with the assessment that a mere 20% tax would sufficiently implement the Quranic economic order, as indicated in the contitution you guys recently developed. Please read 'Noam Chomsky' if you are 'impressed' by our current world affairs or by capitalism. The question is Can you acquire a state of Jannah by merely sitting at home, typing on a forum, and leading your lives as you are currently doing so? Not so. Don't flatter yourselves by thinking that by working 9-5 (even honestly), offering prayers, giving a percent to Zakat will suffice. The Quran compells the Muslims to create a society. It also compells to plan resources before proceeding. Hence, the concept of the plan. How do you go about creating an islamic society? To begin with, 1-You need a land. 2-You need basic neccessities of life. Food, shelter, hygiene and education. 3-You need to plan the inflow of immigrants. 4-As a result you need room to expand the land. 5-Food, shelter, hygiene and education need to be automated and the planners should assure that their deficiency does not exist. 6-Establish the entire contitution as spelled by the Quran. This is just the beginning of a long, painful process. Quran frequently mentions the pains to be taken to accomplish this goal. Before we can plan the society, we need the following resources 1-Intellectual (most important). Engineers, planners, doctors, nutritionists, speakers, professors etc all need to come under an umbrella and plan. 2-Financial. Are we better off using current wealth to buy resources for the new place or should we just hop to an island and then proceed? 3-Education facilities. What marketing techniques can we employ to spread the word of true Islam? Hence before starting the plan, we need to plan the plan. In any event, in all of our minds, there should be one single, impeccable goal creation of a society that is built upon the Quranic laws. All those who want to be part of this plan, please pledge in response to this email. Also identify your strengths and what you intend to pool in. 'I symtacs, pledge to plan the Quranic society. My strengths are argument development, analytical thinking, and strategic planning (I run my own business).' I think all members of the forum should end up pledging. Furthermore, I also encourage all of you to read exposition of Quran at the following site http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/expo/exposition.htm Believe it or not, Pakistan was created with the precise intention of implementing the Quranic order. Unfortunately, two major players, Iqbal and Jinnah died in the early days.
  • 7:155-157

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    32 Views
    T
    Peace All 7155 And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointed tryst and, when the trembling came on them, he said My Lord! If Thou hadst willed Thou hadst destroyed them long before, and me with them. Wilt thou destroy us for that which the ignorant among us did ? It is but Thy trial (of us). Thou sendest whom Thou wilt astray and guidest whom Thou wilt Thou art our Protecting Friend, therefore forgive us and have mercy on us, Thou, the Best of all who show forgiveness. 7156 And ordain for us in this world that which is good, and in the Hereafter (that which is good), Lo! We have turned unto Thee. He said I smite with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor-due, and those who believe Our revelations; 7157 Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him they are the successful. Is the final verse in this event actually a continuation? If so how can those whom God will ward off punishment be followers of the ummi prophet/messenger if he is not yet around? The Injeel is not even around, I wonder if at this point the Torah is as well? Can someone explain this. Thanks. Joe
  • Humanist humour

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    30 Views
    E
    Peace all, I think that the posts on the following pages depicts what kind of "humanists" they have at FFI. I warn that some of the material may be offending. And please don't be stupid enough to sink to their level and reply. http//www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=34 There's an old Turkish saying. If you throw a stone at shit, it's likely to splatter on you.
  • Tons of questions, queries and wot not.

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    18 Views
    S
    I'm a new member. First of all, I'm exteremely surprised and happy at finding you guys. My grandfather, father and I have read some good authors and concluded that Quran alone is the source of islamic law and hadith is unfortunately a tool employed by priests to control the masses. (Of course, it is not an attack on the Prophet). A well read but rarely discussed scholar in Pakistan, Ghulam Ahmed Pervaiz has been saying what you are talking about, since 1930s. I recommend that you all read his translation of the Quran at http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/expo/exposition.htm He also has a great book 'Islam A challenge to religion', that extracts Quranic laws in one spot. Read it. It is available on tolueislam site. Put it on this site. Spread the word.Ask the idara and try to post a copy of the Quran glossary and translation on your site. I'm sure they won't mind. Please support the idara, and join forces with it. Remember, free-minds.org is in itself nothing, but a tool to facilitate education, communication and rational thought and eventually, the message of Quran. So do not develop hostility of any sort. Also note that in Pakistan, the people's mentality is exteremly narrowed down. They resort to killing you if you even suggest the notion that hadith should not be a part of the shariah. Idara is literally standing amid ignorants. It needs your help. Proceeding further, the Quran requires us to use modus ponens and other logical tools to extract information. To use MP or HS, you need to have information in the correct order compiled in close proximity. Joe average such as myself is not a learned scholar. He can't remember everything. This idea particularly magnified if the momineen are planning to setup a society as per the divine law. So the scholars, the lawmakers, the readers, all of them need a software tool that facilitates the following 1-Hold multiple translations of the Quran for comparative study. 2-Allow insertion of comments without changing the translation. 3-Allow a reader to drag and drop a verse under a specific section already structured by the reader. So for example, I could pre-design a structure such as "Politics, Law, Rights, Foreign affairs" and so on. Hence while reading the Quran if I find a verse relevant to 'Politics', I merely click on the verse, and drag it into the section of 'politics'. This way, I can archive the relevant verses and consult them as and when needed. The software should also allow a user to add new structures and remove them as need. For those who have used macromedia dreamweaver, this is like clicking on a hyperlink and dragging the arrow to a file on the right. MAcromedia dreamweaver MX is a great example of the process I'm trying to articulate. 4-A built in-search engine. If I want to read all verses that mention 'Momin', I would type it in and receive all the verses where the word is mention. This topic-wise search is extremely useful. 5-Wish list Collaborate with other readers and compare notes by either email or through synchronization through a server (such as free-mind's). I think such a software will greatly reduce time in extracting information from the Quran and allow almost anyone to develop their own encyclopedia of Quranic Laws. I predict that this software will be particularly useful and vastly employed once the true islamic state exists. Are there any coders out there who can do this? I recommend 1-Use Java technology so our linux friends are included. 2-Allow some sort of word processing ability so thesis can be developed from the extracted information. 3-Build-in multiple fonts like English, Urdu, Arabic, Persian Turkish etc for preview atleast. I wonder how many read this so far? D Who am I? I'm not a Muslim. I was born and raised as a Muslim. Then I reasoned that just because I am born in a Muslim's house, does not mean that it is the truth. While I didn't refute islam as wrong (afterall I could have been born in the truth-house and I have no way of knowing), I did observe our prominent communist and capitalist societies. I found them all flawed and disturbing. So I said to myself, hey why read the Quran? So far what I read, makes sense. I plan to browse it over once, then read it with thorough detail, and after that time if I have determined that indeed this is the word of Allah, then I will embrace Islam. Indeed, if there is Allah, he knows my intentions are clear and my criterion for selection is only rational thought. I have a feeling that it is the truth (but I'm creating a bias to myself and I detest myself for doing so). In any event, I know one thing for sure. Islam is not a religion. It is not a relationship between a man and a creator. It is a deen, or a way of life, loosly speaking. It accomplishes its true goals once a collective of like minded individuals sit together on a piece of land, and implement the divine order. So, are you all ever gonna do that or is this a big hub hub? If yes, what is the plan? I read in the Quran that it asks you to plan your resources before starting this programme. Where is the plan? Why aren't you doing this? Why this waste of time? No such information even on progressivemuslims.org. Magazines and all sound sweet and lovely, but you need a place to start from. And PLEASE, create a mailing list that everyone can communicate through.
  • New to forum and Islam

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    24 Views
    L
    Greetings, I have just started to study Islam on my own. I live in a very small town far from any Muslim communities. I feel drawn to Islam and will continue in my quest for Knowledge. I look forward to meeting others, and making new friends. Lisa )
  • Almost a 'Quran Aloner' but just one question left!

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    26 Views
    H
    Salams, I'm almost there! I've only recently come across Quran Alone, and I'm stunned (pleasantly!). Can't believe how brainwashed I've been! I'm almost done undoing it all, but I have one question for you guys.. I've studied the verses that the Traditionalists put forward in defense of Tradition-following and I've read Quran Alone refutation of those verses made perfect sense to me... only one verse continues to confuse/bug me. Unfortunately, I can't remember the verse, but the gist of it was Fas'alu ahl al-dhikr in kuntum la ta'lamun (So ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know). I have been a Shia Muslim my whole life and the traditional interpretation of this verse (obviously supported by a hadith wink ) is that the Ahl Al-Dhikr are the Ahlul Bait (Prophet's Family) and so we should ask them when we do not know. What's confusing me is what is meant by this verse? Who are these people? And why are we being asked to go to them if we don't know? Is it the Prophet? Would he (alone) be refered to as 'Ahl'? This is essentially my last hurdle.. so I hope someone out there can come up with a reasonable, precise explanation. (Please don't just brush it aside be detailed). Thanks, wassalam, HR
  • Dogs and my traditionalist father

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    27 Views
    A
    Well, my dad left for a year and a half and came back a month ago. In his absence my mother bought a dog for my brothers since she had to work most of the time and they were alone. Now my dad comes back and he's been saying that the dog is dirty and now the house is dirty...like we can't pray in it and stuff. Well let's see...I've never seen my dad pray in his house my entire life unless a guest wanted to pray. My dad goes out to drink at bars every Friday and Saturday night. Also, I am pretty sure he has cheated on my mother more than a few times. Now he is complaining that the house is "dirty" because of the dog. He says dogs are nice creatures but Islam says they are not clean. I have just been ignoring him when he starts complaining about the dog because I don't want to get into an argument with him. My parent's are divorcing and he's letting my brothers stay with my mother but if I start arguing with him and he percieves that I am not a "muslim" or i am "anti-islam" he might change his mind and try to take my brothers with him back to the middle-east. (Now, I have no problem with the middle-east but I think at this point in life for my brothers it's better if they just continue their education here where their friends are and stuff. They are 8 and 11.)
  • GOODBYE :)

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    21 Views
    D
    Thank you everyone for allowing me the opportunity to voice my opinions. Special thanks to layth. I understand. Good luck to all of yo. Happy Holidays too! And may the truth prevail. ) CYA.
  • Are Human Beings Perfect?

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    29 Views
    D
    GOD is Perfect. He makes absolutely no mistakes. His creation is...perfect??? If His creation is so perfect, then how do we explain njn6d4's dilemma? How do we explain mental retardation? How do we explain siamese twins? How do we explain people born with a limb missing or dwarfism? How do we explain people born with both sex organs and don't which one they are meant to be if GOD's creation is perfect? Human beings are perfect? Or are human beings perfect for something? These two ideas are different. What did the quran tell you? I tell you that homo sapiens make perfect piranha food but they are nowhere near the perfection of being. We tend to forget just how perfectly GOD has designed and created us and the entire universe. When I was a kid, whenever I would see someone that society considers "Abnormal" I would always do two things I cannot fathom how you could agree to that conclusion. If our design was perfect then how could it be that some of our organs have no use, like the appendix? How is it that we can make it ?more? perfect by circumcizing men? How is it that some people are better than others? How is it that we make mistakes? Grow old? I apologize to everyone here for what I'm about to say, as I said before this is just my personal theory. I wonder if GOD allows these things to happen to serve as a reminder to us just how Perfect He really is. In other words, if there were no Divine design behind our creation, would the majority of mankind be born as perfectly as we are? Two arms, two legs, a beating heart, mental faculties, a nose through which we breath. Even minute things such as fingernails, eyelashes and passing waste, urine or gas serve a purpose to our well being. However wont that also remind you the CRUELTY of your hypothetical God? I would always express an inner gratitude for my own state, but I would also ask GOD "Why not me?" Why do that to someone who is innocent and hasn't done anything to anybody? So on the one hand I would be grateful, but on the other hand I wanted to know "Why?"? Your really want to know why? Doesnt the quran give you a hint? Christians have an answer to that question. GOD knows best and may He guide me and correct me if my thinking process is wrong. The quran found the space to praise mohammed and command muslims to bless this dead man. And yet failed to give an answer to your very important question and thus leaving you walking in the dark and conjuring your own theories. This is very wrong.
  • Merry Christmas

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    26 Views
    K
    I would like to wish everyone a merry and happy christmas.
  • My "Brother" Anna

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    26 Views
    N
    I have a question about my little brother. In the past I haven't had much to do with him but recently he has been seeking religious advise from me. Problem is I really don't know what to tell him except that I have given him a copy of the Qur'an and advised him to study it diligently. Here is the problem. My brother suffers from gender identity disorder - he's a transsexual. For those who aren't familiar with GID, Anna believes he is mentally and emotionally female and he has doctors aplenty who will confirm that to be so. There are male brains and female brains and Anna's brain is wired up like a female. This isn't something like homosexuality or transvestism that develops in puberty or later. Anna has always been this way since he was old enough to speak. He has always been a sissy - even downright prissy and has preferred female clothing, toys, etc. since he was a very small child. He has always insisted he is a girl. When Anna was a kid my parents took him to a lot of different doctors all to no avail as their therapies only created new problems that made him even more dysfunctional. Then when he was 11 they took him to a specialist in Boston who diagnosed him as being afflicted with Gender Dysphoria and he has been a research subject ever since. Now at age 21, Anna is in the final stages of sexual reassignment. He has been taking female hormones for about two or three years and is now permanently sterile and impotent. He will probably have his first surgery within a year. Everything about him - his appearance, mannerisms, emotional patterns, voice etc. are completely feminine. To see him is to see a happy and upbeat young woman. A quite beautiful woman at that. If I pointed him out to you and said 'that is a man' I have no doubt your response would be something to the effect of "No Way!". Recently one of Anna's transsexual friends died of cancer and he has since taken an interest in religious matters. I have been trying to point him in the right direction but to be honest, I'm not sure what if anything the Qur'an has to say about GID. I have discussed it with the brothers at the mosque but their opinion is derived from Hadeeth that refer IMO to transvestism rather than transsexualism. I can find nothing in the Qur'an about it. If all he was were a homo or transvestite I'd just tell him to straighten up and be a man but I just don't think it is possible for him. There is no man in there. So I'm not sure what the answer is. We (my family) have pretty much accepted him for what he is since he was 15. After my father died my mother made one last ditch effort to change him. She took him to a christian psychotherapist who claimed he could make a man out of him. All he succeeded in was destroying Anna's self-esteem to the point he become suicidal. Well that's the background, now my real question is this Can Anna become a Muslim and live as a celibate female after the surgery? If he doesn't go though with the surgery can he be a Muslim and live a celibate life as an ostensible female? After all my understanding is that the effects of the female hormones are irreversible. He could get a double mastectomy or liposuction to remove his breasts but other effects will always remain. What is the answer for my brother and people like him? Were they just destined for the fire from birth? How do we interpret Allah's silence on an issue (i.e. the Qur'an says nothing about it)? TIA
  • To laytth stop the rot before it gets out of hand

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    37 Views
    S
    peace laytth could you plese either ban or tell the following to stop using bad language insultting language especialy the following DR no DADDY DR NO JUINIOR And any body else who is using insults to get at one anothere or we are going to lose a forum to the lunitics of this world. peace saleem
  • What is the best commercial Translation of the Quran? :)

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    36 Views
    D
    Ok Im done with my christmas shopping and have a few more bucks ($60+) leftover from my Christmas bonus. I think I'll use that to buy my very own Quran. What version do you suggest, people? D
  • Daddy, i need you again.

    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    31 Views
    D
    Why are they complaining, you promised me the world pops, you sold your soul and im in between all this, so what up? http//halliburtonhell.blogspot.com/ Well here we go again. "Army Corps spokesman Bob Faletti said the "deadline window" had been extended until Jan. 17, 2004. An announcement would be made between Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, " Nobody believes for a minute that Halliburton won't win the open bidding but why don't they at least care about appearances? We know Dick Cheney is running the war and the country. As long as that is true more billions will be funneled to Halliburton. When are we going to wake up and throw these thieves out of Washington? If 1.72 Billion isn't enough then what is? 12.02.03, 1235 PM ET WASHINGTON - The U.S. military said Tuesday it had again extended a deadline for awarding two new contracts to repair Iraq's oil fields, giving Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm Halliburton more time under its no-competition deal. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in October it would replace by the end of December a no-bid deal given in March to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, which by last week had clocked up more than $1.72 billion in business. But Army Corps spokesman Bob Faletti said the "deadline window" had been extended until Jan. 17, 2004. An announcement would be made between Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, he said. "Our goal is to make sure that we have a good contract and so we are giving ourselves that five-week window to ensure we have a good, solid contract," said Faletti. Bushit! Contracts don't get better with more time! By the time this deal gets done the secret underground pipeline to Kuwait will have sucked IRAQ dry like the Bush led Congress is sucking the treasury dry. All of these thieves will be living on some island like Sultans while we are left here in utter financial ruin and chaos. In the meantime, he said KBR, which has also bid on the new deals, would continue its work in Iraq."This is not about KBR, it is about having a good solid contract," he said, rejecting past criticism that delays served to give KBR more lucrative business in Iraq. Yeah and if you believe that I have bridge in Brooklyn.....and you also believe this "Work will continue in Iraq and the work to award these contracts will continue. Our goal has always been to issue competitively-bid contracts." Faletti said the deadline had been extended to give selection officials more time to look at the complicated bids and because of the coming holidays. He said the terms of the contracts -- one for the north and the other for the southern region in Iraq -- had not changed and he did not expect the amount of the contracts to increase. The two new deals were meant to have been announced in October but were delayed after intense looting and sabotage doubled defense officials' original estimates from a billion dollars to $2 billion. Yes we have an army there but they can't stop a billion dollars worth of sabotage and looting. Faletti said looting and sabotage still hampered oil field repair work but it was not as intense. "Every time the pipelines are blown up that is money that has to be diverted to fix it from other stuff that was due to be repaired." The work given to KBR in Iraq has been strongly criticized by Democrats, who allege cronyism and favoritism in handing out the deals and claim that KBR is overcharging for some of its services. Aside from the oil fields no-bid deal, KBR has a separate logistics contract with the military, with tasks ranging from building bases to delivering mail and feeding U.S. troops. Last week, three Democratic lawmakers asked the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate alleged overpricing of gasoline sent to Iraq by KBR. Halliburton has strongly denied overpricing of gasoline into the oil-rich country, which has suffered an oil shortage because its refineries are not running to capacity. Well you wouldn't expect them to admit to being thieves would you? Christ gimme a break. Just take all the money and leave us with some self-respect. GET YOUR BEST HEADLINES AT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED Permanent Link Hal Burton Cheney @ 335 AM 12.1.2003 Cheney threatens "fundamental principles of the separation of powers" ? High court may hear Cheney appeal - Energy case focuses on confidentiality, presidential powers This administration now threatens the power of Courts and Congress to balance the Executive 12/1/2003 WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's sustained campaign to build up the powers of the presidency and to extend the confidentiality of White House decision-making is due for a major test in the Supreme Court, possibly as early as today. The justices appear ready to decide whether they will hear an appeal by Vice President Dick Cheney, who is defending his refusal to disclose files of the task force that he headed in developing the administration's energy policy, which is now stalled in Congress. If the court grants a review, a final decision would be months away. The administration has raised the stakes on the preliminary decision by arguing that the case threatens "fundamental principles of the separation of powers" between the branches of government. Because of the sweeping constitutional arguments being made, thecase has the potential to sharply curtail the power of the courts and, by implication, Congress to oversee the workings of the executive branch. The key argument is that the Constitution's separation of powers among the three branches means that the other two branches are without authority to second-guess the president when he and his staff are deciding how to use executive powers. The position of the administration in the case parallels arguments against judicial interference in the president's handling of the war on terrorism, arguments being made with increasing frequency in court cases involving terrorist suspects or "enemy combatants." The White House has been making similar arguments in a running battle over access to internal presidential papers that are being sought by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the US, an independent body that is investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Cheney is not only the leading figure in the task-force dispute that is now ready for the Supreme Court's reaction. He also is the central officer of the administration waging the public campaign for greater presidential authority. Early last year, he told a television talk show that in 34 years in Washington, "I have repeatedly seen an erosion of the powers and the ability of the president of the United States to do his job." It is a theme he repeats often in public appearances, and that Justice Department lawyers regularly make in briefs filed in court. In the energy task force case, those arguments have been losing for the past two years, as a federal judge and then a federal appeals court have ruled that courts may order at least limited inquiry into the decision-making process that the agency used. Two private groups, Judicial Watch, a conservative legal advocacy organization, and the Sierra Club, an environmental protection group, have sued Cheney, Cabinet officers, and other government officers, seeking to force into the open the role that energy industry executives might have played in influencing administration policy. So far, the case is nowhere near going to trial, because Cheney has steadfastly refused to acknowledge that the courts may order such an intrusion into the decision-making process. Although given a chance by the federal judge to cite specific documents that the White House could claim were shielded by "executive privilege," the administration has refused to assert that claim as to any document, standing on its view that it need not do so in order to maintain confidentiality. In the past, challenges over the confidentiality of presidential documents have often been ended, or settled, after presidential assertions of executive privilege -- a broad confidentiality doctrine first outlined by the Supreme Court in 1974 in the White House tape recordings case during the Watergate scandal. But Cheney and President Bush have refused to invoke that privilege in the energy policy case, saying the independence of the executive branch does not require it. Besides, Cheney has argued, the president should not be bothered with the task of going over each document sought and deciding whether to claim a privilege to withhold it. Cheney's appeal insists that the task force's work involved only government officials giving advice to the president. But the case against him by Judicial Watch and the Sierra Club argues that industry executives served as influential advisers, too, and their lawsuit seeks documents to show who attended meetings and what role advisers played. US District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan has allowed the case to go forward, at least to the point of requiring the disclosure of some task force papers -- unless the government claims they are privileged. Last week, Senate leaders decided not to press for final congressional action on the broad energy measure during the current session of Congress, because of the threat of a Democratic-led filibuster. The bill will be brought up again next month. These people are megalomaniacs and will stop at nothing to claim total control of the country. Permanent Link Hal Burton Cheney @ 1057 PM 11.30.2003 Five Black Veterans Accuse KBR div. of Halliburton with Racial Bias? Nov 29, 2003 Five black veterans have accused Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, of engaging in racial discrimination. One of the men, a 21-year veteran of the Marines, contended in an arbitration filing that he was paid less than his colleagues, endured racist epithets, was passed over for promotion in favor of less-qualified people who were white and ultimately lost his job at Kellogg Brown & Root, the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton, which is a major global supplier of oil field services. It is difficult to draw conclusions about a company's employment practices based on the accusations of a handful of employees, specialists in employment law say, and nearly every large company has faced its share of discrimination claims. But such accusations made by veterans are potentially very sensitive for Kellogg Brown & Root, which has strong ties to the military. A former Army staff sergeant said he lost his job when the company fired 84 percent of the blacks in his unit, according to the filing. Two other claimants, a former Army major and a former sergeant, said that, in separate incidents, they were told their jobs were no longer necessary - only to find later that white employees were promptly given their old positions. A fifth man, a former Air Force sergeant, said that he was repeatedly denied employment at Kellogg Brown & Root when he applied in person for jobs at the company but received an offer when he sent his r?sum? via fax; the offer was rescinded before he could start. "I was devastated," said Wayne Whiting, the former Army staff sergeant. He and the other four men have begun arbitration proceedings against Halliburton and Kellogg Brown & Root. "I was a former military guy, now a retired military guy, and I was well known in logistics, and I was just surprised that a company of this magnitude could go on to treat their employees with no kind of respect whatsoever." The terms of the employment contracts signed by the four former Kellogg Brown & Root employees prohibit them from suing in federal court. This is not unusual, employment lawyers say. A date has not yet been set for the arbitration, which will be in New York, said Joshua Friedman, the lawyer for the veterans. The stories of the four veterans who worked at the company have common elements. Each man says that he was singled out for unfair treatment by superiors. Two say that they complained to the human resources department at the company, and three filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. All four lost their jobs and contend that clearly less-qualified white employees took their old positions - even after the company told them, in some cases, that the positions were to be eliminated. Mr. Whiting, for example, started in November 1998 at Kellogg Brown & Root in Taszar, Hungary, helping to run a supply system for the Army, according to the arbitration filing. He was told in an e-mail message in October 2000 that his position was being eliminated, the filing said. Then he learned that one of his subordinates, who is white, was taking over his old job. According to the arbitration claim, the e-mail message with the news of Mr. Whiting's job loss came after one of his supervisors told him, "You're not the right man and color for this job."