In 1918, Senator Hiram Warren Johnson from California noted that the Truth is the first casualty of war. That is only one of the shames of warfare, for each side somehow seems to develop its own truths. Unfortunately, many of those on the sidelines know little about what is going on, except what one side or the other has sworn “is the truth.” The peculiar problem with people who know little is, the less they know, the more stridently they broadcast it.
The United States has a media with great writers, equipment, and a population eager for news and information. However, with a few exceptions, this media could easily be led by the late Reich Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels. The news and information people need cannot be handled by what is left of the media. It is up to the people then to do what we can to help ourselves.
In the propaganda war between the people of the West and those of the East, the East seems to be winning. We in the West have no media to fight for us any more, and those that might, are simply not interested in the cause.
One of the battles we are fighting vis-à-vis propaganda, is that the West is so iniquitous, that the Deity commands that people of the East fight us.
O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness. (Sura 9:123)
Arabic Text
[9:123] يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا قَاتِلُوْا الَّذِيْنَ يَلُوْنَكُمْ مِّنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوْا فِيْكُمْ غِلْظَةً ؕ وَاعْلَمُوْاۤ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ
Source: http://www.alislam.org/quran/search2/showChapter.php?ch=9&verse=120
The United States has a media with great writers, equipment, and a population eager for news and information. However, with a few exceptions, this media could easily be led by the late Reich Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels. The news and information people need cannot be handled by what is left of the media. It is up to the people then to do what we can to help ourselves.
In the propaganda war between the people of the West and those of the East, the East seems to be winning. We in the West have no media to fight for us any more, and those that might, are simply not interested in the cause.
One of the battles we are fighting vis-à-vis propaganda, is that the West is so iniquitous, that the Deity commands that people of the East fight us.
O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness. (Sura 9:123)
Arabic Text
[9:123] يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا قَاتِلُوْا الَّذِيْنَ يَلُوْنَكُمْ مِّنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوْا فِيْكُمْ غِلْظَةً ؕ وَاعْلَمُوْاۤ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ
Source: http://www.alislam.org/quran/search2/showChapter.php?ch=9&verse=120
Original Text – Message of the Qur’an1
(With respect to Bedouins…) And whenever they spend anything for the sake of God, be it a little or much (for the war effort or emergencies) and whenever they move on earth, in God’s cause – it is recorded in their favor, and God will grant them the best reward for all that they are doing. {121)
With all this, it is not desirable that all of the believers take the field in time of war. From within every group in their midst, some shall refrain from going forth to war, and shall devote themselves instead to acquiring a deeper knowledge of their faith, and thus be able to teach their home-coming brethren, so that these too might guard themselves against evil. {122}
O you who have attained to faith! Fight against those deniers of the truth who are near you, and let them find you adamant;
2 and know that God is with those who are conscious of him. {123}Comments
In his introduction to the Sura[3], Maududi pointed out that the first part of the text raked the followers over the coals a little for not joining or supporting their Prophet in his quest to find the Roman legion at Tabuk. However, Allah eventually forgave them and pointed out that not everyone was suited for a warrior under all circumstances and that some had to remain home to fight the larger jihad, increasing one’s knowledge and one’s commitment to Allah. According to Muhammad, waging war was the lesser jihad.
It could also be pointed out that the Roman legion had not threatened the followers or Yathrib/Medina in any way, so that taking a force of 30,000 warriors to attack a Roman legion that was not threatening Islam, could hardly be considered a defensive war. Perhaps we should also mention in passing that the Roman legion would not have been as easy a foe as the Meccan shopkeepers.
Of course, readers of Politico Mafioso have seen that such sobriquets as deniers of the truth, idolaters, unbelievers, etc., are those given to the Meccans who fought with Muhammad in the seventh century. These people, along with the Christians and Jews, some of whom fought on either side, have no link with the present and therefore, no such references apply. If some Arabs today continue to rant about conquering the earth, perhaps they should remember that it is nobler to first conquer themselves and be the best of the faithful, leaving other Arabs and other nationalities in peace to be the best they can be in their own faiths. In other words, it is time to BUTT OUT and go about their own business, seeing to their families and their friends, learning more about this world and themselves. Retaliation for grievances real or imagined only go so far; there is a time to forget and a time to move on.
Remember that in Hadith 1:38, the Prophet (pbuh) said,
And to those of us who are new to the world of our battle of cultures, it is time to learn a little more about this world of ours. In Phoenix, Arizona remember this website and also tune your computers (or radios) to the Middle East Radio Forum, KKNT 960, each Sunday at noon Arizona time, or http://www.blogger.com/ , or http://www.blogger.com/ for the latest no-punches-pulled reviews of Middle East miracles or catastrophes.
With two more rogue nations with clowns for CEOs being welcomed by our government into the world of the nuclear-armed, one can never know what tomorrow will bring, so please do not die without at least knowing why.
HJS
Of course, readers of Politico Mafioso have seen that such sobriquets as deniers of the truth, idolaters, unbelievers, etc., are those given to the Meccans who fought with Muhammad in the seventh century. These people, along with the Christians and Jews, some of whom fought on either side, have no link with the present and therefore, no such references apply. If some Arabs today continue to rant about conquering the earth, perhaps they should remember that it is nobler to first conquer themselves and be the best of the faithful, leaving other Arabs and other nationalities in peace to be the best they can be in their own faiths. In other words, it is time to BUTT OUT and go about their own business, seeing to their families and their friends, learning more about this world and themselves. Retaliation for grievances real or imagined only go so far; there is a time to forget and a time to move on.
Remember that in Hadith 1:38, the Prophet (pbuh) said,
“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the
nights.”
And to those of us who are new to the world of our battle of cultures, it is time to learn a little more about this world of ours. In Phoenix, Arizona remember this website and also tune your computers (or radios) to the Middle East Radio Forum, KKNT 960, each Sunday at noon Arizona time, or http://www.blogger.com/ , or http://www.blogger.com/ for the latest no-punches-pulled reviews of Middle East miracles or catastrophes.
With two more rogue nations with clowns for CEOs being welcomed by our government into the world of the nuclear-armed, one can never know what tomorrow will bring, so please do not die without at least knowing why.
HJS
1 Message of the Qur’an, Muhammad Asad, Oriental Press, Dubai, 2003, pages 319-320
2 Uncompromising with regard to ethical principals.
[3] Downloadable (free) version of the Qur’an, http://www.blogger.com/ , sura 9 Introduction
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