The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned what it called the “gruesome and barbaric” killing of American journalist James Foley by the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State.

ISIS released a video of the killing Tuesday. That same video showed a second man identified as American journalist Steven Sotloff and warned that he would be the next hostage killed.

In a statement, CAIR said:

“We strongly condemn this gruesome and barbaric killing as a violation of Islamic beliefs and of universally-accepted international norms mandating the protection of prisoners and journalists during conflicts.

“The Geneva Conventions, the Quran – Islam’s revealed text – and the traditions (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad all require that prisoners not be harmed in any way. There can be no excuse or justification for such criminal and bloodthirsty actions.”

A saying of the Prophet Muhammad strongly condemns a military commander who, without the prophet’s knowledge, had harmed prisoners.

CAIR recently reiterated its condemnation of the “un-Islamic and morally repugnant” violence and religious extremism of ISIS.   »»» CAIR

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Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh says that extremism and the ideologies of groups like the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda are Islam’s No. 1 enemy and that Muslims have been their first victims.

He also said in his public statement that terrorism has no place in Islam.

“The ideas of extremism, radicalism and terrorism… have nothing to do with Islam and (their proponents) are the No. 1 enemy of Islam,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He cited militants from the Islamic State, which has declared itself a “caliphate” straddling large parts of Iraq and Syria, and the Al-Qaeda network, saying their brutal actions have tarnished the image of the divine Islamic faith.   »»» Arab News

Increasing numbers of Muslim leaders, ordinary Muslims and Muslim groups are loudly denouncing ISIS (IS, ISIL) and its barbarous actions. The so-called “Muslims” in ISIS are blasphemers, heretics and renegades.They are guilty of the shari’ah crime of “spreading mischief in the land” (rape, murder of innocents, pillage, destruction and terrorism of communities), for which the punishment is death.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned Muslims of the dangers of extremism:

“Beware of extremism in religion because that was the only thing that destroyed those before you.”

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A Dutchman honoured by Israel for hiding a Jewish child during World War Two has handed back his medal after six of his relatives were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza.

Henk Zanoli, 91, wrote to the Israeli embassy in The Hague to say he could no longer hold the honour.

He said an Israeli F-16 had destroyed his great-niece’s home in Gaza, killing all inside, in the recent offensive.

Mr Zanoli and his mother were awarded the “Righteous Among the Nations” honour by Israel in 2011 for helping to shelter a Jewish child from the Nazis in their family home from 1943-45.

The award is accorded to non-Jews who risked their lives to protect and save Jews during the Holocaust.

However, Mr Zanoli said in a letter published by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper that “to hold on to the honour granted to me by the State of Israel under these circumstances, would be an insult… to those in my family, four generations on, who lost no less than six of their relatives in Gaza.”

“The great-great grandchildren of my mother have lost their grandmother, three uncles, an aunt and a cousin at the hands of the Israeli military,” he wrote, referring to an air strike by the Israeli military on 20 July.

His great-niece is a Dutch diplomat who is married to Palestinian economist Ismail Ziadah, who was born in a refugee camp in central Gaza.

Mr Ziadah’s mother, three brothers, a sister-in-law and nine-year-old nephew were all killed after their family home was hit by Israeli aircraft.

Mr Zanoli, a retired lawyer, offered sharp criticism of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge offensive, warning that such actions could lead to possible convictions of “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.   »»» BBC News – Dutchman returns Holocaust medal after family deaths in Gaza.

Hamas is wrong to send rockets into Israel.
Israel is wrong to counterattack by its murderous actions in Gaza.

What is going on now is, ON BOTH SIDES, an abomination before the face of God.

Both the Talmud and the Qur’an tell us that to save ONE life is to save all humanity and to destroy ONE life is to destroy all humanity.

The Law of Moses says that retaliation is allowed but must be PROPORTIONATE to the original harm: eye for eye, wound for wound, life for life.

In the present situation, the deaths and injuries to INNOCENT people in Gaza have been far greater by several orders of magnitude than the deaths and injuries caused by Hamas. The inablility (or lack of desire ?) on the part of Israel to avoid “collateral damage” is increasing the support for Hamas. No lasting good can come of the actions now undertaken by both sides.

Sometimes I wonder if the vision of Isaiah is an omen for the modern State of Israel. According to his vision in the Torah, Zion will suffer at God’s hand for its evil actions and be purified from its lack of mercy and righteousness.

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.

Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies;

And I will turn My hand upon thee, and purge away thy dross as with lye, and will take away all thine alloy;

And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness.

But the destruction of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today reiterated its condemnation of the “un-Islamic and morally repugnant” violence and religious extremism of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“As we have stated previously, American Muslims view the actions of ISIS as both un-Islamic and morally repugnant. No interpretation of Islam condones the torture and murder of civilians, the destruction of houses of worship or the targeting of religious minorities.

“We reiterate our condemnation of the violent actions and religious extremism of ISIS and reject the false claim that it in any way represents mainstream Islamic thought or practice. ISIS’s actions are neither Islamic nor humane, they are simply insane.”   »»» CAIR

The ISIS sect is the home of blasphemers, heretics and renegades. They claim to be Sunni Muslims, but they commit horrible acts that are contrary to Islamic law. They commit a major crime that the Qur’an describes as “spreading mischief in the land” and “waging war against Allah and his Prophet”. Under shari’ah law that crime can be punished by death.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned Muslims of the dangers of extremism:

“Beware of extremism in religion because that was the only thing that destroyed those before you.”

The Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad teach that all religious minorities that worship the God of Abraham and who live peacefully in Muslim lands must be protected in their honour, property and lives by the Muslim majority. In that regard, the Prophet Muhammad said, “Anyone who hurts a protected non-Muslim hurts me and anyone who hurts me hurts Allah.”

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A Christian man in Syria recently had his head brutally hacked off by Islamic militants after being forced to deny his faith and salute Mohammed as “the messenger of God”.

The incident was caught on video for the world to see and broadcast as a warning to “everyone like him”.

In the video that was posted to YouTube with translated captions, the helpless Christian man is surrounded by armed militants wearing masks and he is heard reciting as instructed: “There is no God but God and I testify that Mohammed is the messenger of God.”

An apparent leader in the group of militants is then heard instructing the group: “No one will shoot him now, do you understand? He will not be killed by shooting because it is merciful for him.”

“He will be beheaded because he is Kaffir, non-Muslim, sided [with] the government and was not praying at all. Everyone like him will have the same end, beheading,” said the militant.

A militant armed with a machete then grabs the defenseless man by the hair and begins to cut his head from his body as the group cries “Allahu Akbar…there is no God but God.”

   »»» Christian Post

Those so-called “Muslims” are renegades, blasphemers and heretics. They have committed the shari’ah crime of “hibarah” (terrorism and social disruption), which is punishable by death. In the Qur’an, Allah himself says, “Let there be no compulsion in Islam.” Allah give peaceful Christians and Jews the right to live in Muslim lands. They must be protected by the Muslim majority.

They are called “dhimmi” (protected citizens). Protecting their lives, honour and property are so important that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) said, “Anyone who harms a Dhimmi, harms me and anyone who harms me, harms Allah.”

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Millions of Muslims across the world have celebrated the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the monthlong fast of Ramadan.

The three-day-long Eid al-Fitr holiday is a time to celebrate the completion of Ramadan, a month devoted to fasting, worship and repentance during which observing Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset every day.

But the mood was dark for millions of people affected by the Syrian civil war, the Gaza war and the militant advance in Iraq. Many were just too busy trying to survive to observe the holiday.

Beyond the Middle East, the few remaining Muslims in the Central African Republic’s capital city ventured out to a mosque under the watchful guard of armed peacekeepers. Others like Aminata Bary stayed at home, still too fearful to venture out for fear of attack from Christian militias who drove thousands of Muslims from the capital this year.

In the Philippines, an insurgent group attacked people traveling to celebrate with their families, killing 21, including at least six children, in the bloodiest incident by the gunmen in recent years.

In Gaza City, streets were largely deserted, as residents huddled indoors for safety. More than 1,040 Gazans have been killed, more than 6000 wounded and tens of thousands displaced in the last three weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas, according to Palestinian officials. Israel has seen 43 Israeli soldiers and three civilians killed.

“All we think about is to stay safe,” said Fedaa Abul Atta, a nurse and mother of six. The family was grieving the death of her nephew, killed in an airstrike. Her house among hundreds demolished by Israeli fire in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shijaiyah.

The mood was equally subdued for the more than 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

“Eid has no flavor here at all,” said Umm Ammar, who fled her country three years ago with her family and now lives in an encampment in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. “We want to celebrate Eid in Syria, in our homes.”

Despite frequent car bombings in Iraq’s capital of Baghdad, shoppers packed malls and stores ahead of Eid in anticipation of family gatherings.

In West Africa, Eid prayers were dedicated to the victims of two tragedies in the region – the crash of an Air Algerie plane that killed 118 people and an ongoing Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 670.

Eid celebrations were less extravagant than usual in Malaysia as it tried to come to terms with loss of two Malaysian Airlines flights. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Cabinet canceled their celebrations to mourn for the victims.

Similarly, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced that he would not be receiving guests or congratulations because of the situation in nearby Gaza. Turkish President Abdullah Gul reminded people in his Eid message that though Turkey was enjoying a peaceful holiday, many of its neighbors were not.

In Qatar’s capital city of Doha, celebrations were cancelled in one area and in another the festivities were curbed back to mourn victims in Gaza. Some restaurants also had donation boxes and said they would donate their Eid profits to Gaza.

Iman Eddbali, 26, said the imam leading prayers in her local mosque in Doha urged worshippers to be happy for those who cannot be happy this year.

“It is a religious duty to celebrate the end of Ramadan, … but at the same time it would be indecent to overdo it this year,” she said. “We just can’t ignore that there are many, many people, not just in Palestine, that simply just can’t even have a proper day to rest and mourn their dead.”   »»» News.com.au

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As Muslims throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Eid-al-Fitr [marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan], Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to them and their families. This last month has been a time of fasting, reflection, spiritual renewal, and service to the less fortunate. While Eid marks the completion of Ramadan, it also celebrates the common values that unite us in our humanity and reinforces the obligations that people of all faiths have to each other, especially those impacted by poverty, conflict, and disease.

In the United States, Eid also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy. That is why we stand with people of all faiths, here at home and around the world, to protect and advance their rights to prosper, and we welcome their commitment to giving back to their communities.

On behalf of the Administration, we wish Muslims in the United States and around the world a blessed and joyous celebration. Eid Mubarak.   »»» The White House

“Eid Mubarak” is an Arabic greeting meaning “Blessed Celebration”. Among those who contributed to building the U.S. were thousands of Muslims who were brought to the country in its early days as slaves. With some exceptions, they were not allowed to openly follow their faith. Slavery was not outlawed until the mid-19th century and racial segregation continued in many places until the mid-20th century.

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For Gaza resident Mahmud Khalaf, it was a bizarre new experience, prostrating himself for his daily Muslim prayers beneath the gaze of an icon of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him).

But since the war in Gaza began, he has had no choice but to worship in a Christian house of God, where he took refuge after Israeli air strikes pummelled his neighbourhood in the north of the Palestinian territory.

“They let us pray. It´s changed my view of Christians — I didn´t really know any before, but they’ve become our brothers,” said Khalaf, 27, who admitted he never expected to perform his evening prayers in a church.

“We (Muslims) prayed all together last night,” he said. “Here, the love between Muslims and Christians has grown.”   »»» The News (Pakistan)

When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was visited by a delegation of Christians from the nearby province of Narjan, he allowed them to pray in his mosque, in Medina. According to historical accounts, some of the Prophet’s closest companions sometimes prayed in Christian churches when they were in places where there was no mosque.

The Qur’an says, “And you will find that those nearest in affection to the believers (Muslims) are those who say: We are Christians.”

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The Christian Council of Ghana has sent an advanced congratulatory message to the Muslim community as they prepare to end the holy month of Ramadan and mark eid-ul- Fitr Festival.

In a statement yesterday, General Secretary of the Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong said:

“For a whole month, our brothers and sisters have fasted from dawn to sunset, refraining from food and drink; offering special prayers for forgiveness, guidance, prosperity and unity; sharing love; engaging in peacemaking and charitable works for our homeland Ghana.”

The statement said, “as a Council, we join them in this great celebration, and assure them of our continuous partnership, in living as one people who believe in the one, true God and in making Ghana great and strong.”   »»» Daily Guide Ghana

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Islamic State (Isis), the al-Qaida offshoot that seized large swathes of northern Iraq last month, has warned women in the city of Mosul to wear full-face veils or risk severe punishment.

The Sunni insurgents, who have declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria and have threatened to march on Baghdad, also listed guidelines on how veils and clothes should be worn, part of a campaign to violently impose their radical brand of Islam.   »»» Iraq: Isis warns women to wear full veil or face punishment | World news | The Guardian

The ISIS people are heretics, blasphemers and renegades. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was specifically asked how much of a woman’s body could be left uncovered and he indicated the feet and the face. Women who make the pilgrimage to Mecca and who are in very close proximity to thousands of other pilgrims (male and female) are NOT allowed to cover their faces. It is said that the wives of the Prophet sometimes wore full face veils to avoid being recognized when they were in public places. If that is true, it is possible that some women wear the full face veil out of pious imitation of the Prophet’s wives. However, that is a voluntary act of piety and cannot be imposed on any woman.

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