Part 2 - The Source Of The Problem

By Syed Akbar Ali

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Kitab Kuda Liar - The Bible & The Dark Ages

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I derived the following from a book:

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• The Dark Ages was a period in European history - between 800 AD and lasting until the Renaissance.
• The common thread throughout this period of history was the total dominance of religion (Christianity) in Europe.
• The era became known as the Dark Ages in Europe because of the introduction of religion as the only guideline in all fields of endeavor.
• This created a halt to all progress and centuries of cultural stagnation in Europe
• The power of the clergy (pope) - The Age of Religion saw the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, becoming the single most important political figure in Europe
• The last great innovation of the Age of Religion was the Inquisition, which was charged with seeking out, trying and sentencing persons guilty of the broadly defined crime of apostasy and "heresy".
• Religious courts at various places in Europe brought charges against persons suspected of heresy - which could include disputing the orthodox interpretation of the religion.
• The Inquisition went on for over 300 years, in varying forms and with differing degrees of cruelty. About 2000 people were burned at the stake during Torquemada's term of office (d 1498 AD).
• The Index of Forbidden Books - called the Index Liborurm Prohibitorum - was continuously published by the Catholics until 1966, when it was quietly dropped.

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Index Liborum Prohibitorum? Sounds like an unwanted birth. The Index of Forbidden Books? Doesnt that sound so familiar? Dont we do the same thing here in Malaysia too? The difference is this is the 21^st century. If the Europeans in the 9^th century were living in the dark for banning books, how do we in the 21^st century live in the light when we do the same thing?

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Killing people for apostasy and heresy, banning books, putting religion into every aspect of life were the characteristics of the Dark Ages in Europe. Here are some of the reasons why Europe got into the Dark Ages. This is Ground Zero, the actual Source of the Dark Ages :

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Leviticus 24:16 : ¹⁶ anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.

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The Bible says kill people who blaspheme the name of the Lord. These wild horse teachings gave birth to the Inquisition and the Dark Ages. Here is another one:

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Deut 13 : 6-9 ‘ If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, ⁷ gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), ⁸ do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. ⁹ You must certainly put them to death.

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This is the Bible's punishment of death for apostasy. Just kill the apostate. Please look up this name : Tomas de Torquemada. Torquemada became famous in the 15th century during the Spanish Inquisition. Torquemada had more than 2000 people burned at the stake for heresy, apostasy etc. What a sport he was.

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In the Quran there is no temporal punishment for apostasy. The Quran says the following:

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Surah 4:137 “Surely, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then plunge deeper into disbelief, GOD will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way.

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Most certainly a person has to be alive to be able to believe, then jump out of belief, then jump back into belief, then jump again into disbelief and then to persist in his disbelief. The Quran does not prescribe any form of temporal punishment for people who jump into and out of belief like this. God will not forgive them nor show them the way. God will deal with them. Read carefully ok. Jangan marah tak tentu pasal. Ini Quran cakap, bukan saya cakap.

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Why did Tomas De Torquemada burn 2000 people at the stake? The Catholics at that time were concerned with what the Jewish Bible termed the 'aqeedah'. Aqeedah is also a Hebrew word. The Hebrews attached a very specific religious meaning to this word 'aqeedah'. To the Hebrews 'aqeedah' referred to religious creed or religious faith. Here is some background from the Bible again :

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"Aqeedah: The Hebrew word for 'binding', and the common designation for Genesis 22:1 - 19 in which God tests Abraham by commanding that he sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham, "binds" Isaac (verse 9)."

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“The New Testament refers to the aqedah not as an example of a redemptive sacrificial death but rather as an example of “FAITH". See the following verses:

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[Heb 11:17] By FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,

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[Rom 4:16] That is why it depends on FAITH, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants-- not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all”

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This word ‘aqeedah’ as a creed or as a faith is not found in the Quran. In the Quran there is occurrence of derivatives like ‘uqdah’ referring to ‘the knot of marriage’ (Surah 2:235) or ‘aqada’ referring to upholding the proper sharing of inheritances (Surah 4:33) but there is no such word as ‘aqeedah’ in the Quran and neither is there any reference of ‘aqeedah’ as religious creed or binding faith in the Quran.

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But for people like Tomas De Torquemada, he went around checking up on peoples' ‘aqeedah’ or religious creed. Those who did not measure up to his version of ‘aqeedah’ were burned at the stake.

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Here is another practice from the time of the Dark Ages in Europe, this one led to putting down European women and treating them as second class humans :

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1^st Corinthians 11: 5-6 : But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

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Only the Christian women had to cover their head during prayer. The Christian men were treated differently at prayer:

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1^st Corinthians 11:7 ‘ A man ought NOT to cover his head,^] since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.’

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Fuiyyo! Man is the image and glory of God ! ! Oh well. It was Biblical beliefs like these that kept Europe in the Dark Ages. The Quran does not say any of these things. And here is the Bible's famous stoning people to death for adultery :

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Deuteronomy 22 : 23-24 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, ²⁴ you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death.

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The Christians learned to stone the adulterer and adulteress to death. Again there is no such punishment in the Quran. The Quran does not ask anyone to stone anyone for anything.

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The Dark Ages descended upon Europe for 500 years (actually closer to 700 years). Europe was saved only when the Christians finally learned to see through these false teachings in their Kitab and stopped practicing them. These things cannot be found in the Quran. The Quran says :

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Surah 3:98 Say, "O People of the Book (ahli kitab), why do you reject these revelations of GOD, when GOD is witnessing everything you do?"

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Surah 3:99 Say, "O People of the Book (ahli kitab) why do you repel from the path of GOD those who wish to believe, and seek to distort it, even though you are witnesses?" GOD is never unaware of anything you do.

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Imagine if the people of Europe had read these verses from the Quran earlier, it would have saved them 700 years of misery. So should the Muslims (or anyone else) follow the People of the Book? Here is the answer:

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Surah 3:100 O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the Book, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.

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So if Muslims follow the People of the Book, they too will revert into disbelievers.

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Surah 3:101 How can you disbelieve, when these revelations of GOD have been recited to you, and His messenger has come to you? Whoever holds fast to GOD will be guided in the right path.

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The Muslims have the Quran. So how can they disbelieve in the Quran? Don’t follow wild horse ideas. It will bring doom upon your head.

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Now here are some relevant dates and time lines. The peak of the old Islamic Civilisation is said to be the Abbasid Caliphate which ruled from 750 AD till 1258 AD – a period of over 500 years.

Over in Europe this was the same period of the Dark Ages (800 AD till about 1300 AD).

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So while it was sunrise in the Islamic world it became sunset in Catholic Europe.

Why? Because the Muslims followed a still pure form of Islam with fewer pollutants clouding their vision. On the other hand the Europeans were upholding crazy horse ideas, some examples of which you have already seen above. Islam produced Ibn Sinna, Al Khwarizm and other great scientists and philosophers. Europe produced Tomas De Torquemada - keeper of his "aqeedah" and serial murderer in the name of his god.

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Fortunately for them, the Europeans started learning from the Muslims. For example the first translation of the Quran into the Latin Language was done in 1143 AD by one Robertus Ketenensis. The Europeans were already absorbing huge amounts of new products and ideas from the Muslims during this period. Why not? They were in the Dark Ages, while the Muslims were shining like stars.

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This interaction with the Muslim civilization slowly gave birth to the European Renaissance which began from around 1300 AD (until 1600 AD). Why do I say slowly? Because 500 years had passed mah between 800 AD (Dark Ages) to 1300 AD (Renaissance) ! ! If you minus 500 years from today, we will still be in the last year of Sultan Mahmud’s reign in Melaka in 1511. That’s how long it takes to correct major religious mistakes.

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So kawan-kawan do we in Malaysia and the other Islamic countries have to wait another 500 years too for our Renaissance and our Reformation? Nak tunggu 500 tahun? Elok pi mampus saja. I think we have to expedite the process lah. Is anyone with me on this one? Don’t leave me alone here guys.

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However despite the Rennaissance and the religious Reformation, the grip of old style Biblical religion still hounded Europe until the 1600s. Tomas De Torquemada roasted his last victim at the stake in 1498 – six years after Christopher Columbus had reached America.

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The actual Protestant Reformation in Europe did not start until 1517 AD when Luther nailed his objections to the door of the Church. Then the real rock and roll started in Europe. People really started killing each other. The Jabatan Agama Katolik was arresting and killing the Protestants. Then in tit for tat, the Jabatan Agama Protestant was arresting and killing the Catholics as well.

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There began a hundred years of religious wars in Europe, until finally the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648 AD to end them. So it actually took 700 years before the Jabatan Agama Katolik stopped arresting Protestants and the Jabatan Agama Protestant stopped arresting the Catholics in Europe. (Even this was not 100% successful. Until today in Northern Ireland, the people who brew and drink Guinness Stout are still ready to kill their neighbours because of religion)

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So when the Europeans finally came to their senses in the 17^th century and decided to ignore all those crazy horse teachings listed above, only then could they settle down to science, technology, arts, freedom and progress. Europe saw a new sunrise. From the 17^th century (plus minus lah) until today their sun is still rising.

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There was another sunset happening. Muslim Cordoba fell to the Spaniards in 1236 AD. The Abbasids fell in 1258 AD. By this time there were the fully entrenched sectarian interests, the schisms and so on among the Arabs, the Persians and others. The innumerable 'interpretations of religion' were also solidly in place by this time.

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Circa 1431 AD (the same time period as the Melaka Sultanate) a fellow by the name of Ibnu Hajar Askalani in Cairo had assembled and put together a book known as the Fath Al Bari. It is from this Fath Al Bari that the modern form of the Sahih Bukhari has been compiled. Religion and sectarianisms became more fully documented and more institutionalised. The writing was in stone. Non eraseable. You question, you can be murtad, then you die.

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My friends, there may not be a sunrise yet for the Muslims. But can you at least see where the sunset began?

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Surah 3:100 “O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the Book, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.”

The Source Of The Problem - Part 1

By Syed Akbar Ali

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Kitab Kuda Liar - The Bible & The Dark Ages

Last nite I was watching the 'Fall of Marcos' on the History Channel. Did you know that Marcos fell in 1986? That was a quarter century ago. My wife and I were students in the US at that time and recall watching the news on TV. It was Cory Aquino's yellow revolution. She wore this yellow dress. Since then the Phillipines has had five Presidents - Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Erik? Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Aroyo and the present guy whats his name.

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Are the Phillipines any better now, 25 years after Marcos, than during the time of Marcos? There are more Phillipine maids working overseas now than ever before. There are more Filipino men working as sailors on ships and as oil field workers all the way up to Alaska than ever before. They are still poor.

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You cannot change the fate of a people overnite just by changing one leader or one person. It does not work that way folks. The people themselves must change the bad habits and their silly beliefs which got them into trouble in the first place. Yes of course leaders can initiate change but if the people resist, then not much can be done. A smart leader cannot help a people much if the people want to remain stupid.

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Dr Mahathir did so many things to change the Malays. He encouraged them, he scolded them, he gave them money, he called them lazy (I heard it with my own ears), he spoon fed them, he tried to change their attitude towards religion (they called him sesat). But if the people dont want to change or they resist change, there is little a leader can do. And finally Dr Mahathir said so. He said he failed to change the Malays.

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The people who benefited most during Dr Mahathir's time are the non Malays, especially the Chinese. When Dr Mahathir said 'Malaysia Boleh' it was the Chinese who understood what this really meant. The Malays and to some extent some of the Indians 'garu teloq' saja.

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ALL the Chinese billionaires today were made during the time of Dr Mahathir. Then there are the everyday, around the corner Chinese millionaires. There are tens of thousands of them. I will give you just one real example (because there are thousands more). My neighbourhood in Bukit Jalil was built after Dr Mahathir built the Commonwealth Games village and opened up the Bukit Jalil area. It is a gated community with about 300 houses, of which only two are NON Chinese. Lain semua orang China. The 3 storey super-links here now cost about RM800,000 a piece. Each home has at least two or three cars (usually a Merc too). I am quite certain almost all my 298 Chinese neighbours are millionaires. Lain daripada Syed Akbar mamak, Melayu seorang pun tak ada. (And I am renting).

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And remember this also, leaders too are people just like you and me. They too had mothers and fathers, friends and neighbours, and went to schools and places of worship. They are made up of the same stuff as the community that nurtured them. So if the community was full of crap, then mampus lah, they will produce leaders who are also full of the same crap. And if your community can nurture and produce a Nik Aziz, a Hadi Awang, an Ayatollah Khomeini or an Ahmedinaja then you have to live with the consequences lah.

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Back to the Phillipines, now 25 years of post Marcos democracy has given them the right to be poor again. Before if they were poor they could blame Marcos, but now Filipinos can blame their poverty on their democracy. They have the democractic right to be poor. Not surprisingly during the first eight years of Marcos' rule, the Phillipines actually prospered very fast. They were wealthier than Malaysia. But Marcos too turned rotten, started stealing money, started looking after his own dynasty and let the Phillipines rot. (That is also another part of Marcos that was also nurtured by his upbringing and the community he grew up in - dont put the blame anywhere else ok).

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25 years is more than enough time to completely re engineer a society. China did it in about 40 years (1949 - 1989). Vietnam did it in about 25 years (1975 - 2000). So what is wrong with the Phillipines? Today in the Phillipines (despite English having a strong presence) the people are much into old style religion again (Catholicism and Christianity). They are also into superstition, belief in hantu, spirits, fate and other such backward ideas. The people are still "feudal" and are considerably communal. Scientific thinking and modernisation has not seeped into their psyche in sufficient quantity.

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In 1994 I visited Egypt. The place was generally terrible. The people seemed tensed and constantly worried. They looked at foreigners with envy - perhaps recalling the great days of their pyramids too. I visited the Al Azhar University. It was terrible. There is a famous gateway entrance to the university called the Bab al Hussein(?) - which fronts the famous Khan El Khalili market or souk (where they still sell original copies of 'Aladdin's Magic Lamp'). The university entrance was used as a rubbish dump by the people. Then inside the university, we were harrassed by authentic professors who asked money to show us around the university. I came back and told my wife that the Egyptian people were totally screwed. That was 17 years ago. Now they are finally erupting.

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It takes time for a people to go down the drain and it also takes time for a people to pull themselves up again. Singapore stuck with English and the free market and within 30 years (1965-1995) they already became a negara maju. We went the other way and within 30 years (1970-2000) we are where we are today. Are we happy? Some of us are but not all. It takes time to really wake up and say "Oops! We made a wrong turn 30 years back". And it takes time to get back on the right track.

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Here is the soalan cepu mas folks - say Hosni Mubarak is overthrown in Egypt and is replaced by El Baradei, Suleiman or whoever - do you think Egypt will turn the corner magically? Do you think Egyptians will become healthy, wealthy and wise immediately? I dont think so. I know so. After 25 years of the post Marcos era the Phillipines is going down. Dont blame the leaders. As I said the leaders are raised up from among the people. The leaders are mirror reflections of their people. So blame the people.

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Egypt can get rid of Hosni Mubarak. But can Egypt be rid of itself? Because the problem with Egypt is not Hosni Mubarak. The problem with Egypt is the Egyptians who live there. Here is something from the Quran :

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Surah 13:11 "..GOD does not change the condition of any people unless they themselves make the decision to change."

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Please do read Part 2.

Updated : Egypt In Turmoil

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By Syed Akbar Ali

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Sambung lagi below after the dotted line.

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Watch the video. It shows the Egyptian Military withdrawing from the crowds in Cairo. Soldiers and protesters are shaking hands in public too. I think this is the end of the Hosni Mubarak.

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Here is some news :

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• CAIRO – the death toll from five days of anti-government fury rose sharply to 74.
• sharp turning point in President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule of Egypt.
• soldiers made no moves against protesters
• "This is the revolution of people of all walks of life," read black graffiti scrolled on one army tank
• Friday, Mubarak fired his Cabinet and promised reforms. But the demonstrators returned in force again Saturday
• Friday, 17 police stations throughout Cairo were torched
• no clashes reported between protesters and the military at all . . . One army captain joined the demonstrators in Tahrir Square
• Nineteen private jets carrying families of wealthy Egyptian businessmen with ties to the Mubarak family left Cairo late Saturday, most of them bound for Dubai

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Just yesterday, after 31 years in power, 82 year old President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has at last appointed a Vice President by the name of Omer Sulaiman aged 74. Quite obviously Mubarak never appointed a Vice President for 31 years because in the nature of Arab despots, he did not want to groom a potential rival. (In Singapore the PAP has groomed the second and third generation leaders to take over the country – they have a list of about 200 people. The list is not stagnant either – new people may be added or removed).

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Here is an old, obviously Egyptian joke about why Hosni Mubarak never picked a Vice President. The joke is when Anwar Sadat became president of Egypt in 1969, Sadat too was afraid to appoint a Vice President who could become a rival. To be on the safe side, Sadat picked the dumbest guy in Egypt to be his Vice President. That’s how Hosni Mubarak came into the scene. Then when Sadat was assassinated and Mubarak became president, there wasn’t anyone dumber left in Egypt to become Vice President again.

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Well until yesterday. So the joke does not hold anymore. Maybe coincidentally Omer Sulaiman was the Head of Intelligence in Egypt. So he must have some intelligence.

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Folks watch the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan Muslimin) in Egypt and listen closely to what the Israelis are saying too. Until Friday the Ikhwan Muslimin has been very quiet. The Israelis too have put a gag order on making any official statements about Egypt. Isnt that interesting?

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With events unfolding at a very rapid rate, the Ikhwan has started making some noises. The protests are not Ikhwan inspired. They represent a general feeling of frustration among Egyptians. They just dont know what else to do. They want freedom - from themselves. This is a problem facing all Islamic countries. They shackle themselves and deny themselves simple freedoms. Then when their society fails, they demonstrate in the streets. Nanti kita sambung lagi.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sambung lagi from here :

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On January 13^th 2011, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to Doha in the Middle East and made this warning to the Arabs :

“told Arab regimes earlier this month that they would have to initiate democratic reforms before it was “too late.” Speaking at a conference on democracy in Doha, Qatar, on January 13, days before the Jasmine Revolution ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and inspired similar popular uprisings across the region, Clinton blasted Arab governments for stalled political change. . . .“Those who cling to the status quo may be able to hold back the full impact of their countries’ problems for a little while, but not forever,” she predicted. “While some countries have made great strides in governance, in many others, people have grown tired of corrupt institutions and a stagnant political order.”

Fuiyyo!! Even Lillian Too kalah. Hillary’s timing was more pinpoint accurate than a Rolex Chronometer.

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The Israelis are now concerned if the Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwan Muslimin will take over Egypt. If the Ikhwan Muslimin takes over the first thing they will do is tear up the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt. (Folks if that happens then we will see more rock and roll in the Middle East).

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Does the Ikhwan know how to rule a modern country? Why not we ask the Taliban in Afghanistan, PAS in Kelantan and now Kedah, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the other fruitcakes. The short answer is no they don’t. It will be back to the Stone Ages for the Egyptians. From the frying pan into the fire. Maybe they will build another set of pyramids – without using any wheels.

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To divert peoples’ attention from their inability to rule Egypt and their inability to show a way forward, the Ikhwan may do what the Pakatan boys are doing here : produce a flimsy “100 Day Program” or like PAS, promise the keys to paradise. If they are really stupid, they will start skirmishes or a war with Israel.

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The Ikhwan Muslimin in Egypt is the Group HQ that also controls Hamas in Gaza. The ‘spiritual mentors’ of Ikhwan include none other than Yusuf Qardhawi, who sent the fax to Liwat saying ‘no need to swear on the Quran’. (It’s a small world isn’t it?) In Gaza, the enemy of Hamas / Ikhwan is Fatah which is funded by Egypt and trained by the Egyptian Army. As we know Hamas won in Gaza and kicked the butt of Fatah. This is also the reason why Egypt sealed its border with Gaza and simply refused our Yayasan Salam Aid Convoy from entering Gaza (to help Hamas). Egypt under Hosni Mubarak considers Hamas their enemy too.

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The protests in Egypt do not seem to have any organized leadership. But I feel it will be a short while before some form of organization kicks in. The Ikhwan is the most organized group in Egypt – perhaps even more well organized than the Egyptian Government. But the Ikhwan is not behind the present wave or protests. The presence of Nobel Prize winner Mohamed El Baradei in Cairo may be a rallying point but it is yet to be seen if Egyptians will see him as a rallying point. What if the Ikhwan Muslimin shoots him?

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If the Ikhwan rules Egypt, they will channel money and arms to Hamas in the Gaza, which will cause another war. If there is war again, the Israelis will again win hands down. Unlike in the 1970s, almost all the weapons in Egypt are now provided by the Jewnited States of Americky. This means the Egyptians will not stand a chance. The Zionists will have a field day again - literally.

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Folks the Israelis have fully penetrated all these goups. Hamas has been penetrated by the Israelis. The Fatah is by now an American and Israeli poodle too. The Taliban is a creation of the CIA. The CIA subcontracted the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) of Pakistan to train the Taliban. The Saudis provided the cash and the Darul Uloom Madrasah in Deoband in India provided the ‘spiritual’ training for the Taliban. The Tuan Guru dungu was also trained in Darul Uloom, Deoband. All over the world, the Zionists, the CIA and the Brits secretly nurture and support these religious nuts because they just keep coming in handy all the time. Knowingly or not, willingly or not, they are all agents of the Jews and the Zionists.

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The PAS in Malaysia and the Braders ‘beemers’ are no exception. All these religious groups will play the perfect bungling fool to help the Zionists and the Americans in their sick ‘Great Game’ that they are still playing.

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Peace in the Middle East is not good for the Israelis. If there is peace for too long, then they must start giving back Palestinian land, create a Palestinian State and other such things. Peace is a threat to Israeli real estate acquisitions. They will take advantage.

US Dangers

Lagu Lama

Ban This Book Too?

By Syed Akbar Ali

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I am glad that the Cabinet has decided not to ban or amend the 41 year old “Interlok” book. People need to grow up and stop being childish. If we start picking on every slur and comment that is found in books, we wont be able to read any books at all. It will also stifle the writers creativity.

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Just like the ustaz fellows, ini tak boleh, itu tak boleh. In the same spirit I hope the Cabinet will lift the ban on other books too, especially academic works pertaining to Islam. May I also ask the Cabinet to ban all cerita hantu, bercakap dengan jin, tidur dengan iblis and other such nonsensical books that are available in the market.

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And can the Cabinet please ban the Harian Metro newspaper for all the khurafat that the paper carries everyday (on its front pages). It only makes their readers even more stupid. Tak cukup ke orang kita dah dungu, tak payah sesiapa tolong pun depa dah dungu. Ni Harian Metro nak dungukan orang lagi pasai apa?

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Anyway last week I mentioned this book “Singapore The Pregnable Fortress – A Study In Deception, Discord and Desertion” by Peter Elphick. For those of you who are interested you can look it up at MPH Bookstores (I think). Or check MPH’s website first. Or you can get it off Amazon.com.

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The book gives a post World War Two assessment of British Malaya, the British colonial Government as well as the people in Malaya in the time leading up to the Second World War.

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Here is an interesting description of the Sikh Punjabis. Its on pages 71 and 72 :

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“The Sikh community was strongly organized within itself, but became susceptible to anti-British propaganda emanating from the Punjab and from Sikh exiles..Dickinson described the Sikh community as one “which contributed nothing to the welfare of Malaya, and which could only be regarded as parasitic, stupid and likely to be openly anti-British in the event of disaster overtaking British arms”. (Some members of the Sikh community did act badly during the Japanese occupation. Though some Sikhs displayed great loyalty and bravery, others participated in the more brutal aspects of Japanese treatment of prisoners..)

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Isnt Kapal Sink or his good friend Karpal Singh going to raise a ruckus about this certainly racist remark about the Sikh Punjabis? The book is labeling the entire community as ”which could only be regarded as parasitic, stupid.”

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I just thought I would bring this to your attention. Because who knows, it could be made required reading among all Malaysian schools and universities sometime in the future.

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Rabbit Punch

By Syed Akbar Ali

1. EGYPT

The protests began on Tuesday, with tens of thousands of demonstrators engulfing the capital, Cairo, and other cities, and clashing with riot police in violence that left at least six people dead. The violence continued Wednesday, shattering expectations that they would be summarily quashed by the powerful security forces.

.. with protesters calling for his ouster and demanding action to end a litany of economic and political ills including rising food and housing prices, unemployment, a widening income distribution gap

There have been calls for more demonstrations after Friday prayers,

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2. YEMEN

Ali Abullah Saleh's three decades at the helm of the Arabian peninsula's poorest country has become the latest focus of popular anger after the flight of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali from Tunisia.

Despite a pervasive police presence, up to 16,000 demonstrators moved from the University of Yemen to the centre of the capital, Sana'a.

"If the (ruling) party doesn't respond to our demands, we will escalate this until the president falls, just like what happened in Tunisia," said Ayub Hassan, a protestor.

This is a most unexpected development. Even the Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwan Muslimin in Egypt has become 'terkejut beruk'. They too dont know what to make of this. The protesters are not necessarily Ikhwan supporters. Egyptian Mohamed El Baradei, the UN Nuclear Watchdog head and Noble Prize winner is back in Egypt. The West has already identified him as a future leader of a free Egypt.

If Egypt 'falls' the entire Arab world will convulse. Most certainly the Arab monarchies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and other autocracies like Syria may catch this bug.

Today is Friday. More protests

Here is the short forecast for the Year of the Rabbit : Turmoil

Teknoloji Orang Kafir

By Syed Akbar Ali

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Please watch this video first. It is very short.

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That was a 'Propaganda Truck' in Taiwan, possibly run by a political party ( I dont understand the Mandarin) to sell some point of view.

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Clearly the truck has very loud and powerful speakers. Imagine such loudpseakers going off in your neighbourhood at all sorts of hours. Would you like that to happen? Should we allow such loudspeakers in our neighborhoods?

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Here is another picture. This one shows an array of loudspeakers used along the Korean border to broadcast propaganda to the other side. These speakers can be heard miles away. Imagine someone setting up these types of loudpseakers in our neighbourhood and blasting their favorite message.

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Even if they broadcast the most soothing classical music, it will irritate the ears when it comes out of very loud speakers that are close to you. So the volume or the loudness of the speakers can destroy the beauty of the music or the message that is broadcast. Unless you are seated four miles away.

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The Islamic countries do not make these loudspeakers. The Islamic countries do not know how to design and make these types of loudspeakers. All these loudspeakers are made by the non Islamic countries. So this is 'teknoloji orang kafir'. (Even underwear is made using 'teknoloji orang kafir'. I am still waiting to buy a pair of decent underwear made by an Islamic country - itu pun tak boleh buat. Almost all of them are Made in China).

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So if in the non Islamic countries, they play loud sounds (rock music, propaganda speeches, prayers, chanting, classical music etc) through these very very loud loudspakers, which disturbs the people and the neighborhood, we will say that 'ini perbuatan orang kafir' because they are using 'teknoloji orang kafir' to disturb the neighborhood. Yes or no?

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But what if other people do the same thing? What if other people pinjam or beli the 'teknoloji orang kafir' from the orang kafir and then use these loudspeakers to broadcast loud sounds throughout their neighborhood? What does that make them? Insan kamil? What do you think?

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Here is some advice from Luqman (Nabi Luqman) to his son :

Surah 31:17 "O my son, you shall observe the Salat. You shall advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. These are the most honorable traits.

Surah 31:18 "You shall not treat the people with arrogance, nor shall you roam the earth proudly. GOD does not like the arrogant showoffs

Surah 31:19 "Walk humbly and lower your voice - the ugliest voice is the donkey's voice."

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Home Ministry Flip Flop

By Syed Akbar Ali

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Folks here is the Home Ministry wasting taxpayer’s money and suggesting useless amendments to our Laws.

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• Publications Act to be amended to address loopholes
• The Printing Presses and Publications Act to include ‘publications’ posted online and plug loopholes, said Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam.
• definition of “publication” and whether it should include Internet content, blogs or Facebook
• “amendments will be tabled in Parliament by March
• “.intrusion of the digital technology,” he said.
• Mahmood said the ministry monitored Internet content on a daily basis
• to address loopholes in the law and make it more inclusive.
• to ensure we can control the entry of films using the latest technology, such as pen-drives and computers.” — Bernama”

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This is a major bungle by Dato Mahmood Adam and the Home Ministry. Here is a good response from the National Union of Journalists and some other folks.

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• Control over online media "a step backwards": NUJ
• The Government's sudden move to ..bring online media under its scrutiny is "a step backwards", (NUJ) Malaysia president Hata Wahari said Wednesday.
• “..turn Malaysia into an "outdated" country in terms of free flow of information."
• " . . amend the Act to provide print publications the space to operate with more freedom.’
• Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah said ..there were enough laws to govern the media already.
• "It is another form of control. It is definitely regressive and a political move because many analysts attributed the results of the previous general election to the role of the Internet," she said.
• “..the Defamation Act were sufficient to nab anyone who published false information online.”
• Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted: " Personally, I think it's ridiculous."

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There are people in Government, especially Cabinet Ministers who are now running scared of the Blogs and the Internet. With all the crap that they are into, they really do not know which Internet portal will expose what about which Minister. Some of them really cannot sleep soundly anymore.

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By the way, where is the Cabinet Reshuffle? The Prime Minister certainly does not expect to go into the next General Election with this Cabinet and hope to come out unscathed?

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I just heard recently that there may be another male Cabinet Minister who is not a 100% lesbian. If we got rid of the Brader for the same reason, then why tolerate others? This is not a Court of Law where cogent evidence, unimpeachable witnesses and such are needed before any convictions can be made. This is the Court of Public Opinion which culminates in the Ballot Box – perhaps the most powerful instrument devised by the human mind. Public perception is more important than what you can enforce through the amended Laws.

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And to woo this Court of Public Opinion we create more space for discussion, not close it down. We make ourselves more transparent, not hide behind new repressive laws and the power of arrest.

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I would advise the Home Ministry to drop this silly idea immediately. Dato Mahmood Adam, tinggal berapa tahun lagi nak pencen Dato? Why not you spend your time doing something more useful for the country and the people? Don’t sell yourself to the politicians who have too many things to hide.This is the wrong thing to do.

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Then (quite predictably now) the Minister of Home Affairs did a ‘flip flop’ and has said that the amendments were only a suggestion. “Early stages, nothing finalized, don’t jump the gun” blab la bla said Minister Hishamuddin Hussein. Thus making the secretary general Dato Mahmood Adam look like an idiot.

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Haiyya Dato, kalau lah begitu then why did your Sec-Gen ‘jump the gun’ and make a very public statement that Facebook will also be caught under the new amendment, the amendments will be tabled in Parliament in March and so on? That is more than ‘early stages’ already

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Anyway, Dato Mahmood Adam, this is another case of your Minister leaving you exposed with your dingle blowing in the wind. Please be more circumspect with your public statements. Nanti kalau Menteri flip flop lagi, it is you who will look silly.

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I have some suggestions. Maybe next round lah.