Like Equity Among Four Wives!

This might be a bit strange .. but, i was thinking today about something: if, maybe it will happen someday i dunno, i became the president of some small state, Island, or even village anywhere in this world; can i ever rule justly?

With all those words of criticism we hear all over the place against the unjust, brutal, and corrupt rulers especially in the Middle East region, the question remains: is it easy to turn to a just upright ruler over the night? Practically, i see it now as like trying to treat your four wives fairly.

The main problem is that it is not that man in power we chant against who holds the keys for everything at hand. He just cant simply press the bottom and switch off corruption, or issue a decree that turn his government fair ... Nor can he order a "free and fair" elections through which everything will be all great and fine.

Systems are complex and corruption when gets in like cancer systems become even more stronger; ruling elites and interest seekers form spider-net like relations that the single ruler might have absolutely no say against.

Let's take it more to its base & defragment things... State is government and subjects, subjects are society, society is families, family is individuals. If the individual doesn't have this thing inside that teaches him what is right and what is wrong, then our building unit is questionable.

Simply look at the US for example. It is claimed that it is the most advanced modern democratic system in the world. Basically, Americans depend on the system to make the ruler and government fair and just, not the individual. Remember: US is secular, which means that religion (the thing inside that teaches him what is right and what is wrong) is separated from the state system. Now, see what is happening in Iraq and just read about the appearing every now and then US corruption scandals (Oil exploitation, BlackWater, US $ billions disappearing in Iraq). If I were to take president Bush as model to follow to become a just ruler, then just give me few decades to push my village to the US modernity level and then I and everyone would become again the notorious Mr. Bush.

That would make me say, currently if I were to sit in the ruler's chair of one of the corrupt Middle East states I, and almost everyone, would not succeed in drawing the Islamic utopian system on the short term.

Change should go bottom up ... individual, family, society and then state.

So for now I would better look for the four wives and see what kind of just man am I!

The Sordid Proxy War

$30 Billion to Israel, 13 to Egypt, and 20 to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states ... a pretty big sum of money for the US to offer at one time. What makes it an extremely crucial deal is the factor of time, sum, and the attached agenda.

Iran is roaring out of the US control, Bush feel and is week in Iraq and the ME, and the US allies seems to be slipping away from their Uncle Sam friend.

For sometime Bush has been using diplomacy to deal with the Iranian nuclear program, aka using the Rice approach; seemingly diplomacy yielded out ineffective, Bush is turning to the Cheney approach. The Guardian reported that Bush has debated the military choice in dealing with Iran and eventually "the balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favor of military action."

"Cheney has limited capital left, but if he wanted to use all his capital on this one issue, he could still have an impact," said Patrick Cronin, the director of studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Apparently, Cheney played all his capital and managed to mobilize the White House towards a more-than-diplomatic action against Iran. However, the US current situation in Iraq doesn't allow it to argue for any kind of further direct military action in the region. Thus, the old game of Uncle Sam has to be played, proxy wars as Ramzy Baroud calls it.

Factors for Success

For such kind of strategy, factors of success is an enemy, with power, and and incentive for conflict to happen. In other words, Iran has to be having an active competitive enemy in the Middle East.

The Gulf states is one. Yet, how much is it militarily capable of confronting the almost nuclear Iranian rival? Size of states and military capabilities of the Gulf states collected would not present a viable threat to Iran. Hence, the enemy factor is satisfied, yet the power is not.
At this point, the US needed to attach some kind of power for the Gulf states to be able to stand for the US against Iran.

The Rice and Gates visit perfectly fits in. Time-wise and agenda-wise arming the Gulf states with assistance support is the only apparent way out for the US administration to bring the Iranian power expansion to an end.

$13 billion to Egypt and $20 billion to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states - as reported by Reuters - made the joint statement of the eight Arab states in the Foreign Minister's meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt, Jordan, and the United States in Sharm El-Sheikh on the 31st of July state: "The participants expressed their steadfast support to any Gulf states in facing external threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Now, Gulf states do have power, enmity is already there with Iran, yet an incentive of conflict is awaited.

The US administration is not too naive to put its oil interests in the Gulf under the Iranian threat, one would argue. However, that would be the same exact point the US would need to back the Gulf up with arms and supporters. It would be a new card the US can use against Iran in any future expected negotiations.

RAND, I Found Your "Moderate"!

In the "Building Moderate Muslim Networks" post i said that the RAND report is trying to manipulate the concept of Moderate Muslim to make it fit the US interests, and i thought that would practically be unachievable for some simple reasons. The main one, is that awareness about Islam's own nature would protect many Muslims from falling in to the "Moderate" trap.

However, this weekend i was turned down!

I spent like 3 days with a friend of mine, the guy is great as well as his Sufi father !!

What i liked about his father is that he prayed on time and kept his daily recitation of Quran without delay; i liked that in him, for me he is a good Muslim (while not considering anything else)

We had some chat about Sufism and how somethings contradict the basics of regular Sunni Islam .. One time he told me: Our Shiekh says, I am free from (not related by anymeans to) this man who do one of these three things: leave his daily recitation (doxology), disobey his parents, or participate in politics!

And now, I knew that RAND might come true one day ... his Shiekh orders then not to get near politics by anymeans, well let magic do things then!!

A Referee With No ID

Every time I mess up, yet every time I go thinking that I will do better this time! That’s me and soccer.

I admit I don’t have the skill, when the ball hit my leg I don’t keep it much; a sec. or little more and you can find it whirling out of control to no where or maybe near the goal (by luck sure).

Anyway, I believe my problem is that I don’t look around before kicking the ball … I decided that I might do better the next time though … heheheee

That wasn’t what I wanted to say! … mmm, ah … between matches while I was resting a bit, there in the court next to us occurred a fight, it was load and players came ReaLLy angry.

I didn’t get the reason why they were fighting, yet the only thing significant was the referee they had, he was amazing! Really amazing … he simply left them fighting and stood at the side of the court and seemed shy or weak! What came to my mind at the time was the words of Ibn Taymiyyah .. Yeah, it was as if tailored to fit the situation.

He once said, headship has to include both strength and straightness (honesty) .. both has to come in a leader to be successful .. Apparently, this referee did lack strength for honesty; thus, he was weak in the match and the whole match became a fight and a mess.

Ibn Taymiyyah goes on to explain; when there you can’t find a leader who has both virtues ­– strength and honesty – you should be choosing that who has strength only rather than the one having honesty alone. “The dishonest strong one, his strength will be for Muslims and his dishonesty will reflect on himself; yet, the honest weak person, his honesty will benefit himself and his weakness will effect all Muslims ...” says Ibn Taymiyyah.

Our match went well though, if it wasn’t for my whirling shoots …hehe
Still, I hope the next time I concentrate and play better – not with the same team for sure, they already know about my skills ! lol

Building Moderate Muslim Networks

My first impression was WOW! ... How can a cooperation of any magnitude have the guts to set the standards of how people shall act ..

Offensive, Uncalculated, & maybe stupid is the RAND released report entitled "Building Moderate Muslim Networks"

In a nutshell, the report picked up the tasks of categorizing Muslims to good and bad ones.
Surprise surprise! if you pray five time a day and wish to live under the rule of your own religion -- Islam in this case -- you are an extremist.

If you reject being ruled by a non-Muslim .. Watch out you are an extremist!

and much more ...

Religion is one thing (better to keep it private) and life is another thing ... and like to gave a blind eye to the nature of Islam and the day-to-day life-Islam mixed lives of more than the quarter of the world population.

Anyway .. that was not my point to highlight the report per say ... What I really respected is the reaction in the Muslim world.

My friend told me that Islamic scholars are very much appreciating the quick response in the Muslim world to the "Moderate Muslims" report .. All to be thanked, some people stood firmly against the report through articles and discussions.

What i really adored though was an article that didn't stop at what most defenders stopped at .. the author did not defend Muslims or Islam against the lies of the report, yet he attacked back ...

"Building Moderate American Networks" just said .. well, my report is simply asking you to apply your own constitution, be "moderate" and enough for extremism
He attacked the RAND with its own weapons .. How can RAND ever deny its loyalty to the US constitution .. Thus, Dear RAND you are the extremist not the one who calls for Islamic rule, ahh and check your constitution to know more!

I like that so much .. attacking back is a way for defending ones beliefs ... Maybe for being quite so long, Muslims are thought of being weak .. I believe NO! Islam in itself is more powerful than any written constitution or man made creed now on earth, yet Muslims are not using their own weapons ..

I will leave you here .. this was a lengthy entry, dont get used to that ..
Ahhh, please i need your comments
Salam for now

My First Post!

In the name of Allah most merciful

My FiRsT PoSt!

Well, yes! after some time thinking ... i reached the conclusion I have to post and think out loud !
I need to get the opinions of new people & to hear new voices

Inshaa' Allah i hope this blog will do benefit to all those who will read it in the same way that it will be benefiting me

One main aim i have behind such space is to try reaching solutions for some problems Muslims apparently have .. to dive into the tangling problems and figure the way out.
The nature of the blog will become more and more clear by time .. WaIt aNd YoU wIlL sEe!