Reform Minded Muslim

Muslim Fanatics (updated)

I am getting more confused. From what I understood, its a forum to talk about this complicated issue, not to incite hate or religious disharmony.

refer to Bar Council's web, here and here.

IMO, if u got somethg to say, just freakin join the forum, not shouting like a maniac and talk nonsense, I strongly hate the Mahasiswa Islam rep speech, typical fanatics.



i smell somethg fishy here, it looks like these protestors are being used by the we-know-who-and-we-cant-speak-of-them peoples, so that the party being used loose support from nonMalays (hint: we know who is the culprit of malaysian disunity)
Moreover, since when Malaysians are allowed to protest? Aint that too good to be true?
they even granted an access by police into the forum and become very childish in there, i saw that on tv3's buletin utama, i felt ashame as a fellow muslim

p.s. my back hurt, hv to wait till 10pm for the pharmacy to open as today is Sunday, need some painkillers before I am capable on doing my work, thus why not blogging

Homosexuality in the Quran and Hadith

Queer Sexuality and Identity in the Qur'an and Hadith

by Faris Malik

The Qur'an generally scorns "approaching males in lust", as well as the castration of males, as the sin of the people of Lot (Qur'an 7:81, 26:165-166, 27:55, 29:28-29).


7:81: "Indeed you approach males in lust excluding women..."
Arabic: "Innakum lata'toona ar-rijaala shahwatan min doon in-nisaa'i."

26:165-166: "You approach the males of the worlds and forsake those whom your Lord has created for you for your mates."
Arabic: "Ata'toona adh-dhukraana min al-'aalameena, wa tadharoona ma khalaqa lakum Rabbukum min azwaajikum."

27:55: "Will you indeed approach males in lust excluding women?"
Arabic: "A 'innakum lata'toona ar-rijaala shahwatan min doon in-nisaa'i?"

29:28-29 "Most surely you are guilty of an indecency which none of the nations has ever done before you; What! do you come unto the males and cut the passageways [i.e. vas deferens and/or urethra] and do so in your private clubs?"
Arabic: "Innakum lata'toona al-faahishata ma sabaqakum biha min ahadin mina al-'aalameena. Innakum lata'toona ar-rijaala wa taqta'oona as-sabeela wa ta'toona fee naadikumu?"


But the Qur'an does not prohibit using, as passive sex partners, the ancient category of men who by nature lacked desire for women, since such men were not considered "male" as a result of their lack of arousal for women. This kind of man is often known as "gay" in modern times, but in the ancient world he was identified as an anatomically whole "natural eunuch." Although the Qur'an never uses the word eunuch [khasiyy], the hadith and the books of the legal scholars do. Furthermore, the Qur'an recognizes that some men are "without the defining skill of males" (24:31: "ghair oolaa il-irbati min ar-rijaali") and so, as domestic servants, are allowed to see women naked. This is a reference to natural eunuchs, i.e. gay men.

A person had to be indifferent to women's bodies in order to assume the role as a servant in women's private space. In one case, a servant who had been assumed to be indifferent to women due to his being an "effeminate" [mukhannath] was evicted by the Prophet because he unexpectedly demonstrated a lascivious attitude toward a woman:


Bukhari, Authentic Traditions, Book of Marriage, Chapter 114 (162) What is forbidden concerning the entering upon the wife by those imitating women. [It was narrated] of Umm Salama that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was at her house, and in the house there was an effeminate [mukhannath], and the effeminate said to the brother of Umm Salama, Abdullah bin Abi Umayya: If God makes you all conquer Ta'if tomorrow, I suggest to you the daughter of Ghailan, for surely she approaches with four and turns her back with eight [?]. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: This one shall not enter upon you (pl.).


Muslim, Collection of Authentic Traditions, Book of Greetings, Chapter 912 (note: as translated into English by 'Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, who misleadingly uses the word eunuch as the translation for mukhannath. It is precisely because he was not a eunuch that he got into trouble!):

(5415) Umm Salama reported that she had a eunuch [mukhannath] (as a slave) in her house. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was once in the house that he (the eunuch) said to the brother of Umm Salama: 'Abdullah b. Abu Umayya, if Allah grants you victory in Ta'if on the next day, I will show you the daughter of Ghailan, for she has four folds (upon her body) on the front side of her stomach and eight folds on the back. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) heard this and he said: Such (people) should not visit you.

(5416) 'A'isha reported that a eunuch [mukhannath] used to come to the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and they did not find anything objectionable in his visit, considering him to be a male without any sexual desire [fakaanoo ya'doonahu min ghair oolaa il-irbah]. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) one day came as he was sitting with some of his wives and he was busy in describing the bodily characteristics of a lady and saying: As she comes in front four folds appear on her front side and as she turns her back eight folds apear on the back side. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: I see that he knows these things; do not, therefore, allow him to enter. She ('A'isha) said: Then they began to observe veil from him.


Note that in 'A'isha's telling of the story, she states that the women allowed him into their private rooms because they assumed he "lacked the defining skill" (the translator added the word male and put "considering him to be a male without any sexual desire," but the Arabic says only that they "deemed him to lack the defining skill"). 'A'isha actually quotes the Qur'anic verse about men who "lack the defining skill of males," demonstrating that his presence in the women's space would have been proper according to the Qur'an if only he had in fact "lacked the defining skill." However, the statement of the effeminate man about the daughter of Ghailan, whatever it meant, indicated to Muhammad that he did not lack the defining skill of males and that, on the contrary, he had an appreciation of women as sexual objects. This disqualifies him as an intimate domestic servant according to the Qur'an as well as the standards of the day. In a system that depends on household servants to be heterosexually indifferent, the main risk is that this indifference can be faked. In other words, a heterosexual male can pretend to be an exclusive homosexual in order to gain free access to the private space of women.

There are other hadiths (Bukhari LXXII 61.773 and 62.774) against cross-dressers in which the Prophet specifically curses "males" who imitate women and women who imitate "males," and in which the consequence of their malfeasance is that he "evicts them from the houses." The specification of "males" is made very explicit:


61.773 The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, cursed female-impersonators [m.pl.] who are males, and the male-impersonators [f.pl.] who are women.
Arabic: la'ana rasoolullah salla allahu 'alaihi wa sallama al-mutashabbiheena min ar-rijaali bil-nisaa'i wal-mutashabbihaati min an-nisaa'i bir-rijaali.

62.774 The Prophet, peace be upon him, cursed the effeminates [m.pl.] who are males, and the male-pretenders [f.pl.] who are women, and he said: Evict them from your houses, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, evicted such-and-such [m.sg.] and 'Umar evicted such-and-such [f.sg.].
Arabic: la'ana an-nabiyy salla allahu 'alaihi wa sallama al-mukhannatheena min ar-rijaali wal-mutarajjilaati min an-nisaa'i wa qaala: akhrijoohum min buyootikum, qaala: fa'akhraja an-nabiyy salla allahu 'alaihi wa sallama fulaanan wa 'akhraja 'umaru fulaanatan.


The words "males" and "women" are obviously emphatic here because the grammar does not really require them to be used. Masculine gender is already provided grammatically by the endings on the words "impersonators" and "effeminates," and feminine gender is already provided in the words "impersonators" and "male-pretenders." Given the emphasis, the curse is specifically directed only at "males" and "women," and does not cover non-males who might be female-impersonators (or non-women who might be male-impersonators, if indeed there was a recognition of "non-women"). It's okay to be a drag queen as long as you are not a straight man posing to gain access to unsuspecting women, or to the wives of unsuspecting husbands.

The Qur'an recognizes that there are some people who are "ineffectual" ['aqeem], thus neither male nor female:


42:49 "To Allah belongs the dominion over the heavens and the earth. It creates what It wills. It prepares for whom It wills females, and It prepares for whom It wills males. 50 Or It marries together the males and the females, and It makes those whom It wills to be ineffectual. Indeed It is the Knowing, the Powerful."
Arabic: "Lillahi mulku us-samaawaati wal'ardhi. Yakhluqu ma yashaa'u. Yahabu liman yashaa'u inaathan wa yahabu liman yashaa'u adh-dhukura. Aw yuzawwijuhum dhukraanan wa inaathan; wa yaj'alu man yashaa'u 'aqeeman: innahu 'Aleemun Qadeerun."

These last two verses (42:49 and 50) are usually interpreted differently in English translations to say that God bestows daughters or sons on whom It wills and gives some people both sons and daughters. But there are problems with this interpretation, one of which being that the word for causing to marry or pairing up [zawwaja] is used in the second verse. When families have boys and girls, the boys and girls do not usually arrive in pairs! The second problem is that, in Qur'anic verses mentioning males and females together, the males are usually mentioned first, and the females second (e.g., 3:195, 4:12, 4:124, 6:143-144, 16:97, 40:40, 42:50, 49:13, 53:21, 53:45, 75:39, 92:3). This is the only verse in the Qur'an, as far as I know, in which the female is mentioned before the male. If these two verses were talking about sons and daughters, we would expect sons to be mentioned before daughters.

In this case, the "males first" principle would indicate that the lines are referring to females and males not as offspring, but as counterparts, i.e. objects of desire, for "whom(ever) God wills." The female objects of desire are mentioned first because they are most typically objects of desire for males. Hence, even this verse is referring to males first, as the most typical "whom(ever)" for whom God prepares females. Yet the use of the word "whom(ever)" leaves it open for females to be objects of desires for other females as well, when God wills, and for males to be love objects for females and other passive non-males. I believe this verse is very neatly and concisely describing the varieties of sexual orientation and gender, which Allah, the All-Knowing and All-Powerful, creates as Allah wishes.

The ineffectual can include abstinent women as well as men, and in fact "the abstinent ones among women, who do not hope for marriage" [wal-qawaa'idu min an-nisaa'i allaati laa yarjoona nikaahan], are permitted to "put off their cover" in Sura 24:60.

Another intriguing example of a gender variant woman is Jesus's mother Mary. According to ancient notions about procreation, males were the only ones capable of producing seed. It would be impossible for a woman to give birth to a child, let alone a boy, without receiving seed from a male. In Christianity, this problem is solved by making God the male father of Jesus. According to the Qur'an, however, God does not procreate. This means that the seed that became Jesus came from within Mary. If Mary carried viable seed originating from within her, then by ancient definitions, she was a male, despite appearances to the contrary. So the Qur'an says that, when Mary was born, her mother declared that she was a female baby, but God knew better:


(Qur'an 3:36) Lord, surely, I have brought it forth a female - and Allah knew best what she brought forth - and the male is not like the female...
Arabic: Rabb, innee wada'tuha unthaa wa Allah 'a'lamu bimaa wada'at wa laisa adh-dhakaru kal-untha ...


There are other traditions about the gender variance of Mary. I have argued elsewhere that Mary's "virginity" is not merely the innocent state of a girl who has not yet known a man, but a more permanent rejection of sex with men, like that of the Vestal virgins in Rome. In Isaiah 7:14, it is predicted that a "virgin" will conceive bear a son, but the word for virgin used there is not the generic bethulah used throughout the Hebrew scripture for girls who have not yet had sex. Instead, the word almah is used, a very rare word in the scriptures, which is the female counterpart to elem, meaning boy. In the other verses in which it is used, it is compatible with a meaning of tomboy or rebuffer of men (cf. Proverbs 30:18-19, in which an almah appears to be impermeable to men).

Homosexual activity by straight men
Homosexual activity by homosexuals (eunuchs) is not spoken of in the Qur'an, which mentions only the unjust homosexual rape perpetrated by straight men against other straight men. Besides the Lut story, sexual exploitation of straight males is also alluded to in the assurance that prophet Joseph's slaveholders "abstained from him" (12:20: "wa kaanuu feehi min az-zaahideen").

But the Qur'an and hadith also have traces of the permitted homosexual desires of straight men. There is even a hadith in Bukhari, admittedly giving not the Prophet's opinion but that of Abu Jafar, according to which a pedophile is prohibited from marrying the mother of his boy-beloved if there is penetration:


(Bukhari LXII, 25) As for whom(ever) plays with a boy: if he caused him to enter him, then he shall not marry his mother.
Arabic: feeman yal'abu bis-sabiyy: in 'adkhalahu feehi falaa yatazawwajanna 'ummahu.


(This rule is accompanied in the same chapter by prohibitions against a man marrying both a mother and her daughter.) Apparently according to this hadith, even sexual penetration of a boy is not considered sodomy, because if it was, surely the sodomite would have more worries than whether he could marry the boy's mother! Like whether he preferred to die by fire, stoning, or falling from a high tower! These are some of the punishments mentioned in the hadith for "doing as the people of Lut did." [A reader wrote in to say that this hadith would not necessarily imply that penetration of boys was not sodomy, but could be a recognition of the fact that not all crimes will be discovered and punished and that one who does penetrate a boy, even if he is not punished for sodomy for whatever reason, should at least know in his own conscience that the mother of his boyfriend is off limits. In any case, one possible inference from this hadith is still very interesting: namely, that if a man plays with a boy without penetration, then marrying the mother is still a possibility!!]

The distinction between pederasty (sex with boys) and sodomy (penetration of "males") was commonly, albeit not universally maintained throughout the ancient world, and indeed survived throughout most of the history of Islam until at least the nineteenth century (in spite of the futile objections of some medieval scholars). Apparently, boy-love was considered okay by many people because, like "natural eunuchs," underage boys also lacked the "defining skill of males" (sexual potency with women). The Qur'an itself gives support to pederasts in its glimpses of paradise:


52:17-29 And they shall have boys [ghilmaan] circulating among them as if they were hidden pearls.

56:22-23 and dark-eyed ones [hoorun 'eenun], the like of hidden pearls

76:19 And immortal boys [wildaanun mukhalladoona] will circulate among them, when you see them you will count them as scattered pearls.

2:25 And they shall have immaculate partners [azwaajun mutahharatun] in [the gardens] ...

4:57 And they shall have immaculate partners [azwaajun mutahharatun] in them ...


One of the great male Sufi contemporaries of Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya provided a divine justification for a pederastic relationship, which was repeated without a hint of disapproval in a 10th century book about great Sufi women:


One day Rabi'a saw Rabah [al-Qaysi] kissing a young boy ["huwa yuqabbil sabiyyan"]. 'Do you love him?' she asked. 'Yes,' he said. To which she replied, 'I did not imagine that there was room in your heart to love anything other than God, the Glorious and Mighty!' Rabah was overcome at this and fainted. When he awoke, he said, 'On the contrary, this is a mercy that God Most High has put into the hearts of his slaves.'
(Quoted from as-Sulami, Early Sufi Women = Dhikr an-niswa al-muta 'abbidat as sufiyyat, translated by Rkia E. Cornell, Louisville, KY: Fons Vitae, 1999, pp. 78-79.)


Besides boys, straight Muslim men were occasionally interested in grown adults as well, provided they were not "male." There is a hadith in which the Prophet's companions asked whether they were allowed to use men (presumably prisoners of war) as "eunuchs" to fulfill their sexual urges, since they were far from their wives.


Bukhari LXII 6:9 [Narrated by ibn Mas'ud:] "We used to fight [in battle] together with the Prophet, peace be upon him. There were no women with us. We said: O Messenger, may we treat some as eunuchs [a laa nastakhsii]? He forbade us to do so."


The version in Bukhari LXII 8:13 says that rather than let the companions "treat [some] as eunuchs" in the absence of their wives, the Prophet "allowed them to marry corrupted women" [rakhasa lana an nankih al-maraa bil-shaub] from the vicinity, and he recited to them from the Qur'an: "O ye who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, but commit no transgression."

The fact that Muhammad forbade the companions from designating men as eunuchs is not the point here. Of course, using a straight male as a eunuch was wrong -- that was essentially the sin of the people of Lut. But what about using a eunuch (i.e. one who permanently lacks arousal with women) as a eunuch? Given that ibn Mas'ud made reference to the use of eunuchs for sexual gratification, and given that the Prophet understood what he meant, that indicates that the use of eunuchs for sexual gratification was known in Arabic society, and was considered a use that was appropriate to eunuchs. Since eunuchs were not considered male, there was no prohibition against it, not even in the Qur'an.

Eunuchs were still sex objects for straight men in the Mamluk dynasty, according to David Ayalon in Eunuchs, Caliphs, and Sultans: A Study in Power Relationships (Jerusalem, 1999). They not only served to prevent older Mamluks from having sexual access to younger trainees:


The eunuchs seem to have served as a shield against homosexual lust in yet another way. They themselves formed the target of that lust, thus diverting it from the youngsters. They are described as being womanly and docile in bed at night and manly and warlike by day in a campaign and in similar circumstances (hum nisaa' li-mutmainn muqeem wa rijaal in kaanat al-asfaar; li-annahum bin-nahaar fawaaris wa bil-lail 'araa'is). [Arabic quoted by Ayalon from Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi, Al-Latâ'if wal-Zarâ'if, Cairo 1324/1906-7, p. 79, lines 1-7; and the same quote from Tha'alibi in his Tamthîl wal-Muhâdara, Cairo 1381/1961, p. 224.]


As for the issue of whether Muhammad himself expressly acknowledged that some people by nature refrain from heterosexuality, thus being natural eunuchs, consider the following hadith. It is related that one of the Prophet's companions, Abu Huraira, went to the Prophet, saying that he was a "young male" who "feared torment for his soul," but that he "did not find the wherewithal to marry a woman" [innee rajulun shaabbun wa ana akhaafu 'alaa nafsee al-'anata wa laa ajidu ma atazawwaju bihi an-nisaa'a]. The Prophet remained silent, even after Abu Huraira repeated his statement three times. Finally after the fourth time, Muhammad said: "O Abu Huraira, the pen is dry regarding what is befitting for you. So be a eunuch for that reason or leave it alone." [ya Abaa Hurairata, jaffa al-qalam bimaa anta laaq fa'akhtasi 'alaa dhalika au dhar] (Bukhari, LXII 8). (For comparison, consider that when Uthman came to Muhammad asking if he could be permitted to live a life of abstinence, he was rebuffed.)

If Muhammad's answer to Abu Huraira is to make sense, then of course it must bear a relation to the statement Abu Huraira made. First we have to ask what kind of torment Abu Huraira feared for his soul [nafs]? Muhammad Muhsin Khan, the translator of Bukhari into English, interpreted it as fear of committing illicit sexual intercourse. If that interpretation is correct, then we still have to determine what "illicit sexual intercourse" would mean for Abu Huraira. As a self-described "male," two forms of sexual activity would be inadmissible and therefore the temptation to them would cause torment for his soul: the desire to be sexually passive with a man (known as ubnah) or the desire to commit adultery with a female. Yet, Abu Huraira ["the father of kittens"] seemed to hint at a solution to his dilemma when he said he did not find (in himself?) what was required for marrying a woman. Now, if that merely meant that he had no money to support a wife, for instance, and was tempted to commit adultery with a female, then the Prophet would surely have advised him to fast and be patient in accordance with Sura 24:33 (also Bukhari LXII 2 and 3), instead of advising him, as he did, to accept his fate and, if appropriate, be a eunuch, something which he denied as an option to Uthman. On the other hand, if Abu Huraira's statement meant he lacked potency with women, then obviously he could not be fearing the temptation to adultery with women. In that case, only passive homosexuality was a danger. However, if he would not ever marry a woman, due to impotency with women or for any other reason, then he would not be acting as a male, but rather as a eunuch, in which case passive homosexuality would not be forbidden for him. But Muhammad cautions him that his identity, either as a eunuch or as a male, has already been determined by his Creator ("the pen is dried"), and he must figure it out which it is and live his life accordingly. If he ever intends to have sex with a woman (i.e. act as a male), then he must avoid passive homosexuality and get married.

If the last hadith has been told to fellow Muslims instead of preaching hatred and homophobia, I think the problem of homsexual males getting married because of social pressure etc2, and later have sex with another male behind his wife, to satisfy his urges, will be solved.
Wallahualam

UnIslamic Muslim?

Well, the thing is, I can no longer stand male chauvinist stupid remarks, hiding under their own interpretation of Islam, which to me is nothing Islamic, but just polemic,
Muslim men always got away, putting the blame on women, scroll down, you'll see what I mean. duh...

KB council bans lipstick, high heels

KOTA BARU: Muslim women employees working here are forbidden to wear lipstick and high-heeled shoes to work.

This directive is contained in a municipal council circular dated May 25 and signed by its president Shafie Ismail, which has been distributed to business premises here.

A check, however, found that only a few tenants had received the circular this week.

The circular stated that the directive, targeted at Muslim women employees working in food outlets and other business premises, was issued to prevent incidents like rape and illicit sex as well as to safeguard the morals and dignity of Muslim women in Kelantan.

It stated that Muslim women were forbidden to wear thick make-up, bright coloured lipstick and high-heeled shoes which made a tapping sound.

Those who insisted on wearing high-heeled shoes should choose those with rubber soles.

Attempts to contact Shafie for clarification were futile.

The directive on the wearing of lipstick and high-heeled shoes are in addition to the wearing of scarves, which should cover the chest and not be of transparent material, blouses with long sleeves, which were long and loose, as well as socks.

Those who do not adhere to the regulation can be fined up to RM500. – Bernama

whats next? forbidding them to shower, because from male chauvinist point of view, smelling good is sexually appealing as well I guess
uhh

p.s. probably he didn't meant to be sexist, but the problem is most of us Muslim thinks like that, its a problem of mindset which I am not sure where it came from.

Glad, no a**hole prohibit him from going to the function

Penang CM at Maulidur Rasul function

PENANG: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and two DAP exco members attended the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebrations at the Seberang Jaya expo site here yesterday.

He said he was glad he was able to attend the function, which was attended by about 3,000 Muslims.

“I understand this is the first time a Penang Chief Minister is attending this celebration,” he told reporters covering the event.

Lim said he had sought advice from Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, state Mufti Datuk Hassan Ahmad, PAS and PKR leaders on his attendance and was told he could do so.

Special guest: Tokoh Maulidur Rasul recipient Said Saaban (right) shaking hands with the Chief Minister after receiving the award from the Governor (second from left) on Thursday.
He said he was willing to attend other religious festivals if invited, noting that the state government respected all religions.

Besides Lim and Mohammad Fairus, the exco members were Lim Hock Seng and Phee Boon Poh.

The event was opened by Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas. Also present was his consort Toh Puan Majimor Shariff and state secretary Datuk Jamaluddin Hasan.

Mohammad Fairus, in his speech, said Muslims here should forge stronger ties with the other races to help push the state towards social and economic excellence.

Earlier, Mohammad Fairus led about 2,000 Muslims in a 2km-long procession from the Seberang Jaya mosque to the venue.

Abdul Rahman later presented the state Tokoh Maulidur Rasul 2008 award to former teacher Said Shaaban, 63, the imam of Masjid Kampung Baru, Tasek Gelugor.

In George Town, more than 2,000 Muslims took part in a 3km procession, which started and ended at Kapitan Keling Mosque, to mark the occasion last evening.

when an Archbishop speaks on behalf of Islam...

I was watching the evening news last night, which is normally not my routine. Did that because I read an interesting headline on my personalized Google homepage about Dr Roman Williams' lecture on Islam in English Law. read more here

Anyways that news did upset somebody that is watching the news with me. She went totally mad with that idea, although she is neither Christian nor English. And started speaking nonsense IMO, saying that it is not realistic to have two set of laws in a country (i corrected it is not a dual law, but a sub law which governs only Muslims, as it is a need esp in Marriage etc) and then she speaks even more nonsense by saying 'if these people want such law they should just go live in Iraq or somewhere else.

"Daa, thats frm the Archbishop mouth himself!"
I didnt say that or anything after that, first I understand her nature being like that over small matter. (really admire her bf's patience) And I understand peoples have the wrong idea about Islamic law, straightaway they'll think about all these barbaric and male chauvinist we always see on media, which is unIslamic, wrongly practiced by some Muslim countries. Shame on us...

but anyways, i realize suddenly that my surrounding is now more 'biblical', this afternoon during a seminar, i overheard people at the back speaking about their Christian congregation back at home, i certainly never heard they speak on that topic.

I do admire Dr Rowan integrity and his depth understanding on Islam (you can read his speech on BBC news web). It shows that he did his research on Islam, because in my opinion even Muslims themselves are afraid to say the word Sharia because they themselves have the misconception on this law.

and I believe in this free-from-political-interference-country, the real values of Islamic Law can be uphold iA

It is not only Malaysian sisters dillema

If u are a women, and considering of gettg married, but u think that it is mission impossible
this video might help, but take it lightly, its Baba Ali ;)

Fourteen Twenty Nine

Hey all, its the first day of the new year in Islamic Calender, the 1st of Muharam year 1429.
Happy New Year.
a fresh new opportunity for a new years resolution if u had break the resolution for 2008. ;P

here's a vdo from RizKhan's bout new year resolution (a discussion with 2 experts in human behavior). Worth checking out, if u constantly break yr 'resolution'.
Thats why I never had any ;)

Islam on Youtube

I have to admit Im an avid 'youtube-ian'. Why I love it? It allows peoples to express their opinions, and say anything they want to the world.
This anyways does somehow result, the emergence of quite a number of youtube-ians bashing Islam via video or their comments, criticising the religion and Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Few years back, I feels very sad watching all these, and feels helpless because I know what they say isnt true, and I had tried my best to correct the things they said by commentg/defensing on the video. But that wasnt really efficient.

And now, I realise there are more and more Muslim youtube-ians start to produce their own video, to correct whats wrong and to deny what is not Islam. Bravo to them.

And below is a summary of the situation.




and bravo to the guy below, there are many more alike him on youtube

more from him at http://ummahfilms.blogspot.com/

In the time where Islam is being humiliated and misrepresented. Allah send us help in a way we didnt think of. Subhanallah.

Two Thousand Eight

First of all, Whoa, time does fly fast!

Thinking that its already 2008, makes me wonder what have I done all these months in this 'strange' land, which is now strange no more.
I dont reach my work goals, lots of things I havent master n read n write, which scares me a lot, if 2++ months feels like just a day, am I going to spend my another 4 years here just like another few days!

hopefully the new year, is a new n fresh start for me.
Need to be more efficient, which in my opinion, becoming more organized. I just get a new bed (its a single) delivered, because i want to get rid of the king size bed which took 75% of my bedroom space. With more space, its easier to organize my space, had planted a plant, and just started an indoor vege farm, just a small organic farm, which consist of 3 red onions, yea to produce my own onion leaves (i think there is a special name for it).

And updating my blog does feel too much, i am not sure why, not that I dont have time, i think i do have time, just now i just spent hours on youtube, (on somethg good), but not necesseraly important for now I guess, i should just had do my works actually, which is the priority. But hey, since i just had wasted my time on youtube before, below are somethg from the tube that i found v interesting.

Speed of light derived from the Quran

Subhanallah. The vdo was titled 'how science destroyed Islam', maybe to redirect the target group to watch the vdo.

And I also met this witty girl on my youtube session.
Here a vdo from her disputing the popular accusation that Muhammad PBUH was a pedophile.

I am amazed, she discovered Islam from self study and you can see on other vdo from her, the difficulty she faced when she told her family about her choice when she was still a teen. I am truly inspired.

And the christmas-new year break had past, I did a lot of thgs during the period, too many, i felt a bit lazy to jot down here. But iA I will jot some worth mentioning, which include the Manchaster trip, the Glasgow Islamic Gath and a conference in the 1st day of 2008.

Here is the sneak peek of the conference.

Note: Despite their 'appearance', these guys have a very 'non-conventional' views on Islam. Ill try to find some time to share what I heard that day iA, or you can search them on youtube ;)

Until later...

Published ISS* Guidelines for Muslim

*ISS = International Space Station

I did posted about this months before, and today I've been alerted by the Star that the guidelines have been published. So straightaway I downloaded it from JAKIM web.
You can download the docs here (Malay) and here (English translation), and also a fancy looking version here.

Although, I applaud such effort, which is able to tell the world that its not a problem for Muslim to be in space, but I couldn't accept the way they put up the guideline.

First of all, it doesnt have the authors' name in it (even the fancy version), I think having a name or two or more does matter, to whom the readers are supposed to refer to in case they need further explanation.

Second, lacking of source. Islam is a religion that uphold its references such as The Quran and the authentic Hadith, thus it is important to elaborate how they had come up with such guide, or the sources of scholars book they refer to.

Third, I dont like the way the write it. It doesn't in line with the standard as the guideline for ISS and doesn't reflect the way Islamic books on ruling supposed to be written.

For examples:

1) Cleaning the no.1 & no.2 section

Istinja’ (washing-up)

Istinja’ means cleaning of the private parts after relieving onself. Istinja’ is by using wipes/tissues which are available at the ISS.

Rules of making istinja’:

1. Using pure, not sacred material
2. Using a solid material
3. Using a dry, non-slippery material
4. Using not less than 3 pieces wipes/tissues
5. Before the najas (filth) dries
6. Before the najas (filth) spreads

I did stumble on this before, its just a normal way of performing istinjak, even on earth we can do the same. Why on earth they have to put such rules, for example rules no1 until 3. Since we all know that they will use the tissue provided in the ISS, why cant we just eliminate these 3 rules, since we all know that the tissue is hygenic, solid and dry?
The way they put it, looks like its just a copy paste work.

2) Eat

4.1 Food

If there is doubt on whether the food served on ISS it is halal or not, it is then permissible to eat the food on the basis of not to starve.

Why the 'if' is still necessary, I think it is possible to check what are the foods that will be prepared for the ISS. And why we still need to put the clause that if it is non halal, it is only permissible to eat to avoid starving. Taking into account how highly scientific ISS station is, I'm sure that they all had calculated the food intake that will provide enough nutrition to each individual on the station. Thus there will be no problem about eating non halal food excessively, the intake is just enough for survival, and isn't that make the non halal now permissible?

3. Pray

3.5 Praying

ii The performance of the physical postures (such as standing, bowing and prostrating) is to suit the conditions in ISS,prioritizing as follows:

1. If upright standing is not possible, then any standing posture,
2. Sitting. Bowing is by bringing down the chin closer to the knee or the prostrating place,
3. Lying down on the right side with body facing the direction of Qibla,
4. Lying flat
5. Using the eye lid as an indicator of the changing of postures in prayer,
6. Imagining the sequence of prayer.

The guideline for Praying, is also a copy paste from the existed rules on how to Pray when the normal ways is not possible. Why on earth, they cant just be exact on how to do it on ISS, taking into account the ISS situation?

I have to admit that my knowledge on Islamic rulings is not in depth, but I can't just zip out my mouth, knowing that such guideline that will be distributed worldwide and carry the Islamic image is not done on par with Islamic analytical sense on rulings. Wallahu'alam.

Sami Yusuf on Riz Khan AlJazeera

...you can still be a good Muslim, even if Music is yr thing...

Ihya Ramadan

Ihya Ramadan (Hidupkan Bulan Ramadan)

"manusia dan binatang hidup dengan makanan, kenderaan hidup dengan minyak/bateri, begitu juga dengan Ramadan, perlu juga dihidupkan, iaitu dengan Tilawah AlQuran, Zikir, Solat Terawih, Tadarus, Munajat dan Doa, seperti yang telah Nabi Muhammad SAW lakukan 1400tahun dahulu"
Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Menteri Besar Kelantan, dalam Ucaptama beliau sempena Sambutan Ihya Ramadhan yang sedang berlangsung sekarang.

Saya sentiasa tertunggu-tunggu mutiara kata beliau, analoginya selalunya ringkas dan mudah difahami, tetapi maksudnya mendalam. Alhamdulillah pagi ini, berkesempatan menonton ucapanya, secara langsung melalui Kelantan WebTV walaupun tidak berkesempatan menghadiri majlis tersebut.

Bulan Ramadan, Bulan mulanya Al Quran diturunkan
Bulan Jihad menentang Nafsu
Selamat Menyambut Ramadan Al Mubarak kepada semua Muslimin dan Muslimat

hayatilah lagu bertajuk Welcome o Ramadan oleh Zain Bhikha


dan ya, Ramadan bermula malam ni

just for laugh ;)

p.s. seriously I think, Kelantan is been underrated by the media, Development are everywhere (not just the infrastructure, but also the spiritual developement), Kelantanese have a decent life (you can spot luxurious car everywhere), and interracial relationship is the best in Malaysia (simply because Islam is a colour blind religion), and I think Im blessed been given the opportunity to live in this land.

Malaysian, forget Malaysia truely Asia! are we truely Malaysian?

"Kamu semua tahu tak, Cina tak mandi pagi sebelum pergi sekolah, sebab tu mata dia sepet"
“You all know? Chinese don’t take a morning shower before they go to school, that’s why their eyes like that”

I heard that phrase when I was teaching at a tuition center this evening. It’s not from a student, instead its from a teacher in the next class beside mine, who is easily classified in the male's prime age (supposed to be mature enough). I cant understand why he had to speak like that in front of his all Malay student. Its immature (even though I know his intention is to uplift the spirit of the PMR candidate, to study hard - among other issue that arises). Furthermore it is not appropriate especially in Kelantan context, where it is literally hard to find Chinese around, therefore its harder for these students to mix with others. I don’t want them to get a wrong impression about other Malaysian. And its not fair to the Kelantanese Chinese since they are generally and relatively nicer compared to their kin in other states (blend in well and speak very good Malay).

I bet, that teacher’s political ideology differs than the ruling state’s, based on his ideas of nationalism which I frequently overheard when he teaches next my class. He is supposed to be the role model, not advocating racism. I later shut off the sliding door partitioning the two classes, indicating my objection.

Even though we are proud to say that we are all Malaysian, we live in peace and harmony despite the differences in culture and belief, we branded our nation as the Truly Asia! Yet I found that most of us are hypocrites.

Take a look at the pics below.

What came up on yr mind? Yr feeling?

I knew this from my university’s alumni online group. The pics and some more got into the group from several similar FORWARD post by fellow Malays who got pissed by the way she hold the pig and ‘proudly’ (quote from what they say) take pics with the animal. The group was flooded with similar post, one after another but with different title.

An example:
Anak sapa la ni…kerja ladang babi…
Whose daughter is this? Work in the pigs’ barn

What is the purpose of forwarding this email? The clear intention is to demonize this girl, which in my opinion hasn’t done anything wrong. Its not that she had choped off the pig’s head or slaughtered it, roasted it’s meat, and eat it.

It is even sadder when later, many of the group member (yup, the so called educated people of Malaysia) start leavin their comment about the pic, and demanding explanation from this poor girl. Which later replied by a university’s lecturer, explaining that she is in the Vet program of the uni. But still people cannot accept the way she posed in front of the cam and accused her on putting Islamic law behind. Its ridiculious. I learned that Muslim is just not allowed to eat its meat, we can still touch with a precondition that we clean it later as described by the scholars.

This chaos can give Islam a bad impression. Thanks to these Muslim chaotic maker.

We all tend to mix things up. I think it is the stigma. We are banned to eat its meat. That’s it. Why we have to ‘jump’, and make a big mountain over not even a molehill. Be sensitive, we live in a country, where there are others that appreciate its meat.

That’s why I said we are hypocrite. When we have the opportunity to speak up anonymously, we put aside the borders and say all the insensitive things about others without deep thinking and analysis and this clearly potrays our shallow stands in the issues . This also apply to other races, I often found racist comments by the Chinese in the internet media (the blog and its comments) and even in my blog as well like in this, this and this posts' comment section. Some are insensitive remark on Islam, which was a direct results of Muslims failed to portray the true teaching of the religion. So its not their fault either, it is also ours, that carry the Islamic image in Malaysia.

Its not that I want to stir a racial tension, but it is what we all face, really.

Take a look at the ruling party, they themselves portrayed the similar issue. When one of the subparty declared that we are an Islamic nation, but then the other sub denied it. See, their understanding of our constitution is also clearly apart. It is not a surprise that the peoples they rule, themselves have the common misunderstanding, hypocritical stand in few issue.

The recent popular arguments, Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Melayu. My views? I don’t care! Even after we had changed our school’s name frm Sekolah Melayu to Sekolah Kebangsaan, still some despise these schools and choose vernacular instead. It is not about the branding! Not that I blame this to only nonMalay, we shouldn’t just look at things superficially, try to understand, why there are such reluctance. Is it the way the school being handle? Is it their teachers? (I’m sure the example at the top can influence in someway). We need more than, just accusing people being unpatriotic because they don’t want to follow 'the national custom'. Why don’t we all embrace all custom, don’t limit us just to the so called national Identity.

Luckily we all are very nice people, rarely causes any real problem, despite the issues and disagreement hidden beneath our friendly faces.

50 years had past…

I think we are lucky, living in a 'dream nation', but we all have to stop day dreaming and face the reality somehow. There are still lots of issues that need to be straighten up, esp. when the scenario still permit such discussion, fix where possible, before its too late!

Selamat Menyambut Ulang tahun yang ke-50, its time to bring it to the next level, Mutual-understanding is no longer enough…

p.s. I sometimes sense that we are seriously being attacked and poked by non-Malaysians esp. some of our ‘neighbors’, which have their own agenda. I think there are peoples that loath Malaysian peace and will do whatever it takes (thx to the www anonymity) to destroy the current state of serenity. So beware fellow Malaysians!

Guilty of Murder

Kota Bharu, August 20th 2007 (7.40 am) - An idle postgraduate student was found guilty without trial this morning under the offense of he-isn’t-sure-which-degree-of-murder. He had accidentally killed his cat (one of the newborn) while reversing his car out of the porch to send his sister to school which started at 8am that day. The incident occurs due to the false impression of the driver that all his cats have been removed from the pathway by his sister who was earlier waiting outside. The accident occurs so fast, and the kitten died on the scene simultaneously. Not only that, he was also yelled by his mother (it is so loud that he thought all the neighbors can hear he was being scolded), who was mad at him since he is in a hurry as he woke up late (after his Subuh prayer nap) that morning because he slept a bit late last night chatting with a stranger about Hizbu Tahrir (the stranger is one of the member).

The offender was reached for his comment about the incident while he was burying the kitten after he went back from sending his sister. With tears going down his cheek he said, “I take full responsibility over the dead kitten (May Allah forgive me), there is no point on blaming others. Although I am a bit frustrated being scolded like a kid, I accept it, she is just doing her job” "I never reverse without checking the car's under, but I didn't do that this morning, it is a mistake. I regret I did not do that." He is very sad that he had killed a life, especially when the kitten is the cutest among the three. He feel that he need to apologize to Minah (the kitten’s mum) and he feel a bit relieved when he later saw Minah is acting like usual. Only Allah knows what is in her mind.

When further asked about his comment on Hizbu Tahrir (HT), he said "I cant comment in a comprehensive way since my knowledge about this movement is still limited" Moreover, the stranger failed to address some of his question (such as how this going to work in Malaysia), The stranger said he cannot give the answer now, as it doesn’t work if he describe it online.

BTW, he felt that it is a good thing that there is such movement. However he think that the movement only sounded good theoretically and he is not sure how it is going to work practically especially in Malaysian context. He added, “I am sure Daulah Islamiah is the answer to the current miseries in Muslim majority nation especially the Middle East. However, I have no idea on how this is going to work via HT’s way, as I never heard of such movement before, it’s not even a real political party here!” He also promised to do his research on this by watching all the vdos and infos given by the stranger, and later get back to this issue, insyaAllah.

Islam is a sexist religion?

I'm sure we all aware of this statement, from the media, or from other people around us, or even from our own thought, when we think about it base on our shallow understanding of Islam.
I guess its normal, we all human, logical being, faith doesnt come by without deeper understanding and thinking.

Therefore sometime, even Muslims themselves believe in this statement, and some even try to reinterpret the Quran because they think there are bias in the interpretation as it was translated by males, therefore it is from male perspective.
Probably this is an unnecessary step, because what I believe, we don't need 'new' interpretation, as the most important thing is, to understand the meaning behind what had been interpreted.

As a Muslim, we believe in all things Allah had told us to, its in the faith.
But, how you as a Muslims, going to face such remark on Islam. Is your current methodology is wise enough?
Or if you are still searching, you want the answer and you feel that your faith is not strong enough.

Even if you are not a Muslim, but you are open minded, and want to learn what Islam actually is, and why there are the so called 'sexist rules' in the religion,
Or you have been irked and unsatisfied, by the common answer from a Muslim regarding Islam. for example, When u asked, why a Muslim women need to cover up?, they replied with the common stereotypical: to prevent her from being raped. Of course this doesnt make sense.

There are answers for this.
Perfect Justice: Debunking the male bias myth by Yasir Qadhi

The introduction transcript

The topic that has been assigned for me for today, is entitled perfect justice debunking the male bias myth. In other words the topic is about explaining to non Muslims in our time even many Muslims why is it there are so many gender specific rules. Gender different rules in Islam.

Why do our women have to wear hijab and not man?

Why is it that a man is allowed to practice polygamy and not women?

Why is it that the inheritance is different?

Why, Why Why?

So many questions arise from non Muslims and even in our times for many Muslims They are questioning the fundamentals of their religion. The fundamentals of Fiqh. The fundamentals of Usul. The fundamentals of male female interaction and they are wondering why is our religion is so different from what we see around us today. From the environment we have been raised in and so I’m trying to explain in this talk in a nutshell our proper methodology of response.

How do we response to these allegation Somebody comes and tell us Islam is a very Chauvinistic religion? Its a sexist faith? It prefers men over women? And they list a number of things such as polygamy, such as hijab, such as inheritance, such as this and that, witnesses in the court and they list a number of things and they say look, look at this type of religion, its making women backwards, and is promoting male chauvinism and making men better than women. How do we response to these allegation? how do we defend our faith from these accusations?

Now the topic that I’m talking about is very common, is very common you’d heard it so many times on human rights in Islam, in fact I may even go so far as to say that this has become a staple topic for many conventions and many speakers. So much so that an average talk that is advertise with this topic in mind, would not even generate a great response because its cliché been there done that. I’ve heard this conversation before So let me reassure you that although the topic might indeed be very common. In fact one of the most common topics at Muslim conventions and gatherings. Let me be so bold as to state that the response you’ll hear today insyaAllah is a very very unique response It is a response that is rarely heard It is a response that I personally believe is a much better and perfect response than the traditional, than the stereotypical response that is given to these questions

Because and I claim perhaps very boldly and Ill justify this claim that the traditional methodology of responding to these allegations by traditional methodology I’m referring to answers that all of you know.

Why is a men is allowed to have more than one wife and a women isn’t? Well because during the times of war its men who dies and the women is more numerous because there is orphans because you know more widowers.

Why is it that u know the inheritances is more for the men vs. the women? Well because the men has more financial obligation than a women, so you have these (excuse me) stereotypical responses okay.

And I state quite boldly and Ill defend this insyaAllah that these responses have not, cannot and will not succeed in doing justice to our religion These traditional responses, they will not succeed in solving this bias In solving this perception that non Muslims and unfortunately many Muslims who are now grounded in their religion have of our religion with regards to male female interactions.

I hope, above transcript of the introduction had intrigue your interest in watching and listening to the video below. Mark your planner for an hour date with this Yasir Qadhi’s lecture, because I think it is the best lecture providing the best answer in this issue.

to download, find the link here

About Yasir Qadhi
Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah.
His published works include Riya'a: The Hidden Shirk, Du'aa: The Weapon of the Believer, and An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'an.
Yasir Qadhi is currently pursuing his doctorate, in Religious Studies, at Yale University in New Haven, CT. At AlMaghrib Instiute he teaches the Light of Guidance and the Light Upon Light seminars, which focus on aqeedah.

Jom Heboh Penang

Last weekend, I was in Penang. And coincidentally, Jom Heboh was bein held there that weekend. As I never been to this carnival, I decided to give it a try. So early that morning, my sister and I head to Queensbay Mall to experience it ourselves.

Well, its not bad at all. I arrived early, people not yet got up from their extra time weekend morning nap, therefore I was less bothered by mass amount of people. There were lots of booth from TV3's owned to food product to automotive to hotlink supersized booth to a ministry booth.

For those who hv never been to this carnival, here are things u can do:
TV3 booth, u can meet the celebrities, get their autograph, take pics (its no big deal for me)
Food booth, u can sample food, and buy em, they sold it cheaper compared to retail
it is a fun place to be.

The highlight of my Jom Heboh was Muadz.
He is a singer, a new talent with good intention. A good addition to our local music industry. We can categorized him in Nasheed, but with a fresh approach, contemporary image and music to spread the message of truth through the lyrics. Alhamdulillah, there are such efforts. Its a great thing I found about him there.

Here are the pics of the autographed CD (my sister's)







My sister was suprised that Muadz is an extremely nice guy when we met him. Probably because she never met a celeb, they are supposed to be nice, but I think he is genuine. He expressed his gratitude over our purchase, in fact he was the one opening the CD plastic wrapping using his own coin. I felt silly for a moment, I think I didn't even say thank you when we left. But I did say Good Luck (it is unnecessary when I think about it again) and All the best!

Haven't yet heard all the tracks as the CD is with my sis, but i did heard some (i think its live) during the carnival. He has a good voice, really nice tone, suite the lyrics and music. And his inspiration (written in the CD) are Sami Yusof and Outlandish (to name a few), owh now I see how he come up with this album. I hope Malaysian can embrace this kind of Nasheed genre. Its time to move away from the MTV guys, it is so 90s haha

I felt a bit sad, bcos he didnt get a good support during the carnival. Nobody bother to stop when he sang live at a booth, it was just couple of us and a few, which I think is pathetic. I saw most are Malay there at the carnival and of course Muslim, come on, give him a support at least by stopping by. Probably bcos no one knew him (just recently he got into the newspaper), he deserves attention like these guys below had.







...sucked into hedonisme for a while.
The male celebs were on makeup (not light!), hehe, i know2, the camera thingy, but seriously theyd lost their masculinity

Back to Muadz story, He has his own blog at http://muadzseekinglight.blogspot.com/
There are some clips from his album. Its worth a try to give a visit and listen to some. "The Wayfarers" is an awesome track.
For those in Malaysia, Grab his CD in stores. It cost less than RM30 and you are helping him spreading the words of wisdom to humankind.

Muadz is a lawyer by profession, and a singer by passion.

p.s. Frens, great to see you all in Penang.

Malaysian Muslims Cant Solat (Pray) in the next GE?

I was alerted by MarinaM's blog bout the usage of ink mark on voters in the next General Election (GE) (I didnt read the newspaper yesterday). So far the decision on this hasn't yet been finalised. The obstacle is Islam according to him.

Teresa Kok (DAP – Seputeh): Why the Government had not made a decision to implemen the use of indelible ink in the next general elections?
He: Muslims could not perform their prayers if the ink could not be washed off for a few days after voting. For Muslims, when they pray, they have to wash their face, hands and feet and the water (air wuduk) must touch their skin. With indelible ink, the water will not be able to touch the skin and Muslims will not be able to perform their prayers
(he said while winding up the debate on the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2007)

Come on, give me a break.
Don't speak bout Islam or on behalf of Islam, if he is unsure.

Who is he? Read here on TheStar article

Karen Armstrong in Malaysia *updated

Dr Karen Armstrong was in Malaysia for the conference on "Islam and the West: Bridging the Gap" organised by Wisma Putra’s Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations.

Her keynote speech is "The External and Internal Challenges of Islam"
...We (Muslims) have to spread the message of peace...

Muslims must project an image of peace if they are not to affirm Western prejudices against Islam...By showing that Muslims are peaceful, it does not mean that they are being feeble or pushovers for the West...It, in fact, takes great strength to stand for peace in a world which has become increasingly violent. It is an internal challenge for Muslims against the bigotries of the West...

read more here in NST

Her public lecture "The Role of Religion in the 21st Century"
...We all need to practice our religion...

Religion is a matter that should be put into concrete practice in order to discover the truth

read more here in NST

You can read the article regarding her interview with Utusan's Zin Mahmud here

Ditanya apakah yang menarik tentang Islam? Beliau meletakkan pluralisme sebagai sifat agama ini yang menjadi kekuatan.

Totally agree on her view that Islam's strength is in its theology; the pluralism, this is what make Islam unique, although the religion is facing all sort of challenges esp. by non-Muslim's common sense arguments, no one can argue Islam's pluralism belief.

Im not sure what is her current faith, but thats none of my business, its between her and the Creator. However, what she is doin is awesome.
Semoga beliau akan mendapat hidayah dari-Nya sekiranya masih belum terbuka pintu hati, Amin.

p.s. Above highlight which I extracted from the news is not enough. You can read more here written by MarinaM, she was there listening live

40 years of occupation: 6-Day War

It was 1967, 40 years ago, and it took less than a week,
40 years later, nothin much changed
Focus on this devastating event by AlJazeera

Al Jazeera is marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 war with a series of special reports.
Our correspondents will be reporting on every side of the war, asking those involved how the war changed their lives, what was won - and lost - and what it means for the future of the region.

the Timeline

June 5: At 10:10 GMT Israel launches first wave of attacks, leaving nearly 400 Egyptian aircraft destroyed and huge craters in runway

June 6: Israel captures Gaza Strip, defeating part of Egyptian army

June 7: Israeli paratroopers seize control of Jerusalem's old city; 40,000 troops and 200 tanks deployed against Jordanian army; West Bank and East Jerusalem taken

June 8: Sinai captured and Egyptian forces defeated

June 9: Ground fighting between Israeli and Syrian forces continues in Golan region

June 10: Israel defeats Syrian army in Golan Heights. Syria accepts UN ceasefire resolution and Israel heeds UN warning not to advance into Syria

read more...
1967 : 40 YEARS OF OCCUPATION on AlJazeera English Extensive Coverage

watch more...
Aljazeera VDOs on YouTube