The Role Of Palestine with Imam Afroz and Antony Loewenstein

As to what follows, I begin with the greeting words of paradise

As Sallam Wa Alaikum (Peace be with you)


On Monday night I had the privilege to attend a program which is usually what you would call a "hot" topic.

Indeed it was.
Antony Loewenstein for those who don't know him is an Atheist Jew who lives in Sydney.

He is a fantastic writer. One of his books I want to highlight on the Israel/Palestine conflict is: My Israel Question

There was a great turn out at the programme, it was a full house!

Antony was being interviewed by Imam Afroz . A very unique style I must add.

It’s not every day you see a Muslim interviewing a Jew. But Wait...

It was great! The crowd loved it. Especially when Antony and Imam shook hands I think that sent everyone a message that we can work together.

Antony is very outspoken I truly do admire him for that (I also recommend to buy his book you will not be disappointed)

He spoke on his trip to Israel and to Gaza as well as the West Bank.
The experiences he faced while he was there and how he was treated.
WHAT AN EYE OPENER!

The facts are that Israel will continue to build settlements on Palestine Land and we are looking at apartheid exactly what happend in South Africa is what will happen to the Arabs, because Stats show that Arabs will outnumber Israel in the future.

I can tell you now, what Antony is doing isn’t easy but I can assure you he has my support all the way 110%

Now if your thinking this talk was to get Palestine back... hmm you must be dreaming, as if that’s going to happen anytime soon


It was more about how we should work together. At the end of the day, we are Human. Muslim, Jew, Christian whatever you maybe we’re living on a planet called earth and we have to work together.

Ill be honest and please don’t take this the wrong way, before I was ignorant, In my mind I hated all Jews and All of Israel. I had another thing coming. Once again Reality Check: Are all Jews bad?

The answer No. I feel so bad for thinking in such a way.

Zionist on the other hand. Well you can call me Anti Zionist (and proud)

Read up on the book and you can see why.

Once again it was great to be with Imam Afroz also. He always knows how to make us smile and we are truly blessed to have him visit us often in Auckland.

I would like to end on a note by Nelson Mandela:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite”.


Jazakllah Khair,


Aashif Sacha

(RMDT)


P.S. Please forgive me if I said anything to offend anyone. And please forgive me for my shortcomings.

Prince among Slaves - Next xpresso film night

Prince Among Slaves (A True Story)

XpressO Movie Night

7pm Saturday 19th June
AGC Sydney

(For more info and to register for the event click here)

After enduring the brutal Middle Passage, he eventually ended up in Mississippi at the birth of the U.S. as a nation, where he remained enslaved for almost 40 years. Near providential circumstances finally led to his release, but not his freedom, nor the freedom of his large family. Defying the edict that he return immediately to Africa and still technically a slave, Abdul-Rahman set out on a quest to raise enough money to purchase his family’s freedom.

His quest came to a tragic end, as he was finally forced to leave before he could raise the needed money. He returned to Africa with only his wife, where he continued pressing for the release of his children. Only four months later, he died.

Two of his sons were finally freed with the money he raised, but the others remained in bondage in America. Recently, his African and American descendents were reunited at a reunion on the grounds of the plantation where he was enslaved, finally fulfilling his dream.

Theology and the Ethics of Food

As to what follows, I begin with the greeting words of paradise,

As Sallam Wa Alaikum (Peace be with you)

Last Sunday (2nd May 2010), I attended a work shop regarding the ethics of food.

Honestly it's really not what I expected, the seminar really blew me away and was a major eye opener. I always appreciate Imam Afroz because he is always straight to the point.

The programme covered the difference between organic and inorganic food, milk, chocolate, the soil beneath our feet, gelatin, alcohol, chicken, vanillin and an Islamic view of what is lawful and prohibited regarding food.

The main bit that really got me was to actually start looking into what is really in our food.
Sure I read ingredients while I'm consuming the food, 80% of which words I don't even know!
And I wonder if I have nutrition?

Imam Afroz explained that our brain is affected by our nutrition which I cant believe I didn't even think of (Subhan'Allah) until he told us!!

Well lets really look at the big picture.. We need mind, body and soul to serve God right? Well how are we meant to serve God if we can't maintain a healthy body (By the way by 'we' I am referring to myself also)

For people like myself who has a pet I look to buy my cat a nice nutritional stuff (I don't even know if he likes it, but hes got no other choice haha) but really I don't even buy myself food as healthy as i do for my cat. Even then stats show that canned cat food is more nutritional than canned human food. In my eyes that absolutly ridiculous!


Same story with gas.. I fill my car up with 98 so it runs better than if I fill it up with 91. How am I fuelling my body? hmmm REALITY CHECK!

So:

---> Good nutrition = More Energy :-)

---> Bad Nutrition = More Tiredness :-(

Okay and then we got meat.. GO AND LOOK WHERE YOUR MEAT COMES FROM!

Don't just blindly go and eat whatever because of a cert. How do you know whats in your mean and where it came from? You can usually tell just by looking at the quality of meat.
I mean this isn't your car if it breaks down you go and get a service. This is your body were talking about. Your life.
As I stated before: how are we meant to serve God if we can't maintain a healthy body

We went into some serious detail of milk, ill never look at milk the same again that's for sure.
Do some homework brothers and sisters, this isn't a joke!

We are at risk and company's are benefiting from it.


I finish up this piece with a Hadith I hope you all enjoy:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'A truthful and trustworthy merchant is associated with the prophets, the upright and the martyrs.'
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith



Jazakallah Khair for taking time out to read this. Please forgive me if I caused disrespect to anyone. I really did not mean any harm.
(This is my first blog post)


Aashif Sacha
RMDT

(Auckland, New Zealand)