About this blog

In recent times a plethora of misconceptions, misrepresentation and myths have been forged about Islam
and Muslims. Many western influentials from politicians, policymakers to judges have taken it upon
themselves to undermine the Islamic beliefs, values and rules so to make it palatable to their
egotistic minds and the secular liberal thoughts.

This blog is dedicated:-

1. To argue the point for Islam in its belief and systems and to refute the misconceptions.
2. To expose the weakness and contradictions of all forms of secularism.

19 Jan 2009

Israel - the spoilt child of the West



The Western world since the creation of Israel has supported the Zionist entity – it is virtually impossible for Israel survive on its own. Understanding this is crucial as this defines who should be targeted in the current crisis and the stance people should take generally towards Israel.

British Strategic interests

Theodor Herzl is credited with founding political Zionism, a movement which sought to establish a Jewish state, by elevating the Jewish question onto the international scene. In 1896, Herzl published Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), offering his vision of a future state; the following year he presided over the first World Zionist Congress.

In 1907 British Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman formed a committee with France, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Italy. He gathered specialists in history, geography, economics, oil, agriculture and colonialism – to study possible ways to assure the continuity of European colonial interests. In his directives to the committee members, he outlined that empires grow in power to a certain extent, expand then gradually disintegrate and collapse. He asked them to find a way for delaying the fate of European colonialism which had reached its peak, at the time, when the sun never set on the British Empire. The committee’s key recommendation was: "There are people (Muslims) who control spacious territories teeming with manifest and hidden resources. They dominate the intersections of world routes. Their lands were the cradles of human civilizations and religions. These people have one faith, one language, one history and the same aspirations. No natural barriers can isolate these people from one another ... if, per chance, this nation were to be unified into one state, it would then take the fate of the world into its hands and would separate Europe from the rest of the world. Taking these considerations seriously, a foreign body should be planted in the heart of this nation to prevent the convergence of its wings in such a way that it could exhaust its powers in never-ending wars. It could also serve as a springboard for the West to gain its coveted objects."

Although Argentina and Uganda were considered for the establishment of a Jewish homeland Britain viewed the plight and outright racism Jews experienced in Europe from a strategic perspective. With the Ottomans on its final legs Britain and its European power brokers were determined that the Muslim world should never be able to unite and threaten Western interests ever again. David Fromkin, Professor and expert of Economic History at the University of Chicago describes the actions of the European colonialists: “With centuries of mercantilist experience, Britain and France created small, unstable states whose rulers needed their support to stay in power. The development and trade of these states were controlled and they were meant never again to be a threat to the West. These external powers then made contracts with their puppets to buy Arab resources cheaply, making the feudal elite enormously wealthy while leaving most citizens in poverty.” European colonialists led by Britain used the Zionist call for a Jewish homeland to achieve their own strategic interests in keeping the Muslim world in never ending wars with this entity never threatening colonial interest ever again.

Strategic support

Although British influence in the Middle East has been replaced by American influence the US is committed to protecting Israel, guaranteeing her security and securing a prosperous standard of living for the Jews living there. However this is not out of any moral obligation but due to strategic interests. It is these interests that have resulted in support of all types to Israel. With the population of the Palestinian territories forecasted to overtake that of Israel’s by 2019, Israel needs a strong economy to attract Jewish migration from across the world and then to maintain a high standard of living for them.

A cursory glance at Israel’s economy shows it is poor in natural resources, Israel depends on imports of oil, coal, food, production inputs and military equipment. Through a variety of agreements, deals and support from the West Israel has managed to develop the foundation of an industrial economy. With a population the size of Scotland Israel has an economy worth $185 billion. The European Union, US, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Jordan and Egypt, have signed free trade agreements with Israel which means they all trade without any restrictions to trade, this has helped Israel in procuring raw materials.

Foreign markets are an important source of revenue for Israel, due to having a very small domestic market (due to its small population) it is forced to search for foreign markets to generate wealth. Industrialised nations generally focus 10% of their economy towards foreign trade (imports and exports). However 30% of the Israeli economy relies on exports, which is very high. Israel’s main exports 10 years ago were Jaffa orange and other agricultural products. Today’s exports are increasingly high-tech, an estimated 80% of the products Israel exports are high-tech and electronics components. However Israel is finding it is light years behind Japan, China and Germany in this very competitive sector. 40% of Israeli exports end up on US shores even though the US can make the same agricultural goods and computer hardware cheaper and of better quality.

Because of the strategic role Israel plays in the Middle East it has been spoilt with military hardware and technology which would have otherwise taken it decades to develop. The US spends over $5 billion every year in military aid where it funds foreign militaries, Israel is the largest recipient of this, receiving $2 billion every year, whilst $1.3 billion goes to Egypt. This has given Israel a huge advantage over its surrounding nations. The US is expected to provide Israel with $30billion in military aid between 2008 and 2017

Britain the original father of Israel has never let its spoilt child down. The British governments own figures show it is selling more and more weapons to Israel, despite questions about the country’s use of force. In 2007, Britain approved £6 million of arms exports. In 2008, it licensed sales 12 times as fast: £20m in the first three months alone. Britain provides Israel with many of the technological components used in its military hardware. The licensees covered the export of armored vehicles and missile components that Israel regularly uses against the Muslims of Palestine. Major British companies such as HSBC, British Airways and British Gas have interests in Israel, trade is now well above £2.4 billion. In addition, many Israeli companies see the UK as an attractive place to grow and expand their businesses. The UK, as an international financial hub, is the doorway to a world of opportunities for companies and entrepreneurs. More than 200 Israeli companies have set up operations in the UK, and that number continues to rise. Another 40 Israeli companies have already chosen the AIM (Alternative Investment Market – Market for new upcoming business which has fewer conditions compared to the FTSE100) stock exchange to raise capital, rather than the more expensive and distant option of the US.

The European Union describes Israel as “one of the EU's most established trading partners in the Euromed area ranking as the EU's 25th major trade partner,” on its European commission website. EU-Israeli trade is an all time high of €14 billion. The EU has a €30 billion arms industry that is competing internationally with the US and China, for these reasons the EU allows EU nations to compete freely in the arms markets, the EU hopes to encourage a restructuring of the continent's fractured arms industry so it is better able to tackle international rivals. Hence what Israel does with the arms purchased from the EU is of little concern to the EU.

Political support

Israel is essentially a military aircraft carrier for the US and the Western world in the region. However Western support goes beyond providing Israel with military hardware and includes political support. The US Congress was notified in July 2006 in the midst of the Lebanon-Israel conflict of the sale of $210 million worth of jet fuel to Israel. The Defence George Bush Security Cooperation Agency noted that the sale of the JP-8 fuel, should it be completed, will "enable Israel to maintain the operational capability of its aircraft inventory." and "The jet fuel will be consumed while the aircraft is in use to keep peace and security in the region." It has been speculated that the US has also provided Israel with “bunker buster” bombs, which will be used to target the leader of Hizbollah and destroy its trenches. The US has also jointly developed the Arrow Anti-Ballistic Missile Program. The world’s only national operational missile defence system designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles, the Arrow is the most advanced missile defence system in the world. The development was funded by both Israel and the United States. Not only does the Arrow protect Israel, it has also provided the US the research and experience necessary to develop additional defensive weapons systems.

The Western world has also afforded Israel political support throughout its history. We witness again and again the veto of continues UN resolutions condemning Israel. Zalmay Khalilzad is reported to have received explicit instructions from his superiors at the US State Department to torpedo any initiative proposed by the Arab bloc which is designed to grant the Security Council the status of an official arbiter that will have direct involvement with the current disentangling Gaza crisis. In July 2006 the United Nations Security Council rejected pleas from Lebanon that it call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported the US was the only member of out the 15-nation UN body to oppose any council action at all. The US provided Israel with precession guided bombs which the British government denied any knowledge of landing and refuelling at British airports.

The Western world has created a lop sided balance of power structure in the region by spoiling Israel with military technology. This has given Israel an immense advantage over any negotiations in the region and it is this reason why Israel unilaterally continues with settlement construction to alter the very face of the region. The maintenance of this balance of power was no accident it has been carefully constructed to ensure US strategic interests are maintained. This is the reason the US is applying huge pressure on Iran for developing nuclear weapons, as this would change the geopolitics of the region. The US is also horrified of the deal signed by Russia and Iran for the S300 missile defence system. Such a missile defence system will completely alter the rules of the game as Iran could systematically take out 100 jets or missiles simultaneously

Conclusions

The current aggression we are witnessing has US blessings written all over it. Without US and Western support Israel would never be in the position it is in today. The Western world has also ensured its puppets in the Muslim world work with Israel and contribute towards strengthening it. From this perspective we should not miss the point and call for a halt in Israeli aggression as this would be the same as asking the dog to stop barking. Dealing with this problem requires an entity that has the will to threaten this Western strategic interest, the Arab nations collectively can pose such a challenge with the political will. The Muslims armies have the ability to change the status quo as each of the rulers in the Muslims world relies on the army to remain in power.

It should also be remembered that the US refuses to allow Israel to share the influence in the region with her. In order to prevent Israeli expansion and the spread of Israeli influence in the region, American policy has been based on isolating Israel from the rest of the region in an attempt to curtail her and minimise her role in the quest to solve the Palestinian issue and the Middle Eastern issue. US policy is centred around establishing a Palestinian state to act as an instrument of containment; by establishing a host of international guarantees and by bringing multinational forces to be deployed along the borders between Israel and the neighbouring Arab countries - Jordan, Syria, Egypt and the future Palestinian State. The American policy has also been based on working towards the internationalisation of Jerusalem, as America sees this internationalisation as a solution to the sensitive crisis of Jerusalem that would guarantee a strong American presence through the presence of the United Nations. Israeli invincibility is a myth and Israeli control on the global levers of power is an even bigger myth.

[Article written by Adnan Khan, January 2009]
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What they said...

“Islam represented the greatest military power on earth…It was the foremost economic power in the world…It had achieved the highest level so far in human history, in the arts and sciences of civilization...Islam in contrast created a world civilization, poly-ethnic, multiracial, international, one might even say intercontinental.”





[Bernard Lewis, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Orientalist and Historian, 2001]





"There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts…the civilization I'm talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600… Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage"





[Carly Fiorina, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard, 2001]





"For the first three centuries of its existence (circ. A.D 650-1000) the realm of Islam was the most civilized and progressive portion of the world. Studded with splendid cities, gracious mosques and quiet universities where the wisdom of the ancient world was preserved and appreciated, the Moslem world offered a striking contrast to the Christian West, then sunk in the night of the Dark Ages."





[Lothrop Stoddard, Ph.D (Harvard), American political theorist and historian, 1932]





"Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe;it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills ,trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse."





[Jared Diamond, UCLA sociologist and Author, 1997]



"No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and endeavour so many and so varied races of mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and west is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition."





[Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb, Professor at Harvard University, 1932]





“The Muhammadan Law which is binding on all -- from the crowned head to the meanest subject is a law interwoven with a system of the wisest, the most learned and the most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world.”





[Edmund Burke, British Statesman and Philosopher, 1789]





"The Exile here is not like in our homeland. The Turks hold respectable Jews in esteem. Here and in Alexandria, Egypt, Jews are the chief officers and administrators of the customs, and the king’s revenues. No injuries are perpetuated against them in all the empire. Only this year, in consequence of the extraordinary expenditure caused by the war against Shah Tahmsap al-Sufi, were the Jews required to make advances of loans to the princes."





[David dei Rossi, Jewish Traveller 17CE, quoted by Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands]





"The notable religious tolerance towards Christians and Jew under Muslim rule had given way to the uncompromising zealotry of Spanish Inquisition. Jews and Muslims thus fled Spain with large numbers of Jews immigrating to the Ottoman Empire which was known for its tolerance to the Jews."





[Graham Fuller, Author and former CIA, 1995]





“If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilization owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure, which stems, I think, from the straightjacket of history, which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world, from central Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society, and systems of beliefs, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history”





[Charles Philip Arthur George, HRH The Prince of Wales, 1993]





"...Not being subject to the Sharia, Jews and Christians were free to go to their own religious authorities for adjudication of disputes; but in many cases they went instead to the [Muslim] Qadi"





[Richard W. Bulliet, Professor of History and Author, 2004]





"Here in the land of the Turks we have nothing to complain of. We possess great fortunes; much gold and silver are in our hands. We are not oppressed by heavy taxes and our commerce is free and unhindered. Rich are the fruits of the earth. Everything is cheap and each one of us lives in freedom. Here a Jew is not compelled to wear a yellow star as a badge of shame as is the case in Germany where even wealth and great fortune is a curse for a Jew because he therewith arouses jealousy among the Christians and they devise all kinds of slander against him to rob him of his gold. Arise my brethren, gird up your loins, collect up your forces and come to us."





[In his book 'Constantinople', Philip Mansel quotes a rabbi in Turkey writing to his brethren in Europe where they were facing increasing persecution after 1453]





"Praise be to the beneficent God for his mercy towards me! Kings of the earth, to whom his [the Caliph’s] magnificence and power are known, bring gifts to him, conciliating his favour by costly presents, such as the king of the Germans, the king of the Gebalim, the king of Constantinople, and others. All their gifts pass through my hands, and I am charged with making gifts in return. (Let my lips express praise to the God in heaven who so far extends his loving kindness towards me without any merit of my own, but in the fullness of his mercies.) I always ask the ambassadors of these monarchs about our brethren the Jews, the remnant of the captivity, whether they have heard anything concerning the deliverance of those who have pined in bondage and had found no rest."





[Hasdai Ibn Shaprut (915-990 CE) Jewish physician, chief minister of Islamic Caliphate in Cordova, 'The Jewish Caravan']





"In Baghdad there are about forty thousand Jews, and they dwell in security, prosperity, and honour under the great Caliph [al-Mustanjid, 1160-70 CE], and amongst them are great sages, the Heads of the Academies engaged in the study of the Law…’"





[Benjamin of Tudela, Rabbi in Baghdad in the year 1168 CE, 'The Jew in the Medieval World']





"Those Eastern thinkers of the ninth century laid down, on the basis of their theology, the principle of the Rights of Man, in those very terms, comprehending the rights of individual liberty, and of inviolability of person and property; described the supreme power in Islam, or Califate, as based on a contract, implying conditions of capacity and performance, and subject to cancellation if the conditions under the contract were not fulfilled; elaborated a Law of War of which the humane, chivalrous prescriptions would have put to the blush certain belligerents in the Great War; expounded a doctrine of toleration of non-Moslem creeds so liberal that our West had to wait a thousand years before seeing equivalent principles adopted.





[Leon Ostorog, French Jurist]





"The debt of our science to that of the Arabs does not consist in startling discoveries or revolutionary theories; science owes a great deal more to Arab culture, it owes its existence"





[Robert Briffault, Novelist and Historian, 1928]





"The only effective link between the old and the new science is afforded by the Arabs. The dark ages come as an utter gap in the scientific history of Europe, and for more than a thousand years there was not a scientific man of note except in Arabia"





[Oliver Joseph Lodge, Writer and Professor of Physics, 1893]





“Thus, when Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar from North Africa in 711 and invaded the Iberian Peninsula, Jews welcomed them as liberators from Christian Persecution.”





[Zion Zohar, Jewish scholar at Florida International University, 2005]







“Throughout much of the period in question, Arabic served as the global language of scholarship, and learned men of all stripes could travel widely and hold serious and nuanced discussions in this lingua franca. Medieval Western scholars who wanted access to the latest findings also needed to master the Arabic Tongue or work from translations by those who had done so.”





[Jonathan Lyons, Author, Writer and Lecturer, 2009]