From: mughal@romeo.caltech.edu (ASIM M MUGHAL)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: RE: BOSNIA and SOMALIA/B.Kumar
Date: 6 Oct 1992 06:06 PDT
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Distribution: world
Reply-To: gt7242a@prism.gatech.edu (KHAN,RAHEEL)
NNTP-Posting-Host: romeo.caltech.edu
Originator: Mughal@Romeo.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    


On all culture news groups flag bearer of islam have posted
messages after messages deploring sitaution in Bosnia.  Who
is  helping   in    Bosnia?   Muslims states - NO.   Muslim
Fundamentalists all around the world are getting hoarse crying
for Bosnia and Islam. Islam is in DANGER once more (it was
in Gulf war before) for these fundamentlists. Who are they
cursing for not helping - WEST? Why the hell should WEST help
these fundamentlists who will go tomorrow planting bombs in
western planes and threatening Salman Rushdie and likes
with death threats at flimsiest grounds? West is under
no obligation to help. It SHOULD NOT get involved. But
west is still helping out of goodwill.

But what is happening to Somalia which has 99 percent
(compared just 30 percent population in Bosnia) *BLACK*
MUSLIMS who are dying by THOUSANDS every day (compared
to less than few hundred in a war for which Bosnian themselves
are equally responsible) with most cruel death caused by
starvation and hunger.  Who is helping them? Muslim States - NO.
It is the west that is helping in Somalia once again
even though they are under no obligation to do.
What happended to Islamic "Red Crescent"? Or Black
muslims are disposable commodity? Why don't these islamic
fundamentlists collect money for Somalia which is more in
despearte need than any one else on this earth?. Why are
the islamic governments of IRAN ,Pakistan, Bangladesh who
are all very vocal on Bosnia supply food and medicine
to Somalia or Islamic Brotherhood just stops at the gate
of Africa.

That only tells about total HYPOCRACY Of ISLAMIC BROTHERHOOD
and ISLAMIC Equality.

Regards,

bkumar
From: B.Kumar@cs.ucl.ac.uk
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    


           In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Benificent




Dear Mr. B.Kumar,

I am writting this letter in response to your letter quoted above,        
which I recieved through a friend (yes, a Muslim brother).  I was 
very troubled to reading your letter, more because of your misinformation
than because of your criticism.  I think perhaps a little story 
will help clarify your misgivings about the Muslim concept of equality
and brotherhood. 
	The Muslim Students' Association of Georgia Tech was in the 
proccess of arranging a fund-raiser for Somalia a few weeks ago, when
we got in contact with an organization which had flyers ready on the 
Bosnian Issue.  I was , personally, hesitant at first given the 
magnitude of the famine in Somalia.  But then one of my "Brothers" who
was going to help us collect funds for Somalia ended my hesitation by 
pointing out why it was more urgent to send aid to Bosnia.  The Muslims
in Bosnia have no where to turn to, the brother said. " They (the Serbs)
will not let them live.  It is ....terrible", he added, hunting for words.
       " The Somalians are fighting amongst themselves, and there is no
need for the Civil war to be going on!  This is not the case in Bosnia..."
       You know what?  This brother just happened to be from Somalia.  He
has family there.  Do you think you or your new god ,U.N.O., feel more for
the people in Somalia than even they do?
       It is simple.  The problems of Muslims are not the same as the  
problems of the West.   Racism is their stumbling block, not ours.  We were
told by the last Prophet of God, Muhammad (SAW), that we are equal in the 
eyes of God like the teeth of a comb are equal, and that one is better than
the other only because of his righteous deeds.  Has history a parallel for the
way in which Islam  liberated man, not only form the chauvanism of his fellow
men but also from the slavery of his vain desires?              
       The history of Islam is replete with examples of equality and fraternity
between Muslims.  Even fourteen hundren years ago, Race was not a factor for 
Muslims:  Did you know that Zaid bin Haritha, the adopted son of the Messenger
of Allah (SAW) was a black ex-slave?  Did you know that he was married to the
Prophet's (SAW) cousin?  Have you ever heard of Bilal, the Habashi, who is one
of the most well respected Companions of the Prophet?  Or about Salaman Pharsi
who was also a black man?
       Have you ever heard of the Slave Kings, the Mamlooks, as they are called
in India?  Do you remember Mahmud of Ghazna, whose father was a slave?  These 
are examples that you may be able to relate to.   
       I think what is most offensive about your letter is that your intentions
seem to be less than honest.  You seek to malign Muslims and Islam, not to have
a serious dialogue.  If your purpose was to get answers for a discrepency you 
saw in our behaviour, then you should have kept the tone of your letter more 
reconciliatory.  If it was to hurl insults at Muslims, then you have a problem.
As far as I know hurling insults is the sure way to get no where in a dialogue.

enough said

Raheel Khan

I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is his 
Messenger.


-- 
KHAN,RAHEEL
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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