Have you heard one of the greatest stories ever told in Hip Hop?

This is my ode to a living legend. Pete Rock all but defined what is commonly known as “The Golden Era” of Hip Hop. His is the most unique and eclectic sound to ever bless our music.

He is best known for T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You) from 1992’s Mecca and the Soul Brother. Even if you don’t know the name of the song, you have heard it before. It’s an iconic piece of music that is etched in the conscience of Hip Hop. I had heard it when I was much younger. It really hit me after it was in NBA Street Vol. II on PS2. That game had so many scenes from NY street courts. T.R.O.Y. just complimented those scenes so well. It’s an auditory synonym for NY Hip Hop.

His first two albums, including 1990’s All Souled Out, were collaborations with CL Smooth. CL was the primary emcee for the duo, while Pete contributed verses as needed. His signature was taking sounds from several records and piecing them together. His first piece of equipment was the E-Mu SP 1200. He later shifted to the MPC 2000XL as his primary weapon of choice. He is an expert at tuning sounds from different sources to make them sound like they should go together.

Home

Home Of Countless Cultures, Countries and Characters, New York is World Life in 305 square miles. It’s all thorough, One City, 5 Boros, Associated, With Inter Locking Sub-Tunnels – Ricks

I came from Colombian blood, Was born on the streets of New York City (Queens) and am a Citizen of the World. It’s all relative.

NY has endless stories to tell and endless ways to express them. Here is perhaps one of the greatest examples of how to describe New York. This video was created by Thomas Campbell for a Skateboard brand called Supreme. The year is 1995, the music is John Coltrane’s “Acknowledgment”, the video is black and white, the characters are of all walks of life, the city is the set. New York in summary…

New York New York, Capitol of the World, The City That Never Sleeps, Gotham, The Baghdad of The Hudson, Father Knickerbocker, The Fear City, Mecca, Melting Pot, The City Of Islands, The Modern Gomorrah, The Seat of the Empire, Babylonian Bedlam, The Land of Surprising Contrasts….

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Explore the lives and beliefs of six young people whose usual places of worship are some of the most beautiful and historic mosques in the Muslim world. In this series of intimate portraits, join them as they leave their homes and families to travel to Saudi Arabia on their journeys of a lifetime the pilgrimage to Mecca, where the prophet Muhammad was born. Within decades of the death of Muhammad, Islam spread rapidly and its history can be traced through the flowering of exquisite Muslim architecture. Over the next few hundred years, fabulous mosques from Spain to Iran, Turkey to Mali, formed a focus of Muslim life, as they continue to do today.

Seven Wonders of the Muslim World starts its journey at six of these locations and culminates at the mosque towards which all practicing Muslims turn when they pray. The seven wonders include:

1. The Grand Mosque in Mecca.
2. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
3. The Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
4. The Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
5. The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali.
6. The Imam Mosque in Esfahan, Iran.
7. The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan

RunTime: 76 min

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Watch the Full Documentary Now

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[ Full Screen ]

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Mecca, Saudi Arabia (CNN) — Chanting “Allahu Akbar” — God is Greater than any — more than 2 million pilgrims crossed new pedestrian bridges Saturday to perform one of the last rituals of the Hajj season.

Jamarat is a re-enactment of an event when Prophet Abraham stoned the devil and rejected his temptations, according to Muslim traditions.

The ritual stoning of three pillars, which occurs in the tent city of Mina — about two miles from Mecca, was the scene of stampedes and many deaths in the 1980s and 1990s as pilgrims passed a crowded bottleneck area leading to the small pillars on the ground.

But this year the Saudi government completed a new project that avoids past congestion at the site. The government has erected three massive pillars and completed a $1.2 billion, five-story bridge nearby where pilgrims can toss stones. Authorities and pilgrims say it’s a roomier atmosphere and more efficient way to accommodate the faithful.

“Everything went fine so far,” Col. Khakled Qarar Mohammadi, head of the emergency forces at Jamarat, told CNN.

“It is an immense responsibility that we had to deal with. About 3 million pilgrims move in a small geographic area at the same time wanting to do the same ritual. So we have been preparing for this for years now.”

Irtiza Hasan, a pilgrim from the United States, said all went well at the ceremony.

“The only incident I saw was that there were some handicapped women who were turned away in fears that they get hurt.”

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But Mohammadi said, “There are 10 vans on the second floor especially designated to serve the elderly and handicapped. Each van can take up to 14 pilgrims.”

As a measure to alleviate harm, according to Muslim traditions, the elderly and the handicapped can appoint someone else to stone for them.

The five-story Jamarat bridge is air-conditioned at 19 degrees Centigrade, or 66 Fahrenheit, throughout the day and backed by water sprinklers that can reduce the temperature to about 29 degrees C, or 84 F. The bridge is designed to allow the addition of seven more levels to hold as many as 5 million pilgrims in the future if the need arises.

According to authorities, the bridge is 950 meters (1,039 yards) long and 80 meters (87 yards) wide. Each floor is 12 meters (13 yards) high with three tunnels and 12 entrances and 12 exits in six directions. It has a helicopter pad for emergencies.

According to Mohammadi, the project has 509 advanced closed-circuit television cameras monitoring pilgrims’ movements. Those cameras feed into the main operations room, which oversees the Jamarat Bridge and the surrounding areas — all screened by dozens of security officers on 72 monitors at the operation room.

The stoning ritual is done over at least two days, where pilgrims stone three pillars at Mina — believed to be where the Prophet Abraham stoned the devil when he tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s orders to slaughter his son. According to tradition, the event was a test from God, who gave Abraham a ram to slaughter instead.

The last ritual that marks the end of Hajj is when pilgrims go from Mina to Mecca to make a last visit to al-Masjid al-Haram, Islam’s holiest site, before going back home.

The ritual is called Tawaf al-Wada’a — or farewell circumambulation in the holy mosque. It’s where pilgrims go around the black cube seven times counter-clockwise asking that their Lord accept their pilgrimage and grant them another visit to the holy city.

Thousands of Iranians chanted “Death to America, death to Israel” inside a huge tent on Thursday during the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

A unification of Sunni an Shiite muslims will not bring peace, but war on freedom and liberty.

Ayatollah Muhammed Rishari, the representative of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said:

«We need all Muslims, Sunni and Shiite, to be unified and focus on important issues: Al-Aqsa (mosque in Jerusalem), the occupation of Palestine, the problems in Iraq, the Afghan occupation, and the fighting between brothers in Yemen. We need to be purified from all infidels».

Faisal, 52, a Palestinian pilgrim from Israel, said he was praying for «all Muslims to be unified soon to liberate Al-Aqsa and Palestine».

Source: AFP

My comment:

There are secular Muslim all over the World, but they are not the rulers in Mecca and Tehran.

The US Administration tries to convince it self that they are working for peace together with the «moderate Muslims» in Saudi Arabia.

Think again. There are no moderate Muslims in the Kingdoms of Islam. All Arabs who believe that Muhammad gave a true revelation from God in the Koran, is committed to kill all the infidels.

Thats not only the Jewish people, but all mankind that do not submit to Islam and «Allah».

The capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel is only one step on the way to London and Washington.

Welcome to the age of the evil age of the Global intifada.

Saudi floods kill 77 while Muslims perform hajj
Article: Yahoo!News

Muslim pilgrims holding white umbrellas against the blazing sun clambered up a rocky desert hill for prayers Thursday during the annual hajj, a day after torrential rains that killed at least 77 people.

Flooding from the unusually heavy downpours hit hardest in the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) away from the holy city of Mecca and its surrounding sacred sites where the 3 million Muslims from around the world were performing the rites of the pilgrimage.

Most of the deaths occurred in the shantytowns around Jiddah and along the main highway to Mecca, populated by poorer, foreign immigrants who work in the city as drivers, construction workers and domestic help. Streets were swamped with water, some houses collapsed and mudslides took place, Civil Defense officials said.

It did not immediately appear that any pilgrims were among the dead. Jiddah’s civil defense chief Capt. Abdullah al-Amri said 21 of the victims were identified as Saudis and the rest were believed to be residents of Saudi Arabia.

Wednesday’s downpours snarled the opening day of the hajj, drenching pilgrims and knocking out roads that caused epic traffic jams as the faithful tried to make their way to the holy sites. The rains, if they continue as meteorologists predict, could raise safety hazards — particularly the perennial danger of deadly stampedes, since a trip-up on slippery walkways could lead to people getting trampled in crowds.

But skies cleared for most of Thursday, and the heat rose. The umbrellas that protected pilgrims from the rain now were shades from the hot sun as they conducted their rituals in the desert plateau of Mount Arafat, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) east of Mecca.

The site is where Islam’s Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon. The huge crowds of faithful climbed up the Mountain of Mercy, a rocky hill at Arafat, and prayed for God’s forgiveness of their sins in what Muslims consider the spiritual high point of the pilgrimage.

Dear God allah, PLZ FORGIV US OF OUR SINZ! WE R GUD PPL! LULZ.

Mohammed Ismail, a 51-year-old Syria who has lived the Saudi capital for the past 15 years, brought his wife and two young sons for the hajj, and Wednesday night they slept in their car at Arafat before performing the rites.

“You can’t really describe the feeling of being at hajj and being so close to so many Muslims. It’s so happy,” he said, sitting on a straw mat by the roadside with his family, eating oranges. “The heat and the crowds can be difficult, but hajj is a difficulty, it’s not supposed to be easy.”

At the Mountain of Mercy, men in the white robes that males are required to wear and women in headscarves called out in prayer, and some prostrated at the foot of the mountain. In the tent city around the site, tired families took shelter in the shade of cars and buses or napped.

In the evening, the vast sea of people headed toward the next stage of the pilgrimage,the nearby plains of Muzdalifah. Tens of thousands of buses, SUVs, and cars jammed the road, while flocks of pilgrims walked across the barren landscape, carrying their belongings.

At Muzdalifah, the faithful pick stones to use in the ritual that begins Friday, the symbolic stoning of the devil. At the nearby valley of Mina, they pelt stones at three walls representing Satan in a rejection of temptation.

The first day of stoning also marks the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, when Muslims around the world slaughter sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son. The stoning lasts three days until the end of hajj on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia’s biggest worry for months ahead of the hajj has been swine flu. The pilgrimage is one of the most crowded events in the world, with masses of Muslims from every corner of the globe packed shoulder to shoulder in prayers and rites — a perfect incubator for the virus, according to epidemiologists.

The Saudi government has been working with the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set up clinics and take precautions to stem any outbreak.

The rains came as an added difficulty.

It often rains in Mecca and Jiddah during the winter months, but Wednesday’s downpour was the heaviest in years during the hajj. Jiddah was swamped with 2.76 inches (7 centimeters) of rain, more than it would normally get in an entire year, according to Dale Mohler, senior meteorologist at the Web site AccuWeather.com.

Bismillah al rahman al rahim “In the name of Allah”

Asalaamu Alaykum, just want to share a poem with you.

What a year was 570 AD
A person was born, a prophet to be
Muhammed (saws) that was his name
People were misguided and that’s when he came
He would go on to leave all the idols behind
He is an example to all of mankind

Rabbi al Awwal the 12th that was the day
He came to this world to show us the way
He was born in Mecca, the holiest place
A life full of challenges he was to face
Abdullah (ra) his father, had by then passed away
Leaving Amina (ra) his mother, in her arms he lay

Haalima Sadia, took over his care
Until he was six, our prophet was there
His mother then died, he was left all alone
Abdul Muttalib (ra) his grand-dad then made him his own
When our prophet was nine, his grandfather died
Abu Talib, his uncle, became his new guide

In his 20’s, a merchant Muhammed (saws) became by trade
Al-Amin, (the trustworthy) became his grade
Hazrat Khadija (ra) aged 40, became his bride
He was 25, with her by his side
To the poor, she gave away all her wealth
A dedicated wife in sickness and health

360 idols in the Kaaba, they were at that time
Our prophet realised that this was a crime
He would go to mount Hira, leaving behind his wife
Reflecting and wondering about the meaning of life

While thinking there in the midst of the night
He heard a loud voice which filled him with fright
It was the angel Gibrail (as) who asked him to read
Our prophet couldn’t and didn’t take heed
The angel embraced him and then asked him later
Read, Read in the name of the Creator
Who created man from a drop of blood

Our prophet couldn’t read but at that time he could
Our prophet rushed to the path straight ahead
He heard a voice from the heavens which said
Muhammed (saws) truly you are the messenger of Allah
Muhammed (saws) was scared and thought this quite odd
‘Praise be to Allah’ his wife said instead
”I know you’ve been chosen as Allah’s messenger’ she said
And thus Khadija (ra) became the first woman of Islam

And over the next 23 years came the revelation, the Quran
He preached to all people, every creed every race
Yet so many hardships he had to face
There were fears for his life, and then the Hijrat took place
He then entered Medina, all by Allah’s grace
He was greeted by the Ansaris who gave their salaam
To him and his companions, the Sahaba Ikram

Then came the battles, which were fought face to face
Then the conquest of Mecca, Muhammed (saws)’s birthplace
An Nasr was revealed, its message was clear
Muhammed (saws) knew that his time was near
Everyone gathered to hear his last speech
Little did they know how far Allah’s message would reach

Muhammed (saws) gave us the miracle the Quran
And now a 1/4 of the world follows Islam
He is our role-model, the best of mankind
And has left the Quran and his Sunnah behind

Read the Quran as much as you can
The words of Allah (swt) for the guidance of man
And follow our prophet’s Sunnah, when eating and dressing
And send him salutations and many a blessing
He came to mankind to show us the way
And Insha-Allah, we’ll meet him; we’ll meet him one day.

By Muhammad Usman Farooq

As the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj kicks off in Saudi Arabia, many of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha under hardship.

The effects of previous wars coupled with the devastation from natural disasters in their country has stopped them short in their rejoice of the annual holiday.

The weather was sunny and hot Friday morning over the desert valley on Mina, a contrast to the unusually heavy rains that soaked the faithful on the pilgrimage’s opening day Wednesday. The downpours caused heavy flooding in the nearby Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah, killing 83 people.

The stoning rituals at Mina have long been the most hazardous of the hajj. The pilgrims — more than 3 million this year — file past three stone walls representing Satan and stop to pelt them with stones in a symbolic rejection of temptation. In the heavy traffic, crushes and pileups have killed hundreds, most recently in 2006.

Wikipedia reports…

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īdu l-’Aḍḥā) “Festival of Sacrifice” or “Greater Eid” is a holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. It is also celebrated by the Druze.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from the Quran.^[1] Like Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khuṭba).

Eid al-Adha annually falls on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days or more depending on the country. Eid al-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conducting Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha

“A good Muslim should bring happiness to the hearts of fellow human beings” he said.

After the early morning prayers, the faithful flocked to makeshift animal markets, while others, dressed in their finest clothes, headed to cemeteries to visit the graves of dead friends and relatives.

Source…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jzONYVoEPpfYIKnFrS3bg-WGHf3QD9C7UM8O0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/20/eid-alfitr-2009-feasts-ce_n_292769.html

eid mubarak from screen miracle

Originally uploaded by screen miracle

belated eid mubarak everyone…

didn’t do much. in fact, didn’t even know it was eid until i heard the eid takbir being said on one of the malaysian tv1 the night before so cooked up 2 big roast ducks instead.

felt beautiful tingles inside me when they showed people doing the tawaf around the kaaba in the rain…mum would’ve been one of them, lucky her…just seemed so bizarre to see mecca rain since when does it ever rain there?! and yunno what the hadith says when it rains felt the same when i spotted the moon from the dining room sliding door that overlooks the open patio and backyard. normally we leave the garden light on so we don’t have to use the lights inside in the kitchen and dining because the lights emit so much heat inside especially during this time of the year and because we you can normally find your way around, even do the dishes whilst the backyard light is on. but last night the garden light wasn’t on and it just felt strange and wondered where this golden light was coming from as i walking towards the kitchen. the light looked like as if the neighbours had put on some really bright stadium lights that also shun on our side as well but it was the moon! subhannallah! was just so beautiful seeing the moon the only one shining so brightly whilst everything else was in the dark. just one of those things you never realise.

ayman did drop by and has still decided to not settle for divorce, korban/sacrifice his family for his own selfish needs. for now i guess because i did write up my terms for divorce beforehand. and i was preparing myself for the worse. but no, i guess Allah still wants us to be together.

later my sister shila and dad along with ayman, baz and myself went to see my sister’s and their new place which was just on the other side of mirrabooka. have to say, its quite a nice, manageable place -3 x 1 house with a great undercovered entertaining area complete with a barbeque place and raised lawn on top, well kept manicured lawn and trees in the front that adds some privacy -its definitely something i would buy if i were to look for a place. didn’t think such a place could exist in mirrabooka and its just a 5 minute walk to the local primary school with plenty of parks littered close by. not to mention the masjid. mum would definitely be happy when she comes back now that her other grandkids are so near now.

the feral nephews were very well-mannered being over their place, mainly because their dad was there. was hard to continue and be mad at rayhan -the one i slapped for running on the road because he’s usually my favourite and the more attentive one out of all 4 nephews.

now tomorrow have to see if i can bring baz to the perth zoo as this would also be my weekly exercize out in the open as well…

Masjid al-Haram

Isya In Masjidil Haram

amazing interior

Next Model of Masjidil Haram

Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (Arabic: المسجد الحرام‎, pronounced [ʔælˈmæsdʒɪd ælħɑˈrɑːm], “The Sacred Mosque”) is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims turn towards while offering daily prayers and is Islams holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque.

The current structure covers an area of 400,800 square metres (99.0 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to four million worshippers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

Islamic tradition holds that the Mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind, when God ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Maˤmur (Arabic: البيت المعمور, “The Worship Place of Angels”). From time to time, the Mosque was destroyed and rebuilt anew. According to Islamic belief it was built by Ibrahim (Abraham), with the help of his son Ishmael. They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque, and the Kaaba. The Black Stone is situated near the eastern corner of the Kaaba. Some believe it is to start the circumambulation around the Kaaba, while some believe it to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Abraham. The Kaaba is the direction for all the Muslims to pray across the globe thus signifying unity among all. The Islamic teaching specifically mentions that nothing is magical about the Grand Mosque except for the oasis Zamzam which has never dried ever since it was revealed.

And when We assigned to Abraham the place of the House (Kaaba), saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.

—Qur’an, ^{[Qur'an 22:26]}

And when We made the House a resort for men and a place of security. And: Take ye the place of Abraham for a place of prayer. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael, saying: Purify my house for those who visit it and those who abide in it for devotion and those who bow down and those who prostrate themselves.

—Qur’an, ^{[Qur'an 2:125]}

And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House (Kaaba): Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.

—Qur’an, ^{[Qur'an 2:127]}

Muslim belief places the story of Ishmael and his mother’s search for water in the general vicinity of the mosque. In the story, Hagar runs between the hills of Safa and Marwah looking for water for her son, until God eventually reveals to her the Zamzam Well, from where water continues to flow non-stop to this day.

After the Hijra, upon Muhammed’s victorious return to Mecca, the people of Mecca themselves removed all the idols in and around the Kaaba and cleansed it. This began the Islamic rule over the Kaaba, and the building of a mosque around it.

The first major renovation to the Mosque took place in 692. Before this renovation, which included the mosque’s outer walls been risen and decoration to the ceiling, the Mosque was a small open area with the Kaaba at the centre. By the end of the 700s, the Mosque’s old wooden columns had been replaced with marble columns and the wings of the prayer hall had been extended on both sides along with the addition of a minaret. The spread of Islam in the Middle East and the influx of pilgrims required an almost complete rebuilding of the site which came to include more marble and three further minarets.

In 1399, the Mosque caught fire and what was not destroyed in the fire (very little) was damaged by unseasonable heavy rain. Again the mosque was rebuilt over six years using marble and wood sourced from nearby mountains in the Hejaz region of current day Saudi Arabia. When the mosque was renovated again in 1570 by Sultan Selim II’s private architect it resulted in the replacement of the flat roof with domes decorated with calligraphy internally and the placement of new support columns. These features (still present at the Mosque) are the oldest surviving parts of the building and in fact older than the Kaaba itself (discounting the black stone itself) which is currently in its fourth incarnation made in 1629. The Saudi government acknowledges 1570 as the earliest date for architectural features of the present Mosque.

Following further damaging rain in the 1620s, the Mosque was renovated yet again: a new stone arcade was added, three more minarets were built and the marble flooring was retiled. This was the unaltered state of the Mosque for nearly three centuries.

The White House released a statement earlier this week marking the beginning of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha:

Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year, and to Muslims in America and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve as reminders of the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world’s major religions.

During Hajj, the world’s largest and most diverse gathering, three million Muslims from all walks of life – including thousands of American Muslims – will stand in prayer on Mount Arafat. The following day, Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid-ul-Adha and distribute food to the less fortunate to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son out of obedience to God.

This year, I am pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with the Saudi Health Ministry to prevent and limit the spread of H1N1 during Hajj. Cooperating on combating H1N1 is one of the ways we are implementing my administration’s commitment to partnership in areas of mutual interest.

On behalf of the American people, we would like to extend our greetings during this Hajj season – Eid Mubarak.

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating. This Yahoo slideshow contains some really nice images of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

It’s time to wake up! – Real Christians don’t make pilgrimages to a Muslim shrine!

Mecca, 25 Nov. (AKI) – The grandmother of US president Barack Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia for the ‘Hajj’ or Islamic pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a Saudi daily said on Wednesday, November 25, 2009. – Sarah Obama, 87, is being accompanied by a nephew and Obama’s cousin, Omran.

Sarah Obama, one of her grandchildren and 10 people from her village in Kenya made the pilgrimage at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the newspaper reported.

Obama’s grandmother, a Muslim known locally as “Mama Sarah,” lives in Kogelo, a tiny village near the Ugandan border. She was in Washington, D.C., in January for Obama’s swearing-in ceremony. Sarah Obama is also the woman who affirmed her elected grandson was born in Kenya, prompting doubts that Barack Obama is eligible to serve as president of the United States.

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. Yes, you heard right, it is Mecca, not Jerusalem!
All Muslims bow and pray towards Mecca. (Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Koran). The Hajj is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a moral obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah.

Even though torrential rains and heavy floods slammed and engulfed western Saudi Arabia on Wednesday killing dozens of people, it appeared Thursday that none were Hajj pilgrims making the obligatory journey for Muslims across the globe.

But the rain had cleared by Wednesday night, making it easy for pilgrims to make their way to Mount Arafat on Thursday, a sweltering and windy but cloudless day where pilgrims trekked to seek forgiveness for their sins. Sarah Obama was in the valley of Mina with an African delegation, according to the Saudi daily Okaz.

On Thursday, a few million people headed a few miles southeast of Mecca to Mount Arafat where by tradition they pray for Allah to pardon their sins. The gathering at the site is where the Prophet Muhammed made his farewell address.

Pilgrims went from Mount Arafat to Muzdalifa to spend the night and collected pebbles for the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina on Friday.

After the “Stoning of the Devil”, the pilgrims perform animal sacrifices, to symbolize God having mercy on Ibraham and replacing his son with a ram, which Abraham then sacrificed. – Obviously they didn’t get this part right from the Bible, because they think the son who was supposed to get sacrificed was Ishmael and not Isaac.

“Ms. Sarah Hussein Obama was very adamant that her grandson, Senator Barack Hussein Obama, was born in Kenya, and that she was present and witnessed his birth in Kenya, not the United States,” Shuhubia states in the affidavit. “During the conversation, Ms. Sarah Hussein Obama never changed her reply that she was indeed present when Senator Barack Obama was born in Kenya.”

Even though Obama claimed to be a Christian during his election campaign, public records in Indonesia listed Obama as a Muslim during his early years, and a number of childhood friends claimed to the media Obama was once a mosque-attending Muslim.

Are you waking up?

Worker dissatisfaction has hit new highs as bargaining falters for an unprecedented number of collective contracts, a long-time Invercargill unionist says.

Service and Food Workers Union organiser Barbara Anderson was among about 120 chanting and placard-waving  workers protesting wage freezes and stalled contract talks in Invercargill this afternoon.

Her union was joined by striking Southland Times journalists, school support workers, hospital support and clerical staff, cleaners, people who work with people with disabilities, and other members of the NZEI and the PSA.

The rally was part of a nation-wide “Lift the Freeze” campaign organised by the Council of Trade Unions. There were demonstrations in 26 other towns and cities.

Fair deal: A support worker protests low pay at a rally in Invercargill (Squall photo)

Most of those who gathered in the wind and rain at Invercargill’s Wachner Place were on strike.

Mrs Anderson told Southern Squall her union was embroiled in a startling number of contract talks which had spent many months going “absolutely nowhere”.

“It hasn’t been like this, not for as long as I’ve been working with the union. We’ve had wage freezes and hard talks before, but this is the first time in my memory that we’ve had so many issues at one time.”

Talks with IDEA Services (an IHC offshoot), the Southern Institute of Technology and Sanfords, and work on the multi-hospital service workers MECCA, had all stalled.

Low-wage staff were bearing the brunt of a government-led wage freeze “and when we’re talking about people who don’t ave the luxury of an MP’s perks, that’s not on”.

“People are hurting. We keep hearing politicians saying people need to tighten their belts in a recession, but why is it that those who can least afford it have to make all the concessions.”

There could be little doubt that most of the protests were, indeed, hurting. One cleaner, who asked not be named, said she felt ignored by government and her employer.

“I’m not anti the government or anything, but I just don’t understand how the suits in Wellington can expect me to accept a wage freeze when I’m on $12.94 an hour.

“I don’t want the earth, none of us do. All we want is a fair go.”

Southland Times staff are also on strike.

Sign of the Times: Protesters support striking journalists outside the Southland Times (Squall photo)

Engineering, Printing, and Manufacturing Union organiser Trevor Hobbs said their employer, Australian-owned Fairfax, needed to “get real”.

“It’s very hard to justify a 0% increase when you’re dealing with a company that continues to make good profits. It’s about time these workers got a fair deal.”

Supported by a cacophony of tooting car horns, the rally marched from Dee St to outside the Southland Times building.

Non-union workers gazed from the windows as famously non-union chief photographer Barry Harcourt appeared to laugh at the rowdy crowd below.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said employers, especially the government, had to realise wage freezes were a backward step.

“It’s backward because low paid workers will spend all their salary which is good for the economy. It’s backward because we will never catch up with Australia if we can’t even increase the lowest incomes.

“It’s backward because wages elsewhere in the economy are still going up. Most of all, it’s backward because the cost of living is still going up too, so a wage freeze really amounts to a wage cut for those least able to afford it.”

Fair pay: Support staff at the wage freeze in Wachner Place (Squall photo)

…but Best Buy?

Check it:

“Okay, so Best Buy doesn’t advertise Christmas. So what? They don’t advertise Hanukkah either. Or Kwanzaa either. How else would they avoid offending people who don’t celebrate Christmas?”

Ah, good point, loyal blog readers. First, I must state that everyone I’ve ever met that DOESN’T celebrate Christmas is NOT offended when people tell them “Merry Christmas”. I celebrate Christmas; and when (and it happens) someone says “Happy Hanukkah!” to ME, I’m not offended. Why would I be? The only ones who would be offended by any Christ loving individuals are those who are hellbent on destroying the INFIDELS. Who is that? Oh, why the Muslim Islamic Extremists!

“So what does this have to do with Best Buy?”

Good question. Have a look at THIS:

“What the fuck is Eid-al-Adha?!” Well, I’ll tell ya.

Eid-al-Adha is “Festival of Sacrifice”; a holiday celebrated by Muslims. Eid al-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conducting Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan. Best Buy won’t mention any OTHER “holiday” in order to avoid being offensive… Oh, except for the Muslim holiday. Now that a Muslim lives in the White House; I guess it’s okay. But wait! They didn’t advertise Christmas when we’ve had Christian presidents, did they? NEIN.

Okay. So now that you know what THAT bullshit is all about; have a look at our P Resident of the United States of America:

BHussein on Ramadan (another Muslim Holiday):

Watch as he wishes a blessed Ramadan to Muslims in and outside of the United States. He also mentions “swine flu” and how it’s a concern for those making the hajj pilgrimage this year.

It’s no secret that he was born a Muslim, raised a Muslim, and still stands strong in his Muslim beliefs. He bends over backwards trying to appease his Muslim brothers; even those who have carried out massive acts of terrorism. (See also KSM, GITMO prisoners, and the way he licks the asscrack of the Islamic terrorists who are attacking OUR BROTHERS and our ALLI, Israel.) Sure, he “says” he’s a Christian; but he’s not fooling anyone with a triple digit I.Q.

BHussein doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Well, he does when the media is looking. When he thinks America is looking, but if you read between the lines; it’s crystal clear.

Obama leaves the gifting to Santa
Article: Politico

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) tells People magazine in the issue out Friday that he and his wife, Michelle, do not give Christmas or birthday presents to their two young daughters.

Obama tells the magazine’s Sandra Sobieraj Westfall in a seven-page cover story that he and his wife follow the unusual practice because they “want to teach some limits.”

Sure, BarryO. You want to teach your little punishment and your little mistake some “limits”. Nobody buys it. We know you don’t celebrate Christmas because you don’t believe in God. Jesus Christ. Funny thing is, Marxists and Muslims don’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas either. I suppose since you’re doing your best to make America a Socialist and Marxist nation; Best Buy figured they’d jump right on it.

Freudian slip, much?

«I wanted to destroy Mecca, I have to admit. But my co-writer Harald said – I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie’. And he was right».

Actor John Cusack Director Roland Emmerich and attend '2012' photocall at Hotel de Rome on September 28, 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

This is the words of movie director Roland Emmerich. He cites «fatwa fear» for not «destroying» Mecca.

In his latest offering the director again gets to indulge his passion for destroying famous landmarks, this time including religious ones, on a biblical scale. In the movie 2012, Emmerich destroys the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, and see the toppling of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

In his previous flicks, Emmerich’s destroyed the Empire State Building and the White House (Independence Day), sent a giant monster into the middle of Manhattan (Godzilla), blew away the famous Hollywood sign and the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles (The Day After Tomorrow) and savaged New York – again – by flooding and then freezing it (also The Day After Tomorrow).

But if you’re expecting to see an Islamic icon take a hit: Dream on. The Kaaba, which is housing the black stone in Mecca, was the only one that got away.

True, Emmerich is  «against organised religion». He wanted to trash the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building with the black stone inside, at the heart of Mecca, but bottled out. The director said:

« Well, I wanted to do that, I have to admit. But my co-writer Harald said ‘I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie’. And he was right.»

«We have to all … in the Western world … think about this. You can actually … let … Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have … a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it’s just something which I kind of didn’t [think] was [an] important element, anyway, in the film, so I kind of left it out».

Source: Multiple media.

My comment:

Very few people know that the Muslims worship a black stone in Mecca as «Allah». The black stone is hidden inside The Kaaba.

That the free and liberated World fear Islam is not so strange. Islam is promoted by many priests who demand their faithful to kill in the name of religion, as explained in the Jihad verses in the Koran.

The tragedy is not that the Western based civilized society fear Islam.  The tragedy is that people who have been freed from the yoke of paganism in various forms give up their faith in Jesus.

We mock and ridicule Him, and bow down and defend wicked religions like Islam. Those who bows down to the black stone in Mecca will have to pay a heavy price when the Messiah returns.

It appears that King Abdullah is now making his moves towards significant reforms in Saudi Arabia.  KAUST is up and running as the first international and co-educational university in the Kingdom.  And recently Saudi Arabia announced its top 10 projects which are further indicative of major changes which will likely to lead towards additional reform.  Last but not least, there is also a proposal circulating to allow female lawyers to represent female clients within the Saudi courts.

The Top 10 Saudi projects according to Construction Week from 10 to number one are as follows:

10- Jeddah Gate Development

Jeddah gate is a US $1.6 billion project under construction and expected to be completed in ten years.  The projects is comprised of constructing both new residential and commercial space in the vicinities of King Abdullah Street and Abdullah Al Suleiman Streets in Jeddah.

9- Haramain High Speed Rail Project

Haramain High Speed Rail is a US $1.9 billion project and expected to be completed in 2013.  This project is for the construction of a much needed rail link connecting the two Holy Cities of Makkah and Medina via Jeddah.

8- Jizan Economic City (JEC)

The Jizan Economic City is a US $3 billion project anticipated to be completed by 2020.  This is a massive project which will be comprised of residential, commercial and industrial zones.

7- North-South Railway

The North-South Railway project is a US $3.5 billion project already under construction and expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2010.  In addition to transporting passengers in Saudi Arabia it will also be used for the transportation of minerals mined at Az-Zubairah and Al Jalamid to the processing facilities located at Ras Azur Port.  Some Saudi residents along the new railway will have to become accustomed to hearing the whistles of passing trains.

6-  Knowledge Economic City (KEC)

The Knowledge Economic City project is a US $8 billion project which is expected to be built in phases over a ten year period.  The project is to build a Knowledge Economic City in Medina which will help establish a catalyst for knowledge based industries in Medina.  Knowledge Economic City Developers claim that KEC will generate 20,000 new job opportunities.

5-  Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City

The Prince Abdulaziz Mousaed Economic City project is a US $8 billion project which is start in 2010 and completed in phases by 2022.  The project is to build a city within Hail with 12 distinct components for trade and services in sectors such as agriculture and food processing, mining, education, housing and entertainment.

4-  Landbridge Project

The Landbridge Project is a US $10 billion project.  A BOT consortium consisting of Trabot, Saudi Oger, Bin Laden Group and Al-Mada will construct a 950km railway network.  The railway will connect Jeddah to Damman and King Fahd Industrial port with Jubail Industrial City.

3-   Princess Noura bint AbdulRahman University for Women in Riyadh

The Princess Noura bint AbdulRahman University for Women in Riyadh is a US $11.5 billion project and anticipated completion is the first quarter of 2012.  This project is construction of a new university for women north of Riyadh.  The university will include administration buildings, 13 faculties, 700-bed student hospital, laboratories, research centers and residential housing for both students and staff.  This university will accommodate 26,000 students.

2-  Sudair City Development

The Sudair City Development is a US $40 billion project which will be a mixed use development including residential, commercial, entertainment and educational facilities.  Sudair City will be located north of Riyadh.

1-King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC)

The King Abdullah Economic City is a US $50 billion project located in Rabigh.  This massive project is construction of a city which will be divided into Industrial and Residential Zones as well as a Sea Resort and Sea Port.

In addition to the top ten projects this posting would not be complete without citing another significant project under the jurisdiction of the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA).  This project is the construction and implementation of light rail metro system within the city of Riyadh.  The metro will have two lines consisting of 23 and 13 stations respectively.  A metro system in Riyadh will be a real plus where the city streets are already over-congested.  Although there is some controversy on how well a metro system will be received in Riyadh due to perception of those who will use the metro.  There are factions of Saudis who believe using public transport such as a metro system is degrading and that the metro is oriented more for expats and foreign laborers who are already accustomed to mass transit systems like metros.  The announcement of a metro in Riyadh also does not address whether certain cars will be designated as women or women/families only.  Nor does the announcement state if the metro would close during prayer times.

However in my personal opinion all of these large and costly developments are signs of both reform and progress in Saudi Arabia and initiated by King Abdullah.  I see these plans as steps which will also lead the way to the time when women will be able to drive in Saudi Arabia.

In your view, which of these projects is the most significant for Saudi Arabia and why?

Mecca, 25 Nov. (AKI) – The grandmother of US president Barack Obama has

Gramma- Sorry I can't be there!

arrived in Saudi Arabia for the ‘Hajj’ or Islamic pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a Saudi daily said on Wednesday. Sarah Obama, 87, is being accompanied by a nephew and Obama’s cousin, Omran.

Swell, and Dear Leader is not a Muslim

On Wednesday Sarah Obama was in the valley of Mina with an African delegation, according to the Saudi daily Okaz.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an obligation for all able-bodied Muslims to attend at least once during their lives, provided they can afford it.
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=3.0.4036802442

The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims make at least once in their lifetimes, began today amid heavy rains, BBC News. Pilgrims from Egypt were required to receive the H1N1 swine flu vaccine before beginning the journey, Voice of America. Complete coverage from CNN.

The Bariyapur festival, a celebration of Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power that is held every 5 years, has begun in Nepal. Over 200,000 animal sacrifices will be conducted during the festival. The festival has grown in recent years in Nepal because many of its neighboring countries have banned animal sacrifice, Associated Press.

The death toll from the pre-election massacre in the Philippines has risen to 57. A group was going to register file election paperwork for the office of governor of Maguindanao for  Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu. Mangudadatu’s wife and sisters were among the group as well at least 12 journalists. Mangudadatu had been warned not to file the papers himself, CNN.

U.S. President Barack Obama will give a speech on Tuesday, December 1 about U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan. Obama is expected to announce that he will send more American troops to Afghanistan, Reuters.