Men go to work, that is what they do. But in this economy you must learn new skills or perish.

My wife went away with her parents and sister today for a long weekend to visit out of town family. She asked me what am I going to do, and I thought for about a second and said…work, what else. To me and every other small business owner, work is not drudgery, it’s not as if we are going off to the salt mines, it’s what we do. It is how we become successful. It is who we are. We compete in the business arena, and success is our motivation, money may be our reward, but success our goal.

So what, you say, you all know this. I know that as well. However there is a point here and it is very important, as it will mean your success or defeat in the near future.

Many, many small business owners are fighting for survival. This requires new and different skills, not necessarily the ones you have developed and honed over the years of entrepreneurship activities.

The knee jerk reactions is to work harder, put in more time and sacrifice yourself, taking no pay check, investing your IRA, your insurance cash values, your credit cards and then moving on to absorb every other available dollar you can reach, from family, friends, whomever has available cash.

The problem is this will not work. This will waste all the dollars you invest and will put your family in harm’s way, as home mortgages will not get paid, cars will be repossessed, savings drained, utter personal destruction, while the business fails to respond favorably.

The business owner must do things he abhors, but if he is to survive the current changing conditions, including massively reduced revenues, increasing overhead, choking debt, he must change his strategies rapidly, immediately, in order to survive and emerge.

You must downsize as soon as possible and as deeply as possible, most common mistake is to wait too long and not cut deep enough.

You must reduce debt by working it out, going in to default as soon as you see what is occurring. Stop paying on your credit cards and any other non survival debt obligation.

None of this is what you want to do and thus you wait…too long, absorbing losses you cannot afford, preventing the reinvention of your business so it may survive and emerge profitable again.

You need help, someone experienced in such procedures, downsizing, working out your debt, and reinventing your business.

The normal skills you have perfected are not the skills you need in such a situation.

The normal tendency, under such pressures, is to work harder and longer doing what you have always done, and this will not work in the current economy.

The objective is to understand where you are and further understand the changes you must make. It is not normal. It is not business as usual. It is upside down and backwards to what you have always done and thus is very difficult to do. Unfortunately failure to implement as soon as necessary can be fatal.

Call us for help. We can lead you through this mine field. Call Norm at 413-584-2481. He will arrange a no obligation teleconference. We can discuss your options.

This Thanksgiving weekend, as I enjoy time at home with my family, those of you who are standing tall in our military to protect American freedoms have been on my mind.  I thank you all, though mere gratitude seems a paltry offering compared to your sacrifice.  (In the same way that we have to recognize that Jesus’ sacrifice for us can never be repaid by human effort.)  I served six years in the U.S. Navy down toward the end of the Vietnam war, so I know something of what it is like to be young and away from loved ones for extended periods.  (I also know that my NAVY service was like a vacation cruise compared to the daily life of many of you who are currently in harm’s way.)  I am humbled by your dedication to duty and your willingness to sacrifice for the rest of us.  Thank you!  You are in my prayers.  May God bless and protect you.

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” Gal 1:3 (KJV)

In the first two postings in this series we looked at the logical relationship between grace and peace, and how that grace is always necessarily the antecedent to peace in the Scriptures. We also learned what grace is – grace is the undeserved mercy and favor of God. From the Bible, we saw that grace is opposed to works (merit) and that it is the very means of our salvation. As such, I presented scriptures that present the grace of God as the cause of both our justification and regeneration.

One of the clearest Scripture passages that outlines how that the grace of God alone is the sole cause of our justification can be found in Romans 3:19-26. We’ll complete our look at grace with the scripture and commentary below.

All Men Are Guilty

Rom 3:19-20: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

By law here, the Apostle Paul does not refer exclusively to the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant given upon Mt. Sinai, which was for the Jews only, typified those things that would be revealed under the New Covenant, and was fulfilled with and done away by the perfect obedience and death of Jesus Christ under that law – thus fulfilling it and bringing it to conclusion. Rather, Paul is referring to a universal moral law in which the universe was created. This universal moral law of obedience is the very image of Holy God stamped upon mankind in his original creation. This is the moral obligation of every man and it is by a failure to obey, or rather a rebellion against this universal moral law, that “all the world may become guilty before God.” Therefore, as someone who has broken the law and is now subject to its just penalty, there is nothing left in this moral law that can make one perfect. The law has done its work by revealing a “knowledge of sin” in us and condemning us by it.

Righteousness of God

Rom 3:21-23: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Now that men have broken their obligation to their creator, is there no hope? The Scriptures (law and prophets) bear witness to another Covenant (“A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties”, Webster, 1913), or arrangement, between God and man. This arrangement is not a covenant that places a moral obligation upon man – he has already failed that and forfeited all inherent righteousness.  No, it is not a arrangement of moral perfection by virtue of good works or deeds, but rather one of pure unmerited grace.  The very Creator of the universe would enter into His creation as a surety for His own people, to act as a vicarious agent to secure the salvation which was forfeited by sin and rebellion.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, contracted with all those that would believe in him as a representative who would live out the perfectly obedient life, demanded by the law, on behalf of his people AND that he would bear the just sentence of condemnation demanded by the law in place of those that have offended.

Thus, even though one is an offender, he may receive the very righteousness of God, by taking hold of this gift of grace by faith.  The gift is for “all them that believe”, not any particular nation or ethnicity. All men have fallen into sin and all may receive forgiveness of sin by taking hold, by faith, of the substitution made by Christ Jesus.

Surety: “One who is bound with and for another who is primarily liable, and who is called the principal; one who engages to answer for another’s appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt, or for performance of some act; a bondsman; a bail.”  Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

Justification By Grace

Romans 3:24-26:  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Those who receive this justification (being declared “not guilty” in the high court of God’s justice – in spite of having offended) do so “by” the grace of God alone and “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus alone!  This means that grace is the cause of our salvation – “justified freely by his grace”.  In other words, the reason God justifies sinners is due to His own free unmerited mercy and grace only.  The legal grounds upon which he carries out this grace in the justification of sinners is “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus.  In other words, God is not offering a free pardon on the grounds of grace alone, otherwise He would be unjust.  Rather, on the basis of grace, He substitutes the righteous life and sacrificial death of His Son to make restitution for our sins and to merit eternal life on our behalf.  Grace then is the “reason” God saves sinners and the atonement made by Christ is the “grounds” on which He does it.

Redeem: “To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like.”, Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

This sacrifice of Jesus Christ, turns away the just anger of God, the Righteous Judge, toward our sin and reconciles Him to us. This is called Propitiation (“The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person”, Webster 1913).

I will say more concerning the reconciliation of God and man in the next post. For now, it is enough to understand that it is by God’s grace ALONE aside from the merit of man that salvation has come to men in the form of a substitute. Anyone attached to Christ by faith, therefore, has full “remission of sins”. In this way, God is both Just and Holy and yet merciful. He punishes sins and yet is merciful and forgiving to those who sin.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Rom 3:26, KJV

We can join in the Julia H. Johnston in praising the glorious grace of Almighty God as we reflect on this hymn:

Grace Greater Than All Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

While most people were home enjoying turkey, football and a cozy fireplace with family, Frank Makaravage was camped out in front of the Best Buy grilling hot dogs, sipping on hot cocoa and counting down the hours until he could get his hands on a $400 HP laptop for half the price and a camcorder on sale for less than $200.

Makaravage is a Black Friday veteran, though he said this is the first time he has ever been first in line and the first time he came to shop looking like he was on a camping trip.

The man and his nephew, Pat Belusko, arrived at the Arena Hub Plaza at 3:15 p.m. Thanksgiving afternoon. They came prepared with a two man dome tent, hand warmers and nourishment. He staked out a piece of the sidewalk just to the right of the front door.

He said he was determined to get the laptop and camcorder, even if it meant braving 14 hours of wind, rain and hot dogs. He came prepared to sell hot dogs, hot chocolate and hand warmers to others in line but he was so happy he was first in line and guaranteed both items on his wish list that he decided to share his bounty for free. “I was in a good mood,” he said. “I even threw in mustard and ketchup.”

Sarah Ross, said she used to laugh at the people camping out or waiting in line for hours to save a few bucks, but this year she became one of them.

“It’s not as boring as I thought it was,” said Ross while she blew on her hands to keep warm while waiting in line at the Best Buy. “I’d rather be home in bed, but my friends wanted to make a day of it. Shopping, a movie, some lunch. So I gave in.” “I’m not here to buy anything, I’m just here for moral support and to help carry some stuff.” And in return she gets to select the movie they’ll watch later on during the day. “Its between the ‘Twilight’ and ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’.

For Sara Swaditch and her mother, Susan Bellomo, Black Friday is all about tradition and camaraderie. They have the routine down to an art. “We made our Dunkin’ Donuts stop. Coffee, doughnuts then Kohl’s,” said Swaditch. Then the two head to Toys R Us and JC Penney. Bellomo drives in from Flemington , N.J., to spend the holiday weekend with her daughter, and they look forward to the deals and the mother daughter bonding.

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I think I’m willing to find out…I think I’m gonna try something new.

Yep, til Christmas, I commit to:
1. fast one day a week (no food, only drink)
2. pray EVERY day for 30 minutes (yikes!)
3. see those around me and do or say two nice things, every day
4. at least once a week give time, goods or money so that others might sense God’s love for them

I’ll try to blog about how this goes….I’ll try to muster the guts to share my adventure…

Tomorrow it starts…today, though, we wrap up Thanksgiving with turkey meal #3 at my in-laws.  Gobble, gobble!

Since Adam’s fall we have come to picture God not as a loving Father inviting us to trust him, but an exacting sovereign who must be appeased. When we start from that vantage point we miss God’s purpose on the cross. For his plan was not to satisfy some need in himself at his Son’s expense, but rather to satisfy a need in us at his own expense.

But I am deeply bothered by the thought that in some way God was able to separate himself at the cross. The popular understanding of the cross seems to be that God the Father executed wrath on God the Son while standing at some discrete distance.

Such thinking not only denies the essence of God’s nature but then distorts what happened at the cross. Paul wrote that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ…” God was no distant observer, but a participant. He didn’t send Jesus to do what he would not do; but God himself acted through Jesus to bring about our redemption.

Some have taken Jesus’ cry that his Father had forsaken him to mean that at the darkest moment, the Father had to turn his back on the Son. God cannot bear to look on sin, they argue, so that when our sins were laid on him, God had to turn his face away from his Son.

God has never run from sinful humanity. He didn’t hide from Adam and Even in the Garden. They hid from him as he sought them out. It is not God who cannot bear to look on sin, but that we in our sin can’t bear to look on God. He’s not the one who hides. We are. God is powerful enough to look on sin and be untainted by it. He has always done so. He did so at the cross.

– Wayne Jacobsen in “He Loves Me”
Buy it HERE.

So I’m sitting and waiting for the interview and the receptionist is coming over
‘Hello, they will be with you when they are ready’ she said
And quickly turned her head and walked and stalked back to her desk
It was funny coz it wAs only five feet away
What a strange corporate mix surrounded me
When they are ready was irritating me and I got up to leave
Just then a crimson tinged and over-fried leaf blew right pass me and landed on the receptionist’s head
It made me smile and so for intrigue alone I chose to stay a while
When the time had come over again she came with twisted fingers and gnarly clothes and spoke with long, gentle strokes of her magic tongue
‘They will see you now’, she purred.
When inside three bodies rested in gothic chairs and sparkled
I sat down as if I had found the sand bank on iwo jima
And they caressed my intelligence in order for it’s secrets to be revealed
And then I had this image of a dashboard telling the story of a car going nowhere
And the small goth noticed and growled
This was like a partial hell waiting for the bell to be tolled and the soul to be rolled into a small box with ten locks interlocked with ten other boxes and the keys held in the tomb of a hundred Levites who were scattered across land and sea
It was time to go
I don’t want this job
I don’t care about the three goths and the feline receptionist
I don’t see how the intricate and paramount tasks that you ask of me will really accomplish anything at all
I am just a ball rolling down a perpetual hill
Sitting here has dried my skin and made me ill
So thanks but no thanks
And I stood up to leave
I turned for the door and walked but inside I was running
‘Wait’ in unison they screamed
I turned and the three had become one beautiful precious stone holding the dreams and travels of every perfect soul
The dashboard was pulling me but the stone was dragging me
I lifted my hands to the sky (metaphorically through the roof)
And I just let go
I let go of the decision
I let go of the choice
I let go of the weight
Pulled and dragged
Rag and dull
Beauty and hag
Dragged and pulled
And then
In the place where quarks have moved into the palace and commanded time and matter to withdraw
In that sort of place
I became face to face with The Precious Stone.

Verily Allah (SWT) sent the Messenger Muhammad (saw) as a Rahmah-mercy for Mankind. Through him Allah (SWT) revealed the Qur’an, which contains many lessons for us in the narratives of the previous Messengers. The struggle of Ibraheem (as) against the tyrant of his time, Nimrod, is not dissimilar to the situation in which the Muslims find themselves in after the 11th September 2001. Ibraheem (as)’s life is also significant to this time of year when millions of Muslims make the annual Hajj-pilgrimage to Makkah. We hope to reflect on some of the lessons below insh’Allah.

Ibraheem (as) is described as an Ummah by himself. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an Ibraheem was indeed an Ummah devoutly obedient to Allah (and) true in faith and he joined not gods with Allah [EMQ 16:120] Moreover Allah (SWT) says: “Behold! We gave the site to Abraham of the House of Allah (i.e. Al-Masjid Al-Haram) (saying): “Associate not any thing (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). “And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways [EMQ 22: 26-27] Despite there being no one physically present before Ibraheem (as), Allah (SWT) ensured that his (as)’s Azaan (Call) would be heard by many generations to come who would respond to his call and make pilgrimage to Makkah, as they do today, this is indeed a great blessing for Ibraheem and one of the miracles of Allah (SWT).

Ibraheem (as) is known as someone who would debate with himself the issue of man, life & universe, where did we come from and our final destiny: Allah (SWT) informs us hence: “So also did We show Ibraheem the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude. When the night covered him over he saw a star: he said: “this is my Lord.” But when it set he said: “I love not those that set.” When he saw the moon rising in splendor He said: “This is my Lord.” but when the moon set he said: “Unless my Lord guide me I shall surely be among those who go astray.” When he saw the sun rising in splendor he said: “This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all).” But when the sun set he said: “O my people! I am (now) free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah. “For me I have set my face firmly and truly toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.” [EMQ 6:74-79] The firm conviction of Ibraheem (as) is shown here. Ibraheem (as) finds that which the senses perceived as great i.e. the sun and the moon, to be limited and needy themselves and therefore not worthy of worship. Following his rational contemplation Ibraheem (as) makes complete Bara’(Disassociated) from all that his people worshipped.

Allah (SWT) then tells us about the individual daw’ah of Ibraheem (as) to his father: “Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ibraheem: he was a man of Truth a prophet. Behold he said to his father: “O my father! why worship that which heareth not and seeth not and can profit thee nothing? “O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a Way that is even and straight. “O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (Allah) Most Gracious. “O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (Allah) Most Gracious so that thou become to Satan a friend.” (The father) replied: “Dost thou hate my gods O Ibraheem? If thou forbear not I will indeed stone thee: now get away from me for a good long while!” Ibraheem said: “Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious. “And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides Allah: I will call on my Lord: Perhaps by my prayer to my Lord I shall be not unblest.” [EMQ 19:41-48] Ibraheem (as) here distances himself from his father and what he is calling for, preferring Imaan over ties of family ,tribe and nationalistic, similarly Muslims must rise above any bonds of nationalism and see themselves as “a unique brotherhood (Ummah) whose land, war, peace and honor is one.” (Ahmad) Nevertheless Ibraheem (as) fulfilled his promise to his father of asking Allah (SWT) to guide his father, if he (as) became aware of the truth “And Ibraheem prayed for his father’s forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah he dissociated himself from him: for Ibraheem was most tender-hearted forbearing.” [EMQ 9:114] But when he discovered that his father was an enemy to Allah (SWT) he made Bara’ (Disassociate) from him and declared him a Mushrik.

Moreover Allah (SWT) tells us about Ibraheem (as)’s da’wah to the society in which he lived: We bestowed aforetime on Ibraheem wahi and knowledge and he said to his father and his people “What are these images to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?” Attacking that which they worshipped They said “We found our father worshipping them.” A similitude can be drawn here with people in today’s world who do not (on the whole) follow the wooden idols-gods as they did in the past, but the new ‘intellectual’ idols-gods of today which take the form of ‘Freedom’, ‘Democracy’, ‘Human Rights’, ‘Secularism’ , ‘Nationalism’ etc… they follow, obey, submit, serve and Die for such ideas in the footsteps of their forefathers, without scrutinizing them for their agreement with the divine decree of Allah (SWT). After all, what is worshipping or Ibadah in Islam if not to obey, to follow, to submit and to serve? He said “Indeed ye have been misguided.” They said “Have you brought us the Truth or are you one of those who has just come to disturb us?” He said “Nay your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (truth). And by Allah I have a plan for your idols after ye go away and turn your backs”… So he broke them to pieces (all) but the biggest of them that they might turn (and address themselves) to it. They said “Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!” In the same way that Ibraheem showed the Kuffar (disbelievers) in his time the folly of worshipping what they made with their hands, the events of the 11th of September 2001 have shown the world the folly of eulogizing Human Rights, Civil Liberties, Freedom and Democracy. These very man made concepts, upheld by so many, were shown to be false gods once the guardians of these intellectual idols started arresting 3000 Muslims under the pretext of being members of ‘Al-Qa’ida’.As Muslims are kept in conditions unfit for animals in Guantanamo Bay anyone who has the fortitude to speak up against the atrocities perpetrated by the US and UK in Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, Afghanistan etc… or anyone suspected of supporting such causes (an Islamic duty upon every Muslim) are automatically branded as terrorists and detained without the ‘right’ to trial and in many instances without any cogent evidence whatsoever.

“The horrific reports of torture, rape and murder at Abu Gharib, as well as the other prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan (BAGRAM), are disappearing from U.S. media while not one word has been “reported” by them on the torture of children at the hands of U.S. personnel. So much for keeping the public informed.” Jack Dalton. Jack_Dalton@ommp.orgJuly 21, 2004

“How do you explain the indefinite imprisonment of children, and sodomizing them, in Abu Ghraib prison in Bagdad?” A Comment by Larry Ross July 22, 2004
“Statements and findings by non-governmental organizations and human-rights groups detail how one female detainee had been raped 17 times in one day by ‘Iraqi’ police in the presence of US troops. Another NGO reported of how one mother-of-four killed herself after being held by her hair and raped in front of her restrained husband, who was forced to watch.”

“A former male prisoner also reported how he regularly saw Iraqi women taken into a room. He said, “They had to pass in front of our tent and cried out, ‘Find a way to kill us’”.” - http://colombia.indymedia.org/news/2004/06/14073.php

The same is going on right now in IRAQ where thousands and thousands Iraqi Muslims are Brutally Murdered in the name of Freedom with all kind of BOMBS whatever were available for US and UK combined attack, as if the last 13 years of sanction was not enough which killed more than 500,000 innocent Children without counting the women, men and elderly. The US and UK destroyed a country with more than 5,000 years civilization, infrastructures, water supplies, Hospitals, Schools-colleges-universities, gardens so the big corporations can have more than 100 Billion Dollars contracts which will make Iraqi Muslims enslave for the next 100 years. The US exploited the 9/11 and initiated a WW111 against Islam and Muslims world wide in the name of TERRORIS (Islam) and TERRORISTS (Muslims). The same thing was initiated against Ibraheem(as) when they labeled him(as) as a terrorist, They said “We heard a youth talk of them: he is called Ibraheem.” They said “Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may bear witness:” They said “Art thou the one that did this with our gods O Ibraheem?” Perhaps in the same way that the US arrogantly accused the Muslims as soon as the twin Towers were destroyed in New York, and in particular the Taleban and Usama Bin Laden…. He said: “Nay this was done by this, their biggest one! Ask them if they can speak intelligently!” So they turned to themselves and said “Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!” Then were they confounded with shame: (they said) “Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not speak!” Democracy-SHIRK (i.e. Man-Made-Laws), Freedom, Secularism and Human Rights are nothing other than the inventions of man. Just as the disbelievers in the past caused tyranny and oppression against Muslims in the name of ‘The Crusades’ and later ‘Civilizing Missions’ (under colonialism), today they butcher Muslims and rape our land and resources in the name of ‘Democracy’ and ‘Freedom’ and ‘Human Rights’ in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechniya, Kashmir, Sudan, Sumalia etc. However, Ibraheem (as) brings their attention to what they practice, (Ibraheem) said “Do ye then worship besides Allah things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?

“Fire upon you and upon the things that ye worship besides Allah! Have ye no sense?”…They said “Burn him and protect your gods if ye do (anything at all)!” In the same way the US led alliance against Islam and Muslims has done its best to murder, torture and eradicate anyone opposing their global hegemony today under the guise of ‘Freedom’ and ‘Democracy’. From dropping thousands of tones of bombs on innocent men, women and children in Afghanistan and Iraq ,to supporting butchers like Putin, Vajpayee and Sharon. There is no measure too severe to silence the carriers of daw’ah and the indigenous people and to protect their economic, political and military interests in Muslim land. The way that the Kuffar of the past declared ‘burn him…’ to Ibraheem (as) the British and US governments have declared their new Laws of Terrorism and extraditions to Cuba, in order to protect their new found idols. Yet Allah (SWT) continues “We said ‘O fire! be thou cool and (a means of)) safety for Ibraheem!” [EMQ 21:51-69] The final victory being with Allah (SWT), whether He (SWT) shows it to us, and we are therefore witness to it, in this world or in the hereafter.

Concerning the Leader in the Time of Ibraheem (as) i.e. Nimrod, Allah (SWT) says: Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrâhim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allâh), because Allâh had given him the kingdom? When Ibrâhim (Abraham) said (to him): “My Lord (Allâh) is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrâhim (Abraham) said, “Verily! Allâh causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.” So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allâh guides not the people, who are Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).
[EMQ 2:258] So Bush declared after the 11th of September 2001, ‘You are either with us or with the Terrorists’ naming his, and Blair’s, massacre of Muslims ‘Infinite Justice’.

O Muslims, Allah (SWT) gives us many lessons in the Qur’an through the lives of his Messengers. The Pharaoh of Musa (as), the Caesar of Essa (as) the Abu Lahab of Muhammad (saw) and the Nimrod of Ibraheem (as) are today replaced by the likes of Bush, Blair, Putin, Vajpayee, Olmert, Mubarak and Musharraf. The physical idols have been replaced with the intellectual idols of Democracy and Freedom and changed their Kabah from Makkah to the White House in Washington. Yet the struggle between Haqq and Batil, between Towheed and Kufr, between the soldiers of Allah (SWT) and those of Taghout continues. Let us make a pledge this Hajj to join this struggle, let us pledge to Allah (SWT) to command good and forbid evil to the societies in which we live, just as the Messengers Ibraheem (AS) and Muhammad (saw) did and commanded us to do, let us work together to establish the rule of Allah (SWT) i.e. Al-Khilafah, through an intellectual and a political struggle, as opposed to living under the idolatry, tyranny and oppression of man made law-Shirk.

HAJJ & EID MUBARAK

Source: Islamic Thinkers Society

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The Holy Quran, Surah Al Hajj, 22:36-37

“The sacrificial camels we have made for you as among the symbols from Allah: in them is (much) good for you: then pronounce the name of Allah over them as they line up (for sacrifice): when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat ye thereof, and feed such as (beg not but) live in contentment, and such as beg with due humility: thus have We made animals subject to you, that ye may be grateful. It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.”

The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

~ Charles Du Bos

I love this quote.  We get so hung up on our precious little definition of ourselves – even if that definition is something we profess not to like.  “I’m depressed”, “I’m shy”, “I’m just not that kind of person”, “I would never bungee jump”, “I always procrastinate”… etcetera.  We create these labels for ourselves and then identify with them, and woe betide anyone or any experience that tries to take them away from us.

These labels come from all sorts of things – parents, teachers, past experiences, etc.  But one thing is for sure – they come from the past.  They come from who you have been or used to be or have at some point decided to be.  They are only true in the now because you keep clinging to them and using them to define yourself.  They will only be true in the future if you continue to choose them to be.

Or… you could let them go and allow yourself to grow into the person you might become.

I love this quote because to me it says: to move and grow, you have to be prepared to let go of all the labels you have clung to, all the little definitions you have for yourself.  Only then, in the space that you have created, may the person you could become have a chance to move in.

At any moment – in THIS moment – we must be willing to sacrifice the ways we have decided to identify ourselves… and see what steps in to take their place.  This is growth.

eid mubarak to muslims all over the world! celebrate the sacrifice but don’t sacrifice any little lambs, please.

when i was 13, we traveled to pakistan to visit both of my grandmothers. one day, my sisters and i entered the courtyard of my paternal grandmother’s home in quetta and spied three cute little sheep standing, clustered together in the center. thinking they were new pets, we tentatively stroked them and cooed in their ears. frightened, they tried to skirt around us and shied away from our hands. my father appeared and said, “these three animals will be sacrificed today since it’s eid, in honor of you three, and to symbolize prophet abraham’s sacrifice of his son to god.” naturally, we were horrified and began screaming that no animal was to be harmed in our names. my father was so disgusted with our behavior, since the meat would be cooked and served to the poor in the neighborhood, that he asked my aunt to take us out of his sight for the day.

we came back hours later to find blood being washed from the butcher’s table.

i knew that much of the food i ate came from living animals since i had accompanied my mother for years on her jaunts to detroit’s eastern market to pick out lamb, cow and goat meat from carcasses on hooks. i just didn’t want an animal suffering in my name, even if it was for a worthy cause. my 14-year vegetarian streak started that summer day in quetta…

Although I am a Human, an Omnivorous animal and a Muslim but every time ritual slaughter at the time of  Eid ul Adha disturbs me and shakes me. Actually the slaughter itself doesn’t make me sick but the laughing, joking coward crowd and fun just before ritual hurts. After all I am an animal myself (biologically).

Sacrifice doesn’t mean that Islam asks Muslims to be harsh towards animals but it means that we are sacrificing one of the loved thing for most loved LORD, the only God Allah. This explains how much Muslims should love animals.

Al Shaddad Bin Aous has quoted this tradition of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) “God calls for mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter, sharpen your blade to relieve its pain”.

The animals to be slaughtered must be handled with mercy and kindness.

The animals to be slaughtered should neither be mercilessly dragged from one place to another nor their bodies be pressed or squeezed, nor should they be frightened at slaughter time by sharpening the blade of a knife or butchering other animals in front of them. Prior to slaughtering or before confirming its death, no body part of the animals shall be cut or mutilated.

Care has to be taken that the nervous system is in no way damaged, for the direct attack on the nervous coil would provide serious pain to the animal before death. If any other method is used or the animal is slaughtered with a dull blade, its meat will not become legal(halal) for consumption. The animal must be brought to the slaughtering place and laid down gently as to not bruise it. The blade must be kept hidden until the very last moment while the jugular of the animal is felt.

Professor Wilhelm Schulze of the Hannover University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Germany, and his colleague Dr. Hazim, compared the response of the brain and heart during and immediately after ritual slaughter and slaughter with captive bolt stunning, a method widely used in many slaughterhouses.

The results of electroencephalograph (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings showed that Islamic ritual slaughtering caused a loss of consciousness before pain could be felt, while the captive bolt stunning caused severe pain to the animal before it lost consciousness.

1. The first 3 seconds from the time of the slaughter (in the Islamic Method) as recorded on the EEG did not show any change from the graph before slaughter, thus indicating that the animal did not feel any recognizable pain during or after the incision.

2. During the following 3 second, the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep-unconsciousness. This is due to the large quantity of blood gushing out of the body. The sudden and profuse bleeding from the incision on the neck causes a shock resulting in a state of unconsciousness due to severe shortage of blood supply to the vital centers located in the brain.

3. After the above-mentioned 6 seconds, the EEG recorded zero level, showing no feeling of pain at all.

4. As the brain message (EEG) dropped to zero level, the heart was still pounding and the body convulsing vigorously (a reflex action of the spinal cord) driving out a maximum amount of blood from the body, thus resulting in hygienic meat for the consumers.

Dr. Temple Grandin, an expert on livestock handling facilities and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, has witnessed ritual slaughter many times while inspecting and advising kosher slaughterhouses. She notes on her website: “When the cut is done correctly, the animal appears not to feel it. From an animal welfare standpoint, the major concern during ritual slaughter are the stressful and cruel methods of restraint (holding) that are used in some plants.”

The Islamic method indeed demands that the knife to be used for slaughtering animals must be sharp and used swiftly. The swift cut of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerves in the brain responsible for pain. Thus the slaughtered animal feels no pain.

It may be mentioned in this connection that the movements and withering of the different limbs of the animal after the incision is made are not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood. The convulsions are due to the contraction of the muscles in response to the lack of oxygen in the brain cells.

The muscles, by these contractions, squeeze out blood from the blood vessels in the tissues to pour it into the central circulation system to be sent to the brain, but this is lost on the way (due to cutting of big vessels in the neck) and the brain cells consequently keep on sending messages to the muscles to wring out blood, until the animal dies.

Convulsions thus occur when the animal becomes unconscious. And because the slaughtered animal becomes unconscious for massive hemorrhage, it does not feel pain while bleeding.

Lastly, the Islamic method also insists that the cut should involve the windpipe (trachea), gullet (esophagus), and the two jugular veins without cutting the spinal cord. This method results in rapid gush of blood draining most of it from the animal’s body. If the spinal cord is cut, the nerve fibres to the heart might be damaged leading to cardiac arrest, thus resulting in stagnation of blood in the blood vessels. The blood must be drained completely before the head is removed from the body. As most of the blood, which acts as medium of microorganisms, is removed the meat becomes purified and also remains fresh for a longer period as compared to the meat obtained through other methods of slaughtering like gullotining or decapitation, CBPS and electric stunning.

The United States Humane Slaughter Act recognizes ritual slaughter according to Islamic and Jewish dietary guidelines is acceptable and humane.

While offering Qurbani on Eid-ul-Azha most of the Muslims unfortunately, ignore the above-mentioned humane instruction of the Apostle of God (phub) and recklessly slaughter camels and cows and lambs right in front of other animals. We not only fight shy of the holy Prophet’s unique instruction but also very easily forget that the animals feel and suffer stress  in the same way as the humans do.

Thanks to :

National University of Singapore

Wikipedia.com

Halaljournal.com

Romans 12: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;

8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, wa lillahil hamd

Rumoured Blog wishes all its readers a blessed Eid and we ask Allah al-Rahman to make it full of goodness and blessings.

Have a wonderful Eid.

oops

I’ve just finished my pathetic attempt at baking some cupcakes (the results being very poor) I ended up with burnt cakes and about an hour wasted on a hobby that I’ll never have.

There’s a lesson to be learnt from my hour of shame…

Never dare to enter the kitchen on the night before Eid.

I’m sure many of you can relate to what I mean when I use the word –meltdown- to describe the incident.

Mothers, Sisters, Aunties and Uncles all over the world are making last minute preparations for the great big feasts that take place in the morning. You ask me how I know this? Well, from my last shopping trip a few hours ago.

We had to drive to the supermarket, having run out of a couple of last minute essentials, (two bottles of milk) and were standing in the queue waiting to be checked out. Whilst all this was happening, we were being shoved in all directions by hijabi women donning bloodshot eyes and armed with epically large shopping trolleys.

It's all about the rice

So anyway, to the point I want to make (because this is actually going somewhere) -

Whilst we enjoy the day tomorrow with our family and friends, I reckon we should take out some time to try and remember the true significance of Eid al Adha; which would be sacrifice.

The meaning lies a little deeper than barbecued ribs and lamb chops. It lies even deeper than ticking something on paper and slipping some money into a box.

Essentially we need to take a step back and remember the story of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to realise what this day really means. It’s a story that has been mentioned in the Qur’an as well as the Bible.

When you make a sacrifice, it means you give up something important to you for the sake of a better cause.

People are making sacrifices every single time they do something difficult to help another person. This happens by you giving away something you treasure to make someone else happy.

Ibrahim (AS) felt sure that God had asked him to give up his own son, but he was ready to do it because it was a command from God and there was no disputing that.

I think it’s important to remember these things when we are out today amongst our family and friends.

Millions of people are right now in Hajj under the sweltering heat of the sun remembering the story of Ibrahim (AS).

Millions of other people are dying from poverty and suffering due to the after effects of war, famine, drought and a billion other reasons. You know the drill. You’ve seen all the charity adverts on TV. I’m not going to reiterate that message here.

I truly believe we should all try and take this opportunity to give up a single bad habit of ours every year as an act of remembrance of this occasion. Forget making new years resolutions that no-one ever sticks to. Make a resolution right here and right now. Do something for a worthy cause. Don’t just drop coins into a box without really understanding why you are doing it. Take the initiative to find out where your money is going and why.

Remember that sacrifice is more than your bank statement reading <debit £20.00> at the end of the month. It’s about giving something up for God and really meaning it.

On that note, Eid Mubarak and remember me in all your prayers 

Oh and also try and avoid Green Street on Eid if you can.. I hear traffic can get pretty crazy there.

Robi

By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong

“When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’ When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face, We called out to him, ‘Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good ― it was a test to prove [their true characters] ― We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice, and We let him be praised by succeeding generations: ‘Peace be upon Abraham!’ This is how We reward those who do good: truly he was one of our faithful servants.”
The Qur’an 37:102-111 (M.A.S. Abdul-Haleem)

“Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:7-14 (NIV)

The story is familiar to Jews, Christians and Muslims; the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was asked by God to make the ultimate sacrifice, his beloved son, though perhaps disagreeing on which son Abraham was asked to surrender, the meaning of this account doesn’t change. Who could make such a sacrifice, when we’d give everything for our children? Abraham dearly loved both his sons and their mothers, he surely would not have wanted to harm either of them in any way or form. To understand this account, we need to look beyond the worldly veils disguising it’s true meaning. Everything that manifests in the physical world begins with an intention, a beginning within a person’s heart.

To continue reading, click here…

Phl 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

Seeing the smiles of those who came together,
from near and far no matter what the weather.
I would say that I am not worthy of you worshiping me,
this was my purpose; why I came to be.
For I am just a creation of the Creator
a product of the most High God.
His gift was much greater,
I know it had to be very hard.

I would tell you to give thanks for all He has done.
He gave the ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son.
It’s not about the food, gifts, or the
shopping duirng the holiday season.
Let’s give thanks knowing that our Heavenly Father is able
to supply all your needs according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKING THE LORD FOR?

© Copyright 11/09
Ella D. Fleming

Sat in my cosy living room with Annie (my wife) and Jerome – one of the team from our link project in Cape Town, I was listening intently.  I am not always the best listener but I right now I was in the ‘listening zone’.  Jerome was telling stories.  He seems to have the knack of story telling, it is as if the stories are coming from deep within and as he tells them you hear they are shaped by emotion of being part of them and his passion for Jesus and the young people he works with.  The stories are of young people redeemed from the oppression of drug addiction and the death threats of gangs.  One story was of a young girl literally plucked from the hands of a local drug lord at the point where she was about to be sold – yes, sold!  As he tells the stories I hear his heart and see his sacrificial commitment to the young people in his community.  I am holding back tears.  As he talks there is a sense of desperation about Jerome.  Desperation to give himself to this work held back only by the constraints of time and resources. 

During the stay of Jerome, Tessa and Andre I heard the same stories told over as different audiences from young people; in an assembly, Rock Solid, school lesson or youth work session, to families, churches and Bath YFC trustees.  The impact, as I saw it was the same.  A sense of being humbled by the commitment and sacrifice and how the Pinnacle Youth Outreach team are impacting so many lives with so little.

Reflecting on their visit I felt somewhat chastened, shaken from my cosiness as it were.  I am all too aware that in our ‘world of plenty’ we can lose sight of the sacrifice of serving Jesus.  What does it look like for me to be sacrificially committed to; the young people I work with; the people on my street; in my community?

So as I and possibly you sit in our cosy living rooms, what does it mean for me and you to ‘deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus’? (Mark 8:31-9:1)

Abraham was born circa 1800 BC, he is considered the Father of the Prophets and his teachings reverberate through the philosophies of Jewdism, Christianity and Islam.

Qur’an describes him as “a man of truth, a prophet.”

Abraham had the courage to be alone in the world, and to still follow his deep beliefs. If he had not had conviction, in spite of all his other merits, he would probably have been forgotten in the pages of history.

It seems all too obvious to say “be true to your convictions” — almost pedestrian. We live in a world of compromise. Daily we draw lines and give a little here and there to make ourselves comfortable. Abraham would draw no such lines concerning his faith. Of course, the belief of Abraham was not anchored in a worldly system, but rather in his belief that the Lord overshadowed all creation.

Peace and blessings be upon Prophet Abraham great hero, and Prophet Ismael. Oh God make us strong, and give us strength like our father had, Oh Lord make us pure and give us strength to go against devil like our father did. Peace be upon Muslim Ummah, Peace be upon whole humanity. EID MUBARAK!

More than any other time of the year the holidays bring great thanks to all those who are, will and have served our great nation.  This season is no different as we have so many fighting in harms way to protect the very freedoms we’ve come to love so much.

From our family here in Maryland we send our thanks to you, our troops, no matter where you are.  Thank you for serving selflessly no matter the clime or place.  Your sacrifice and service will be remembered always and will be honored forever.

I pray that despite your hardships, whatever they maybe, that you find great solace in the fact that we support and love your commitment to us.  We will stay committed here at home and defend your honor while you fight for ours.

Thanks for all that you do and have a Happy Thanksgiving!  Semper Fi Troops!

There’s stuff everywhere.

Stuff that is a cruel joke:

The 5th International! has been declared at long last by…Hugo Chavez. This will unite the forces of revolutionary socialism world-wide. In Chavez’s view, of course, the forces of revolutionary socialism include…Mugabe. And Ahmadinejad. And the Chinese Communist Party. And…wait, what?

Thing is, I could sort of understand these sort of vile endorsements before – though I’m not too motivated to insist on a charitable reading of Chavez’s words, such a reading was available: he’s kissing ass because he wants/needs international allies. He wants a bit more security against threats from the US and its allies. It’s not what you’d expect of an ‘internationalist’ in the genuine sense but then, why would we expect such things from Chavez? The point is, it’s entirely standard and expected from a government. It’s exactly what every other government does.

But actually proclaiming a Socialist International, and then sending your people to receive ideological training in China, is…well, a cruel joke.

Stuff that is also a cruel joke:

Pardoning turkeys. So there’s a special day on which millions of turkeys are to be killed and ritually eaten. You get one or two of these turkeys and, with great publicity, and great fanfare, decline to kill them. This provokes hearty laughter. After all, you can’t spell slaughter, without laughter!

Stuff that is hardly even funny anymore:

In Nepal, there has been a grand religious festival of death, in which a few hundred thousand animals of various sorts have been killed by pious God-fearing folks from all over the country and beyond.

Quote: “I slaughtered around 20 buffalo in 2004. This time I managed to behead about 70. I wish the sacrifice has not ended.”

And: “I do it for spiritual satisfaction.”

Note: roughly the same number of animals have been slaughtered in the world for food since you started reading this post. With the precision of ‘roughly’ tied to how fast a reader you are.

Question: is it more disturbing that people do this sort of thing for spiritual satisfaction, or that they do it with complete casual indifference?

More Cruel Jokes:

You remember the world’s biggest war? Yeah, still going on. Currently some people are expressing concern that the peace-keepers are actually keeping war, and troops sent to protect civilians are actually protecting people who are massacring civilians. The Congolese government has said “That’s really what we can call an exaggeration”. Well then. Thanks for that.

In fact, it looks suspiciously like the actual international response is largely a series of actions to prop up and support the government, and take no action against the companies funding violence for resource access, surrounded by high-pitched humanitarian trills and whistles.

And Thanksgiving, which itself is a somewhat cruel joke. We exterminated you, but there was a brief period of amiability early on! Let’s celebrate that!

What lesson can we draw from all this? From the jovial celebrations, ironic mercy, grand revolutionary pronouncements, grand humanitarian pronouncements, and perhaps most of all from the ’spiritual satisfaction’ – what they seem to illustrate is that humans have a striking ability to take violence and cruelty and destruction and give it pretty much every positive emotional spin you can think of.

Dans cet article il n’est pas question de théologie ni de symbolique sur le sens du sacrifice, cette tradition qui remonte à Abraham et qui va se perpétuer jusqu’à la fin des temps. On ne parlera donc ni de la personnalité du patriarche Abraham, ni de son message, ni de la relation père fils, ni de la patience, ni de la confiance absolue en Dieu, ni de la vocation du croyant.

On ne parlera pas aussi de la revendication sacrificielle que pourrait exiger les Arabes musulmans en souvenir pour commémorer le souvenir de leur ancêtre Ismaïl et pour guérir du syndrome victimaire ceux qui ont osé scier Zacharia et égorger Yahya tous deux prophètes.

Omar Mazri : La fête du mouton

Mercredi, 25 Novembre 2009 21:33

Dans cet article il n’est pas question de théologie ni de symbolique sur le sens du sacrifice, cette tradition qui remonte à Abraham et qui va se perpétuer jusqu’à la fin des temps. On ne parlera donc ni de la personnalité du patriarche Abraham, ni de son message, ni de la relation père fils, ni de la patience, ni de la confiance absolue en Dieu, ni de la vocation du croyant. On ne parlera pas aussi de la revendication sacrificielle que pourrait exiger les Arabes musulmans en souvenir pour commémorer le souvenir de leur ancêtre Ismaïl et pour guérir du syndrome victimaire ceux qui ont osé scier Zacharia et égorger Yahya tous deux prophètes.

On essayera sur un ton ni docte ni moralisateur de répondre à quelques détracteurs qui dénigrent une tradition qui est au cœur de la sensibilité religieuse, culturelle et sociologique des musulmans.

Nous parlerons du rite du sacrifice du mouton vu en tant qu’acte d’abattage  « profane » parmi tous les autres actes d’abattage animalier pour manger ou festoyer. En effet l’imaginaire des non musulmans est inapte à comprendre le sens et la portée de l’ethique musulmane, de la foi et de la spiritualité alors il se réfugie dans celui de la rationalité économique, de la défense des droits et de la protection des animaux. Nous allons oublier un instant notre spiritualité et parler de faits économiques et sociaux pour interroger l’imaginaire, le cœur et la raison de l’humain, cet humain qui  du fait qu’il soit lui-même privé de la foi imagine celui dont le cœur déborde de foi  comme mutilé de la raison, de la  citoyenneté et de civilisation.

L e musulman face à la consommation

Le musulman est tenu par sa foi à une ethique de consommation qui lui interdit le gaspillage, le désordre écologique et l’injustice sociale : {Les gaspilleurs sont frères des diables} dit le Coran :

« Nous sommes un peuple qui ne mange que s’il a faim et quand il mange il ne mange pas à satiété » dit le Prophète de l’islam

« Un oiseau se plaindra à Dieu le jour du jugement dernier contre l’homme qui l’a tué en vain (par plaisir) et non pour satisfaire une exigence ou un besoin » dit le même prophète de l’islam connu pour sa miséricorde pour toute créature vivante.

Manger quand on a faim  c’est  satisfaire un besoin et répondre à une privation, manger sans faim et sans besoin c’est gaspiller  juste pour le plaisir des sens  comme l’a enseigné le Khalife Omar ben Abdelaziz à ses cousins les princes à qui il a enseigné l’art de la justice sociale par l’exemple et qu’il a rééduqués en mettant fin à leurs rentes puis au système rentier et corrupteur.

Le musulman qu’il soit grand ou humble, riche ou pauvre ne souhaite pas à un autre musulman de manger de bon appetit mais prie  Dieu de le rassasier, de le rende satisfait et contenté de ce qu’il possède comme  de ce qu’il mange. A l’opposé du rapport de l’arrogant envers les bienfaits de Dieu le musulman est dans un rapport de respect et de gratitude envers sa subsistance et Allah l’Octroyeur de cette subsistance.

Forts de ces principes le musulman est heurté dans sa sensibilité quand on vient lui dire qu’il est un barbare qui égorge des moutons inoffensifs et qui décime le cheptel. Que doit répondre le musulman à celui qui ne veut pas écouter son « prosélytisme » sur la symbolique du sacrifice d’Abraham.  Tout simplement lui dire qu’il  va faire don de  charité  au pauvre et au nécessiteux le tiers de la carcasse, qu’il va offrir à ses parents, amis et voisins le second tiers et qu’il va conserver le dernier tiers le consommer sur  trois jours ou le saler pour le consommer en plusieurs mois s’il fait partie des 80% des privés de la terre spoliée par les 20% qui consomment à eux seuls les 80% des ressources mondiales.

Nous avons à travers un rituel à visage humain social le modèle par excellence de la solidarité humaine, de la convivialité, de l’utilité économique et de l’économie domestique.  Une modeste famille musulmane de cinq personnes faisant partie des 80 % de la population mondiale n’aura consommé que 22,5 kg / 3 / 5 / 3 soit   500 g de viande per capita  à titre exceptionnel dans l’année quand elle arrive à économiser le prix du mouton ou de l’agneau en renonçant à d’autres denrées. Une question à 100 grs de poitrine de mouton séchées (kaddid) quand les vaches sont maigres et à une tête et 4 pieds d’agneau quand les vaches sont grasses : Combien consomme un américain moyen, un canadien, un australien, un européen en équivalent protéine animal per capita et par jour?

La viande la plus consommée en Europe est celle de porc avec 42,6 kg par habitant suivie de près par la viande de poulet avec 22,4 kg,  en troisième position la viande de veau avec 22,4 kg et en dernière position la viande ovine 2 kg par an et par habitant soit près de 100 kg de viande per capita par an hors poissons, crustacés et gibiers.

L’abondance ou le gaspillage et la maltraitance des animaux sont ils le fait du musulman ?

L’agneau français est un bon mouton qui pèse à vif près de 34 kg ce qui donne une carcasse de 17 kg environ.

Selon les statistiques mondiales  nous avons pour un ratio de 7 à 8  animaux par année et par habitant abattus dans les abattoirs.  Nous avons en moyenne 1500 bêtes abattus toutes les secondes soient 45 milliards d’animaux abattus chaque année dans le monde dont 800 millions de moutons.

Ce nombre impressionnant d’abattage n’est pas suffisant pour répondre à la demande des ¾ de  la population mondiale affamée mais par contre témoigne de l’appétit des grands et des puissants de ce monde  et surtout du modèle de gaspillage qu’ils imposent comme modèle de consommation de civilisés. La question qui mérite d’être posée est pourtant celle-ci : La faim dans le monde conjuguée aux  conditions indignes et impitoyables d’abattage de créatures vivantes  ne doivent elles pas interpeller les « amis » des animaux et les laics des pays arabes et musulmans qui crient au scandale lors de l’aid al adha. Les humains qui se font égorger en Palestine, en Irak, en Afghanistan, au Turkménistan oriental, en Tchétchénie, au Kashmiri et partout ailleurs ne méritent ils pas la même attention, la même considération.  Pourquoi cette volonté délibérée de  confondre les défenseurs de l’écologie avec les détracteurs de l’Islam ? Nous allons faire comme s’il n’ y a pas d’islamophobie, d’injustice dans le monde  et rester sur le terrain  des moutons de la steppe et des agneaux des Alpes et nous poser des questions techniques ?

Que représente la part du sacrifice musulman du mouton dans les statistiques mondiales ? Comme je n’ai pas trouvé de chiffres officiels je me permets un petit calcul simpliste confortant la thèse des anti sacrifices :

Sur les lieux saints : 2 millions de pèlerins soient 2 millions de moutons.

De l’avis des pèlerins et des organisations humanitaires et caritatives la viande est quasiment surgelée ou cuisinée et redistribuée en dons alimentaires en faveur des populations asiatiques et africaines éprouvées par la famine, les catastrophes, les guerres. Le « gaspillage » apparent est une aubaine pour les affamés du monde ce qui n’est pas le cas des surstocks américains ou européens qui sont jetés ou détruits pour maintenir le cours des produits. On va jusqu’à donner une subvention pour les agriculteurs et les éleveurs pour ne pas produire dans un monde d’affamé et le comble et que cette subvention est supérieure au revenu moyen annuel du paysan et de l’éleveur africain, sud américain et asiatique qui travaillent 16 h par jour sans mutuelle, sans garanties, sans retraite, sans droits pour lui et sa famille en matière d’éducation, de santé, de nourriture selon les normes de l’UNICEF  et de l’OMS.

Le monde au nom des droits de l’homme (blanc) est divisé en gaspilleurs et gaspillés, en pollueurs et pollués, en exploiteurs et exploités, en colonisateurs et colonisés. On refuse de voir ces inégalités mais par contre on voit le caractère ostentatoire du musulman qui fait sacrifice du mouton. On refuse de se poser la question économique scandaleuse : Pourquoi le musulman dans les terres d’islam paient t’il son mouton l’équivalent de 6 à 12 mois de travail et pourquoi le musulman de France égorge t’il son mouton soit en clandestin dans sa baignoire soit dans des conditions d’abattages inadmissibles. L’islam exige pourtant la miséricorde, la dignité et le caractère solennel de la « mise à mort » devant un animal en offrande pour le rituel de l’humain, le  le rappel d’Abraham et la proclamation Allah Akbar qui fait trembler les mécréants. Ce rituel n’a de sens que par rapport à une symbolique spirituelle, historique et sociale bien comprise sinon le sacrifice ne serait pas acte de foi mais grillade de foie pour le bénéfice des boucheries pseudo hallal et des maquignons sans foi ni loi.

Quittons les lieux saints pour les terres de tradition musulmane : pour 1 milliards 400 millions de musulmans et en prenant par excès le ratio d’abondance celui par exemple de la communauté marseillaise 10.000 moutons pour 200.000 musulmans nous aurons 700 millions de moutons sacrifiés. Les musulmans en une journée consomment 90% de l’abattage mondiale annuelle. Ce chiffre est absurde si on le rapporte aux données de la répartition géographique de  consommation mondiale de viande :

Nous allons refaire un autre calcul simple, laissant le soin aux spécialistes de l’agriculture de répondre avec précision et détails :

Les USA ont une consommation moyenne annuelle per capita de viande  de l’ordre de  123 kg

L’Europe………………………………………………………………………………80 kg

Moyen orient et Afrique du nord …………………………………………  22 kg

Si on compare la consommation pour la protéine blanche (poisson) entre l’espagnol et l’algérien par exemple on constate le même  rapport aussi effarant qui témoigne de la sous alimantation des musulmans qui pourtant ne manque pas de ressources naturelles

42 kg (de poisson de qualité) pour l’espagnol et 4 kg pour l’algérien (limité au pélagique : attention juste la sardine, le thon est péché en clandestin au profit de la rive latine de la méditerranée)

Si on s’amuse a faire ce genre de calculs sur tous les produits et entre tous les pays on est mis de nouveau en présence d’une règle qui fait que 20% de la population mondiale située en occident consomme 80% des ressources mondiales situées dans les pays pauvres. La loi de Paréto à l’empirique

Restons simplistes et appliquons bêtement  cette règle à nos moutons nous aurons alors théoriquement 640 millions de moutons abattus au profit des riches et 160 millions au profit des pauvres. Les musulmans représentant le quart de la population mondiale doivent avoir un quota de  60 millions de moutons consommés. Si on tient compte des us et coutumes qui font que le mouton du sacrifice représente pour la majorité des musulmans le quart de l’apport protéique d’origine animale sur l’année on peut déduire que la fête de l’aid est au maximum un abattage (sacrifice) de 15 millions de moutons sur les deux jours de l’Aïd. On peut faire l’hypothèse pour simplifier les calculs que le premier jour il y aurait 10  millions de sacrifices soit 5 fois le nombre de bêtes abattues au total dans le monde. Cela peut paraître relativement beaucoup. Mais si nous admettons que le tiers des carcasses est destiné à l’aumone et que le musulman qui s’est acquité de son devoir religieux va pour des raisons économiques ne plus acheter de viande pendant au moins un mois alors nous pouvons en toute logique dire que remis dans le contexte  général le musulman n’a rien consommé et le peu qu’il a consommé en qualité ( bêtes de moins d’un an donc non géniteurs et non génitrices) a profité aux plus démunis mais surtout  aux exportateurs d’ovins comme l’Europe, la Nouvelle Zélande et l’Argentine.

Nous laissons le soin à nos amis d’imaginer si la cérémonie du sacrifice du pélérinage qui consiste à distribuer gratuitement 2 millions de carcasses ovines à un pays asiatique qui consommerait 7kg de viande par an et par habitant soit la garantie d’assurer à 2 millions de pauvres une ration protéique animale avec l’hypothèse d’agneaux evidés de 14 kg net (3 kg perdus par la fatigue des bêtes et la part des corrompus dans le circuit administratif). Combien de petits pays auraient souhaité que la fête du mouton ne soit pas une seule fois l’an mais chaque jour pour contenir la misère humaine que les capitalistes non musulmans génèrent à vitesse exponentielle dans le monde. Les riches musulmans jouent aux renfloueurs des banques américaines. Ils n’ont ni projet d’exploiter industriellement le potentiel du cheptel soudanais ou africain ni acheter la pampa et l’exploiter pour le compte des musulmans et des affamés dans le monde

Nous proposons donc quelques petits jeux à nos amis qui crient au scandale :

Quel est en réalité le nombre de moutons sacrifiés le jour de l’aid et quel pourcentage représente t-il dans l’abattage mondial ?

Sachons que le cheptel mondial atteint des centaines de milliards de bêtes toutes espèce confondues nous proposons une deuxième enigme : Est ce que  le sacrifice du mouton est un acte anti économique et anti écologique sous pretexte qu’il décime le cheptel ?

A titre d’indications nous donnons quelques chiffres :

La France :       10 millions de têtes ovines

Royaume uni :  30

Inde                 180

Chine :             300

Devant le spectacle « horrifiant de ces musulmans barbares » qui egorgent le mouton nous proposons non pas un jeu statistique mais un sujet de thèse de doctorat  pour montrer  avec science et  méthode :

- Quel est le procédé d’abattage le plus miséricordieux et qui est celui le plus cruel ?

- Démontrer quel est le stress occasionné tant à la bête abatue qu’à l’abatteur ou le spectateur de l’abattage selon le procédé d’abattage (rite païen ou rite musulman-

Découvrir la qualité de la viande selon le procédé d’abattage.

On peut aussi faire un autre jeu : Qui est le gaspilleur et le pollueur : les musulmans ou les pratiquants du monothéisme du marché dans les temples sacrés de la consommation comme aux USA le modèle par excellence ?

A titre d’indication il faut savoir que le pays qui se prétend le plus démocratique, le plus efficace pour tuer les hommes à l’échelle planétaire et le plus doté de moyens technologiques pour répondre à tous les défis économiques et sociaux perd 11% des bêtes destinées à l’abattage dans des conditions de souffrance atroce (suffocation, encornement, piétinement, etc…) lors du transport et de la rentrée dans les lazarets.  La culture judéo chrétienne poursuit les bêtes jusqu’au site où elles deviennent carcasse et viande hachée ou farine animale. Ainsi sur les 9 millards et demi de carcasses il y a plus de 1 milliard de bêtes jetés (catastrophe économique, écologique et éthique). Tous les misérables de la terre auraient leur ration de corned beef et uen grande partie du chomage serait résorbé si on passe à un abattage plus humain hors de la mise à mort industrielle et massive.

Nous ne sommes pas des spécialistes nous demandons aux spécialistes musulmans et non musulmans d’aborder avec rigueur scientifique le problème sacrificiel du mouton et ses incidences sur le plan économique, écologique, ethique. L’Islam n’a pas peur de la science puisqu’il est une invitation à la science et à l’argumentation des faits et des lois même si les musulmans restent les cancres de la planète et ne savant toujours pas utiliser le calcul pour déterminer le jour de la fête du mouton. De toute façon c’est la fête du mouton en quoi le calendrier va changer l’ordre des choses et le fatalisme débonnaire des musulmans

L’occident gaspilleur, pollueur, cynique, guerrier, égoiste, méprisant des cultures et des religions veut par la banque mondiale, le FMI et autres organismes financiers et institutions d’aide au développement non pas apporter une solution au problème de la répartition équitable des richesses et de la justice sociale mais transférer son savoir faire et ses investissements dans les pays asiatiques et africains pour faire de l’élevage et de l’abattage intensif avec comme objectif atteindre 100 milliards de bêtes abattues en 2020. La question reste posée : sur les 100 milliards de bêtes l’aid el adha va disposer de quel quota, les bêtes maltraitées et gaspillées vont s’élever à combien de milliards.

En attendant combien d’enfants irakiens, palestiniens, tchètchènes vont continuer à mourir privés de protéines et de médicaments mais  gavés de bombes, de gaz, de stress…

La faim au milieu de l’abondance du fait de l’injustice

Le présent

Malgré l’abondance de produits alimentaires il y a, dans les pays en développement, des millions de gens qui sont sous-alimentés

Chaque année, environ 18 millions de personnes, surtout des enfants, meurent de faim, de malnutrition et de causes connexes.

On estime que deux milliards d’êtres humains souffrent de malnutrition et de carences alimentaires, dont 840 millions sont des sous-alimentés chroniques

En Afrique subsaharienne, jusqu’à 70 % de toutes les femmes sont anémiques

Environ 200 millions d’enfants de moins de cinq ans ne reçoivent pas une nutrition qui leur permette de vivre une vie véritablement active.

Dans plus de 40 % des pays qui ont fait l’objet d’enquêtes démographiques et de santé un enfant sur 3 avait un arrêt prématuré de croissance.

150 millions d’enfants de moins de six ans seront encore sous-alimentés en 2020, soit à peine 20 % de moins qu’en 1993.

En Afrique, on s’attend à voir le nombre d’enfants sous-alimentés augmenter de 45 % entre 1993 et 2020, pour atteindre 40 millions

En périodes difficiles, les agriculteurs de subsistance peuvent même avoir à vendre leur terre pour acheter des aliments et payer leurs dettes.

Des famines tuent périodiquement des millions de gens, qui comptent parmi les plus pauvres du monde

L’avenir ?

en 2020, près de 70 % de la population vivant dans l’insécurité alimentaire habitera l’Afrique sub-saharienne et l’Asie du sud.

En 2020, il est probable qu’une personne sur trois n’aura pas la sécurité alimentaire en Afrique subsaharienne, contre une sur huit en Asie du sud et une sur 20 en Asie orientale

Question pour un mouton et au prix d’un mouton : ces chiffres effarants sont ils le résultats du « génocide » des moutons par les musulmans et les autres affamés de la planète ou du génocide des musulmans et des gens de couleurs par les « blancs civilisés » qui se droguent « pour ne pas souffrir » et droguent les animaux pour « ne pas les faire souffrir ». Si nos femmes se voilent pour cacher leur nudité par pudeur et par dignité vous aller faire l’effort de dévoiler vos arguments et voiler par pudeur votre haine, vos préjugés et votre ignorance.

Dans cet avenir optimiste il n’est pas question de prendre en compte les catastrophes écologiques de la sécheresse, des inondations, des tsunamis, des ras de marée et de la perte des surfaces arables par la montée des eaux et l’avancée du désert. L’Apocalypse Now sorti de la réalité des mondes musulmans et non des studios d’Hollywood.

Le musulman n’est il pas en réalité lui le véritable mouton ?

Le musulman pris dans la mécanique ici improvisée ailleurs  volontairement compliquée de l’achat du mouton à sacrifier pour la foi, les traditions, le mimétisme social, l’occasion de manger de la viande et de se retrouver en famille est en réalité agressé dans son porte feuille. Dans le système procédurier mais complexe  de l’abattage rituel abandonné entre les  abattoirs clandestins et les abattoirs officiels  insuffisants ou inadaptés avec l’envie de  festoyer au plus tôt plus que d’accomplir un rite selon ses règles éthiques et écologiques  est doublement aliéné :

-  d’une part il est épuisé par toutes les tracasseries logistiques et les tradtions qui n’ont rien à voir avec l’islam qui font qu’ils ne profitent pas ou très peu du sacrifice qu’il a consenti et qui lui coute souvent assez cher. Cet epuisement ne lui apporte ni la convivialité recherchée ni la sérénité spirituelle attendue. Tout est baclé y compris son plaisir et sa spiritualité affichée davantage dans des habits de circonstances que dans la profondeur du cœur et le sens de la symbolique.

-  D’autre part il est méprisé et tourné en objet de railleries par l’environnement qui n’oublie pas cependant de lui demander de ramener au boulot, à l’école ou au chantier la galette et les gateaux orientaux. Cet environnement au lieu de lui témoigner du respect pour sa fidélité à ses principes, à sa foi et lui prouver son « intégration »  en lui accordant un droit de congé payé continue à vouloir le duper et le traiter avec une mentalité de colonisateur à colonisé : Amed et Fatima doivent marquer leur soumission en faisant plaisir par leur silence devant l’injustice subie et en exprimant de surcroit des marques de déférences en offrant les « traditions » comme offrandes qu’on donne au « maitre » pour qu’il soit consentant. Le musulman est privé de sa citoyenneté et la fête de l’Aid le démontre. Il ne s’agit pas de donner un bulletin de vote comme monnaie d’échange contre  la mosquée de Marseille qui crée déjà de la zizanie bien avant son occupation par le grand Muphti de l’islam français. a création sur papier.

-Mais au-delà de cette double aliénation il y a une autre aliénation plus subtile celle de la fétichisation ou de l’instrumentalisation mercatique de la foi : la foi est un marché dans une société de consommation qui ne connaît que la valeur du profit et du pouvoir d’achat. La fête de l’aid est un immense enjeu economique et financier dont le véritable objet est  le musulman considéré comme mouton par les maquignons de tout genre – de l’eleveur jusqu’au boucher. Les musulmans paient et paient cher un service qui ne leur est pas donné. Il appartient aux musulmans et en particulier à leurs imams de sortir de leur léthargie irresponsable  pour ne pas dire coupable et de prendre l’initiative pour faire bénéficier tous les musulmans qui veulent et peuvent s’acquitter de leurs obligations sacrificielles   d’une prestation de qualité et d’en être les premiers bénéficiaires sur tous les plans et sous quelque forme légale et transparente eu egard à l’importance des transactions qui se font au nom de leur communauté. Cette privation de la qualité de consommateur dans un pays de la consommation est une atteinte à l’ethique commerciale et aux règles de l’art.

Les musulmans forts de leurs droits et de leur foi peuvent alors prétendre passer une bonne fête du mouton sans être les moutons qu’on conduit vers l’inconnu les yeux ouverts et le cœur dissipé.  Ce n’est pas une question d’argent : si les élites musulmanes dépassaient moins de temps aux polémiques stériles et beni ouiouisme ripoublicain elles seraient capables de mutualiser le mouton et les gisements de métiers et d’argent qui vont avec.

En parlant de fête du mouton nous ne faisons aucun jeu de mots  car c’est bien la fête du mouton ; nous croyons que le mouton sacrifié est consentant pour son sacrifice car destiné à vivre au paradis une fois qu’il a accompli son destin sur cette terre. Notre sacrifice est plus grand que celui du mouton mais vous ne pouvez le comprendre que si vous êtes soumis avec consentement à Dieu. Il est etonnant, ce jour de grande spiritualité qui aurait pu être un jour de rapprochement des communautés musulmanes, chrétiennes et juive,  de voir des gens accepter qu’un homme nommé Jésus Verbe de Dieu et fils de Marie se soit sacrifié pour l’humanité et refuser qu’un mouton soit sacrifié par l’humanité  en mémoire à Abraham qui a précéde Moïse, Jésus et Mohamed (que la paix et le salut de Dieu soient sur eux). Le jour où nous ne serions plus une bergerie de brebis et de moutons mais une communauté de musulmans, la communauté de la fraternité, la communauté de  la concorde, la communauté de détermination, la communauté de la foi, la communauté de la bienfaisance¸ la communauté de la justice et de l’équité, la communauté de la dignité et du respect, la communauté de  l’equilibre et du juste milieu, la communauté de la commanderie du bien  et du pourchas du mal, la communauté d’Ibrahim -  alors ce jour là nous passerons une bonne fête au service de Dieu et à proximité d’Ibrahim et de Mohamed (saws). Le mouton sera alors  à notre service et nous ne serons ni au service du mouton ni des loups et des renards.

L’imaginaire des non musulmans sera alors imprégné positivement de notre foi et de notre culture et nous pouvons avec fierté et sérénité l’entretenir de la quête, du message d’Abraham et de la symbolique du sacrifice et du lien entre Mohamed, Jesus, Moise et Abraham dans une République où les citoyens ne sont plus des moutons mais des pâtres ou des bergers selon l’expression mohammadienne chère aux musulmans :

« Vous êtes tous des pâtres, et chacun est responsable de son troupeau (ce dépôt de confiance qu’il a la charge de protéger, de faire croître».

Chacun étant berger, la femme comme l’homme, le gouvernant comme les gouvernés, les riches comme les pauvres, les instruits comme les ignorants, les vieux comme les jeunes, les nationaux comme les étrangers. Il n’y ni mouton ni loup mais une communauté de devoirs, une communauté de citoyens. S’il y a un droit non octroyé c’est parce qu’un devoir n’as pas été accompli. Elevons nous tous pour accomplir nos devoirs et il n’y aura aucun droit bafoué, aucun homme marginalisé ou exclu, aucune foi ou croyance niée. Etre berger c’est assumer ses responsabilités, c’est une façon d’être humble. Les mots ne valent que par la symbolique qu’ils véhiculent, l’intention qui les président et la pratique qui en découlent. Accepter d’être mouton et réclamer ses droits ne génère même pas l’empathie du vétérinaire qui d’ailleurs n’est pas convié à la démonstration de dépeçage collective.

Etant berger moi-même mais aussi mouton par certains aspects de la schizophrénie sociale et culturelle qui nous hante dans une « civilisation » qui refuse le droit à la différence je m’interroge avec une question pour un mouton harami qui est le dindon de la fête du mouton puisque nous acceptons de nommer notre symbole du sacrifice fête du mouton : qui assure le contrôle du marché de la viande hallal, le détournement de la manne financière pour la zakat à partir des activités liées au mouton et le financement de l’action sociale (Waqf)  en faveur des musulmans en France sans besoin de l’aide des autorités françaises ou des services algériens, marocains ou saoudiens. Le mouton harami fait du mouton égorgé l’écran qui cache notre frère le mouton de Palestine qu’on égorge sans attendre la fête et sans le cacher dans un abattoir clandestin : il est ensanglanté devant les caméras du monde qui oublie de montrer le phosphore blanc, la maltraitance et l’occupation illégitime des terres. Les élites musulmanes de France se sont laissé manipuler sur la question du voile islamique et maintenant elles  entrent dans une négociation sans préparation, sans stratégie sur le marché de la viande comme des agneaux de lait.

Aïd et Qibla : même image, même combat ?

Nos coreligionnaires continuent d’improviser des décisions lourdes de conséquences. On veut transformer l’Aïd en grande fête nationale à Marseille oubliant que Marseille et le pays d’Aix sont le bastion d’où ont été planifiées les croisades et la colonisation du Maghreb alors quelle est la signification politique et sociale de ce grand rassemblement dans un environnement hostile ? Montrer la force et la cohésion des musulmans ? Que représentent ces musulmans dans l’échiquier politique puisqu’ils ne votent pas ou s’ils votent ils le font sans consignes et sans négocier leur voix? Quelle est l’opportunité, la pertinence, la cohérence et l’efficacité de mobiliser des musulmans sur des espaces festifs  alors qu’ils ne sont pas mobilisés pour des tâches moins voyantes mais plus percutantes : mettre fin aux luttes intestines. Pourquoi montrer une force factice et au profit de qui alors que les questions lancinantes ne sont pas abordées :

· Comment produire et promouvoir notre argent

· Comment produire et promouvoir nos idées

· Comment produire et promouvoir notre unité

· Comment produire et promouvoir notre élite

· Comment produire et promouvoir notre citoyenneté

· Comment produire et promouvoir notre fierté de musulman, la véritable, loin de toute ostentation, dans l’esprit du Coran :

{Et qui profère plus belles paroles que celui qui appelle à Allah, fait bonne oeuvre et dit: ‹Je suis du nombre des Musulmans?›  La bonne action et la mauvaise ne sont pas pareilles. Repousse (le mal) par ce qui est meilleur; et voilà que celui avec qui tu avais une animosité devient tel un ami chaleureux.  Mais (ce privilège) n’est donné qu’à ceux qui endurent et il n’est donné qu’au possesseur d’une grâce infinie. } foussilat 33

Tout ceci est complexe, il exige une ingénierie sociale pour  sortir de notre paresse. Soyons modestes et empiriques comment produire notre mouton et décider ensemble de cette fête collective, la notre ou celle de notre mouton chétif et frisé. Peuchère il ne ressemble même pas à celui du bled qui se permet de donner des coups de cornes. Il n’a pas connu la  civilisation ramenée par le colon et l’abattage à la chaine.

La silhouette du musulman fière et digne est complètement effacée de la géographie humaine : Sans perspective de travail, de savoir, de culture, de liberté, de foi authentique, la situation du musulman pose problème et c’est ce problème qui demande à être résolu et non à afficher à la France ou à la ville de Marseille un rassemblement de musulmans vivant heureux sous la protection de la République.

La silhouette du musulman fière et digne est complètement effacée de la géographie humaine : Sans perspective de travail, de savoir, de culture, de liberté, de foi authentique, la situation du musulman pose problème et c’est ce problème qui demande à être résolu et non à afficher à la France ou à la ville de Marseille un rassemblement de musulmans vivant heureux sous la protection de la République. La Res publica depuis longtemps privatisée va véhiculer l’image, celle que nous lui donnons gratuitement, de sa démocratie et de son « arabophillie » à travers les médias occultant les véritables enjeux, ceux des musulmans, des médias et de la société.

La priorité n’est pas à la fête du mouton mais au réveil des consciences. Sans conscience morale, sociale et politique aucun rassemblement ne peut nous amener à poser la question des perspectives pour le musulman et des moyens de son émancipation.  Laissons Malek Benabi répondre à notre place car les choses non seulement n’ont pas changé depuis qu’il s’est exprimé sur ce sujet mais hélas ont empiré :

« Que faire dans une carence qui est la seule chose universelle ? L’homme civilisé est un colonisateur. L’homme à civiliser est automatiquement un colonisé : Un produit colonial qu’on appelle l’indigène. Il n’y a pas l’homme civilisateur. Le drame est là. (…) On a de plus en plus l’impression de vivre dans une foire où l’on fait commerce du destin humain en galvaudant des mots sacrés. Notre époque peut-elle, dans ces conditions, enfanter une civilisation qui soit celle de l’humanité et non d’un seul peuple ou d’un bloc ? Il faudrait des civilisateurs qui portent en eux le rayonnement, le magnétisme par lesquels une civilisation impose son respect à l’homme à civiliser et ses devoirs à l’homme civilisé. »

Notre réalité amère confirme la justesse de ce regard aigu sur l’histoire des hommes qui vivent dans la confusion car en confondant la Qibla avec leurs passions ou leur lâcheté ils ont déboité l’Aïd de la Qibla et ils ont accepté que l’occasion de renouvellement du pacte avec Dieu soit la fête du mouton au lieu d’être la fête du musulman. La fête du musulman n’est pas la fête du païen qui porte par héritage social un prénom musulman. Elle est la proclamation de la nouvelle alliance comme celle des Hajji faisant leur Tawaf ou levant leur mains dans une imploration à Arafa.

Le Coran traite de la Qibla comme une orientation pour des hommes comme Abraham, Moise et Mohamed dont la vie n’est pas conjuguée au passé mais au futur pour transmettre la parole divine immuable pour des générations en perpétuel devenir. Le devenir des hommes est l’élan civilisateur qui s’appuie sur la foi pour mettre en place des chantiers de construction : Construire l’homme, construire la mosquée, construire l’école, construire la cité, orienter la résistance contre le Taghout, l’aliénation et la tyrannie. Le mouvement civilisationnel comme les pas incessants dans le désert d’Arabie, d’Égypte ou de Palestine des Prophètes est davantage du travail, de la dynamique sociale et spirituelle que des sermons, des prêches ou des cotes d’agneaux grillées. Il n’y a pas de civilisation en émergence s’il n’y a pas de projet de libération de Bilal pour porter fort et loin le message de paix, de bonheur et de liberté pour tous les hommes sans distinction de race, de langue, de couleur, de religion.

La Symbolique de l’Aid est d’abord celle de la Qibla comme orientation, chemin, plan d’édification d’une civilisation, modèle prophétique de transformation des hommes. Une fois que la Qibla est identifiée et le chemin tracé alors le sacrifice de l’homme comme celui du mouton deviennent sens.

La fête du mouton entre image et imaginaire

Omar Mazri

http://liberation-opprimes.net/