It’s not been great in ‘08 and it’s not going to be fine in ‘09

When George W Bush launched the War on Terror he promised it was going to be an eternal war. Now that he’s leaving office it is up to Bush’ successor to decide where the USS Overkill will dock next. And it looks likely that whoever wins the presidential election in November Pakistan will have to watch its step.

“Hmm… why Pakistan?” I hear you ask. Well, when Bush invaded Iraq and messed everything up over there he took the focus off Osama bin Laden. Instead of seeing the Afghanistan war through to its logical conclusion – i.e. catching bin Laden, destroying al Qaeda, etc – the US got bogged down in Iraq and picked up from where Saddam left off. If Barak Obama becomes US president he would refocus US priorities towards catching bin Laden.

Assalamu alaikum,
jus sendin out Ramzan Mubarak 2 all brothers and sisters in da world. Its a tym we shld make dua n prayer dat Allah guides us through dis blessed month.

Assalamu ‘Alaikum,

Welcome to islamicbookclub, brothers and sisters hope you are all reaping the rewards of Ramadan.

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Wassalam

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Met Police Officer Tarique Ghaffur 'relieved of duties' after race claim

The Metropolitan police chief, Sir Ian Blair, today made a dramatic intervention in the race row engulfing his force when he announced that the senior officer who accused him of being a racist was being temporarily relieved of his duties.

Blair said this afternoon that Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur had been put on authorised leave of his responsibilities with immediate effect.

He blamed Ghaffur's behaviour since his announcement last month that he was taking Scotland Yard to an employment tribunal for racially discriminating against him.

Asalaamalaikum brothers and sisters! Hope u r all reaping the rewards of Ramadhan. Am trying to! Have a favour to ask. Any one interested in sponsoring my cousin Yaser? He will be heading off to climb Mount Everest or rather reach base camp in Mid November. Any monies would be greatly appreciated. All monies raised will go to Africa to bring water to the people there.
He is funding the challenge himself and wants to try and raise £10,000.
Please give generously, Jazakallah

www.justgiving.com/yaserbaig

The Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley has been beset with violence as Indian security forces confront huge rallies by Kashmiris calling for independence from India. The BBC's Soutik Biswas speaks to families and friends of some of the victims.

In a picture taken on a mobile phone 10 days before his death, 25-year-old Imran Ahmed Wani fixes a shy gaze at the camera with a disarming smile.

As his friends tell it, Imran was an average young Kashmiri man, working hard, playing cricket, and watching Bollywood films.

He also exemplified those in the region's new generation, trying to make the best of opportunities thrown up by a modest economic boom during the years of relative calm since Indian and Pakistan signed a ceasefire in Kashmir.

Salaams All, this is my latest poem written last year and slightly edited, please forward widely inshAllah.

Ramadhan is coming

It’s only a few dayss away
I can’t wait
In anticipation
The coming of the new moon
And the best month of the year

I hope I’m alive
Although I’m young
There’s no guarantee
That I’ll be here next month

Been waiting
Anticipating
Hoping
And silently praying
For a chance
To experience
Another Ramadhan

Last year I tried
To improve and change
Leave the bad habits
The drinking, womanising
Drugs and clubbing

Managed it for 30 days
But on Eid I went to a rave
I gave in, wasn’t brave
Went with the flow
And got totally smashed

Its true after Ramadhan Satan is unleashed

Since then it’s been downhill
Month after month

Interesting blog post by my South African friend. Please note, this is not abut if meat is 'halal' for us, it quite clearly is, but whether it is ethical to eat meat NOW, when the world has changed a lot since 1400 years ago. PLEASE read fully before commenting.

Why I’m a vegetarian
by Bilal Randeree

I don’t believe that animals should not be killed for human consumption. In fact, I think that God has most definitely provided certain animals for man — some to assist us in our daily tasks and others to provide us with the nutrients and proteins (isn’t that what meat supplies?!) that eating meat provides.

This is a rap/poem whatever you want to call it that I've written. Please don't imagine me in some bling-bling! I don't do that stuff. Have a read and tell me what you think. It's called True Freedom, it may scare some people, but tough luck. Tell me what you think.

The drugs, the clubs and all the booze
Gave me the buzz, the notion of being full
How much money you had, or whether you could pull
The media, the magazines set the expectations
Making you think it was the aspiration
But that was before I got the news
Of the Truth, the Right and the only One
I've moved on since the old days
Left the idea of artificial fun
Learnt to correct those ways

Despite all the times that I've gone wrong
I've been blessed with the will to stay strong

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