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Nigerian state bans main Shia group led by Zakzaky Back in April, UK-based rights group Amnesty International published evidence revealing how the Nigerian military BURNED PEOPLE ALIVE, razed buildings and secretly dumped victims’ bodies in mass graves in the December 2015 deadly assaults. “The true horror of what happened over those two days in Zaria is only now coming to light. Bodies were left littered in the streets and piled outside the mortuary. Some of the injured were burned alive,” said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for Africa. http://presstv.com/Detail/2016/10/08/488114/Nigeria-Kaduna-IMN-Ibrahim-Zakzaky

Read the Reddit comments to understand what the thread was about, since the post has since been deleted. ....................................................................................... I'm so tired of the utterly nonsensical and VERY COMMON Sunni notion of 'I am happy to seek unity with Shias as long as they don't curse/insult/abuse any Sahaba, and especially NOT Aisha, Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman. Firstly, any Shia claim regarding the sahabi that happens to go against the Sunni narrative is considered insulting. Secondly, and more importantly, is that the same notion is true for Shias... You are insulting the Ahlul Bayt by not accepting them as divinely appointed leaders of Allah, and infallible individuals, and perfect preservers of the religion of Islam, and a high means of seeking closeness to Allah (intercession). Not only are you insulting revered Shia figures by not following them, you are commiting MAJOR shirk by giving a false attribute to Allah, by saying that Allah has not always appointed an infallible leader on this Earth, and that there currently isn't an infallible leader. Furthermore, the real kicker is that plenty of revered Shia figures, such as Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه), are considered kuffar by Sunnis. Is this not insulting? So, how can we Shias unite with Sunnis based on their own fallacious logic? Shias are the minority, and Sunnis are the majority. It makes Sunnis think that they are Orthodox and that they have to unite with Heterodox for political and humanitarian reasons, and that Shias must make [ridiculous] compromises. Shias are far more receptive to the unity message, because we actually understand Sunni Islam, and can see the commonalities. We understand that we can't make Sunnis compromise on their beliefs. Simply by being the minority within Islam, by nature we Shias already understand Sunni beliefs, whereas Sunnis have a basic strawman understanding of Shia beliefs... which is natural, considering that they are the majority. Anyways, the point of my post is the following: Let's compile a list of revered Shia figures that are not given their proper status by Sunnis, according to Shia Islam... with an explanation given. ...This is to show that we Shias and Sunnis can unite, but we cannot unite upon revered figures and imamah. ...This will also serve as a way of showing Sunnis that this argument of theirs makes no sense. Another important question we may ask is "What about commonly revered figures like Imam Ali (عليه السلام) who is given different status in both sects? Can we unite upon Imam Ali (عليه السلام)?" ...a common Sunni criticism of political unity is that "Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) is given an improper status in Shia religion because they call upon him... tawassul (intercession) of the 'dead' is Shirk! So there is absolutely no room for unity since we can't even agree on the status of the sahabi" [yes, I am aware that the Imams (عليه السلام) are still alive, but Sunnis don't believe this...] I would love to hear your thoughts. Wassalam. JazakAllah Khair. Fi sabilillah.

For the past couple of weeks, I have heard about how Sheikh Jaffer Jaffer has said something controversial about some Pakistani cultural practices. In my community, there has been a huge uproar from the Pakistani side. Anyways context aside, does anyone know what he said and as well what are your opinions on it. (I personally think that you should not be getting so mad about it because it is culture not religion)

I personally have mixed opinions on him. I believed he helped Turkey resurge and modernize greatly and saved them from being torn up by European powers, but many of his policies (particularly towards the Armenians after the genocide and his brutal subjugation of the Kurds) objectionable. What do you think?

Just feel like sharing this content here for seeking knowledge about this issue between the relationship of Iran and USA which I know is not good and never will be good. Is breaking off this deal good or bad long-term for Iran? Would it benefit or hurt Iran? What do you all think about this issue? I'm at a loss for words and confused.

Question explains everything.

Episode 01: Episode 02:

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As salaamu alaikum everyone,In this second episode of the Mad in the Dunya Podcast we start off with a bit of somali and bengali politics and then delve in to the topic of Ex-Muslims and Feminism. And also a light hearted rant about an issue one of the brothers has with other brothers in the masjid.#MITDpodcast Episode 02 - #ExMuslim 's & #FeminismSoundcloud: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mad-in-the-dunya-podcast/id1262922364?mt=2Enjoy!!!

The Iranian Interior Ministry has released the final list of candidates qualified to run in the forthcoming presidential election. Iran’s Interior Ministry on Thursday night gave the following list of eligible candidates (in alphabetical order) vetted by the Guardian Council. Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim Mostafa Hashemi-Taba Es'haq Jahangiri Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi Hassan Rouhani The vetting body was examining the qualifications of more than 1,600 candidates who registered to run for president for days. "We held the final session on examining the qualifications of the presidential election nominees today and fortunately reached a conclusion after five days of numerous sessions,” the council's spokesman, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, said before releasing the final list. Here is a brief summary of the candidates’ backgrounds: Aqa-Mirsalim is a member of the Expediency Council. He used to be a senior aide to former President Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and an ex-minister of culture and Islamic guidance, and a former caretaker of the Presidential Office. Hashemi-Taba was a vice president under former Presidents Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, a former minister of industries, and the former head of the Sports Organization. Jahangiri, who currently serves as the first vice president, used to be the minister of mines and metals under Khatami, the governor of Isfahan, and a parliamentarian. Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran, was a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Air Force, an ex-chief of the national police, and a former commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbya Air Defense Base (formerly known as Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters). Raeisi is the chief custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, the organization managing the affairs of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Shia Imam, in the city of Mashhad. Besides performing in other positions, he used to function as the attorney general of Iran’s Administrative Court of Justice. Rouhani, the incumbent Iranian president, is a member of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the country’s leader. The former posts he used to fill include membership of Majlis (Iranian Parliament) and headship of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The qualified candidates can now start election campaigning until 8 a.m. May 18, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Disqualified among the high-profile aspirants were former two-time President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his former aide Hamid Baqaei. Earlier this month, the Iranian Judiciary spokesman said lawsuits filed against Ahmadinejad and Baqaei with regard to administrative violations were open and no final verdicts had been still given on them. Speaking to reporters on April 16, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said the lawsuits were filed against Ahmadinejad in the capacity of president and have not yet led to the delivery of a verdict. A number of lawsuits have been filed with Iran's judicial officials after Ahmadinejad’s term in office concluded among which cases of malfeasance are more prominent. Out of major cases filed against the former president are three complaints by the Iranian Parliament’s Article 90 Commission. TO WHOM YOU WANT TO SEE AS PRESIDENT OF IRAN?

Assalamu Aleykum, what did Hezbollah ever do to defend shiism, shia people or holy places? I just want sincere answers brothers. May Allah bless Muhammad and his family and curse their enemies. I also wanted to know how close are Hezbollah's relations with Iran, specifically Khamenei's ideology???? Ya Mahdi madad!

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is running for president despite Ayatullah Khamenei disagreement. What are your thoughts?

Israeli defense chief ‘wouldn’t be surprised if somebody assassinates Iranian president’ https://www.rt.com/news/384412-israel-lieberman-rouhani-assassination/

Friends Let us try to analyze the basis on which the list of 7 countries was framed, the list banning people from US shores. In my view, here are some of the points worth considering. 1. Countries which are full of terrorists, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, were excluded. Why? Well, it is common knowledge that Pakistan is a US puppet. And with massive US presence in Afghanistan, strategically, it may not be a very good idea to provoke Afghanistan at this point. 2. Countries which embody and promote the ideology that produces terrorists, such as Saudi Arabia were excluded. Why? Because Saudi Arabia is helping the US achieve its imperialist goals in the Middle East. And possibly because Saudi Arabia is rumored to have arrived at a secret pact with Israel against Iran. Qatar is also a US puppet., as are all Gulf principalities, solely interested in the countless dollars that flow from their oil. Saudi Arabia has been equipped with the finest in weaponry, by both the US and Britain, which it has used extensively to subdue poverty-stricken Yemen. And let us not forget that all (or most) of the terrorists in the biggest single episode of terrorism (the iconic 9/11) were Saudi nationals, not from any other country. Osama bin Laden himself was a Saudi. 3. Most terrorists are people with some sympathy for al Qaida or ISIS, And that ideology comes from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was born from the womb of terrorism, when the Saudis overran the land just short of 100 years ago. In fact, Saudi Arabia and ISIS have exactly the same ideology, except that the Saudis are the first cab off the rank. And they do not wish to lose the crown and trillions of dollars to ISIS. So Saudi Arabia being excepted from the ban is clear evidence that fear of terrorism is NOT the reason for the ban. 4.Turkey has produced a large number of terrorists in the recent past. But Turkey was not in the list. After all, how could a NATO ally be in the list, regardless how much terrorism there is in that country. 5. And now the big surprise! Countries with an enviable record of containing terrorist activity, such as Iran were included. If my memory serves me right, if all the instances of terror around the world in the last 20 years were to be listed, not one single episode can be traced to Iran. Or if I may have missed something in the news, Iran would definitely be at the bottom of the list. Yet Iran was listed. 6. Now let us think - why exactly was Iran in the list? Was it because the US has not yet fully avenged itself for being booted out of Iran in 1953 and then again in 1980? Or because Iran has refused to recognized Israel as a legitimate baby? Quite possibly both. And that is the whole point. If an imperialist power believes that Israel is a legitimate child, how could anyone dare to differ? If God's own country desires that every nation MUST accept that view, how could anyone support a different view? Imperialism redux! Accept what the master says or he will destroy you! Voltaire must be turning in his grave at the abuse of freedom of opinion but no freedom of opinion is allowed there. Absolutely none! All slaves (aka allies) must obey the master and ditto his views and opinions. Otherwise, they will be branded as the axis of evil. to paraphrase, George Bush the younger. 7. The US has a history of making friends with bad boys just like Mafia bosses have always enlisted murderers and hoodlums. (a) It developed Osama into becoming Osama until Osama was annoyed by US bases in Saudi Arabia and turned against them. (b) It used Saddam to build its power in the region. TIME magazine once quoted a US official as saying "Saddam is a SOB but he is our SOB". In other words, he is a horrible man, of course, but he serves our purpose. And that is all that matters. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In summary therefore, its is clear that the basis for the list of 7 was not the fear of terrorist activity but the game of political and imperialist chess. Are you willing to work for me as a slave? Don't feel embarrassed. I won't call you a slave. You will be known as an ally. If you are willing, then I will have to work out how useful you could be to me. After all, an evil slave who is blindly obedient to the master is more useful than one who chooses ethics over his master's wishes. The latter will not help the master in his evil goals and needs to be ejected from his circle of trusted aides. And that is all that matters - not morals and not ethics. And that is why Saudi Arabia was excluded and Iran was included in that infamous list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The US was a good country until 1945 when it was suddenly pushed into the limelight. And as we all know, the limelight tends to make one lose one's head and that, in my view, is what has happened. There are good Americans and there are bad Americans just as there are good and bad people all over the world. But most of the world has tended to treat the ever more powerful US as a god. They have followed the American entertainment industry in promoting promiscuity and godlessness, instead of promoting Christian values. And that was a very big mistake. In matters of sex, the world is clearly going bonkers, thanks to the way shown by Hollywood and its ilk. If Western nations had turned to Christ, whom they have effectively abandoned, instead of the US for their values, it would be restored to its previous place in a matter of minutes. Christianity would prevail over the doctrine of hedonism which has taken hold of our senses. Likewise, non-Christian countries must also revive their own values embodied in the teachings of Buddhism, Confucius, Hinduism, Islam etc. instead of following the US blindly. We teach our children how to make money but we never encourage them to try and live by the teachings of their faith. For God's sake, let us get away from the mirage of the powerful elephant, which is destroying our world. Let us seek comfort in the teachings and values of religion, not of powerful and rich nations. Wealth and power belong to God alone. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If we turned away from the worldly goals of wealth and pleasure, I think, the world could be a much better place. A planet of true peace like none other in the solar system and beyond. Until then, I believe, we must learn to live in a very uncertain world, ruled by a puerile despot, that the US has become.

"Pie thinks he knows who is to blame for the rise of Trump... and you're not going to like it!" No, I believe what he says is agreeable. It all makes sense. Have a listen yourself and share your thoughts. Do overlook his vulgar language.

Salam alaikum, Please read and share this article with your contacts http://www.standwithdignity.org/article/karbala-and-political-activism/ Salams and Duas

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful An Important Announcement Regarding Participation in the Elections Dear Believers in the United States, May peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God. As we are approaching the November elections, we would like to remind our beloved readers that every general election is not just about the Presidential election, rather it encompasses important issues that affect the lives of all Americans. These issues include matters pertaining to state and county laws as well as representatives. As such, we have reissued our February notification below in the hope that it will answer questions addressed to I.M.A.M. about the position of the supreme religious authority. We are continuing to see a rise in the number of questions on the participation of Muslims in the national, state, and local elections in the United States and who they should vote for. This announcement will serve to address such issues once more, however, please note from the outset that I.M.A.M. does not and will not endorse any candidate or political entity as it is a non-profit organization. The right of American citizenship is accompanied by a number of responsibilities toward our nation—a country with many diverse ethnic and religious communities. I.M.A.M. has made clear on many occasions that the position of the supreme religious authority is to encourage the believers to practice their constitutional rights according to the principle of good citizenry and integration while preserving their religious identity and noble culture. The subject of participating in elections, whether as voters or candidates, is an example of this principle. It is also mentioned in ‘A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West’ that, “At times the higher interests of the Muslims in non-Muslim countries demand that Muslims seek membership of political parties, enter parliaments, and representative assemblies. In such cases, it is permissible for Muslims to engage in such activities as much as is demanded by the interest [of the Muslim community] that must be identified by consulting the trustworthy experts” (A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West, No. 223). In the past decade, Islamophobia has been on the rise and is being used to attract votes from ultraconservative groups. Some media outlets, as well as a number of political leaders, have been portraying Islam in a repulsive manner, such that the true face of Islam is being replaced by stereotypes and false characterizations. Accordingly, it is our duty as Muslim-Americans to bring the true face of Islam to our fellow Americans, revealing to the world the true essence of our enlightened and uplifting religion, through involvement in our communities and to make our voices heard in our nation. An effective way to do so is through participation in local politics and by voting in the general elections. Nevertheless, voting without a full understanding of the issues and standpoints of politicians on local, national, and international policies can be harmful. As such, community members are strongly encouraged to research candidates and political topics in order to make an informed decision. I.M.A.M. expended its efforts in gathering a number of experienced and trustworthy experts and activists who met with religious scholars and discussed this subject and its various aspects during the 12th annual conference of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America and provided essential recommendations to the believers. Thus, we deem it important to stress the need for Muslims to understand their role in the future of their homelands1; and fully practice their constitutional rights to contribute to the development of their countries and the advancement of their societies. This subject needs more intense consultation2; and cooperation3; among members of the community so that every vote counts. Through true citizenship and real unity, the Muslim-American communities can surely make a huge difference in the present and the future of the United States of America and, indeed, the world. If you are still not registered to vote, you can register online. May peace, mercy, and the blessings of God, be upon you. I.M.A.M. View Original

What are the major challenges in contemporary world? There are huge challenges and crises in contemporary world plenty in number and abundant in gender. The whole world population suffer the following severe conditions including crippling poverty, widespread unemployment, political instability, economic crisis, cultural abnormality, moral indecencies, cyber attacks, state-sponsored terrorism and imperialism. The widespread unemployment brought about mass poverty. It is one of the most important factors we witness brain drain in many developing and underdeveloped countries. As such, it can be termed as the root cause of other evils too. In politics, several states and countries suffer political instabilities stemming either from their strong internal rivals or their neighbors’ redundant destructive interferences. Moreover, nepotism, racism and terrorism in global scales have become as epidemic diseases making the human beings extremely exhausted of their daily struggles in winning bread and a decent life. In the economic field, we bear witness to mass economic corruption such as theft, blackmailing, embezzlement, money laundering, phishing and .… Most of them mainly and unfortunately trace back to the officials of state, gigantic firms and monetary institutions. The very facts made it difficult to expect a better life in the contemporary world. In respect with the cultural abnormalities, we face various life-threatening dangers in our lifestyles. The people seem to be reducing their righteous cultural values to cultic-geographical ones and thus are reluctant to take care of them. Even they are willing to change their righteous customs with the modern wrong habits. It is as if the criterion of ‘right versus wrong’ is replaced with another criterion ‘old versus new’. Based on such a criterion, the precious righteous cultural heritages which are rooted either in the solid experiences or correct beliefs, seem to lose their validity and are on the verge of being replaced by the new abnormal behaviors. Ethical abnormalities are on the rise. Since, ethic is based on some other premises and foundations, when the foundations collapse, then no room is be left for ethical codes. To today's human, everything seems to be relative and bound to time and space. The problems such as cyber attacks, state-sponsored terrorism and imperialism will be dealt with later and in another separate post. Thanks May, Allah Bless us All to have decent lifestyle.

What is hard about politics? The hardest thing in politics is lack of information or being supplied with sheer misinformation. When crucial decisions are based on fabricated stories or the distorted version of media outlets, the tragic and heartbreaking conclusion is clear. Thus, having access to the first hand data and information matters most and is the hardest and the rarest jewelry in the world of politics. As far as the politicians are concerned; they are always in the crossroad of contradictory but inevitable choices. Whatever they choose, would form their political life, unique identity and unavoidable destiny. The hardest challenge a politician faces is to remain committed to his primary principles in both the private and public spheres. The politicians often make bitter compromises against their well-established principles which would finally make them repent. Since politicians are always in institutions where key decisions are made, they are often subject to illegitimate financial suggestions. Sometimes the suggestions made can be extremely alluring, seducing and life-winning to them. So, it will be hard for them to choose what would suit them best. Choice is of course theirs. Either they live a life full of honor and dignity but replete with hardships, or a luxurious and glamorous life but filled with frequent compromises against their conscience. In other words, to run a simple but dignified life and safeguard one's purity and honesty is the wisest and hardest thing you can imagine; but choosing the most fascinating lifestyles may force one to turn a blind eye to his intellectual ambitions; because running an engrossing lifestyle needs expenditures beyond legitimate means; and to have access to those earnings the politicians will be forced to make indecent compromises in one way or the other. May Allah, Bless Us All.

Russia ready to support UN envoy’s proposal to allow Al Nusra to exit Aleppo with arms – Lavrov https://www.rt.com/news/361911-russia-nusra-aleppo-arms/ so now the United Nations is supporting Al nusra ??? And trying to get them a safe route out of Aleppo? Wow..... Truth is becoming manifest how these world powers who also control United Nations created and funded isis/ taliban/ al shabab/ al nusra / al Qaeda the list goes on and on.... All this to murder our Muslim brothers ! YA Allah hasten the return of our Imam (as) and Isa (as)

Coming up shortly the headlines will read : al saud have declared their true religion-Zionism...... https://www.rt.com/news/361408-saudi-arabia-austerity-calendar/

Salam, What can we do as an online community to raise more awareness for the atrocities being committed in Yemen ? Can we organize online petitions ? Ideas......