- Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Almaha

Farman Ali Khan

Almaha — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:52:29 +0000

Jeddah was afflicted last month by heavy rains that caused deaths of hundreds of people. What’s shocking is a city like Jeddah in the rich country Saudi Arabia lacks sewage system and has neighborhoods built arbitrarily. So when the rainstorm hit, the city became flooded.

Jeddah is one example of the corruption we have in Arabia. But this post is not for talking about corruption in Arabia. It’s for sharing an article I translated from Arabic into English. Farman Ali khan, saved 14 people during Jeddah flood and in his way to save the 15th person, he drowned.

His story touched us all in Arabia that Saudis launched a huge campaign on facebook to honor him, with over 22,000 members. They demanded that his family be given monetary compensation, and that a street in Jeddah be named after him.

Two weeks ago, a program on one of the Saudi channels was dedicated to honoring him. So I hope by all this Saudi’s voices are heard and their demands are granted. Of all the articles I’ve read about him in our newspapers, I only loved Maram Makkawy’s” Let ‘Farman’ be against discrimination’.

This is the translation of Maram Makkawy’s article

Even though we know in our hearts that our country and the Arabian gulf have been built and still are by the hands of Asian workers who work under scorching sun, live in overcrowded and poorly ventilated places, and wait months before they are paid, some say they have come to our country out of greed and they don’t do anything for free. And that they are the source of all evils in our angelic societies. Some even shamelessly demanded their deportation of the two holy cities as if they are terrorists or invaders..

I can say the media has contributed a lot to the spread of this negative image. It focuses on their crimes and mistakes extensively but when it comes to their positives and the great services they provide for our country, it’s almost nonexistent.

Even when one of those ordinary workers is a victim of greed, extortion ,or mistreatment by a Saudi citizen or an institute, it is not difficult for our conscience to justify their crimes and present them as exceptions and not worthy of attention.
Then Wednesday flood came and people showed their true colors. Some recorded their heroic actions in gold, others marked them with shame and disgrace.

Today I will talk about the first kind, about the hero of Jeddah.
I will talk about a man whose face exudes light as his picture shows.

He was 32 years old. He saved 14 people before the flood swept him away in his way to rescue the 15th person .Our hero’s name is Farman Ali Khan, a hero from Pakistan. His mind was occupied with one thought when he saw people crying for help…what could he do to help them? He did not say I’m a foreigner and I don’t care. He did not stand by as some of our men did only taking pictures by their expensive cell phones of people fighting when they could help. He did not even justify himself as many did by saying he had a house full of women and that he was their only breadwinner.

The need made Farman, the university graduate, travel and work at a grocery store to support his family financially. He left behind a wife, and three daughters Zubaidah (three years ), Madihah (6 years), and Jarirah ( 4 years). He hadn’t seen them for years to the extent that his youngest daughter does not remember him. And for this reason, his brothers insisted on having his body airlifted to his home so his family could take a good bye look at him after he died a martyr in a country far away from home saving his brothers of religion and humanity.

On the other hand, a few days after the disaster, a video showed us something that makes any Saudi ashamed .A clip of a Saudi man shouting at Saudi volunteers in Jeddah distributing humanitarian aid to people in affected areas and saying ” Give to Saudis but not to foreigners”.

Back to our hero, Farman. People in Jeddah agree that this man’s memory must live on in the city. And here they are demanding a street or a square be named after him. They are also demanding that his family be taken care of financially for life. Others requested that his family be given the Saudi nationality in gratitude for his sacrifice. Is there anything more nationalistic than giving your life for your country and for your people?
Let our men be like a man with a lion’s heart as Farman Ali Khan.
Let this sad occasion be an opportunity for us to rethink our treatment of expats both at the individual level in our daily interaction with them and at the state level with regard to their rights and sponsorship laws, etc.,

Let our appreciation of Farman’s sacrifice be ” Let ‘Farman’ be against discrimination”. Allah grant you paradise , Farman

USA Soldiers Spreading their Christian Faith in Afghanistan

Almaha — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:50:04 +0000

US soldiers have been encouraged to spread the message of their Christian faith among Afghanistan’s predominantly Muslim population.

Pentagon agrees to release images of prisoner abuse in May

Almaha — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:26:47 +0000

The Pentagon will soon release “hundreds” of photographs showing alleged abuse by U.S. personnel at prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration, a U.S. official said...

A Wahabi

Almaha — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:07:04 +0000

For simply abhorring acts of Shirk (polytheism) and bida’a (innovations) in Islam, I’m labeled a Wahabi not just by non-Muslims but also by heterodox Muslim sects and many Muslims in my country who are extremely ignorant about Islam and its basic beliefs.

People use this word wahabi to refer to those who believe in the message of Sheikh Muhammad bin abduAlwahab may Allah be pleased with him who called to nothing but Islam.

The sheikh, one of the greatest personalities in the Islamic history, brought people in Arabia out of darkness into light. But like all great people who bring goodness to this world, he had enemies.

His enemies were against him because he called people who practiced acts of bida’a to return to Islam, the true call of Islam. And that is worshiping Allah alone without associating any partners in His worship. And since they could not prove the sheikh’s call wrong, the label wahabi came into existence to create confusion and more hate against the Sheikh.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): “If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help then seek help from Allah.”

One of the acts which go against Islam, that people practiced at the Sheikh’s time and many actually still do in the Muslim world, is going to the pious’ shrines seeking their help. This goes against the basis of Islam. It’s major shirk. And the sheikh simply called to worship and seek help from the Creator, not the created.

I simply don’t understand how the dead can help, and I do not understand why I should pray to and seek help from a human being like me.

“Now those beings that some people invoke beside God cannot create anything, since they themselves are but created. they are dead, not living, and they do not [even] know when they will be raised from the dead! Quran 16:20-21

So wahabism does not exist. It is just a label given to to those who stick to the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophet’s recorded actions and sayings) by people of shirk and bida’a.

Oneness of Man under One God

Almaha — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:20:22 +0000

Islam is submitting, surrendering to one God (Allah). He is the Creator and the Owner of all that exits.
“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him”. Quran 112: 1-4

This is what Muslims believe in. And believing and understanding the oneness of Allah leads to believing in and understanding the oneness of man that is we are all equal before Allah regardless of our differences in color, race, or nationality.

“O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13).

In His wisdom, Allah has made mankind into different peoples and tribes so that they may know one another, not so that they may despise one another. He tells us that our differences in color, language , and race are a sign of His greatness and power in creation. And to Him, all submit and surrender.
This can be seen clearly in many aspects of Muslim societies. For example, in prayer, Muslims stand together before Allah without allocating any special place for a king, great man ,or scholar.
In fasting, all people feel the same hunger with no favors shown to a ruler or rich man or noble.
Also, in Hajj, Muslims of different colors, nationalities, and races wear the same clothes, stand in one place and do the same rituals. They are all one and worshipping one God.

Even when it comes to criminal laws, punishment is the same no matter who has committed the crime. It does not matter if it’s a king or even a weaver of clothes. They are all equal before the law.

A woman from the tribe makhzum committed theft at the time of the prophet peace be upon him and she was brought to him to be punished. This upset Quraish and they said ” who will intercede with us with the messenger of Allah so that she is spared the punishment?” Then they remembered that Usamah Bin zaid was dearly beloved by the messenger of Allah.. They spoke to him and asked that he intercede for that woman. So he spoke with the prophet but the prophet peace be upon him became very angry and said to him:
Are you interceding concerning one of the haad punishments decreed by Allah?” Then he stood up and addressed the people , saying “Those who came before you were only destroyed because if a nobleman among them stole they would let him off but if one of the weak stole, they would carry out the punishment on him. By Allah, if Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand.”

Some disagreement occurred between two companions of the prophet peace be upon him, Abu Dharr and Bilal. Abu Dharr said to Bilal, “You son of a black woman.” The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him was extremely upset by Abu Dharr’s comment, so he peace be upon him rebuked him by saying, “That is too much, Abu Dharr. He who has a white mother has no advantage which makes him better than the son of a black mother.” This rebuke had a profound effect on Abu Dharr, who then put his head on the ground swearing that he would not raise it until Bilal had put his foot over it.

Indeed, Islam is a religion of justice. It calls to worshipping one God without invoking anyone or anything besides Him.

“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.
He is Allâh, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names . All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. Quran 59: 23-24

It’s understanding the oneness of God that leads to understanding the oneness of man.

No Freedom of Opinion on Instablogs

Almaha — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:18:40 +0000

I commented on Marco’s article “Sunni and Shia: Arab Nationalism is the answer” and my comment was deleted and it was not the writer of the article who deleted it. And I commented on “What is the real problem with Islam, or why terrorism and Islam has become synonyms?” Written by Sumit and my comment was deleted too.
Could one of the editors explain why we cannot have freedom of opinion here? Why my comments were deleted?And who deleted them? NOTHING in my comments was offensive or meant to insult. If it was offensive then I need the one who deleted my comment to quote so. Or is it because I corrected some misconceptions about Islam and Muslims since I see a lot of hate here against them, does it mean instablogs is to create more hate against Islam and Muslims? I see my beliefs insulted here but none of the comments is deleted.

If there is no freedom of opinion and speech here then what is the use of this site.

On Exile

Almaha — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:37:04 +0000

Just wanted to share this poem ,that touched my heart so deeply, written by Areej,a Palestinian girl living in Canada or rather in exile since she was forced to leave her homeland like many Palestinians.

On Exile

Detroit, Hamilton, Paris, does not feel like home to me

For am I to be like Odysseus traveling the foreign seas

Always in my heart to return to Ithaca to Palestine

Always to return to my homeland, not yours but always mine

The Jerusalem orchards elsewhere are not to be compared

For they are not planted by my ancestors they can not be shared

My memory of my homeland cannot be taken away

You can write your own books but cant stop me from what I say

I do not have an official document to say I can return

I have it in my heart and there it will eternally burn

The key to our homes, when we were forced to flee

Will always be part of us wherever we may be

My life will never be complete till I touch the Palestinian soil

Without it my yearnings and passion, for return will continue to boil

I never forget my identity, for it alone defines me

Palestine and not my place in exhile ,is shaped by each stone and tree

For I am like the cold, hungry sailor sailing in a vast unknown distance

But my dreams and memories of return is always in persistence

the world gave us no right of return, so we bleed in history

The refugee looks at his life experiences, frightened in wonder and mystery

The olive, the fig, Naomi states are not the same in any land

The authenticity is found in Palestine and we need to make a stand

But who said we enjoy exhile, when what we want is return

Who said we wanted to be pushed out return is what we yearn

I want to feel the beaches of Haifa and have hareesi in Jenine

I want to return and plant an orchard for that I am so keen

For Detroit, Hamilton, Paris does not feel like home to me

Detroit, Hamilton, Paris is not where I want to be

A land without a people for a people without a land

Almaha — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:39:41 +0000

“A land without a people for a people without a land” is a phrase that reflects the racist and despotic western imperialism.

The first part of the phrase “A land without a people” means a powerful nation can extend its sovereignty beyond its border by occupying a land in which its indigenous people are directly ruled, displaced or discriminated because they are without identity and have no right to live in their homeland. That is why Arabs’, Africans’, and Indians’ lands were colonized by the west.

Only the fittest had the right to control and live in those lands. The same is happening in Palestine now. Palestinians have no right to defend their lands and their people because they are without identity. And if they defend themselves and fight against the occupiers, they are called terrorists and killed. And this is what happened in Gaza recently and this is why members of Hamas are called terrorists because they are resisting and fighting against the settlers and occupiers.

The second part of that Zionist phrase is ” a people without a land” which shows racism. Those people who have no land are the Jews. And we know how Jews were viewed by west... They were isolated in ghettos and viewed by the western society as functional groups that were used to perform certain tasks for the ruling elite.

So since they could be used, and since they were powerless, isolated, and insecure, they had no choice but to help the west expand its colonial movement by establishing Israel. So all those claims that Israel is a homeland for Jews and it is the promised land are just lies used to justify the western occupation and imperialism.

A land without a people means Palestinians must be discriminated, and a people without a land means Jews are functional groups used by the western imperialists.

"The History Repeats Itself" in Pictures

Almaha — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:52:35 +0000

“The History Repeats Itself” is the title of an article written by Muhammad Taha here on IB which is just true.
What the Israelis are doing now is exactly the same as what Nazis did to the Jews or maybe worse than Nazis

Nazis=Zionists

Building walls and fences

Check points…people cannot move freely

Arrests and abuse

Destroying homes

Threatening and killing the innocent

Gaza diary: Are we not human?By Mohammed Ali in Gaza City

Almaha — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:51:08 +0000

As the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza continues to climb, Mohammed Ali, an advocacy and media researcher for Oxfam who lives in Gaza City, will be keeping a diary of his feelings and...