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The First Fast
September 17, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Usman Ather
Once upon a Ramadan day when it was time to pray
I walked by my refrigerator and had hunger pains
While I ignored the potatoes, I suddenly noticed some tomatoes
Rows and rows of nuts and grains
I felt the blood slowing in my veins
Oh the hunger, just patience remains
Again I remember, that Ramadan in December
It seemed as if the only thing in the world was food
I wanted to eat, vegetables, nuts, especially meat
Stomping my feet, across the street, this hunger ruined my mood
Little children are eating in front of me. How rude!
Oh the hunger, I desire food
Then came the time for Zuhr
The four, four, two, took forever
It was only Zuhr and I was thinking of Iftar. Why did it have to be so far?
I didn't have a car, so I walked home on the tar and thought taking a nap would be clever
Shaitan advised me to sneak some food. Nay I say. Not now not ever!
Oh the hunger, only for His pleasure is this endeavor
I awoke from my slumber, with a craving for a cucumber
I finished Salat-ul-Asr, God be praised
Before Iftar I sliced an orange, the juice splashed onto my door hinge
Me and the team went to Krispy Kreme to get some donuts. Glazed.
But for now I envied every cattle that grazed
Oh the hunger, I'm completely phased
It was but an hour left for me to wait, until then, safe was my plate
The clock's second hand froze, or have my eyes lied
I stare and stare. Yet, the second hand remains right there
My head was hurting, my throat was dried, this anomaly of time left me mystified
My sister laughs, "The clock's battery died!"
Oh the hunger, I almost cried
I felt like a car impounded, but to my delight, the Athan had sounded
To food, my mouth was an open door
Food and drink, down my throat would sink
I ate and ate until the Ramadan weight gain mystery was a myth no more
A sated beast was I, lying there on the floor
This hunger tormented me, Nevermore
For the Birds
September 10, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Sumayyah Meehan, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS) Middle East Correspondent
The hobby of pigeon raising in the Middle East goes back several years. Enthusiasts spend a great deal of time and money acquiring rare and beautiful birds. The supplies for housing pigeons are also very expensive. Pigeon owners often build elaborate cages on their rooftops or in their gardens. Each cage typically holds around thirty birds. A devout pigeon master often pays more attention to his birds than he does to his own children, because one sick bird can destroy the entire lot. For many enthusiasts, they have turned a mere hobby into an exact science.
There are so many rare varieties of pigeons, each varying in color, sheen and ability. The most popular in the Gulf region include the Sherazi, Sudani and Baljiki. However, the favorite pigeon amongst enthusiasts is known as the 'flipper'. The reason it is so popular is because of its mid-flight aerobics that it performs at great heights, flipping full circle without losing speed. Exquisite and unique pigeons are much sought after by wealthy hobbyists who are often willing to pay thousands of dollars to acquire a prized bird for their collection. It is not uncommon for buyers to trade their expensive luxury cars and watches for a single bird. Most of the time, however, a lump of cash is enough to seal the deal.
Pigeon raising is also a lucrative sport. Enthusiasts gather to race their pigeons in competition with other birds. Most competitors will select their top five pigeons to perform in endurance races against the wind. The competitions are primarily held during the months of September and October when winds in the open desert often exceed 60 kilometers per hour. Each bird's flight is measured in terms of resistance.
Come March, prize-winning pigeons are tucked away into their cages with equally alluring mates. The offspring of award winning pigeons can fetch even more money than the 'contender' bird himself. Newly hatched birds are also very easy to train for an optimum life span of racing and bringing joy to his master's eyes.
In Saudi Arabia, where pigeon raising is a part of local traditions, there is a special pigeon market held every Friday in the city of Medina. The market opens right after the dawn prayers and bustles for several hours to around mid-morning when the heat of the desert sun becomes unbearable. Bidding wars are common during the auctions held for the most sought-after birds and often get heated as the passion for pigeon rearing usually defies all reason.
However, not everyone has the bankroll to fund an elaborate pigeon pen plus fill it with expensive birds, then feed and pay for the medicines often needed to keep the birds healthy. In the state of Kuwait, the love for pigeons is a public affair. Right in the center of Kuwait City is what has come to be known as 'Pigeon Square'. Hundreds of pigeons descend upon the square around the clock, often mingling with shoppers and spectators alike. The area is lined with small grocery stores and meat shops.
It has long been a Kuwaiti tradition during the Holy Month of Ramadan to take the children of the family to visit the pigeons of Pigeon Square right before the Iftar meal. The grocery stores often see a rise in business as visitors often buy bread to feed the pigeons. In return, the pigeons 'dot' the landscape with their droppings, which the very same shop owners must clean up. Many locals have longed for the square to be turned into a tourist destination complete with refurbished structures, restaurants and cafes.
Harun Yahya – Secrets of the Hypocrites
August 27, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
They Fear Believers
The determination of believers, who take Allah's words as their criteria for earning His approval, always makes hypocrites uneasy. Believers' courageous and determined natures reveal that their faith is most powerful, and that nothing has a negative effect on them. This is one of the aspects of which hypocrites are most wary, because though their endeavors are carefully planned and directed towards specific objectives, they never produce the desired results.
By means of believers, Allah instills fear in hypocrites. Although they harbor great hatred in their hearts, the fact that their plans come to naught and their fear of believers are proofs of their helplessness. They themselves know themselves powerless in the face of a society, or even a single individual, guarded by Allah. Since they place no trust in Allah, they live in a state of constant doubt and unease, which increases still more in the face of believers' struggles against them. In the Qur'an, Allah has commanded believers to wage an intense campaign against the hypocrites:
O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and hypocrites and be harsh with them. Their refuge is Hell. What an evil destination!
At-Tahrim: 9
This community of hypocrites, who grow proud when told to fear Allah, becomes caught up in fear in the face of the struggles waged by believers acting with Allah's support. Their fear of others is intensified because they do not have profound comprehension, as is revealed in one verse:
You are a greater cause of terror in their breasts than Allah! That is because they are people who do not understand.
Al-Hashr: 13
They are Unaware of Allah's Protection of the Faithful
. . . Allah will not give the disbelievers any way against the believers.
An-Nisa': 141
These people are unaware of their own situation, and equally, unaware of Allah's protection of the faithful, as revealed in the above verse. It is only natural that anyone unable to appreciate Allah properly will be unaware of such support being given to believers. Were they able to understand that Allah would never let them make any progress they would also realize that their endeavors against believers would come to no avail. Their inability to appreciate this merely confirms their lack of understanding. Throughout their time in this world, they expend all their energies in fighting against believers. But as revealed in the verses of the Qur'an, Allah will never let them make any progress, either in this world or in the Hereafter, and He will protect believers against threats of all sorts. That they are unaware of this, despite reading these verses, is an important indication of hypocrisy. They imagine that believers are unguided and without help, while in fact, believers vanquish deniers under all conditions. They are watched over by Allah, and as a result, possess very superior characteristics. Hypocrites' inability to comprehend this compounds their empty and fruitless endeavors, and helps maintain them in a state of confusion.
They Abandon Believers if Their Own Interests are Harmed
The main reason why hypocrites remain among believers is, as already discussed, to maintain their own advantages. In times of trouble or difficulty, when they encounter a situation that may impinge on their own comfort or negatively impact on their interests, immediately they turn tail and abandon believers. These times are generally those of trouble or difficulty. Since they do not live lives aimed at earning Allah's approval they are unable to contemplate living by religious moral values in times of trouble.
One example of the hypocrites who abandoned believers at the first moment of trouble comes from the tribe of the Prophet Musa (as). On the day they set out for war, their true natures emerged: They fled the fighting and also behaved disrespectfully to the prophet of Allah:
They said, "We will never enter it, Musa, as long as they are there. So you and your Lord go and fight. We will stay sitting here."
Al-Ma'ida: 24
It's of course interesting that those who do not truly believe in Allah and who reject His verses—for a variety of reasons—are to be found amongst believers. These people's most important values are their own interests. For the sake of these, and solely to ensure their own advantage, they manage to stay within the community of believers for a certain time. They maintain this enforced togetherness until such time as it impinges on their own interests. But whenever they realize their interests are threatened, however, it is time for them to leave.
Moments of difficulty and trouble reveal who is devout and who is not in a struggle waged for Allah's approval. For these people whose interests are harmed, there is no longer any binding reason to remain alongside believers. As for the kind of benefits that hypocrites seek to obtain from believers, we shall be looking at these in a later chapter of this book.
Dawah at the Dinner table During Ramadan
August 20, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Correct Fear of ALLAH
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
A famous politician once said, " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". That may be true if you are speaking in generalities only. If you are afraid of the scrutiny of other people or their criticisms, then you will have a fear of them and be under their power, unable to utilize your own.
But if the only fear you have is the fear (respect, regardfulness) of ALLAH, you are empowered over everything in creation.
In my leadership at the masjid I often see people hold back from expressing the truth about a situation simply because they are afraid of the gaze or scrutiny of another person. That is the wrong fear.
People will also not pursue their dreams because someone told them they were unqualified and so they back up and let it drop and it is probably something they are very good at or at least something that can be sharpened. They drop their dreams because this naysayer appears to be stronger or smarter than you. But when you really look at this person you will probably find they are actually weaker than you.
Suppressing the talent ALLAH blessed you with is actually being ungrateful to Him. If you suppress your Islam so as to not let non-Muslims see you, you are being ungrateful of the greatest gift bestowed on mankind.
Alhamdullilah, we are at the advent of another Ramadan fast. We look to this month as a period of rejuvenation of our souls and our spirits. Almighty ALLAH orders us to abstain from food, drink, sex, and vain talk as a submission to Him so as to strengthen our iman. It is an excellent time to re-visit, study, and, strengthen some basic Islamic principles.
Ramadan is also the time when ALLAH affords us the opportunity to eat with each other more often. At Maghrib time, you can be sure most Muslims are scurrying around to find something to eat. During the rest of the year, with our busy schedules, it is difficult for some families to find time to eat together.
This Ramadan, we should focus on utilizing this time to do "Dawah at the dinner table." When we have fear of ALLAH, it will be more easy to combat the following weak behaviors.
Muslim men and women need to pay attention to how we live and practice our religion. This society makes a big point out of irresponsible men and loose women seeming to be normal. I know some Muslim males who have fathered children and never taken care of them. They have gotten to the point in their life where the sin of such action escapes them. In some communities the men go from woman to woman as though they were expendable collateral. To father children and not "maintain and protect them," is in direct conflict to the directives of ALLAH. Men are also charged with maintaining and protecting the community. Adhering to basic directives like this is necessary to have a stable productive community.
Females also need to be reminded of basic Islamic principles. ALLAH orders women to not expose their breasts and not draw unnecessary attention to their bodies. Yet I am noticing increasing numbers of Muslim women exposing cleavage and wearing form fitting jeans and dresses with not enough top piece to cover their forms. And it is ironic that at the same time they are wearing a scarf. What do you think the men inside and outside of the mosque are looking at…the scarf?? I think not.
Female breasts are sexual body parts. That's why ALLAH orders women to draw a veil over them. But I see lots of Muslim females from teenagers to young women – and even some "seasoned" women showing cleavage just like the women on TV.
Dawah at the dinner table will help those guilty of this.
Men, if you have babies with women and you haven't financially, materially, or emotionally supported them, start doing it now – for the sake of ALLAH – if you believe. You cannot continue lying to and using women just because you can – because they are the weaker sex. Repent to ALLAH and ask for His forgiveness; and from then on, strive to be upright.
During this month I would like to see more men standing up to their obligations to our women and children. Start with what you have and ask ALLAH to make it easy for you to fulfill you duties.
And I don't want to see any more females showing cleavage. I don't want to see it at any mosque – or if I happen to see you at CVS pharmacy. If you don't demand respect, you will not get any.
Let's talk to each other for real. Do dawah at the dinner table – it's the best place.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Buffett: US Debt Threatens Economy
August 20, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
WASHINGTON–Investor Warren Buffett said the US economy has avoided a meltdown and appears on a slow path to recovery, but Congress must deal with enormous debt that might erode US purchasing power.
In an opinion column published Wednesday by the New York Times, Buffett wrote that he "resoundingly applauds" actions by the Federal Reserve and the Bush and Obama administrations to pump trillions of dollars into the financial system.
But the "gusher of federal money" has run up a high level of debt that could fuel inflation, he said.
"The United States economy is now out of the emergency room and appears to be on a slow path to recovery," Buffett wrote.
"But enormous dosages of monetary medicine continue to be administered and, before long, we will need to deal with their side effects. For now, most of those effects are invisible and could indeed remain latent for a long time. Still, their threat may be as ominous as that posed by the financial crisis itself."
Buffett, who runs insurance and investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc, likened the economic threat of "greenback emissions" to the environmental threat of greenhouse gas emissions, leaving the United States with a deficit of $1.8 trillion or 13 percent of gross domestic product this year.
In July, the government posted a $180.68 billion monthly budget deficit, a record for July, marking only the third time in the past 30 years that the government ran a deficit for 11 months in a row.
Buffett said a revived economy will not be able to generate enough revenues to bridge the gap between outlays and receipts, so changes in taxes and spending will be required.
Politicians will not likely have the will to raise taxes or slow spending, so they may opt to quietly let inflation increase, a move that will "confiscate" wealth and allow the United States to evolve into a "banana republic economy", he said.
"Our immediate problem is to get our country back on its feet and flourishing — 'whatever it takes' still makes sense," Buffet said in the paper.
But once recovery is gained, Congress must end the rise in the debt-to-GDP ratio and keep its growth in obligations in line with its growth in resources, he wrote.
"Unchecked carbon emissions will likely cause icebergs to melt. Unchecked greenback emissions will certainly cause the purchasing power of currency to melt. The dollar's destiny lies with Congress," he said.
Last month, in a newspaper column of his own, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, said the huge amounts of money the U.S. central bank has pumped into the economy will not undercut its ability to push borrowing costs higher when the time is ripe.
Stressing that the weak U.S. economy will likely warrant exceptionally easy monetary policies for a long time to come, Bernanke outlined in a Wall Street Journal opinion article how the Fed could raise interest rates even with cash flooding the financial system.
"At some point, however, as economic recovery takes hold, we will need to tighten monetary policy to prevent the emergence of an inflation problem down the road," Bernanke wrote.
The outline of the Fed's "exit strategy" from the extraordinary monetary policy easing it has undertaken in the past two years to deal with the global financial crisis was the subject of testimony to Congress by Bernanke in his twice-a-year economic report on July 21.
Houstonian Corner V11-I35
August 20, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Pakistan Center Annual Dinner: Councilman M J Khan Given Bombaywala And Mian "Life Time Achievement Awards"
"I am happy to be here in Pakistan Center and want to congratulate the whole community that now we all have a home of our own": These were the sentiments of the City of Houston Councilman M. J. Khan, as he handed out the highest award given by the Pakistani-American Association of Greater Houston (PAGH), "The Life Time Achievement Award", to Former President Ghulam Mohammad Bombaywala and Mian Shabbir. All this happened during the annual dinner of PAGH on Friday, August 14th, 2009, which was attended by Consul General of Pakistan Aqil Nadeem, several Elected and Governmental Officials from the Homeland Security Department.
By the Grace of God, Pakistan Center is a huge place located in City of Houston District "F", from where Masrur Javed Khan (past President of PAGH) got elected as the first Pakistani and Muslim City Councilman of Houston, but this past Friday was the first time M. J. came to this Center and everyone was most happy to see him and hoped this is not the only time.
Pakistan Center is the first of its kind in North America, was build in an old HEB Store, through the efforts done by the previous President of PAGH Ghulam Mohammad Bombayawala and his team. The huge Pakistan Center has several shops at the front end and huge party hall at the back, from where rental money is received, making the center self-sustaining. Center has nice offices, meeting rooms and library build for the administration of PAGH.
President of PAGH Khalid Khan had to leave for Pakistan to attend the 14th of August ceremonies over there being the Vice President of Peoples' Party North America, but his wife and daughters filled up his spot pretty well by handing out flower bouquets to M. J. Khan and Mrs. Bombaywala.
Large numbers of attendees were entertained by famous comedians from Pakistan Kashif Khan and Pervez Siddiqui. Many people were listening to them for the first time and their jokes and presentation were quite fresh and most hilarious for everyone.
For more information on ongoing programs and projects for the community by PAGH, once can call 281-933-0786.
Bill King the Grand Marshall of the 1st Pakistan Day Parade in Downtown Houston
Hundreds of Pakistanis and their friends from other communities gathered in Downtown Houston for the historic first ever "Pakistan Day Parade Houston", which was held on Sunday, August 16th, 2009.
It is said that inaugural Pakistan Day Parade in USA was held in New York, which was attended by around 100 persons. But this inaugural Houston parade saw seas of human beings coming together to fervently celebrate the day.
People from other cities and States had also come for the Parade. Some people like Dr. Aziz Siddiqi came on their open cars with their names and message of Pakistan Independence Day written on their vehicles. Several Pakistani students from University of Houston and Houston Community College System had their separate floats and vehicles with Pakistani Flags and paling traditional music of various areas of Pakistan. All these Youth were organized by social figures like Mariam Issa and Dr. Birjees Ashraf.
Former Mayor of Kemah Texas Bill King was the Grand Marshall of this first ever Pakistan Day Parade in Houston, as he led several hundred enthusiastic Youth from the Houston Community College System and the University of Houston. Accompanying them were the Founding Members Khalid Mahmood (Chairman) & Nadeem Naik (Secretary); and the Consul General of Pakistan Honorable Aqil Nadeem & City Councilman M. J. Khan.
Later on at the stairs of Tranquility Park, where the parade culminated, having started at 400 Rusk Street and went around Rusk, Milam and Walker; the national anthems of Pakistan and USA were presented and several speakers made enthusiastic speeches. They included Bill King, City Councilpersons M. J. Khan and Jolanda Jones, Consul General Aqil Nadeem, Islamic Society President Dr. Aziz Siddiqi, Khalid Mahmood, Nadeem Naik, Mariam Issa, Dr. Birjees Ashraf and others. Stage Programs were coordinated by Saleem and Zara Syed of Young Trang; Rehan Siddiqui of Hum Tum City Radio and Moin Pirzada of Radio Perdes.
Following the parade, speeches and recognition of sponsors like Mega Energy, a concert; lots of food; intermingling of families, friends & colleagues and Pakistanis and Non-Pakistanis happened.
The next parade will be held in Houston on March 28th, 2010. For more information, one can call 832-876-2392; or visit http://PakistanDayParadeHouston.com
Harun Yahya – Secrets of the Hypocrites
August 13, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
They Do Not Defend the Truth
During their time they spend in the midst of believers, hypocrites play an imitative role in order to blend in and not give themselves away. They seek to imitate religious observances, but never go near those that impinge on their earthly desires. For example, calling people to proper moral values and advising them of the truth are duties that they see as inconvenient. They are not willing to see others implementing this system that they won't implement themselves. They are therefore careful to avoid defending the truth.
In any case, there is an inconsistency here: Clearly, anyone who avoids remembrance of Allah and who harbors a genuine hatred for religion and sincere believers can never properly communicate the stipulations of the Qur'an and the importance of living for Allah. Since such people do not live by proper moral values themselves, naturally they cannot explain these to others. And in any case, they have no wish to do so.
In addition, communicating the message—which Allah, in the Qur'an, commands as an important religious duty—is something they can never do. Recommending what is good and trying to prevent what is evil, and issuing reminders in the light of the Qur'an are observances that hypocrites can never perform. Since their true desire is to gain the approval of others, they never wish to offend anyone and never intervene in any errors they happen to see.
They Make Excuses to Lag Behind in the Struggle
We have already seen how, one of hypocrites' main objectives—for so long as they remain in the midst of believers—is their own interests. Doubtless the one area that most conflicts with those interests are the times of struggle that have been written as obligatory for believers. Hypocrites can see no logic in striving for an objective that they doubt will give them any advantage in terms of their own interests, nor in which they don't sincerely believe. In addition, due to their lack of comprehension, they think of this struggle as one in which lives and belongings will be lost, not for whose sake there will be a reward in the Hereafter. They cannot understand such superior virtues as making sacrifices for Allah or enduring difficulties.
Hypocrites in the time of the Prophet (s) began fleeing as soon as the order for war was issued, and resorted to various lies and excuses to cover up their crimes. Some of the verses on this subject are as follows:
. . . They were told, "Come and fight in the way of Allah or at least help defend us." They said, "If we knew how to fight, we would certainly follow you."
Ali 'Imran: 167
If it had been a case of easy gains and a short journey, they would have followed you, but the distance was too great for them. They will swear by Allah: "Had we been able to, we would have gone out with you." They are destroying their own selves. Allah knows that they are lying.
At-Tawba: 42
Those who were left behind were glad to stay behind the Messenger of Allah. They did not want to strive with their wealth and themselves in the way of Allah. They said, "Do not go out to fight in the heat." Say: "The Fire of Hell is much hotter, if they only understood."
At-Tawba: 81
When a sura is sent down, saying: "Believe in Allah and strive together with His Messenger," those among them with wealth will ask you to excuse them, saying, "Let us remain with those who stay behind."
At-Tawba: 86
And a group of them said, "People of Yathrib, Your position is untenable, so return!" some of them asked the Prophet to excuse them, saying, "Our houses are exposed," when they were not exposed; it was merely that they wanted to run away.
Al-Ahzab: 13
This attitude, which becomes apparent in times of struggle, is important evidence of the hypocrites' logic. They abandon their imitation of believers carried out up until then and reveal their true character. Before such times of struggle, however, they will also show evidence revealing their true natures.
Their lack of preparation towards future struggles is characteristic of their attitude. Since they have no such aim, they see no need to make ready. Yet at the same time, this is evidence of the activities they do plan. They deliberately fail to fulfill their religious observances and make none of those preparations for the future that are dependent upon believers. In one verse it is revealed that:
If they had really desired to go out, they would have made proper preparations for it, but Allah was averse to their setting out so He held them back and they were told: "Stay behind with those who stay behind."
At-Tawba: 46
Their View of Believers
Hypocrites have declared war on the religion of Allah. They oppose His messenger and are unable to bear to listen to His verses. Therefore, one cannot expect them to feel any closeness to believers. That they adopt the requirements of a religion that hypocrites are opposed to, and that they abide by Allah's verses are sufficient cause for hypocrites to feel enmity towards the believers.
Hypocrites will naturally conceal themselves. In order to do so, they will play a role among believers and say, despite what lies in their hearts, that they are believers too. Therefore at first glance, it may not be possible to grasp the anger that they harbor in their hearts toward believers. Inevitably, however, this anger will give itself away through various signs, which are given to us in the verses of the Qur'an.
In Their Hearts They Feel Hatred & Anger Toward Believers
. . . Hatred has appeared out of their mouths, but what their breasts hide is far worse. . . .
Ali 'Imran: 118
Scrupulous adherence to the Qur'an and the proper moral values they take from it are an important element of believers' love and respect, but this works in entirely the opposite way for hypocrites. Everything to do with proper moral values further increases their anger and hatred. That is because they expect degeneration when it comes to religion and morality. They wish to distance themselves from everything that religion regards as good and to implement the exact opposite. Remembrance of Allah, recollection of His verses, and the strengthening and improvement of believers represent the continuing growth of a system to which they are opposed, so all this increases the anger in their hearts.
This anger in their hearts manifests itself in various ways. The various oppressive methods they use, the plans they draw up against believers and the way they take the messenger as their target are some consequences. However, as revealed in the verses, the anger they hide in their hearts is no doubt greater than that which appears on the surface.
ISNA/FCNA Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr Announcement
July 23, 2009 by TMO · 2 Comments
ISNA Special Announcement
First day of Ramadan will be Saturday, August 22, 2009 and Eid ul-Fitr on Sunday, September 20, 2009, inshaAllah.
"O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint."
Qur'an 2: 183
The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar'ia method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal. FCNA uses Makkah al-Mukarram as a conventional point and takes the position that the conjunction must take place before sunset in Makkah and the moon must set after sunset in Makkah.
On the basis of this method the dates of Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr for the year 1430 AH are established as follows:
1st of Ramadan will be on Saturday, August 22, 2009.
1st of Shawwal will be on Sunday, September 20, 2009.
Ramadan 1430 AH: The astronomical New Moon is on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 10:01 Universal Time (1:01 pm Makkah time). Sunset at Makkah on August 20 is at 6:47 pm local time, while moonset at Makkah is at 6:46 pm local time (1 minute before sunset). Therefore the following day Friday, Au gust 21, 2009 is not the 1st day of Ramadan. First day of Ramadan is Saturday, August 22, insha'Allah. First Tarawih prayer will be on Friday night.
Eid ul-Fitr 1430 AH: The astronomical New Moon is on Friday, September 18, 2009, at 18:44 Universal Time (9:44 pm Makkah time). On Saturday, September 19, 2009, sunset at Makkah is 6:20 pm local time, while moonset is at 6:36 pm local time. Therefore, first day of Shawwal, i.e., Eid ul-Fitr is Sunday, September 20, insha'Allah.
British soldier: 'I realised the Afghan war was wrong'
July 23, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton is 27 years old and has been in the army since 2004. For the last two years, after he was told that he would have to return to Afghanistan, Joe has been absent without leave and on the run. He spoke to Yuri Prasad about his experiences.
'In 2006 my regiment was posted to Afghanistan for seven months. And if I had to describe my feelings about the tour in one word, I would say "confused".
We were never really told what was going on, and the whole campaign seemed to be suffering from "mission creep" – the goals just seemed to be changing all the time.
Around the time that we arrived in Afghanistan the fighting with the Taliban revived and it got pretty rough. I was based at Kandahar airport and although we weren't on the front line, the base was attacked frequently.
My regiment was there to support Three Para with all their logistical needs. We were told that the British army was there to keep the peace. But we actually ran out of artillery shells because they were calling it forwards to the front lines in such large quantities.
There was so much shelling there were periods when we would work solidly for 20 or 30 hours at a time.
There was an undercurrent of fear as well. I was fighting alongside people that ranged from just 18 years old to guys in the their mid-40s. We were hit by mortars and rockets.
Luckily, I never had to see one of my colleagues injured but the constant shelling does have an effect on people. A lot of guys, especially the younger ones, really struggled to cope.
Afghan people were attacking us, even though our politicians said we were going in to help them. It came as a real shock. We kept asking ourselves, why are they doing this? That's when I became aware that there was something seriously wrong with the war.
Initially we were told that we were in Afghanistan to put an end to the opium crop. Then we were told that it was to rebuild infrastructure. Then it was about bringing democracy – but none of this really seems to have happened.
Maybe there was an initial plan, but it kind of snowballed. By the end of my tour it was attrition and war fighting.
That had a massive impact on the Afghan civilian population who were put in a lot of danger. There's no way you can fight a war without ordinary people getting caught up in it.
When I got back from my tour of Afghanistan I was quite shaken by the whole experience. But there's a definite feeling running through the army that they just expect you to get on with it no matter what's happened to you.
While I was still struggling to come to terms with my experiences in Afghanistan and adjusting to returning home, I was promoted and posted to another regiment. And from that point on things started to go very wrong.
I was singled out by a senior officer who started bullying me – and there is very little support for someone in the army who finds themselves in that position. I tried to go through the army's formal procedure but it didn't resolve the problem.
I realised at this point that I could no longer trust my chain of command. I felt like a victim of the "old boys' club".
Around the same time I was told that my regiment wanted to deploy me to Afghanistan again – even though this is against the harmony guidelines which stipulate a minimum time between tours of duty.
I'd only been back in Britain for about six or seven months.
At that point I decided that to protect myself my only course of action was to go absent. I was having some kind of a breakdown and I got away as far as I could to Asia, where I knew I could live cheaply for a couple of months.
My initial plan was to stay there for a while then come back to Britain and prepare to be courts martialed and kicked out of the army – but I just couldn't deal with it.
So I pushed on to Australia, stayed there for two years on a working visa and met my now wife. Together we decided that I should come back and deal with things.
I've handed myself into the army, and I'm now on a fast track courts martial. As far as the army is concerned I'm guilty and it doesn't matter what I've been through.
They've just upped the charge against me from absent without leave to desertion. In the worst case scenario I face two years in a civilian jail.
Meanwhile, the politicians who send us to Afghanistan don't even seem prepared to spend the money that's needed to keep us safe.
Looking at the way the war has developed, I don't think Britain is doing any good there and I think our troops should come out.
All we're doing now is stacking up casualties. The Afghan people will probably go with whoever is winning, and right now we're not.'
Cynthia McKinney Demands Immediate Release After Her Gaza-Bound Boat is Seized by Israeli Navy
Former U.S. lawmaker and Green Party leader Cynthia McKinney, a longtime activist for the Palestinians, says her boat, the Spirit of Humanity, was carrying medical supplies, cement, olive trees and children's toys to Gaza when it was seized by an Israeli navy ship.
Former U.S. lawmaker and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, whose relief boat was seized by an Israeli naval ship Tuesday for the second time in a year, is demanding the immediate release of her and 20 other activists.
McKinney, a longtime supporter of Palestinians, said her Greek-flagged boat, the Spirit of Humanity, was carrying medical supplies, cement, olive trees and children's toys to Gaza when it was boarded by the Israeli navy.
"This is an outrageous violation of international law against us," said McKinney. "Our boat was not in Israeli waters and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip. President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that's exactly what we tried to do. We're asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey."
The Israeli military issued a statement Tuesday saying that the boat had attempted to break a blockade of Gaza and was forced to sail to an Israeli port after ignoring a radio message to stay out of Gaza waters.
The statement said navy personnel boarded the freighter Arion without any shots being fired, and those on board were to be handed over to immigration authorities. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was planning to free the crew and passengers.
"Nobody wants to keep them here," he said. "They will be released as soon as they are checked."
The humanitarian cargo was also to be trucked into the Gaza Strip after a security check.
In a statement released by the Green Party, McKinney said she had sent appeals to Obama and the State Department for assurances of protection for the relief mission. She said the boat was sailing in international waters when it was seized.
The White House nor the State Department was immediately available for comment.
This isn't the first time a boat carrying McKinney has clashed with an Israeli navy ship. In December, McKinney was among 16 people aboard a medical supply boat that collided with an Israeli naval ship as it tried to enter coastal waters around Gaza.
At the time, the group claimed the Israeli military fired machine guns into the water in an attempt to the stop the boat's progress. But a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry said "physical contact" was made only after the aid boat failed to respond to radio contact and he denied any gunfire had occurred.
Israel launched an offensive in December against Gaza in an attempt to halt years of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel. The two sides reached a cease-fire in January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
"Where's My Vote?"
By Sumayyah Meehan, MMNS Middle East Correspondent
"The tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
–Thomas Jefferson
United by the common rallying cry composed of a mere three words, "Where's my vote?", enraged Iranian protestors hit the streets this past Saturday in a show of defiance against the reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They numbered in the millions as they filled the streets to march against perceived election fraud. The popular candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was seemingly robbed of certain victory as he received overwhelming support during his candidacy. Over the course of less than a week protestors have clashed with security personnel and pro-Ahmadinejad supporters on a daily basis. The result has been several horrendous and often vicious encounters that have played out on live TV and social networking sites on the Internet. Many protestors have been beaten to a bloody pulp and some have lost their lives in this unwinnable battle of hearts and minds. Iranian security forces show no mercy as they beat anyone, including women, with their batons. There have also been several recent reports of protestors being shot at with live ammunition, with at least seven protestors having been shot to death.
One would expect the commander in chief of any nation to calm the storm until cooler heads prevailed. Not Ahmadinejad, who is relentlessly holding on to his stifling reign of dictatorship. Instead of rising above the controversy, he is stirring the pot to keep the tensions at a fever pitch. Perhaps his strategy is to keep his detractors busy so that no one can challenge his win or recount the ballots. Why else would he clamp down so hard on media reports in Iran? Some journalists have been arrested while others have been forbidden from filming the bloody protests, Iranian reformists have been detained and telecommunications have been blocked.
But somehow, some way, the information keeps flowing. The battle has moved into cyberspace where it began and has taken on a life of its own to tell the world about the injustice being meted out to an innocent populous. Once again social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have been fundamental in uniting pro-Mousavi Iranians into a central force as well as harnessing global condemnation regarding the brutality in which demonstrators have been dealt with. Not since President Obama's candidacy for the White House has there been such a political revolution been played out in cyberspace. In this case, American-operated websites have been vital in keeping the stream of information running. Twitter cancelled a scheduled site maintenance and rescheduled it to coincide with the Iranian time zone, which came at the request of no other than President Obama. YouTube has also been a willingly ally and has kept video footage of demonstrations up on its website. Normally, YouTube's policy is to remove violent videos, but plans to leave the Iranian protest videos up for their "documentary" value.
As of press time, it seems that a minuscule wind of hope is beginning to blow into the Iranian capital of Tehran. The Ayatollah Khameni has promised a partial recount of the votes in question under the auspices of representatives of both parties. Meanwhile, the fight goes on in the Iranian streets with both sides refusing to coalesce. Rallies for both sides were held on Tuesday. Touting a ban on public gatherings, opposition leaders have scheduled even more rallies in the coming days.
Green Shoots?
June 18, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Bob Wood, MMNS
If you've spent any time listening to the financial drones recite the rationale for buying stocks now, you might be just about as sick as I am of hearing about so-called "green shoots." To me, this is just one more disingenuous way to sell you things you shouldn't be buying.
Every market cycle brings with it a new trend, a strategy devised by Wall Street in order to keep you invested when you should get out or convince you to buy when you should not. The "green shoots" concept is the latest strategy following the demise of the now discredited "Goldilocks" nonsense pounded into our heads by those encouraging us to remain invested as the Dow ascended to its all-time high in late 2007. Once Goldilocks' obituary had been written, promoters needed to find another angle, another trend for investors to follow. Of course, Goldilocks had only served as a replacement strategy once "the only risk in tech stocks is not owning them" premise failed in the late 1990's. So "green shoots" it is, at least for now.
Although perennial optimists may find reasons for hope, they should remember that some green shoots wither and die before blossoming into something beautiful. Some have even been known to sprout in barren wastelands. I am about as sure as I can be that these tiny signs of life will soon die out just as investors begin hoping for another meager inch or two of growth.
There are just too many obstacles in the way of an impending economic recovery. The notion that positive signs abound seems like wishful thinking, like placing a higher value on hope than fact in the push to keep investors interested in high-priced stocks that should be avoided.
I have been filling this space for the past 6 ½ years with my beliefs in secular trends, and the idea that domestic markets are squarely in the throes of a long-term bear market. Today, I think my point has been resoundingly made. I've explained how few investors ever make money in stocks, regardless of whether we're in a secular bull or bear market. I think I've made my point there, too.
I'm convinced that many investors fail in the long run due not only to the nature of secular bear markets, but also the rampant corruption that appears to permeate even the highest levels of Wall Street and Washington, D.C.
From the ''dotcom boom'' and the ensuing meltdown that wiped out many thousands of investors, to the housing boom that imploded and took many more to the cleaners, domestic markets have simply not rewarded traditional "buy and hold" investors. Many have seen their retirement dreams dashed, even if they truly tried to do all of the right things. Millions of them saved, invested, diversified, and perhaps even hired a professional or two to manage their savings.
And virtually all for naught, and isn't that how it always seems to happen? This latest round of economic disappointment brings with it invaluable lessons on why the deck is stacked against investors in ways not likely to end any time soon.
In his financial blog, market strategist Barry Ritholtz (www.ritholtz.com/blog) included this excerpt from his new book, Bailout Nation, (http://bailoutnation.net/) about how we got to this point and what triggered catastrophic losses throughout our financial system:
"We've come a long way from the days when the man atop the organizational chart made 40 times what the person on the lowest rung earned. Over the past few decades, executive compensation has exploded, with some CEOs taking 200, 300, even 400 times the base pay at the company.
With so much of this compensation made via options-based incentives, the bosses had every reason to swing for the fences. The upside was all theirs, and the downside was the shareholders'—and taxpayers'.
But don't for a moment think their terrible track record had a negative impact on their compensation. Despite their performance, these CEOs were paid as if they were enormous successes. The compensation figures that follow are enormous; that they were paid for such abject failure is a national embarrassment.
It is also an indictment of three major corporate governance issues that have not been discussed widely enough. The first is the crony capitalism that was rife in boardrooms across the United States. The cronyism of major corporate boards, especially those in the finance area, has become legendary. Rubber-stamp directors who rarely buck the chairman or challenge the CEO are unfortunately all too common. These boards did not serve either their companies or their shareholders well.
Also enabling this festival of greed are the large institutions that held the companies' stock, most especially the big mutual funds that have been AWOL when it comes to policing the senior management. They have the time, expertise, and incentives to do so; it is beyond the capability of individual shareholders. Besides, it makes no economic sense for someone who owns 100 or 1,000 shares of stock to act as overseer and scold to corporate boards. But it was squarely in the interest of owners of 10 million shares and up to do so. Why the mutual fund complexes failed to protect their shareholders is hard to fathom. Perhaps when it comes to the finance sector, they feared missing out on syndicate deals and hot IPOs if they asked too many questions.
Then there are the so-called compensation consultants. They did a horrific disservice to the shareholders as well as the companies. The role of these primarily ethicless weasels was to give cover for these ridiculous compensation packages. I would love to see a review of the packages as written back then. If the compensation experts were members of an actual profession with standards and ethics, they would be drummed out of that profession. Instead, these people were merely tools used by the C-level execs to transfer vast sums of wealth from the shareholders to themselves.''
I couldn't have said it better myself, which has everything to do with why I chose to quote Mr. Ritholtz instead. Unfortunately, this type of scenario is nothing new in America's business environment, nor has our government done much to prevent the type of shareholder abuse we've witnessed over the past two decades. Most regulations were either ignored or watered down so business (at least for the top echelon) could continue as usual, with business and government leaders getting what they wanted all along.
Talk of "green shoots" ignores the fact that very little has changed, and greed, corruption, and meaningful lack of oversight is just one more obstacle for investors to maneuver. How can investors possibly hope to gain from working with a financial system so completely rigged against them?
And why should they even bother trying? I feel great about being out of the domestic markets on both the long and short sides. If the game is rigged, I say why play in it? There are plenty of options to consider, and by now you may have grown tired of hearing about my devotion to investing in international and emerging markets.
But again, results matter, and again, those markets are strongly outperforming our domestic market. Many are higher today than they were at the dawn of this decade. And that's a strong signal that they're in the throes of secular bull markets.
I am often asked how I know that foreign markets are more honest and fair than our home markets. My response? "How can they be any less honest than what we've seen here, time and time again?"
I'll take my chances there, but of course, given the structural challenges here and how a resumption of the bear market will affect all equity markets, I prefer to tread softly. I am heavier in cash than I have ever been before, with cash positions representing well over 50% of all capital managed here. Of course, rising commodity prices will slow growth all over the world, but even more so in the U.S.
And given the enormous debt loads to be managed here, a bankrupt government, and a complete failure of leadership, everywhere else still looks better.
Have a great week.
Bob Wood ChFC, CLU Yusuf Kadiwala. Registered Investment Advisors, KMA, Inc., email@example.com.
Did U.S., Israel Provocateur S. Ossetia Conflict?
August 14, 2008 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Does the Sun Come Up in the Morning?
Courtesy Kurt Nimmo, Infowars
August 9, 2008–Dead civilians in South Ossetia. But you will not hear much about it on CNN or Faux News. Because they are too busy reporting ad nauseam about the extramarital shenanigans of CFR darling John Edwards.
In order to find out what's really going on in Georgia, you have to read the international press on the internet. Bush, McCain, and Obama may cast blame on Russia, but reading the international press you get a different perspective.
Soldiers from the Ukraine, the United States, Georgia and Azerbaijan partake in "Peace Shield 2005" on the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine.
Russia accuses U.S. of orchestrating conflict
"Russian officials believe that it was the USA that orchestrated the current conflict. The chairman of the State Duma Committee for Security, Vladimir Vasilyev, believes that the current conflict is South Ossetia is very reminiscent to the wars in Iraq and Kosovo," reports Pravda, the Russian newspaper.
Recall the CIA admitting it "helped to train the Kosovo Liberation Army before Nato's bombing of Yugoslavia," according to The Sunday Times. The KLA is a perfect outfit for the CIA. "Known for its extensive links to Albanian and European crime syndicates, the KLA was supported from the outset in the mid-1990s by the CIA and Germany's intelligence agency, the Bundes Nachrichten Dienst (BND). In the course of the 1999 war, the KLA was supported directly by NATO," writes Michel Chossudovsky. "The KLA had extensive links to Al Qaeda, which was also involved in military training. Mujahideen mercenaries from a number of countries integrated the ranks of the KLA, which was involved in terrorist activities as well as political assassinations." Of course, "links to Al Qaeda" translate into links to the CIA.
"The things that were happening in Kosovo, the things that were happening in Iraq – we are now following the same path. The further the situation unfolds, the more the world will understand that Georgia would never be able to do all this without America. South Ossetian defense officials used to make statements about imminent aggression from Georgia, but the latter denied everything, whereas the US Department of State released no comments on the matter. In essence, they have prepared the force, which destroys everything in South Ossetia, attacks civilians and hospitals. They are responsible for this. The world community will learn about it," Vasilyev told Pravda.
Indeed, the world will learn about it, but not by way of America's corporate media, more interested in the entirely meaningless baby-making of Clay Aiken and Jaymes Foster. Bread and circuses shall suffice in America.
U.S. loads up Georgia with weapons to fight "al-Qaeda"
The Federation of American Scientists website reveals that Georgia is the most recent recipient of U.S. weapons and aid, receiving 10 UH-1H Huey helicopters (four for spare parts only) and $64 million in military aid and training to fight Arab soldiers with alleged ties to Al Qaeda that have been participating in the Chechen war and are now taking refuge in the Pankisi Gorge region in northern Georgia. Like many of the recent aid recipients, claims that Georgia has become an al Qaeda sanctuary are dubious at best.
"The rapid increase in US strategic influence in the Caucasus has alarmed Russian policy planners. Moscow is keen to take steps to shore up its eroding position in the region. However, Russian officials have limited options with which to counter US moves while at the same time maintaining cordial relations with Washington," Eurasia.net reported on April 8, 2002. "The most prominent US moves in the Caucasus are the decision to dispatch military advisers to Georgia and a March 29 State Department announcement on the lifting of an arms embargo imposed on Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both actions have the potential to tilt the military establishments of all three Caucasus nations away from Russia and towards NATO."
Imagine Canada decided to enter a military and diplomatic alliance with Russia and Canada began arming itself to the teeth with Russian weapons and training with Russian military advisers. Can you guess what the reaction of Bush and the neocons would be?
It doesn't take much imagination.
Rose revolution
The Rose Revolution was not a simple uprising but was aided by the CIA and Ambassador Richard Miles
CIA engineered Georgia's Rose Revolution
Of course, this al-Qaeda presence is not so dubious when one considers the well documented fact the supposed Islamic terror group is a CIA contrivance. As well, this absurd concern for al-Qaeda's presence under Georgian beds helped make possible Georgia's so-called Rose Revolution. "The Rose Revolution was not a simple uprising but was aided by the CIA and Ambassador Richard Miles (think Serbia). From early 2002 onwards the CIA had been operating in Georgia, supposedly to combat Al Qaeda," explains researcher James Schneider.
It appears the CIA has worked behind the scenes for quite a while in Georgia. Back in 1993, for instance, CIA agent Fred Woodruff was assassinated by unknown assailants outside of Tbilisi. "Spokesmen for the State Department and the C.I.A. declined to confirm that Mr. Woodruff was working for the intelligence agency. But high-ranking Administration officials said he was, adding that he was not spying on Georgian officials but was training Mr. [Eduard] Shevardnadze's security forces," the New York Times reported at the time. So tight was the CIA with the former president of Georgia, they engineered the "bloodless" Rose Revolution and pitched him out on his ear.
In the wake of Georgia's much vaunted — by the U.S. corporate media — "revolution," the installed government of autocrat Mikheil Saakashvilli wasted little time imposing "democracy" neocon-style, resulting in violent suppression of opposition political rallies. "Georgia was rocked by opposition rallies for six days last November as protesters occupied central Tbilisi demanding Saakashvili's resignation over allegations of corruption and increasing authoritarianism," reported RIA Novosti. "The Georgian leader responded by sending in riot police to crack down on protesters on November 7. Over 500 people were injured according to Human Rights Watch as police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to break up the demonstrations." In addition, Saakashvilli's goons used "non-lethal" weapons of the sort developed by the Pentagon (see video).
U.S. military holds "exercises" in Georgia immediately prior to conflict
Last month, Aljazeera reported that "a total of around 1,650 soldiers form the US, Georgia and several other East European countries, have begun exercises on the formerly Russian-controlled Vaziani base, the Georgian defense ministry said."
NowPublic reported on July 17:
US officials insist the long-planned wargames have nothing to do with the recent dispute between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But they give Washington a chance to support pro-west Tbilisi at a critical time.
If you believe this, I have a bridge for sale.
In fact, these "long-planned wargames" were so important the State Department packed up and shipped off Condi Rice to Georgia. Her arrival was nicely timed to coincide with "a deadly firefight between Georgian troops and separatists in a Russian-backed breakaway region…. Ahead of Rice's arrival, a senior State Department official who did not want to be identified told reporters that unchecked conflict in the region could lead to catastrophe. The official also said Moscow should realize its Soviet empire is gone."
Catastrophe, indeed, although Russia's response to Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia demonstrated Russia's resolve to reclaim its supposedly evaporated empire.
Israel gets in on the act
Let's not forget America's junior partner in chaos and mass murder, Israel. "In addition to the spy drones, Israel has also been supplying Georgia with infantry weapons and electronics for artillery systems, and has helped upgrade Soviet-designed Su-25 ground attack jets assembled in Georgia, according to Koba Liklikadze, an independent military expert based in Tbilisi. Former Israeli generals also serve as advisers to the Georgian military," reports the International Herald Tribune.
No wonder the horrific photos emerging from South Ossetia have that Lebanon invasion look about them. Israel has over fifty years of experience in invading small countries and has consistently specialized in murdering and tormenting civilians.
Blind eyes all around
As Lavrov explains it, the "Georgian administration has found the use to its arms, which they have been purchasing during the recent several years… We have repeatedly warned that the international community should not turn a blind eye on massive purchases of offensive arms, in which the Georgian administration has been involved during the recent two years."
Unfortunately, the international community will likely "turn a blind eye" to the U.S. and Israel arming, training, and obviously orchestrating the current conflict, same as they by and large turned a blind eye to Israel's criminal invasion of Lebanon back in 2005 and the U.S. invasion and ongoing occupation of Iraq. In regard to the latter, the "international community" — indeed, the whole of the American people — are so disorganized and demoralized they cannot address the simple fact the neocons lied a nation into war. Nixon was bounced for far less.
It looks like Russia will be obliged to deal with Georgia's treachery on its own. Regrettably, Russia's response will entail even more murder of innocents and wholesale destruction, as this is how government historically deals with threats – real, imagined, or provocateured.
Friends in Difficulty
April 27, 2006 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Friends in Difficulty
By Dr. Aslam Abdullah
A few months ago, the Muslim community lost Syed Salman —now comes the news that Dr. Dilnawaz Siddiqui is on a ventilator and fighting a crippling illness. We hope that Dr. Siddiqui will recover soon and join us again in the ongoing struggle for Islam in this country.
But we acknowledge the reality that in front of God's Will nothing works. We accept His divine will for determining the destiny of people He creates.
Both Syed Salman and Dilnawaz Siddiqui are true gifts of Allah for humanity. Salman, through his dedication and sincerity, served the community to the fullest and until his last moment was ready to give all he had for Muslims.
He was active in the local Muslim community in Detroit and his contribution in national and international arena was of no small significance. He worked to bring people together. He struggled to help the poor, neglected and impoverished masses in the world, especially in India.
He was involved in the movement for an educational renaissance of Muslims of India, and he was concerned about the plight of the so called untouchables all over the world. He led a full life. He certainly would have no regrets for the time he spent in serving people and His Creator and most certainly His soul must be happy for what he did in life. This is what God wanted him to do and this is what he did. We are grateful to God for giving him to us and inspiring us to work with him. He lives on in his work and in his contributions in the field of Muslim unity.
Dr. Dilnawaz Siddiqui is in critical condition, and we hope that he will come out of the situation healthy. But if so, his recovery will take a long time. He too was vibrant and dynamic during good health. He too was eager to serve his religion and his community.
He has not neglected his responsibilities toward His Creator while he was working as a professor or researcher. He would use his spare time and weekends imparting the knowledge he had gained to his community.
His absence from the active work will be greatly felt. But his dynamism and vibrancy lives through his work. He too must be content with the contribution he made to help his community gain a respectable position in this country.
These are the people who have done their best to serve us all and above all to serve God Almighty. The question that we must ask is what do we do to honor them?
The least we can do is to remember them in our prayers, and to make their families know that their contribution is appreciated and acknowledged. Above all, we can try to institutionalize the values they tried to practice throughout their life.
Moreover, we must constantly remind ourselves that we too will be recalled one day by Allah Almighty. We must also realize that the moment could be sooner than later. Thus we must hurry up doing good that is required from us.
They didn't wait for tomorrow to do good. They did good at the time available to them and they did it (and Dilnawaz may continue to do so) with humility and dedication. Thank you, friends, for doing what you did and thank you for being part of our lives—Dilnawaz, we hope you will recover.
Don't Relax Your Islam
April 24, 2006 by TMO · Leave a Comment
"O ye Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame: for he and his tribe see you from a position where ye cannot see them. We made the Satans friends (only to those without faith." 7:27
One of the pitfalls of the glitz and glamour of the modern world is it has a very strong magnetic effect on the young (and sometimes not-so-young). Much of the TV, movies, and music we experience today have messages that downplay good healthy wholesome living.
Sometimes when I haven't seen a person at the masjid in a long time, I will run into them at a festival, parade, ball game, golf course, or some other recreational outlet. And many times when I see them they will be with a non-Muslim companion and not dressed exactly as they were the last time I saw them at the mosque. This is much more common in the African-America community, because assimilation in the local culture is much easier than it is for immigrant Muslims.
Many of our young people, indigenous and immigrant, feel that Islam and living an Islamic life means you can't have fun. They feel that Islam is too restrictive and prevents you from living a full life. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. And I'm not speaking from the perspective of an older person. I'm speaking from the perspective of the Qur'an.
ALLAH only forbids us those things that are harmful to ourselves and/or the society. A few examples of what I mean:
We are forbidden to eat pork and other unclean meats. This is self explanatory if you think about it. Pork is known to cause high blood pressure and clogged arteries, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks. It also harbors worms.
Adultery and fornication cause breakups in the family, which ultimately weaken the society. Alcohol and intoxicants cause warped and unstable thinking. Gambling leads to lying and theft after the inevitable losses you will incur.
These are a few of the prohibited things. There are many more activities that are permitted by ALLAH. You don't need to stay away from the masjid to go to a movie. Just try to see decent movies. If your culture allows you to listen to music, make sure that the music you choose is not the rotgut, vulgar stuff put out by Shaitan.
As an imam and counselor, I get great many people seeking help for problems that can, for the most part, be solved by regular attendance and participation at the masjid. When you are around Muslims, your behavior automatically is going to be more Islamic. You will be encouraged to pay the zakat and attend Friday prayers. We need each other. Steel sharpens steel and man sharpens man.
On the other hand, we must be constantly aware of the presence and plan of Satan and know that "he can watch you while you are unaware." When you are around non-Muslims, your behavior will likely be like those you are around. You will "relax" into an inferior culture, which will bring you down to a lower level.
Be Muslim ALL the time. Your life will be less stressful, more peaceful, and a greater asset to the community………And your Lord will be pleased with you.


text:
Braune: With Four Hands Through Children's Land
20 Children's Song Settings for Piano four-hands - Illustrations by Ralph Bittner
All aboard and bon voyage!
Ingo Braune's "Children's Land" is a very colorful and sparkling musical land indeed. Evergreens like "Hot-Cross Buns" and "Sur le pont d'Avignon" as well as many lesser-known European children's songs invite young performers to a four-hand journey of discovery. Whoever enjoyed "Through Europe With Four Hands" (EB 8734) is sure to love this sequel, which is enlivened by Ralph Bittner's perky illustrations. In these technically easy pieces, both players share in bringing out the melody of the song. And after reading the useful information in the appendix, everyone should be ready to hop on the train for this four-handed trip to children's land!
This edition has been awarded the German Music Edition Prize.
A Pug came into the Kitchen |
Autumn comes |
Cuckoo, cuckoo (Fallersleben, Hoffmann von) |
Dal cielo una stella/Out of the Blue |
Hot-cross Buns! |
I'm going by Coach |
It's raining, it's pouring (Zelter, Carl Friedrich) |
La, la, leij |
Land of the Silverbirch |
Little Titmouse |
No, no, no, nove, novembre |
One, two and three |
Pease Pudding hot |
Savez-vous planter les choux?/Planting Cabbage isn't hard |
Scissor Grinder Song (Jehn, Margarete) |
Sleeps the Bear (Jehn, Margarete) |
Sur le pont…/On the Bridge of Avignon |
The ancient Chicken Mother (Jehn, Margarete) |
The Mill |
Train form Near and Far |

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Baer's Furniture may occasionally have VIP events, products or services that we think may be of interest to you. By providing your phone number and signature, you give us your consent to receive pre-recorded messages sent using automated technology to the phone number above, including your wireless number if provided. Please note that you are not required to provide this consent to take your delivery or to make future purchases from us. *This information will not be shared.
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Baer's Furniture Store features a great selection of living room, bedroom, dining room, home office, entertainment, accent furniture, and mattresses. We can help you with your home design and decorating with our complimentary interior decorating consultations with professional designers. View recent additions to our online furniture gallery. Baer's Furniture serves the surrounding communities of Altamonte Springs / Orlando, Boca Raton, Dania, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Miami, Naples, North Palm Beach, Pembroke Pines, Port Charlotte, Sarasota in Southwest Florida, Stuart, Tamarac, West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as Key Largo and the Florida Keys. Baer's also welcomes furniture shoppers from the Caribbean and South America, including Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Peru, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and more. If you're looking for the perfect furniture to suit your tastes and fit your lifestyle, stop by one of our great Florida or Southwest Florida furniture stores today! - Information Accuracy
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Over the past few years, I've heard this lament many times: "We really want to produce podcasts for our upcoming conference, but our IT Department says they won't support us. What should we do?"
In a former life, I was a systems analyst, so I'm familiar with some of the workings behind the sometimes-mysterious doors of the IT world. There may be good reasons for not supporting your organization's multimedia efforts, but I haven't heard a valid one yet. As my friend Shel Holtz has noted (and I'm paraphrasing): "Has anyone ever said that we don't have enough paper to print the company newsletter?" Of course not.
Let's suppose that your IT Department won't offer technical support for podcasting. Well, that's OK, because your IT people probably aren't podcasting experts in the first place. You can hire help or learn to do it yourself.
What if the IT gurus tell you that there isn't one megabyte of storage space available to you. Here are some suggestions:
- Host your audio or video files externally.
- Build a microsite on WordPress for all the information and multimedia content about your conference. Link to this microsite from your organization's main site.
Problems solved.
Have you run into roadblocks from the IT people? Please share your experiences in the comments section.


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Come on! Toilets are always funny!
Wow, what can I say about The Spirit? It defies typical film making as much as it does an easily expressible opinion of it. On one hand my brain screamed "what a crappy movie" during the entire duration of the film. On the other hand, it was something of a guilty pleasure, and I must admit I enjoyed myself during it. Frank Miller, director of 300 and Sin City, once again brings his very eccentric film making style to the table. In what many call a "spiritual successor," at least visually, to Sin City; The Spirit is strange to say the least. Straying considerably from the graphic novel it is based on; Spirit follows a masked, wise-cracking, womanizing superhero with considerable healing powers as he battles his arch-nemesis, "The Octopus" (Samuel L. Jackson). The aesthetic style of this film is even crazier than Sin City's, the acting is over-the-top to say the least, the characters are ridiculous, and yet the movie is somehow… well, it's fun.
To call this movie weird would be an exercise in understatements. At every possible instance, Miller seems intent on pumping as much visual style and flair as possible into the scene. From small things like The Spirit's animated tie to the ridiculous battle at the films' climax, nothing is spared from the all encompassing oddity of Millers' eccentric style.
While some may certainly see this as a downside bordering on eyesore, I found it to be welcome eye-candy to make up for the fact that the movie has no substance whatsoever. The characters all fall into three categories: a bucket of testosterone, superfluous comic relief, and boobs. I'll be damned if any of the three wavered from their stereotypes in the least. The hollow nature of the film certainly doesn't end with the characters either. The writing and plot had shockingly little direction and it ends up no where satisfying.
However, odd as it may seem, it's really not all that bad. In fact, I think this may have been the very intention of Miller and crew, even if it probably didn't end up the way they wanted it to. I truly feel the direction they wanted to take the film was in the spirit of the pulpy, corny comics of the 1930s. Over-the-top dialogue, ridiculous characters, exploitation of stereotypes, etc. These are what made those comics so endearingly entertaining and laugh-out-loud hilarious to read today.
While The Spirit might not be a piece of art, hell it might not even be a very good movie, what it does succeed at is being fun. Go into it with the right attitude and expectations and I'm pretty sure you'll have a good time.
Ratings for The Spirit
Rating (out of 10 )
Overall Score
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Suite 12507, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PY
Contact: Jonathan Rodger
Message Horizon offers a fixed price, uncapped email marketing service targeted at smaller businesses, charities and not-for-profit organisations (NFOs).
I'm the founder of the Message Horizon service. Before that I set up and ran the payment service provider (PSP), SecureHosting for ten years, selling it in 2009.
I may focus on web-based businesses but I'm not a techie - I thrive on the energy and enthusiasm that is derived from creating new businesses and challenging established players in any given market.
Outside work my passions are skiing and practising my French with my wife and bi-lingual daughters.


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The Notcracker
This determinedly un-Christmas show aspires to be a deconstruction of many Christmas stories of the past. Dance artists are fired from their job for reinterpreting the movements of the pantomime horse, their landlord throws them onto the street for non payment of rent and up in heaven an angel studies hard for his exams in celestial movement language. In the meantime the evil Ghost of Christmas Present lurks about the stage waiting to traumatise some poor unsuspecting shopper.
Tom Roden and Pete Shenton have woven together this unique piece of theatre and dance in a search to help us discover the real meaning of Christmas. Hysterically they sound like two guys chatting over a pint in a bar on Christmas Day with much dead pan humour and more than their fair share of irony. Their choreography smacks the boundaries of physical theatre and their fluidity of movement coupled with astute observation adds highlights the naïve poetic quality of their work.
Dave Parkin is equally hysterical as a vicious Christmas box stomping around the stage to a menacing rhythm and when open he too reveals a comic irony to match the others. In short, the Notcracker is a delightful antidote to the syrupy Christmas dance shows of yore.


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What's 4 Lunch
(12 Recipes) Created by SUEJEN1
Recipes in this Collection
A healthy, mayo-free, but still delicious version of deviled eggs! Submitted by FANNETASTICFOOD Carbs: 2.3g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 0.1g | Protein: 10.4g | Calories: 117.2
I wanted something light and refreshing and you can't beat 147 calories for this delicious sandwich!! Submitted by SHELBSYD Carbs: 20.8g | Fat: 4.5g | Fiber: 5.4g | Protein: 10.3g | Calories: 147.5
Chicken and a savory sauce wrapped up. Submitted by *SPARKLEMAMA* Carbs: 20.5g | Fat: 8.2g | Fiber: 11.1g | Protein: 32.7g | Calories: 287.2
This tastes just like cheese pizza! Pair this with a salad and you have a great pizzeria style lunch without the calories attached--or the bill. Submitted by PUNKGIRL213 Carbs: 26.3g | Fat: 8.3g | Fiber: 4.4g | Protein: 15g | Calories: 242.3
Incredible! 5.0/5
(2 ratings)
Tunisian Sweet Couscous with nuts and fruit Submitted by BECOMINGANIMAL Carbs: 62.6g | Fat: 22.3g | Fiber: 4.9g | Protein: 8.7g | Calories: 460.1
Very Good 4.9/5
(7 ratings)
I have friends who will fight over these sandwiches! Submitted by BAREADER Carbs: 49.5g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 5.6g | Protein: 16.2g | Calories: 439.5
Very Good 4.6/5
(5 ratings)
A truly satisfying flavor trio. Notes: You can also try this sandwich is great with thick roasted red pepper slices (roast your own red peppers for even more flavor). Also, try adding avacado. Hint: great with just a side salad. Submitted by BREEHARDY Carbs: 31.1g | Fat: 16.7g | Fiber: 1.8g | Protein: 27.7g | Calories: 386.9
Ditch the crust and boost your veggie intake with these eggplant "pizzas." Submitted by GONZOSTAR Carbs: 8.9g | Fat: 7.5g | Fiber: 3.2g | Protein: 4.9g | Calories: 119.1
This hummus and feta wrap is so quick and easy if you store pre-cut vegetables in your fridge. It is a great, lowfat, heart healthy lunch! Carbs: 31.5g | Fat: 14.2g | Fiber: 11.7g | Protein: 21.1g | Calories: 295.2
Very Good 4.8/5
(10 ratings)
This is a fantastic, tasty and healthy tuna melt similar to what you would receive in a restaurant. Submitted by CHALLER1 Carbs: 34.4g | Fat: 6.6g | Fiber: 3.9g | Protein: 18.9g | Calories: 321
Yummy! Submitted by MESSIEJESSIE23 Carbs: 31.6g | Fat: 18.3g | Fiber: 1.5g | Protein: 18.3g | Calories: 369.8
Very Good 4.6/5
(5 ratings)
This is a sensational sandwich that I had at a trendy little cafe in Michigan, while I was there visiting my family. Now I make it at home for my hubby and our friends for a brunch or for a quick, & interestingly delicious snack! Submitted by ANNAKOUKLA Carbs: 46.2g | Fat: 19.2g | Fiber: 3.7g | Protein: 11.6g | Calories: 394.3


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Giambattista Valli Resort 2013 Pictures
Giambattista Valli Resort 2013
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Giambattista Valli Resort 2013
Ocelot spots, tropical leaves, and floral paisley patterns dominated the prints in Giambattista Valli's urban jungle-themed Resort 2013 collection. But while the prints were animalistic, the clothes were a great deal more refined: a slim white coatdress was trimmed with a delicately ruffled white lapel, while multiprint sheath dresses got updated with short peplums. Valli's customary floor-length, one-shoulder evening gowns made appearances and so did an assortment of very short shorts. Perfect for keeping cool in the city — or in the jungle for that matter.
Giambattista Valli
Link Love
- Iggy Azalea is P.O.'d about her leaked Steve Madden line photos — HuffPost Style
- It might be time to get your man a murse — The Cut
- Fast fashion vs investment pieces: this infographic breaks it down — Racked
- Lions, fire, and Lenny Kravitz? Katy Perry's halftime show sounds wild — InStyle
- What will it take for Gap to make a comeback? — Style.com
- Pregnant ladies, rejoice: Rachel Zoe has a maternity line — SheFinds
- Oops — you might be ruining your jewelry and not even know — Who What Wear
- Stock-photo models are people too! — Lucky
- Say goodbye to another brand: Jones New York is no longer — Fashionista
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Use the following tool to assist you in determining you college credit based upon your Advanced Placement (AP) Exam scores. These results are not official and all accelerated credit must be sent to UCF Undergraduate Admissions for you to receive official credit. This site is meant to help you and your advisor with your course selections at the time of orientation.
Check the boxes for each AP Exam you took or will take and press submit. Please note that only scores of 3 or higher will award any credit.


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I came to massage after experiencing its many benefits myself. I was glad to train on a course which had quality and sensitivity embedded in its teaching, as these aspects are at the heart of my approach to massage.
My work with clients is always mindful and considerate as I coax and encourage their bodies - and mind - to relax. To remind each body how soft and supple it can be and give it chance to let go, relax and rejuvenate. With this in mind I work with my clients to create the best possible massage I can. This may mean a firm yet sensitive pressure to soften overworked muscles, or it could be a soft and gentle pressure for greater relaxation. Either way, my aim is to make the process as soothing and beneficial as the outcome.
To give a little of my background, I trained at Bristol College of Massage and Bodywork (BCMB) and am now a tutor on their professional training course in Worcester.
I am also a member of the Massage Training Institute (MTI) and a member of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
If you would like to find out more about my work or to book an appointment please get in contact:
telephone 07967 048801


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Algonquin Careers Academy is a leading provider of career training diploma, online and continuing education programs in Ottawa and Mississauga, Ontario. Since 1981 Algonquin Careers Academy has been changing lives by providing our students with high quality, industry specific, career training.
Algonquin Careers Academy is a Canadian owned private Career College. If you would like to learn more about our college and the programs we offer please contact us today.
The Ottawa and Mississauga campuses are now offering a Business Management Program. The exciting program covers all the fundamentals of business. Check out the program details here or contact the campus for details.
The Ottawa campus is now offering a Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician Program. The MLA/T program has been offered for many years at our Mississauga Campus. Check out the program details here or contact the campus for details.
Call the campus for details
You are invited to visit our campus anytime! Every day is an OPEN HOUSE
June 12, 2014 - Pharmacy Technician programs awarded FULL ACCREDITATION. Check out the program details here or contact the campus for details.
Spring 2014 Autumn 2013 Christmas 2013 Previous Newsletters
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See how Rhode Island Hospital ranks in relation to other hospitals nationally in key areas of patient care.
More about the technology we have in place at the bedside
Modern Healthcare magazine has lauded Reid Coleman, MD as one of the top clinical informaticists nationally. As medical informatics officer at Lifespan, Coleman has overseen the successful implementations of the system-wide clinical information system, the computerized physician-order entry, and the bedside bar-coding for medication administration. Coleman also serves as the co-chairman of the Rhode Island Quality Institute's Health Information Technology Physicians Advisory Committee.An article describing our pioneering software tools that prevent errors and ensure quality patient care can be found here:
Rhode Island Hospital and all Lifespan hospitals have led the way nationally for developing and administering pioneering technological safeguards that ensure patient safety. Lifespan has developed a technological tool that ensures the accurate dispensing of chemotherapy medication. Additionally, we have been lauded for instituting a system-wide "closed loop" of medication safety that includes bedside bar-coding and reduces human opportunity for medication error.
These health information technology tools are in place to help ensure that the right patient receives the correct dosage of prescribed medication at the right time.
We have also made advances by using health information technology safeguards that further protect patients. A clinical information system and a computerized physician-order entry system are in place at Rhode Island Hospital to help ensure the accurate and efficient transmission of orders and patient medical histories.
Physicians and health care personnel no longer record patients' medical histories using pen and paper, which invited human error through illegibility or other possible inaccuracies. All requests for testing, from blood work to x-rays, are entered into a computerized system by the doctor working in concert with the patient. This system has built-in prompts to remind the physician of medical conditions associated with their diagnoses, so that appropriate measures can be taken.
In an effort to improve quality care, the physician-order system has built-in prompts that prevent physicians from completing their patients' medical orders without first checking for these potential health issues (such as the risk of blood clots, for example) that might arise.
When patients are discharged from the hospital, physicians transmit their patients' medical records to their personal care physicians (PCPs) electronically, where they can be uploaded by the PCP. This secure and efficient transference of information provides detailed accounts of patients' medical histories and other vital details. It saves both the patient and the PCP valuable time and improves accuracy. Patients no longer have to sit in their PCP's office and fill out a medical history form. Medical histories are communicated directly so thatt during follow-up appointments all medication needs, allergies or other medical issues are available for immediate review.


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Baron-Forness Library
200 Tartan Drive
Edinboro, PA 16444
(814) 732-2273
Keyword search of PILOT Library Catalog
InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Department
Contact: Ms. Judy Rauenswinter, InterLibrary Loan Office (Room 113), 814-732-2946
If we don't have the book or article you seek, we can often acquire it from another library via a service known as "interlibrary loan" or "ILL." This page describes this service and provides links to request forms which may be submitted electronically. Printed forms are available in the library.
What is Interlibrary Loan?
Books and journal articles not included in the university library's collection may be requested through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Through the use of a nationwide computerized library network and cooperative lending agreements with other libraries, eligible Edinboro University Library patrons have access to the library resources of the nation.
Why is Interlibrary Loan Service needed?
Thousands of journal articles and books are published each year. Fiscal and space constraints make it impossible for even the largest libraries to purchase every source or to anticipate all research needs. Sharing library resources expands access to information.
Who is eligible to borrow materials through Edinboro's Interlibrary Loan?
Faculty, students, staff, and administrators affiliated with Edinboro University and who have a valid ID card may place Interlibrary Loan requests.
Is there a charge for ILL Service?
Every effort is made to obtain materials free of charge. Occasionally, materials may only be obtained from a library for a fee. If we cannot obtain your requested material free of charge, we will contact you regarding any charges before we order the item.
Are there any restrictions on types of materials available?
Many libraries restrict types of materials available for loan. Some of the items which may be difficult (or impossible) to get via Interlibrary Loan include:
- Reference materials such as dictionaries and encyclopedias
- Audio-visual materials such as CDs and DVDs
- Current bestsellers
- Books recently featured on TV talk shows
- Entire journal issues or volumes
- Rare books and materials
- Genealogy materials
- Items held in Archives and/or Special Collections departments
How may I place an ILL request?
Interlibrary Loan request forms are available in the 1st Floor Reference Room and online. Before submitting a request, please verify whether or not Baron-Forness Library owns the item. Requests for items owned by the library will not be processed. Separate forms (green for articles; yellow for books) need to be completed for each book or periodical article requested. Please print legibly and provide as much information as possible. Submit completed forms to the Reference Librarian at the Information Desk. Forms for submitting your request electronically are also available for articles and for books.
How long does it take to get ILL materials?
The borrowing procedure typically takes a minimum of one week depending on the volume of Interlibrary Loan requests, availability of materials, work flow of the lending library, and the mail/ delivery system. However, recent advances in technology may, in certain instances, make it possible to receive articles within 24 hours. Library patrons are encouraged to begin research projects early to insure that materials are received in time.
What is the loan period?
Loan periods are usually three to four weeks and are determined by the library lending the materials.
How will I know when the Interlibrary Loan material has arrived?
When your material arrives, you will be contacted by the Interlibrary Loan office. ILL materials may be picked up at the Circulation Desk.
Where should I return ILL materials?
ILL materials should be returned to the library Circulation Desk.
Do I need to know/tell you which library has the item I want?
No. While it doesn't hurt to let us know that you know a certain library has the item(s) you want, it's not necessary to tell us for us to process your request. In fact, even though you know a library has the item, we may be able to find it at another library that's closer, cheaper, and/or can process your request more quickly. At the same time, particularly for books, if you are visiting a library you know has the item you want, you may wish to simply see if you can photocopy or borrow the item directly.
How can I help speed up the process?
- Exhaust local resources.
- Ask a Reference Librarian for help in identifying similar materials available in the Edinboro University libraries' collections.
- Carefully complete ILL request forms.
- Indicate a date after which the item is no longer needed. If you do not indicate a date, we will automatically assume one month. If we can't secure the item in that time, your request will be cancelled.
- Please avoid submitting numerous requests on the same day. In consideration of all eligible borrowers, ILL reserves the right to limit requests processed per patron per day. Additional requests will be processed on subsequent days.
- Be selective.
- Take time to carefully review citations and then request only those materials which seem most useful.
- Some library indexes give citations to journals with articles written in a foreign language. Make sure that materials requested via ILL are in a language in which you have reading proficiency.
- Accuracy and clarity of information are very important to a successful interlibrary loan search. Incomplete and/or illegible forms will delay the processing of your order.
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