Terrorism can be cured

Everyday we hear of attacks or people being incarcerated for plotting attacks on US soil. Most those attacks are weapon related. Only a few are linked to Islamic wrong ideology, brain wash and manipulation under the name of Islamic Jehad.

Lets put this straight for everyone to know, a Jehad is not war, not suicidal actions, not an offense. It is a struggle, be it for self righteousness, be it for others wellbeing, or for the general good of all people. It is a struggle that can take different forms, like Jehad for the rights of women to vote, Jehad for the peace process of the world, Jehad for the security of Homeland.

So Jehad is not necessary war though it make take this form when you defend yourself or defend other to practice their religion. Islam use to encompass christianity and Judaism while at large, Jehad did not mean aboloishing other religions, its only a struggle for all to practice with peace and security. Equal rights of worship in today's terms.

For a Jehad to take the form of war there has to be three principles to be fulfilled and acted upon. First, there has to be Moral, Islamic, Ethical and humanitarian need for such a war to take place and thus the people will join this action because of its severity. Think of it like a resolution by the Security General Council of the United Nations. Second, there has to be a representation of those in that army, it can take a form of country, a group or the Muslims at a whole, though Jews and Christians were part of the Army that use to fight back in the old Islamic days. Third, the ground rules of Jehad has to always be abide with, those are as follow:
- Do not harm an elderly;
- Do not harm a woman;
- Do not harm a child;
- Do not harm a building; and
- Do not cut a tree.

None of the terrorist attacks anywhere in the world did abide by these principles, thus none of these attacks are in any way connect to Jehad or any Islamic teachings. The problem though is the lack of knowledge of these in both the Media that reports on these and also the perpetrators of those heinous acts.

It is there can easily be cured, not by restricting people from seeking and diving further into the teachings of Islam but by encouraging it. If those perpetrators know of the teachings of Islam and that harming civilians goes against Islam they would have known that they have been misled, they would have known that this is not the teaching of the faith they follow. This would have alerted them to those who seek to misguide them and use them as puppets for their coward goals.

Islam condemn suicide and foretell its punishment for those who commit it, its eternal damnation. Suicide bombing is no different fate for the perpetrator than suicide alone, in fact it is even worse since so many innocent lives were shed in the process and thus the fate will be worse. But if those perpetrators were educated in the teaching of Islam and have realized what their actions would lead them to, they would have deterred from those actions and would have learned that Islam teachings are completely different than what his masters are conveying to him.

I urge that the Muslim community in the USA to form an emergency council and a hotline for those lost muslims, a line that may help them uncover the truth, a line that may save thousand of lives. Muslim scholars should be available to contacted through those lines to help young and new muslims to learn the true teaching of Islam, and to shed light on the practices that should be followed. This would help educate and alert those new muslims about the dangers of listening to those who want only to enact their coward agenda through the use of new muslims minds.

This responsibility will fall only on muslims, muslims need to act, muslims need to take actions, muslims need to educate and muslims need to protect other muslims and those living with muslims. We have to do something, we have to stand up, we have to speak up, to tell the truth, to enlighten those misguided, to bring up a more educated, enlightened and true muslims in the society. Those who know the teaching of respecting your neighbor, teachings of always committing to speak the truth, teaching of struggling for the good of humanity and a Jehad (struggle) for the peace on earth for everyone, everywhere.

Views on USA Foreign and Domestic Policy

Speaking of someone who visited the USA over the years, it is a saddening to compare America in 1995 and America in 2017.

I first visited the USA in 1995, when I was just 11 year old. I spent a beautiful vacation which I still remember to this day in Orlando, Florida. I could not have believed myself as I went to Disney Park, Universal Studios and the never ending list of theme parks. Driving back and forth passing by waterpark after waterpark as you go from and back to the hotel.

It was the first time I was introduced to a drink other than Pepsi and Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper. As a kid I was thrown back by its amazing taste, it was slowly becoming my favorite drink in the hotel swimming pool. Sure most of Dr. Pepper drink went inside the pool to be diluted with the urine and chloride, but that drink was my everlasting reminder of how great America was. Don't be surprised by the word "was", make America Great Again imply the same notion.

Coming back from the holiday and greeted by my friends with questions like, what did you see, did you see flying cars? did people skate on hoverboards there? did you get to try a 3D cinema? It was childish questions based solely on the movies that we use to watch such as Back to the Future, Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

These were the good times, the times where America was so great in our eyes, times where America stood for freedom and people's voice above all.

The same America, that now cannot be heard. The voice of its people are shadowed and shunned behind those who speak on behalf of it while not representing the true voice of America. Sad indeed to see a nation which once put a strong emphasis on the voice of people suddenly loses the voice of its people, with that it lost its own voice. What was left are voices of few, that can hardly represent the voice of their own neighborhood let alone the voice of the whole nation.

Even in politics the shift is noticeable, the rift is only widening with every president elected. Previous presidents when they were consulted and asked to represent the USA views on a foreign policy that affects a foreign nation, their answers almost look exactly the same: "lets ask the people of that nation to decide their future" "Lets see what the people of that nation wants as a government" "lets not make the decision on behalf of the people, let the people decide their own future". This has been seen as early as President Woodrow Wilson when asked about Palestine fate after the withdrawal of the British Mandate. Of course his views were different than those of France and Britain, who at the time knows nothing about asking people what they want the future to be. That notion was not only new, but unheard of in the eyes of old Britain and France to allow the people to decide their future. Of course President Wilson did not wait for the idea to sink in their own heads, but sent several missions with questionnaires to ask the people about how they wanna decide their future. The answer was that they wanted their independence as the state of Palestine. Of course everyone knows the end of this story, as neither France nor Britain were convinced of what President Wilson had put forth, and therefore, the President idea was overlooked and left forgotten while those sitting on desks some 5,000 miles aways decide the fate of the baker down the street.

This provides such a beautiful example of how America used to not only cherish its own values but also try to project those fair and just values on other nations to help bring the dreams of people onto reality.

However, the disease that once plagued Britain and France is slowly creeping into the only nation that stood against it once. The American voice is slowly turning around to follow the same voices that it declared independence from. For years the declaration of independence stood not only against freedom of a nation, but freedom of voice, of rights, of thinking a freedom to decide, create, and aspire. A freedom to dream and make that dream a reality. A declaration of value to hold dear what makes humans, humans. A freedom of thought.

The first amendment "Freedom of Speech" is also facing its major contestant as people find it harder to question where the taxes of the american people are spent. Billion of dollars are spent the majority of which are on Military and foreign aid. The recent foreign aid spending the majority of which are to Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. The aid sent to those countries alone would reach as high as $10 billion according to 2013 data. For the American public to see such dollars spent for foreign countries that provide nothing back to the American people is puzzling, however, trying to challenge those will most definitely fall on deaf ears. In fact challenging some will instantly mark an American an anti-semite, a new notion implemented by the American government to counter the right put forth by the First Amendment, a right to freedom of speech and challanging the government. While Americans can only watch these billions of dollars spent on another country while their Affordable Care Act was swiftly revoked and they were left to apply for loans to save their lives, beg or die. To know that these 10 billion dollars are being spent on an annual basis while people in the USA are still deprived of free medical health care, free college education or even free housing adds more than insult to injury as the ultimate outcome in the former of these cases are death to those with no affordable health care.

It is saddening in deed to see what America has become, and it is saddening even worse to know that the free people of America cannot voice their concerns, while above all it's heartbreaking to see the people of America die after being deprived of health care not for lack of funds but because those funds are spent on someone that is considered more worthly than you, you can protest under the First Amendment but your voice is a dying anti-semite voice, beaten by police for raising a 99% percent banner. Who are you to defy Uncle Sam? 99%?

Make America Great Again was just a propaganda.

Palestinian-Israeli Peace Initiative (PIPI)

It is everywhere on the news that we hear of new peace initiative and then they fade as quickly as they come, whether or not they have been widely accepted or endorsed. From Three state solutions to two states, one state and Zero state solution. They come and go like the people that wrote them and those who endorse them will soon forget what they endorse in their search for a new proposal to endorse next.

The only problem is, those affected by the ever lasting lack of peace are endeavouring this mirage of hope that is unattainable yet keeps popping in front of your visor as you continue to fight the everlasting battle to peace and security asking yourself: when will all this end?

Going back to old proposals and initiatives seems like trying to rekindle ashes that has been put out and left to the wind. However, two peace initiatives that really stand out with promising prospects; the Israeli Peace Initiative 2011 and the Arab Peace Initiative 2002. Both with so many similarities and taking into account the Geneva Accord. However, both were endorsed and like their formers were left to the elements. However, for those who have read both sees that they have great potential to reach peace and happily ever after (at least in the middle east). Both also show signs of modest and open minded to changes and accommodation of views (The Arab Peace Initiative was amended on several occasions to incorporate views put forth by Israeli concerned parties), the IPI is also showing prospect of accommodation and leniency to compensate for peace.

To reach a peaceful outcome and a resolution to the ever lasting war in the middle east, it is vital that we start with a level ground. With that said, there is no better level ground than a middle ground created by those two Initiatives that we mentioned earlier, the Arab and Israeli initiatives. If we can take both those proposals and strip them to the bare minimum for peace to move we would have a skeleton of the plan to move ahead. This would create the basis upon which everything else can be customised to fit like a lego blocks. The bare minimum for both parties, the Israelis and Palestinians are two states for both their people where they can live in peace and determine their future. Then we move one block at a time, taking both concerns of each Initiative as we head on to reach another level ground that can be placed atop the base to create a new base where another block can be fit. For instance, the second block will most probably be the land upon which both states will need to have their borders. Both Initiatives talk about the 1967 lines with concessions and exchanges allowed. This would serve the most crucial stage as talks will soon drift to settlements, right of return and holy city. As we stated that everything need to be left for its own block since so many variables will create a never ending cycle. Therefore, the lands will be based solely on the 1967 lines with future concession made with future blocks discussed. Once the dialogue moves to the block of people where settlement and refugees come into the picture, both parties need to understand that the two emerging state will have multinational, multicultural and multifaith citizens at first, as time is given for each citizen to determine where he/she wants to permanently reside, Israel or Palestine. Dual citizenship will be available to all citizens on either side, with each having equivalent rights as any other citizen of those two states. Any conflict can be resolved by temporary dual citizenship for individuals to relocate as they see fit. Jordan and Egypt will also play a huge role in this PIPI to control, regulate and train the new state of Palestine. They would also serve as major advocates of the plan and help to alienate any concern regarding humanitarian treatments and civil rights.

One block at a time, a peace initiative that can serve all will be formalised, however, then comes the dread of the looming inevitable final outcome that use to haunt, daunt and finally kill every initiative before the current one, the DUST. Dust that will accumulate as the initiative will be left behind and forgotten by the same people that have formulated it. Thus a mechanism has to be put in place to ensure that this wheel will keep turning, that this wheel will see the light of day, that this proposal will actually make a difference, change, actions and peace. Change and change resistance is something that need to be overcome and which is always neglected by all peace initiatives that has been formulated. Therefore, for a peace initiative to be adopted and acted upon, participation will need to be encouraged with deadlines for each of the blocks put on top of the base block. With each block deadline occurring, we move closer to the final dream which will soon bring upon countless new challenges and obstacles to overcome, but such is the process of bringing peace after 100 years of conflict. With every block challenges will arise that need to be overcome, from full withdrawal of Israeli forces to Hamas submission to the new peace plan.

When dealing with the holy city, there was so many talks as to how to deal with such a site of great importance to both faiths. One idea is to keep the holy city as an international city, much like rome is, with its own governing body and protected by its neighbors. This idea though widely recognised is hard to implement with both parties involved need to secure their own rights to access and practice their faiths in the holy city. Another opinion expressed in the IPI is that west Jerusalem will be an Israeli controlled capital of Israel, while east Jerusalem will be a city with international laws. This idea though will grant both parties access to the holy city seems to not be a just in international laws; giving one military presence while the other has no presence means that the whole city is under the control of the only military presence in the holy city. Therefore, in order for us to solve this, someone need to look for a different perspective.

The Holy City need to be accessed by both parties, however each party are concerned on the safety of its citizens in the Holy City. Therefore, a committee can be formed, by both countries, each country has number of seats equal to the other country's seats. This committee will be the steering committee and the government of the Holy City, providing access to the holy city for all and security of the holy city residents and visitors. This would entail checkpoints to make the Holy City weapons free and grants Holiness to the most holy place. Thus police is dependent and is only concerned with the security and safety of resident and visitors of the Holy City. Both states are assured degree of control on the holy city and freedom of practice. The city therefore, cannot be a capital of any state since it is a holy place and cannot be turned into a city with consulates and embassies that will flood the city as each country will have two embassies in a diameter of less than 50 KM. Therefore, the Holy City cannot be a capital of any state to preserve its buildings and surroundings and quiet and seldom to those visiting the place to practice and worship.

This is of course a dream that I wish to see come true. A wish that I hope will lead the readers to agree. A hope that I pray will always be there to drive us to peace.

Please comment below about what you think is the solution to Middle East Peace, I would love to hear from my readers.