CIC HAS MOVED to


877 Shefford Road.
Gloucester
Ottawa, Ontario
K1J 8H9

Tel: (613) 680-2867
Tel: (613) 680-2871
Fax: (613) 680-2902

Privacy statement

On May 15 this year, Zionists the world over will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of a state for-Jews-only in Palestine.

Throughout the short but turbulent history of this Jewish state, its Zionist governments have resorted to ethnically cleansing Palestinian natives in order to maintain the racial "purity" of their nation.

Never in human history, but especially since the Second World War, has such a massive crime of ethnic cleansing been largely hidden for so long from the scrutiny of public opinion - this despite the accelerated development of communication technology over the past half-century.

Only historians seem to know the true scope of the ethnic cleansing of native Palestinians by the Jewish state; some of them are brave Israeli Jews like Prof. Ilan Pappe who recently published his findings in "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine."

Even before May 15, 1948 the new Jewish settlers in Palestine lobbied Britain to use its military and political power to rid "their" land of its indigenous population, namely native Palestinians; in fact the campaign to remove Palestinians started as far back as the 1920s.

In 1945, the British declared Emergency Law in what became Israel and used sections 109-112 of that law to exile any Palestinian who opposed discriminatory treatment by the British that favored the Jewish settlers.

Shortly after the announcement of the establishment of Israel by Zionist Jews in 1948, nearly a million (960,000) Palestinians were forced out of their homes, according to a UN report dated June 30, 1950.

And following its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in June 1967, Israel pursued an aggressive policy to ethnically cleanse the rest of Palestine. This was clearly a war crime under both present current international law of the time, but Israel used the deceptively soft term of "transfer" to describe its brutal actions against native people in these areas.

Another revealing book by Labib Qodsia, "Exiling Palestinians from Their Homeland 1967 - 1993," provides detailed documentation of how Palestinians were forced into exile or "transferred" by the Jewish state. The author includes many of their names, home cities, date of exile and even some of their photographs.

The Zionist policy of "transfer" literally meant taking people by military escort to the borders of Jordan or Egypt and dumping them there. But those who reached exile over the border by military escort were the lucky ones. Many were dumped in the desert to find their own way into Jordan.

The former Israeli PM, Ariel Sharon, used to joke that while he was Defense Minister in the 1970s, the military in the Occupied West Bank would send Palestinians toward Jordan by dumping them in the middle of the desert, but only after giving them "a few dinars [coins], a loaf of bread and a white flag." It is not rocket science to figure out that many did not make it to safety as a result of such "humane" treatment.

During the decade-and-a-half between 1967 and 1982 Israel forced more than 300,000 Palestinians into exile through its sinister "transfer" policy, which included not only unwanted individuals, but in many cases whole families with women, the elderly and children.

On January 22, 1968 Twadod Abdulhadi, herself a senior citizen, was the first Palestinian woman sent into exile to Amman, Jordan, after being held a week in an Israeli concentration camp. But another Palestinian woman, Rasmia O'da, was imprisoned for an entire decade (1969 to 1979) before being exiled.

A decade later, the forced transfers were continuing at the same alarming pace, with women often the most vulnerable victims. A typical example was the transfer to Jordan on August 22, 1989 of eight Palestinian mothers and their children. They were all from the village of Deer Abo Meshal, near Ramallah. Among the youngest were Fardous Syleman, age 20, with her young baby, and Sabah Mahmoud, 23, with three young children. The oldest included Fatima Mahmoud and Ma'zoza Awad, both aged 60.

The ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians from 1967 - 1993 not only victimized those living in the Occupied Territories, but also included Palestinians returning home from abroad. Raga Abdulraboo is a case in point. She lived in Abu Dhabi with her family, but returned to Gaza to marry. On May 13, 1987, immediately after the birth of her baby boy, Israel sent her to Egypt.

These numerous forced "transfers" of Palestinian natives were done by Israeli occupation forces in the middle of the night under cover of darkness and without warning. Any resistance from a person's family was brutally quashed; in many cases, harsh fines were imposed on family members who objected to the arrest and transfer process.

Another little-known fact is that the Zionists' ethnic cleansing of the Occupied West Bank and Gaza did not differentiate between Muslims or Christians - both were seen as a threat to the only-for-Jews policy adopted by Israel. Thus in 1967, the exiles included Anglican minister Rev. Alyia Khury and Greek Orthodox priest Rev. Alydon Kobohe, along with the Muslim Imam, Sheik Abdulhameed Alsayeh.

When Jordan, Egypt and Syria announced that their refugee resources were exhausted and they could no longer accept any more forced transfers of native Palestinians, Israel started to send them instead into Lebanon.

Israel's ethic cleansing program has left destruction in its wake throughout areas that were once centuries-old Palestinian communities.

After a given area has been ethnically cleansed, the Israeli military blows up the vacated homes in order to terrorize the remaining population. During its first year of West Bank occupation, Israel demolished more than 3,000 homes; between 1967and 1985 at least another 13,000 were destroyed in Gaza.

But sadly, only historians seem to know or care about this criminal history of Zionist ethnic cleansing - and too few are brave enough to write about it in the public forum.

(Dr. Mohamed Elmasry is national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress. He can be reached at np@canadianislamiccongress.com)

Introduction and Definition

Education in Islam encompasses serious goals and social responsibilities whose aims have been the subject of great effort by Muslim and non-Muslim philosophers in explaining them. Not surprisingly, this sustained focus on such central human issues has resulted in varying viewpoints on the definition of these goals and responsibilities.

Some regard the spiritual element as being of primary importance, while others focus on more material, or tangible, benefits. Yet others see social goals as the highest criteria of a good education. Combining some of these elements, a fourth group prioritizes individual growth and personal development over that of the community-at-large.

I am personally inspired by Wendell Berry's definition of education as "a continuous process of transmitting knowledge and values in order to promote the intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical development of the pupils, enabling them to cope with challenges of modern society and grow up as balanced and motivated individuals. It is about the harmonious development of mind, body and soul. On the one hand, education helps equip human beings with the required skills and experiences needed to meet the challenges of a competitive society; on the other hand, it prepares them ... to live as caring human beings in a diverse society. With effective dissemination of these roles they attain peace in life and the pleasure of God." (Berry, 1992)

T'alim, Tarbiyah and Ta'dib -- Three Terms that Define Education in Islam

Muslims primarily use these three terms to describe education -- ta'lim, tarbiyah and ta'dib. Each bears a slightly different connotation but embodies various dimensions of the educational process as contained in the primary sources of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Any one of these terms would sufficiently convey the meaning of education as it is generally accepted in the world. A more detailed etymological study, however, will reveal an instructive cross-section of various nuances that can help to refine the meanings they all bring to the broad concepts of practical and theoretical education.

Ta'lim

This term is widely used in a formal sense, stemming from the Arabic root 'alima which means to know, to be aware, to perceive, or to learn; it relates to knowledge being sought or imparted through instruction and teaching (Bernard Lewis et al, 1987, vol. III).

Ta'lim refers to types of instruction whose mental activities and disciplines result in the gaining of knowledge the learner did not previously possess (Bin Omar, 1993). It could also be defined as the process of transmitting or imparting knowledge to a person that will help in training his or her mind and in developing reasoning powers.

Thus, ta'lim is central to the process of instilling knowledge in such a way that both the giver (teacher) and recipient (student, or learner) add meaning and value, not only to their own lives, but to the total enrichment of their community, society, and to all of human existence.

Tarbiyah

The word tarbiyah comes from the root raba, which means to increase, to grow, to nourish, or to perform the gradual process of growing of something to the stage of completeness or maturity (Al-Attas, 1979).

In contemporary Arabic usage, tarbiyah is often used to denote education. It is associated with the purposeful intention of putting affairs into a right and proper state or order. At this level, the term applies to the growth process of humans, plants and animals (Ibn Manzur, 2000, Vol. I).

Among Muslim educators, tarbiyah is perceived as an educational process by which the human personality is brought up through one stage to another, until the stage of complete maturity is attained.

In short, as Bin Omar (1993) suggests, tarbiyah refers to education in its broadest sense, meaning the development of the human personality and the nurturing and rearing aspects of education, especially as applied to the young.

Both ta'lim and tarbiyah are used in contemporary administrative affairs, particularly in predominantly Muslim societies (Nasr, 1987). Tarbiyah is seen as distinct from ta'lim in that the latter has a closer semantic relationship to ‘ilm - knowledge that is generally understood to be the result of formal education. For Nasr (1987), tarbiyah is the highest level of education in that it embraces the development and education of the whole being.

Ta'dib

The third term used in Islamic education is ta'dib. Its origins are in the root adaba which means to be cultured, refined, or well-mannered; disciplined and trained in mind and soul (Ibn Manzur, 2000, Vol. I). Ta'dib suggests the social dimensions of a person's development, being a process by which the most desirable attributes of mind and soul -- in terms of proper behaviour and ethical conduct -- are acquired (Bin Omar, 1993). This is the rationale of Islamic education that emerged historically in the teaching systems developed through mosques and madaris.

Al-Attas (1985) describes adab as education that focuses at the highest level on the development of the whole human being. It involves discipline of the mind and spirit in order to attain recognition and acknowledgement of each individual's proper place, appropriate to their physical, intellectual and spiritual capacity and potential.

This means that in Islam, education can never be separated from adab in its most profound sense, because adab encompasses the spiritual level of human awareness. As Al-Attas (1979) suggests, an emphasis on adab, which includes action (‘amal) in the educational process ensures that ‘ilm (knowledge) is being put to good use in society.

Thus these three terms together -- T'alim, Tarbiyah and Ta'dib -- fully define the goals of education in Islam.

The Goal of Education in Islam: Complete Personality

Modern Muslim scholars see education in Islam as a wholistic process, one involving the complete personality (insan kamil in Arabic), including one's rational, spiritual and social dimensions (Al-Attas, 1979). This comprehensive and integrated approach to education strives to produce a morally good and well-rounded person through balanced training of the spirit, the intellect, the rational self, the emotions and the bodily senses. This approach is wholly coherent with Islamic educational theory, in which the objective of gaining knowledge is attained through striving for perfection of all dimensions of the human being (Al Attas (1979).

Thus if the goal of education in Islam is the balanced growth of human character, the soul should receive equal attention with the intellect. Ashraf (1993) warns that the separation of human spiritual development from the rational temporal aspects of personality is the main cause of psychic degeneration and loss of identity.

Education in Islam must therefore be a twofold process involving acquisition of intellectual knowledge as well as spiritual experience, for the two are fundamentally inseparable for the healthy nurture of the whole human being.

The educational philosophies of Al Attas and other Islamic specialists such as Al Faruqi, Rahman and Ramadan, also echo the importance of making equal provision for both intellectual and spiritual aspects. Acquiring knowledge in Islam is not endorsed as an end in and of itself, but as a means to stimulate increased moral and spiritual consciousness, making education not merely a destination, but a life-long journey. It is, in reality, the art of justly dealing with human nature at various levels and in diverse contexts, thus ensuring healthy growth and maturation of each person's identity and self-awareness within the framework of his or her society.

In this vein, we can see that a wholistic understanding of education ultimately benefits both the individual and the wider community. Lerner (1976) urges that education must aim both at those who are fulfilling and fulfilled, who engage in a society where they can both give and receive strength and nourishment. Unless education is shaped to be a truly fertile ground for the entire human and communal life cycle, it will not have explored or fulfilled its true aim.

Conclusion

It is evident that education in Islam comprises much more than formal schooling; it is a life-long process. The Islamic perspective is echoed in Illich (1998) and other post-modern theories about "de-schooling," or acknowledging that education takes place continually, not only in the classroom. This insight is evident in the words ta'lim, tarbiyah, and ta'dib, all of which refer to different aspects of the Islamic education process.

These three inter-woven terms express multivalent concern for individuals, the environment and society as a whole, thus representing the comprehensive scope of both formal and informal education in Islam.

For Muslims, the entire world becomes their classroom - the abundant and diverse theatre in which one's journey to moral perfection and intellectual excellence are embodied to the benefit of all humankind.

(Imam Dr. Zijad Delic is CIC's National Executive Director in Ottawa. This article was edited for the Canadian Islamic Congress Friday Magazine.)

Candidates for public office, high and low, are bewitched -- frightened is the more accurate word -- by an unwarranted but costly fear of the U.S. lobby that functions on behalf of the State of Israel.

Comb through the millions of words expressed by the "final three" in the presidential sweepstakes -- Barak Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain -- and you will not find a word, not even a syllable, critical of the longstanding U.S. policy bias that heavily favours Israel, a policy that imposes a staggering burden on American society and infuriates Muslims worldwide, including the eight million who are U.S. citizens.

A search of the millions of words of analysis from talking heads and other commentators who make a living examining the impact of presidential candidates' behaviour discloses the same empty-headed silence. They don't even mention candidate silence on a topic that should be a fundamental and continuing focus of discussion.

A search of major media -- print, radio and television - yields virtually the same result: silence. The internet is one of the few places where thoughtful and candid examinations of Israel's dominance over U.S. society can be found.

This silence is a phenomenon unknown elsewhere in the world. Discussion of America's pro-Israel bias and its terrible consequences are common in periodicals from Britain, France, Germany, all Arab countries, and most other nations, even in Israel, whose Hebrew newspapers and journals regularly discuss candidly and deeply the bad behaviour of Israel's own government.

Because of this silence, the American people are denied the benefit of a truly civilized discussion of the grievances that are believed to be the main factor leading to the dreadful tragedy of 9/11, the resulting tunnel vision that prompted President George W. Bush to order wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the high-pressure drumbeat for war against Iran as well.

This heavy silence obscures U.S. complicity in the awful, and worsening, plight of the Palestinian people. News coverage that reaches the American public tends to demonize Muslim insurgents who protest, sometimes with terrible violence, against U.S. attempts at military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and similar protests by Muslim and Christian Palestinians against Israel's US-supported suppression of what is left of Palestine.

U.S. citizens seldom see reminders that Israel, with U.S. encouragement, came into being in 1948 by the sword; it has expanded its domain and carried out destruction and humiliation of Palestinian society the same way ever since. The bias in media coverage leads uninformed people to view Israelis, not Palestinians, as the victims.

A few salient facts:

* According to the Christian Science Monitor, grants to Israel have cost U.S. taxpayers over $1.2 trillion since 1975. That sum includes, as it should, the cost of servicing the annual outlays as new debt.

* In 1982, Israel killed more than 17,000 people in the environs of Beirut, Lebanon using U.S.-donated arms. And according to data compiled by journalist Alison Weir surgeons amputated over 1,000 limbs in the aftermath of just one day's assault. Two years ago, Israeli forces killed over 1,000 people in another invasion of Lebanon. Most of the dead in both invasions were civilians.

* Israel now keeps 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned in the desolate Gaza Strip, because they voted into power Hamas, an organization hostile to Israel's conquests. Another two million are cordoned off like cattle behind 20-foot walls and fences in the West Bank.

* In recent years, Israelis have destroyed over 10,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and elsewhere in occupied Palestine, to say nothing of countless acres of historic olive groves, orchards and productive croplands.

These invasions of Lebanon, the mistreatment of Palestinians, and the destruction of homes are all clear crimes under international law. None of this would have happened if any U.S. president during the last 30 years had the courage to refuse the financing of Israel's conquests. If the U.S. government had suspended financial, military, and political support, Israel could not have carried out its monstrous atrocities.

None of the three current front-running presidential candidates says a word about suspending aid until Israel stops its criminal acts; not even the slightest hint. Indeed, each mentions Israel only with paeons of praise and pledges of unqualified support. Why? It's all about Fear.

Is the U.S. fated to have another president take office next January who is afraid to challenge the lobby for a small scofflaw country the size of New Jersey?

(Writer Paul Findley served as a congressional representative of Illinois from 1961 to 1983. He was a chief author of the "War Powers Resolution." Since leaving Congress, he has written three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Washington Post best-seller, "They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby." He resides in Jacksonville, Illinois. This article was slightly edited for the Canadian Islamic Congress Friday Magazine.)

Saad Gaya, one of the ever-diminishing number of Toronto's 18 terror suspects, appeared for a bail hearing late last month and so did most of his relatives - plus many people who have previously never laid eyes on him - who trooped out to Brampton to wish him well.

It's a tense time for the family of the 20-year-old McMaster University student who has been in jail since June 2006, when police swooped in and arrested 17 young, Toronto-area Muslim men and boys on terror charges.

Like the other adults arrested, Gaya spent more than a year in solitary confinement. His father, Hussain, says he worries what that experience has done to Saad.

But the Crown has made no excuses for coming down heavily on the suspects, alleging initially that all were engaged in terrorist acts and that some - including Gaya - were planning to use explosives against an unspecified target.

Actually, the Crown now alleges that only 11 were supposedly involved in terrorism. Seven of the original 18 have had their charges stayed - which, in simple English, means the government now admits it never had any real evidence against them. Those remaining in jail are hoping, at the very least, to get out on bail.

That's why Saad Gaya was before Superior Court Justice Casey Hill and why his parents, sister, brother, and 14 other relatives, were there as well. Not to mention the roughly 80 supporters bused in from local universities, as well as Bell Canada employee Imran Mian, who took time away from his vacation to ensure that justice was being done.

"There has been this problem of Islamophobia since 9/11," Mian said as he waited in line to enter courtroom 212. "That's why I came."

I can't tell you what Crown prosecutor Ione Jaffe or Gaya's defence counsel, Paul Slansky, said in courtroom 212. I can't tell you what the judge said or what any witnesses said. This is because the court hearings dealing with the Toronto 18 are subject to sweeping publication bans.

I can tell you, however, that the relatives, friends and supporters who filled that courtroom were quiet and respectful. Outside in the warm spring sunlight, Toronto activist Matthew Behrens used a megaphone to tell the bused-in students to keep their protest peaceful (which they did) and not hassle the police "who are very laid back" (which they were).

"In these times, the presumption of innocence gets lost in the name of protecting national security," Behrens said, a telling point for 21-year- old Lizna Bukhari. The McMaster sociology student doesn't know Gaya and doesn't usually go to demonstrations. But she said she came to Brampton yesterday to "support a fellow Muslim."

It wasn't always that way. In the early days of the terror case, many Muslims were reluctant to speak up for fear that they, too, might come under suspicion. Even yesterday, some were reluctant to be identified in the press.

Rukhsana Gaya said that if her son is released she will ensure that he rigorously abides by every condition the judge sets. But Saad was denied bail once. Will he get it now?

"I'm more hopeful," said his sister, Beenish. "The judge seems nice. But it's in the hands of the court."

(Thomas Walkom's column appears in Toronto Star on Wednesday and Saturday. This article was slightly edited and abridged for the Canadian Islamic Congress Friday Magazine.)

PHYLLIS BENNIS AT CIC FUNDRAISING DINNERS: TORONTO ON SATURDAY MAY 31 & WATERLOO ON SUNDAY JUNE 1

As Salamu ‘Alaikum brothers, sisters, and dear friends of CIC:

It gives us a great pleasure to invite you to attend our fund-raising dinners in: 1. TORONTO May 31, 2008 and
2. WATERLOO June 1, 2008. CIC TORONTO FUND-RAISING DINNER - SUTURDAY, MAY 31, 2008:

• Where: At the York Region Islamic Centre: 1380 Stouffville Road, Richmond Hill Ont. L4E 3S3
• When: Saturday May 31, at 5:00 p.m.
• Speaker and Topic: PHYLLIS BENNIS, American author, activist and academic will speak about her groundbreaking new book on TRUTH BEHIND ISRAEL - PALESTINE
• Other speakers include Zafar Bangash and Imam Dr. Zijad Delic
• Signed copies of Ms. Bennis's book will be given to donors of $100 or more.
• Tickets: Students/Seniors $20; Regular $40; Family (up to four) $100.

PLEASE CALL the following individuals for CIC's Toronto Fundraising tickets:

1. Dr. Mohamed Shokr: (905) 629-7608
2. Br. Ayub Hamid: (905) 813-3046
3. Sr. Wahida Valiante: (647) 802-8024
4. Br. Alaa Elsayed: (647)835 - 3868
5. Br. Ahmad N. Baksh: (416) 665-5716
6. Sr. Uzma Ashraf: (416) 917-8962
7. Br. Daniel Simard: (647) 293-2350
8. Br. Khurrum Awan: (416) 712-5209
9. Br. Mostafa & Sr. Wafa: (905) 479-1738
10. Br. Mamdouh & Sr. Sikina: (416) 282-7180
11. Br. Zafar Bangash: (905) 887-8913
12. Dr. Ayman Hassan Ismail: (519) 741-0949
13. Imam Dr. Zijad Delic: (613) 698-8469
14. CIC National Office, Kitchener: (519) 746-1242
15. Dr. Mohamed Elmasry

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CIC WATERLOO FUNDRAISING DINNER - SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2008:

• Where: RIM Park, Forbes Family Hall: 2001 University Ave., Waterloo Ont. N2K 4K4 Ph. 519-8845363
• When: Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
• Speaker and Topic: PHYLLIS BENNIS, American author, activist and academic will speak about her groundbreaking new book on TRUTH BEHIND ISRAEL - PALESTINE CONFLICT
• Other speakers include Imam Dr. Zijad Delic
• Signed copies of Ms. Bennis's book will be given to donors of $100 or more.
• Tickets: Students/Seniors $20; Regular $40; Family (up to four) $100.

PLEASE CALL the following individuals for CIC's Waterloo Fundraising tickets:

1. Br. Imtiyaz Ahmed: (519) 239-7719
2. Sr. Dr. Soha Moussa: (519) 721-7276
3. Br. Mohamed Badran: (519) 742-6385
4. Br. Mohamed Abolel: (519) 721-7731
5. Br. Abdul Kader Kishki: (519) 729-8500
6. Br. Sulmain Zebian: (519) 639-0974
7. Sheikh Alaa Elsayed: (647) 835 - 3868
8. Sr. Neven: (519) 722-4722
9. Sr. Fauzia Mazhar: (519) 729-3288
10. Sr. Idrisa: (519) 721-1619
11. Sr. Dr. Reem Al-Halimi: (519) 884-9835
12. Dr. Ayman Hassan Ismail: (519) 741-0949
13. Br. Hassan A. Hassan: (519) 722-8599
14. Ahmed Nour Youssef: (519) 729-9252
15. CIC National Office, Kitchener: (519) 746-1242
16. Dr. Mohamed Elmasry

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For more information and to order tickets ahead on line NOW http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com/dinner/index.php

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The CIC is committed to working for YOU and for OUR future generations. We ask YOU to do something for CIC to help us continue this work.

The Canadian Islamic Congress undertakes a broad range of activities on your behalf, including advocacy of just causes, lobbying, improving the religious and cultural literacy of politicians, educating Canadian Muslims on full participation in Canadian society, and educating all Canadians through lectures and special projects such as Islamic History Month.

To do all this and more, we need YOUR support.

Your generous donations will be greatly appreciated and appropriately utilized.

Re: MORE EGYPTIANS JOIN RANKS OF POOR WHILE RICH GET RICHER By Dr. Elmasry

Dear Dr. Elmasry:

As Salaam Alaikum

I have recently returned from a vacation in Egypt. I was pleasantly surprised to read your article in the Egyptian Gazette.

I commend you for your work all around the world, and especially for bringing a new point of view to your home land.

I enjoyed having Juma at Al-Azhar and sights and sounds of Egypt.

Shah Nawaz Husain