Letter for Obama

January 1, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.
But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.
I welcome your promise for change. Certainly your country, the United States of America needs a lot of changes.
That is because America and Americans have become the most hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.
It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.
1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated.
War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.
2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you.
In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries.
Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions.
Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.

8) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations.

I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.
But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.
If you can do only a few of what I suggest, you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.
May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

World Financial Crisis: Lesson form Islamic Economics

By

M. Fahim Khan (Islamic Society for Institutional Economics)

Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi, King Faisal Prize Laureate in Islamic Economics,
has prepared a note to examine the relevance of Islamic economics today
and whether it has a message for humanity in so far as its current
financial problems are concerned? It is a very perceptive response from
Dr Siddiqi which I appreciate very much. I am writing this note just to
reiterate the position, taken by this forum of I-SIE, that if we need to
draw lessons from Islamic economics, we need to look into the economics
embodied in the institutional framework of Islam.

No doubt, riba (interest, usuary) and maysir (gambling, speculative
activities similar to gambling) are the major factors leading to the
current financial crisis. Islam's prohibition of Riba and Maysir
along with Islamic values and morals, and recognizing others'
interest in one's economic fortunes, if adhered to, could not have
lead the world to the present day financial crisis. Keeping individuals
and Society free form financial and economic crises can clearly be seen
as one of the objectives of such instiutions.

The question, however, is how to do this now? Where to go from where we
are now? Even if we can declare that taking and charging of interest in
banking operations is prohibited, the question remains; what is the
alternative? Current practice of Islamic banking has not provided any
convincing alternative. With the Tawarruq made Shari'a compatible, the
results can not be expected much different from those of interest based
banking system.

Through this forum, I like to draw the attention of all concerned about
the need to investigate into the institutional framework of financial
system that prevailed in the Islamic societies before they were
colonized by the West. The contemporary financial system came into
existence when the Muslim societies had already been colonized and their
institutions demolished or diluted. The modern financial system
developed without taking any lessons from the Muslim civilization.

It is curious to note that almost all branches of modern knowledge admit
the contributions of Islamic civilization often referred to
"medieval ages" towards their discipline, except science of
Economics and Finance which does not recognize any contribution made by
Islamic civilization in this field. Even Schumpeter, writing history of
economic thought totally ignores the long history of economic successes
in the era of Islamic civilization. It was the period when the poverty
was non existent. Basic needs of every one were met. No one was
"poor" enough to look forward to receive charity. Worldwide
famine type situations were intelligently and successfully dealt with.
There is no evidence of financial and economic crisis in the long
history spread over about 1000 years.

It is now the time that visionary economists and financial gurus look
back and investigate into the institutional set in the economy of
medieval ages to find solution for the current crisis. Those familiar
with the economy of medieval ages do know that its financial system was
not a banking-based system. Its system was either market (of goods and
services) based system or it was based on Qardh Hasan (benevolent loans,
normally understood as charities). Financing needs in the market were
met through trade contracts. Sale contracts with deferred payments and
sale contracts with advance payments met the financing needs through the
market without needing financial intermediation. "Know thy
client" is more relevant for maket based financial system and hence
the issues of adverse selection, moral hazard and transaction cost were
minimized. The financing needs that market could not or did not want to
meet, were met by the institutions of Qardh Hasan, Zakah and Awqaf
promoted by Islamic teachings. The issue of moral hazard, adverse
selection and transaction did not occur even in these institutions. The
need for developing financial intermediaries never arose despite
economic growth and development.

It is not the place to discuss the details of such a system to meet the
financing needs of a modern economy. Once the concept is acceptable, the
details can be worked out. The point is that market itself is a better
place to generate a financial system to suit its own needs. If markets
are functioning well and institutions are in place to give support and
protection for the market to provide financing as part of the contract
of the sale and purchase of goods and services and if there are
institutions to meet the social needs not met by market, there will be
no need to develop banks to provide a financial system on interest
basis. Even now, several businesses large and small, wholesale and
retail, are doing the business by providing financing while
selling/purchasing goods and services, without letting their customers
go through the banking system to get the financing. They do not have to
explicitly refer to interest calcualtions when providing financing for
their sales and purchases. Every thing is built-in within the price.

The concept of Forward Sale as give by Islam (known as Bai' Salam)
is wonderful guide to develop a market of Futures contract without
tempting the traders and producers in the market to go into gamabling or
gambling type "speculation" . (For more detailed discussion on
this, see my paper on "Islamic Futures and their Market"
published by Islamic Research and Training Institute and is downloadable
free from their website). Modern finance, does not recognise the
financial system prevailing in medieval ages because it did not borrow
anything from there. Occasionally, somewhere we may find a reference to
forward contracts of the medieval ages. But there is hardly any attempt
to understand the nature and economics of those forward contracts in
comparison with the forward and future commodity contracts of today. The
financial gurus may find a lot in the economic and financial system that
was in practice when Islamic civilization was on top of the world

For drawing lessons from the Islamic financial system as prevalent in
the so called medieval ages, what is needed to be done is to reform the
market of goods and services in a way that allows the market to develop
its own financial instruments to suit the financing needs of the
society. Infrastructural institutions are required to be developed to
promote and protect the financing provided by the market of goods and
services as part of its sales and purchases, rather than promoting and
protecting the banking institutions to finance gambling and speculation.

A bank-free but market-based financial system is the key to have
crisis-free financial and economic system. The developed world can take
lead in introducing market-based financial system and show the way to
the developing world too, how to get out of the trap of banking based
financial system.

Banking-based financial system has long been losing its credibility in
the eyes of financial gurus. To Frederic Mishikin, it is a puzzle,
"What makes banks so important?" when there are better and less
complicated options available in the market to raise financing
(including loans). See his book The Economics of Money, Banking and
Financial System.

The world bank report on Institutions, 2000 identifies two types of
financial system. Market based financial system and banking based
financial system. Germany has been mentioned to be having a more market
based financial system compared to other countries in the West and now,
probably, it is Germany which is in a better shape among the G-7, in
this time of worst financial crisis.

It is in the interest of both the Islamic economists and conventional
economists to look into the Islamic economic system which has been in
practice for a very very long time. Islamic Civilization gave a lot to
the modern world to develop physical and natural sciences. Let us see if
there is anything for the science of economics and finance to borrow
from there in the interest of the wellbeing of man on earth. I
particularly invite those working in the framework of New Institutional
Economics (NIE) to take it up as a commitment to their own discipline.
Let us think of an economy at least free of commercial banking. To start
with, let us see how an economy would shape up if there were no
commercial banks and there were no short term borrowing and lending on
interest through financial intermediaries.

Note for Dr. Siddiqi: I hope Dr Nejatullah Siddiqi puts his note on
internet soon so that a link is provided on this site for ready
reference.

AL SADAQAT AL JARIYAH - THE ACTIONS WHICH OUTLIVES YOU!

Give a copy of Quran to someone and each time they read from it, you will gain hasanaat
Donate a wheel chair to a hospital and each time a sick person uses it, you will gain hasanaat
Share constructive reading material with someone
Help in educating a child
Teach someone to recite a dua. With each recitation, you will gain hasanaat
Share a dua or Quran CD
Participate in the building of a mosque
Place a water cooler in a public place
Plant a tree. Each time any person or an animal sits under its shade or eats from the tree, you will gain hasanaat
Share this with someone. If one person applies any of the above you will receive your hasanaat until the Day of Judgment

The Jayabaya "Prediction"

Syair Joyoboyo dalam tiga bahasa...
Besuk yen wis ana kreta tanpa jaran.
Kelak jika sudah ada kereta tanpa kuda.
One day there will be a cart without a horse.
Tanah Jawa kalungan wesi.
Tanah Jawa berkalung besi.
The island of Java will wear a necklace of iron.

Prahu mlaku ing dhuwur awang-awang.
Perahu berlayar di ruang angkasa.
There will be a boat flying in the sky.

Kali ilang kedhunge.
Sungai kehilangan lubuk.
The river will loose its current.

Pasar ilang kumandhang.
Pasar kehilangan suara.
There will be markets without crowds.

Iku tandha yen tekane jaman Jayabaya wis cedhak.
Itulah pertanda jaman Jayabaya telah mendekat.
These are the signs that the Jayabaya era is coming.

Bumi saya suwe saya mengkeret.
Bumi semakin lama semakin mengerut.
The earth will shrink.

Sekilan bumi dipajeki.
Sejengkal tanah dikenai pajak.
Every inch of land will be taxed.

Jaran doyan mangan sambel.
Kuda suka makan sambal.
Horses will devour chili sauce.

Wong wadon nganggo pakeyan lanang.
Orang perempuan berpakaian lelaki.
Women will dress in men's clothes.

Iku tandhane yen wong bakal nemoni wolak-waliking jaman.
Itu pertanda orang akan mengalami jaman berbolak-balik.
These are signs that the people is facing the era of turning upside down.

Akeh janji ora ditetepi.
Banyak janji tidak ditepati.
Many promises unkept.

Akeh wong wani nglanggar sumpahe dhewe.
Banyak orang berani melanggar sumpah sendiri.
Many break their oath.

Manungsa padha seneng nyalah.
Orang-orang saling lempar kesalahan.
People will tend to blame on each other.

Ora ngendahake hukum Allah.
Tak peduli akan hukum Allah.
They will ignore God's law.

Barang jahat diangkat-angkat.
Yang jahat dijunjung-junjung.
Evil things will be lifted up.

Barang suci dibenci.
Yang suci (justru) dibenci.
Holy things will be despised.

Akeh manungsa mung ngutamakke dhuwit.
Banyak orang hanya mementingkan uang.
Many people will become fixated on money.

Lali kamanungsan.
Lupa jati kemanusiaan.
Ignoring humanity.

Lali kabecikan.
Lupa hikmah kebaikan.
Forgetting kindness.

Lali sanak lali kadang.
Lupa sanak lupa saudara.
Abandoning their families.

Akeh bapa lali anak.
Banyak ayah lupa anak.
Fathers will abandon their children.

Akeh anak wani nglawan ibu.
Banyak anak berani melawan ibu.
Children will be disrespectful to their mothers.

Nantang bapa.
Menantang ayah.
And battle against their fathers.

Sedulur padha cidra.
Saudara dan saudara saling khianat.
Siblings will collide violently.

Kulawarga padha curiga.
Keluarga saling curiga.
Family members will be suspicious of each other.

Kanca dadi mungsuh.
Kawan menjadi lawan.
Friends become enemies.

Akeh manungsa lali asale.
Banyak orang lupa asal-usul.
People will forget their roots.

Ukuman Ratu ora adil.
Hukuman Raja tidak adil
The ruler's judgments will be unjust.

Akeh pangkat sing jahat lan ganjil.
Banyak pembesar jahat dan ganjil
There will be many peculiar and evil leaders.

Akeh kelakuan sing ganjil.
Banyak ulah-tabiat ganjil
Many will behave strangely.

Wong apik-apik padha kapencil.
Orang yang baik justru tersisih.
Good people will be isolated.

Akeh wong nyambut gawe apik-apik padha krasa isin.
Banyak orang kerja halal justru malu.
Many people will be too embarrassed to do the right things.

Luwih utama ngapusi.
Lebih mengutamakan menipu.
Choosing falsehood instead.

Wegah nyambut gawe.
Malas menunaikan kerja.
Many will be lazy to work.

Kepingin urip mewah.
Inginnya hidup mewah.
Seduced by luxury.

Ngumbar nafsu angkara murka, nggedhekake duraka.
Melepas nafsu angkara murka, memupuk durhaka.
They will take the easy path of crime and deceit.

Wong bener thenger-thenger.
Si benar termangu-mangu.
The honest will be confused.

Wong salah bungah.
Si salah gembira ria.
The dishonest will be joyful.

Wong apik ditampik-tampik.
Si baik ditolak ditampik.
The good will be rejected.

Wong jahat munggah pangkat.
Si jahat naik pangkat.
The evil ones will rise to the top.

Wong agung kasinggung.
Yang mulia dilecehkan
Noble people will be abused.

Wong ala kapuja.
Yang jahat dipuji-puji.
Evil doers will be worshipped.

Wong wadon ilang kawirangane.
Perempuan hilang malu.
Women will become shameless.

Wong lanang ilang kaprawirane.
Laki-laki hilang perwira
Men will loose their courage.

Akeh wong wadon ora setya marang bojone.
Banyak perempuan ingkar pada suami.
Women will be unfaithful to their husbands.

Akeh ibu padha ngedol anake.
Banyak ibu menjual anak.
Mothers will sell their babies.

Akeh wong wadon ngedol awake.
Banyak perempuan menjual diri.
Women will engage in prostitution.

Akeh wong ijol bebojo.
Banyak orang tukar pasangan.
Couples will trade partners.

Wong wadon nunggang jaran.
Perempuan menunggang kuda.
Women will ride horses.

Wong lanang linggih plangki.
Laki-laki naik tandu.
Men will be carried in a stretcher.

Randha seuang loro.
Dua janda harga seuang (Red.: seuang = 8,5 sen).
Two divorcees will be valued at 8,5 cents.

Prawan seaga lima.
Lima perawan lima picis.
A virgin will be valued at 10 cents.

Dhudha pincang laku sembilan uang.
Duda pincang laku sembilan uang.
A crippled widower will be valued at nine uang's

Akeh wong ngedol ngelmu.
Banyak orang berdagang ilmu.
Many will earn their living by trading their knowledge.

Akeh wong ngaku-aku.
Banyak orang mengaku diri.
Many will claims other's merits as their own.

Njabane putih njerone dhadhu.
Di luar putih di dalam jingga.
White outwardly but orange inwardly

Ngakune suci, nanging sucine palsu.
Mengaku suci, tapi palsu belaka.
They will proclaim their righteousness despite their sinful ways.

Akeh bujuk akeh lojo.
Banyak tipu banyak muslihat.
Many will use sly and dirty tricks.

Akeh udan salah mangsa.
Banyak hujan salah musim.
Rains will fall in the wrong season.

Akeh prawan tuwa.
Banyak perawan tua.
Many women will remain virgins into their old age.

Akeh randha nglairake anak.
Banyak janda melahirkan bayi.
Many divorcees will give birth.

Akeh jabang bayi lahir nggoleki bapakne.
Banyak anak lahir mencari bapanya.
Newborns will search for their fathers.

Agama akeh sing nantang.
Agama banyak ditentang.
Religions will be attacked.

Prikamanungsan saya ilang.
Perikemanusiaan semakin hilang.
Humanitarianism will no longer have importance.

Omah suci dibenci.
Rumah suci dijauhi.
Holy temples will be hated.

Omah ala saya dipuja.
Rumah maksiat makin dipuja.
They will be more fond of praising evil places.

Wong wadon lacur ing ngendi-endi.
Di mana-mana perempuan lacur
Prostitution will be everywhere.

Akeh laknat.
Banyak kutuk
There will be many worthy of damnation.

Akeh pengkianat.
Banyak pengkhianat.
There will be many betrayals.

Anak mangan bapak.
Anak makan bapak.
Children will be against father.

Sedulur mangan sedulur.
Saudara makan saudara.
Siblings will be against siblings.

Kanca dadi mungsuh.
Kawan menjadi lawan.
Friends will become enemies.

Guru disatru.
Guru dimusuhi.
Guru is treated as an enemy.

Tangga padha curiga.
Tetangga saling curiga.
Neighbours will become suspicious of each other.

Kana-kene saya angkara murka.
Angkara murka semakin menjadi-jadi.
And ruthlessness will be everywhere.

Sing weruh kebubuhan.
Barangsiapa tahu terkena beban.
The eyewitness has to take the responsibility.

Sing ora weruh ketutuh.
Sedang yang tak tahu disalahkan.
The ones who know nothing will be prosecuted.

Besuk yen ana peperangan.
Kelak jika terjadi perang.
One day when there will armagedon.

Teka saka wetan, kulon, kidul lan lor.
Datang dari timur, barat, selatan, dan utara.
In the east, in the west, in the south, and in the north.

Akeh wong becik saya sengsara.
Banyak orang baik makin sengsara.
Good people will suffer more.

Wong jahat saya seneng.
Sedang yang jahat makin bahagia.
Bad people will be happier.

Wektu iku akeh dhandhang diunekake kuntul.
Ketika itu burung gagak dibilang bangau.
When this happens, crow will be said heron.

Wong salah dianggep bener.
Orang salah dipandang benar.
The wrong person will be assumed to be honest.

Pengkhianat nikmat.
Pengkhianat nikmat.
Betrayers will live in the utmost of material comfort.

Durjana saya sempurna.
Durjana semakin sempurna.
The deceitful will decline even further.

Wong jahat munggah pangkat.
Orang jahat naik pangkat.
The evil persons will rise to the top.

Wong lugu kebelenggu.
Orang yang lugu dibelenggu.
The modest will be trapped.

(End)

Ever Wonder ???

Ever Wonder ?????

Why a nun can be covered from head to toe and she's respected for devoting
herself to God, but when a Muslimah does that, she's considered
"oppressed"?

Mengapa seorang biarawati bisa tertutup dari kepala hingga ujung jari kaki
dan ia dihormati karena membaktikan dirinya untuk Tuhan, sedangkan jika
seorang muslimah melakukannya, ia sering
dicap "tertindas"?


Why a Jew can grow a beard and he's just practicing his faith, and when a
Muslim does that, he's an extremist?

Mengapa seorang Yahudi bisa memelihara janggutnya dan ia dipandang melulu
sedang melaksanakan kepercayaannya, dan ketika seorang Muslim melakukannya
ia adalah seorang ekstrimis?


When a western woman stays at home to look after the house and kids she's
sacrificing herself and doing good for the household, but when a Muslim
woman does so, she "needs to be liberated"?

Jika seorang wanita barat tinggal di rumah dan merawat rumah beserta
anak-anaknya, ia dianggap tengah berkorban dan berbuat baik untuk
rumahtangganya, tetapi jika seorang perempuan Muslim melaksanakannya ia
dianggap "perlu dimerdekakan".


Why is it that when a child dedicates himself to a subject, he has
potential, and when a child dedicates himself to Islam, he is hopeless?

Mengapa jika seorang anak meraih keberhasilan pada suatu disiplin ilmu, ia
dianggap berpotensi, tetapi jika ia membaktikan dirinya pada Islam, ia
dianggap tak ada harapan?


When a Christian kills someone, religion is not mentioned, (i.e., Ireland
and the IRA) but when a Muslim is charged with a crime, it's Islam that
goes
to trial?

Ketika seorang Kristen membunuh seseorang, agama tidak pernah disebut-sebut
(contohnya Irlandia dan teroris IRA), tetapi ketika seorang Muslim dituduh
dengan suatu tindakan kriminal, Islamlah seolah-olah yang diadili?


But then again, why is it after all that, Islam is still the fastest
growing
religion in the world ?

Tetapi kemudian, mengapa meskipun semua itu terjadi, Islam tetap merupakan
agama yang berkembang tercepat di dunia?


Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! Let's just see if Satan stops this
one.

Renungkanlah selama 60 detik dan katakanlah! Lihat apakah setan akan
menghentikannya.


All you do is:
Yang perlu anda lakukan adalah:
1) Say:
a - Subhaan-Allah
b - Alhamdu-Lillah
c - Allaahu-Akbar
d - Laa Ilaaha Illa-Allaahu MuhammadurRasoolullah
e - Allaahumma Shalli Alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-wa Alaa Aalihi wa Shahbihi
Wasallim


2) Then:
Send it on to five other people or more. Within hours, five people have
prayed and you caused a multitude of people to pray to Allah, and

Lalu, kirimkan pada 5 orang lainnya atau lebih. Dan dalam beberapa jam 5
orang telah berdoa dan anda telah menyebabkan orang banyak berdoa pada
Allah dan


3) Then: Sit back and watch the power of Allah work in your life for doing
the thing that you know HE loves.....Amen amen Ya Rabbul! Alamin....

Kemudian: lihatlah betapa kekuasaan Allah SWT berfungsi di dalam hidup anda
dalam melakukan hal-hal yang anda yakin dicintai oleh-Nya ..... Amin ya
Rabbul Alamin!