Inna li-lahi wa inna li-layhi raja'un.
From Allah we come, and to Him is our return.
Thousands of innocent lives were lost on September 11, 2001, and our hearts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones. For several hundred of the victims of 9/11, grief and sorrow has been compounded by constant suspicion, bias, hatred, and attacks on the faith they hold dear.
Imagine being the family of Salman Hamdani. The 23-year-old New York City police cadet was a part-time ambulance driver, incoming medical student, and devout Muslim. When he disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials came to his family, seeking him for questioning in relation to the terrorist attacks. They allegedly believed he was somehow involved. His whereabouts were undetermined for over six months, until his remains were finally identified. He was found near the North Tower, with his EMT medical bag beside him, presumably doing everything he could to help those in need. His family could finally rest, knowing that he died the hero they always knew him to be.
Or imagine being Baraheen Ashrafi, nine months pregnant with her second child. Her husband, Mohammad Chowdhury, was a waiter at Windows of the World restaurant, on the top floors of Tower One. The morning of September 11, they prayed salaat-l-fajr (the pre-dawn prayer) together, and he went off to work. She never saw him again. Their son, Farqad, was born 48 hours after the attacks -- one of the first 9/11 orphans to be born. In an interview with CTV Canada, she relates that in the months to follow, she mourned for her husband and endured the hostility of some ignorant people around her. "When they saw me ... I'm wearing a scarf. There is a hate look."
Or consider Rahma Salie, a passenger on American Airlines #11 that crashed into the North Tower. Rahma, a Muslim of Sri Lankan origin, was traveling with her husband Michael (a convert to Islam) to attend a friend's wedding in California. Rahma was 7 months pregnant with their first child. According to the Independent UK (October 11, 2001), Rahma's name was initially put on an FBI watch list, because her "Muslim-sounding" name was on the passenger manifest, and her travel patterns were similar to those of the hijackers (she was a computer consultant living in Boston). Although her name was eventually removed from the list, several of her family members were barred from taking flights to her memorial service. Her mother, Haleema, said, "I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident.”
Partial List of Muslim 9/11 Victims:
Note: This list is as yet incomplete and unconfirmed. It has been compiled from the Islamic Circle of North America, the Newsday victims database, and reports from other major news organizations. The victims' ages, employers, or other personal information is included when available, along with links to further information or photos.
Samad Afridi
Ashraf Ahmad
Shabbir Ahmad (45 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and 3 children)
Umar Ahmad
Azam Ahsan
Ahmed Ali
Tariq Amanullah (40 years old; Fiduciary Trust Co.; ICNA website team member; leaves wife and 2 children)
Touri Bolourchi (69 years old; United Airlines #175; a retired nurse from Tehran)
Salauddin Ahmad Chaudhury
Abdul K. Chowdhury (30 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Mohammad S. Chowdhury (39 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and child born 2 days after the attack)
Jamal Legesse Desantis
Ramzi Attallah Douani (35 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
SaleemUllah Farooqi
Syed Fatha (54 years old; Pitney Bowes)
Osman Gani
Mohammad Hamdani (50 years old)
Salman Hamdani (NYPD Cadet)
Aisha Harris (21 years old; General Telecom)
Shakila Hoque (Marsh & McLennan)
Nabid Hossain
Shahzad Hussain
Talat Hussain
Mohammad Shah Jahan (Marsh & McLennan)
Yasmeen Jamal
Mohammed Jawarta (MAS security)
Arslan Khan Khakwani
Asim Khan
Ataullah Khan
Ayub Khan
Qasim Ali Khan
Sarah Khan (32 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Taimour Khan (29 years old; Karr Futures)
Yasmeen Khan
Zahida Khan
Badruddin Lakhani
Omar Malick
Nurul Hoque Miah (36 years old)
Mubarak Mohammad (23 years old)
Boyie Mohammed (Carr Futures)
Raza Mujtaba
Omar Namoos
Mujeb Qazi
Tarranum Rahim
Ehtesham U. Raja (28 years old)
Ameenia Rasool (33 years old)
Naveed Rehman
Yusuf Saad
Rahma Salie & unborn child (28 years old; American Airlines #11; wife of Michael Theodoridis; 7 months pregnant)
Shoman Samad
Asad Samir
Khalid Shahid (25 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald; engaged to be married in November)
Mohammed Shajahan (44 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
Naseema Simjee (Franklin Resources Inc.'s Fiduciary Trust)
Jamil Swaati
Sanober Syed
Robert Elias Talhami (40 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Michael Theodoridis (32 years old; American Airlines #11; husband of Rahma Salie)
W. Wahid
News Reports:
Muslims among the mourners, San Francisco Bay Guardian
Muslim-American family mourns loss of loved one, CNN
The Forgotten Muslim Victims, Independent News, UK
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Muslim Victims of September 11th Attack
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
a brief hijack by a hater of Truth
sorry. My blog was hijacked by someone who did not want to see the US atrocities on Iraqi and Afghan civilans. I have removed that annoying bit, and let us hope he/she has some decency to let the truth be spoken.
'In Thy Seed': The Scriptures Revisited:
'In Thy Seed': The Scriptures Revisited: Genesis of the Middle East Imbroglio by Abdul Malik (Paperback - Jul 9, 2007)
Buy new: $20.99 2 Used & new from $20.99
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Editorial Reviews
The book is divided into six parts. Part I deals with the origins, composition and structure of the Bible, and Part II discusses some core beliefs. Part III examines some of the key Biblical texts from a new perspective, while Part IV gives essential points about Islam. Part V highlights other relevant issues, with Part VI dealing with the historical background and long relationship between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book thus covers a wide canvas, but does not lose sight of its central theme. Biblical quotes are from the King James' Authorised Version, the oldest English text. Later translations have been avoided as they give edited texts or fresh meanings, which only complicate matters. Quotes appear in the text instead of as Footnotes or Chapter Notes. The Bibliography at the end will assist the reader in undertaking further study."
About the Author
The author received his early education at missionary schools. He was familiar with many Christian concepts when, under Pope John-Paul II the Vatican called for a dialogue with other religions. As part of this initiative, in 1979-80 the author was invited as a lay Muslim to deliver a series of talks on Islam to some Roman Catholic nuns. This led him to look at the Bible from a Muslim perspective, and his interest grew as he learnt more about the misconceptions and historical factors that have alienated Christians from Islam. The impact of this on world events prompted further study and reflection, the results of which appeared partly as some press articles in 1998. Notes made during the study in more than a quarter of a century have now been updated and are presented in this book.
In Thy Seed looks at the Bible from a completely new angle, and also discusses some related aspects to help clarify the issues. Though the author presents his findings from the point of view of a Muslim, he does it in a spirit of conciliation and to promote understanding.
Developments following 9/11 make such a work both relevant and urgent, and it is hoped that the book will contribute to developing a better relationship among the worlds great monotheistic faiths and bring them closer. Different branches of the same tree, they count around one half of the worlds population as their adherents, and can together bring harmony and peace to a troubled world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paperback: 380 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (July 9, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0973368799
ISBN-13: 978-0973368796
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Emergency rule once again
Musharraf imposes emergency rule
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf (file photo)
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule, state-run TV has reported, as independent channels went off air.
Paramilitary troops have been deployed inside state-run television and radio stations in Islamabad, witnesses said.
Gen Musharraf is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while remaining army chief.
Pakistan has been engulfed in political upheaval in recent months.
The security forces have suffered a series of blows from pro-Taleban militants opposed to Gen Musharraf's support for the US-led "war on terror".
The BBC's Barbara Plett reports from Islamabad that fears have been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf.
Private channels Geo News and Dawn News earlier quoted unnamed sources as saying the government had made up its mind to declare emergency rule. Shortly afterwards they came off air.
A special cabinet meeting is expected shortly.
One TV channel reported that emergency rule may involve the suspension of the constitution.
Parliamentary elections are due in January.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to the country after years of self-exile to lead her party in the elections, is currently in Dubai on a personal visit.
Musharraf imposes emergency rule
Friday, September 07, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Big is not always desireable:
The conventional wisdom underlying the US of A is that big is good. Hence the emphasis on macroeconomics - displacing and destroying livelihoods of people with lttle say - the indigenoue cultures of peoples of the Amazon, Indonesia, and before them, the Indians.
But big is not beautiful- Pollution on a small scale is abd enough, but pollution on a large, collossal scale is deadly. The destruction, in the name oil, of the livelihoods of the people of Indonesia, Equador, Colombia, to name a few, is evidence of that.
But the West's, particularly the USA's, lust for oil and other mineral resources ahs led to environmental, ecological and huma disasters on a world scale.
It is small consolation that when the world is cooked by the dents in the Ozone shield, the people in the West will also suffer.
There should be a curb on lifestyles that destroy the environment on a large scale.
There should be a limit on the size of cities.
There should be a limit on every endeavor that causes a change in the structure or topography of a land.
If I remember correctly. I read somewhere that the Prophet (saw) said that when your cities become large, move and found new cities.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Something funny!
Blogger Edit posts shows what I have posted today, but the blog itself is uptodate only till yesterday. Where are my new posts going?
Well, it is OK now. :)
The Grand Canyon, USA
blue river
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
suset at Grand Canyon
Ribbon Falls
Glass Skywalk at the Grand Canyon
Niagara Falls
The following is Mr. Richard Seaman's account (with pictures) of Niagara. He has travelled a lot, and taken a lot of brilliant pictures. Please do visit his website, and buy some prints from him.
The Flying Kiwi
Here's a photo looking South of the entire Niagara Falls area from The Whirlpool at the bottom to the Falls at top right. The United States is on the left, and Canada on the right. The bridge on the left-hand side is the Whirlpool Rapids bridge, so the water below it must be the Whirlpool Rapids! On the Canadian side there's a path beside these rapids which are quite spectacular in their own right. These class 6 rapids have 20 to 30 foot high waves, but these waves aren't caused by water going over rocks - the water's over 40 feet deep here. Instead, this is one of the few places in the world with rapids caused purely by a large volume of water falling relatively steeply through a narrow gorge. They are so dangerous that very few kayakers have ever run it.
Entire Area from North Of Whirlpool
The Whirlpool is a bit of a disappointment as the water does not swirl around and around.
Whirpool from the North
But the Whirlpool is interesting; if you look left of center here you can see the red and yellow Spanish Aero Car which traverses the Whirlpool on cables from one side to the other.
Whirlpool looking North
The strangest thing about the Whirlpool is how it was formed. The Niagara Falls have been moving up the Niagara River at a rate of 5 feet a year for the last 12,500 years but that changed when it got to this location, because this section consisted of soft sediment rather than rock. So it's thought that the entire Whirlpool area was cleared out in just a few days, or perhaps even a few hours. The resulting pool is 125 feet deep. Ironically, the mile long Glens immediately above the Whirlpool were much harder rock than anywhere else in the area and took almost 5,000 years to erode.
Whirlpool wide angle
At the bottom you can now see the Rainbow Bridge, then on the American side of the river there's the grotesque Prospect Park Observation Tower, right next to the American Falls, and on the right the Horseshoe Falls.
both Waterfalls and Banks from the North
There's Rainbow Bridge and the observation tower again. It was built to give Americans a better view of their waterfall, but it's not exactly an Eiffel Tower and it doesn't really work too well at its intended purpose, either!
Bridge and surroundings from the East
Below are the American Falls, with Goat Island on the right. At the right hand side of the American Falls you can see the Bridal Falls standing on their own - they look insignificant, but if they were on their own they'd be quite impressive. At the bottom of the Bridal Falls you can see yellow blobs, which are actually groups of people in yellow raincoats on the "Cave of the Winds" boardwalk, which gets up close and personal with the Falls. The "hurricane deck" is right next to the Falls.
American Falls and Goat Island
The Horseshoe Falls, also called the Canadian Falls, with Goat Island on the right. The immense cloud of mist shows how the Falls got their Indian name "Niagara", or "thundering water". On the Canadian side one can go through tunnels cut behind the actual waterfall, with side tunnels dug out so you can see the water pouring past.
Horseshoe Falls from the South
The Horseshoe Falls again, with a Maid of the Mists boat at the bottom. At the top and center of the photo you can see the water intake for the Canadian Niagara Falls power plant. Together with a power plant on the American side, it sucks off 50% of the water flow during the daytime and 75% at night. The flow down the river would be a full 10 feet higher if this water wasn't removed, but the falls would erode much faster.
Horseshoe Falls Medium Angle from North
Istanbul-Fortress of Europe
Richard Seaman's trip to Qustuntuniya (Istanbul)
The guy is excellent. Lovely photos. Please visit his site:
The Flying Kiwi
Fortesss of Europe
Fortesss of Europe: East Side
Fortesss of Europe: Tower closeupThe Nile Delta
The MERIS instrument flown onboard Envisat is particularly adapted to highlighting visible processes such as sediment input from rivers and the distribution of river sediment by marine coastal processes. 
A single acquisition over the Nile Delta made using the MERIS instrument reveals the striking contrast between the pale sands of the Sahara and the bright green of the course of the Nile and its delta, in the simulated true-colour image at left.
At right, bands 15, 13, and 2 have been used to bring out the extent of the Nile plume as sediment is carried from the river into the Eastern Mediterranean. Band 2 highlights surface sediment; bands 15 and 13, in the near-infrared, highlight the difference over land.
Once a seasonal phenomenon, the Nile flood, up to 1965 when the Aswan High Dam became fully operational, provided massive amounts of silt to the delta and the Eastern mediterranean, renewing soil fertility and providing nutrients on which shrimp and phytoplankton populations, thus fisheries, thrived. Today the sediment plume, negligeable when compared with the approximately 100 million metric tonnes of sediment retained behind the Aswan High Dam, is present year-round. It issues both from the Nile and from the Suez, as is clear in the MERIS image at right above.
see the following gallery and search for Nile Delta
Nile Delta photos from satellite
Another image shows that by enhancing a particular part of the data it is possible to render visible the processes which transport Nile and Red Sea sediment along the coast. Here, data in band 7 has been further stretched to show the sedimentation processes along the coast. Representing perhaps finer sediment, a visible blue plume farther north, which can also be seen in the 15, 13, 2 image, is probably a result of sediment being carried out by the river itself.
These images of the Nile Delta were acquired on March 1st, 2003.
A full description of the capabilities of the MERIS instrument can be found in the MERIS Product Handbook. Other images from ENVISAT's first year in orbit are available in the Envisat Image Gallery.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Suckers of Octopus
Octopus suckers:
Each arm of the common octopus has a double row of circular suckers. Unlike those of squid, octopus suckers have no hooks or teeth. Suckers are muscular structures, and when pressed against a surface create low pressure in the suction cup that provides grip. The suckers pictured here belong to Oto, who spent some months recovering from an injury in a display aquarium at Wellington airport. He was returned to Cook Strait in October 2005.
The Giants Causeway
The Giants Causeway - 1
The Giants Causeway - 2
The Giants Causeway - 3
The Giants Causeway - 4
The Giants Causeway - 5
The Giants Causeway - 6
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Collossal Squid
990 lb Collossal Squid caught live
990 lb Collossal Squid
The squid tried to eat a Toothfish caught on a Toothfish trawler line. He won't let go eevn when he was being hauled up.
A large Pantagonian Toothfish
The Collossal Squid again
The Colossal Squid is caught by longliner Isla Santa Clara. Photo by Ramon Ferreira Gomez.
The head and tentacles of the squid. The vast mantle could not be bought on board. Photo: Ramon Ferreira Gomez
Collossal Squid tentacles: (2nd of 2)
Colossal squid have well-armoured tentacles. The photograph shows the sharp, swivelling hooks on the ends of the tentacles.
A previous catch:
