UKIP- Links to the Far Right in Europe

Ukip is part of the group Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD). The group includes representatives of the Danish People’s Party, the True Finns Party, the Dutch SGP and the infamous Italian Lega Nord – all of them far-right. Nigel Farage is co-President of the group along with Lega Nord’s Francesco Speroni, who described serial killer Anders Breivik as someone whose “ideas are in defence of western civilisation."

Mario Borghezio, another member of the group, declared in a radio interview that Breivik had some "excellent" ideas. Farage’s reaction was to write a letter hinting to Borghezio, asking him to withdraw his comments or Ukip would pull out of the EFD. Borghezio not only did not apologise, but responded with an extraordinary speech in which he raged: "Long live the Whites of Europe, long live our identity, our ethnicity, our race… our blue sky, like the eyes of our women. Blue, in a people who want to stay white."  And so after this “compelling speech” Nigel Farage did not withdraw from the EFD. 

Ed's Israel Visit

 The Labour leader, as he was getting close to the end of his visit, said Israel's strategy on settlements was "wrong and illegal".

Expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank poses "a mortal threat to the two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ed Miliband has said.

He visited a Bedouin camp where inhabitants are among 2,300 Palestinians facing inevitable displacement.

Israel and the Palestinians still have this ongoing feud and have blamed each other for taking steps they believe breach ways of completely negotiations.

Mr Miliband, who has Jewish origins, made it extremely clear he does not back many, if not most actions that are undertaken by the Israeli government, particularly the increasing growth of the illegal settlements that contravene international law.

Mr Miliband said: "What I have seen today shows that the expansion of Israeli settlements on the Palestinian West Bank is not only wrong and illegal but represents a mortal threat to the two-state solution and to a successful outcome of the peace process.

Israel stole the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Settlements it has built there are condemned by many and seen as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this and openly continues to approve the construction of new homes for Israeli citizens. Palestinian leaders, justifiably, say the West Bank must form part of a future Palestinian state.

TOP TEN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM

Islam gets a lot of bad press in the media these days and I just wanted to distinguish some of the stereotypes and misconceptions that are prevalent about Islam in today's society. 

MISCONCEPTION #10: Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets.

Muslims respect and revere Jesus, upon him be peace, and await his Second Coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God's messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as'Jesus', but always adds the phrase 'upon him be peace' (abbreviated as (RA) here). The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of theQuran is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran describes the Annunciation as follows:

"Behold!" the Angel said, "God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord!How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" He said:

 "Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it,"Be!" and it is" (Quran 3:42-47) 

Jesus (RA) was born miraculously through the same power, which had brought Adam (RA) into being without a father: "Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust,and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was." (3:59) During his prophetic mission Jesus (RA| performed many miracles. The Quran tells us that he said:

 " I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breath into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave." (3:49) 

Neither Muhammad(pbuh) not Jesus (RA) came to change the basic doctrine of the brief in One God brought by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it.

In the Quran Jesus (RA) is reported as saying that he came: "To at test the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey Me. (3:50) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Whoever believes there is no god but God, alone without partner,that Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger, that Jesus is the servant and messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven. "(Hadith related by Bukhari).

MISCONCEPTION #9: Muhammad was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him.

Muhammad(pbuh) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (pbuh)was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society.

It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira, in Mecca. At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat,Muhammad(pbuh) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for 23 years is known as the Quran. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him,he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. 

This event, the Hijra 'migration', in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet saw dies at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. He died with less than 5 possessions to his name.

While Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the "founder" of Islam, since Muslims consider Islam to be the same divine guidance sent to all peoples before. Muslims believe all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus etc. were all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent to his own people, but Muhammad(pbuh) was sent to all of mankind. Muhammad is the last and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam.Muslims revere and honor him (pbuh) for all he went through and his dedication, but they do not worship him.

 "O Prophet, verily We have sent you as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner and as one who invites unto God by His leave and as an illuminating lamp."(33:45-6)

MISCONCEPTION #8: Muslims are a war-like and barbaric people.

Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine-Islam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (pbuh), 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'.

The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas, many from the Golden Age of Islam in Persia, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics,astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics),were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.

MISCONCEPTION #7: All Muslim men marry four wives.

The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted,according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair. No woman can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish it, and they also have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract.

Polygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely permitted.Images of "sheikhs with harems" are not consistent with Islam, as a man is only allowed at most four wives only if he can fulfill the stringent conditions of treating each fairly and providing each with separate housing etc. Permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion toward widows and orphans. It was the Quran that limited and put conditions on the practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as ten or more wives and considered them "property", creating an illusion about Islam being unjust to women. 

It is both honest and accurate to say that it is Islam that regulated this practice, limited it, made it more humane, and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What the Qur'anic decrees amount to,taken together is discouragement of polygamy unless necessity for it exists. It is also evident that the general rule in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. It is a very tiny percentage of Muslims that practice it over the world. However, permission to practice limited polygamy is only consistent with Islam's realistic view of the nature of man and woman and of various social needs, problems and cultural variations. 

The question is, however far more than the inherent flexibility of Islam; it also is the frank and straightforward approach of Islam in dealing with practical problems. Rather than requiring hypocritical and superficial compliance, Islam delves deeper into the problems of individuals and societies, and provides for legitimate and clean solutions which are far more beneficial than would be the case if they were ignored. There is no doubt that the second wife legally married and treated kindly is better off than a mistress without any legal rights.