See the beauty, also look in the bright sight; so should you think positively.

Bediuzzaman
Volume 1 Number 3 March 2012

THE ARMENIAN ISSUE: EXTERMINATION OR RELOCATION

By Suleyman Kurter

NEW TRANSLATION OF TABAT RSALES (BOOKLET ON NATURE) UNIVERSAL QURAN Hacer Cayabatmaz HOW THE QURAN SHAPES THE BRAIN By Abu Talib ARAB SPRING: SPRINGBOARD TO DEMOCRACY, SPRING TIME FOR ISLAM by Kevin Barrett

Nur / The Light, Yeni Asya USA, All Rights Reserved

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THE ARMENIAN ISSUE:

EXTERMINATION OR RELOCATION
By Suleyman Kurter
On November 16, 1993, the French Daily, Le Monde published an interview with Professor Bernard Lewis in regard to his book, The Middle East. The interview concentrated on Islamic Fundamentalism; however, given the preeminence of Professor Lewis, Le Monde touched on the so called Armenian Genocide. ho is Professor Bernard Lewis? Ironically, Lewis is Jewish like Sarkozy, but he has an extensive education on Ottoman History and is regarded as a world respected authority on Middle Eastern History. Professor Lewiss interview clearly puts into perspective the issue of the Armenian Genocide. As an expert on Ottoman History, he defines the issue as RELOCATION, not genocide. Let us quote Lewiss interview directly from Le Monde.

NUR THE LIGHT Publication Committee | Yayn Heyeti

English:
Havva Kurter Sleyman Kurter Kevin Barrette mran Kurter Ron Handree Na Yalcn Umut Yavuz Ibrahim Abdullah

Le Monde Why do the Turks always refuse to admit the Armenian Genocide?
Bernard Lewis You mean, the Armenian version of the history? There was an Armenian problem for the Turks created by the advance of the Russians, and also there was a population with an anti-Turkish sentiment in the Ottoman Empire who sought independence, and they overtly sympathized with the Russians advancing from the Caucasus. Also, there were Armenian bands, the Armenians bragged about their heroic exploits in resistance, and the Turks had trouble to maintain order under the prevailing war conditions. For the Turks it was necessary to take the punitive and preventive measure against a hostile population in a region threatened by foreign invasion. For the Armenians it was liberating their land. However, both parties agree that the repression was geographically limited; for example, those measures did not affect the Armenians who lived in the other parts of the Ottoman Empire. No one has any doubt that terrible events

took place; the Armenians, as well as the Turks suffered and perished in equal measure. Yet, no one will be able to tell what the circumstances were like, and how many people died. Consider, for instance, the case of Lebanon (Beirut) that took place recently and in full view of the entire world. During their (the Armenians) relocation to Syria (an Ottoman province at that time) hundred thousands of Armenians died on account of famine and epidemics. However, when you brought up the question of genocide, you imply that there was a deliberate policy of extermination, to annihilate systematically the Armenian nation. This is very doubtful. The Turkish documents prove an action of relocation, not extermination.

The Question arises as to why is Sarkozy promoting the Genocide Bill which is contrary to the historical facts?
He is losing his popularity and France is facing economic hardship, thus definitely his upcoming reelection will be an uphill battle. Sarkozys desperate situation s pushing him to promote blatantly the non factual issue, the Armenian Genocide, so that he can secure the French Armenian votes. However, if this Genocide Bill passes, not only will Sarkozy commit a great error, he will also drag France into conflicting relations with Turkey for many years to come. The French Genocide Bill contradicts all historical facts. It is not only contrary to Turkish sources but it defies the sources of many prominent historians such as Professor Bernard Lewis. No doubt if this bill will become a law, France will be a greater loser than Turkey.

TURKISH:
Yusuf ayabatmaz Faruk Soylu Nejat Eren Hacer ayabatmaz Sadik Cetin Hseyin Macar Naz Efe

DESIGN:
Mustafa Ildak

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NEW TRANSLATION OF

TABAT RSALES (BOOKLET ON NATURE)

elow is the new translation of Tabiat Risalesi (Booklet on Nature) completed by Kevin Barrett and Suleyman Kurter. They compared it to the Arabic and Turksh versions and proofread by Havva Kurter. This translation is clear and understandable for American readers. Insha-Allah (by the will of Allah), the entire booklet on Nature will be published soon.

How could famous philosophers and scholars accept these scandalous superstitions, and how could an entire age allow itself to be led by the nose by such nonsense?
The answer: These militant naturalistic thinkers have not proved the truth of their method (1) which is empty and void of substance. They do not grasp the extent to which their method requires impossible, unsound, and unreasonable things. Each of their lapses in logic will be exposed and rebutted in this essay. I am fully prepared to prove this, with clear and irrefutable proofs, in elaborate detail, to anyone who entertains doubts. (1) This booklet was written in response to certain crude, coarse attacks on the Holy Qur'an -- attacks whose ugly excesses counterfeited the truth of iman2 , used nature to justify atheism, and affixed the label "superstition" to anything the authors' small and decadent intellects could not comprehend. These attacks vexed my heart, causing a volcanic explosion of anger whose boiling lava flowed into the ink of this essay. My anger, along with some harsh slaps, fell upon the atheists whose methods had led them so far from the truth. Otherwise, the Risale-i Nur's style is generally mild and inoffensive; it aims, with gentle rigor, to persuade.

The Twenty-Third Flash: On Nature

[This scholarly essay was originally the sixteenth note of the Seventeenth Flash. Due to its unusual importance, it became the Twenty-Third Flash. It annihilates the whole godless "naturalistic" school of thought, and demolishes the foundations of kufr.1

Reminder
This essay analyzes the philosophy of the most militant godless naturalists. It shows just how far they have wandered off the path of balance and reason, and reveals their odious superstitiousness, by way of nine extreme impossibilities, each one summarizing ninety extreme impossibilities in their thought. Since some sections explain these impossibilities, they have been published in other parts of the Risale-i Nur, those portions are summarized here. The question that must be addressed is:

Kufr: unbelief in Allah;(see the footnote 3 on Allah) the state of being an infidel. Literally, the word means covering or hiding and has connotation of ungratefulness. The kafir (person of kufr) covers up the truth of Allah, thereby displaying ungratefulness for the gift of creation. Iman: Faith, belief: The specific articles of faith (iman) in Islam are: Allah, His Angels, His books of revelation, His Prophets and the Day of Judgment, and Al-Qader. i.e. Divine Preordainment whatever Allah has ordained must come to pass).

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In the name of Allah3 the all-merciful, all-compassionate:

"Their Prophets said: Can there be any doubt about Allah, creator of the heavens and the earth?" (Qur'an, 14:10)

his noble aya4 poses a rhetorical question in order to clearly demonstrate Allah's existence and oneness in a plain, spontaneous and natural manner.

be summarized here. Additionally, several other proofs that are scattered throughout the Risale-i Nur are brought together in this essay; and each proof comprises a section of this essay.

But before elucidating this secret, I would like to mention the following:
When I visited Ankara in 1922, I witnessed the joy of the mu'mineen5 as they celebrated the collapse of the Greeks before the Islamic army. But I also saw -- in the midst of this wave of rejoicing -- the ugly intrigues of atheism infiltrating, corrupting and poisoning the deeply-rooted tenets of the people of iman. Grieving from the depths of my soul, I cried out to Allah most high, Master of Destiny, and sought refuge in this noble aya from the terrifying monster seeking to oppose the pillars of iman. And I wrote, in an Arabic-language essay, a powerful, razor-sharp proof to behead the atheistic monster, drinking deeply from the ideas and wisdom flowing from the light of this noble aya, to demonstrate the spontaneity and naturalness of the existence of Allah, glory be to Him, and the clarity of His oneness. It was printed by the Yeni Gn Press in Ankara. Unfortunately its effects were barely felt during that atheistic power-grab, that creeping invasion of atheism into the mass mind. The reason: My essay was extremely terse and condensed; additionally, there were few who could read Arabic in the Turkey of that era. And so, I am very sorry to say, the errors of atheism flowed through the ranks of men. This has forced me to return to this essay and present its proof in Turkish, along with some of its clarifications and explanations. Since some portions of this proof have already been fully clarified in other parts of the Risale-i Nur, they will only

Introduction
O human being! Know that there are certain frightful words that emit the vile stench of kufr. These words leave the mouths of men, then echo from the tongues of people of faith, without their having understood the danger of what they are saying. I will examine three of the most dangerous.

The first: It happens due to cause and effect; causation is responsible for this. The second: It forms and creates itself; it gives shape to itself, creates its own existence, and then ceases to exist.

Allah: The Arabic word for the one and only God-the same God worshipped by all monotheists. (Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians also worship Allah.) We have chosen to retain the word Allah, rather than translate it as God, because the word God comes with the historical baggage of old English polytheism, Christian trinitarianism, the worship of multiple gods by Greeks and other polytheists, and so on.) Aya: Verse, evidence, sign, revelation, etc.

Mumineen: Faithful person (people); believer(s). People of iman (belief)

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The third: Nature requires this; it is natural; it is nature that is responsible for this.
Indeed, since things undeniably exist, and since every existing thing comes into existence with a certain excellence and wisdom, not outside of time, yet forever renewed; then, o atheist! You must say either that created things, such as this or that animal, are created by worldly causes, or that they come to exist as the result of a confluence of material causes, or that they create themselves, or that they come into existence as required by nature, or as natural effects; or, alternatively, you may say: It is the All-Powerful, AllGlorious Creator who creates them. Since reason dictates that these are the only four possibilities, if it can be proved that the first three are barren, empty, or impossible, then by necessity the fourth the way of Divine Unity will be proved beyond any doubt. one made up of a complex mixture of the many compounds from the various jars and vials, and each one containing the precise amounts of each necessary compound: One ounce of this one, three ounces of that one, ten ounces of another, and so on, such that from each one was taken a different amount, to make each of the remedies; and yet if even a slightly larger or smaller amount had been taken from any of the medicine bottles, none of the remedies would have been effective. Now let us examine more closely the chemical composition of these lifegiving antidotes to poison. We discover that certain precise quantities of each substance have been carefully measured out, in trace amounts so small they are almost impossible to determine, in such a way that if even an atom's weight had been added or subtracted, the remedy would have completely lost its potency. To summarize: An assortment of chemical compounds has been prepared with a variety of carefully measured ingredients ingredients so carefully measured that their measurements are on the threshold of measurability. Is it reasonable to conclude that such a painstakinglyprepared array of remedies somehow resulted from some bizarre accident? Could they be the result of a storm or an earthquake that struck the pharmacy and somehow mixed up the ingredients into precisely-prepared quantities and formulas, such that all of them would be perfect antidotes and life-giving remedies? Could anything be more illogical, unreasonable, and impossible? Could there be a grosser superstition than to imagine such a thing? Could any absurdity be more absurd? Even a donkey - were it a half-wit among donkeys - could not help but say, if it could speak: Whoever said this is an idiot! And in light of this illustration, we say: Each living being is like an active potion, and each plant is a lifegiving remedy, a living antidote to poison. A living being, like a potion, is a perfect admixture of a large number of parts and finely detailed materials, assembled in a delicate balance of the utmost sensitivity. There can be no doubt that ascribing the chain of creation of this glorious Creator to material causes and elements, by saying reality is the result of material cause and effect, are such an absurd impossibility that it can only be the product of an unbalanced mind. This materialist position is the equivalent of saying that delicately-prepared life-giving potions mixed themselves up by accident, in perfect proportions, from their chemical constituents. In Brief: The living matter that has been prepared, in perfect balance, by the power of divine decree of the AllWise, All-Just Creator of this vast universe, this gigantic and fantastic pharmacy, could not possibly exist without the Creator's limitless wisdom and limitless knowledge, and the divine will that comprises and encompasses everything. Who could possibly be so wrongheaded as to believe that such creations result from the outpourings of blind, deaf and dumb material factors and forces, or that they are just natural, material things, or the product of material causes? There can be no doubt that the proponent of this doctrine, who holds

The First Way

This is the way that says: The sum of worldly causes is what creates, brings into existence, and gives shape and form to things. We will mention only three of its many impossibilities.

The First Impossibility

An analogy will help make things clear: Imagine a pharmacy with hundreds of medicine bottles filled with various chemical substances. Now imagine that an active, life-giving remedy is required from these materials to counteract a case of poisoning. Imagine that we enter the pharmacy and discover a huge number of these active remedies, each

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that such a marvelously-prepared remedy somehow created itself at random, is the worst of troublemakers, the greatest of imbeciles, and the utmost hallucinator of drunken hallucinations. Indeed, such kufr exceeds the wildest delusions of the maddest drunkard. that exquisitely small cell and do their work with the utmost professional skill, craftsmanship and thoroughness! Would not such a supposition shame the most simpleminded sophist? tact. These tangible material causes can only affect the exterior surfaces of living organisms, but are never felt in their interiors - which are more finely tuned, harmoniously organized, gracefully created, and congruently achieved than their exterior surfaces. Additionally, micro-organisms and tiny life forms, which are far too small to allow room for all of these supposed material causes (whose hands cannot possibly reach their interiors), are even more marvellously perfected works of genius than the largest creatures.

The Third Impossibility

The Second Impossibility

If the all-powerful, all-glorious One were not the source of creation, and if instead creation resulted from material factors and forces, it would then be necessary for most of these material causes to enter into and affect the being of every creature; and these utterly unconnected, clashing material causes would then need to come together, of their own accord, in finely-adjusted harmonies and perfectly-balanced proportions for example, in the body of a tiny fly. This is such a blatant impossibility that even an intellect the size of a dust mote from the wing of that tiny fly would reject it, saying: No WAY! How absolutely ludicrous! It is indeed the case that the body of a tiny fly exists in a complex relationship with the factors and forces common to all beings, and in fact could be said to be a concise summary of those factors and forces. But if this did not result from the absolute power of Allah, then these material causes would have to swarm around the fly and enter into its minuscule body even the cell of its eye, which is a miniature replica of its body.6 This is because those causes, if they were merely material, would need to exist in proximity to their effects. And in that case, all of the material forces and factors from every corner of the universe, with all of their wildly diverse natures, would have to materially enter into

If we discover that something bears the traces of an all-encompassing unity, as if formed by a single hand, we may be certain, according to the well-established rule only unity can produce unity, that it was indeed effected by a unitary source. And if that thing is of the utmost excellence in its order and balance, its delicately harmonious perfec- Therefore no-one could possibly tion, its mastery of the whole of life, attribute the creation of such creait clearly cannot be the product of tures to causes that are blind, deaf, many hands, which would have ignorant, crude, widely separated imbued it with divisiveness and one from another, and indeed mutustrife. Instead, it can only have ally opposed to each other, except emanated from the single hand of one who is blind beyond blindness, the All-Powerful and All-Wise. To and deaf beyond deafness. attribute this creation that is so beautifully-organized and perfectlyarranged, with such amazing balance and unity, to the hands of a great many natural causes that are 6 This statement seems to anticipate the disblind, deaf, undisciplined, and apa- covery of DNA and subsequent discoveries or that every cells DNA contains a complete feelings without thetic, intelligence, thrown together ran- template of the whole organism, in a reladomly into an even more blind, tionship to the larger organism not unlike deaf, and stupid mixture - and to those of the cells of holographs and fracclaim that such a heap of random tals to the larger holograph or fractal. Becauses created this wondrous cre- diuzzamans insight into the deep ation, singling it out from among the structure of physical reality, as it would be elucidated by microbiology and chaos limitless possibilities is to accept theory, is astonishing. impossibilities piled upon impossibilities. Such an idea is the furthest thing imaginable from the product of a balanced intellect. Let us leave this impossibility aside for a moment, and examine the alleged workings of these material causes, which can only exert their effects through direct, tangible con-

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Universal Quran
but cannot approach its reality. Moreover, they observe some sciences such as cosmology and embryology. These sciences are distant from the origin of Islam in the prospect of their explanation. For instance, the earth and the heavens were separated in the beginning of creation of the universe. These entities, the earth and the heaven were separated by Allah. The proof is in one of the verses in the Quran: Have not those who disbelieved known that the heaven and the earth were one connected entity, then we separated them? (21:30) Yet, some scientists lack benefiting from all these verses in the way of belief in Allah. In short, let our soul find out the virtues. The disposition knows the way, where to go. The only thing we should do is not to stop the sound of our conscience, heart and spirit, rather knock on the door with our sincere supplication. WESSELAM

Hacer Cayabatmaz
ome days we need to sigh due to all the goals that we should achieve. Everything is needed to proceed. Literally, humankind should search for undisputed subjects such as cosmology in the view of existence and creation. While scientists are searching for the beginning of the cosmos (universe), they try to figure out where the human beings were. Man is created from an extract of clay. It was written in the Quran fourteen hundred years ago. Scientists figured it out in the twenty-first century. One of the scientists, who is also chairman of a university, says that: It is impossible for a man, who is illiterate, to know all about embryology and cosmology. He cannot figure out all these scientific things from his own mind. There must be a secret. Maybe, it is a miracle. The idea of the scientist shows how heedless some philosophers are. They all believe in nature and hang on to its apparent beauty

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How the Quran shapes the brain

f it wasn't for their political problems and constant fighting between each other, the Muslims would have been on the moon by the 1400's" was the statement made by a non-Muslim professor in a 400-level undergraduate class on the history of science. It seems that the rate of discovery and advancement in science achieved by the Muslims was quite impressive and has yet to be replicated. What was it that they were doing that allowed for their fast progress? The teacher in me immediately thinks about their education system, and the neuroscientist in me wants to examine the factors involved in shaping the brains of such a civilization. Interestingly, many Muslim religious scholars will say something about how the Muslims were the leaders when the Quran was the center of their education, and only when they abandoned the Quran that they lost their reign. The amazing thing about this is that while Muslim religious scholars are typically talking about spiritual and moral realities, there is actually a material reality to what they're saying, which takes place in the brain. A quick disclaimer here: The list of all that is affected in the brain by the Quran and how that can influence other functions is quite exhaustive. But in the interest of keeping it short, I chose some major areas to present in this article. Before getting into the brain and how the Quran changes it, one should be familiar with how traditional Muslim education took place. In case you're wondering where I'm getting this from, it's from reading the biographies of major figures of scholarship in the traditional Muslim world such as Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, and others. This is also based on my personal experience and what I have been told by some of my teachers. The very first thing taught to an aspiring student was

By Abu Talib

"I

the Quran, which had to be memorized completely. Unlike anything else encountered in spoken Arabic, Quran recitation is a very specific science. Local dialects of Arabic or different ways of pronunciation are not permitted when reciting the Quran. In fact, part of learning the Quran is learning what is called in Arabic, taj'weed which means elocution. The very first thing the student must do is replicate exactly how the teacher is reciting the verse. This refers to where individual letter sounds are being generated in the mouth and throat and where the tongue is to be placed exactly. Once this is done, the student writes the verse on a wooden board in the Othamni script, which follows different spelling rules than regular Arabic writing. The student then takes his board and goes away to memorize the verse. A typical memorization session for a beginner starts with repeating one verse multiple times as it is read on the board to also memorize how it is spelled using the Othmani script. The next day the student reviews the verse several times before returning to the teacher to receive the following verse. After repeating it with the teacher to ensure exact replication of sound and pronunciation, the student writes the new verse and goes away to begin a new memorization session. The third day begins with reviewing the first verse one final time, followed by the second verse several times before going to receive the third verse. On the fourth day the first verse is not reviewed anymore as it would have taken hold in memory, and the second verse takes its place for being reviewed while the third verse is repeated several times before going to receive the fourth verse. At the end of the week is a complete review session for everything that was memorized in the previous days. As the days pass the capacity for memorization increases and the student is able to take on several verses or even pages at a time instead of only one or two verses. The writing using Othmani spelling continues, as well as the review sessions.

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Eventually, the whole Quran having more than 6,200 verses is memorized word for word with their specific pronunciation and Othmani spelling. Now the hard task begins as the student works to review all the verses on a monthly basis so as to not forget them. This usually means taking the 30 parts of the Quran as it has been divided to facilitate memorization and reviewing one part every day until all 30 have been recited by the end of the month. It should be mentioned here that the Quran has 10 different modes of recitation. This refers to the placement of diacritical marks on the words and how certain words are pronounced. Some students take this task on and memorize the Quran in all the different modes of recitation, which requires a very careful attention to where the pronunciations are different so they're not confused with each other given how subtle they sometimes can be. write not only in an unusual spelling, but also to exclude the diacritical marks from the words. This would allow the student to learn the variations of recitation without having the diacritical marks visually interfere with their memorization of different modes of recitation. Moreover, the grammar of the Arabic requires the proper use of diacritical marks in pronunciation so as to not confuse things such as the subject and predicate. This means that the one learning the Quran must always keep track of how the words are enunciated so as to not alter the overall meaning of the verse. How all of this relates to the brain is quite impressive. The brain is recognized to be a malleable organ that can change its connections and even its size of certain areas based on how active they become. Understanding how involved the brain is of someone learning the Quran using the traditional Muslim method can explain how they were able to achieve such success in their knowledge endeavors.

There are a couple of important qualities about the Quran that relates to how it sounds. Verses in the Quran rhyme and change rhythm often, which gives a pleasurable effect to the listener. Furthermore, as one recites, they're supposed to sing it rather than simply read it. In fact, the very practice of Taj'weed (elocution) forces the reciter into a singing tone as they enunciate the words of each verse.

What was the Muslims' secret for their exponential rise in scientic advancement and contribution to human knowledge? Literally, the Quran when it was the centre of their education system.

A final note to bring up is in regards to the Arabic language and writing in Othmani script. Part of studying the different modes of recitation requires the student to

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While learning the Quran, the careful attention to listening and pronunciation of verses stimulates an area of the brain located in the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe is also where the hippocampus is located, which is the memory consolidation center. It's also the brain region activated for processing of musical sounds such as the case when the Quran is recited. Moreover, it becomes involved when the student engages in handwriting exercises similar to the ones on the wooden board. Where this matters is that this is the part of the brain whose activity levels and capacities have been correlated with a person's aptitude for learning new information. The

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more activation this area receives, and the more involved this activation is such as the case with the Quran, the better and more efficient it becomes in its functions for learning and memory. The parietal lobes are also quite heavily engaged as one learns the Quran. The left parietal lobe deals with reading, writing and functions in speech. It's also the part whose activity is important for math and logic problems. The right parietal lobe handles speech tone, which is related to elocution. It's also responsible for visuospatial relationships and understanding facial expressions. The front part is responsible for the sense of touch discrimination and recognition, which is active during handwriting. The back part plays an important role in attention. Both lobes are also activated during skill learning tasks. Overall, having parietal lobes that have been well activated translates to better logic and math-solving skills, eloquence in general speech, better ability at reading emotional states from facial clues, improved attention, and enhanced capacity for understanding visuospatial relationships. This last one can explain why Muslims were so good at astronomy. Other brain regions, the activity of Quran recitation strongly activate, are the frontal lobes and the primary motor cortex. The frontal lobes activity deals with higher order functions, including working memory, memory retrieval, speech production and written-word recognition, sustained attention, planning, social behavior, in addition to others. For example, as the student is reading the Othamni script, his brain must quickly decide on the proper pronunciation of the word, which without the diacritical marks means it must be distinguished from other possibilities that include not only wrong words, but also wrong enunciation depending on the specific recitation he's using out of the 10 valid ones. The amazing thing about this is that the brain after practice will do rich in its content for history, parables, and logical arguments, all of which recruit different areas that become more efficient and better connected as they are continually activated due to the consistent review sessions. Putting all this together, it's no wonder Muslims were able to make such vast contributions to human knowledge in a relatively short amount of time, historically speaking. After the aspiring student during the height of Muslim rule has mastered the Quran, his education in other sciences began by the time he was in his early teenage years. Given the brain's malleable nature, the improved connections in one region indirectly affect and improve functions in adjacent locations. The process in studying the Quran over the previous years has trained his brain and enhanced its functions relating to visual perception, language, working memory, memory formation, processing of sounds, attention, skill learning, inhibition, as well as planning just to name a few. Now imagine what such an individual will be able to do when they tackle any subject. It makes sense how someone like Imam Al Ghazali can say he studied Greek philosophy on the side during his spare time and mastered it within 2 years. What was the Muslims' secret for their exponential rise in scientific advancement and contribution to human knowledge? Literally, the Quran when it was the centre of their education system.

these things without conscious control from the student. This trains the area of the brain responsible for inhibition, which is important for social interaction. Children with ADHD have been shown to have this area to be under-developed. Given the Quran's content that for example includes descriptions of individuals and places; it activates the occipital lobes, which are involved in generating mental imagery. This brain region is also important in visual perception. Becoming active as a result of generating mental imagery indirectly improves visual perception capacities since the area activated is within the same region. The Quran is also

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Arab Spring:
Springboard to Democracy, Spring time for Islam
Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and elsewhere. The real surprise was that it didn't happen earlier. Soon after I began my Arabic Ph.D. program in 1994, I started watching Arab news channels to practice my oral comprehension. These news channels were all the same: Run by the government, they lavished praises on the nation's dictator. There was never anything remotely resembling honest reporting. These "news" shows would devote most of each broadcast to obsequious reports of Arab dictators meeting and greeting each other, and occasionally meeting and greeting non-Arab leaders. The newscasters looked bored or fearful, and the message was always the same: Everything is under control, our great leader is representing us well, so go back to sleep - and whatever you do, don't think! (Sort of like Fox News, only a whole lot less sophisticated.) After talking to people from Arab countries, as well as Westerners who had been to those countries, I heard stories of the mukhabarat (secret police) following people around, arresting and torturing dissidents, and generally sowing fear among the thinking public. Islamic activists were usually the prime targets of repression. In Morocco, my wife's native country, I heard about how a young Moroccan man, while studying in Germany, had come across some unflattering caricatures of King Hassan II and mailed them to friends in Morocco. Unfortunately for him, the Moroccan mukhabarat intercepted the letters. When he returned to Morocco, he was arrested, tortured, and imprisoned in solitary confinement, under horrendous conditions, for more than a year. He emerged from prison a walking vegetable - a ghost of his former self. The young man's soul had been destroyed by torture, simply because he had dared to mock a dictator. And it wasn't just Morocco. From what I heard, some of the other Arab countries were even worse. The whole Arab world was being crushed under the jackboots of brutal, corrupt dictators. And these dictators had a habit of appointing their equally corrupt sons to succeed them. While I was in Morocco during my Fulbright-sponsored dissertation research in 1999-2000, a thuggish looking man followed me around during my travels. With his scars, missing teeth, and hardened features, this guy was obviously a rough customer. Strangely, he spoke almost perfect English! Though he eventually told me that he had been trained in the US by American military intelligence, he never did tell me who was paying him to tail me. He did, however, urge me to remain permanently in Morocco - because, he said, my two young sons would grow up speaking perfect Moroccan Arabic and could go to work for the CIA!

By Prof. Dr. Kevin Barrett

he "Arab Spring" revolutions of 2011 have been aptly described by UK history professor Martin Evans as driven by immense frustration: "This frustration is rooted in anger towards their leaders widely perceived as old and out of touch for allying themselves with the United States and its war on terror, as a means of justifying the repression of their own peoples. Indeed, Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs has described the cumulative humiliations endured by Arabs during the ten years since September 11, 2001 as the 'worst decade in modern Arab history.'"(1) Arab frustration has been building for many years. As an long-time observer of the Middle East, I was not surprised by the uprisings in

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(Having studied the CIA's misdeeds, I did not find that a very attractive prospect.) I learned that the Arab dictatorships almost all worked closely with the US and other Western powers, usually against the interests of their own people. Many of them collaborated closely with Israel. Instead of devoting available resources to education, infrastructure, and other useful projects, they invested abroad and stuffed their Swiss bank accounts. Instead of working to unite the Islamic world as one Umma, they worked to keep it divided. And instead of applying Islam, they sought to corrupt and control the nation's ulama. Whenever relatively honest people organized against these corrupt dictatorships, usually under the banner of Islam, they would be ruthlessly repressed. Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of activists have been rounded up, tortured, and killed. In 1996, the Emir of Qatar funded a new Arabic satellite channel, AlJazeera, that aimed to bring freedom of the press to the Arab world. (Most Arab journalism up until then had been either controlled by a local dictator, or warped by Saudi money.) Al-Jazeera reported relatively honestly on every Arab country - except Qatar, of course. And it did so with style, flair, and a taste for controversy. Programs like "al-ittija al-muakis" (The Opposing Viewpoint) set up the liveliest imaginable debates on the hottest and most controversial topics. Suddenly, paying attention to world affairs, and realizing just how badly you were being taken advantage of by your local dictatorship, was fun, trendy, and instantly available with a touch of a remote control button. The result was that from 1996 onward, a new generation of Arabs arose. These increasingly literate, current-events-savvy young people wanted freedom and transparency, and chafed under the burden of corrupt dictatorships. From the late 90s onward, I could see revolution on the horizon, as the "great leaders" of the Arab countries came to be viewed as modern versions of Pharaoh, the epitome of tyranny, the Qur'an's biggest negative role model. And when the Zionist-orchestrated 9/11 attacks misled the US into launching a war on Islam, the Arab people - who bore the brunt of the violence and repression - saw through the hoax and responded by turning away from their puppet pharaohs and towards Islam. Since elections in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco have resulted in landslide victories for Islamic parties, it is now obvious that the biggest political force among this new generation is Islam. Many Westerners do not understand this. "Why Arabs arent like us?" they wonder. "Don't they realize that Islam and freedom are opposites, and that religion must be kept separate from worldly affairs?" Islam does not follow the Western model of separation of church and state. In Islam, there is no "church" in the Christian sense of an official religious bureaucracy. And the powers of the state are limited by Islamic precepts. For Muslims, Islam and freedom are indivisible. The message of Islam originally came to liberate humanity from bondage to tribal idols and false gods in general. Throughout the Muslim-majority lands, Islam has always been the main counterforce to tyranny. It is only Islamic restrictions on the use of power that have prevented leaders from becoming tyrants. Westerners often do not grasp just how central Islamic ethics are to Muslim societies. People who seek to do good, whose conscience guides them to do the right thing, do so under the guidance of Islam; while those who break away from Islam, or fail to practice it, tend to lose their moral compass. As Bediuzzaman once said, "When Muslims leave Islam, they become ravenous beasts. They become completely ungovernable." That is why reformist political and social movements in Islamic countries usually are Islamic movements. That is why those who organize to feed the poor, house the homeless, and teach the illiterate are usually Islamic activists. And that is why those who challenge brutal, corrupt dictatorships also tend to be Islamic activists. It is no accident that the revolution that set off the "Arab spring" happened in Tunisia, which was ruled by the most secular, anti-Islamic dictatorship in the Arab world. On December 17th, 2010, street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire as an act of protest and desperation. He had been harassed, and had his wares confiscated, by government officials who were obeying IMF orders to destroy the traditional economy, to make way for the multinational corporations.

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Selling in public streets and markets is the heart of the traditional Islamic economy. (Shariah gives us the rules of what a free and fair Islamic market should look like - and it would look a lot more like a traditional market with street vendors than like a shopping mall or a Wal-Mart!) So when the Tunisian public responded with outrage to the wrongs done to Mohamed Bouazizi, they were revolting against a brutal secular dictatorship bent on destroying Tunisia's traditional Islamic society - a dictatorship whose policies were ruining the economic prospects of the poorer and more devout classes while enriching the secular elite. They were also revolting against a government that was totalitarian in its attempts to control every aspect of Tunisian public life, and which was devoted to stamping out Islam, its chief competitor in the struggle for the hearts and minds of the people. Less than a month after Mohamed Bouazizi's desperate act, the Tunisian people's uprising forced President-for-Life Ben Ali to flee the country and resign. And less than a year later, in October 2011, a previously-banned Islamic political party, the Nahdah Party, swept to power in Tunisia's national elections. Clearly, the Tunisian people have rejected the secularist identity the dictatorship tried to impose on them and returned to Dar al-Islam. The Tunisian revolution quickly sparked a similar uprising in Egypt, called the thawrat 25 yanayir (January 25th revolution). Large crowds began occupying Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Cairo and other public spaces demanding the resignation of the wildly unpopular dictator Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak blamed the unrest on "Islamists," and sent his goons to set fire to Coptic churches in Alexandria, in order to pin the fires on his "Islamic terrorist" enemies. But the Egyptian people, who know that 9/11 and other "Islamic terrorist" incidents have been false-flag inside jobs, saw right through Mubarak's ploy. As British journalist Yvonne Ridley wrote: "When I walked through Tahrir Square at the height of the Egyptian revolution and saw the spirit of brotherhood between Christians and Muslims with my own eyes, I was moved to tears. For years, the destructive regime of Hosni Mubarak had sought to keep the two faith communities apart and now there is sinister evidence from secret Ministry of Interior documents that it was Mubaraks henchmen who planted bombs in Coptic churches to fuel the sectarianism that pitted Muslim against Christian. However, the Egyptian people broke free from such divisive tyranny and came together in a unity that transcended religions, cultures, gender and generations."(2) After two weeks of arrogantly belittling and condescending to protestors while sending thugs to attack them, Mubarak finally resigned on February 11th to face criminal charges. The Egyptian military seized power and said it would maintain order until elections could be held later in the year. Demonstrations continued, with protestors demanding that the military step down in favor of quick elections. In December 2011, when the first round of elections finally arrived, "Islamist parties captured an overwhelming majority of votes" (MSNBC) with the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party in first place, and the Salafi Nour Party coming in second.(3) Like Tunisians, Egyptians sent a strong message against Western domination and secularism, insisting that their real identity was with Dar al-Islam. Meanwhile, two more Arab dictators have been overthrown in 2011: Libya's Muammar al-Qaddafi and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh. Libya's "revolution" began with protests and government repression, but quickly evolved into a civil war between anti-Qaddafi forces mostly based in eastern Libya, and Qaddafi's forces based in western Libya. Intervention by NATO airpower, which subjected Libya to massive bombing, allowed the anti-Qaddafi forces to triumph by late fall of 2011. Unlike the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, which seem to have enjoyed only ambivalent Western support (presumably because they overthrew pro-West dictators) the Libyan civil war overthrew a dictator who was not a reliable puppet of the West. As of this writing it is too early to see what the outcome will be; but my guess is that within a year or so elections will be held, and Islamic parties will do well, as they do everywhere in the Islamic world when they are free to enter the political arena. (One of the biggest complaints about Qaddafi was that his approach to Islam was idiosyncratic and unorthodox; his main opponents were always Islamic activists.) Three more "Arab spring" revolutions have been boiling over for most of 2011: Those in Yemen, Bahrain,

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and Syria. In Yemen, former President-for-life Ali Abdullah Saleh is stepping down in December, 2011 after almost a year of turmoil. Saleh was hated by the Yemeni people in part because he cooperated with the Israeli-instigated, US-operated "war on terror" - which the majority of Yemenis, like other Muslims, know is a hoax and a disguised war on Islam on behalf of Zionism. One of his most influential opponents is the religious scholar, Abdul Majeed alZindani, labeled a "terrorist" by the Zionists and their American followers because he advocates Palestinian resistance to Zionist occupation, as well as resistance to any US invasion of Yemen. Another key figure is the widely-respected general, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who joined other top Yemeni army commanders in a courageous decision to protect protesters rather than attack them. Given the sympathies of these and other leaders, and the sentiments of the people, Islamic activists are poised to be the main beneficiaries of the wave of democracy in Yemen. In Bahrain, the February 14th revolution remains unfinished, due to the massive, brutal wave of repression unleashed by King Hamad, a puppet of Saudi Arabia and the West who is opposed by the majority of the population - especially the Shi'a Muslims who form a majority of the country's citizens, but who are relegated to second-class status in their own land. The government violence unleashed in Bahrain so far includes a brutal pre-dawn raid on demonstrators at the Pearl Roundabout on February 17th; a large but undetermined number of killings, including murders of peaceful protesters in the streets and after they had been taken into custody; widespread torture; the shutting down of the nation's only independent newspaper; and the invasion and brutalization of the nation by Saudi troops, at the invitation of King Hamad. But the West, which rules Bahrain through its puppet monarchy - and loves to spin the story as a "Sunni vs. Shi'a clash" has looked the other way, and the people of Bahrain have not yet succeeded in liberating their nation. In Syria, the socialist Ba'ath Party government of Bashar al-Assad has been challenged by protests that began in January 2011 and two months later escalated into an uprising. To understand the situation in Syria, some historical background is necessary. Assad's Alawite (Shi'a) sect represents less than ten percent of the population, yet completely controls the security services. The Ba'ath Party runs the government in large part through its collaboration with Christians and other minorities - disempowering the Sunni Muslim majority, which makes up more than 75% of Syria's population. Syria's Ba'athist dictatorship, which came to power in 1963, has a history of brutally repressing Sunni-based Islamic insurgencies. In 1982, the Ba'ath government massacred tens of thousands of people in Hama during an Islamic uprising there. Today, the Sunni-dominated regions have seen the biggest protests, and the opposition claims that many thousands of demonstrators have been killed estimates hotly debated by the Syrian authorities. An opposition paramilitary group called the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has arisen with the express aim of defending protestors, but which has militarily attacked government installations even in the absence of protests. Adding to the confusion, groups of bandits, Kurdish nationalists, Zionist-American provocateurs, Islamic internationals, and others are said to have participated in the endemic violence. As of early December, reports from Daraa claim that there have been few demonstrations, but that people were still being randomly shot in the street by rooftop snipers of undetermined identity. Some blame the regime, while others suspect that US or Israeli paramilitary terrorists are trying to further destabilize Syria by spreading random violence. Tariq Ramadan summed up the confusing stalemate in Syria: We are touching the Shiite-Sunni Muslim divide, relations with Iran and the US/EU-China/Russia divide it is very complex and thats why things havent moved.(4) Elsewhere in the Arab world, revolutionary embers are smoldering but have yet become wildfires. In the Islamic Maghreb, thousands of protestors came out in Algeria (February 12th and 19th) and Morocco (February 20th), but both movements have been kept under control by government concessions combined with selective repression. In Morocco, royal concessions led to the recent victory of the Islamic party Justice and Development (PJD) in parliamentary elections what The Economist called in its headlines "Yet another Islamist victory." (5) Though the West, and especially the Zionists, seem uneasy about the rise of Islam and democracy in the Arab world, some opponents of Western imperialism and Zionism are also skeptical. Tariq Ramadan has noted that beginning in 2004, activists and

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bloggers from Egypt, Tunisia, and across North Africa received non-violent activism training from the US State Department. Lets not be nave or conspiratorial. I totally oppose this idealistic appraisal of a movement that was born from nothing or young people who simply rose up, Ramadan says. (4) He argues that the Arab Spring is in large part the creation of the US Empire, which was forced to change its approach to controlling the Middle East as aging and increasingly unpopular dictators began to forge ties with Russia, China, and other relatively independent outside forces. According to Ramadan's analysis, the Arab Spring has destabilized the Middle East, and the American policy-makers hope this will help keep the region in the American orbit. In particular, they want to make sure the Arab countries are financially dependent and forced into debt slavery via IMF loans. In short, the US leadership, itself part of the usury-based empire of the big international banking families, is working to maintain and extend that empire in the Middle East, and they are manipulating the Arab Spring accordingly. If the above analysis is correct, an increasingly Islamic and democratic Middle East may be forced to choose between following Islam - which means banning riba and ejecting the IMF, courting a break with the West, and inviting economic and military difficulties - and compromising with the forces of dajjal. It will also face

The combination of Islam and democracy, in nations with increasingly educated and aware populations, may prove a potent antidote to imperialist oppression.

(1)

Martin Evans, "Algerian Specificities: Algerias Place in the 2011 Arab Revolutions." Muftah March 2, 2011 (http://muftah.org/?p=887). Yvonne Ridley, qtd. in "Yvonne Ridley: On Arab Dinosaurs and False-Flags." Muslims for 9/11 Truth, March 21st, 2011 (http://m911t.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html) MSNBC, "Islamists dominate latest Egypt election results." December 4th, 2011 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45540682/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/islamists-dominate-latest-egypt-electionresults/#.TuFJVEqSmwQ). Simon Bradley, "Tariq Ramadan: 'I dont see any sign of an Arab Spring'. SwissInfo.ch, November 17th, 2011 (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/specials/the_arab_spring/I_don_t_see_any_sign_of_an_Arab_Spring.html?cid=31580164) "Morocco's election: Yet another Islamist victory It is not yet clear how far the king will yield power to the people." The Economist. December 3rd, 2011 (http://www.economist.com/node/21541058

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

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some hard choices concerning how best to deal with its psychotic Zionist neighbor, whose current leadership is hoping to trigger a general Mideast or even World War that would give them "fog of war" cover to finish the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Though only Allah knows the future - and Allah is "the best of plotters" (Qur'an 8:30) - the Arab Spring of 2011 strikes me as a positive development. Allah loves justice, and when oppressed people rise up and demand justice, this can only please Him. Yes, any bloodshed is tragic. But as the Qur'an makes clear, "injustice is worse than killing" (2:192). And this year's transformation of the region has been one of the most nonviolent revolutions in history. The combination of Islam and democracy, in nations with increasingly educated and aware populations, may prove a potent antidote to imperialist oppression. Let us make du'a for our Muslim brothers and sisters in this region as they struggle against zulm (oppression, tyranny) and work for a more just, more Islamic society.

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WORLD NEWS
Islam Overtaking Catholicism in France
slamic mosques are being built more often in France than Roman Catholic churches, and there now are more practicing Muslims in the country than practicing Catholics. Nearly 150 new mosques currently are under construction in France, home to the biggest Muslim community in Europe. The mosquebuilding projects are at various stages of completion.....By contrast, the Roman Catholic Church in France has built only 20 new churches during the past decade, and has formally closed more than 60 churches, many of which are destined to become mosques.

military submarine to Israel. The official says Germany has set aside euro135 million ($180 million) in next year's budget to pay for about a third of its cost. Dolphin-class submarines are capable of carrying nuclear-tipped missiles, but there is no evidence that Israel has armed them with such weapons. Israel already has three Dolphin submarines from Germany - one half-funded and two entirely funded by Berlin, a staunch Israeli ally. An agreement between the two nations included an option for another subsidized submarine which was now activated at Israel's request.

pounded by the unrest of the previous year, the high food and fuel prices, and the breakdown of social services, are putting childrens health at great risks and threatening their very survival, she noted. With 58 percent of children stunted. Yemen has the second highest rate of chronic malnutrition among children in the world after Afghanistan. Shortage of clean water, sanitation and foodstuffs has doubled the number of children affected with malnutrition in the country. UNICEF has asked for USD 50 million to be able to meet childrens urgent humanitarian needs in 2012.

Jordanian Jailed for Burning

500,000 Yemeni Kids the Kings Picture Face Death: UNICEF

he United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has warned that about half a million Yemeni children are at risk of dying by the turn of 2012 over severe famine and malnutrition. 500,000 of these children are at the risk of dying or at the risk of being physically and mentally impaired. UNICEFs regional director Maria Calivis said. Caliviss remarks come after visiting Yemen to see first-hand the impact of malnutrition on childrens health in the crisis-hit country. She also warned a looming humanitarian crisis in Yemen, saying a year of political turmoil has doubled the number of malnourished children in the country. Conflict, poverty and drought, com-

Jordanian youth activist has been sentenced to two years behind bars on charges of insulting King Abdullah II by burning a picture of the countrys ruling monarch. The (military) state security court sentenced Uday Abu Issa, 18 years old to two years in jail. He has been found guilty of undermining the kings dignity. The teenager set fire to a picture of the king earlier this month after he tore it off a municipal wall in Madaba, south of Amman. He said he was enraged over the death of a municipal worker who committed self-immolation after his contract has been terminated. Abu Issas lawyer sent a letter of apology to the king but did not receive a reply. Burning a royals image as a political statement should not be criminally prosecuted, to

Israel Cancels Defense Deal With Turkey

srael has canceled a $141 million defense deal with Turkey, a reflection of the steep deterioration in relations between the former 'allies'. Israeli officials are concerned that Turkey could deliver the stateof-the-art airborne intelligence units to third parties hostile to Israel. Germany has approved the sale of Another Dolphin-type Military Submarine to Israel. A senior German official says the government has approved the subsidized sale of another Dolphin-type

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prosecute this act would send a chilling message that criticizing the king is off limits, urged Christoph Wilcke, a senior HRW Middle East researcher. Many Jordanians have taken to the streets on an almost weekly basis over the past year, demanding reforms and accusing the government of corruption. However, the protests have always stopped short of directly criticizing the royal family, which is punishable by time in prison. been relocated to Kuwait from Iraq. The United States has also installed radar and missile systems in the Kuwaiti seaport region of Shuaiba, the report said. The report comes despite Kuwaits denial in November 2011 that the country would host more US troops. The US currently has several military bases on an area of about 40 percent of Kuwaits land. Kuwaiti residents are not allowed to pass without a permit through these areas. firmed that the US Embassy was sheltering a handful of Americans working for the US-funded International Republican Institute of Cairo. Sam LaHood, the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who supervised the institutions work in Egypt, is among those hiding in the Embassy. Egyptian officials banned several of the institutes staff members from leaving the country through the Cairo International Airport. The ban was issued after Egyptian military forces raided several NGOs with the charge of receiving financial support from the US. The International Republican Institute, chaired by Republican Senator John McCain since 1993, claims to be promoting democracy and freedom around the world. McCain earlier threatened Cairo that Washington could cut off its annual USD 1.5 billion aid to Egypt should the travel ban on the institutions staff members not be lifted. 30 yl sonra Bat tarafndan ilan edilen DNA gibi mevzular dipnotlarda belirtildi. Bu ve buna benzer almalar yaplarak okuyucunun anlamasna katk salanmaya alld. Amerika Yeni Asya Vakfnda her hafta cumartesi akamlar yaplan ngilizce Risale-i Nur dersinin 26 ubat akam yeni evirdiimiz Tabiat Risalesinin okunmasna ayrld. Dersi okuyan ve dinleyenler tarafndan anlalmas noktasnda msbet tepkiler alnd. Bu haliyle Risale-i Nurlarn birok kiiye ulaaca midini tayoruz. Tercmede emei geen, dua eden herkesten Allah raz olsun diyor, bizleri bu hizmetlerde istihdam ettii iin Allah'a hamd ediyoruz...

Kuwait Gives More Land to US Military

uwait has reportedly provided the US Army with 10 hectares of its Failaka Island to be used for US military bases. According to Kuwaiti media, the United States has stationed about 15,000 new troops in its military bases in Kuwait. The troops have

Americans Hide in US Embassy in Cairo

everal Americans have taken refuge in the US Embassy in the Egyptian capital over fears of being arrested after Egypts military junta accused them of orchestrating protests against the countrys rulers. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Monday conolarak Risale-i Nurlar' tercme etme gayreti ierisindeyiz. Kevin Barett, Sleyman Kurter ve Havva Kurter'in almalaryla Tabiat Risalesi Amerika ingilizcesine tercme edildi. Daha nceden kran Vahide hanm tarafndan ngiltere ingilizcesine tercme edilen Tabiat Risalesi, Amerikadaki ihtiyaca binaen Amerikan mslmanlara Risale-i Nur'lar daha iyi anlatma gayreti, dncesi ve duasyla Amerikan ingilizcesine tercme edildi. Tabiat Risalesi tercme edilirken baz temel kavramlara hi dokunulmad. Misal olarak "iman","kfr" kelimeleri aynen yazld ve kelimenin hangi manaya hizmet ettii dipnot dlerek izah edildi. Bedizzaman Said Nursi'nin 1920'li yllardayken bahsettii ancak kendisinden yaklak

Tercme Hizmetleri:
TABAT RSALESNN YEN TERCMES TAMAMLANDI
Risale-i Nur hizmetleri, dnyann her tarafnda akla evkle devam etmektedir. Erkek-kadn, gen-yal, yediden yetmie ehl-i iman kardelerimiz gcnn yettiince, dilinin dndnce Kur'an'n mesajn, Risale-i Nurlar vasta ederek daha doru, daha anlalr bir ekilde insanla anlatma gayreti ierisindeler. phesiz Risale-i Nur hizmetlerinin herbir parasnn, kendine has hususiyeti, kendi alannda birincilii vardr. Bu paralardan birtanesi olan Risale-i Nurlar tercme hizmetleri de imana, Kur'an'a byk hizmetlerdendir. Amerika Yeni Asya Vakf

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HAYAT REHBERN KURAN YAPABLMEK

Bunun neticesidir ki btn dnyaya yaylan ve tm insanla mal olma yolunda byk merhaleler kat eden Risalei Nur hareketinin bu gn arz da ulat inkr edilemez gerektir.
Nejat Eren

HASBHAL

Stresten, bellardan, musibetlerden, skntlardan uzak, durabilmek iin. Maddi ve manevi hastalklardan uzak olabilmek iin. Saadet srlarn yakalayabilmek, sade, temiz, mutlu bir mr srebilmek iin. nsanca, hr, mutlu, huzurlu ve haka yaayabilmek iin. Her trl konuda yardm etmek ve yardm alabilmek iin. Hayattan gerek manada zevk ve lezzet alabilmek iin. Kandan, nefretten, kinden, fkeden, kavgadan uzak bir hayat yaayabilmek iin. stikameti bulmak, insanln en byk haklarndan adaleti salayabilmek iin. Zarardan, hasardan, tahripten kurtulabilmek iin. Rehberi yalnz Kuran bilmek, onu kabullenmek, ona uymak, onun hkmlerine gre hareket etmek, ona ball srdrmek ve getirdii snmez ve sndrlmez dsturlar tatbik etmek gerekiyor. nk insanln en byk nderi ve serveri Hz. Muhammedi ar lya ykselten onun Kuran Ahlkna olan ball ve bu konudaki tavizsiz tutum ve uygulamasdr. nk peygamberlerden sonra insanln yldzlar olarak vasflandrlan sahabelerin bu inkr edilmez zelliklerinin yegane izah ve yorumu onlarn Kuran yolunda yaptklar o mthi sadakat ve manev cihattr. nk onlar takip eden Tabiin ve Tebeitabiinin, ulemann, asfiyann, aktaplarn ve mtehitlerin yolu da Kurann bu kuds ve nurlu yoludur. Bu gn dnyaya yaylan Nur Hareketinin ve elinizde bulunan bu Nur / The Light Dergisinin de btn amac, Kuran yolunun, Onun davasnn insanla anlatlmas

srn dehetinden ve her trl hastalndan kurtulabilmek iin.

ve tebli davasdr. Son asrn mtehidi Bedizzamann bu zamann limlerinden nemli bir fark ve ayrcal; Onun dorudan doruya rehber olarak sadece ve sadece Kuran kabullenmesidir. Tercih sebebinin istisnasz bu dnce olmasdr. Pek ok yol varken tek ve en doru yol olan Kuran yoluna tevecch etmesidir. Bedizzamann Kurann rehberliinde, Hz. Peygamber ders ve talimiyle ald mevhibe olan; yani ona ilham edilen amaz ve armaz ilim ve bunun nda okuduu sosyal hayat geirdii bunca tecrbenin yegane farkll ve etkinlii buradan gelmektedir. Btn bunlarn Risalei Nur Klliyatnda ifadesini bulan orijinal ifadelerden birka rnek vermek gerekiyorsa ksaca unlar sralayabiliriz: Malmdur ki, insan, hasbelkader ok yollara slk eder (girer). Ve o yolda ok musibet ve dmanlara rast gelir. Bazan kurtulursa da, bazan da boulur. Ben de kader-i lhnin sevkiyle pek acip bir yola girmitim. Ve pek ok bellara ve dmanlara tesadf ettim. Fakat acz ve fakrm vesile yaparak Rabbime iltica ettim. nayet-i ezeliye, beni Kur'n'a teslim edip, Kur'n' bana muallim yapt. te, Kur'n'dan aldm dersler syesinde o bellardan hals olduum gibi, nefis ve eytanla yaptm muharebelerden de muzafferen kurtuldum. (Mes. Nur. Sh. Katre sh: 44) Bu ifadelerde net olarak ortaya konulan udur: Kuran teslim olup onu rehber ve retici bilmek her trl bel ve musibetlerin tek kurtarc ilc ve aresidir. nsanlarn arza ait bilgilerin ounun lfete bal olduunu bu lfetin ise, cehaletin stne serilmi bir perde olduunu syleyen Bedizzaman: Hakikate baklrsa, zannettikleri ilim, cehildir. Bu srra binaendir ki, Kur'an, ayetleriyle insanlarn nazarn melfatlar (bildikleri) olan eylere eviriyor. yetler, necimler (yldzlar) gibi lfet perdesini deler, atar. nsann kulandan tutar, ban edirir. O lfetin altndaki

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havariku'l-adat (harika-acayip) mucizeleri o adiyat ierisinde gsterir. (Mes. Nur. Sh. emmee sh: 165) Burada da lfet denen alkanlk veya yeni dilde kullanlan kanksama ifadesinin insanlar ne kadar yanltt ve s ve yanl dncelere saplad ok gzel ve zl olarak ifade edilmi. Bedizzaman kendi i dnyasnda u tespiti yapar: Bu fakir, aciz ise drt hatveden (Basamaktan) ibaret, hem ksa, hem sehl (kolay) bir tariki, Kur'an'n feyzinden istifade etmitir. (Mes. Nur. Sh. emmee sh: 175) Bunun neticesidir ki btn dnyaya yaylan ve tm insanla mal olma yolunda byk merhaleler kat eden Risalei Nur hareketinin bu gn arz da ulat inkr edilemez gerektir. Biare mahlkat gerek deerine oturtan u aada gelen ifadelere bir bakalm: Kur'an'n ifham (anlatt) ettii tarik, kinat, mevcudat hem idamdan, hem hapisten kurtarr. Esma-i Hsnaya mazhariyetle aynadarlk etmek gibi vazifelerde istihdam ediyor. Fakat kinat, istiklaliyetten ve kendi hesabna almaktan azlediyor. (Mes. Nur. Sh. emmee sh: 176) Bunca teknolojik gelime ve medeniyet fantazilerine kar nsanolunun en byk korkusu olan lme tek are yine sadece Kuranda vardr. Her insann arkasnda penelerini am hcuma hazr ecel arslan tehdit ediyor. Eer iman kulayla Kur'an'n sadasn dinleyecek olursan, o ecel arslan bir burak olur. Bizleri rahmet-i Rahmana ulatracaktr. Eer Kur'an'n ilalaryla tedavi edersen, fakrmz rahmet-i Rahman'n ziyafetine evk ve itiyaka inklap edecektir. Gvendiimiz akl ve ilimden mit yok. Ancak Kur'an'n gneinden, Rahman'n hazinesinden tedarik edilebilir. Eer bizleri bu seferden geri brakacak bir areniz varsa, pekala. Ve illa skt ediniz. Kur'an- dinleyelim, bakalm ne emrediyor: Deerli ilim adam, air ve fazl zat Ali Ulv Kurucu stad Bedizzamann bu konudaki zelliini ortaya koyan ahane tespitini nazm bir ekilde Tariheyi Hayatn banda u ekilde beyan eder. Allah'tr onun yar, mrebbsi, velisi; Andka, btn nur oluyor duygusu, hissi. Ykselmededir marifet iklimine her an, Bambaka ufuklar ayor rhuna Kur'an. Kur'an ona yd ettiriyor, "Bezm-i Elest"i, k, o tecellinin ezelden beri mesti. (Tarihe, sh: 13) Devamndaki tespitlerinde de Ali Ulv Kurucu Kurana bal olan stadn zelliklerini yle beyan eder: stad, hussi hayatnda gyet halm selm ve son derece mtevazdr. Bir ferdi deil, hibir zerreyi incitmemek iin azam fedakrlklar gsterir. Saysz zahmet ve meakkatlere, zdrap ve mahkmiyetlere katlanr-fakat manna, Kuran'na dokunulmamak artyla. Artk, o zaman bakmsnz ki, o sakin deniz, dalgalar semalara ykselen bir tfan, sahillere heybet ve dehet saan bir umman kesilmitir. nk o, Kur'an- Kerm'in sadk hizmetkr ve man hudutlarn bekleyen kahraman ve fedai bir neferidir. Kendisi bu hakkati veciz bir cmle ile u ekilde ifade eder. "Bir nefer nbette iken, bakumandan da gelse, silahn brakmayacak. Ben de, Kuran'n bir hizmetkr ve bir neferiyim. Vazife banda iken karma kim karsa ksn; hak budur derim, bam emem." Vazife banda ve cihad meydannda iken, u msralar lisan- halidir: ahlanan bir ata benzer, krarm kanl gemi; Sinsi dmanlara, haa, satamam benliimi. Benliimden uzak olmaktr esaret, bence; Byle bir zillete dmek, ne hazn ikence! Ebed vuslatn akyla geer her anm, Dest-i kudretle yaplm kaledir manm. (Tarihe, sh: 17) te stad, byle ilm bir yolu, yani Kur'an- Kerm'in nurlu yolunu takip ettii iin binlerle niversitelinin mann kurtarmak erefine mazhar olmutur. Hazretin, bu hususta haiz olduu ilm, edeb ve felsefi daha pek ok meziyetleri vardr. (Tarihe, sh: 19) Hrikulde ftr bir zek, lhi bir mevhbe. En mu'dil meselelerde, zeksnn kudret ve azameti kendisini gsterir. Daima ileyen ve dnen bir kafa. Nakillerle pek megul deil. Onun rehberi yalnz Kur'n; btn feyiz ve zek kayna bu. Btn o lem'alar, dorudan doruya bu kaynaktan neben ediyor. Bir mtehid, bir imam kadar rey sahibi. Kalbi bir Sahab kadar manla dolu. Rhunda, mer'in ehmeti var. Yirminci asrda Devr-i Saadeti nefsinde yaatan bir m'min. Btn hedefi man ve Kur'n. (Tahlil, Tarihe, sh: 541)

Cenab Haktan niyazmz odur ki: Btn Mslman kardelerimizle birlikte hepimizin Kurann rehberliinde bir hayat srmesi ve onun hkm ve dsturlarn hayatmzn pusulas ve rotas yapabilmemizdir.
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HALL AKGNLER

edildii mekanlara gitmek. Nur Dershaneleri diye tanmlanan mekanlara devam etmek ve burada meseleleri daha iyi anlayan ve anlatan kardelerden bilgiler alarak zihnimizi ve fikrimizi nurun hakikatleri ile doldurmak. Ve en nemlisi ise nurlardan elde ettiimiz bu hakikatleri yaamak ve nurlardan rendiimiz kelime ve tabirleri itimai ve sosyal konumumuza gre gnlk hayatmzda istimal etmek ve bu yolla gzel Trke'mizin zenginlemesine katkda bulunmaktr. ite mezkur faaliyetler ile sadeletirmek ad altnda yaplan dili fakirletirme tahribatna kar mhim bir tedbir alm oluruz. Zaten Risale-i Nurun dili ar deildir. Anlalmas kolay, cmleler net, insan zihni ile hakikatler arasndaki mana ba gl, kelime ve tabirler Trke ses uyumu noktasnda akc ve berraktr. Problem kiinin kelime haznesinin yetersizliidir. Bu gn dilimiz zerinde yle tahribatlar yaplm ki, daha yz sene ncesinde yazlan Safahat gibi eserleri bile anlamakta glk ekiyoruz. Bu da haliyle bir cemiyetin hafzasnn silinmesine yol ayor. Dikkat edilirse dil zerinde yaplan tahribatlarn da esas maksad budur: gemile balar kesmek. Yeni nesillerin zihinlerini tahri edip, dnme meleklerini snrlandrmak. Bu tr tahribatlara kar Risale-i Nur zaten mhim bir set oluturmu.

Sadeletirme Tahribatna Kar Tedbir

alum olduu zere Risale-i Nurdan Lem'alar adl eserin sadeletirilmesi ok ciddi bir tepkiye neden oldu. Risale-i Nurun dili zerinde yaplmak istenen bu tahribat teebbsne kar, Nurlara gnl vermi bir ok ehl-i kalem fikir beyannda bulundu. Risale-i Nurun sadeletirilmesinin mmkn olmadna dair edebi ve ilmi deliller ortaya koydular. stadn yakn talebelerinin de, Nurlarn sadeletirilmesine kar kan beyannameleri ok gzel bir aklama oldu. Bu noktada elbette ki tepkiler devam edecek. Nurlarn diline ve hakikatlerine kar yaplan bu tahribat teebbs akim kalacaktr. Peki bu tahribata kar sadece tepki vermekle mi iktifa edeceiz? Temel hizmet prensipleri mspet iman hizmeti erevesinde teekkl etmi olan Risale-i Nur mesleinin ruhuna uygun daha gzel tedbirlerimiz yok mu?

Elbette ki var. Hem de mhim bir tedbirimiz var. O da u: Okumak, okumak ve okumaktr. Nurlardaki hakikatler dem ve damarlarmza karncaya dek okumak. His ve ruh dnyamz tamamen nurlarla dolup tancaya okumak. Akl ve fikir midemiz tam olarak hakikatlerle doluncaya kadar okumak. Nurun hakikati gayr-i ihtiyari nevinden lisanlarmza yerleinceye kadar okumak. Ardndan okutmak. nce evremize, ailemize, akrabalarmza, yaknlarmza ve dostlarmza okutmak. Bilhassa ailemiz ok nemli. Evladmz, ocuumuz, eimiz, anne ve babamz, kardelerimiz. Nurlarda getiine gre ailenizden, komunuzdan -be kii bir araya gelip nurlardan ders yapmak suretinde okumak bu zamanda talebe-i ulum erefini kazandrr. Dier bir yntem de nurlarn okunduu, nurlardan izahlarn yapld, nurlarn mzakerelerinin terennm

Bu tr tahribatlara kar Risale-i Nur zaten mhim bir set oluturmutur.

nanlarmz zerinde oynanmak istenen oyunlar bozmu ve cemiyetin imann takviye etmitir. Bir lde gzel Trke'nin temel yapsn da muhafaza etmitir. Bu adan Risale-i Nurun dilimizin korunmas ynnde de mhim bir vazifesi vardr. Bizlere den en mhim vazife Risale-i Nuru okuyup okutarak, rendiimiz hakikatlerini cemiyet iinde yaayp yaatarak, cmlelerde geen kelime ve deyimleri gnlk konumalarmzda kullanarak dilin tahribatna kar ciddi bir set oluturmaktr. Zaten imdiye dek bu konuda mhim faaliyetler yaplyor idi, en azndan bizler bu faaliyetlere daha bir evkle katlarak bu ynde hizmet etmi oluruz. Evet, o zaman haydi Risale okumaya...

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Mceddidlik Mehdilik Meselesi

Peygamber Efendimiz (sav) bir hadisinde "her yzylda bir mceddid gnderildiini" bildirmitir.
Yusuf ayabatmaz

ceddidlik-Mehdilik meselesinin, kayna, dayana ve manevi lemimizde yansmalar nelerdir? Nasl anlalmas gerekir? Mceddidlik ve iman kavram arasnda nasl bir ba kurmamz doru olur? Bu sorular zihnimizde tutarak MceddidlikMehdilik meselesini anlamaya alalm. Mceddid kelimesi tecdid eden dini yenileyen anlamnda kullanlr. Nedir dini yenilemek? Kuran btn insanla gnderilmi cihanumul bir kitap ve Hz. Peygamber gnderilen son peygamber deil miydi? Mehdi kelimesi doru yolu bulmak, yol gstermek, rehberlik etmek anlamndaki hda (hedy, hidayet) kknden tremi bir sfat olup hidayete erdirilmi, kendisine doru yol gsterilmi kii demektir. Yaratl itibariyle akleden, akletmesi emredilen, akletmesi gereken demolunun sorduu ve soraca tm bu suallerin cevaplarn verebilmemiz iin yaratln ilk balarna gidelim.

Rahmeti sonsuz olan Allah(cc) ilk insan peygamberlik vazifesiyle mkellef klmas neticesinde, insanlk imtihanna her eyi bilerek (Hz. demin Esma talimi) balamtr. Hz. demden sonra insanlk vazifesini, yani kulluunu, yani dnyaya gnderili maksadn unutarak malayani ile itigal etmeye balamtr. Rahim-i Zlcemal bu gafletten uyandrmak iin yeni peygamberler gndermitir. Bir rivayete gre yz yirmi drt bin, bir rivayete gre yz yirmi drt milyon peygamber insanl maksadna yneltmek iin vazifelendirilmilerdir. Peygamberlik silsilesinin son halkas Hz. Muhammed (asm) ile insanlk rehberlikte kemal noktay bulmu. Allah (cc) Peygamberlik silsilesini Hz. Muhammed (asm) ile hitama erdirmitir.

Muhammed (asm), sizin erkeklerinizden hibirinin babas olmamtr (deildir). Fakat Allah'n Resl' ve Nebler'in (Peygamberler'in) Hatemi'dir (Sonuncusu). Allah, hereyi en iyi bilendir. 8
Peygamberlik messesesinin kaldrlmasyla ak bir ekilde anlyoruz ki mceddidler ve Mehdi (as) peygamber deiller ve yeni bir din getirmiyorlar. Peki, niin gnderiliyorlar? Sorusunun cevabn baz hadislerden karmak mmkn: Peygamber Efendimiz (sav) bir hadisinde "her yzylda bir mceddid gnderildiini" yle bildirmitir:

Zat-Zlcelal Hazretleri Cemal ve Kemalini grmek ve gstermek istemesi srrnca7 lemi, mevcudat ve eref-i mahlkat olan insan, ilk peygamberi, Hz. demi (AS) yaratt. Yaratlan tm mevcudat insan nevine musahhar birer hizmeti kld. nanan insann imtihan diye bahsettii bu hadise ksaca yaratln sorgulayp Ben Nerden geldim? Neciyim? Nereye gidiyorum? suallerininin cevabn bulmak ona gre hayat mddetini, Rabbini tanyarak tamamlamaktr. Dier yandan mayas acz, fakr ve kusur ile yorulmu olan insan nevinin yaratl srrna uygun olarak yaayabilmesi yani Rabbini tanyabilmesi iin bir rehbere ihtiyac vardr. Ary yasubsuz brakmayan Allah insan rehbersiz brakmayacaktr elbette. Bu meseleyi ilk insann, yani Hz. demin ayn zamanda bir peygamberlik vazifesiyle birlikte bu leme gnderilmesi hikmetiyle daha iyi anlayabiliriz.

Gerekten Aziz ve Celil olan Allah her yz sene banda u mmetin dinini bidatten (dine sonradan sokulan hurafelerden) ayracak, yenileyecek (ilim sahibi) BR ZATI gnderir. 9

Yeni Asya Neriyat Szler s-112 (zaha ihtiya duyulan bu mevzuyu konumuz d olduu iin ksa kesiyorum ayrntl bilgi iin On Birinci Sz okunabilir.) Ahzab suresi 40 Snen-i Ebu Davud, 5:100

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Ashb- Ktb-i Sitte'den mam- Hkim'in "Mstedrek"inde ve Ebu Dvud'un "Kitab- Snen"inde, Beyhaki "uab- man"da tahri buyurduklar (delillere dayanarak ortaya koyduklar): Her yz senede Cenab- Hak bir Mceddid-i Din gnderiyor10... Mehdinin zuhuruyla ilgili olarak Peygamber Efendimiz yle buyuruyorlar: "...Dnyann mrnden sadece bir gn kalsa bile, Allah benim Ehl-i Beytim'den bir adam gnderecektir. O dnyay (daha nce) zulmle olduu gibi adaletle dolduracaktr."11 Zikredilen hadisler gibi mceddid ve mehdi ile ilgili onlarca hadise ulamak mmkndr, burada birka tanesiyle iktifa ediyoruz. Hadislerin sarih manalarndan anlald gibi mceddidler dine (Burada kastedilen Peygamber Efendimizden sonra, genel manada slamiyet) sonradan giren srailiyyat, bidat, hurafeler, bir takp sapknlklar ve yanl anlaylar ortadan kaldran kiilerdir. Mceddidler bulunduklar dnemlere gre, yani idrakin alaca ekliyle muktezay hale mutabk olarak kuran eitimi veren iman almas yapan kiilerdir. Mehdi ise son mceddid olarak islam litaretrnde bahsedilir... meselemiz kulluk, Rabbimizi tanmak olduuna gre mceddid ve mehdiye de bu nazarla bakmalyz. Bu aray bir mit veya gaflete dalmamak iin bir istinat olsa da zlerek izlediim inananlar lemi zaman zaman komik duruma dmektedir. Yetmili yalarnda muhterem bir zatn yle bir beyan var bu yama geldim yaklak yirmibe mehdinin elini sktm, herkes mehdi olma hevesinde. Bu ifade bir kahraman beklentisinin, aramadan bulmann, hayallerle yetinmenin aynasdr. Herkes kendi eyhini mehdi ilan etmi durumda. Mehdi kimseye hidayet veremez ancak yol gsterir. Bedizzaman Said Nursiin abisiyle yapm olduu mnazara bu konuda fevkalade nemli ve derin manalar ierir. Abisi benim eyhim mehdidir sen de ona balan deyince, Bedizzaman abisinin hayal ettii bireyi sevdiini, kendisinin ise hakiki manada o eyhi sevdiini beyan ediyor. Bu noktadan kendisine yaplan hsn zanlar zerine hi almyor ve talebelerini hakikate, Risale-i Nura yneltiyor. Yazlan btn Risalelerin de tahkik edilerek okunmasn tavsiye ediyor. Bu noktada hsn- zan kabul etmiyor. Mihenge vurun altn karsa aln bakr karsa stne bin bedduayla atn diyor. Bizim mehdi aramak yerine mehdi gelse ne yapard, ya da ne yapmtr diye sormamz ve ona gre hayatmz disiplin altnda tutmamz gerekiyor. Arife iaret kfidir...

man ile Mceddid-Mehdi arasnda nasl bir ba kurmalyz?

Mehdi slamiyeti hurafelerden arndracak, adeta hulefai raidin zamanndaki gibi parlatacak, Hz. Hasann yarm kalan hilafetinin tamamlaycs olacak. Kuran- ve hadisleri anlama usul getirecek bunun eitimini verecektir. Mehdiye iman edenler onun bu usuln alanlar kinatn her bir eyinden Rabbe gidenler olacaktr. Yoksa benim eyhim mehdidir bizi o kurtaracak diyenlerin baz Hristiyanlardan bir fark yoktur. Zira bir ksm Hristiyanlar zetle saya iman ettik o bizi kurtaracak demektedirler. Kyamete yaklatmz u zamanda, ahir zamann insan olarak mceddid ve mehdi aray ierisindeyiz. Asl
10

Barla lahikas s-268 Yeniasya Neriyat. Hakim, Mstedrek, 4:522; Mnavi, Feyzl-Kadir, 2:281, Hadis no: 1845; Ebu Davud, Melahim:1. Snen Ebu Davud, Cilt 14 s. 402

11

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A little of honesty burns millions of lies up. A little of reality destroys a palace of imagination. Honesty is major basis, a light of ore.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi

Nur - The Light | Published by Yeni Asya USA

803 W. Oklahoma Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53215 yeniasyausa@gmail.com | www.yeniasyausa.com