A few days ago the UN warned that food prices could rise by 10% to 20% next year after poor harvests and an expected rundown of global reserves. More than 70 African and Asian countries will be the worst hit, said the Food and Agricultural Organization in its monthly report. In its gloomiest forecast since the 2007/08 food crisis, which saw food riots in more than 25 countries and 100 million extra hungry people, the report's authors urged states to prepare for hardship. "Countries must remain vigilant against supply shocks," the report warned. "Consumers may have little choice but to pay higher prices for their food. The size of next year's harvest becomes increasingly critical. For stocks to be replenished and prices to return to more normal levels, large production expansions are needed in 2011." Furthermore the UN warned that international food import bills could pass the $1 trillion mark, with prices in most commodities up sharply from 2009. Global food reserves, which currently stand at around 74 days, are now expected to decrease significantly in the next few months. "Cereal reserves may drop by around 7%, barley nearly 35%, maize 12% and wheat 10%. Only rice reserves are expected to increase, by 6% next year," said the report. Much now hangs on next year's harvests, it said. "International prices could rise even more if production next year does not increase significantly - especially in maize, soybean and wheat. Even the price of rice, the supply of which is more adequate than other cereals, may be affected if prices of other major food crops continue climbing."

Whilst it is apparent that some of the food price hikes are due to a fall in production-Russia's ban on wheat exports in the aftermath of the fires- the UN has again overlooked the main culprit, food speculation and the declining value of the dollar.  Both are playing havoc with food prices worldwide.  The debasement of the dollar reduces the purchasing power of the currency to buy goods and services. As most of the world's staple foods are traded in dollars, the country purchasing staple foods has to pay more in order to secure the same amount of food supplies to feeds its hungry population. Often poorer countries do not have extra dollars to meet the rise in food prices. Hence some nations are forced to borrow dollars at high interest rates, which in turn makes them further indebted to the donor nations. Other countries are forced to make structural changes to their agricultural policies and grow cash crops instead of staple foods.  Thus poorer countries find themselves engulfed in a vicious cycle i.e. they borrow more to pay off debtor nations and at the same time deprive their people of food. Still there are some poorer countries, which have abundance of staple foods, but are forced to sell their crops to earn foreign exchange to pay off debt owed to first world nations.

What makes the food equation even worse between the ‘haves and the have nots' is rampant speculation by the haves. Speculation usually translates into huge food price spikes, especially when the value of the dollar plunges. This is exactly what happened a few years ago. And now after the recent announcement by the US Federal Reserve to spend an extra $600 billion to stimulate the US economy, speculation on the price of essential food commodities has increased and will continue do so for a considerable time to come. The net effect is that food prices will increase sharply and thereby deprive millions around the world of a basic right.

The Muslim world will be adversely impacted by rising food prices and this will leaves millions of Muslims deprived of food and vulnerable to the harsh economic conditions imposed by the West. The only way for the Muslim ummah to protect her from ever increasing food prices is to work for the re-establishment of the Caliphate. The Caliphate will protect its currency by basing it on the bimetallic standard. Hence food prices will stabilize and will not undergo extreme fluctuations as witnessed today. Moreover, the Caliphate will prohibit food speculation, hoarding and price fixing, thereby ensuring that all citizens of the state are able to afford food. For those unfortunate citizens, who are unable to fend for themselves, the Caliphate will buy foodstuffs from the open market and tend to their needs. The messenger of Allah (SWT) said, "The Son of Adam has no better right than that he would have a house wherein he may live, a piece of clothing whereby he may hide his nakedness and a piece of bread and some water." [Tirmidhi]

Abed Mustafa

   For the last week or so, the case of Christian women is being highlighted in the media and political circles. Asia Bibi, 45 years of age, was sentenced to death by a lower court on charges of making blasphemous comments against the Messenger of Allah (saaw).  An appeal for the restitution of "full freedom" to Asia Bibi was also launched by Pope Benedict XVI, at the end of the general audience. He noted that "the international community is following with great concern the difficult situation of Christians in Pakistan, often victims of violence or discrimination." The Pope expressed his "spiritual closeness" to Asia Bibi and her family and called for the liberation of the woman. Soon after, Punjab's Governor, Salman Taseer, travelled to Shaikhupura to meet the woman in jail and held a press conference there.  He said: "I will soon meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hand him over Bibi's appeal," he said. "I hope that the president will pardon her."

 First of all we would like to ask Mr. Pope where was he when US, UK and the collation forces of the West were killing over a million Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan?  Why were his lips sealed when it came to humiliating torture and imprisonment without charge of hundreds of innocent Muslims in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghaurab prison?  We advise him to first bring his house in order and provide justice to the victims of sodomy and torture by the priests and cardinals of his own church.

As per the rulers and NGOs of Pakistan, this is not the first time when such a cases has been blown out of proportion by them with the help of the media to attack Islam and its laws.  Under Pakistani laws a death sentence by a lower Court cannot be acted upon until the High Court approves of it.  So it was not like Asia Bibi was to be hanged tomorrow that the whole government and media came tumbling down. Hence, the response which came from Pope, the Governor and all the NGOs show that their actual agenda was something else i.e. to attack Islam and its laws.

The NGOs have already demanded the repeal of the "blasphemy law", which punishes anybody who commits blasphemy to death.  Their claim is that since it can be misused therefore it should be repealed immediately.  But there is a difference between the laws related to conviction and laws which define the punishment for a criminal already convicted by the court.  The laws related to conviction in the current judicial system of Pakistan have nothing to do with Islam.  They are the same laws as defined by the British during their colonial days. So if these laws convict an innocent person then what has that got to do with Islam and its punishment system?  If the NGOs and the government are really interested in saving the people from the injustice of the current judicial system then they should better uproot this Kufr judicial system and implement Islamic system in which definite proof (Bayinah) is accepted and nobody can be convicted based on circumstantial evidences.  Just repealing Blasphamy Law and keeping the Kufr judicial system intact will not solve the problem.

 Today West is protecting the blasphemers in their own countries as well as they are encouraging those who dare to commit this sin in the Muslim world.  Today it was reported in the press that Western countries including America has offered asylum for Asia Bibi.  We have already seen similar story in Afghanistan where Sayed Parvez Kambakhsh was pardoned by Hamid Karzai and then given asylum by a western country.  Insulting Islam and sanctities of Islam has become "alottery ticket" to the West. Only through the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" Muslims will be able to protect the sanctities of Islam, and the day is not far anymore.

NB / The Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan

   HTI-Press. Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) hosted Eid al-Adha prayers in various cities across Indonesia which coincided with 10 Dzulhijah in accordance with the Islamic Calendar 1431 H Al Mekkah Al Mukkaramah. The Indonesian government set its own 10 Dzulhijah the next day, or Wednesday (17/11).

Nevertheless, since the sun began to rise the Muslims flocked to the location of the prayer. They brought their own prayer mats. Every city decided their own locations of the prayers. Some took place in open fields, in business centers, or in other centers. The event was attended by hundreds to thousands of Muslims.

 In Jakarta, more than 1,000 Muslims packed the courtyard of the Central Office of HTI. While in Bogor, a small city in southern part of Jakarta, more than 3,000 people crowded into a parking lot of a mall. The same events took place in Surabaya, Medan, Solo, Makassar, Bandung and other cities. HTI also held Idul Adha prayers at Merapi evacuation center at the Stadium of Maguwoharjo, Sleman, Yogyakarta.

Takbir, tahlil, tahmid echoed in the courtyard of the HTI Central Office in Crown Palace Soepomo Street South Jakarta. More than a thousand Muslims males and females, old to young, even children came to join al-Iedul Adha prayers 1431 Hijri, on Tuesday (16/11) held by HTI Central Board in Jakarta.

At  around 07.00 PM, the Eid prayer began. Ustadz  Herman Al Baduwi acted as the Imam of the prayer. While Iedul Adha sermon was delivered by Ustadz Ahmad Junaidi At Thayyibi.

In his early sermons, the khatib highlighted the condition of Indonesia which has continuously been hit by the disasters while the rulers seemed indifference to the suffering of the people. When people need helps, the rulers and the people's representatives went abroad on businesses which were not urgent. "How long will this condition continue to happen?' asked the khatib.

Khatib warned the Muslims that Allah SWT and  His Messenger had shown us a complete solution to all these problems. The solution is a total unconditional obedience to Allah SWT and His Messenger.  The total obedience can only be realized perfectly with the application of total Sharia (kaffah) under the shade of the Khilafah "Caliphate".

 "The absence of a caliphate is what makes the Muslims weak and impotent against their enemies. This condition was described exactly by the Prophet PBUH:  like food on a tray surrounded by their enemies. The number is big, but they are like scum that swayed  by the waves, " the khatib said.

Khatib led Muslims to emulate the attitude of the Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail. They both have total obedience to God. Love of God placed the highest compared with the love of others.

The fact shows that many Muslims still love others than to love Allah SWT. As a result, they love worldly life more than the After life; to love their family more than to love preaching and fighting for their religion; to love wealth more than to love jihad in His way; to love power more than to fight for the glory of Islam, even to love their enemies of Islam more than to love the Muslims.

 This is the condition that leads the Muslims no longer occupy their position as the best ummah (khairu umma). In contrast, the Muslims actually follow the will of the kafir the occupiers of the muslim lands by running the secular-capitalistic system and by upholding the human rights and pluralism in a democratic frame. "Then we become despicable ummah who are collapsed in disgrace, poverty, and ignorance. Be we are the victims of their greed so as life is not worth anything, "said the khatib while mentioning the suffering of Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghans, Kashmiri, Patani, the Moro and others.

Khatib also highlighted the actions of the Muslim rulers who become the West imitators. On the midst of the hardship of Indonesian, the Indonesian rulers signed a comprehensive partnership with Obama while Allah forbids the Muslims to make the kuffar as friends / partners.

 At the end of  the sermon, the khatib  asked the Muslims to constantly strive to implement the Islamic Syariah by establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate", as a form of sincerity to worship Allah SWT, to bear all risks until we win  upon the will of Allah or we perish because of  that.

"Let us make the hajj and the moment of qurban as an inspiration and a motivation for all of us to always submit to Allah SWT and His Messenger, as well as to always make sacrifices in the struggle to apply a kaffah Islamic Sharia, under the shade of the institution of Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" 'ala Minhaj an-Nubuwwah," said the khatib.

 Before the event started, the committee read a statement about the differences in the determination of Eid al-Adha 1431 H. They explained that difference should not have occurred when the Muslims refer to the pilgrimage as a directive of the event, especially the wukuf in Arafah.

HTI calls on Muslims in Indonesia in particular to draw lessons from this incident, that this is the condition if the ummah is not united. The Ummah will continue being broken into pieces in many ways, including that in the matters of ibadah. Therefore, this division must be stopped. The solution is that the Muslims must take this seriously, do anything with all the resources and efforts of each to fight for re-establishment of the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" as a unifier of the people.

For more photo click HERE

Titles:

• Kerry to Turkey: Make up with Israel to resume Mideast role
• Tajikistan calls students home from Egypt in bid to prevent radicalization
• Bush faults Pakistan
•  Obama: US supports India as global power
• China says G20 should monitor US Fed
• Obama: America is not at war with Islam

News Details:

Kerry to Turkey: Make up with Israel to resume Mideast role
U.S. Sen. John Kerry said Turkey must take steps to improve frayed relations with Israel if it is to play a role in brokering regional peace. Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee and a proxy for the Obama administration in the region, was touring Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Israel this week.  "Turkey will have to decide and Israel will have to decide what is satisfactory," Kerry was quoted by the Financial Times as saying in Ankara. "Turkey can play a crucial role in helping the U.S. and others to reduce tensions in the Middle East." Turkey downgraded relations with Israel in the wake of the 2009 Gaza war, and particularly after Israel's deadly raid in May on a Turkish aid flotilla aiming to breach Israel's Gaza blockade. Turkey previously had brokered Israel-Syria exploratory peace talks, and now it is seeking a role in mediating nuclear talks between Iran and the West.

Tajikistan calls students home from Egypt in bid to prevent radicalization
Tajikistan has forcefully repatriated more than 100 students from Egypt in a bid to stop them being drawn into radical Islam. The students, who had been studying illegally at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, the world's highest seat of Islamic learning, were rounded up by Egyptian authorities on Monday at the request of the Tajik government. "On Monday ... Tajik Airlines returned about 134 young Tajiks to the country from Egypt, where they were studying," said a spokesman for the Tajik Ministry of Religious Affairs. Tajikistan is pushing for the return of almost all of the 1,000 Tajiks presently studying at Al Azhar, all but a handful of whom are there without government permission.

Bush faults Pakistan
Former US president George W. Bush has written in a new memoir that he became convinced Pakistan would not act against extremist militants and all but admitted he ordered drone strikes on its soil. In his book "Decision Points" published Tuesday, Bush said he had "complex" relations with Pakistan and its former military leader Pervez Musharraf, who pledged to support the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Bush acknowledged that Pakistan "paid a high price for taking on extremists" and said its forces were successful for several years in targeting al Qaeda militants crossing the porous border with Afghanistan. But Bush said: "Some in the Pakistani intelligence service, the ISI, retained close ties to Taliban officials. Others wanted an insurance policy in case America abandoned Afghanistan and India tried to gain influence there," Bush wrote. Bush said he grew frustrated by late in his presidency. He recalled a meeting with US Special Forces returning from Afghanistan in which one troop pleaded with him, "We need permission to go kick some ass inside Pakistan." Bush said he could not reveal details of his decision but noted that the Predator, an unmanned predator drone, "was capable of conducting video surveillance and firing laser-guided bombs.""I authorized the intelligence community to turn up the pressure on the extremists. Many of the details of our actions remain classified. But soon after I gave the order, the press started reporting more Predator strikes," he wrote.

US supports India as global power: Obama
US President Barack Obama Monday said he sees India as USA's equal partner not just for mutual but global benefit and called for an end to barriers such as trade protectionism that can stifle this alliance."I stand before you today because I am convinced that the interests of the United States - and the interests we share with India - are best advanced in partnership, '"Obama told a joint sitting of Indian parliament.  "United States not only welcomes India as a global power. We fervently support it. The United States remains - and will continue to remain - one of the most open economies in the world. And by opening markets and reducing barriers to foreign investment, India can realize its full economic potential as well," he said. Obama, only the second US president to address the joint sitting of Indian parliament after Bill Clinton, also asked New Delhi to join Washington in ensuring global financial stability at G20 and give the current round of trade talks a major push forward.  While stating that their partnership can launch a second green revolution in India and open a large market of 1.17 billion people for US firms, he said the two countries can also work together to fight global hunger, poverty and disease.

 
China says G20 should monitor US Fed
China's state media has issued a new broadside at the US Federal Reserve's move to prime the US economy, suggesting the Group of 20 should monitor policy shifts by the US central bank. The Xinhua news agency said in a commentary the Fed was "risking the global recovery by following its own track for economic revival" by spending an extra $US600 billion ($A593.65 billion) buying Treasury bonds to stimulate the US economy. "There is an urgent need for the G20 ... to set up a new mechanism that effectively monitors the issuer of the international reserve currency, especially when it is not able to carry out responsible currency policies," Xinhua said. "It is necessary for the issuer of the international reserve currency to report to and communicate with the G20 group before it makes major policy shifts." The commentary was the latest in a barrage of criticism from Chinese officials and state-run media of US policies, especially the Fed's so-called "quantitative easing". China and other emerging economies worry that much of the new US money will flood their financial markets, with players seeking higher non-dollar returns. The Xinhua commentary also called for deeper reforms in global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, and greater representation for developing countries - a position long held by Beijing.

Obama: America is not at war with Islam
US President Barack Obama assured Muslims that America is not at war with Islam. He was speaking in Jakarta on a visit to the world's largest Muslim nation. Mr. Obama said, "But we also know that relations between the United States and Muslim communities have frayed over many years. As president, I have made it a priority to begin to repair these relations." He said more work needed to be done to address "the issues that have caused tensions for many years" but appealed for unity to defeat "violent extremists". "I have made it clear that America is not, and never will be, at war with Islam," he said."Instead, all of us must work together to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion - certainly not a great, world religion like Islam. But those who want to build must not cede ground to terrorists who seek to destroy. This is not a task for America alone."