Amreeka movie now online for free

A while back, I wrote about a movie called Amreeka that recently came out.  Now you can watch it online for free.  Click on the photo below:

 

A feel-good comedy about a Palestinian mother who moves to rural Illinois with her teenaged son, Amreeka is a kind of stealth political film that confronts issues of ethnic tension and American xenophobia.

 

Patriarch: ready to turn to the European court for human rights

Source:  Skai.gr

Translated © Greeks Rethink

Διαβάστε στα Ελληνικά

An interview of Ecumenical Patriarch for a Turkish newspaper

“[I am] determined to drive the case of Theological School of Halki to the European Court of Human Rights,” states to an interview for a Turkish newspaper, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Mr. Bartholomew repeats to “Haber Turk” that the patriarchy wishes to operate the school again as it used to reminding that the two latest ministers of Education of Turkey have stated that there is no legal obstacle for its re-opening.

“If by the end of the year there is not any development for the Halki issue then we will exhaust all legal measures in Turkey and go to the European Court,” he states.

In the same interview, Mr. Bartholomew reveals the content of a recent conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Rejeb Tayib Erdogan. Most likely he referred to what they discussed last August at Pringipos when Mr. Erdogan visited the Monastery of Saint George Koudounas and the wooden building of the orphanage where he was welcomed by the Patriarch.

At this discussion Mr. Bartholomew asked the re-opening of the Theological School and the reply of Mr. Erdogan was that “in Athens there is no mosque”.

The Ecumenical Patriarch replied to him that this is not his responsibility on this specific issue and that he would not object with the existence of a praying place for the Muslims that live in Athens.

“We paid the consequences of the Tukish-Greek relations and of Cypriot Issue. We are citizens of this country and we want our rights” said between others the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Greek Parliament Member: Glory of Islam

Source:  Enet.gr

by Pericles Korovesis, PM SYRIZA to the Greek Parliament.

(Διαβάστε στα Ελληνικά.  قراءة العربية)

“It needs one thousand sages to find a stone once thrown to the sea by an idiot.”  Old Chinese proverb.

But, it needs thousands of responsible citizens to protest in a much louder way than Greek Muslims have been doing for the last couple of weeks, after an idiot police officer in Athens, Greece had torn and stepped on a copy of the Noble Quraan.

At the end of the story, it seems convenient that we must stop the link of the Quraan with immigration: it’s time to accept that the truth of Islam embraces Greek citizens’ beliefs.

That poor cop didn’t know that Jesus and the Virgin Mary  are venerated in the Muslim world with the same honour as the Christians do so. How could he know that they are mentioned so many times in the Quranic text?

How might he explain to his parents that he had spat on Jesus and Virgin Mary? Islam is a religion and one of the great civilisations in the history of humanity. Thanks to the great philosophers and wise men of Islam, we have today important texts from the literature and science from the classic antiquity saved.  In plain words, no chance for modern science to exist without the Islamic contribution in mathematics (algebra), physics, medicine, geometry and astronomy.

Islam means submission to God: not so far from “obey to God” in Christian terms. Islam is one of the three monotheistic (Abrahamic)religions – Judaism and Christianity the other two.

The Noble Quraan appears during the 7th century as a text revealed from God to the Prophet Muhammad doesn’t bring any innovation; it reasserts what already existed as monotheistic values.

But it is focused on the issue of poverty, emphasizes on our responsibility to the poor and social solidarity, speaking the present tongue; this is a sine qua non for the Islamic faith.

Now we can understand why Islam had such a triumphant course in Pakistan and Indonesia, still on the move forward.

Islamic moral code includes these commandments: do not kill; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not tell lies. Everybody knows their origin in religion.

There are about 15 million Muslims in Europe (2002 statistics). Today, roughly estimated they approach 20 million. But what does it mean to us? Perhaps the person next door may be a Muslim and feeling Greek as we do.

Today the campaign against Islam is much the same as happened against communism at the cold war time. Let us recall what G.W. Bush said about the war of the good against the evil or Berlusconi’s statement about the superiority of Christianity over Islam, the theory about the clash of civilisations by S.Huddington since 2000, meaning the clash of the Christian vs. the Islamic world.

It is the Imperialism hidden behind anti-Islamism. This does not mean that corrupted and authoritarian governments and regimes do not exist on the name of the Prophet.  But, G.W. Bush wasn’t speaking on behalf of God? Or our Jesus Christ blocked black business in Vatopaidi monastery or bribes to come from Siemens?

Therefore, we as Greeks, have more reasons to come closer to our Muslim brothers.

Pericles Korovesis is an accomplished writer and journalist. His books are published in many languages and he is a regular columnist at various newspapers. He struggles for environmental, human rights, education, and immigrant causes.  He is member of the Greek Parliament at Syriza party (left). perikliskorovesis.wordpress.com

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Photo credits:   perikliskorovesis.wordpress.com,

“Freedom or death”, Greeks called. Well, practise what you preach.

 
I’ve been itching to rant about this.  When they called “freedom or death” in the War of Independence, well, just what kind of freedom was it?  It’s quite ironic that Greeks are known to be freedom fighters but then when Greek Muslims want the freedom to practise their religion, they can’t.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Come home pregnant, a Buddhist or an atheist and everything’s fine.  Come home a Muslim  — actually, just don’t come home — because you are not part of our family anymore!

What happened to freedom?

Oh, and this is the biggest confusion for me.  You are Greek only if you are baptized in the church as a Greek Orthodox.  (And therefore, the only people who have the right to freedom are those who fit in this definition?) Hmmm. 

So, is a Greek Buddhist a Greek?

What about a Greek atheist?

Or, the Greeks who lived on this earth before Jesus?

Are they Greeks?

What about Alexander the Great? 

Is he Greek?

Or Zeus?

So, you’re saying that Zeus shouldn’t have had the freedom to practise his religion because he wasn’t baptized in the church?  Who made up this ludicrous definition anyway?  Or does the definition of a Greek change based on the whims and desires of a few people?

I call it selective freedom.  Well, I have news for you.

Greek people are waking up.  They see that what they are learning in Greek school or Religion class is not accurate at best and down-right biased or false at worst.  You can only condition a child so much these days until they figure out what the internet is and start reading accurate information about history and religion. 

It’s interesting that most atheists are coming out of Christianity.  You have to wonder why.  People have questions and many times, Christianity is not answering them.  Now, I completely respect every type of person, regardless of what religion he/she professes.  And I will treat them with respect. 

God gave everyone a brain to study and the freedom to choose what they want to believe.  BUT LET THEM CHOOSE.  You might not understand their choice, but respect it.

We have questioned.  We have reasoned.  We have investigated.  Thoroughly. And we found the truth – Islam.

This is how we want to live in peace with our Creator, peace with ourselves and peace with society.  This is our freedom and no one can take that away from us.  Call that the Greek in us or the Muslim in us, but we are free.  Free from worshipping humans.

 

Don’t you just hate Muslims? So did I.

Surrender.  That’s precisely how to describe it.  So many converts to Islam have said the same thing.   It’s not that I wanted to become Muslim.  I hated Islam.  I was running away from it.  But it was this persistent nagging of my soul that kept dragging me back.  While my brain was fleeing far away, my heart was magnetized to Islam and the intense need to get answers to life. 

I couldn’t understand how someone could betray their family, their way of life, their “Greekness” and become a traitor to our civilised culture.

I barely knew anything about Islam but I did know that whoever would sell their soul for some backward religion is wacko.  When I met Muslims in my university program, I was befuddled.  You can imagine the hot debates we had – trinity, salvation, women, violence and on and on.  

When I didn’t know the answer, my arrogance and defensiveness would kick in.  In retrospect, I think my debater could call my bluff, but respectfully didn’t.  So, what did I do?  The only sensible thing.  Go back to the church.  And I did.  I started to open up my dusty Bible that I received after graduating from Sunday school.  The inscription reads,

“Holy Bible presented to …. May this be an inspiration throughout your entire life.  God bless you.”

Signed, my teacher

Little does my teacher know her supplication was answered.  The Bible was the first step that led me to Islam.  I became obsessed with Christianity.  Of course, I was the only young person at church during the week and my mom was really proud of me. But something happened.  Things just didn’t make sense.  There was a clear contradiction between what my Muslim classmates were telling me and what I was studying.  And I needed to prove them wrong.  So, when no one was looking, I would sneak into the library to grab any information I could about Islam to attack them with it (this was pre-Google days people!).  I even met with my priest to see if he could clear up my confusion, but no success there.

After months of studying secretly and debate after debate, continuously searching for loop-holes so I can dismiss this weird religion and get my sanity back, inside me, I knew I was losing, even though I would never admit it, even to myself.  I was fighting a fight that couldn’t be won but I would die trying.

Until one day, I just knew there was no more.  And the only thing left for me to do was surrender to the truth.  Islam. 

No wonder Islam means surrender.

Orthodox monks brawl in Jerusalem

Don’t worry, we won’t judge Christianity because of the mishaps of a few monks.

I just thought it was timely since we’ve been having some discussions lately about judging a religion based on the acts of its followers and how that’s not an accurate account to judging a religion.

 

Source: Yahoo.com (click to watch the brawl)

Published Date: November 9, 2008

 

 

 

JERUSALEM – Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity’s holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus’ tomb.

The clash between Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks broke out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, revered as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

The brawling began during a procession of Armenian clergymen commemorating the 4th-century discovery of the cross believed to have been used to crucify Jesus.

The Greeks objected to the march without one of their monks present, fearing that otherwise, the procession would subvert their own claim to the Edicule — the ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus — and give the Armenians a claim to the site.

The Armenians refused, and when they tried to march the Greek Orthodox monks blocked their way, sparking the brawl.

Read more…

Ιουδαίος απαντάει στο αν ο Αλλάχ είναι Ο Θεός

Thanks to Br. Amir Abdullah, our video translator, who has published our second Greek subtitles video, A Jew explains why Allah is the one and only God.

 

Ιουδαίος απαντάει στο αν ο Αλλάχ είναι Ο Θεός

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Q. Why would a Greek chose a religion that is so antithetical to his own culture?

Q. I’m simply curious as to why a Greek would choose a religion that is so antithetical to his or her own culture. Beyond that, there are more general questions about Islam and its treatment of non-believers that I, as a non-believer, would like answered. Perhaps you can help.

A. Thank you for asking about our religion and coming forth with your question. I will answer the question based on my own experience as a Greek convert. I know this is a really long post, but please bear with me.

(Special note to the questioner: Before we start, I have a special request, actually two. First, I need you to forget about your culture for just a few minutes and think openmindely and objectively. Second, I would like you to make a prayer. I know you wouldn’t normally agree to this since you are an agnostic, but please, just try it. It’s not going to hurt. Turn to the one who created the heavens and the earth (whoever you think that is and even if it’s ‘unknown’) and say, ‘The one who created the heavens and the earth, if you have the power, strength and knowledge to create these, then you surely have the power to show me the truth. If you are out there, guide me to the truth, whatever that may be’ I know this might sound insane to you, but please trust me on this one. )

I’m serious, just try it.

For me, it all started when I was very young (about 7 years old, actually!) when I first started to contemplate on what the purpose of life is. I’ve never really understood it but growing up, it would sometimes become a burning question that I did not have an answer to. Without an answer, I would then often drift into “go with the flow” mode, where the purpose of life is the ol’ get a good education, get a good paying job, get married, by a house and a nice car…. and then, well, die.

I first met Muslims in my university classes. Before that, they were always around me but I just never noticed. I honestly naively thought that the entire world was full of Christians only! Can you believe it? I thought it was a really strange thing that anyone would believe in some wierd god, oppress their women and speak some wierd language but I was still respectful to them because I felt sorry for them.

Later our discussions transformed into full-fledge debates at the student cafeteria. I was their staunch opponent. I started becoming more and more practising as a Greek Orthodox and going back to the church, perhaps because I felt that I had to defend my religion – everything that I was raised with.

Without that much knowledge about Islam, it was harder to convince them that they were dead wrong, so when no one was looking, I would sneak into the library and try to find some books about Islam. What I found were some books that looked like they were published 1000 years ago – they were so ancient, it seemed! So, then I started to search online as well. I needed some substantial evidence to prove that they were wrong.

Then everything changed. I made a prayer that God show me the truth. I wanted to know and I was so sincere in that prayer.

I was absolutely sure that the truth would be Christianity and that the Muslims will soon find out but God had another plan for me.

When no one was looking, I started to step back from my preconceived notions and started to think objectively for the first time in my life. Why are Muslims so strict about not associating Jesus (peace be upon him) as God? Don’t they know that we need Jesus to be a salvation for our sins?

I went to visit our local priest and asked him a lot of questions, especially about the trinity. I finally had the guts to nonchalantly bring up the word ‘Islam’ (for all those Greeks out there, you know how hard that would be!) but as soon as I uttered that word, his eyes immediately bulged out of his head and he strongly suggested that I stay away from those bad people. However, the problem was that he didn’t answer my questions with proper answers. It was all a big run-around.

That just left me on my own to find out. Slowly, with more and more research and evidence, my heart was realizing the truth of one God without partners but my mind was opposing it with all its might. I just couldn’t even dream of leaving everything known to me – my religion, my culture, my family, my rituals and celebrations- behind.

Then it happened in my bedroom. I was finishing up some more reading on the subject and contemplating heavily if Jesus is really God or not. All of a sudden, within a few seconds, I felt something go through me very quickly, as if it was some fresh air or spirit washing out my heart and then BOOM (!), automatically, I felt this massive, I mean massive, sense of tranquility and almost said outoud, ‘Jesus is not God!’.

Then immediately after that, I thought, ‘How in the world am I going to tell my parents that I am Muslim?’

I know what I am writing is going to be extremely difficult for some to believe. No, I was not possessed by some devil or spirit. Actually, I found when speaking to other converts that some of them related the same thing to me (before I even mentioned my story to them). Now, after knowing more about Islam, I do believe that it was God answering my initial prayer and it was, perhaps, an angel, under the instruction of God, who cleansed my soul of the prior disbelief.

So, this is a super long post – sorry for that- so to conclude, I would like to answer your question, why would a Greek choose a religion so antithetical to his or her own culture? Well, for a few reasons.

First, it wasn’t my intention to do so. In fact, it was the complete opposite but in my search for the truth, I found that it was that God is one without any partners. I later found the answer to my question of what the purpose of life is explicitly mentioned beautifully in the Qur’an.

Second, after seeing all this truth, my priorties in life changed drastically. I no longer was going with the flow for worldly success only. I now had (and have) a primary goal of reaching paradise so whatever I can do to take me there, I will do. If that is to leave some of my cultural aspects that contradict worshipping one God without associating partners, then I will do so.

Third, becoming a Muslim does not mean I forfeit my culture. In fact, Islam embraces diversity of all cultures. For example, I have lots of friends who are Pakistani, Somalian, Arab, Greek, Bosnian, Canadian, British, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Spanish, etc who are Muslim. Islam embraces culture and actually Islamic law is very dynamic in the sense that it changes with the people, culture, customs, generations, technology etc.

This is why we say we are Greek Muslim. I hope that I have answered your question fully and that it has given you greater understanding of us. I pray that the creator of the heavens and the earth show you the truth.

I hope that we can create a discussion based on sincerity, honesty and respect. I look forward to receiving your top 3-5 questions about the other aspects of Islam you have.

Giving dawah in Greece might need a different approach

It’s interesting to see how people give dawah differently (tell others about Islam).  Over the years, I’ve learned what to do and what not to do but now I face a new situation: telling people who live in Greece about Islam.  And I am finding over and over again, that Muslims living in Greece are taking a different approach that conflict what we, here in the West, find to be the best dawah techniques.

I have been told from various Muslims living in Greece that they take a calm approach making sure not to oppose Christianity but instead to show the similiarities between Christianity and Islam, otherwise Christians will become defensive because they think that you are disrespecting them. 

I definitely agree with the part but about being calm and respectful for sure.  These are the etiquettes of a Muslim anyway but I have to disagree with showing similiarities with Christians.  (I’ll tell you why at the end; keep reading.)

For example, here are some techniques that have been proven to be best and that come from the way the prophets have conveyed the message:

 

1. Understand where the person is coming from

Giving dawah to someone who is sincere in his questioning will be totally different to someone who is cutting and pasting some aspects of Islam, taking things out of context intentionally and taking you for a whirl.  Also, here is where you will assess how Islam is viewed where they live.  Do they live in Toronto, Canada where there are thousands and thousands of Muslims or do they live in a small city of Greece where there is only a small minority of Muslims?

 

2.  Don’t get trapped on the defensive

Unfortunately, some questioners have everything planned to drive you between a rock and a hard place.  But, for the most part, the questioner is sincere.  I’ve seen way to many Muslims take the passenger seat and showing less confidence in their body language and voice.  We are carrying the best message sent to ALL of the worlds.  If I am proud of that, I want to show it with confidence.

 

3.  Focus on tawheed first

In the end, writing articles or talking with others about fiqh points like drinking, smoking, adultery, gambling etc. is not going to get us very far.  Sure, these are very important aspects, no doubt, but people will never stop doing those things unless they have faith in their heart first.  And to have faith, they have to believe in tawheed (the Oneness of Allah).

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allah. If they acknowledge Allah, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights.” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

 

4.  Concentrate on the differences NOT the similiarities

We all agree that we are here to only convey the message.  Our goal is not to convert people to Islam because only Allah can guide.  Now, if you concentrate on only similarities, you are taking the passenger’s seat and not only will they see you as coming closer to Christianity, they might even want to convert YOU!  Here in the West, we’ve heard of stories like this when Muslims participate in interfaith dialogues in churces with priests.

If our duty is to convey the message of true monotheism, have we really completed our duty if we hide the message in order to concentrate on similarities? 

The tide is turning in Europe

 

 

 

I see more and more European news outlets and blogs such as this one talking about Islamophobia*.  If I was not a Muslim, I guess I would be concerned too, being constantly bombarded by heavily distorted and false propaganda, but really if you understand Islam and how an Islamic state treats and protects dhimmis with high respect and honor, there’s nothing to be afraid of.  And I’ll go even further to say that it’s a much better system than how democracy treats its minorities.

 

          Will Muslims be the majority in Europe in 20 years?  Maybe.

          Could Christianity die out in a century?  Allah knows.

          Is Europe afraid?  Definitely.

          Is there a need to be afraid.  I don’t think so.

 

This blogger seems to think so with her ’see saw’ theory that when Europe is up, Islam is down and vice versa.  She has a point. 

The tides are turning and no one can deny that.  Br. Amr Khaled has stated it publicly as well as Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi here:

 

 

Someone might view this video and be afraid but there’s nothing to be afraid of.  The truth of God stands clear and everyone is given a choice to accept or decline.

 

*Note:  Just had to throw this definition in here to show our “Greekness”  

A phobia (from Greek: φόβος, phobos, “fear”), is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, or persons.

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