VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 215, December 25, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)EDITORIAL:
This issue is Part II of the series in Chechnya. Repeating WE ARE ONE GLOBAL UMMAH during Friday prayers and other occasions that involve Islamic speeches is only the first step. It is our personal belief that the mainstream media has not done enough justice in fully covering the gruesome atrocities perpetrated by the Russians towards our Chechen brothers and sisters. We also believe that such important coverage was DELIBERATELY IGNORED. However if there is any incident involving Chechen terrorists hurting the Russians, it becomes MAJOR HEADLINES.
Such a biased practice of one sided selective reporting against Chechens is actually a symptom of a larger problem in the global mainstream media. Above bias against Chechens has its roots in bias against Global Ummah in general. While the mainstream media is generally united in its approach towards Muslims, pathetically, the MUSLIMS ARE NOT, INSTEAD THEY CONTINUE TO BE DIVIDED and unable to be united to respond to such bias.
So you should not be surprised why such global media bias will continue on and on again, unless the Muslims come out of their comfort zones and rally for a cause that goes beyond their individual nationality, language, culture and ethnicity. Now you can better understand, why our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) emphasized repeatedly on the concept of GLOBAL UMMAH and made statements reinforcing such a concept.
To have an in-depth understanding of our Global Ummah, we need to first understand how diverse we are in the sea of humanity. We need to understand the injustice perpetrated on us by both non-Muslim Governments and brutal Muslim Governments such as the current Syrian Government. Islam is one of the major religions in the world. It encompasses about 57 Muslim countries and has Muslims scattered across the globe on almost all countries and representing almost all races, cultures and ethnicity's. The focus in this issue is on one such distinct Muslim group of the Global Ummah: "The Chechens from Russia".
WE BELIEVE THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH HAVE REALLY NO CLUE TO THE HISTORY OF CHECHNYA AND THE SUFFERINGS OF SUCH A GREAT COURAGEOUS GROUP OF MUSLIMS. AS WE INDICATED THE BIASED MEDIA REPORTING EARLIER, THE ONLY TIME THAT THE GLOBAL UMMAH GENERALLY HEARS ABOUT CHECHENS IN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS IS WHEN SOME OF THEM BOMBED THE TRAINS IN MOSCOW OR INVOLVED IN SOME OTHER TERRORIST ACTS. WHILE WE UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMN SUCH TERRORIST ACTS WE STILL BELIEVE THAT THE MEDIA COVERAGE IS BIASED AGAINST CHECHENS. WE WOULD LIKE TO EDUCATE OUR GLOBAL UMMAH THROUGH THIS MEDIUM OF BLOG ABOUT THE HISTORICAL PLIGHT OF OUR CHECHEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Our Chechen brothers and sisters went through unimaginable hardships in their struggle for trying to gain independence from Russia. It was OKAY with Russia for many other former Republics of USSR (Armenia, Azerbaijan (Muslim majority), Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan (Muslim majority), Kyrgyzstan (Muslim majority), Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova) to gain independence but not Chechnya. The Chechen war with the Russians intensified the Russian hate for the Chechens to the point of Russians breaking every single law of the civilized world in terms of dealing with prisoners of war, suspected Chechen and innocent Chechens.
It should be clear to the Russians that since Chechens are part of the mosaic of GLOBAL UMMAH, their hate spewed towards Chechens is hate spewed towards the entire Global Ummah of 1.5 billion Muslims. Sure, some could argue that the Russians don't care. What is important to us is not whether Russians care or not, but whether the global Muslims have publicly & courageously demonstrated to the world and made clear without any single iota of doubt, of what Global Ummah really stands for: "ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH".
Almighty Allah has clearly stated in the Holy Quran (From ayah - Suratal Mu'minoon)
"And verily this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore Fear Me (and no other)."
Muslims across the world should not allow any variable be it political, national, cultural, ethnic, racial to color its uniqueness of being ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH. Speaking of ONE UMMAH within the confines of a Mosque in the absence of non-Muslims is not enough and we need to go out into the world and demonstrate in practice our Islamic values of PEACE, LOVE AND SPIRIT OF UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD NOT JUST AMONG MUSLIMS BUT FOR ALL OF MANKIND.
While we don't need to remind you what is happening in reality, we need to focus on our common points and move forward with relentless vigor to pursue JUSTICE AND WORK FOR UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND PEACE FOR THE ENTIRE HUMANITY.
Prophet Mohamed (SAW) stated:
"The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body suffers." [Imam Muslim]
(BELOW QUOTE FROM www.inter-islam.org)
"So we the Muslim Ummah, whatever colour, nationality or gender, wherever we are, are like this body. If we hear that any part of this Ummah is being oppressed, then we should feel this pain. Have we forgotten the beloved companions radiyallaho anhum of Rasullullah ? May Allah send peace and blessings upon him. Have we even realised that they were of different colours and backgrounds ? Hazrat Bilal May Allah be pleased with him was from Ethiopia , Hazrat Salman May Allah be pleased with him was of Persian decent, Hazrat Suhaib May Allah be pleased with him was from Rome and Hazrat Abu Zar May Allah be pleased with him was from Gifar". They used to love each other more than real brothers. These were the Sahabas. (www.inter-islam.org)
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
"The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part strengthening the others" and "Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim, Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar]".
While we should be loyal peace loving model citizens in our respective countries, we need to come out of our individual boxes of nationalities, cultures, ethnicity's, race, color et.c. and have the courage to stand up for each other as global peace loving Muslims and help each other across the globe from a humanitarian perspective. Global Ummah's symbolic flag and banner in essence comes from Islam's core belief:
"ash hado an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash hado anna Mohammadan rasoolo Allah" which can be translated as "I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Mohammed is a messenger of Allah"
The focus of this issue is on the injustice committed by Russians against our Chechen brothers and sisters . Let it go on record, that the hearts of the 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe are with their Chechen brothers and sisters in all the pain, sufferings, discrimination, oppression that they suffered. None can challenge Almighty Allah's plan which we see in Chechnya today. Though it may not be the best plan that Chechens wanted, Allah may have a better plan for them in future which none of us including the Chechens can see today.
The focus of the Global Ummah should be shifted to PEACE given the realities on the ground. We heard a million times, ISLAM STANDS FOR PEACE, let's put it in practice not just in Chechnya but in other hot spots around the world to the best of our abilities. AS A GROUP OF 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS, WE WONDER:
Where was the strong condemnation and uproar by the media and INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY when our Chechen sister was deliberately run over by a Russian tank ?
The Global Ummah takes deep offense when the Russian soldiers described our Chechen children as "wolf cubs". One could only be described as an agent of the devil to even suggest that: "all Chechens over 5 years old should have been slaughtered and those below five to be sent to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners".....it's much easier to kill them all. "It takes less time for them to die than to grow".
"If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think".
Included in below article are terrible statements made by Russian soldiers that clearly reflect their intense hate for our loving Chechen brothers and sisters. These statements were taken from the an article "WAR HAS NO RULES FOR RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING CHECHEN REBELS" by Maura Reynolds - Times Staff Writer for Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2000. For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html
Troops admit committing atrocities against guerrillas and civilians. It's part of the military culture of impunity, they say. But many now have troubled consciences.
(b) "The easiest way is to heat your bayonet over charcoal, and when it's red-hot, to put it on their bodies, or stab them slowly.
You need to make sure they feel as much pain as possible. The main thing is to have them die slowly. You don't want them to die fast, because a fast death is an easy death. They should get the full treatment.
They should get what they deserve. On one hand it looks like an atrocity, but on the other hand, it's easy to get used to. "I killed about nine people this way. I remember all of them", says Andrei. (Russian service man Andrei)
(c) The summary executions don't just take place against suspected fighters. One 33-year-old army officer recounted how he drowned a family of five (four women and a middle-aged man) in their own well."
(d) "I would kill all the men I met during mopping-up operations. I didn't feel sorry for them one bit." ........"We would also throw fighters off the helicopters before landing.
The trick was to pick the right altitude. We didn't want them to die right away. We wanted them to suffer before they died.
Maybe it's cruel, but in a war, that's almost the only way to dull the fear and sorrow of losing your friends." (Russian serviceman Boris)
(e) "It's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." ......."We shouldn't have given them time to prepare for the war," he continues. "We should have slaughtered all Chechens over 5 years old and sent all the children that could still be re-educated to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners. . .. But where would you find teachers willing to sacrifice their lives to re-educate these wolf cubs? There are no such people. Therefore, it's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." --"For political reasons, it's impossible to murder the entire adult population and send the children to reservations," he says. "But sometimes, one can try to approximate the goal." (Russian) Lieutenant colonel Valery
(f) So there will be one Chechen less on the planet, so what? Who will cry for him?"
(ED NOTE:
Regarding the above, the importance of the Global Ummah cannot be overstated. YES, 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE FOR THE ONE CHECHEN THAT WOULD BE LESS ON THE PLANET DUE TO THE BRUTAL INJUSTICE OF THE RUSSIANS AGAINST OUR CHECHEN BROTHER.
But let's be honest here, THE GLOBAL UMMAH WAS NOT THERE FOR THE CHECHENS.
THIS IS AN AREA OF IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL OF US. IF GLOBAL UMMAH WAS REALLY THERE, ABOVE STATEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE).
"There were cases when small kids would run to the middle of the road, right in front of a moving convoy of trucks and APCs. And they were shot dead right on the spot by soldiers who thought the kid could be carrying a mine or a grenade. Hell knows, maybe they weren't. But it is better to be safe than sorry." Gennady says the most important lesson his commanders taught him was: Shoot first. Think later. If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think.
Your personal safety is priority No. 1. All the rest does not matter. (Russian military personnel) - Gennady
(g) "Our commander told us all the time, 'There's no such thing as a Chechen civilian,' " a conscript said. "It's easy for a person to get away with almost everything," he says. "You take this wretched Chechen down into a basement or a cellar under the guise of checking his documents in a quiet place. And then you just knock him off the way you want. There are no eyewitnesses, and no one will say anything.
"Usually it happens like this: You walk along the street and see a house with a basement. Why stupidly enter it? Why risk your life for nothing if you can avoid it? At best you just spray gunfire around, at worst you throw a couple of hand grenades into the basement. Denis took photos of one incident. His unit was preparing to lift off in a helicopter when the troops were warned that a Chechen sniper was in the area. They found him hiding in the bushes near the helicopter pad, armed with an antitank grenade launcher.
"We did not talk much," he remembers. "The officers began to try to convince the soldiers not to execute the guy without a trial, but the soldiers said, 'No way.' . . .
They took him to the side and unloaded their clips right into his body--90 bullets altogether. "I took photographs of him before the execution, and I also photographed his dead body afterward. Boy, he looked terrible--the bullets broke his fingers and disfigured his palms. They turned his face and head into a bloody mess.
"He looked like a pile of fresh meat clothed in blood-soaked rags".
(Russian military personnel) DENIS
(h) "The worst thing is when a person goes to Chechnya to make money," said a 34-year-old OMON officer. "A person who does that should really have his head examined by a psychiatrist, for this person clearly has a propensity for sadism." For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html
CONCLUDING EDITORIAL NOTE:
Let's recall below statement from our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) and in above context translate it to the Global Ummah being one body and the pain in one part of our body (our Chechen brothers and sisters) being extended to the whole body (Global Ummah).
Currently as we conclude this E-Zine, we acknowledge that several parts of the body (Global Ummah) are continuing to experience pain specially in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia et.c. MAY ALLAH EASE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF ALL MUSLIMS.
HADITH:
"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Imam Muslim],
THE END
Such a biased practice of one sided selective reporting against Chechens is actually a symptom of a larger problem in the global mainstream media. Above bias against Chechens has its roots in bias against Global Ummah in general. While the mainstream media is generally united in its approach towards Muslims, pathetically, the MUSLIMS ARE NOT, INSTEAD THEY CONTINUE TO BE DIVIDED and unable to be united to respond to such bias.
So you should not be surprised why such global media bias will continue on and on again, unless the Muslims come out of their comfort zones and rally for a cause that goes beyond their individual nationality, language, culture and ethnicity. Now you can better understand, why our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) emphasized repeatedly on the concept of GLOBAL UMMAH and made statements reinforcing such a concept.
To have an in-depth understanding of our Global Ummah, we need to first understand how diverse we are in the sea of humanity. We need to understand the injustice perpetrated on us by both non-Muslim Governments and brutal Muslim Governments such as the current Syrian Government. Islam is one of the major religions in the world. It encompasses about 57 Muslim countries and has Muslims scattered across the globe on almost all countries and representing almost all races, cultures and ethnicity's. The focus in this issue is on one such distinct Muslim group of the Global Ummah: "The Chechens from Russia".
WE BELIEVE THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH HAVE REALLY NO CLUE TO THE HISTORY OF CHECHNYA AND THE SUFFERINGS OF SUCH A GREAT COURAGEOUS GROUP OF MUSLIMS. AS WE INDICATED THE BIASED MEDIA REPORTING EARLIER, THE ONLY TIME THAT THE GLOBAL UMMAH GENERALLY HEARS ABOUT CHECHENS IN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS IS WHEN SOME OF THEM BOMBED THE TRAINS IN MOSCOW OR INVOLVED IN SOME OTHER TERRORIST ACTS. WHILE WE UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMN SUCH TERRORIST ACTS WE STILL BELIEVE THAT THE MEDIA COVERAGE IS BIASED AGAINST CHECHENS. WE WOULD LIKE TO EDUCATE OUR GLOBAL UMMAH THROUGH THIS MEDIUM OF BLOG ABOUT THE HISTORICAL PLIGHT OF OUR CHECHEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Our Chechen brothers and sisters went through unimaginable hardships in their struggle for trying to gain independence from Russia. It was OKAY with Russia for many other former Republics of USSR (Armenia, Azerbaijan (Muslim majority), Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan (Muslim majority), Kyrgyzstan (Muslim majority), Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova) to gain independence but not Chechnya. The Chechen war with the Russians intensified the Russian hate for the Chechens to the point of Russians breaking every single law of the civilized world in terms of dealing with prisoners of war, suspected Chechen and innocent Chechens.
It should be clear to the Russians that since Chechens are part of the mosaic of GLOBAL UMMAH, their hate spewed towards Chechens is hate spewed towards the entire Global Ummah of 1.5 billion Muslims. Sure, some could argue that the Russians don't care. What is important to us is not whether Russians care or not, but whether the global Muslims have publicly & courageously demonstrated to the world and made clear without any single iota of doubt, of what Global Ummah really stands for: "ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH".
Almighty Allah has clearly stated in the Holy Quran (From ayah - Suratal Mu'minoon)
"And verily this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore Fear Me (and no other)."
Muslims across the world should not allow any variable be it political, national, cultural, ethnic, racial to color its uniqueness of being ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH. Speaking of ONE UMMAH within the confines of a Mosque in the absence of non-Muslims is not enough and we need to go out into the world and demonstrate in practice our Islamic values of PEACE, LOVE AND SPIRIT OF UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD NOT JUST AMONG MUSLIMS BUT FOR ALL OF MANKIND.
While we don't need to remind you what is happening in reality, we need to focus on our common points and move forward with relentless vigor to pursue JUSTICE AND WORK FOR UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND PEACE FOR THE ENTIRE HUMANITY.
Prophet Mohamed (SAW) stated:
"The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body suffers." [Imam Muslim]
(BELOW QUOTE FROM www.inter-islam.org)
"So we the Muslim Ummah, whatever colour, nationality or gender, wherever we are, are like this body. If we hear that any part of this Ummah is being oppressed, then we should feel this pain. Have we forgotten the beloved companions radiyallaho anhum of Rasullullah ? May Allah send peace and blessings upon him. Have we even realised that they were of different colours and backgrounds ? Hazrat Bilal May Allah be pleased with him was from Ethiopia , Hazrat Salman May Allah be pleased with him was of Persian decent, Hazrat Suhaib May Allah be pleased with him was from Rome and Hazrat Abu Zar May Allah be pleased with him was from Gifar". They used to love each other more than real brothers. These were the Sahabas. (www.inter-islam.org)
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
"The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part strengthening the others" and "Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim, Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar]".
While we should be loyal peace loving model citizens in our respective countries, we need to come out of our individual boxes of nationalities, cultures, ethnicity's, race, color et.c. and have the courage to stand up for each other as global peace loving Muslims and help each other across the globe from a humanitarian perspective. Global Ummah's symbolic flag and banner in essence comes from Islam's core belief:
"ash hado an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash hado anna Mohammadan rasoolo Allah" which can be translated as "I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Mohammed is a messenger of Allah"
The focus of this issue is on the injustice committed by Russians against our Chechen brothers and sisters . Let it go on record, that the hearts of the 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe are with their Chechen brothers and sisters in all the pain, sufferings, discrimination, oppression that they suffered. None can challenge Almighty Allah's plan which we see in Chechnya today. Though it may not be the best plan that Chechens wanted, Allah may have a better plan for them in future which none of us including the Chechens can see today.
The focus of the Global Ummah should be shifted to PEACE given the realities on the ground. We heard a million times, ISLAM STANDS FOR PEACE, let's put it in practice not just in Chechnya but in other hot spots around the world to the best of our abilities. AS A GROUP OF 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS, WE WONDER:
Where was the strong condemnation and uproar by the media and INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY when our Chechen sister was deliberately run over by a Russian tank ?
Where was the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY when our Chechen sister's ankles were tied with steel cables and her body was tore apart by two Russian armored personnel carriers. To add insult to injury, the Russian soldier stated: "There was lot of blood, but the boys needed it". How sick should the mind of the person who uttered above statement be ? Such Russian soldiers of the 21st century civilized society in reality were worse than the barbarians several centuries ago. Worse, the Russian soldiers were not representing some primitive, untrained guerrilla group hiding in the forests, but they were representing not just a western civilized nation but also one of the former super powers of the world.
IN DEFENSE OF GLOBAL UMMAH'S CHECHEN CHILDREN:The Global Ummah takes deep offense when the Russian soldiers described our Chechen children as "wolf cubs". One could only be described as an agent of the devil to even suggest that: "all Chechens over 5 years old should have been slaughtered and those below five to be sent to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners".....it's much easier to kill them all. "It takes less time for them to die than to grow".
"If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think".
Included in below article are terrible statements made by Russian soldiers that clearly reflect their intense hate for our loving Chechen brothers and sisters. These statements were taken from the an article "WAR HAS NO RULES FOR RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING CHECHEN REBELS" by Maura Reynolds - Times Staff Writer for Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2000. For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html
PART I
WAR HAS NO RULES FOR RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING CHECHEN REBELS
Troops admit committing atrocities against guerrillas and civilians. It's part of the military culture of impunity, they say. But many now have troubled consciences.
By MAURA REYNOLDS
Times Staff Writer
Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles Times
17th September 2000
17th September 2000
(condensed version)
(a) "I remember a Chechen female sniper. We just tore her apart with two armored personnel carriers, having tied her ankles with steel cables. There was a lot of blood, but the boys needed it." "The Soviet Union signed the Geneva Conventions after the end of World War II. Officially, that means that Russia's armed forces are obligated to abide by the principles of the accord: that civilians and combatants who have surrendered should be treated humanely and that violence of any sort or execution of war prisoners is forbidden".
Since Russia launched a new war against separatist rebels in its republic of Chechnya a year ago, Russian and Western human rights organizations have collected thousands of pages of testimony from victims about human rights abuses committed by Russian servicemen against Chechen civilians and suspected rebel fighters. To hear the other side of the story, a Times reporter traveled to more than half a dozen regions around Russia and interviewed more than two dozen Russian servicemen returning from the war front.
What they recounted largely matches the picture painted in the human rights reports:
The men freely acknowledge that acts considered war crimes under international law not only take place but are also commonplace.
"What rules?
What Geneva Conventions?
What difference does it make if Russia has signed them?" said a 25-year-old army officer. "I didn't sign them, none of my friends signed them. . . . In Russia, these rules don't work."
But Malcolm Hawkes, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, points out that according to international law, "Russia is obliged to respect human rights regardless of abuses committed by the other side."
A major reason is the blood-curdling acts of the Chechen fighters themselves--while enjoying de facto independence for three years, many ran brutal kidnapping gangs that abducted Russian hostages, some of whom were tortured and killed. Russian TV reports have repeatedly broadcast gory footage of atrocities allegedly committed by the Chechens, including mutilations and be-headings.
Since Russia launched a new war against separatist rebels in its republic of Chechnya a year ago, Russian and Western human rights organizations have collected thousands of pages of testimony from victims about human rights abuses committed by Russian servicemen against Chechen civilians and suspected rebel fighters. To hear the other side of the story, a Times reporter traveled to more than half a dozen regions around Russia and interviewed more than two dozen Russian servicemen returning from the war front.
What they recounted largely matches the picture painted in the human rights reports:
The men freely acknowledge that acts considered war crimes under international law not only take place but are also commonplace.
"What rules?
What Geneva Conventions?
What difference does it make if Russia has signed them?" said a 25-year-old army officer. "I didn't sign them, none of my friends signed them. . . . In Russia, these rules don't work."
But Malcolm Hawkes, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, points out that according to international law, "Russia is obliged to respect human rights regardless of abuses committed by the other side."
A major reason is the blood-curdling acts of the Chechen fighters themselves--while enjoying de facto independence for three years, many ran brutal kidnapping gangs that abducted Russian hostages, some of whom were tortured and killed. Russian TV reports have repeatedly broadcast gory footage of atrocities allegedly committed by the Chechens, including mutilations and be-headings.
(b) "The easiest way is to heat your bayonet over charcoal, and when it's red-hot, to put it on their bodies, or stab them slowly.
You need to make sure they feel as much pain as possible. The main thing is to have them die slowly. You don't want them to die fast, because a fast death is an easy death. They should get the full treatment.
They should get what they deserve. On one hand it looks like an atrocity, but on the other hand, it's easy to get used to. "I killed about nine people this way. I remember all of them", says Andrei. (Russian service man Andrei)
(c) The summary executions don't just take place against suspected fighters. One 33-year-old army officer recounted how he drowned a family of five (four women and a middle-aged man) in their own well."
(d) "I would kill all the men I met during mopping-up operations. I didn't feel sorry for them one bit." ........"We would also throw fighters off the helicopters before landing.
The trick was to pick the right altitude. We didn't want them to die right away. We wanted them to suffer before they died.
Maybe it's cruel, but in a war, that's almost the only way to dull the fear and sorrow of losing your friends." (Russian serviceman Boris)
(e) "It's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." ......."We shouldn't have given them time to prepare for the war," he continues. "We should have slaughtered all Chechens over 5 years old and sent all the children that could still be re-educated to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners. . .. But where would you find teachers willing to sacrifice their lives to re-educate these wolf cubs? There are no such people. Therefore, it's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." --"For political reasons, it's impossible to murder the entire adult population and send the children to reservations," he says. "But sometimes, one can try to approximate the goal." (Russian) Lieutenant colonel Valery
(f) So there will be one Chechen less on the planet, so what? Who will cry for him?"
(ED NOTE:
Regarding the above, the importance of the Global Ummah cannot be overstated. YES, 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE FOR THE ONE CHECHEN THAT WOULD BE LESS ON THE PLANET DUE TO THE BRUTAL INJUSTICE OF THE RUSSIANS AGAINST OUR CHECHEN BROTHER.
But let's be honest here, THE GLOBAL UMMAH WAS NOT THERE FOR THE CHECHENS.
THIS IS AN AREA OF IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL OF US. IF GLOBAL UMMAH WAS REALLY THERE, ABOVE STATEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE).
"There were cases when small kids would run to the middle of the road, right in front of a moving convoy of trucks and APCs. And they were shot dead right on the spot by soldiers who thought the kid could be carrying a mine or a grenade. Hell knows, maybe they weren't. But it is better to be safe than sorry." Gennady says the most important lesson his commanders taught him was: Shoot first. Think later. If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think.
Your personal safety is priority No. 1. All the rest does not matter. (Russian military personnel) - Gennady
(g) "Our commander told us all the time, 'There's no such thing as a Chechen civilian,' " a conscript said. "It's easy for a person to get away with almost everything," he says. "You take this wretched Chechen down into a basement or a cellar under the guise of checking his documents in a quiet place. And then you just knock him off the way you want. There are no eyewitnesses, and no one will say anything.
"Usually it happens like this: You walk along the street and see a house with a basement. Why stupidly enter it? Why risk your life for nothing if you can avoid it? At best you just spray gunfire around, at worst you throw a couple of hand grenades into the basement. Denis took photos of one incident. His unit was preparing to lift off in a helicopter when the troops were warned that a Chechen sniper was in the area. They found him hiding in the bushes near the helicopter pad, armed with an antitank grenade launcher.
"We did not talk much," he remembers. "The officers began to try to convince the soldiers not to execute the guy without a trial, but the soldiers said, 'No way.' . . .
They took him to the side and unloaded their clips right into his body--90 bullets altogether. "I took photographs of him before the execution, and I also photographed his dead body afterward. Boy, he looked terrible--the bullets broke his fingers and disfigured his palms. They turned his face and head into a bloody mess.
"He looked like a pile of fresh meat clothed in blood-soaked rags".
(Russian military personnel) DENIS
(h) "The worst thing is when a person goes to Chechnya to make money," said a 34-year-old OMON officer. "A person who does that should really have his head examined by a psychiatrist, for this person clearly has a propensity for sadism." For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html
CONCLUDING EDITORIAL NOTE:
Let's recall below statement from our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) and in above context translate it to the Global Ummah being one body and the pain in one part of our body (our Chechen brothers and sisters) being extended to the whole body (Global Ummah).
Currently as we conclude this E-Zine, we acknowledge that several parts of the body (Global Ummah) are continuing to experience pain specially in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia et.c. MAY ALLAH EASE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF ALL MUSLIMS.
HADITH:
"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Imam Muslim],
THE END
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