the inquiring minds, probing whether the Quran is God’s revelation or not

With power did We construct heaven. Veri

With power did We construct heaven. Verily, We are expanding it.
The Dispersing, Is the universe infinite? Or is it finite in a steady state? From the very beginning this has been a subject of debate between great minds. Hot debates and ratiocination of all kinds failed to clarify this dilemma. This had once been the subject of philosophical speculations before it yielded its place to the science of physics. Some of the great minds argued that the universe was not a confined space, while others contended that its boundaries were drawn. The Quran describes it as a continuously expanding and dynamic universe. According to this description, the universe has a new aspect every instant that deviates from the concept of an infinite space; its perpetual expansion defies the concept of a confined and steady state universe. Thus, the Quran propounds a third alternative, leaving the heated controversy of thinkers in abeyance.

This may contribute to the formulation of a judgment for the inquiring minds, probing whether the Quran is God’s revelation or not. We have, on the one hand, Muhammad in the desert, neither a philosopher nor a physicist, and, on the other hand, the assumptions of great thinkers and philosophers such as Aristotle, Ptolemy,Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, to name but a few. The greatest minds in history, basing their arguments on observations and formulas they had ingeniously devised, claimed either that the universe had its confines or that it was an endless space, but it occurred to none of them to think of a dynamic expanding universe, until the 20th century when Edwin Hubble, by means of a telescope, demonstrated that the universe was expanding. The theory of expansion of the universe was first advanced in the 1920s. Until the descent of the Quran no other source had made such an assertion!

ly, We are expanding it.
The Dispersing, Is the universe infinite? Or is it finite in a steady state? From the very beginning this has been a subject of debate between great minds. Hot debates and ratiocination of all kinds failed to clarify this dilemma. This had once been the subject of philosophical speculations before it yielded its place to the science of physics. Some of the great minds argued that the universe was not a confined space, while others contended that its boundaries were drawn. The Quran describes it as a continuously expanding and dynamic universe. According to this description, the universe has a new aspect every instant that deviates from the concept of an infinite space; its perpetual expansion defies the concept of a confined and steady state universe. Thus, the Quran propounds a third alternative, leaving the heated controversy of thinkers in abeyance.

This may contribute to the formulation of a judgment for the inquiring minds, probing whether the Quran is God’s revelation or not. We have, on the one hand, Muhammad in the desert, neither a philosopher nor a physicist, and, on the other hand, the assumptions of great thinkers and philosophers such as Aristotle, Ptolemy,Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, to name but a few. The greatest minds in history, basing their arguments on observations and formulas they had ingeniously devised, claimed either that the universe had its confines or that it was an endless space, but it occurred to none of them to think of a dynamic expanding universe, until the 20th century when Edwin Hubble, by means of a telescope, demonstrated that the universe was expanding. The theory of expansion of the universe was first advanced in the 1920s. Until the descent of the Quran no other source had made such an assertion!

With violence and anti-American sentiment "Nothing went wrong and there was nothing specific,

With violence and anti-American sentiment

With violence and anti-American sentiment on the rise, it's plain to see that military operations in Afghanistan are not going well. But if Defense Secretary Robert Gates is right, three-star Army Lieut. General Stan McChrystal is just the guy to turn things around. On May 11, Gates announced plans to install the former Green Beret as the top U.S. and NATO commander for the troubled nation. Some analysts hailed the surprising overhaul as proof that the U.S. is rethinking its conventional approach to combat, especially given McChrystal's background as commander of the military's clandestine special operations in Iraq.

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"Nothing went wrong and there was nothing specific," Gates said of asking General David McKiernan, the outgoing commander, to step down just 11 months into a two-year post. "The focus here is simply on getting fresh thinking, fresh eyes on the problem." But McChrystal's role in the friendly-fire death of former NFL star Pat Tillman — as well as prisoner abuses allegedly committed on his watch at Baghdad's Camp Nama — mean his Senate confirmation might not go as smoothly (or swiftly) as Gates hopes. (Read Joe Klein's take on McKiernan's Afghan exit.)

Fast Facts:

• Graduated from West Point in 1976 and began training at the Special Forces School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, two years later.

• Moved to South Korea in 1981 to work for the U.N. Command Support Group.

• During the Persian Gulf War, served as an Army briefer and commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment in Saudi Arabia.

• Completed yearlong fellowships at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1998 and in 2000 at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, where he reportedly ran 12 miles every day from his Brooklyn home to his Manhattan office.

• In 2001, was appointed chief of staff of military operations in Afghanistan. Two years later, he was selected to deliver nationally televised Pentagon briefings about military operations in Iraq.

• From 2003 to 2008, led the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which oversees the military's most sensitive forces, including the Army's Delta Force. McChrystal's leadership is credited with the December 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein.

• Oversaw a task force that was criticized in 2006 for abusing detainees and harsh interrogation methods at Baghdad's Camp Nama.

• Praised (and inadvertently outed as a commander) by President George W. Bush in June 2006 after his special-ops team located and killed Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. McChrystal reportedly accompanied his men to the bombed-out hideaway in Baquba where al-Zarqawi lay to help identify the body.

• Singled out in a March 2007 report by the Pentagon inspector general for his role in the death of ex-NFL star and U.S. soldier Pat Tillman. Though the two-year investigation cleared McChrystal of any official wrongdoing, it faulted him for failing to immediately notify Tillman's family of the military's suspicions that Tillman's death was the result of friendly fire.

• As commander of special-operations forces in Iraq, he sent troops returning to the theater back to their original neighborhoods — a system he has suggested for general infantry soldiers in Afghanistan as head of a recent task-force review.

Photos: U.S. troops in Afghanistan's "Valley of Death."

Quotes By:

"We are not expecting to drive into Baghdad suddenly and seize it in a coup de main."
— On the military's approach to conquering Iraq's capital (TIME, April 14, 2003).

"I would anticipate that the major combat engagements are over because the major Iraqi units on the ground cease to show coherence."
— Talking to reporters a month after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, adding: "I think we will move into a phase where it is smaller, albeit sharp, fights" (Washington Times, Oct. 2, 2006).

Quotes About:

"Sometimes you have a situation where you have two very good commanders, but in a critical combat situation one has an edge, and in this case Gen. McChrystal has that edge."
— Anthony Cordesman, of the Washington D.C.–based Center for Strategic and International Studies, on McChrystal's experience in special ops (AP, May 11, 2009).

"The man who ran that operation was promoted by George Bush a few years ago to be in charge of all operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His name is Stan McChrystal. And so since you now have somebody inside the Joint Chiefs of Staff who used to run the program, the idea that these operations aren't known to the military is sort of silly. Of course they are."
— Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, describing McChrystal's role in what he calls an "executive assassination wing" of the military's joint special-operations command that Hersh claims reported directly to former Vice President Cheney's office (NPR, March 30, 2009).

"JSOC is awesome."
— George W. Bush, praising McChrystal for his "collaborative warfare" approach to gathering intelligence in Iraq and hunting down high-profile insurgents (Washington Post, Sept. 8, 2008).

"There is another man who will not be in the room. That is Lieutenant General Stan McChrystal. It should be very clear to everyone, General McChrystal is the head of covert special forces. The so-called dark or black forces. The ones who stay undercover ... Because of his extraordinarily sensitive position with covert special forces, he is not appearing in public. And so he will not be questioned further by the committee in an open hearing."
— Barbara Starr, CNN correspondent, on McChrystal's absence during an August 2007 Congressional hearing over the friendly-fire death of former NFL star Pat Tillman (CNN, Aug. 1, 2007).

Women in Islam: The Tragic Tale of Afzal Khan’s 63 Wives

Women in Islam: The Tragic Tale of Afzal Khan’s 63 Wives
Thursday, 11 June 2009 18:54 Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari
http://www.islam-watch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35:women-in-islam-tragic-tale-of-afzal-khans-63-wives&catid=25:brahmachari

Prophet Muhammad instituted polygamy and concubinage as a divine institution, degrading women's social standing for the eternity. His prohibition of remmarriage of his harem inmates, fearing that it would divulge his sexual impotence to others, also set in a legacy of many later tragdies for women. Here are a few examples.
 
Bijapur, the city of Monuments
Bijapur is a small city located in the northern part of the state of Karnataka, in Southern India . In mediaeval times, the city was once the capital of the famed Adil Shah dynasty (1489–1686). Its charm lies largely in the architectural legacy of those days. The building called the Gol Gumbaz (Circular Dome, built 1659)—the mausoleum of Sultan Adil Shah (1626-56), his two wives, his mistress, one of his daughters and a grandson—is the chief attraction of the city. Another tourist attraction is the edifice called Ibrahim Roza, a beautiful structure. It was constructed, at the height of Bijapur's prosperity, by Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580-1626) for his queen. The Jam-E-Masjid, constructed by Adil Shah (1557-80), is a building with graceful arches, a fine dome and a large inner courtyard containing fountains and a reservoir.
 
Amongst other attraction of Bijapur are: 1) Gagan Mahal, beautiful palace built by Adil Shah I to serve the dual purpose of royal residence and court; 2) Sat Manzil, a seven-storey palace of Mohammed Adil Shah, as well as his  other palace, Jala Manzil; 3) Malik-E-Maidan, a giant cannon -- 4 meters long, almost 1 meter in diameter and 55 tones in weight --cast in 1549 by Mohammed-bin-Hasan Rumi, a Turkish officer; and
4) the Satth Kabar (Sixty Tombs) that carries a tragic memory in the history of women.
 
Afzal Slew his 63 Wives
Afzal Khan was the most powerful General in the court of the Bijapur Sultanate. He was responsible for many victories for the Adilshahi dynasty. In the year 1658, when Ali Adil Shah II of the Shahi dynasty of Bijapur was preparing to launch a military campaign against Shivaji, the indefatigable Maratha warrior and ruler. Under constant pressure from Emperor Auranzeb from one side and Shivaji from the other, Adil Shah depended on his generals to stall the enemies, and counted General Afzal Khan among his most trusted warriors.
Though Afzal Khan was a brave man, he had but one weakness: auguries and omens. Khan contacted astrologers who predicted doom – death at the hands of the Maratha soldiers. At that time, Afzal Khan had 63 wives in his harem. Fearing that his wives would remarry after his death, the anxious general chose to kill all of them. Some say they were pushed into a deep well, while others say that all the 63 unfortunate wives were slain by Afzal. The astrologers proved correct, for Khan did die at the hands of Shivaji at Pratap Garh.
However, his wives lie buried just 5 km from Bijapur at a place now bears titular testimony to the uxoricide – Satth Kabar (Sixty Graves). Ironically, the tomb built by the general for himself, who wanted to be close to his wives in life and in death, stands adjacent to the one-acre burial ground surrounded by jowar fields. The site has now been declared to be of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, and is under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Today, the tombstones are scarred by graffiti and people often come to the shady spot for rest. “People need to hear the heartrending stories that cry out from these graves”, says the 65 year-old man who lives in a nearby house. 
 
How Afzal Khan died
Afzal Khan was aware that Shivaji was on Pratap Garh, and he planned to lure and bring him down to the plateau of the Deccan , where he could destroy his forces. Khan's strength was his giant force. At that time, he took with him a force of 12,000 soldiers, many cannons, troops of elephants, horses, and camels etc—enough to overrun Shivaji's newly established 'Swarajya' (Self Rule). Shivaji's men were very few in numbers, which the Khan was aware, too. That's why he tried to bring Shivaji out into open battle, in which they could be easily destroyed.
Shivaji was a master of what is known as 'guerrilla war', where you surprise the enemy with a sudden attack causing heavy casualties, and retreat quickly. So, Shivaji tried his best to avoid a direct confrontation in the open. But to compel Shivaji to come down to the plains, Afzal Khan started demolishing the temples, including the prestigious temple of Bhavani Mata , although the original statue of Bhavani Mata, instructed by Shivaji, was removed and kept in a safe place. Afzal Khan thought that Shivaji would not tolerate such insult to his gods and goddesses, and would come out to fight in an open battle. But Shivaji did not take the bait.
Failing to lure Shivaji out to the plains, Afzal agreed to meet him at Pratap Garh, a fort near the town of Satara , a vantage point for Shivaji's infantry. For that arranged meeting, a large tent was set up at the foothills of Pratap Garh. It was agreed that the meeting would be unarmed, and each man was to bring ten personal bodyguards, standing one arrow-shot away. Both were prepared for treachery: Afzal hid a kataar, a small and sharp dagger, in his coat. Shivaji wore armour under his clothes, and carried a weapon called bagh nakh (tiger claws), consisting of an iron finger-grip with four razor claws, which he concealed within his clenched fist.
As the two men entered the tent fixed for meeting, Khan pretended to greet Shivaji with a hug, and stabbed Shivaji in the back with his kataar. However Shivaji, due to the armour under his coat, was saved. Shivaji opened his fist and disemboweled Khan with his bagh nakh. Afzal managed to hold his gushing entrails and hurtled outside, faint and bleeding, and threw himself into his palanquin. But Khan was decapitated by one of Shivaji's bodyguards shortly down the slope. Sambhaji Kawaji and Jiva Mahala, two of Shivaji's bodyguards, were instrumental in protecting their king from Afzal's bodyguards. According to another version, on reaching the tent, Shivaji requested Afzal Khan to send his bodyguard Sayyad out of the place. As per the agreement, no one was to be present when Shivaji met Afzal Khan.
When Shivaji penetrated the tiger claws into Afzal Khan's abdomen, injuring him fatally, Sayyad Khan entered the tent, running to his mater's rescue. Just when Sayyad Khan was about to kill Shivaji, Jiva Mahal, a body guard of Shivaji, slashed Sayyad Khan, saving the life of his master.
Shivaji sped towards the fortress as his lieutenants ordered a bugle to be sounded. It was a pre-determined signal, in case of treachery, to his infantry, which had been strategically placed in the densely covered valley. All of Shivaji's generals, including his Senapati ("Army chief") Netaji Palkar launched a surprise attack, and routed Afzal Khan's army. Afzal Khan's son managed to escape with help from Maratha generals including Khandaji Khopade, another blunder committed by the Hindus.
The severed head of Afzal Khan was sent to Rajgarh to be shown to Jijabai, Shivaji's mother. She wanted vengeance for the murder of Shahaji, Shivaji's father, in Afzal Khan’s captivity, as well as, for the death of her elder son, Sambhaji, killed by Afzal Khan. 
 
Sultan Ibrahim Drowned his 280 Wives
Ibrahim I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1640 to 1648. He was born in Istanbul , the son of Sultan Ahmed I, and was unofficially called ‘Ibrahim the Mad’ (Deli Ibrahim in Turkish) due to his unstable mental condition. However, Ibrahim was one of the most famous Ottoman Sultans, succeeded his brother Murad IV in 1640. Murad had ordered his three other brothers executed. Ibrahim I was allowed to live because he was too mad to be a threat. Ibrahim is known to have had an obsession with obese women, urging his agents to find the fattest woman possible. A candidate was tracked down in Georgia or Armenia, who weighed over weighed around 330 pounds (137.4 Kg), and was given the pet name Sheker Pare ("Sugar Cube"). Ibrahim was so pleased with her that he gave her a government pension, and, allegedly, a governorship.
Ibrahim had 280 wives and concubines in his harem. But when he heard a rumor that his concubines were compromised by another man, he decided to kill them en masse. Ultimately, all the 280 members of his harem were drowned in the Bosporus Sea . Eventually, Ibrahim was deposed in a coup led by the Grand Mufti. There is an apocryphal story to the effect that the Grand Mufti acted in response to Ibrahim's decision to drown all 280 women of his harem. But there is other evidence to suggest that at least two of Ibrahim's concubines survived the mass murder. Ibrahim was ultimately strangled to death in Istanbul .
 
Idi Amin of Uganda
Idi Amin Dada Oumee, commonly known as Idi Amin, was a Ugandan military dictator and the president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles, in 1946, and advanced to the rank of Major General and Commander of the Ugandan Army. He took power in a military coup in January 1971, deposing Milton Obote. His rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings and the expulsion of Asians from Uganda . The number of people killed by him is unknown. But an estimate from international observers and human rights groups ranges from 100,000 to 500,000. After the fall of his regime in 1979, Amin fled to Libya , and finally took political asylum in Saudi Arabia in 1981, where he died in 2003.
Idi Amin officially had 5 wives (many believe that the actual figure was much higher), one of which he had killed and dismembered to show her children what happens to someone who does not obey him. He is said to have over 34 concubines and many mistresses in his harem. Many believe that he was suffering from STDs, syphilis being one of them. He also had over 20 children.
More importantly, Idi Amin used to refresh his harem regularly by executing the old and condemned wives, and inducting new and younger ones. Many of us might have seen the heartrending reports in newspapers in 1970s, how the security guards led the wailing victims to the place of execution through thousands of onlookers. But the government of Saudi Arabia , by providing asylum to such a cruel killer, has made the world understand that, Idi Amin had not committed any serious crime or insulted Islam by killing his wives. At that time, some journalists reported that Idi Amin was a cannibal, and he used to taste the flesh of his executed wives…
 
Conclusion
Above examples simply represent a tragic legacy for women set forth by the Prophet of Islam. It is obviously that the status of women in the Muslim world is worse than domestic animals. In Arabia , during the Prophet’s times, an Arab could confine his wife in a room and kill her slowly by refusing food and water to her. Even the authors of the Arab Human Development Report 2002, have categorically mentioned that women are not considered as full citizens in the Islamic world, and that this oppression of the women was one of the major reasons for the backwardness of the Muslim world.

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