Fasting during Ramadan in Islam
Fasting is one of the major pillars of Islam and Ramadan is the month of fasting. The basic principle of fasting is abstaining from foods, drinks, sexual activities, and to do good and be away from evil deeds. The fasted person can eat and drink when breaking his/her fast just after the sunset until the dawn when fasting should be observed again. The month starts with the first lunar day and end with the next first lunar day. It is about 29 or 30 days depending on visual inspection of the first moon. Therefore the cycle of the fast is based on the relationship between the earth and the sun on the day cycle and the earth with the moon for the start and end of the fasting month (Ramadan).
The people who should fast are those who are healthy and able adults. Healthy means there should be no illness which may harm the person if fasted and an adult means any one from adolescence on ward.
During the fasting it is highly recommended that the person should reached his relatives, contact them, and help his parents if needed as well as helping poor people by any means possible from food to clothes and or money. Observing moral issues is of paramount.
Fasting got a lot of benefits to the body and it should be for a reasonable time like a month to be able to give its benefits. The reason is that the body should have progressive, gradual and gentle
deprivation from food to be able to turn into its sources of fats as an alternative source of energy to food.
Fasting is a process of refurbishment and detoxification of body systems from what was eaten and stored over the last 11 months. It is an exercise to the liver, the kidneys, the digestive system and every system in the body including the brain and endocrine glands. Indeed eating may bring toxin and excess energy which may be stored as fat. In fasting the first thing achieved is breaking off this cycle. With the progression of the fast the body will mobilize itself progressively as if it clean and refurbish itself. The cycle goes on and on daily for one month (Ramadan). This will ensure gentle and progressive approach to achieve its goals at the end of the month.
Fasting also offers healing process to the body. When the digestive system rest during the fast the toxins absorbed from the gut reduced and the energy used for digestion and absorption diverted towards the immune system. This will facilitate healing from various illnesses like connective tissue diseases, inflammations, and cancer. It is interested that the animals stop eating when they get wounded and many illnesses block the appetite. It has been found that when the body fast and utilize its own high efficiency protein from inside the number of errors to form the genetic DNA and RNA getting much less. Indeed the sensitivity of the mouth and taste receptors to food increased and become healthier. Fasting is a surgery without knife. It is medical treatment which restores strength and normal physiology to the
brain and
other systems.
The body during fast learn new mechanism how to conserve energy and its endocrine systems release growth hormone which is so important for many activities and healing. The body basal metabolism lowered as well as the temperature. This is another exercise for the system which went blunt over the last 11 months. Fasting is a wakening mechanism for this system. It is a preventative practice to achieve better health and longer healthy life. Fasting offers a good management to overcome bad habits like addiction, smoking and alcoholism.
In addition to the physical and physiological benefits, fasting offer great psychological exercise and offer those who suffers from behavioral and psychiatric problems great opportunity for healing. It allows spiritual healing for the deep self and acts as a framework for effortless changes.
Fasting also offer social benefits for the poor and rich eat in one time and fast in one time. At the end of fast every one able have to pay charity which given to the poor.
Ramadan Mubarak!
Time table for the Iraqi government
The existed Iraqi government was born after a very difficult labour following the general election in 2005. Though the new government formed after an election but the formation of it was largely modified according to the ethnic and religious basis. Even with such modification the appointed government failed in achieving any one of its targets especially the security issues.
The main aim of including the various parties in a government of unity was to stop the deteriorating security problems. In fact the situation is getting worse and reached into routine daily terrorist activities which kill hundreds of civilians each day. On the same time the number of other kind of crimes and corruption reached into a disastrous level including the officials and their offices and employees. Corruption just became part of all systems.
The government in Iraq is not only weak because of the occupation and the security but because of its own structure. In Iraq now no one knows how and who is the responsible person about the main issues related to the state. It is supposed to be the Prime Minster but this is not so. There are hundreds if not thousands of states inside the state of Iraq. In addition to that many officials and non-officials are above the law especially among the leaders of the militias or the parties. The top systems from the Presidency and the main parties top leaders are working as if they are independent of each other and each one represent the state by his own way! Even the tribal leaders and the clergy men got their own independent structures. Indeed some are involved in the destabilization of the security. This created thousands of Saddams in Iraq and Iraq has to pay for them and their security. Those who are on the top of the systems controlling huge amount of revenue for their protection and services and they are busy about their personal security. In addition to that they lack any kind of clear visions or plans about corruption and ervices. The situation of the fuel for example getting worse and worse as well as electricity, water, health system, education, and all other issues related to daily life and the country as a whole.
The Iraqi government failed largely on all issues. There should be a time table for this government to achieve certain targets of improvement in all aspect of life especially the security. This time table has to be clear and decisive. If then the government achieved at least say 75% of the targets it should have the chance to continue other wise it should be changed partly or totally. Indeed Almaliki the PM may produce with his consultants a time table for each ministry to achieve certain targets in a specified time. If the minister failed to achieve more than 75% of these targets and failed to give acceptable explanation about the other 25% then he should be replaced. Almaliki should also expose all those who tried to implement their personal agenda from behind the scene and/or resign if he can’t do so.
Finally the Iraqi government will never be strong if it looks like a poppet in the hand of the occupation or the others. It should ask the occupying forces to put a time table for leaving the country. This can be produced throw different national and international levels. Above all there is no better than the unity of the Iraqi people irrespective of their believes, ethnicity or religion. This should be one of the main aims of the government.
The failure and decline of the superpowers
Power is very important for countries to become big and even more important to be regional or superpowers. However there are other elements which decide failure, success and continuity. Some of these elements are decisive and others are extremely important. The strength is not only needed in the military power but in other aspects like the economy. Above that knowledge and wisdom to put things in the correct place and appropriate time is a cornerstone. Nonetheless, even with all elements of strength naturally there is an aging process by which the superpowers decline. The declining process becomes quicker when superpowers find themselves involved in many issues that may exhaust their abilities. This and many other points no matter how trivial they are may occur suddenly and unexpectedly after which the decline of the superpowers will be spiral and inexorable. The history of mankind got many examples.
It is wrong to assume that after the decline and disintegration of the USSR the world is safer and better. Indeed the decline of the USSR was just the beginning of bigger changes yet to come. Some changes need years to happen but once reaching into the triggering point they spread quickly and decisively. The world in its political structure is so old and despite the disappearance of the other USSR it is remained on the same structure such as the UN. The USA was the other superpower when the USSR was intact few years ago. When the USSR failed the USA tried to involve itself in every aspect worldwide and on the same time kept the old international political structure to use it to pass its own agenda. In the last few years the USA find itself overburdened. Economically its involvement was so costly especially it has the largest poverty in the world. The USA failed in its war against terrorism which is indeed its own make at the first instance such as Osama Bin Laden and Alqaeda that created by the USA. Indeed the USA failure in Iraq brought to Iraq and the Middle East more terrorists and Alqaeda than before. The American failure in Iraq is so complex and not without great losses now and then. In the war of George W Bush the father on Iraq in 1991 he used the money of the Saudis and the Kuwaitis as well as the other oil puppet governments against Saddam regime which is another (made by the USA). In the second war in 2003 the son GWB used the same way but not without difficulty this time. After the war finished the USA allies started to pull one by one and those who stayed are now facing difficulties inside their countries. This is of course augmented by the failure of the security in Iraq and the on going civil war which only needs to be declared.
There are many other reasons indicates that the USA failed in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. Indeed it becomes so evident now that the failure of the USSR was only the beginning of the failure and decline of America. The last three years showed how clearly is this happening especially in the region of the Middle East and lastly in Lebanon. It is started to move downward so clearly in the last few months. The spiral movement of this decline may not happen tomorrow or after few years but is happening without any slightest doubt. This is again going to happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Iraq and its extremely bad and dangerous situation might be the triggering point especially if the USA entered into a war with Iran. There are many deadly scenarios that may happen. Iran possibly pushes the war out of its land. It can easily occupy Iraq or at least big part of it. The American troops in Iraq will not be able to defend themselves against the Iranian army without huge losses especially the terrorists in Iraq will have great opportunity to inflict huge damage and control larger areas. On the same time the other American bases like in Qatar will become easy targets for the Iranian advanced systems. This will not only inflame the region but will push the oil prices into unexpected levels. Iran will close the Gulf and oil will become a dangerous adventure from that region including the Saudi Arabia. Iran is counting down to be a regional nuclear superpower and the USA has no choice but to accept this. It is only after Iran is going to announce its first successful nuclear test, only then it is going to sit and talk with the USA but this time as a regional superpower. The deceptive promises for Iraq to be a model for the other region in democracy and good life not only failed but the reverse happening when the Iraqis are now seeing the neighboring states advanced quickly in knowledge, power, and progress while they are living under occupation and terrorism and at least one hundred of them killed daily by a known and an unknown factors. There is only one solution for the Iraqi issue which is by ending the occupation and pulling the USA troops and avoiding any conflict with Iran from Iraq now.
The world is now witnessing the failure and decline of the second superpower after the USSR and the next few years will be decisive. Whether this is going to be better or worse and to be seen by us or the next generations we have to wait and see but the world is certainly changing.
The Failure of the Iraqi Example
Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 until now the Iraqi security declined progressively and on the same time the terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda became progressively stronger.
The number of Iraqis killed by the terrorist groups as well as the multinational forces is on the raise every month. Thousands of Iraqis killed each month by different ways. The number of crimes and corruptions everywhere in the systems is now out of control.
The US and other forces became easy targets to daily attacks especially in the West of Iraq. The number of US forces killed since then reached to 3000 soldiers. The MNF control has been lost completely on many areas including Ramadi, Haditha,Diyala and Falluja as well as other cities close to the Syrian border.
Though Iraq went through election and new government formed, but this government remained very weak and unable to decide even in the simple issues without the permission of the occupying forces. Indeed the members of this government remained hostage to the protection of the MNF and the complicated security inside the green zone. The government is isolated from the people and unable to protect itself. The corruption is routing inside it as well as the temporary one before this. Many members and employees even including its security guards are corrupts. Some are receiving huge salaries yet they are living outside the country in Syria or Jordan. Some ministers and MPs steal large number of money reached millions of dollars without question or investigations.
The basic services in Iraq deteriorated into very serious levels and the promised reconstruction never happened due to the security reasons. There is huge exodus of the intellectuals, doctors, lecturers and other professionals due to increasing attacks against them. Many of them became targets for assassinations, kidnappings, or simply threatened to leave their jobs and the country. One of them was the dean of the medical college in Baghdad who received a letter signed by Al-Qaeda group asking him to leave the job or killed. The latest targets were athletes. Few weeks ago a football team of 8 were kidnapped in the way from Jordan to Iraq and few days ago a football player was kidnapped in the capital Baghdad.
There are cities like Diyala, Ramadi and even parts of Baghdad are out of control of the government and the MNF. Indeed these areas are under direct control of the terrorists groups including Al-Qaeda. On the other hand the other cities were divided into cantons each one of them controlled by different militia or group to protect its own people from attacks by others. It is an undeclared civil war.
The deterioration in the Iraqi condition is overwhelming and involves every aspect of the life. Iraq just described now as the most dangerous place in the world.
There is no doubt that the USA failed in its Middle East and war against terrorism at least in Iraq. It is the reverse indeed that the terrorism increased and the USA in a big problem now. If they leave Iraq to the terrorists then the consequences are very well know for the region and the world. If the US stayed it is even worse because the terrorists are using the excuse to increase their bases in the region and to recruit for this from everywhere. On the other hand the failure in Lebanon in addition to Iraq will make the new Middle East that Dr Rice called for is far from reaching.
