Sarah

Debunking The “A’isha Child Marriage” Myth

May 28, 2012 By Sarah

UPDATE April 2019: This post was originally published in 2012, and has gone through many revisions. However, in recent years, Sh. Omar Suleiman and the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research have conducted an impressive, in-depth study of this topic. So we have completely updated this page to reflect this groundbreaking research and the articles and videos they have published.

It’s important to note that for over 1400 years, the age of Aisha (ra) was never a topic of discussion. It’s only in recent years that Islamophobes have brought it up as a point of debate, and unfortunately it has also become a cause of doubt among Muslims.

The following video is the conclusion of a 4-part collection titled, “More Than Just a Number: Perspectives on the Age of Aisha (ra)”. In it, Sh. Omar Suleiman does an excellent job of breaking down this hotly debated topic, including the historical context of the time, and helps us end this debate, once and for all.

You can read the complete collection at this link: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/series/more-than-just-a-number-perspectives-on-the-age-of-aisha/

The “Halal Meat” Scam and Why I’m a Semi-Vegetarian

April 27, 2012 By Sarah 9 Comments

Yes, you read that right – the term “halal meat” is a scam, which is why I’m a semi-vegetarian. By semi-vegetarian, I mean that I only eat meat on certain occasions, under specific circumstances, and following very strict guidelines. I would say in a given month, I eat meat twice, maybe three times (if that). “But whyyy?” you might ask? Simple. I’m following the commands of Allah (glorified and exalted be He) in the Qur’an, and the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

What’s the Problem?

Let me just say, this post has been in my drafts for over a week. Then yesterday, I saw this post from Hijabman, in which he quoted the following, which was my sign to finish and publish this piece already:

“75 percent of Halal meat in America produced in the year 2000 came from pork fed cows, according to Dr. Stephen Emanuel, from Agway Feed Company.” – SoundVision

In the Muslim world (and the Arab world, in general), meat has become a staple at the dinner table…and the lunch table…and the breakfast table. From kebabs (meat cubes) and koftas (ground beef kabob), to shawarma (minced meat) sandwiches and sujouk (beef sausage), our community has built an unhealthy obsession around meat. It’s everywhere; weddings, funerals, birthday parties, aqeeqas, Eid feasts…if there is a gathering of Muslims for any reason, you better believe, there will be meat!

Because Allah (glorified and exalted be He) made meat lawful for us in the Qur’an, and because Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) ate meat, we’ve convinced ourselves that it’s our God-given right to consume as much meat as we possibly can on any given day. Ahh, the Qur’an and the Sunnah – the pinnacles of all Islamic law and jurisprudence…let’s take a look at what these two sources have to say about the consumption of meat, and compare that to what’s taking place in Muslim homes across the globe.

Halal in the Qur’an

The Qur’an contains verse after verse telling us to eat only that which is lawful and good. Here are just a few of those verses:

O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Evil One, for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Al-Baqarah:168)

O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah)! Eat of the good things that We have provided you, and be grateful to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom you worship. (Al-Baqarah:172)

Eat of that which Allah hath provided for you lawful and good; but fear Allah, in Whom ye believe. (Al Maidah:88)

As we see from these verses, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) tells us to eat that which is lawful AND good – not lawful OR good. In Arabic, these terms are halal and tayyib. But what does that really mean?

Islamic law states that in order for meat to be considered halal, very specific conditions must be met:

An animal must not be beaten, mutilated, or branded.
An animal must be killed in accordance to very specific guidelines, which ensure the quickest slaughter, and the least amount of pain.
Muslims are strictly forbidden from eating the flesh of carnivorous animals.
The name of Allah must be invoked over each animal before it is killed.

What is Tayyib?

Most Muslims are familiar with the term halal (lawful, permissable), but sadly, our community is much less familiar (if at all) with the term tayyib (pure, wholesome, nutritious, good). How can this be, when the two terms are mentioned together in the Qur’an numerous times? How can we ignore such an important aspect of what Allah

(glorified and exalted be He) has allowed us to eat?

The term tayyib is just as important as halal and should be treated as such! To me, tayyib is today’s equivalent of ‘organic’, meaning locally grown food, free from hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, artificial anything, and in the case of livestock, free-range, grass-fed (beef), and well-treated. Yes, well-treated! Lest we forget what Allah

(glorified and exalted be He) tells us in the Qur’an about the treatment of animals:

“There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth nor a being that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Rabb (Lord) in the end.” (Al-An’am:38)

“Halal” Factory Farms are NOT Halal

Isn’t that beautiful? Allah (glorified and exalted be He) likens the animals on this earth to us humans, with communities and an ultimate return to their Lord! If Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has elevated these creatures to such a high status, why then, are Muslims not outraged by the inhumane and downright evil treatment to which animals are subjected on today’s factory farms? I won’t go into every detail (you can read more at this article), but here are just a few of those heinous treatments:

Factory farms are over-crowded, putting the animals under a great deal of stress, leading to behaviors like cannibalism and fighting. These behaviors are prevented by debeaking chickens, and dehorning and castrating cows, without the use of anesthetics. [Mutilation]
Cows are killed using electric shock so that their throats are easier to cut. There have been reports that some animals are still alive by the time they make it down the line to be dismembered. [Slow and Painful Death]
Natural herbivores are fed slaughterhouse waste, including fat, blood, meat, and bone meal. Dairy cows are given feed with ground pork bones in it. “Animal cannibalism” is also common, with cows being fed the blood and meat of other cattle as protein supplements. [Carnivorous]

Even Muslim farms have been known to undermine the law that Allah’s name be invoked over each animal before it is killed. Some of them just recite it once at the beginning of the day, others have it playing on a tape recorder over and over, as they slaughter each animal. Others, more, practice the use of “blessed blades“, wherein they either inscribe Bismillah Allahu Akbar on the blades or someone says the phrase and blows on the blades, thereby “blessing” the blades for the slaughter…nevermind the fact that machine-slaughter is against Islamic law in the first place! They’ve turned into a simple, ritualistic behavior…as if this is all that’s necessary in order for it to be considered halal.

What is the real Halal?

Saying Bismillah Allahu Akbar before slaughtering an animal is not simply a ritual, as these farms have reduced it; when we invoke Allah’s name on an animal that will be slaughtered, we are speaking directly to Him, thanking Him for His bounty and asking Him to accept the animal’s sacrifice. We are acknowledging that the animal is His divine creation, that we have done our best to provide it with a healthy, happy life, and that we will sacrifice it in order to feed and nourish our family.

How many of us remember all of these things before we dig into the lamb kebab or that chicken biryani? My guess is very few. But that’s only because we have been conditioned and desensitized to the sacred meaning of eating meat. With the growth of factory farming in the past few decades, meat has become an expendable resource, like sugar or flour. It’s just always there, it’s not going anywhere, so we don’t really think too much of it.

This is where we’ve failed – failed the animals, failed ourselves, failed our communities. We are supposed to be ‘ahlus sunnah wal jama’ah’, but when we look at the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), we immediately see that factory farming is not something he would have approved of:

It behooves you to treat the animals gently. (Muslim 4:2593)

Allah has ordained kindness (and excellence) in everything. If the killing (of animals) is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife, and putting the animal at ease.” (Muslim 2:156)

There is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.” (Bukhari 3:322; Muslim 4:2244)

Animals ~~raised~~ tortured on factory farms are NOT treated gently, are NOT put at ease, and are NOT provided with acts of charity from their handlers. Instead, they are subjected to awful, cruel conditions just for the mere fact that they are animals, and somehow subhuman and unworthy of love, affection, and respect.

So, now what?

I’ve decided I’ve had enough. I cannot continue to support this atrocity any longer. Basem and I have been living a simpler, more eco-friendly lifestyle for the past couple years, and along with eating more organic, whole foods, we’ve also cut our meat consumption by a lot! Like I said, we only eat meat a couple times a month now. And with all the highly accessible halal options here in Toronto, there’s no lack of choice when deciding what we’re having on those two nights of the month.

But we’ve got to be real here, the “Halal Meat” label doesn’t mean anything anymore. I don’t care if it was certified by ISNA or whoever; it seems that all they are concerned with is how the animals are slaughtered, without any concern for how the animals were treated during their short life. If an animal lived its entire life in misery, stress, and depression, I don’t care if it was slaughtered properly or not. How can these farmers/butchers say Bismillah before slaughtering an animal which was subjected to such unethical treatment under their watch? Oh yeah, they don’t…they just use a tape recorder or “bless the blade”.

Do you see how feeble our understanding and implementation of halal has become? Just because something is halal, that doesn’t give us the right to do it all the time, by any means necessary. Moderation is key. Conscience is integral. Education is necessary.

Is there a solution?

We need more halal meat companies that use organic farming practices. That means no antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. That means allowing cattle to graze in open fields of grass (instead of grains, which are difficult to digest). That means letting chickens bask in the sun, while munching on weeds and insects.

Here in Toronto, we are blessed, alhamdulillah, to have the wonderful company, Blossom Pure – a truly halal, organic foods company. They work with the Amish and Mennonite farmers just outside the city, who raise all the meat on their organic farms. The slaughterer goes out to the farms, transports the animals to a federally-approved slaughterhouse (within 2-3 miles) where they are then slaughtered one by one (kindly, gently, separated, not witnessing others) and then transported back to the store to be packaged. From the very beginning, these animals are treated with respect; by slaughtering them at a site close to the farms (as opposed to driving them back to the store), the burden and stress of travel is completely removed from the animal, and placed on the slaughterer.

The Prophet was a semi-vegetarian

Yes, organic meat is much more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a simple tip: don’t eat so much of it! Of course it will be expensive if you eat meat 4, 5, 6 nights a week. But here’s a radical idea: cut it down to just once a week! Then once a month. Then just on special occasions. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) didn’t eat meat everyday, or every week, or barely every month! It was saved for special occasions; something to celebrate and enjoy.

If your meat is not organic, it’s NOT HALAL – simple as that! If I have to choose between “halal” and organic, I choose organic. This, of course, is only if I trust the source of the meat (ie: small, local farmers, and NOT chain supermarkets!), and if I’m 100% sure that it wasn’t sacrificed in the name of anyone other than Allah (glorified and exalted be He) (or in anyone’s name at all, which is usually the case today). Furthermore, if the farmer is a Christian or a Jew (People of the Book), then I feel comfortable eating it. Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says in the Qur’an:

This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time― when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good). (Ma’ida:5)

He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits―then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (Al-Baqarah:173)

If I don’t feel comfortable making that decision and cannot find meat that is both organic AND halal, guess what? I just don’t eat meat. You know what we can eat freely, and is in utter abundance? All the creatures of the sea! Fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc. All of these are healthy alternatives (if caught using sustainable fishing methods). Again, moderation is key, so let’s not aim to replace all the beef in our diet with salmon, for example. 😉

And if we are going to strive to follow the sunnah of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), we MUST include his sunnah for eating (in general), and consuming meat (in particular). Even Umar ibn al Khattab [ra], during his khilafa, prohibited eating meat everyday. He said:

Beware of meat, because it has an addiction like the addiction of wine. (Malik)

The video below is from last year’s Reviving the Islamic Sprit conference, which took place here in Toronto (I highly encourage you to attend this year, if you can). In it, Hamza Yusuf discusses the importance of knowing where our food comes from, the fair-trade movement, and around 35 minutes in, he discusses organic farming and animal rights.

Let’s Make A Change!

Let us take the lessons from the Qur’an and the Sunnah and really, truly apply them to our lives. Let us stand up for what is right and just, and denounce that which is wrong and unjust. Let us enjoin the good and forbid the evil, as Allah (glorified and exalted be He) states in surat Ali ‘Imran (3:110).

We all know the current practices of the “halal meat” industry are wrong, and we all can do something about it. Take that first step, however small it may be. Just renew your intentions, take that first step, and Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will take care of the rest. I’m not here to tell you what to do; only you know what you need to do. But I can say that making a change is possible, however difficult or inconvenient it may be. Say a little prayer, ask Allah (glorified and exalted be He) for guidance and strength, and just do it!

References:
http://halal-hub.org/guideline.php
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/factory-farming-vs-islamic-law-2.html
http://www.islamicconcern.com/bismillah.asp
http://halalmedia.my/eating-less-meat-is-more-islamic

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Ramadan Resolutions

July 23, 2011 By Sarah 3 Comments

Assalamu Alaikum – Peace and Blessings to all!

The blessed month of Ramadan is now less than 10 days away! What are you doing to prepare for this month about which Allah (swt) says:

Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa. [Qur’an 2:183]

The word taqwaa is best understood as a state of ‘God-consciousness’. Therefore, this ayah informs us that the purpose of Ramadan is to teach/train us to be in a constant state of God-consciousness – during Ramadan as well as the rest of the year. But how can we do this if we don’t prepare for this month and treat it as a training period? Every year, we make New Year’s Resolutions, but what about our Ramadan Resolutions? That’s why this year for Ramadan I’ve decided to create a list of my Top 10 Ramadan Resolutions and share it with you. Insha’Allah you find this list helpful for you and it allows you to really capture the true essence of Ramadan 🙂

Read the entire Qur’an
Since Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed, we are encouraged to read, study, and complete the Qur’an over the course of the month. Initially, this sounds like a huge feat but it’s actually very simple if we plan for it in advance and work hard at it. All you have to do is commit to reading 4 pages after each prayer! And if you can’t read or understand it in Arabic, there’s nothing wrong with reading it in English! What I do is try to read both with a good side-by-side translation but if time is tight, just focus on the English for now so you can understand it.
Memorize and learn the tafsir for one new surah
It doesn’t even have to be a very long surah. Just set aside some time everyday to study this surah, understand the meaning, and memorize it. You can even practice the section you’re currently working on by reciting it during your prayers for that day. The Tafsir of Ibn Kathir is of the most respected and accepted explanations for the Quran and is the most widely used explanations in Arabic used today.
Learn 3 new duas from Qur’an or Sunnah
There’s nothing like the feeling of holding up your hands or touching your forehead to the ground and speaking directly to Allah (swt) asking him for whatever it is that you want. The only thing better is using duas that come directly from the Qur’an or that have been recited by the Prophet Muhammad (saaw). So pick a few that you’d like to memorize and begin using them in your prayers, afterwards, and whenever the need arises! Here is a nice site with some duas for different occasions.
Turn off the radio and TV
You won’t realize how much time you spend listening to the radio and watching TV until you turn them off for a whole month! And I mean all day, not just when you’re fasting. Ramadan isn’t just about fasting from food, we’re supposed to be fasting from all worldly things that take us away from worshiping and praising our Creator – remember, God-consciousness! But I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with watching videos of Islamic talks and lectures though! You can find videos to watch at TubeIslam, HalalTube, and The Deen Show, for starters.
Use the Internet wisely
The internet is a tricky thing. On the one hand it’s a true blessing, a very useful tool, and for some, a necessary part of the work/school day. On the other hand, it’s a HUGE time-waster (Facebook anyone?)! So the key here is to always have a clear picture of what it is you need to do online and just do it! Make an honest effort to not go off on useless tangents (we know how easy that is!) and limit your time spent online each day. If you just have to go on Facebook, make it worth your while (as well as your friends) and share a link that will help others learn something or expand their knowledge in some way – then spend no more than 15-20 mins checking your feed and then SIGN OFF!
Pray taraweeh
Try to go to the masjid and pray taraweeh with the Imam at least one time this Ramadan. If you can go every night, masha’Allah and alhamdulillah! I know for me, it’s just not something I can do right now, but what I like to do instead is pray taraweeh at home. It’s very simple – I just pray 8 rak’aahs (2 sets of 2 rak’aahs, short break for duas, then 2 sets of 2 rak’aahs) and then I pray the witr prayer (2 rak’aahs then 1 rak’aah). It’s recommended to lengthen the nightly prayers so try to recite the longer surahs that you know or recite more than one surah for each rak’aah.
Wake up for suhoor
When I was younger, my mom always woke us up for suhoor. Once I was on my own, I totally skipped suhoor; I ate at midnight, woke up 5 minutes before Fajr adhan to drink a glass of water, prayed then went back to sleep. What I didn’t know until recently is that the suhoor meal is actually a sunnah.
The Prophet (saaw) said:

Eat Suhoor; Indeed, there is a blessing in Suhoor. [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet (saaw) also said:

The distinction between our fasting and the fasting of the people of the book [Jews and Christians] is the taking of Suhoor. [Muslim]

The best suhoor is to eat dates since the Prophet (saaw) said:

How excellent are dates as the believer’s Suhoor. [Abu Dawood]

It’s also much healthier to eat a nutritious meal before attempting to fast the entire day; your brain needs energy to function properly. By skipping out on suhoor, you’re depriving your brain of this energy – no wonder we always seem so tired and unable to concentrate during the day! So let’s return to the tradition of waking up early and eating suhoor with the family. Waking up before dawn will be much easier if we’re not staying up late the night before watching TV or Facebook-ing. 😉
Make dua
Ramadan is the month of dua and Allah (swt) loves when we call upon him, so let’s make sure to remember to ask Allah (swt) for everything we want!
The Prophet (saaw) said:

There are three people whose dua’s are not rejected, the fasting person until he breaks the fast, the just ruler and the dua’s of the oppressed whose dua Allah lifts above the clouds and opens unto it the doors of the heavens, and Allah says, I swear by My honor, verily I shall assist you even though it may be after some time. [Ahmad and Tirmidhi]

Make dua each day before starting your fast, when breaking your fast, during/after prayer, at the masjid, when giving zakat, etc. Here is a nice list of duas to recite for various reasons throughout the day and here is another list of 30 duas for 30 days. Here is a dua we can all say right now:

اَللّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان – Allahumma ballighna Ramadan – O Allah! Let us reach the month of Ramadan
Pray the Sunnah prayers
There are 12 confirmed sunnah prayers that are associated with the obligatory prayers. If we’re not praying them already, Ramadan is definitely the time to start!
The Prophet (saaw) said:

There is no Muslim servant of Allah who prays twelve supererogatory rakats from other than the obligatory prayer for the sake of Allah most high except that Allah makes for him a house in paradise. [Muslim]

The sunnah prayers are: 2 before Fajr, 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after it, 2 after Maghrib, and 2 after Isha.
Read Surat Al-Kahf on Fridays
Surat Al-Kahf is a very special surah in the Qur’an; not only are there many virtues for reciting and memorizing it, but it also contains 4 main stories! The following hadiths speak about the benefits and virtues of this surah:
The Prophet (saaw) said:

Whoever reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays. [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet (saaw) said:

Whoever memorizes ten Ayahs from the beginning of Surat Al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal. [Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i and At-Tirmidhi]

So let’s remember to follow this sunnah and read surat Al-Kahf on Fridays; and if you can’t read the whole thing, at least try to read the first 10 ayahs… by the end of Ramadan, you’ll have them memorized insha’Allah!

Finally, here is a 10 Day Ramadan Prep Challenge for the last 10 days leading up to Ramadan. It’s a nightly audio lecture with different guest speakers addressing a different topic each night!

Let’s aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, we pray that Allah (swt) will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah (swt) make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.

Do you have any Ramadan Resolutions of your own? Share them in the comments below!

iGaza app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad!

May 5, 2011 By Sarah Leave a Comment

Welcome to the world’s first app about Palestine, and specifically Gaza

– download it free today!

News and information service about the Gaza Strip.

Features: push notification of latest headlines – the app does not have to be open for you to receive these news alerts; multiple news sections; share content on iGaza with up to eight different social networking and reader services, from Facebook to Instapaper – fully customisable; situation map updated as news breaks; twitter feed from iGaza’s account; latest Gaza-related videos on YouTube; email templates to facilitate protests to government representatives and finally a library of the main UN resolutions relating to the Palestine/Israel conflict.

Requirements: iOS version 3.1 or higher on iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G and iPod Touch.

Download iGaza from iTunes

View iGaza User Guide

Congratulations to Egypt!

February 11, 2011 By Sarah Leave a Comment

Well, they did it! The Egyptian people have successfully ousted their brutal dictator of 30 years and the entire world is celebrating along with them. Because we all know that this is a victory not just for Egypt, but for all oppressed people of the world fighting for their freedom and liberty, both across the Middle East and the world. Similar uprisings have already sprouted up in other countries in the region, taking their inspiration from Tunisia and their motivation from Egypt. May they all achieve their intended goals and reach their aspirations for human dignity and independence.

The main thing on everyone’s mind is “What now?”. And no doubt, there’s a very complicated and winding road ahead for the Egyptian people as they remove the shackles of their past and lay down the foundations for a new future; but one thing is for sure: although the process will be a long and messy one, nothing can ever break the people of Egypt ever again!

Congrats and Alf Mabrouk!

[youtube rgcLaO4_DFg Sout El Horiya (Voice of Freedom)]

Why it is wrong to believe a word Mubarak said.

February 2, 2011 By Sarah Leave a Comment

I found this note posted on Facebook yesterday and thought it was so well written, thorough and articulate so many important points, that I just had to share it with you.

by Mohannad Ali on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 (Source)

Excuse me I know I’m not very articulate, but here’s an attempt to explain reality to those who don’t understand it. Apologies in advance for typos, grammatical mistakes etc. I haven’t proofread this.

First refuting the promises:

He wont run for another term.You are all accepting this as if Mubarak has a proven record of honesty, and he does deliver on his promises. Mubarak in 1981 said he will only stay in power for 2 terms, and we call saw how this turned out to be. We have seen the regime sending out a few hundred people in pro-Mubarak demonstrations, not to mention the tens of celebrities etc. who were saying all those nice things about Mubarak. Giving the regime 7 months to regroup and plan, don’t you think for example they can’t manage to create a massive large scale pro Mubarak campaign asking him to re-run leaving him “with no choice” but to re-run for another term? If I could think of such a cheap an easy plot, I’m sure Mubarak has at least a dozen of those up his sleeve.What happened to the rest of demands regarding elections? Judicial supervision, the right to vote for Egyptians abroad, voting using your ID (raqam qawmy) to avoid fraud, international and civil society organizations supervision?Again there was no mention of Gamal Mubarak not running for president, but more on that later.
Looking into court appeals regarding electoral fraud Looking into those appeals would mean the re-election of many many seats (under no guarantees that the re-election would be fair [read next point about article 88 of the constitution]), plus the large number of appeals basically means the parliament is not legitimate and the proper course of action would have been dissolving the parliament entirely.
Constitutional changes. Mubarak promised to ask the parliament to change articles 76, and 77 of the Egyptian constitution. 76 is the article regulating the conditions required to be a presidential candidate, 77 says the president serves a 6 years term with no limit on how many times he can be re-elected. He did not mention anything about article 88 which regulates supervision over the electoral process of the parliament, which means there will be NO guarantee they will be fair and fraud free.

What has Mubarak left out in his speech:

Emergency law is still effective, which means oppression, brutality, arrests, and torture will continue. How can you have any hope for fair democratic elections under emergency law where the police have absolute power?
Internet is still not working, no talks of lifting censorship.
No talks of allowing freedom of speech, freedom to create political parties, freedom to participate in politics without the risk of getting arrested. FYI to start a political party you need the government’s permission. How do you expect democracy to come out of this?
He said he will put anyone responsible for corruption to trial right? What about putting the police who killed 300+ to trial? What about members of NDP who are the most corrupt businessmen/politicians in the country. Do you think he’ll put those to trial? Think again.
He didn’t even take responsibility for anything that went wrong in the last 30 years. Not even his condolences to the martyrs who have fallen in this revolution.

Why should Mubarak leave now and not a day later?

He can’t be trusted, and we can’t believe a word he says. He’s a murderer and a criminal with a 30 years criminal record, and the blood of thousands on his hands.
Every day he stays in power, not only are his cronies stealing every dime and every inch of this country, but we’re giving the regime a chance to regroup and get their shit together, and if not Mubarak, or Gamal Mubarak, I’m sure we’ll get someone even worse from within the regime.
Egypt will see the worst 9 months of its history in terms of oppression, arrests, and torture from now till September (and after that). Rest assured the regime (with or without Mubarak), will stop at nothing to stay in power. He has given no real guarantees whatsoever that the situation will improve. None. Not even regarding Emergency law.
You should NOT believe that there are any good people in the new cabinet Mubarak recently assigned. No good honest man would work for a criminal and a murderer, especially not in this war cabinet. Many honest Egyptians along the years have declined positions in Mubarak’s governments.
If protesting stops now, it will never start again. At least not in those numbers, and thus creating no real pressure. And while giving the police a chance to regroup and reinforce their lines, expect more police brutality, and expect more deaths.
Most importantly, 300+ haven’t sacrificed their lives, so we’d settle for some lame ass promises with no guarantees, and risk all this going to waste. They wanted Mubarak gone, and the least we can do is honor their will and keep going until Mubarak, and the rest of the regime are gone. Not in 9 months, but now.

My answer to the following claims:

“But the country is already in a state of chaos. Lets stop protesting so we can have some security and stability”

Don’t be fooled, this state of chaos is mostly intentional. With the economy reaching almost a complete halt, and lack of security on the streets etc, Mubarak made sure you’d eat up whatever he throws at you. Would you rather be ruled by a corrupt and criminal regime for another 9 months (at least), or go through “chaos” for another week, two, or a month until the regime has fallen?

Don’t let the blood of our martyrs go to waste. We’ve seen countries rise from the ashes of war, we’ve seen countries rise from the devastation of nuclear bombs. We can most DEFINITELY pull through for another couple of weeks. And once we have democracy, once we have freedom, once we get rid corruption, when 100% of our money goes into the country and not into the pockets of corrupt politicians and businessmen, we’ll rebuilt this country in no time. What are a few years of struggle in a the history of a free and proud nation?

“If Mubarak leaves now, who’s gonna be president? ElBaradei can’t be president!! With no one in power we’ll be in a spiral of chaos and havoc etc”

This is by far the most naive argument. Do you know what happens if the president has health problems? Do you know what happens if the president resigns? Do you know what happens if the president dissolves the government and resigns? Do you know what happens if the president dies? Do you know how an interim government works? Do you know what your constitution says? No. So any opinion you have on the matter is naive and based on emotion and not facts nor political understanding.

The constitution as it is tailored at the moment, puts on obstacles making it hard to proceed if Mubarak resigns at the moment. In other words the constitution obviously doesn’t account for the coup d’etat scenario. You can read articles 82, 84, and 189 to understand what I’m talking about it.

However the scenario we want is:

the ousting of the regime entirely: President, government, and parliament.
Establishing an interim (transitional) government representing everyone across the spectrum, chosen by the people, to make the necessary constitutional changes and prepare for fair democratic elections in 6 months while providing the necessary guarantees. There are lots and lots of names who can fill this interim government but everyone is concerned about the president of that transitional government, and to those I say: a) Enough with the centralization of power. Its seems we can’t think out of the one-man-ruling-the-country box. b) We are a country of 80 million people. Any honest decent Egyptian, who isn’t part of the current regime, could be the head of this interim government. c) Whats wrong with ElBaradei? If you know anything about me I’m not exactly a fan of his, but we just need an honest man, who knows the necessary processes, constitutional changes and legislative changes required to establish the basis for democracy. I wouldn’t want ElBaradei or any of the current opposition leaders to be president for a full term, but ElBaradei has what it takes to put down the ground work for fair and democratic elections after 6 months. Some people say he’s too “soft” to handle the tough reality of Egypt, well you have to keep in mind a leader is only as strong as his supporters, so whichever whoever leader the people stand behind will have the necessary strength to lead this transitional phase. The circumstances of an interim government are different from a normal government. Think of it as a committee temporarily running the country with the primary focus being elections in 6 months. Finally given 6 months of political freedom, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, no emergency law, and with constitutional and legislative changes, not only will we have one strong candidate for presidency, we’ll have dozens.

For the reasons above, our goal should be: keep going until we overthrow the regime completely. And if you’re bothered by the chaos, remember that the more people protesting, the faster the regime will fall and the chaos will be over. And once the regime has fallen, we should dedicate all of our efforts to make sure we choose a proper interim government that really represents the people, and everything will go smoothly from there, and the future of Egypt will be brighter than ever before.

Be strong, keep pushing, no compromises, don’t forget what they have done, we all know what they will do. The revolution has to go on so the lives of 300+ martyrs, and the blood of thousands other free Egyptians wouldn’t go to waste.

Don’t be naive. Its time to think politics and not just revolution. True freedom has a price and all of us should be willing to pay it.