Prophet Mohammed's Final Sermon

Peace Be Upon Him

This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah, 10 A.H. in the ‘Uranah valley of Mount Arafat’ (in Mecca). After praising, and thanking Allah the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds.

ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people”.

Of course his speech is prescience. He warns of interest which today has handicapped and hindered the "Third World" (I hate to use the phrase third world for where is the second world). It has also destroyed the lives of many able working people and promoted the mindless culture of materialism-buy now and pay later.

He warns us to treat our women well. Now look at the status of women in many Muslim countries, they are secluded, divorced at whim, beaten, uneducated, oppressed. A society will never advance with half of its population left behind.

He warns us of racism and nationalism. In the Gulf countries, unless you are a national, you essentially have no rights if you are Muslim, while the Westerners are treated more favorably. Also, Arabs still adhere to this myopic concept called nationalism. They have no affiliation with non-Arab Muslims such as, Indonesians, Pakistanis, etc. Look at the tsunami that killed over 180,000 Indonesians, yet very little support and aid from the Gulf countries. Arabs almost invariably identify themselves by their nationality first not their religion.

Then he guides us on righteous path by praying and following the Quran and Sunnah. This has become very difficult for many Muslims, for we are always distracted, busy, placing wordly affairs ahead of our religion. We will never be late for a job interview yet we can be late for Jumaah prayer. We will wake up early for a meeting but neglect the Fajr prayer. We will always dress nice to work but not for Friday prayers. We are cordial, talkative, helpful at work but at the mosque we are always critical of other's iman, dress, behaviour neglecting to look at ourselves first. We concern ourselves with movie stars' lives and appearance yet know very little of the prophet and sahaba. We put great effort in following sports and cheering for certain teams but make little effort learning and concerning ourselves about the current plight of Muslims around the world.

Qatar and Israel

Video of Qatar's emir and Israel's Foreign Minister

Video

Obama

As I said before, do not expect much from Obama. Already his first week in office he has bombed Pakistan and he wants to increase the troop levels. The problem really is not Obama but the whole system itself; that is, corporate America, the defense establisment, Wall Street. The government is simply an agency to carry out and expedite their goals. That is why you have the bailout of Wall Street and you have the largest defense budget in the world even compared to the the total of all other countries' defense budgets. This show you where our priorities lie. There is a revolving door between the government and the private industry, with the private industry making sure that its goals and policies are realized. Obama is really a figurehead just as Bush was. It is the people below him and the private industry that run the show. Remember, the private industry would never put someone in office that goes against their interests. This does not mean every leader will be the same. You simply have competing and different tactics that ultimately achieve the same goal and that is really the difference between Obama and Bush. It will be imperialism as usual just with a different method.

Purification of the Heart

I highly recommend the Hamaz Yusuf's CD series on purification of the heart. I think that envy, greed, and a weak heart is the root of all problems and conflicts in today's society. Look at why most wars are fought over-- resources (related to greed). Look at why many people cannot get along-- envy-- we constantly eyeing others and competing with others. We want to be better than our fellow neighbor or friend. If their son is a genius, we become envious and wander why our child isn't. If they get a nice house, we become envious, for we want something better. We rarely are content and happy with God has provided us. We are always in competition. The problem, however, is that our hearts are ill; that is, we have become obsessed with the material world and its competitive behaviour. Very little effort is put into the spiritual aspect. Very rarely do you meet a successful muslim in material whose heart in pure; that is, he is humble, content, unpretentious.
When I visit Cairo, I amazed at the level ostentatious behaviour. Egyptians constantly eyeing each other to see what the other is wearing, vacationing, or buying. In the summer, everyone wants to be part of the crowd and vacation at the hot spots. Weddings have become a carnival for the wealthy to flaunt their wealth, show appreciation and understanding of Western mores and fashion, ability to attract who's of who in Egypt, etc., so after the wedding the attendees can go home and discuss the wonderful food, comment on bride and grooms outfits, and offer constructive criticism on how improve it.
Before the muslim society can advance, it followers need to purify their hearts. Prayers, fasting, hijabs really are all outward manifestations but without the inward, we are lost and void. They both complement each other. We are incomplete without the other. I have seen many muslims that pray fervently on time supplemented with extra prayers, constantly boasting how much they have memorized from the Quran, fasting Monday and Thursday yet they are rude, talk about others when they are absent, and flaunt their material success. Then I have seen muslims and non-muslims with the purest hearts, constantly helping the poor, never envious, content with their standing in life but they never pray, read the Quran, or remember God.
If we look at political Islam it is doomed to fail because it followers lack a pure heart. Most of the movements aspire for material gains or revenge not justice and the removal of oppression. Look at the GIA in Algeria or the Islamic government in Saudi Arabia. They have not been successful in creating a robust, harmonious, and happy society because they are only concerned with the outward while the inward is diseased. When Islam was born, it spread quickly because muslims practiced the inward and outward and their goal was the elimination of oppression and the establisment of justice. Again, the dark days will continue as long as we neglect the inward.

How Bin Laden Bankrupted America

Excellent article

Article Link
The five ways
by Jon Basil Utley
For a man who spent years living in caves, Osama bin Laden sure knows his Sun Tzu and the basics of jujitsu. Sun Tzu's famous dictum was "know yourself" and "know your enemy." Jujitsu is based upon using your enemy's strength against him, e.g., like Jack in "Jack and the Beanstalk," who used the giant's own size and anger to get him to crash from his own weight. Bin Laden understood that the way to beat America was to turn its power back upon itself. His early stated aim was to bankrupt America. He knew his own weaknesses, and he profoundly understood America's, how its pride and fears could trigger irrational, self-destructive reactions.

The genius of bin Laden's pinprick attacks, costing a few hundred thousand dollars, has left America reeling with two unending multi-trillion-dollar wars it doesn't know how to get out of. He knew that his own strength was mainly in his appeal to the minds of men, particularly to the lost dignity of Muslims trampled under the heel of their own dictators, Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and America's military. Getting rid of the "far" enemy was the way to take on the "near" ones.

Instigating America to destroy Iraq was a triumph of genius. He must have known about the neoconservative cabal in Washington that was itching to start wars and destroy Iraq. In bin Laden's wildest dreams he then imagined that he could get an enraged America to destroy his enemies while, at the same time, isolating itself from allies and becoming seriously weakened. His prime Arab enemy, secular nationalist socialism, was embodied by the Ba'athist rulers in Iraq. Once destroyed, Muslim resistance could be channeled to religious fundamentalism as the only remaining force honest and profound enough to challenge Arab dictators and American soldiers successfully. In that sense he was allied with Israel, again an intelligent strategy of harnessing his enemies' strength, which, for different reasons, feared Iraq as the most modern, secular nation among the Arabs far more than it feared Muslim fundamentalists. Indeed, in Palestine, Israel built up Islamist Hamas at first as a counterforce to the secular PLO. Successful terrorists come from the well educated, not from fundamentalist fanatics.

Next was his hope that he might get America to destroy his Shi'ite enemy, Iran. He almost succeeded in this too. His prime aim, though, was to get America bogged down in endless, resource-sapping wars on the Asian landmass and disrupt oil flows that benefited his enemies.

Bin Laden understood how America's religious fundamentalists, who had inordinate power in Washington, could be encouraged to sustain religious wars. He "knew" them precisely because he understood his own Muslim fundamentalists, as indeed also the Israeli ones. All could work together in his scheming mind to wreck the global economy, which so benefited American power. In 2002 at a party in my home, I said to Peru's brilliant economist Hernando de Soto that, of course, bin Laden's objective was to drive America out of the Middle East. He replied to me, "Not just that, out of the whole Third World!"

The actual crash in America came about because of the wars, in several ways:

First, financing the wars with debt was the final straw that broke the camel's back. No one knew how much debt would break America, but doubling the national debt from $5 trillion to $10 trillion, with new trillions being borrowed now, finally did it. A government at war seeks political support. Spending billions for an unpopular war and its waste makes it far more difficult to deny billions for more welfare. That's why America is called a warfare-welfare state. Welfare began in Germany in the 19th century when Bismarck sought popular support for his military ventures. It was the trade-off.

Second, the destruction of Iraq, and Bush's constant threats to start bombing Iran, which could have closed down the Strait of Hormuz, brought about sky-high oil prices, which then busted world prosperity. Still, bin Laden might not have imagined that hedge funds would feed the speculation, and that Bush would not release oil from the petroleum reserve, which could have broken the price, because he wanted to keep it in reserve for war against Iran. Then the subsequent collapse of oil prices dried up a major source of foreign buyers for U.S. government bonds, which finance America's wars and reckless debts.

Third, all of Washington's attention was absorbed by the wars, leaving little time or energy for dull domestic issues such as debating reforms to the financial markets. Anyone who questioned the wars' costs was dismissed as unpatriotic. Lies are part of waging war, and losing discredits and exposes the leaders' lies. From discredited American leaders, it was a short step to discredited American financial markets.

Fourth was the toxic alliance of neoconservatives and religious fundamentalists. The neocons were academic Washington policy wonks who dreamed of ruling the world. The "fundies" provided electoral support, because they viewed America as doing God's work among the foreign heathens. Their extremists indeed wanted chaos in the Middle East to "hurry up" God's plans for Armageddon. Instead they served bin Laden's goals.

Fifth, war spending deficits were in effect a massive Keynesian pump-priming operation, bound in the end to leave an economic hangover. Wars make the economy boom with seeming prosperity, but they are actually incredible wastes of resources. Over $200 million for each new fighter plane, $1,000 a day for mercenaries, massive corruption and incompetence in the military occupation – even bin Laden could not have anticipated how costly the war would become.

All of this was indeed foreseen by the wars' many critics, but they could not break through in the major media against the powers and lies of the Bush administration.

Editor John Feffer forecast the wars' consequences precisely in 2002:

"The successful realization of bin Laden's secret strategy will happen not with a bang but with a whimper. Having failed to use the unipolar moment for the world's advantage, the United States runs the risk of following the examples of Russia and England and Turkey, all faded empires whose ambitions overreached themselves. In the worst-case scenario, the U.S. will become the sick man of North America, a victim of military hypertrophy, extremes of wealth and poverty, decay of civil infrastructure, and loss of competitive economic advantage."

At least Americans are told that Washington "succeeded" in preventing any more attacks on the homeland. Maybe, but the more likely reason there have been no further attacks was explained in a letter to the editor of Foreign Policy magazine [.pdf] by researcher Laura Garcés:

"But one could venture that Osama bin Laden has no reason now to expose himself and expend massive resources when he accomplished exactly what he wanted: billions of dollars of expenditures in launching wars, the total neglect of infrastructure, the loss of thousands of tourists who are wary of staying in line for hours dealing with airport. Decay and bankruptcy is what he sought, and fear is what he wanted to instill. Can anyone doubt that he succeeded?"

Barack Obama

Many Arabs and Muslims are brimming with optimism because Obama is now president. They somehow think that he will be fair, push for justice, withdraw US troops from the middle east, close military bases around the world, pressure Israel for a just solution, etc. The problem is that the way the system is set up, you cannot make it this far unless the elites (corporate America, media, defense establishments) approve and endorse you. In his heart, Obama is probably progressive but you do not reach positions of power unless you have been scrutinized, dissected and approved. An imperial government would never place a leader that goes against its interest. It is like a corporation putting in place a CEO that wants to give the majority of profits to the poor and downtrodden, that would be in contradiction with corporate America and self destructive.
That does not mean all elites agree on the same path to its goals. Look at the build up to the 2003 Iraq war, many conservatives opposed it on strategic grounds. Obama simply has a different method in achieving those goals. Bush was more blunt, abrasive, reckless, and pugnacious in his methods. Obama will be more refined and subtle. Looking at his cabinet provides insight into ideology. Majority are previous Clinton appointees and examining Clinton's legacy does not provide one with much optimisn. Remember the crippling and muderous Iraqi sanctions, the cover-up of Israel's bombing of the UN in south Lebanon, bombing Sudan and Iraq, etc.

Hail to the Departing Chief

Looking at the great commander and chief's legacy, we certainly have much to be thankful. He increased the budget deficit from over 3 billion to 12 billion dollars. An almost complete collapse of the financial industry occurred under his watch. The housing industry in free-fall with rising unemployment as he bails out the greedy, inresponsible speculators on Wall Street. The US is now the largest debtor nation in the world with worsening economic conditions. We are more dependent than ever on foreigners to finance our extravagant wasteful lifestyle. Then there is the reemergence of the Taliban with an increasingly violent guerrila warefare. North Korea continues to keep its weapons and Iran publicly defies the great superpower over its nuclear program. Torture and intrusive spying on American citizens have become a de facto policy on the war on terror. Isn't it obvious that we are well-prepared for the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The US is in decline and Bush simply accelerated the process. Never in history has the biggest debtor nation remained a superpower. Bush's legacy will be a defining point in history. Obama might actually stave off some decline, simply to please the elites but it is inevitable. As some say, follow the money and the money is in the East and continues to travel there.

Expectations

Talking to Muslims, is many times confusing and disconcerting. They watch the Gaza massacre and suddenly are mad and angry at the American and Europeans for supporting it. It as if they had an expectation that the Americans and Europeans would actually restrain and punish Israel. You should only feel this way if you felt betrayed by a friend. Remember prior to the Gulf War, many European countries opposed it, not for humanitarian reasons but rather out of self-interest. But once they saw that the US and Britain were intent on it, they wished them good luck; that is, good luck in occupying a country and massacring its population. I do not recollect any European leader wishing the Iraqis good luck.

This expectation arises from Fanon's idea of colonizing the mind and consequential inferior complex. Many Muslims are infatuated with the West, its technology, culture, idioms, clothes, music, food so they obsequiously follow and imitate the West. They love the Hollywood movies and can recite movie lines, they know all the top singers, they read the latest fashion magazines, etc, all of which contributes nothing to their lives. These are all distractions from the true purpose of life. We should be learning more about Allah, prophets, and sunnah. We should strive to constantly improve our character, help to the poor and oppressed, purify our hearts from envy and greed. We should make extra prayers asking for forgiveness, guidance and mercy. We should rid our countries of fitna, dallal, and learn to embrace all muslims as brothers and sisters not as certain nationals. Only then will Allah help us, for he never aides the misguided who strives in misguidance.

So you when you witness the next massacre of fellow Muslims by the West do not feel surprised and angry. If you do, go back and read the Quran and history. You might then actually learn something.

Tough Love

Reading the Israeli press and hearing the Israelis speak and justify this massacre, it is known in Orwellian terms as "tough love". We love the civilians and are not targetting the civilians but the killing is necessary because we are getting rid of the terrorist and making it safer for you. In the meantime, many will be killed, injured, and maimed because it is Hamas fault. Once we rid you of Hamas, then you can be the obedient, servile slave that obeys commands and remain imprisoned in your refugee camps. It is for the best, like when the slavemaster has to punish a slave for being recalcitrant.
So we all grieve for the Israelis as they had to make this tough and moral decision. After the area is cleansed from the terrorist, the Israelis can go back and live on expropriated land, for they will not be bothered by those irritating, pesky minute rockets as their 1000 lb bombs serve as a deterrent.

Allies

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

5:51 O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

This verse in the Quran is often translated wrong. It is often translated as to not take Jews and Christians as friends. The word Aliyah comes from Wali which really means a guardian, governor, overseer etc. So it is telling the muslims not to let a non-muslim govern their affairs or control their lives. This verse is so prophetic looking back at history. In the 1900's when the Arabs sided with the British to rid themselves from the Ottomans what is the result? A carefully carved out Middle East with various nation states competing against each other, discriminating against neighboring citizens, pandering to the West for protection of their illegitimate rule and material wealth, oppression and wealth expropriation of its citizens, etc.

Nation-states and nationalism have never made us more weaker, underdeveloped, dependent, and backward than today. We automatically recognize and categorize other muslims based on their nationality not they are simply muslims. Thus, we start to grade them, define them, and ultimately discriminate against them. Their problem is not my problem for they are from another country. Their death, oppression, misery is of no concern for I have to worry about my material wealth, for I do not want anything to interfere with my success, forgetting that the ultimate provider of success is Allah not humans. If Allah wills, it happens. We tend to forget that and not put our trust in Allah. We are also going against the Sunnah of the prophet PBUH. He grieved for any muslim oppressed and fought to rid the Ummah of oppression. His concern was not accumulation of wealth and material gains but justice, helping the poor, sick, and elderly, and fighting oppression. Muslim societies have lost sight of this distracted by TV, music, actors, glamour, wealth. Since we have chosen this wrong path do not expect the future to be rosier and kinder.

Muslim World

Watching aljazeera and observing the muslims demonstrate against the massacre in Gaza is inspiring and definitely encouraging. But once the massacre is over, the average muslim will go about his daily activities with a deep hatred for Israel until the next massacre occurs. Very little is done in between. Of course they call for boycotting Israel, Egypt and Jordan severing relations with Israel, publishing op-ed pieces, etc. None of that, however, really puts pressure on Israel, real pressure is what is needed.
Western societies are very materialistic (not to say that muslim societies are not). The basis for their society is making money and maximizing profits, especially US corporations. Anything that hampers this forces US corporations to change and seek another way to maximize profits. Putting pressure on Israel ultimately has to be done mainly through the US and partly Europe. Boycotting US corporations, especially their products, as long as the US occupies muslim lands and supports Israel is very simple. Ultimately then, US corporations with the prospect of reduced profits and fewer opportunities to expand, especially with many muslim economies growing 6-8%, will force a change in US foreign policy. This is the best way along with resistance to bring about change. We now fortunately have many economic choices given the rise of Asia and Russia. In addition, the US is essentially bankrupt with foreigners funding their unsustainable and disastrous economic policy which will eventually lead to the collapse of its empire soon. Funding this debt, especially from the Gulf countries, gives us significant leverage.
Iran has been boycotted by the US for over 29 years, yet they have transformed themselves into a powerful and independent regional player, compared to Egypt which is a servile, weak, corrupt, neo-colonial outpost of the US, which is what Iran was during the Shah.
Looking back at the boycott of Danish cheese in the middle east proves my point that muslims can mobilize and be effective. Simple protests, chants, etc, in the end never really has stopped a war. Muslim need to shed their inferiority complexes which they inherited from colonialism and reinforced through Western media and open their eyes to the ultimate source of militarism, imperialism, racism, etc., for Israel is simply a proxy for the US. Once we acknowledge this and dissect it, can we move forward and learn to confront it. Otherwise, the muslim world will remain in its decrepit, backward, weak, and declining state for years to come, as the West's exploitation and neo-colonialism continues unabated.

Genocide

I wonder how the IDF soldier fired at the UN school and killed 40 children feels. I bet he is ecstatic because he has killed future "terrorists", for their parents were probably from Hamas, even though the IDF privately told the British Independent that no shots were fired from the school. He can now sleep at night knowing that he is making Israel a safer place from terrorists. He has cleansed Israel from the dirty, recalcitrant, potential terror mongering Palestinians. Israel is coming closer to the ultimate Zionist dream-- A pure Jewish state.

What is going on in Gaza parallels the Nazi concentration camps. Gaza is a prison inhabited by a starved, oppressed, subjugated population with only an occasional exit. The only connection with the outside world is through tv, telephone or internet. This is rationalized by Israel's security and fighting terrorism.

On may wonder Gaza is subjected to such extreme terrorism compared to the West Bank. The Israelis hate resistance for it interferes with Zionist goal of a pure Jewish state and resistance must be crushed with overwhelming force, especially after Israel's 2006 defeat. To avoid genocide, you must submit and comply with the occupation. The Gazans made one mistake. It elected Hamas who chose to resist and stand up for their rights which in the Western press is labeled terrorism.

The future looks bleak, especially for the Gazans. Many more will die for the resistance will grow. Israel's future is even more bleaker. A nation built on lies, deception, genocide, oppression, racism ultimately fails. The disparity in strength between the Arabs and Israel will narrow. The hidden lies Israel promulgates will eventually be discovered and the commoner will shun Israel. This massacre has just opened the world to racist and genocidal policies perpetrated by Israel. Look at South Africa, the colonial struggles, liberation wars etc., and one sees that history comes close in repeating itself. Time, patience, and resistance is the best asset the Palestinians have.

The Middle East

As I watch daily footage in Gaza, seeing the 4th most powerful military in the world bomb one of the most densely and helpless populated areas in the world by air, land, and sea, it truly demonstrates what Zionism is all about. It is a racist ideology that seeks to purify the state of Israel from all non Jews and non Zionist at all costs. Any resistance must be crushed and made an example of.

Israel lost the 2006 war so it is now seeking redemption and telling the Arabs that we are still powerful and do not dare resist. Yet, Israel is simply sowing the seeds of hatred, revenge, resistance. Children whose family's were slaughtered in Gaza will never forgive or forget and a new generation of fighters will emerge. Muslims in the middle east will also never forgive and forget, forming resistance movements. Ultimately there will be more wars, for again, Israel will not tolerate any resistance in its area.
Look at the West Bank, Israel is not bombing it because there is no resistance and Abbas, the Israeli puppet, simply carries out Israel's wishes. The day they resist will be the beginning of "purification" or ethnic cleansing so what we are left with is a docile, compliant, servile, oppressed population imprisoned in Bantustans.
Fortunately, human nature will resist these Nazi like policies and Israel over time is weakening. It relies heavily on the US for arms, loan guarantees, technology. But the US is in decline and will likely go bankrupt in the next 20 years. With the decline of the US economically comes the weakening of the military. Consequently, Israel and the US's proxy allies will weaken.
The other factor is Israel itself is already in decline. First, there is no net migration to Israel and the demographics heavily favor the Palestinians in the long run. Short of mass expulsion, Israel has no solution.
Second, the 2006 war shows that Israel can be defeated.
Third, the number of soldiers going awol for military duty is around 10-15% and growing for history has shown over time that empires and dynasties decline partly because of complacency and arrogance, for more on that read Ibn Khaldun. Israeli society over time cannot maintain this level of military preparedness and superiority, for no society has ever maintained that forever.

Gaza Massacre

As Israel is given a free hand with the blessings of the US and Arab leaders to massacre a defenseless population, it will ultimately fail in its goal, that is; to bomb, kill, subjugate the Palestinians into bantustans with essentialy no rights while Jews enjoy superiority and full rights. Never in history has a nation bombed an indigenous population into submission. The indigenous people inevitably rebel and win. What we are witnessing is a turning point in history. The Israelis attacking a defenseless population by air, ground, and sea yet their objectives have not been achieved. The Palestinians are more resolute in their resolve to fight on and rockets keeping coming. Of course they will not defeat the Israelis but they will survive and surviving is a win for the Palestinians, for they can fight again another day. The Muslim world is turning more religious as it is obvious that materialism, consumerism, globalization, etc, are devious means to infiltrate society and brainwash the masses to neglect their obligations as muslims. It preoccupies them with worldly things that ultimately contribute nothing to their lives.
“There is no Aid Except from Allah, the Exalted the Wise.” [3:126].

The death of children and women killed in collaboration with the Arab governments has reignited the Muslim world and is breaking the barriers erected by nationalism and colonial powers. Muslims will start to look at each other as simply muslims and not isms. This will ultimately unite the Ummah.

Adhaan

The Dollar and Empire
The year 2008 will go down in history as a pivotal and momentous year regarding the US empire. Most historians will consider it the first stage in the decline of the US empire. The impending financial collapse of US banks, the ballooning US government debts, the reliance on foreigners to finance US military expeditions and bank bailouts all have consequences, especially on the US dollar. The US dollar has been the world’s reserve currency since Arab oil embargo after the US colluded with Saudi royal family; that is, the US’s agreement to support the royal family at all cost in exchange for pricing Opec oil in dollars and for the Saudis to recycle the petrodollars back to the US in investments. Thus in an instance, the dollar became the world’s reserve currency. This worked smoothly for at the time the US was a creditor nation, its fiscal situation was much stronger, and its trade deficit was insignificant. Now, however, the dollar is losing its status as a reserve currency, for the Chinese, Russians, Kuwait, Iran are diversifying away from the dollar, with others soon to follow. This will undoubtedly lead to the dollar’s devaluation.
The dollar’s devaluation will curtail and ultimately end the US empire and hegemony. The US is beholden to foreigners to finance is ever increasing deficits and empire. Over time this gives foreigners leverage over the US but also wariness about continuing funding US debt. When Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were taken over by the US Treasury department, it was not to save the mortgage industry but rather to provide guarantees to foreigners that their bonds are safe and guaranteed by the government. This past summer when the Chinese and other foreigners were cutting back in their purchases of these bonds, the US government sent treasury emissaries around to the Gulf and Asia telling them that it has the full backing of the US government. But as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae financial conditions worsened, foreigners, especially the Chinese became wary and cut back in buying. This resulted in the nationalization of both entities.
The problem, however, is the US does not have the money for bailouts. They have to borrow it, again from the foreigners just as it did for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This does not even include the future obligations for social security and medicare which are currently unfunded approximately for $50 trillion. The US government does not have the financial means to pay these debts nor the intention. It will in the future use the Federal Reserve to print money and buy its own debt. Looking back at history, printing money has devastating consequences for a currency. Germany after WWI printed money for many years and the result was hyperinflation and devaluation of its currency. This will severely weaken the US financial situation and foreigners will shun the dollar, for why hold a currency that continues to lose its value. The US domestic will suffer greatly under hyperinflation as their standard of living declines and then the US government will reach a critical junction. It must decide whether to continue on this destructive economic path or reign in its’ hegemonic aspirations, shut its military bases abroad, and focus its’ efforts and money on the domestic front. Looking back at the British Empire after WWII and the Soviet Union in the 1980’s will provide clues to the outcome. History has repeatedly shown strength evolves from wealth and currently the wealth is shifting East not West.
I actually think the US empire’s demise began in March of 2003 when it invaded Iraq and Bush accelerated the deficits to pay for it, Afghanistan, homeland security, etc. At that time, everything was cheery and rosy with Bush celebrating mission accomplished and the Neocons planning to invade Syria and Iran. But then came the insurgency in Iraq, stopping the Americans in their future plans and turning the American public against Bush. Things are relatively quiet in Iraq now but that will change when the Iraqis realize that the Americans have no intention on leaving despite the new agreement. In Afghanistan the conditions are no better, for the situation worsens daily as the Taliban accelerates their guerrilla warfare. And as the US empire collapses do not expect its propped up allies and proxy states to fare any better in the long run. Ironically, the greatest threat to the US empire is not Bin Laden but its own currency.