CHICAGO NEWS BENCH: sharia

Showing posts with label sharia. Show all posts

Sharia Law, Spaghetti and Reality

How would sharia law (Islamic law) change American culture? The full answer, of course, requires a thick book - or a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia. A lot of it would involve sexual control of women by men, and I mean the ugly repressive kind of control. Not good. If you don't have the time for either of those options, check out the video preview of sharia in America here. It's a funny video about a very un-funny reality. For a dose of that reality, see the second video below.

Must-See: Goons Attack Cameramen at Muslim Fair in Dearborn, Michigan

This video must be seen. Watch it. Share it with others. Read more about it at Creeping Sharia. Also See: Liberal Media Hypocrisy Test (video)

Cool Hats & Shirts for Cool Conservatives Leave a Comment... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

AND WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

What have the lessons of 9/11, Bali, Madrid and now Mumbai taught us? Not much, apparently. Sadly, the West (which has been slumping toward suicide since the end of WWI) has its collective head in the sand when it comes to acknowledging the threat of radical Muslims. Most major news outlets are reluctant to even call Muslim terrorists what they are: Muslim terrorists. Calling them that does not mean that all Mulsims are terrorists; they're obviously not. But the the terrorists in Mumbai, those in Bali, the ones flying into New York and the Pentagon, were Muslims. It is an undeniable commonality, yet it is undeniably denied by the Western media. Raphael Israeli, a Moroccan by birth, is a professor of Islamic, Middle Eastern and Chinese history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and has written more than two dozen books. Jihad Watch has a profound piece written by Prof. Israeli that addresses the foolish ignorance of the West in dealing with the threat of the global spread of radical Islam: The events of Mumbai, the “surprise” they caused, the clumsy fashion in which they were treated, and the almost glorifying attitude meted out to them by the world media, demonstrate, seven years after the September 11 attacks, that little was learned in the West from them, while the pledges of Islamic terrorism to pursue its novel strategy proved credible and feasible. For after Madrid, London, Bali and other acts of mega-terrorism, the West still hesitates to pronounce the M-word, and talks about “Militants”, who draw sympathy in the Islamic world, instead of condemning them as Muslim terrorists and trying to rally moderate governments worldwide in support of the war against them. Moreover, instead of vigorously rejecting the Muslim notion of jihad, in the name of which all these horrors are done, the West has been indulging in the vain distinction between Islam and “Islamism”, ignoring the fact that they are one and the same faith and that jihad is the language of both. FULL ARTICLE... Hat tip to sister blog Muslims Against Sharia...

Wake Up, Infidels!

All kidding aside, you people better wake up, and soon. "Sharia creep," that slow but sure invasion of Islamic law into Western culture, is moving like a glacier. So slow it's hard to see unless you measure it daily. But like a glacier, it seems unstoppable. Keep sleeping America, and you may wake up one day to find that your mother has been beaten in the streets for not wearing a veil. Oh, you think that's ridiculous? Read on, Infidels, as Jihad Watch updates us on the steady march of Islamic influence into our courts of law: Assault on Free Speech Update -- but sleep on, folks. We all know it can't happen here, and that the real problem is that someone might have put on her coat in a way that made someone else think she was making the Hitler salute. There ain't no possible way that "hate speech" codes could be enacted in the United States, what with the First Amendment, right? Right? MORE at Jihad Watch... Wrong, as the article points out. Read this, people, if you're not too sleepy. It can happen here. It's happening already. RELATED: Michelle Malkin » Sharia creep on campus Michelle Malkin » Sharia in the classroom Dhimmi Watch: UK: "Sharia law now legally binding" Miss Kelly : Shariah Creep at Harvard and Elsewhere The Atheist Conservative : Sharia creep A textbook case of sharia creep.... FrontPage Magazine: Sharia Creep Around the World Google Search for "sharia creep"

Ahmadinejad Ill, Might Not Seek Re-Election

A hot report today that could have far reaching implications: TEHRAN, Iran (Oct. 26) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fallen ill due to exhaustion brought on by his heavy workload, a close associate has told the Iranian state news agency. The announcement comes as doubts have surfaced over whether Ahmadinejad, who faces strong criticism from opponents, will seek re-election next year. Parliament member Mohammad Ismail Kowsari, an ally of the president, said late Saturday that Ahmadinejad was feeling under the weather because of the strain of his position, according to the news agency, IRNA. MORE ABOUT THIS at SHARIAHFINANCEWATCH.ORG...

UK: Sharia Law "Incompatible" With Human Rights

British lawmakers struck a blow for common sense, decency and one against fundamentalist Islamic sharia law. Our friends at Sharia Finance Watch posted this: The House of Lords today drew stark attention to the conflict between sharia and UK law, calling the Islamic legal code “wholly incompatible” with human rights legislation. The remarks came as the Lords considered the case of a woman who, if she was sent back to Lebanon, would be obliged under sharia law to hand over custody of her 12-year-old son to a man who beat her, threw her off a balcony and, on one occasion, attempted to strangle her. FULL POST at SHARIAFINANCEWATCH.ORG...

Killing Homosexuals? Hmmmm....

See, I would never propose that. Really. It's, well, it's just wrong. Some Muslims in Europe, however, just can't make up their minds as to whether or not killing homosexuals is, you know, the right thing to do. Certainly there are Muslims outside of Europe who feel the same way; after all, they line homosexuals up against a wall and stone them to death or crush them to death by pushing the brick/stone/cinder block wall over on them. But let's stay with these particular Muslims, living in Norway, who can't make their minds up about killing homosexuals. Now, if you're a Liberal, the PC thing to do would be to say, "Ah, but it's all relative and it's a cultural thing. Golly, that's how their culture does it. Who are we to tell them what to do?" The report about an Islamic council in Norway: By Bruce Bawer - For a case in point, I will refer the reader to an episode I’ve mentioned previously in this space — an Oslo debate last November at which the deputy chairman of Norway’s Islamic Council, Asghar Ali, refused to reject the death penalty for gays. When Senaid Kobilica, the head of the Islamic Council (which represents 60,000 Muslims), was asked where he stood on the question, he replied that he couldn’t give a definitive answer until he got a ruling from the European Fatwa Council. This week it was reported that he’s still waiting... FULL POST at FrontPage Magazine... Of course, the Truly Correct thing to do is to condemn, loudly, the atavistic, primitive brutality that could allow even a moment's hesitation in deciding whether or not to kill homosexuals. I say let 'em live. To be fair and balanced, however, there is also this story out of England: Sharia law incompatible with human rights legislation, Lords say. Good lord, common sense in the UK? Perhaps there is still a glowing ember of reason...

Illinois Investigating Sunrise Equities Scandal

It's about time. Chicago investment firm, Sunrise Equities, shut their doors back in mid-August, leaving investors confused,

worried and angry. Salman Ibrahim, CEO, and other officers vanished. They left Chicago - and probably the US - with about $80 million of investors' money. Most investors have been totally destroyed by the scandal, and now, finally, two months later, the "Illinois Secretary of State's office filed a temporary order of prohibition against the missing CEO and president of a shariah-compliant investment firm." RELATED STORY: "OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES SCANDAL, PART ONE" That's according to a report, out moments ago on the Chicago Journal web site (10 pm, Chicago, Oct. 22). It continues: "A spokesman for Jesse White's office said state investigators have gathered sufficient evidence to believe there was a violation of securities law." "Sufficient evidence," they say, casually. How about this for sufficient evidence: CEO and top officers vanish; doors locked; phone calls not being returned; investors not getting scheduled check. What the hell was the State of Illinois waiting for? Let me veer onto a side street for a moment. Perhaps the Illinois Secretary of State was afraid of being called a religious bigot for going after a Muslim company. I'm being sarcastic, of course, but believe it or not, there really are lunatics out there who accuse me and other writers who are covering this of targeting Sunrise Equities. The Bench, and others writing about it, have noted that the investors - most of whom are Muslim - have been violated. We believe and hope that they get relief and justice. This is a case of Muslims being screwed by fellow Muslims. How, then, is it bigoted to simply report that? (Perhaps those who make such cavalier accusations can throw them at my good friends at Muslims Against Sharia, where I am one of their contributing writers.) Chicago Journal continues: "Investors noticed something awry when they stopped receiving monthly disbursement checks from the investment firm in August. The firm's corporate officers and employees also stopped returning investors' calls, which investors said was highly unusual." Sure, but not "unusual" enough, apparently, for the State of Illinois to jump on right away. "The temporary order names Sunrise Equities Inc. and Sunrise Management II. The firm also did business as the Sunrise Development Group and Sunrise Development Inc., with addresses at 6355 N. Claremont, 1000 W. Monroe and 1023 W. Madison. "In addition to Ibrahim, the order lists company founders Amjed Mahmood, of Des Plaines, and physician Mohammed Akbar Zahid, of Chicago. Both appear on the company's Web site as the senior vice presidents of construction and community relations, respectively. Saquib Anwar, also named as a "respondent," is listed as an employee and sales agent of Sunrise. "The temporary order alleges that Ibrahim and others failed to register securities and committed fraud in the sale of securities." The Chicago Journal also noted that, "No one has seen or heard from Salman Ibrahim, the president and CEO of Sunrise Equities since August. Salman, whose last known address is the 5600 block of W. Eddy, has been accused of allegedly bilking hundreds of investors from West Ridge's Indian-Pakistani community and from around the world. Investors' losses are estimated between $50 million and $80 million." MORE ABOUT SUNRISE EQUITIES (on The Bench) OTHER LINKS: IL Sec of State Investigating Sunrise Equities Scandal More results from Rogers Park in 1000 words Obama’s Muslim “outreach” problems. Coincidental? Get real! Obama and the Sunrise Equities Failure: Sharia Firm Scandal So necessary to read, I am posting this article again-OBAMA linked ... Obama and the Sunrise Equities Failure: Sharia Firm Scandal $15.5 Million Foreclosure Lawsuit on an Uptown Development Site Cole Taylor files foreclosure suit over Uptown development The Irish Suing to Recover Deposits

Marathon Pundit's Take on Obama & Sunset Equities

CHICAGO - Marathon Pundit (a.k.a. John Ruberry) is following the connection between Barack Obama and the recent, catastrophic demise of Sunrise Equities. At least 150 mostly-Muslim investors have been financially ruined by Sunrise's CEO Salman Ibrahim and other officers, and the connections between them and Obama are intriguing if not disturbing. Sincere thanks to John for picking up the ball and running with it. His report: Sunrise Equities and Obama - Just a few miles south of where I live is a thriving Pakistani and Indo-American community centered around Devon Avenue on Chicago's North Side. Dozens of family owned businesses rake in lots of cash--Mrs. Marathon Pundit bought some things on Devon--and some of that money ended up in the hands of Sunrise Equities CEO Salman Ibrahim. MORE...

OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE

OBAMA'S OCTOBER SUNRISE SURPRISE - PART ONE

Sunrise Equities donated office space to Obama in 2004 when
he was running for U.S. Senate. Salman Ibrahim was there.

Also See: Obama's Connections to Sunrise Equities, Part Two

EXCLUSIVE: PART ONE - Background of the 2008 Sunrise Equities Scandal

CHICAGO - Barack Obama has strong ties to a Chicago investment company that ripped off investors for a total of approximately $80 million. Sunrise Equities shut down in August when its CEO, Salman Ibrahim, and other top officers vanished. The money seems to have gone with them. Now, the Illinois Secretary of State and the FBI are investigating the scandal.

About 150 investors, mostly Muslim, learned in August that they had lost all of their savings to the Sunrise Equities fraud. Sunrise Equities, a shariah-compliant investment firm, targeted investors who were mostly Pakistani Muslim immigrants. Many the victims took out home-equity loans to make ends meet.

The Muslim Media Network (MMN) reported this on Sept. 11:

"According to latest reports coming from Chicago the management of Sunrise Equities and the affiliated Sunrise Constructions have disappeared after closing their offices. Sunrise CEO Salman Ibrahim, Vice President Amjed Mahmood, and Vice President (Community Relations) Mohammad Akbar Zahid are untraceable."

As financial scandals go, this one pales next to the implosions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, to the hundreds of investors in Chicago who have been ruined by Sunrise Equities, the Fannie-Freddie mess might as well be in another galaxy. Salman Ibrahim and Sunrise Equities have ruined people here just as profoundly as any bank closing in the country has hurt others. Salman Ibrahim gained the trust of investors with the help of religious Muslim leaders, who approved of and even recommended investing with Sunrise Equities because it followed shariah rules, or Islamic law.

The Illinois Secretary of State and the FBI are investigating the scandal. Will Homeland Security be investigating this? After all, Ibrahim is a foreign national. Furthermore, he is rumored by many along the “Devon Corridor” of West Ridge to be a Taliban sympathizer.

The tragedy of Sunrise Equities has ripples throughout Chicago: A March 10, 2006 press release from Sunrise Equities bragged about a transaction in the nearby Uptown neighborhood:

"Sunrise Equities is pleased to announce the purchase of 4 parcels near the corner of Leland and Marine Drive. A yet unnamed project is under development and will be the largest project under the Sun Rise umbrella. The mixed use development plan will call for up to 150 condos and townhomes as well as community retail."

More press releases are available on the Sunrise Equities web site, which also lists major projects in which they were involved.

The Chicago Tribune reported on September 24, 2008:

The Shariah Board of America's approval of investing in Sunrise Equities led dozens of other Chicago-area Muslims—mostly Indians and some Pakistanis—to invest and lose hundreds of thousands of dollars with the company, which says it developed multiunit residential buildings in Chicago, the investors said.

Investors said they don't know if the company suffered losses because of the declining real estate market or for other reasons. Salman Azam, an attorney hired by several investors, said Sunrise's Chief Executive Officer Salman Ibrahim has not been seen since August. Sunrise's offices off Devon Avenue are closed. At his home, mail spills out of his mailbox.

Neither Ibrahim nor his attorneys could be reached for comment Monday and Tuesday. Another principal in Sunrise, Amjed Mahmood, declined to comment, saying he had been a vice president in the company and the "corporation had gone down." He said he lost $500,000 and was now driving a taxi.

For years, Ibrahim and his associates have been heavily involved in Democrat Party political affairs. Ibrahim donated to Barack Obama and to Joe Biden, Local Democrats, such as 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore and 50th Ward Alderman Bernie Stone, benefited as well.

There are questions, then, that must be asked. Where did the missing $80 million go? Did any of that money go to terrorist entities? Inasmuch as Ibrahim is suspected by some in his now-former neighborhood to be sympathetic to radical Islamic groups, the authorities must be wondering where the money went. Was it transferred to accounts overseas? Will Ibrahim, Mahmood and Zahid keep the money for personal benefit? Was any of it transferred to enemies of the United States, such as alQaeda?

According the most recent US Treasury Terrorist Assets Report (TAR), more than $20.7 million was blocked in 2007 that might otherwise have gone to international terrorist organizations and individuals. That's a big increase from the $16.4 million block in 2006. Al-Qaeda's share in 2007 is estimated to have been more than $11.3 million, which is 46 percent more than in 2006.

The amount of blocked funds pertaining to international terrorist organizations and individuals, totaled over $20.7 million in 2007, compared to $16.4 million in 2006. Of that, over $11.3 million constituted assets of al-Qaeda, an increase of almost 46 percent over the level blocked as of the end of 2006. The Bench is not saying that Sunrise Equities officers were terrorists or gave money to terrorists. That is an unknown, but that is the point. As noted, people much close to Ibrahim allege that his sympathies lie with the Taliban. The Taliban, as we all know, sympathizes with al-Qaeda.

The US Government needs to quickly and thoroughly investigate the Sunrise Equities scandal, with involves around $80 million. That's almost four times as much as was blocked by the US Treasury in all of 2007.

Barack Obama has long had strong ties to Muslims and to Pakistanis. He also has long and strong ties to Sunrise Equities and Salman Ibrahim.

Obama wanted a satellite fundraising office in the “Devon Corridor,” the largely Indian-Pakistani section of Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood on the north side. Salman Ibrahim was happy to help. Free office space was given to Obama’s campaign within Sunrise’s general offices at 6355 N. Claremont. Obama has long wooed Muslim voters, and did not have a physical presence in this part of Chicago, so the Sunrise location made logistical sense for Obama. It also made sense for Ibrahim and Sunrise as an effort to curry favor with rising star Barack Obama.

In 2004, Sunrise Investments gave Barack Obama free office space during his run for US Senate. The Bench has photographs of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Clearly seen in the photos is Barack Obama and Salman Ibrahim.

We're not finished yet. Part Two of this story will examine Obama's connections to Salman Ibrahim and Sunrise Equities. Due to time constraints, The Bench will not detail here Obama's mysterious three weeks in Pakistan or his numerous Muslim associations. These are points that have been well covered already by a myriad of blogs and publications. Rather, The Bench hopes that the information presented here will alert others with more time and resources to the Sunrise Equities story and the Obama Connection. Perhaps they can pick up the ball and run with it.

NEXT: Obama's Connections to Sunrise Equities, Part Two

RELATED:

The Failure of Sunrise Equities CNB

More on the Sunrise Equities Debacle... CNB

LOOKING FOR SALMAN IBRAHIM CNB

Sunrise Equities Scandal and Multiculturalism CNB

OBAMA: GUILT BY PARTICIPATION CNB

Sunrise Equities Scandal and Multiculturalism

O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied;

but fear Allah; so that you may be successful.

3-130 Surah Al-Imran Verses

Multiculturalism played a major role in the sad case of one of Chicago's biggest financial scandals, currently ongoing and presenting a working mystery for the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

ALSO SEE (10/17/08): OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE

The scandal in a nutshell: Sunrise Equities, headed by CEO Salman Ibrahim, was a sharia compliant investment firm that preyed primarily on Muslim investors. Ibrahim, who presented himself as a devout Muslim, was quickly embraced as an honest man, a man of holy righteousness, a man who you could trust.

As the News-Star wrote recently, "The charismatic Ibrahim impressed prospective investors at Sunrise Equities with his deeply held religious beliefs. He regularly attended prayer services at the mosque located in the basement of his firm's office at 6355 N. Claremont, often serving as an imam or prayer leader. Local Muslim clerics vouched for him, and Ibrahim and his partners promptly returned investors' phone calls. But when the monthly disbursement checks started bouncing in August, and Sunrise's offices went dark, investors grew worried and began contacting the local Muslim media." (Source: News-Star, Sept. 24, 2008)

How did multiculturalism contribute to this debacle? Consider: How many of your average investors consult their priests or rabbis before handing over upwards of $300,000 to an investment firm? Not many. But many of the unfortunate Muslim investors in Chicago who put their life savings in the hands of Sunrise Equities did, and they did not bother to go outside of their tight community to research Sunrise or to consult with non-Muslim investment experts.

Do not confuse Diversity with Multiculturalism. I'm all for diversity. That is, people of various ethnicities and races and religions and whatever living together, next door, in harmony. However, that's quite different from multiculturalism, which is a situation that isolates those groups from each other into secluded or semi-secluded enclaves. That leads to communication breakdown, language barriers, suspicion, mistrust, fear. It divides us. Multiculturalism divides us with invisible walls, whereas a diverse community can unite us. Multiculturalism is, of necessity and by definition, a separation of people from those not like themselves.

In August, CEO Ibrahim and four other Sunrise officers vanished, with an estimated $80-100 million in tow. Most investors, upon learning that the man who held their life savings had just skipped town, would have picked up the phone and called the FBI, the police, the Illinois Attorney General, or a newspaper. Virtually nobody among the Muslim investors did that. Rather, most of their complaining was limited to calling Dil Se (an Urdu language radio talk show on AM 1240 from 11 p.m. to Midnight on Sunday), or standing on a corner on Devon Avenue gossiping about it, or seeking information in one of the restaurants along that corridor.

The insulation of Chicago's Muslim community contributed to the overly eager, ignorant willingness to dump money onto the lap of "one of their own." That same insulation now hinders official investigations of the scandal. This insulation is directly due to a lack of assimilation by a tight community into the bigger community around it. To live on an island is to isolate oneself. Muslim investors were not the only ones suckered by Ibrahim's act of piety and trustworthiness, however. Various non-Muslim banks around Chicago, and the nation, are experimenting with sharia-compliant operations.

Universities, too, are being suckered in. That's no surprise, really: Universities are great advocates of the cultural isolationism that is inescapably part of being multicultural. DePaul University in Chicago for example, as written about in the Chicago Tribune earlier this year, as noted by Dhimmi Watch: Amir Davoodi had read about the meteoric rise of Islamic banking, but the senior finance major at DePaul University didn't realize how intrigued he would become with the idea of mixing Islam and market finance until he took a course on the subject last fall. Now Davoodi has accepted an internship with a local Islamic real estate company, Sunrise Equities, and might pursue the banking niche after graduation. More at Dhimmi Watch...

Those involved at high levels with the Pure and Pure 2.0 construction projects were taken in, too, charmed by their desire to make a quick profit, but also by a desire to associate with something exotic: The bearded Ibrahim, the sharia-financial expert, the Man from Beyond.

Fortunately, bloggers Bill Morton and Grammar Girl broke the story into the world beyond the Devon corridor. It is now an international story, as noted on the "Rogers Park in 1,000 Words" web site. Today there is an item at RP1000 titled "SALMAN IBRAHIM: YOU CANNOT HIDE!" that lists news organizations around the world that are carrying the story.

RELATED:

LOOKING FOR SALMAN IBRAHIM

He's the missing CEO of Sunrise Equities in Chicago. He and several other officers are missing. Is he in Dubai? Brazil? Or back in his native Pakistan? Lorraine Swanson has more details.... The disappearance of the CEO and president of a Shariah-compliant investment firm has left many in West Ridge's Indo-Pak community wary and in turmoil. FULL STORY at NEWS-STAR... UPDATE, OCT. 17, 2008: ALSO SEE OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE RELATED: Uptown's Leland Terrace - OOPS! Sunrise Equities Red Flags The Failure of Sunrise Equities Chicago's Hidden Financial Scandal

Uptown's Leland Terrace - OOPS!

UPDATED, OCT. 17, 2008: ALSO SEE OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE "Chicago-based Sunrise Equities and Development Co. will build the project through an entity called Leland Terrace LLC." [Source] WHOA! Sunrise Equities is belly-up, its CEO and other officers AWOL. Now what, Uptown? RELATED: Sunrise Equities Red Flags The Failure of Sunrise Equities Chicago's Hidden Financial Scandal

Sunrise Equities Red Flags

The failure of Sunrise Equities in Chicago has many in the local muslim community, and others to be sure, panicking. (See The Failure of Sunrise Equities and Chicago's Hidden Financial Scandal.) It seems that there was plenty of warning out there, however. The Bench has found a number of other disturbing items on the web, such as this letter from an irate customer, found at the Rip-off Report: Submitted: 6/17/2008 11:33:11 AM Modified: 6/17/2008 11:33:00 AM Mo baig chicago, Illinois My family and me invest with Sunrise equities for project. Sunrise told me we get profit to invest in the condo projects. But no payments for long time. I fight with the company for long time. company not care. After i tell them i have emergencey i finally get little money. I not sure if the condo projects are for real, but bad experience with company. Mo baig chicago, Illinois [SOURCE: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/341/RipOff0341094.htm] RELATED: Shariah Finance Watch » Islamic Equity Funds Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Sharia Law

The Failure of Sunrise Equities

UPDATED, OCT. 17, 2008: ALSO SEE OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE DEVELOPING: There is a major financial scandal brewing in Chicago's muslim community, as reported by Bill Morton. Sunrise Equities was a developer of mixed use and residential real estate in the Chicagoland area. It has gone under. While this is not the biggest financial story of the day, it has left hundreds of investors devastated and is likely to affect Chicago families and investors more deeply than the Bank of America Corp.’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch or the pending Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. The CEO of Sunrise Equities, Salman Ibrahim, and other officers have gone missing. Investors are panicking. Morton reports that Ibrahim donated to Alderman Joe Moore (Democrat), and The Bench finds that he also donated to Barack Obama in 2006 and in 2004, and has more recently donated at least twice to Sen. Joe Biden in 2006. Ibrahim was also a chairman of NEXTEC Engineering, Ltd., which lists its head office addres as 61A, Block-B, Main Boulevard,Johar Town in Lahore, Pakistan. Today, the web site no longer has any reference to Salman Ibrahim. This scandal has citywide ripples: A March 10, 2006 press release from Sunrise Equities bragged about a transaction in Uptown: "Sunrise Equities is pleased to announce the purchase of 4 parcels near the corner of Leland and Marine Drive. A yet unnamed project is under development and will be the largest project under the SunRise umbrella. The mixed use development plan will call for up to 150 condos and townhomes as well as community retail." (Also see www.uptownchicagocommission.org/apr_1_07.html) More press releases can be seen on the Sunrise Equities web site, which also lists major projects that they were involved in. The Muslim Media Network (MMN) reported this on Sept. 11: "According to latest reports coming from Chicago the management of Sunrise Equities and the affiliated Sunrise Constructions have disappeared after closing their offices. Sunrise CEO Salman Ibrahim, Vice President Amjed Mahmood, and Vice President (Community Relations) Mohammad Akbar Zahid are untraceable." MMN also reports that "Sunrise Equities, a Chicago based financial services firm which claimed to be Shariah compliant, has gone under leaving many area Muslims robbed of their savings. Incorporated in 2001 the firm claimed that all its services were in compliant with Islamic laws and had the endorsement of a leading religious scholar." Following is a press release from the Shariah Board of America in an attempt to quiet down the rumor firestorm raging around this: Shariah Board of America's response to the Sunrise Equities financial crisis facing the Muslim Community Chicago, IL, September 6, 2008: It has been brought to the attention of the Board of Directors of Rahmat-e-Alam Foundation that there have been several false rumors and innuendos labeled against Shariah Board and its’ officers regarding the failure of Sunrise Equities. In particular, there are misleading emails and newspaper articles that falsely allege the involvement of the leadership of Shariah Board with Sunrise Equities. This press release is intended to set the facts straight: • If it is true that Sunrise Equities is financially insolvent and their officers are missing, then Shariah Board of America is deeply shocked and saddened by this turn of events. If the allegations leveled against Salman Ibrahim and other officers of Sunrise Equities are true, then Shariah Board expresses their deepest disappointment with these individuals. We strongly empathize with the investors of Sunrise Equities and pray for them. May Allah (swt) limit their losses, grant them Sabar and Naimal Badal. Shariah Board is making a sincere appeal to the officers of Sunrise Equities to come forward and answer questions from their investors. • It is true that Salman Ibrahim, like hundreds of other Muslims, has been a supporter of Shariah Board. He was also a member of the Board. But it is completely false that Shariah Board or its’ officers supported Sunrise Equities quid pro quo. Shariah Board categorically denies the false allegation that its’ officers received any compensation, living expenses or any other benefit for supporting Salman Ibrahim as a trustable and reliable businessman. In addition, in light of recent circumstances, the Directors of Shariah Board have unanimously agreed and removed Salman Ibrahim from the Board. Contact: Syed Mohammed Ali Farid 7045 N. Western Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60645 Phone 773 764 8274 Ext. 26 Fax 773 764 8497 smafarid@rahmatealam.org • Shariah Board, in consultation with worldwide Islamic Scholars, provides Islamic guidance to companies seeking to offer Shariah compliant products. This includes banks like Devon Bank, Broadway Bank, Mutual Bank, and companies like Guidance Financial, Ijara Finance, Lariba and Sunrise Equities. This consultation is limited to providing answers to Shariah compliance questions and reviewing documents. Shariah Board or its’ officers do not participate in the Management or Operations of any company. Shariah Board is not involved in any transactions between the companies and their clients. Like other companies, Sunrise Equities also sought answers on Shariah compliance and was provided with religious guidance. The actions of the officers of Sunrise Equities were undertaken at their sole discretion. Any attempt by individuals or organizations to link Shariah Board and its’ officers with Sunrise Equities is a case of serious defamation and will be dealt with the strongest legal response possible. Shariah Board is your community service organization. But there are individuals and organizations that are perpetuating false rumors and accusations to discredit the Shariah Board. They want to impede the services of the organization so that authentic Islamic work cannot continue in this community. It is the responsibility of every community member to dispel these false rumors. It is our sincere appeal that you recognize the truth and remain steadfast in support of Shariah Board and its’ leadership. May Allah (swt) bless us with wisdom and enable us to continue this authentic work of deen. RELATED: OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE N E X T E C ::: Engineering Next Generation - Salman Ibrahim is a Chairman of Nextec. He is also a President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunrise Equities Inc, Chicago. NOTE: Salman Ibrahim's name is no longer on NEXTEC's web site. FREE IN THE USA IBF CPI Financial Sunrise Equities of Chicago was established in 2001 and is a ... projects under the supervision of its president and chief executive, Salman Ibrahim. Islamic Finance World - North America 2008 - programme Salman Ibrahim, CEO, Sunrise Equities and Development....Shariah compliant real estate opportunities in Canada... Islamic Banking and Finance in the United States ... U$D80000 and the Board rely on the generous contributions of the public. ... Brother Salman Ibrahim, a real estate agent has a great passion for Islamic ...

Chicago's Hidden Financial Scandal

UPDATED, OCT. 17, 2008: ALSO SEE OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE On this day of financial crises and meltdowns, here is an excellent and very relevant report from Bill Morton about what seems to be a major financial scandal in Chicago's Indian-Pakistani community. It holds every promise of growing into a big story: The tease: SUNRISE EQUITY INVESTMENT COMPANY'S OFFICE IS CLOSED, STAFF IS GONE, AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE "SALMAN IBRAHIM" IS NOT PICKING UP PHONE AND NOT SEEING ANYBODY. The sleaze: The missing CEO of Sunrise Equities, Inc. also contributed to your fave and mine, Joe "the Alder-Joker" Moore! Meanwhile, the Pakistani and Indian community is frustrated, angry, and wanting to know the whereabouts of Salman Ibrahim. They want to receive some return for the vast amounts of money they invested with him. Some are destitute, bereft because they trusted this snake with every dime they had. Kudos to Bill Morton for reporting this to us. Read much more about it at Rogers Park in 1000 Words... RELATED: UPDATED, OCT. 17, 2008: OBAMA CONNECTED TO SUNRISE EQUITIES, PART ONE The Failure of Sunrise Equities

Equality before the law! No religious interference!

It is absolutely amazing how many American Liberals and Democrats will instinctively spit out vicious anti-Christian venom when aske their opinion about Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney. These same knee-jerks also spew forth blanket endorsements of Islamists. While Liberals are scared as mice of the prospect of a child saying a (Christian or Jewish) prayer in school, they will advocate for Sharia law or special treatment for Islamists. Below is an example of this phenomenon, as reported in Worker's Liberty: Archbishop Rowan Williams has proposed that British courts should use Islamic sharia law for family matters among Muslim citizens. It is yet another example of the different religious sects tacitly collaborating to use each others' demands to boost the overall role of religion in society. FULL TEXT...

English Sunset

Goodbye, England. It was nice to know you. You're now an old man, whithered and weak, feeble of mind and body. Your once magnificent mind is now a pudding of schizophrenic self-loathing. You've become a danger to yourself, like a lunatic who does not understand that walking into the middle of heavy traffic is risky. Or like a Western nation that cannot grasp the dangers of jihad or sharia law, or of multiculturalism gone haywire. MUST READ: Sharia and English law: a weakened Europe abandons humanism "Debate has been raised by the proposal of Rowan Williams, the Anglican primate, to insert parts of sharia into British legislation. To integrate Muslims into Europe, the practice of hospitality is better. Europeans appear to be abandoning the same humanist ideals that attract many, Muslims and non-Muslims." RELATED: Britain Searching for Its Soul Islamization of Europe and The European Union England's crisis is ours, too

Germany: The Insanity Of Multiculturalism

Ain't multiculturalism great? You might think this case was tried in the notorious 9th District in the U.S. This story from Der Spiegel is chilling.

A judge in Germany has effectively ruled that a man can beat his wife, applying sharia law to a divorce case. The lunacy of relativism and multiculturalism continues to rear its ugly head in Europe. Don't laugh too hard: There are plenty of lunatic judges in the U.S. who would advocate this, too. The case seems simply too strange to be true. A 26-year-old mother of two wanted to free herself from what had become a miserable and abusive marriage. The police had even been called to their apartment to separate the two -- both of Moroccan origin -- after her husband got violent in May 2006. The husband was forced to move out, but the terror continued: Even after they separated, the spurned husband threatened to kill his wife.

The judge rejected the application for a speedy divorce by referring to a passage in the Koran that some have controversially interpreted to mean that a husband can beat his wife. It's a supposed right which is the subject of intense debate among Muslim scholars and clerics alike."The exercise of the right to castigate does not fulfill the hardship criteria as defined by Paragraph 1565 (of German federal law)," the daily Frankfurter Rundschau quoted the judge's letter as saying. It must be taken into account, the judge argued, that both man and wife have Moroccan backgrounds. "The husband can beat his wife" "The right to castigate means for me: the husband can beat his wife," Becker-Rojczyk said, interpreting the judge's verdict. FULL STORY at DER SPIEGEL... RELATED:

Germany Bows Down to Sharia...

Pages