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"Smile though you're heart is aching, although ours are, we need to look up where he is undoubtedly perched on a crescent moon smiling so know that we need to smile too."

variousposterscompiled

 

Actually, the crescent and star was the symbol of the Ottoman Empire, which happened to be Moslem. It was used because it was a relatively "universal" symbol of authority in the East, since it was the originally the symbol of the Sassanian Empire of Persia. I do not believe that early Islam used any sort of symbol, such a thing would have been considered antithetical since Mohammed was very much against images of any kind.

The cescent moon has been used thru-out the centuries by many groups. It was the symbol of the moon god: Nana who was supposed to be the offspring of another moongod Sin (which Sinai is derived from) Nana used the crescent moon while Sin used a full moon.
Others claim the crescent moon used by muslims today was actually a jewish symbol of the jews living in Arabia at the time of Muhammed. There have been jewish archeological finds which depicts a crescent moon in a 45 degree angle. Here is an article on this:
http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/crescent.html

The crescent moon including the depiction of a star was quite common among roman coins as well. Here is one example of a coin with Hadrian and the crescent moon on the reverse:
http://tjbuggey.ancients.info/images/hadstar.jpg

The Islamic symbol of a crescent moon and star originated from the Ottomon Turks who simply held onto a flag used by Constantinople. The Byzantine flag had a crescent moon for some battle they had with the goths in whuch they were successful. It took place on the new moon. Later a star was added as some symbolism refering to the Virgin Mary. I dont know how accurate the wiki is but it speaks of this (scroll down to 'emblem'):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium

I think it was the other way round:

The Sumerian moon god Nannar had two children Utu(sun) and Inanna(Venus).
When the Babylonians took over they became Sin, Shamash and Ishtar.

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MANAMA — World’s top pop singer Michael Jackson, who recently settled down in Manama has donated a huge amount of money, the figure was not disclosed, for building a state-of-the-art mosque near his luxury palace in the Bahraini capital, according to his spokesman. The proposed mosque would be designated for learning the principles and teachings of Islam, as well as teaching of English language, for which high-standard teachers would be brought from United States under his personal supervision, the spokesman said.

Jackson did so as a token of appreciation to the Bahraini people, who welcomed him and treated him as if he was one of the citizens of their country.

Michael Jackson has moved to reside in Manama after the long-judicial battle, which ended up with being acquitted of the charges of child molestation.

The court hearings were followed up by news agencies for many months, and the number of reporters who attended and covered them was estimated at more than 2000 from all countries in the world.

It is noteworthy that Germain Jackson, the brother of Michael had embraced Islam at the beginning of 1990s, and he was one of former Jackson Five band and the solo singer

Germain had felt his brother Michael has great interest and study of Islamic books, the tolerance of Islam and his dealing with Arab and Muslim personalities since long years. The most prominent among those figures is Prince Al Waleed bin Talal and the Bahraini royal family.

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Michael Jackson Attends Dubai Desert Rally Awards
Reports also state Michael Jackson has bought property in Bahrain
Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Michael Jackson attended an awards show signalling the end of the Dubai Desert Rally yesterday to present the winners with their awards.

He was not noticed at first, according to a local newspaper say newKerala.com, as he ate from the buffet at the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi with his friend Mohammad Ben Sulayem (who is also a famous rally driver from the U.A.E.) and managing director of the Dubai International Marine Club, Saeed Hareb.

Michael presented awards to Stephen Peterhansel and Cyril Despries, who won the car and bike categories of the rally respectively.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that claim Michael has invested $1.5 million on a home in Bahrain's man-made Amwaj Islands.

The quarter-acre site, which holds two villas and a plot of land, is rumoured to be his new home according to contactmusic.com. However, an officer for the ministry of information claims it will be difficult for Michael to get citizenship.

"Citizenship is not easy to get here in Bahrain, even for Michael Jackson," said Rashid Bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa. "He is not a visitor (and may stay indefinitely) as long as he owns property here."

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Michael Jackson Statement on Drug Overdose Rumors
10 December 2005

Earlier this week the National Enquirer reported that Michael Jackson had suffered several drug overdoses and that his condition was now 'critical'. That story is entirely false.

It is not unusual for tabloid papers like the National Enquirer to publish such fiction - but in recent weeks many stories have come out of Santa Barbara, seemingly linked to the DA's office there, alleging one thing or another about the King of Pop.

Today, Michael's publicist, Raymone Bain, has issued a statement on his behalf:

Michael Jackson has been working with several artists recording his Katrina Relief song, and with me all week, including today. He is doing fine. I have never seen him happier or healthier.

Whomever these individuals are who are intent on disseminating false information throughout the media regarding Mr. Jackson, should begin hiring good attorneys. Likewise, the few irresponsible journalists who continuously rely on these ‘sources,’ and report this false information.

Mr. Jackson’s tolerance level has come to an end. The Green light that people have thought they have had to willfully impugn Michael Jackson’s character and integrity has now become Red.

It is interesting to note that these odd rumours and stories - apparently connected to the same office which tried unsuccessfully to prosecute Michael earlier this year - have coincided with news of a major new Michael Jackson release.

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Recording Artists Join Michael Jackson for Charity Single

Jackson spokesperson announces Katrina aid participants

13 September 2005

Raymone Bain, spokesperson for Michael Jackson, has released the following statement regarding artists that have agreed to participate in the charity single Michael has penned titled From The Bottom Of My Heart, with proceeds helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina. "Michael Jackson is pleased to announce that Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, R. Kelly, Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, Lauren Hill, Mary J. Blidge, Yolanda Adams, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, James Brown, Snoop Dogg , the O’Jays, and Ciara, are among the artists joining in his hurricane relief song, where all proceeds will be donated to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"As previously announced, the working title of the song is, From the Bottom of My Heart, which will be released on 2 Seas Records, owned by Prince Abdullah Hamad Alkhalifa of Bahrain.

"This project is in response to the widespread devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, and because of the human suffering taking place in the Gulf Region of his country.

"Mr. Jackson is continuing to reach out to artists who would like to work with him in this project, which he humbly hopes will make a tremendous difference to all individuals who have been affected by this tragedy."

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He may be homeless, wandering, carting around three school-aged kids, but Michael Jackson has a new friend: former imprisoned crack addict and Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry. And that's good in a way, because he is being sued by an old friend, Prince Abdullah of Bahrain.

Jackson, according to my sources, has been spending time with Barry, thanks to their mutual friend and publicist, Miss Raymone Bain. It turns out that before she represented Jackson, Bain was Barry's PR lady. She has been with him the whole time, since the day he went to jail for possession of crack cocaine in 1991.

Now, I'm told Bain has put her two most famous clients together. Imagine the possibilities.

Barry, twice elected mayor in Washington, most recently pled not guilty to driving under the influence and without registration in November 2006. He was acquitted this past June on the drunk driving. His various other "priors" included assorted drug and tax-evasion charges over the years.

On the face of it, Barry fits in nicely as Jacko's new B.F.F. Former friends include: Leonard Muhammad, of the Nation of Islam; Michael Flatley, who was falsely accused of rape; Prince Jefri of Brunei; Uri Geller; and accused charity absconder Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

Maybe the four-times-married Barry (wife No. 4 was Bain's good friend Cora Masters) can give Michael some advice. After all, he's being sued by his old pal, Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Prince Abdullah graciously took Jackson and his family in after the 2005 child-molestation trial. He housed him, fed him, chauffeured him and even imported Jacko's friends to Bahrain for a special Christmas in 2005.

All the prince wanted in return was to make a CD and start a record company with Michael. Jackson agreed, as usual signed agreements he had no intention of keeping and then did no work. You may recall Two Seas Records, the joint venture that Jackson agreed to, for example.

Now the prince is demanding in his lawsuit that Michael go to work for him as agreed. Abdullah expects Jackson to make his record and put it out so the prince can begin to recoup the millions he invested in Michael during their friendship. Fat chance.

Jackson hasn't worked at anything in years — no performing, no recording. Occasionally, he announces that he is making some kind of record, but so far there's no evidence of this.

That Jackson is now being sued — in London, no less — by his former benefactor is a bad sign for the singer. He has depended on the kindness of Arab billionaires for some time now, but between this and what seems to be his current nomad status, he may have exhausted his credit in the last place where it still existed.

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Piloted by BAE Systems Test Pilot Nat Makepeace and Lt Col Omar Ebrahim Mohamed Al Mahmood, Instructor Pilot of the RBAF, the aircraft flew into Farnborough with the world famous Red Arrows aerobatic team before being handed over to His Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain, and Commander in Chief of the Bahraini Defence Force Colonel Hamad bin Abdullah Hamad Al Khalifa, the Commander of the RBAF was also in attendance.

BAE Systems is supplying six Hawk advanced jet trainers along with a package of equipment, support and training as part of an integrated flying training system which will enable the RBAF to improve the number and quality of its frontline pilots by developing an indigenous aviation training capability.

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Michael Jackson's grieving sister La Toya said in an extensive interview that there were four fresh needle marks on the King of Pop's neck when he died - and that she believes her brother was murdered.

"Less than a month ago, I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded by people who didn't have his best interests at heart," La Toya Jackson, 53, told the Daily Mail.

"I believe Michael was murdered," she said. "I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people."

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In 1980, Jackson ventured into modeling. She stated that it was her own decision to pose nude for Playboy.[11] However, according to several later interviews Jackson maintains that the 'playboy' incident was not her idea and what she did (and the things she stated in her book) was under the control and threat of violence from her then husband, Jack Gordon. She explains further that her apparent willingness to pose nude was part of her then-husband's plan to sexually exploit her for millions of dollars. She said she complied out of fear and this was not something she would have done otherwise.[12][13]

In March 1989, her first cover and layout was one of the most successful issues in Playboy's history. At its time of release, it sold over 8 million copies, going on to become the best selling issue of the magazine ever. She posed again in Playboy in 1991 to promote her autobiography and subsequently in a 1994 video for the magazine, becoming one of the first celebrities to have a Playboy video aired. It was later revealed that Jackson initially refused to pose for the second spread and for the video, however, Gordon beat her into submission.[14]

After marrying Gordon in September 1989, Jackson distanced herself from certain members of her family, although she claims to have spoken with several of her siblings during this period. Her 1991 autobiography La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family was probably the main reason for this estrangement, as it made scathing criticisms of several family members, including the allegation that her father abused members of the family, notably herself and sister Rebbie.[15] Rebbie Jackson denied these claims, while other members of the family hypothesised that part of the book had, in fact, been written by Gordon.

In 1993, Jackson, at a press conference overseas, declared that she believed rumors that her brother Michael had sexually abused children. She later stated in an interview that her accusations at this time were delivered under threat of violence from her then husband. She has claimed that these accusations would not have been made by her had she not been under threat.[16] Furthermore, the initial accusations of child molestation surfaced that year, prompting members of the family to refute the charges, claiming that Jackson was "controlled and used" by Gordon — Jackson's father wrote about Gordon's control in his book The Jacksons. Two years later, she made headlines again for announcing the so-called "Jackson Family Secret Phone Number Line". In 1996, however, Jackson walked out on Gordon after he attempted to force her to dance at a strip club in Cleveland, Ohio. The former Jehovah's Witness (she left the faith in 1987) refused to do so and in return, was booed and heckled by the predominantly male crowd.[17]

In 1997, she ended her estrangement with the entire Jackson family and returned home to Hayvenhurst. That year, she divorced Gordon. Jackson has no children and currently resides in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

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Jack Gordon had few other entertainment clients apart from La Toya Jackson. He had brief work before he met Joseph Jackson and for a short time he managed Penthouse playmate Paula Jones and porn star John Wayne Bobbitt. Jack Gordon also managed Gloria Gaynor, Shannen Doherty, and even Sharon Stone. [2]

Before Gordon became La Toya's co-manager with her father in the late 1980s (and eventually manager) it was widely known he had a dodgy past with trouble with the law. Joseph Jackson was always fearful of Gordon as he believed Gordon was probably armed. [3]

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Paula Corbin Jones (born Paula Rosalee Corbin on September 17, 1966, in Lonoke, Arkansas) is a former Arkansas state employee who sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment. Eventually, the court dismissed the lawsuit, before trial, on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate any damages. However, while the dismissal was on appeal, Clinton entered into an out-of-court settlement by agreeing to pay Jones $850,000.

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Ola Ray (b. August 26, 1960) is an American model and actress best known for co-starring alongside Michael Jackson in his short film for "Thriller" in 1983.

Ray was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She spent part of her childhood in Japan, where her stepfather was serving with the U.S. Air Force. She modelled for Playboy and was the Playmate of the Month for the June 1980 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley.