By Abdulrazzaq Al-Hezami
JEDDAH, May 26 (KUNA) -- A number of ministers of Awqaf (endowment) and Islamic Affairs in Muslim world praised the Kuwait experience in the field of moderation, said a Kuwaiti official here Tuesday.
Kuwaiti Undersecretary of the Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ministry Dr. Aadil Al-Falah told KUNA, on the sidelines of the 8th conference of ministers of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in the Muslim world that kicked off here Saturday, that the Kuwaiti initiative of forming a higher moderation committee and establishing the International Moderation Centre was hailed by several ministers.
The ministers included Egyptian Awqaf Minister Dr. Mahmoud Zaqzouq, Brunei's Religious Affairs Minister Dr. Mohammad Zain bin Serudin, and Afghanistan's Acting Hajj and Islamic Affairs Minister Mohammad Sediq Chakari, he said.
Al-Falah pointed out that the ministers taking part in the conference approved a number of Kuwaiti papers, one of which discussed moderation, and that Sudanese Religious Affairs and Waqf Minister Azhari Al-Tigani called for implementing the successful Kuwaiti experience in all Islamic countries.
After the success of the Kuwaiti experience, several countries, like Algeria, Afghanistan, Guinea, Niger, Iraq, and Syria, established similar moderation centers, he noted.
The main pillars for moderation are dealing with extremism, responding to intellect with intellect, refuting the suspicions of terrorists, using scientific research and fields studies, and searching for the problem's causes, he stressed.
On the sidelines of the three-day conference, sponsored by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, Al-Falah and his accompanying delegation met with Saudi Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call, and Guidance Minister and head of the conference Salih Al-Shaykh and discussed with him cooperation between Kuwait and the kingdom regarding endowment and Islamic issues.
Al-Falah also met the Mufti (religious cleric) of Azerbaijan and several Islamic ministers and figures. (end) ay.ris KUNA 261354 May 09NNNN
Showing posts with label muslim women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label muslim women. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Damascus Declaration Expresses Islamic States' Aspirations and a Result of Successful Conference
Damascus,(SANA)- Assistant Secretary General of Civil Organizations in the Islamic World Mohammad Naeem Aqbeek said on Tuesday that Damascus Declaration, approved by the Foreign Ministers Council of the Organization of Islamic Conference in its 36th session, asserted that there is a qualitative leap in the Organization's work and expressed the Islamic states aspirations.
In a statement, Aqbeek pointed out that Damascus Declaration was comprehensive and discussed all the causes that concern the Islamic states, particularly the Palestinian cause.
Aqbeek added that the Syrian policy has been adopting all Arab causes and don't give up any Arab right, asserting that the conference success was a sign of Syria's credibility.
He underlined that Damascus Declaration stressed that there was solidarity among all the Islamic states and peoples, considering the cause of Jerusalem as their main cause and that it is exposed to the process of judaization and settlement.
Aqbeek added that we need a practical plan to support Jerusalem's people, clarifying that Israel pays no heed to international law and tries to impose the status quo policy.
In a statement, Aqbeek pointed out that Damascus Declaration was comprehensive and discussed all the causes that concern the Islamic states, particularly the Palestinian cause.
Aqbeek added that the Syrian policy has been adopting all Arab causes and don't give up any Arab right, asserting that the conference success was a sign of Syria's credibility.
He underlined that Damascus Declaration stressed that there was solidarity among all the Islamic states and peoples, considering the cause of Jerusalem as their main cause and that it is exposed to the process of judaization and settlement.
Aqbeek added that we need a practical plan to support Jerusalem's people, clarifying that Israel pays no heed to international law and tries to impose the status quo policy.
Monday, May 25, 2009
President may visit Russia in June: Qashqavi
Tehran, May 25, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi announced on Monday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is probably to visit Russia in June.
He added that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has invited his Iranian counterpart to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 15-16.
Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the SCO member states while Iran, India and Mongolia are the observer countries.
On the recent remarks made by Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on settlement of the existing dispute between Iran and the UAE on the three Persian Gulf islands through his organization, Qashqavi said the dispute is only on the island of Abu Musa and not the three islands.
“The issue can be settled by the two sides and there is no need for involvement of any other country or organization,” the spokesman reiterated.
Criticizing the continued siege of the Gaza Strip by the Zionist regime, he regretted the inaction of regional states towards the issue.
Gaza is a prison with 1.5 million inmates established through West’s support for the Zionist regime, he said, expressing concern over the critical condition of the oppressed people in the city.
Underlining the need for efforts by human rights organizations to help resolve the issue, Qashqavi stressed that cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Muslim countries would help lift the siege on the city.
He added that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has invited his Iranian counterpart to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 15-16.
Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the SCO member states while Iran, India and Mongolia are the observer countries.
On the recent remarks made by Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on settlement of the existing dispute between Iran and the UAE on the three Persian Gulf islands through his organization, Qashqavi said the dispute is only on the island of Abu Musa and not the three islands.
“The issue can be settled by the two sides and there is no need for involvement of any other country or organization,” the spokesman reiterated.
Criticizing the continued siege of the Gaza Strip by the Zionist regime, he regretted the inaction of regional states towards the issue.
Gaza is a prison with 1.5 million inmates established through West’s support for the Zionist regime, he said, expressing concern over the critical condition of the oppressed people in the city.
Underlining the need for efforts by human rights organizations to help resolve the issue, Qashqavi stressed that cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Muslim countries would help lift the siege on the city.
BBC...Middlie east - 20/09/08
rchbishop Desmond Tutu has delivered a scathing report to the UN Human Rights Commission on Israel's shelling of Beit Hanoun in Gaza in 2006.
The report, leaked on Monday, says the shelling may have been a war crime.
It criticises an Israeli inquiry that concluded that the shelling was due to a flawed artillery system.
The Archbishop also criticised the international community for "failing to fulfil its role in respect of the suffering of the people of Gaza".
"It is the silence of the international community in the face of what is happening there which most offends. This silence begets complicity," he said.
The right to life has been violated not just through the killings, but also through the lack of an adequate investigation of the killings
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
He expanded on this in comments to journalists.
"I think the West, quite rightly, is feeling contrite, penitent for its awful connivance with the Holocaust," Archbishop Tutu said.
"The West is penitent, the penance is being paid by the Palestinians."
Nineteen Palestinian civilians were killed in the shelling.
The Israeli military was at the time trying to prevent rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
'Report inappropriate'
Archbishop Tutu's report said that the "Israeli response of a largely secret internal military investigation is absolutely unacceptable from both legal and moral points of view".
The mission appears to have legitimised the iron fisted control of the Hamas terrorist organisation holds over the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip
Aharon Leshno-Yaar
Israeli ambassador
"In the absence of a well-founded explanation from the Israeli military - who is in sole possession of the relevant facts - the mission must conclude that there is a possibility that the shelling of Beit Hanoun constituted a war crime," his report said.
The Israeli delegate at the Human Rights Council, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, rejected the conclusions of the inquiry.
"The mission appears to have legitimised the iron-fisted control of the Hamas terrorist organisation over the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. It is not clear to me whether such action is appropriate by a representative from the Quartet," he said.
International justice
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Abu-Koash, said: "The Israeli shelling of civilians in Beit Hanoun, while asleep in their homes, and targeting those fleeing, is a war crime, and it's perpetrators must be brought before international justice."
Archbishop Tutu appealed to the UN Human Rights Council to show the same concern for protecting Israelis from Palestinian attacks as it does for Palestinian suffering under Israeli occupation.
The council has been widely criticised for its frequent and heavy criticism of Israel while appearing to soft-pedal on human rights violations elsewhere in the world.
He said Hamas also had an obligation under international law to stop the firing of rockets into Israel.
The report, leaked on Monday, says the shelling may have been a war crime.
It criticises an Israeli inquiry that concluded that the shelling was due to a flawed artillery system.
The Archbishop also criticised the international community for "failing to fulfil its role in respect of the suffering of the people of Gaza".
"It is the silence of the international community in the face of what is happening there which most offends. This silence begets complicity," he said.
The right to life has been violated not just through the killings, but also through the lack of an adequate investigation of the killings
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
He expanded on this in comments to journalists.
"I think the West, quite rightly, is feeling contrite, penitent for its awful connivance with the Holocaust," Archbishop Tutu said.
"The West is penitent, the penance is being paid by the Palestinians."
Nineteen Palestinian civilians were killed in the shelling.
The Israeli military was at the time trying to prevent rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
'Report inappropriate'
Archbishop Tutu's report said that the "Israeli response of a largely secret internal military investigation is absolutely unacceptable from both legal and moral points of view".
The mission appears to have legitimised the iron fisted control of the Hamas terrorist organisation holds over the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip
Aharon Leshno-Yaar
Israeli ambassador
"In the absence of a well-founded explanation from the Israeli military - who is in sole possession of the relevant facts - the mission must conclude that there is a possibility that the shelling of Beit Hanoun constituted a war crime," his report said.
The Israeli delegate at the Human Rights Council, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, rejected the conclusions of the inquiry.
"The mission appears to have legitimised the iron-fisted control of the Hamas terrorist organisation over the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. It is not clear to me whether such action is appropriate by a representative from the Quartet," he said.
International justice
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Abu-Koash, said: "The Israeli shelling of civilians in Beit Hanoun, while asleep in their homes, and targeting those fleeing, is a war crime, and it's perpetrators must be brought before international justice."
Archbishop Tutu appealed to the UN Human Rights Council to show the same concern for protecting Israelis from Palestinian attacks as it does for Palestinian suffering under Israeli occupation.
The council has been widely criticised for its frequent and heavy criticism of Israel while appearing to soft-pedal on human rights violations elsewhere in the world.
He said Hamas also had an obligation under international law to stop the firing of rockets into Israel.
Friday, May 22, 2009
European Muslim women: against all odds
Growing majority of women in Europe - socially, economically, ethnically diverse - are countering discrimination.
In April, US President Barack Obama appointed a Muslim woman who wears the hijab (headscarf) to his White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The move has become a hot topic in Europe, where it has generated both questions and hope over whether European Muslim women could experience greater political participation.
Of the 20 million Muslims in Europe, 12 million are women. These Muslim women are socially, economically, ethnically and politically diverse, yet all are prone to growing multi-layered discrimination which portrays them as ethnic minorities, disenfranchised women, or even “potentially radical” threats. Muslim women in Europe are often stereotyped as victims of forced marriage, domestic violence and honour killings.
Reference by:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
However, a growing majority of these women – especially those raised in Europe – are now talking about freedom and faith, equal rights and diversity, and countering discrimination that arises from within both Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
For example, women have now begun asking for equal space in mosques and access to the same religious training that men receive. In fact, the majority of students at the Institutes of Islamic Studies – which emerged in major cities throughout Europe in the last decade – are now women who are seeking knowledge of their religious rights in order to defend their status in their own Muslim communities.
As a result, Muslim women are beginning to find solutions to the issues affecting them inside the community. Last year, a group of young Muslim associations launched the “Joining Hands Against Forced Marriages” programme in cities throughout Europe, including Brussels, Paris, Madrid, London, Berlin, Bologna and Rotterdam. Seeking to create dialogue on the issue, these groups brought together imams, parents, children and municipal officials to explain to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities alike that Islam forbids practices like this.
At the same time, Muslim women also suffer discrimination resulting from societal misunderstanding outside their communities – in schools, social and healthcare centres, political parties and housing agencies. For example, institutional discourses defining the headscarf as a sign of oppression against women have resulted in women being criticised for wearing it in the public spaces because they are seen as acquiescing to male oppression.
If discrimination has led some women to withdraw from society, the majority are trying to establish a place for themselves by investing in new channels: media and the private sector. Magazines like the British Emel or the French MWM are offering an alternative vision of Muslim women by targeting a readership that goes beyond Muslim communities. Creating their own Islamic fashion or bio-cosmetics companies is also a way European Muslim women are escaping job market discrimination.
In Denmark, Muslim women are overcoming hurdles with the help of the government and the larger public. Following the 2005 cartoons controversy, Danish society has witnessed the rise of female Muslim politicians, a television newscaster and even a national soccer player – surprisingly, all of whom wear the hijab. It is through positive models of identification like these that Muslim women today are building self-confidence.
Discrimination experienced by European Muslim women should be tackled using a multi-dimensional approach which includes building knowledge of their rights, increasing involvement in media and public institutions, and developing partnerships between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between men and women.
The way Muslim women are taking advantage of their European environment to stand up for their rights reveals that feminist, religious and ethnic identities are changing. With their demands for equal rights and equal access to the public sphere, they are confronting European policymakers with the need to adapt their strategies in an atmosphere that is rapidly expanding in terms of its diversity.
Policymakers need to shift they way they see these women – from immigrants with anti-European values who need to be “integrated”, to the active residents and citizens that they already are: women who want to feel secure, work, get an education and be visible. Discrimination against Muslim women – whether it emerges in the Muslim communities in which they are raised, or the larger public – should become an issue of common interest in the development of a more cohesive Europe.
In April, US President Barack Obama appointed a Muslim woman who wears the hijab (headscarf) to his White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The move has become a hot topic in Europe, where it has generated both questions and hope over whether European Muslim women could experience greater political participation.
Of the 20 million Muslims in Europe, 12 million are women. These Muslim women are socially, economically, ethnically and politically diverse, yet all are prone to growing multi-layered discrimination which portrays them as ethnic minorities, disenfranchised women, or even “potentially radical” threats. Muslim women in Europe are often stereotyped as victims of forced marriage, domestic violence and honour killings.
Reference by:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
However, a growing majority of these women – especially those raised in Europe – are now talking about freedom and faith, equal rights and diversity, and countering discrimination that arises from within both Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
For example, women have now begun asking for equal space in mosques and access to the same religious training that men receive. In fact, the majority of students at the Institutes of Islamic Studies – which emerged in major cities throughout Europe in the last decade – are now women who are seeking knowledge of their religious rights in order to defend their status in their own Muslim communities.
As a result, Muslim women are beginning to find solutions to the issues affecting them inside the community. Last year, a group of young Muslim associations launched the “Joining Hands Against Forced Marriages” programme in cities throughout Europe, including Brussels, Paris, Madrid, London, Berlin, Bologna and Rotterdam. Seeking to create dialogue on the issue, these groups brought together imams, parents, children and municipal officials to explain to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities alike that Islam forbids practices like this.
At the same time, Muslim women also suffer discrimination resulting from societal misunderstanding outside their communities – in schools, social and healthcare centres, political parties and housing agencies. For example, institutional discourses defining the headscarf as a sign of oppression against women have resulted in women being criticised for wearing it in the public spaces because they are seen as acquiescing to male oppression.
If discrimination has led some women to withdraw from society, the majority are trying to establish a place for themselves by investing in new channels: media and the private sector. Magazines like the British Emel or the French MWM are offering an alternative vision of Muslim women by targeting a readership that goes beyond Muslim communities. Creating their own Islamic fashion or bio-cosmetics companies is also a way European Muslim women are escaping job market discrimination.
In Denmark, Muslim women are overcoming hurdles with the help of the government and the larger public. Following the 2005 cartoons controversy, Danish society has witnessed the rise of female Muslim politicians, a television newscaster and even a national soccer player – surprisingly, all of whom wear the hijab. It is through positive models of identification like these that Muslim women today are building self-confidence.
Discrimination experienced by European Muslim women should be tackled using a multi-dimensional approach which includes building knowledge of their rights, increasing involvement in media and public institutions, and developing partnerships between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between men and women.
The way Muslim women are taking advantage of their European environment to stand up for their rights reveals that feminist, religious and ethnic identities are changing. With their demands for equal rights and equal access to the public sphere, they are confronting European policymakers with the need to adapt their strategies in an atmosphere that is rapidly expanding in terms of its diversity.
Policymakers need to shift they way they see these women – from immigrants with anti-European values who need to be “integrated”, to the active residents and citizens that they already are: women who want to feel secure, work, get an education and be visible. Discrimination against Muslim women – whether it emerges in the Muslim communities in which they are raised, or the larger public – should become an issue of common interest in the development of a more cohesive Europe.
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