LOS ANGELES — Renowned British Muslim singer Yusuf Islam sees his music and songs can be a bridge between the Muslims world and the West. "I think I've been given a position and place in this world which is quite unique," Islam told CNN on Monday, May 18.
"The fact that I'm a Westerner by birth and I'm a Muslim at the same time -- and living in this time where there seems to be such a gravitational split in polarities -- there need to be bridges.
"I think music is one of the best ways to bridge all those gaps."
Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, performed his first concert in Los Angeles last week, his first in the United States in 33 years.
Playing new and old songs for over an hour, the 60-year-old musician has delighted a star-studded audience.
"You don't understand," teary-eyed US singer and songwriter Michelle Branch said.
"I learned how to play guitar with the Cat Stevens songbook!"
Yusuf Islam reverted to Islam in 1977 and has since become a leading voice in Britain's two million Muslims.
His UN-registered charity, Small Kindness, provides humanitarian relief, through direct aid as well as social and educational programs, to orphans and families in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and other regions of the world.
In 2003, Islam was awarded the "World Social Award" for his humanitarian relief work.
In November 2004, he was honored with the "Man for Peace" award by a committee of Nobel peace laureates.
Prejudiced
Islam lamented that the Islamic faith is tarnished in Western media.
"I used to be prejudiced -- as prejudiced as anyone about Islam," he said.
The prominent singer recalled the moment when he decided to revert to Islam at the height of his fame.
" I was given the opportunity of reading the actual source, the Quran itself, without anybody forcing me or looking over my shoulder and saying, "What do you think?" It was just me in my space.
"The more I read the Quran, the more I realized that it was like an incredible matrix of connection with Christianity and Judaism," he said.
"I mean Jesus, Moses, the religion of Abraham in this book! And I said, "Wow, how come I didn't know this before?" It was kind of like a secret.
"So that was kind of my discovery, and a lot of people, I don't think, have gone through that process because they've seen Islam as a headline -- and you never learn anything about a headline. Because headlines, you know -- people make things up, to be honest."
Under the former Bush administration, Islam was denied access to the US and his name was put on a no-fly list.
"I felt chosen! I felt suddenly, I was given a halo. "This guy stands for peace, and they won't let him in.
"It was really kind of a joke, in a way, because the person I am and the kind of things they were kind of insinuating by putting me on this list with other people who were very dangerous."
But the situation took a new turn under the US administration of Barack Obama.
"I'm here now (in the United States), so things are kind of working themselves out. But there's a new administration, a new president, and it's a great new day."
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles
Monday, May 18, 2009
Muslim scholars from the main two schools of thoughts in Pakistan stand divided on the ongoing military offensive in the restive Swat valley
"Military operations are not the solution of any problem," Hafiz Hussein Ahmed, deputy secretary-general of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), which belongs to the Deobandi school of thought, told IslamOnlin.
Jets and helicopters bombarded on Monday, May 18, targets in Swat, once a popular tourist destination, as the deadly offensive against Taliban entered its fourth week.
The military says its troops are closing in on Mingora, the capital of Swat and a Taliban stronghold.
Authorities say more than 1,000 militants and at least 46 soldiers have been killed in the onslaught launched in late April against Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts.
IslamOnline in Swat (Special Folder) The military says up to 15,000 troops were taking on about 4,000 well-armed fighters. For scholars from the Deobandi school, who mainly follow Abu Hanifa Madhab, both Taliban and the government are responsible for the ongoing bloodshed.
"You resolve the issues through talks, rather than a military operation or a war," insists Ahmed.
"The prime minister is saying that military action is not the solution of the problem, and there must be some political arrangements," he said, referring to Yousaf Raza Gilani’s recent briefing on the operation in the parliament.
"We are saying the same thing."
The UN refugee agency said more than 1.1 million people have fled the fighting and registered with authorities since May 2.
They join another 500,000 people who fled fighting between government forces and Taliban last year.
Right
Ahmed, the JUI deputy chief, believes the Swat offensive is a direct outcome of President Asif Zardari’s recent visit to Washington. "This all was pre-planned and had to occur in any case because it suits America to bring Pakistanis against each other," he argues.
"The US aid always needs blood in return. And that blood is being shed in Swat."
The government ordered the offensive under mounting US pressure after Taliban took up positions in Buner, just 100 kilometers from Islamabad, in what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described as "an existential threat" to Pakistan.
But scholars from the Brelvi school of thought, who mainly follow Hanafi Madhab, believe that the government is doing the right thing by taking on the militants.
"The army… is acting against those who have been masquerading themselves as exponents of Jihad and Islam," Sahibzada Haji Fazal Karim, head of the Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP), which is affiliated with the Barelvi school, told IOL.
"They are enemies of state, and it is obligatory on the state to act against them with full force."
Several religious groups belonging to Brelvi have formed the Save Pakistan alliance to launch a countrywide campaign against Taliban.
"We do not accept any interpretation of Shari`ah under which the killing of civilians is allowed," insisted Karim.
Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, chairman of the Moon Sighting Committee and a prominent Barelvi scholar, agrees.
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles
Jets and helicopters bombarded on Monday, May 18, targets in Swat, once a popular tourist destination, as the deadly offensive against Taliban entered its fourth week.
The military says its troops are closing in on Mingora, the capital of Swat and a Taliban stronghold.
Authorities say more than 1,000 militants and at least 46 soldiers have been killed in the onslaught launched in late April against Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts.
IslamOnline in Swat (Special Folder) The military says up to 15,000 troops were taking on about 4,000 well-armed fighters. For scholars from the Deobandi school, who mainly follow Abu Hanifa Madhab, both Taliban and the government are responsible for the ongoing bloodshed.
"You resolve the issues through talks, rather than a military operation or a war," insists Ahmed.
"The prime minister is saying that military action is not the solution of the problem, and there must be some political arrangements," he said, referring to Yousaf Raza Gilani’s recent briefing on the operation in the parliament.
"We are saying the same thing."
The UN refugee agency said more than 1.1 million people have fled the fighting and registered with authorities since May 2.
They join another 500,000 people who fled fighting between government forces and Taliban last year.
Right
Ahmed, the JUI deputy chief, believes the Swat offensive is a direct outcome of President Asif Zardari’s recent visit to Washington. "This all was pre-planned and had to occur in any case because it suits America to bring Pakistanis against each other," he argues.
"The US aid always needs blood in return. And that blood is being shed in Swat."
The government ordered the offensive under mounting US pressure after Taliban took up positions in Buner, just 100 kilometers from Islamabad, in what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described as "an existential threat" to Pakistan.
But scholars from the Brelvi school of thought, who mainly follow Hanafi Madhab, believe that the government is doing the right thing by taking on the militants.
"The army… is acting against those who have been masquerading themselves as exponents of Jihad and Islam," Sahibzada Haji Fazal Karim, head of the Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP), which is affiliated with the Barelvi school, told IOL.
"They are enemies of state, and it is obligatory on the state to act against them with full force."
Several religious groups belonging to Brelvi have formed the Save Pakistan alliance to launch a countrywide campaign against Taliban.
"We do not accept any interpretation of Shari`ah under which the killing of civilians is allowed," insisted Karim.
Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, chairman of the Moon Sighting Committee and a prominent Barelvi scholar, agrees.
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles
Friday, May 15, 2009
Protests in Kashmir over atrocities against Sikhs in Pakistan
Poonch (J-K), May 15 : Hundreds of Sikh, Hindu and Muslim devotees took out a protest march in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district against the excesses of the Taliban in Pakistan and urged the international community to take note of it.
Holding placards and raising slogans against Taliban, the protesters hit the streets and blocked traffic near Gurdwara Singh Sabha.
"A protest was taken out by the members and leaders of all religious communities here against the barbaric acts of Taliban in Swat valley. All have condemned the atrocities, " said Narendra Singh, President, Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.
The protestors said the Indian government along with the international community should view the situation as a serious infringement on human rights by the Taliban.
Thousands of people, including many from the minority Sikh community, have fled Pakistan's Swat Valley, as government troops battle Taliban fighters after a February peace pact to end violence in the valley collapsed.
Indian Sikhs say the government in Pakistan was doing little to protect the lives of Sikhs.
Reportedly, the Taliban outfits demolished at least 11 houses belonging to the Sikh community in the Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan after they refused to pay 'Jazia'.
'Jazia' was a tax imposed on non-Muslims for their protection that prevailed during the Mughal era.
Reference by:http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/501690/cs/1/
Holding placards and raising slogans against Taliban, the protesters hit the streets and blocked traffic near Gurdwara Singh Sabha.
"A protest was taken out by the members and leaders of all religious communities here against the barbaric acts of Taliban in Swat valley. All have condemned the atrocities, " said Narendra Singh, President, Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.
The protestors said the Indian government along with the international community should view the situation as a serious infringement on human rights by the Taliban.
Thousands of people, including many from the minority Sikh community, have fled Pakistan's Swat Valley, as government troops battle Taliban fighters after a February peace pact to end violence in the valley collapsed.
Indian Sikhs say the government in Pakistan was doing little to protect the lives of Sikhs.
Reportedly, the Taliban outfits demolished at least 11 houses belonging to the Sikh community in the Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan after they refused to pay 'Jazia'.
'Jazia' was a tax imposed on non-Muslims for their protection that prevailed during the Mughal era.
Reference by:http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/501690/cs/1/
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
NC: Duke Opens Center for Muslim Community
More than 100 faculty, staff, students and members of the Muslim community from Duke and the Triangle gathered Thursday for the official opening of a Muslim Life center at Duke.
For Duke's Muslim Chaplain Abdullah Antepli, the gray clapboard house at 406 Swift Ave. represents "one of the most happy, joyous moments of my life ... a dream come true."
Duke University law student Mazen Alhroob led the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan. Then, following a brief reading from the Koran, several Duke officials spoke to the crowd about the significance of the occasion.
Both President Richard Brodhead and Duke Chapel Dean Sam Wells said a strong Muslim community on campus was essential for bringing out the best of Duke.
"We are ambitious and we want to be the best we can be," Wells said. "We can't be the best without each other."
Fatemah Ahmad, a senior at Duke and co-president of the Muslim Students Association, expressed gratitude at the university's commitment to and support for the campus Muslim community. She and Antepli emphasized the center is open and welcoming to everyone.
"The easiest way to show you what we mean to do with this space is for you to come in and participate -- hang out, drink tea, read books, or study," she said. "The light is always on and a pot of tea is always brewing."
Rference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles/
For Duke's Muslim Chaplain Abdullah Antepli, the gray clapboard house at 406 Swift Ave. represents "one of the most happy, joyous moments of my life ... a dream come true."
Duke University law student Mazen Alhroob led the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan. Then, following a brief reading from the Koran, several Duke officials spoke to the crowd about the significance of the occasion.
Both President Richard Brodhead and Duke Chapel Dean Sam Wells said a strong Muslim community on campus was essential for bringing out the best of Duke.
"We are ambitious and we want to be the best we can be," Wells said. "We can't be the best without each other."
Fatemah Ahmad, a senior at Duke and co-president of the Muslim Students Association, expressed gratitude at the university's commitment to and support for the campus Muslim community. She and Antepli emphasized the center is open and welcoming to everyone.
"The easiest way to show you what we mean to do with this space is for you to come in and participate -- hang out, drink tea, read books, or study," she said. "The light is always on and a pot of tea is always brewing."
Rference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles/
Pakistan Targets Taliban Swat Leadership
ISLAMABAD – With local Taliban fighters in troubled Swat putting up a tough fight, the Pakistani army is targeting their top leadership, especially their commander Maulana Maulvi Fazlullah, to break their nerve. "Our main focus is to neutralize the Taliban leadership, including Fazlullah, who have been commanding militant groups in different parts of Swat, Boner and Dir districts," a senior army official involved in the ongoing military operations told IslamOnline on Tuesday, May 12, requesting anonymity.
Commandos from the army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) were airlifted to Peochar, the stronghold of Fazlullah and his Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat (TTS) some 60 kilometers from Mingora, the capital of Swat.
"We have concrete information that he is commanding the militants from Peochar," said the army official.
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles/
IslamOnline in Swat (Special Folder)
"Commandos have been airlifted to Peochar via army helicopters and are trying to flush him out." Maulana Fazlullah, locally known as Maulana Radio because of his FM radio station, has been leading a two-year uprising that has devastated the area.
His TTS is a break-away faction of the non-violent Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shari’ah Mohammadi (TNSM) led by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, his father-in-law.
Other key Taliban commanders targeted by the army commandos are Muslim Khan, Mufti Shahid, Maulana Khalil, Ibn-e-Ameen, Maulana Shah Dauran and Qari Jabbar.
"They will also be targeted in order to break the nerves of militants, who have been putting a tough resistance in respective areas," said the army official.
"The army leadership is sure that if six to eight main Taliban leaders are neutralized - either captured or killed - a majority of militants will either surrenders or run away."
The army has been conducting a punishing offensive against militants in Malakand division, a conglomerate of eight districts including Swat, Dir and Boner.
The military said last week that around 12,000-15,000 security forces were operating against 4,000 well-armed Taliban fighters.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik claims that around 700 militants have been killed so far.
Tough Task
The army official declines to give a timeframe for the end of the ongoing operations. "In these kinds of operations, no deadline can be given. It may last for weeks, or months, but we will try our level best to accomplish the task as soon as possible," he said.
"That is why we are trying to neutralize their leadership to bring the ongoing operation to an end as soon as possible.
But defense and security analysts believe that liquidating the local Taliban leadership is not a walk in the park.
"This will be a very difficult task," Major General rtd Jamshed Ayaz, a senior defense and security analyst, told IOL.
"These types of people do not sit at one place. They camouflage themselves among the masses and use them as human shield. It is very hard to differentiate them."
Ayaz, who was commissioned in the army in 1965 and served in various capacities till 2001, believes intelligence can make the task much easier.
"Therefore, I emphasize on intelligence, both human and technical. The most difficult step in this process will be their precise location," he explains.
"If the army, with the help of an active intelligence, succeeds to locate them, then the task will turn out to easier."
The expert agrees that finishing off the main Taliban leaders will be a turning point.
"This is a uniformed formula that if the leadership is eliminated, the nerves of the troops are broken. That is especially true in the case of such militias who do not act as a regular force."
He contends that with such militias, personalities are very important as they keep their followers attached and united thanks to their personal charisma.
"But once these personalities are de-motivated or eliminated, their followers’ nerves are shattered, and they do not stay united and firm.
"The elimination of leadership will be disastrous for them."
Commandos from the army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) were airlifted to Peochar, the stronghold of Fazlullah and his Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat (TTS) some 60 kilometers from Mingora, the capital of Swat.
"We have concrete information that he is commanding the militants from Peochar," said the army official.
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles/
IslamOnline in Swat (Special Folder)
"Commandos have been airlifted to Peochar via army helicopters and are trying to flush him out." Maulana Fazlullah, locally known as Maulana Radio because of his FM radio station, has been leading a two-year uprising that has devastated the area.
His TTS is a break-away faction of the non-violent Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shari’ah Mohammadi (TNSM) led by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, his father-in-law.
Other key Taliban commanders targeted by the army commandos are Muslim Khan, Mufti Shahid, Maulana Khalil, Ibn-e-Ameen, Maulana Shah Dauran and Qari Jabbar.
"They will also be targeted in order to break the nerves of militants, who have been putting a tough resistance in respective areas," said the army official.
"The army leadership is sure that if six to eight main Taliban leaders are neutralized - either captured or killed - a majority of militants will either surrenders or run away."
The army has been conducting a punishing offensive against militants in Malakand division, a conglomerate of eight districts including Swat, Dir and Boner.
The military said last week that around 12,000-15,000 security forces were operating against 4,000 well-armed Taliban fighters.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik claims that around 700 militants have been killed so far.
Tough Task
The army official declines to give a timeframe for the end of the ongoing operations. "In these kinds of operations, no deadline can be given. It may last for weeks, or months, but we will try our level best to accomplish the task as soon as possible," he said.
"That is why we are trying to neutralize their leadership to bring the ongoing operation to an end as soon as possible.
But defense and security analysts believe that liquidating the local Taliban leadership is not a walk in the park.
"This will be a very difficult task," Major General rtd Jamshed Ayaz, a senior defense and security analyst, told IOL.
"These types of people do not sit at one place. They camouflage themselves among the masses and use them as human shield. It is very hard to differentiate them."
Ayaz, who was commissioned in the army in 1965 and served in various capacities till 2001, believes intelligence can make the task much easier.
"Therefore, I emphasize on intelligence, both human and technical. The most difficult step in this process will be their precise location," he explains.
"If the army, with the help of an active intelligence, succeeds to locate them, then the task will turn out to easier."
The expert agrees that finishing off the main Taliban leaders will be a turning point.
"This is a uniformed formula that if the leadership is eliminated, the nerves of the troops are broken. That is especially true in the case of such militias who do not act as a regular force."
He contends that with such militias, personalities are very important as they keep their followers attached and united thanks to their personal charisma.
"But once these personalities are de-motivated or eliminated, their followers’ nerves are shattered, and they do not stay united and firm.
"The elimination of leadership will be disastrous for them."
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BBC names first Muslim head of religious programmes
LONDON (AFP) - The BBC has appointed its first Muslim head of religious programming, in a move likely to further raise concerns within the Church of England that Christian views were being sidelined.
Aaqil Ahmed will join the state-funded broadcaster from privately run Channel 4 television and take up a new joint role of Head of Religion and Ethics and Commissioning Editor for Religion TV, the BBC announced Monday.
Ahmed commissioned programmes examining both Christianity and Islam for Channel 4, as well as the BAFTA-winning documentary "Saving Africa's Witch Children" about children in poor parts of Nigeria being blamed for witchcraft.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, was reported last month to have told BBC Director-General Mark Thompson that he feared the "Christian voice" was being marginalised.
A spokesman for the archbishop declined to comment on Ahmed's appointment.
But another senior cleric, the Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, said the church would closely monitor the BBC's religious output under its new chief.
"Aaqil Ahmed comes to the post with a good reputation. At a time when the BBC's coverage of religion caused some disquiet, the Church of England will be watching how the future of religion and ethics develops," he told the Guardian.
It is only the second time in the BBC's 87-year history that a non-Christian has held the position. Alan Bookbinder, an agnostic, filled the role from 2001 to 2006.
The BBC also appointed a separate head of religion radio, Christine Morgan.
Reference by:http://ca.news.yahoo.com
Aaqil Ahmed will join the state-funded broadcaster from privately run Channel 4 television and take up a new joint role of Head of Religion and Ethics and Commissioning Editor for Religion TV, the BBC announced Monday.
Ahmed commissioned programmes examining both Christianity and Islam for Channel 4, as well as the BAFTA-winning documentary "Saving Africa's Witch Children" about children in poor parts of Nigeria being blamed for witchcraft.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, was reported last month to have told BBC Director-General Mark Thompson that he feared the "Christian voice" was being marginalised.
A spokesman for the archbishop declined to comment on Ahmed's appointment.
But another senior cleric, the Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, said the church would closely monitor the BBC's religious output under its new chief.
"Aaqil Ahmed comes to the post with a good reputation. At a time when the BBC's coverage of religion caused some disquiet, the Church of England will be watching how the future of religion and ethics develops," he told the Guardian.
It is only the second time in the BBC's 87-year history that a non-Christian has held the position. Alan Bookbinder, an agnostic, filled the role from 2001 to 2006.
The BBC also appointed a separate head of religion radio, Christine Morgan.
Reference by:http://ca.news.yahoo.com
For American Muslims, the plight of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) under the Israeli occupation is ingrained in their hearts and minds
It’s really important; it’s deep in the heart of every Muslim," Imam Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom, told IslamOnline.net.
"I want to go to Al-Aqsa but I can’t. The people who are right in the region are facing severe difficulties."
Israel captured and occupied Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war, then annexed it in a move not recognized by the world community or UN resolutions.
The city is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, and represents the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"I think the majority of Muslims in the US are aware of the importance of Al-Quds from religious, cultural and historical aspects," says Mazen Hasan, a physician.
"We're very much aware and care about Al-Quds," agrees Dr. Amin Mahmoud, an Egyptian American.
"Historically the issue of Al Quds is very important to all Muslims.
"Add to the above the rights of the owner of the city who was removed out in 1948, and many can’t even go and visit their own families right now."
Since its occupation, Israel has adopted a series of oppressive measures to force the Palestinians out of Al-Quds, including systematic demolition of their homes.
It has also left no stone unturned in trying to judaize the holy city, also home to some of the holiest Christian worship places, including the ancient Jerusalem Church and Greek Orthodox Church.
Do Something
Dr. Mahmoud says that despite of Al-Quds’ importance for US Muslims, the community is not doing enough to support the holy city’s cause.
"I think we need to do more than what we doing now," admits Mahmoud, the coordinator of the Alliance of Egyptian Americans’ Mid Atlantic Chapter.
"We should increase our effort to educate others and hold more events to let people join us to try to help save the city."
Ibrahim Ramey, MAS Freedom civil and human rights director, advises Muslims to organize awareness programs for their non-Muslim counterparts to talk about Al-Quds issues.
"We have to present the issue in the Congress, universities and national organizations," he added.
"But most important is that the issue becomes in the media, so that people can have access to information and know the argument of the Palestinian people."
Imam Bray believes Muslims should focus on one particular argument that would appeal to their non-Muslim compatriots.
"I think the American people, regardless of their religion, are very much involved in religion. So our argument should be for freedom of religion," he explains.
"Freedom of worship is touchstone in American principles. Therefore, we must let people know that the holy sites are under siege."
Palestinians, both Muslims and Christians alike, are denied access to their holy sites particularly in the holy city of Al-Quds.
"I would say, if the US really wants to improve its image in the Muslim world as a government, practice what you preach," says Bray.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also supports lobbying the administration on the issue of Al-Quds.
"Anti-American forces use our nation's pro-Israel bias as a recruiting tool," he warned.
"If America has a balanced policy and leads the way to a just and lasting peace in the region we can undermine this tool."
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles
"I want to go to Al-Aqsa but I can’t. The people who are right in the region are facing severe difficulties."
Israel captured and occupied Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war, then annexed it in a move not recognized by the world community or UN resolutions.
The city is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, and represents the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"I think the majority of Muslims in the US are aware of the importance of Al-Quds from religious, cultural and historical aspects," says Mazen Hasan, a physician.
"We're very much aware and care about Al-Quds," agrees Dr. Amin Mahmoud, an Egyptian American.
"Historically the issue of Al Quds is very important to all Muslims.
"Add to the above the rights of the owner of the city who was removed out in 1948, and many can’t even go and visit their own families right now."
Since its occupation, Israel has adopted a series of oppressive measures to force the Palestinians out of Al-Quds, including systematic demolition of their homes.
It has also left no stone unturned in trying to judaize the holy city, also home to some of the holiest Christian worship places, including the ancient Jerusalem Church and Greek Orthodox Church.
Do Something
Dr. Mahmoud says that despite of Al-Quds’ importance for US Muslims, the community is not doing enough to support the holy city’s cause.
"I think we need to do more than what we doing now," admits Mahmoud, the coordinator of the Alliance of Egyptian Americans’ Mid Atlantic Chapter.
"We should increase our effort to educate others and hold more events to let people join us to try to help save the city."
Ibrahim Ramey, MAS Freedom civil and human rights director, advises Muslims to organize awareness programs for their non-Muslim counterparts to talk about Al-Quds issues.
"We have to present the issue in the Congress, universities and national organizations," he added.
"But most important is that the issue becomes in the media, so that people can have access to information and know the argument of the Palestinian people."
Imam Bray believes Muslims should focus on one particular argument that would appeal to their non-Muslim compatriots.
"I think the American people, regardless of their religion, are very much involved in religion. So our argument should be for freedom of religion," he explains.
"Freedom of worship is touchstone in American principles. Therefore, we must let people know that the holy sites are under siege."
Palestinians, both Muslims and Christians alike, are denied access to their holy sites particularly in the holy city of Al-Quds.
"I would say, if the US really wants to improve its image in the Muslim world as a government, practice what you preach," says Bray.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also supports lobbying the administration on the issue of Al-Quds.
"Anti-American forces use our nation's pro-Israel bias as a recruiting tool," he warned.
"If America has a balanced policy and leads the way to a just and lasting peace in the region we can undermine this tool."
Reference by:http://islamonline.com/news/articles
Monday, May 11, 2009
Women and Islam
Does Islam treat women better or worse than other religions do? Are women better off under Islam than under Western culture? These are important questions not only for women's history, but for understanding the news today. Each of the books included has its own biases -- but that's helpful because you need to read and understand several perspectives to make your own truly informed judgments.by Fatima Mernissi, translator Mary Jo Lakeland, reprint 1992. Subtitle: A Feminist Interpretation of Women's Rights in Islam. A Moroccan, Muslim and sociology professor carefully unpacks Qu'ranic and hadith texts. By rooting her feminist views in the tradition and showing how the male elite uses political and economic power to oppress women, she is able to argue for change rooted in Islam itself..
Reference by:womenshistory.about.com
Reference by:womenshistory.about.com
Frightened residents flee Swat
MINGORA, Pakistan: Tens of thousands of civilians, many on foot or donkey carts, took advantage of a brief relaxation in curfew to flee Pakistan’s embattled Swat Valley yesterday, while the army said it had killed 400 to 500 militants in its battle against the Taleban.
The hemorrhaging of residents from a scenic valley that once attracted hordes of tourists threatened to greatly exacerbate an existing internal refugee crisis for a nuclear-armed nation already facing economic, political and other woes.
But in an interview aired yesterday, President Asif Ali Zardari strongly rejected the notion that his country might collapse and called for international efforts to fight extremism.
“Is the state of Pakistan going to collapse?” Zardari asked rhetorically on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program. “No. We are 180 million people. There the population is much, much more than the insurgents are.”
The president was responding to assessments by some US military analysts, who had raised the possibility of a collapse of the Pakistani state because of the Taleban insurgency.
The army offensive has garnered praise from the US, which wants Pakistan to root out havens on its soil where Taleban militants can plan attacks on American and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.
As they left Swat’s main town of Mingora, some residents cursed the situation and condemned the Taleban, while others blamed Pakistani leaders for bowing to the West. “Show our picture to your master America and get money from him,” some taunted.
The desperate Swat residents were trying to leave any way they could — on motorbikes, animal-pulled carts, rickshaws or foot. A ban on civilian vehicles entering the valley complicated the exodus for those without cars. Some chided a reporter for slowing them down by asking questions.
“We are going out only with our clothes and a few things to eat on the long journey,” said Rehmat Alam, a 40-year-old medical technician walking out of Mingora with 18 other relatives
Reference by:www.islamic-world.net
The hemorrhaging of residents from a scenic valley that once attracted hordes of tourists threatened to greatly exacerbate an existing internal refugee crisis for a nuclear-armed nation already facing economic, political and other woes.
But in an interview aired yesterday, President Asif Ali Zardari strongly rejected the notion that his country might collapse and called for international efforts to fight extremism.
“Is the state of Pakistan going to collapse?” Zardari asked rhetorically on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program. “No. We are 180 million people. There the population is much, much more than the insurgents are.”
The president was responding to assessments by some US military analysts, who had raised the possibility of a collapse of the Pakistani state because of the Taleban insurgency.
The army offensive has garnered praise from the US, which wants Pakistan to root out havens on its soil where Taleban militants can plan attacks on American and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.
As they left Swat’s main town of Mingora, some residents cursed the situation and condemned the Taleban, while others blamed Pakistani leaders for bowing to the West. “Show our picture to your master America and get money from him,” some taunted.
The desperate Swat residents were trying to leave any way they could — on motorbikes, animal-pulled carts, rickshaws or foot. A ban on civilian vehicles entering the valley complicated the exodus for those without cars. Some chided a reporter for slowing them down by asking questions.
“We are going out only with our clothes and a few things to eat on the long journey,” said Rehmat Alam, a 40-year-old medical technician walking out of Mingora with 18 other relatives
Reference by:www.islamic-world.net
King Abdullah of Jordan's ultimatum: peace now or it’s war next year
merica is putting the final touches to a hugely ambitious peace plan for the Middle East, aimed at ending more than 60 years of conflict between Israel and the Arabs, according to Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is helping to bring the parties together.
The Obama Administration is pushing for a comprehensive peace agreement that would include settling Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and its territorial disputes with Syria and Lebanon, King Abdullah II told The Times. Failure to reach agreement at this critical juncture would draw the world into a new Middle East war next year. “If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months,” the King said.
Details of the plan are likely to be thrashed out in a series of diplomatic moves this month. Chief among them is President Obama’s meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Israeli Prime Minister, in Washington a week today. The initiative could form the centrepiece for Mr Obama’s much-anticipated address to the Muslim world in Cairo on June 4. A peace conference could then take place involving all the parties as early as July or August. Such an ambitious project has not been attempted since 1991, when George Bush senior’s Administration assembled all the parties for a peace conference in Madrid.
“What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese,” said the King, who hatched the plan with Mr Obama in Washington last month. He added that, if Mr Obama did not make good his promise for peace, then his credibility would evaporate overnight.
The Israeli Government has so far rejected any moves that would lead to a two-state solution, the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel, but the King insisted that what was being proposed was a “57-state solution”, whereby the Arab and entire Muslim world would recognise the Jewish state as part of the deal.
“We are offering a third of the world to meet them with open arms,” said the King. “The future is not the Jordan river or the Golan Heights or the Sinai, the future is Morocco in the Atlantic and Indonesia in the Pacific. That is the prize.”
As an incentive to Israel to freeze the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a key step in any peace process, Arab parties may offer incentives, such as the right for El Al, the Israeli airline, to fly over Arab air space and visas for Israeli tourists to Arab states. Mr Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet yesterday, however, that he had no intention of leaving the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967.
Syria, which only last week was accused by Washington of being a state sponsor of terrorism, presents a huge challenge. The King, who is visiting Damascus today, insisted that the Syrians could be brought in from the cold.
Reference by:www.islamic-world.ne
The Obama Administration is pushing for a comprehensive peace agreement that would include settling Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and its territorial disputes with Syria and Lebanon, King Abdullah II told The Times. Failure to reach agreement at this critical juncture would draw the world into a new Middle East war next year. “If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months,” the King said.
Details of the plan are likely to be thrashed out in a series of diplomatic moves this month. Chief among them is President Obama’s meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Israeli Prime Minister, in Washington a week today. The initiative could form the centrepiece for Mr Obama’s much-anticipated address to the Muslim world in Cairo on June 4. A peace conference could then take place involving all the parties as early as July or August. Such an ambitious project has not been attempted since 1991, when George Bush senior’s Administration assembled all the parties for a peace conference in Madrid.
“What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese,” said the King, who hatched the plan with Mr Obama in Washington last month. He added that, if Mr Obama did not make good his promise for peace, then his credibility would evaporate overnight.
The Israeli Government has so far rejected any moves that would lead to a two-state solution, the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel, but the King insisted that what was being proposed was a “57-state solution”, whereby the Arab and entire Muslim world would recognise the Jewish state as part of the deal.
“We are offering a third of the world to meet them with open arms,” said the King. “The future is not the Jordan river or the Golan Heights or the Sinai, the future is Morocco in the Atlantic and Indonesia in the Pacific. That is the prize.”
As an incentive to Israel to freeze the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a key step in any peace process, Arab parties may offer incentives, such as the right for El Al, the Israeli airline, to fly over Arab air space and visas for Israeli tourists to Arab states. Mr Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet yesterday, however, that he had no intention of leaving the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967.
Syria, which only last week was accused by Washington of being a state sponsor of terrorism, presents a huge challenge. The King, who is visiting Damascus today, insisted that the Syrians could be brought in from the cold.
Reference by:www.islamic-world.ne
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