What is Sharia Law? Travellers to Canada

5Rabi ul II 5,1442

Nov 20, 2020 f AIT h On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah (glorified and exalted be He) said:I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced

Sharia, or Sharia law, is the Islamic legal by Me to him whom he associated with Me.by Muslim &Ibn Majah. What is Sharia Law? commands and prohibitions, halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful). Whoever follows the Sharia of Allah, reclusively to the penal code yet the penal code only makes up around 15% of Shasystem derived garding as permissible (halal) that which ria law. from the Quran He has permitted and regarding as forbid- Sharia deals with and the Hadith. In den (haram) that which He has prohibited, many topics, inlinguistic terms, will triumph. cluding crime, Sharia refers to Whoever goes against the Sharia (laws) of politics, and ecoa water source, Allah has exposed himself to divine venge- nomics, as well as which is the ance, wrath and punishment. personal matters source to which Allah, may He be exalted, says in the Quran such as sexual inpeople who want (interpretation of the meaning): tercourse, hygiene, to drink come, so ruption, and is visible and can be seen. “Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on diet, prayer, everythey drink from it In Sharia terminology, Shariah refers to an ordained way [Sharia] concerning the day etiquette and and fill their buck- the entire religion (Islam), which Allah has matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not fasting. Adherence ets, and perhaps chosen for His slaves to bring them forth follow the inclinations of those who do not to Sharia has served bring their animals to drink from it as well. thereby from the depths of darkness into know” (Quran 45:18) as one of the distinguishing characteristics The Arabs do not call a water source Sharia the light. It is what He has prescribed for Due to Islamophobia and the false reports of Islam. In short, Sharia is the infallible law Don’t buy the bigots’ hype. Shariah law is not coming to take over America unless the water is flowing without inter- them and what He has explained to them of in the media, Sharia has been referred ex- of God. Source: .allahsword.com By Sumbul Ali-Karamali way we think of law — rigid and enforce- phobia spikes in election years. Politicians September 30, 2020 A recent article in USA Today addressed a claim going viral on social media — that defunding police deable — but a mass of varying interpretations on Islamic texts, concerning mostly personal religious conduct. That’s why it makes no sense that militias know that fear-mongering gets votes. Two of this year’s Islamophobic fear-mongers are Marjorie Taylor Greene and Laura Loomer, both endorsed by President Trump. That partments will lead to Muslim groups hit- would be “imposing” Shariah. Imposing they’ve won their congressional primaries, ting the streets with “Shariah patrol forces.” what? The path of God? The opinions and in Georgia and Florida respectively, is a sad Such a claim, which the paper debunked, debates that make up the scholarly inter- comment on the rampant ignorance conwould be truly laughable if it weren’t for the pretations of the religious texts? Islam? cerning Islam and Muslims. depressing fact that some Americans actu- No, you might be thinking, imposing Sha- Greene spreads fabricated tales of a Shariah ally believe canards like this. riah means forcing women to wear burkas invasion of the U.S. government, asserting No American Muslim organization has and implementing harsh punishments. that any Muslim who believes in Shariah ever advocated imposing “Shariah law” in That’s what we hear of, say, the Taliban, and shouldn’t be in government. Greene has It’s in all of our interests to stop mindlessly the United States. No group attempting to they say what they’re doing is Shariah. But urged Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the buying into the notion of Shariah as dracodo so could ever be successful, because the using religious rhetoric to justify bad be- nation’s two Muslim congresswomen (one nian and violent. Understanding the basics U.S. Constitution prevents the establish- havior is nothing new in the world. from Minnesota, the other from Michigan), of Shariah, for both non-Muslims and Musment of any religious law in our country. Today, the Shariah-based legal system, a to “go back to the Middle East.” She falsely lims, is essential to intelligently evaluating These social-media posts have become vi- sophisticated legal system not dissimilar to claims that Shariah allows men in Muslim- political trends, debunking defamatory rally successful only because so few Ameri- our own, is gone, dismantled under West- majority countries to have “sex with little anti-Muslim rhetoric and invalidating the cans know what Shariah actually means. ern colonialism. Shariah, with its institu- boys, little girls, multiple women” and to positions of Muslim terrorists. ”Shariah” literally means “the path to wa- tions, courts and system of checks and bal- marry their sisters. Islam is an American religion. It’s time to ter.” In religious terms, Shariah means ances, is not the law of the land anywhere Loomer has been banned by social-media demystify it. “the righteous path” or “the path of God.” in the world. What usually goes under the platforms for her anti-Muslim hate speech, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, a former corporate Shariah also, loosely, can just mean “Islam.” guise of Shariah is simply a set of Islamic- which has included calling Islam a “cancer attorney with an additional degree in Islamic Shariah also refers to the religious guide- sounding provisions tacked onto Western- on society” and trying to tie Shariah to ISIS. law, is author of the new book, “Demystifying lines in Islam. These are derived from the style civil codes or isolated punishments She must have missed the 2014 open let- Shariah: What It Is, How It Works and Why Quran, the words and deeds of the Prophet applied without regard to the restrictions ter to ISIS written by more than a hundred It’s Not Taking Over Our Country,” published Muhammad, and scholarly interpretations that made them fantastically hard to apply. high-level Islamic scholars, explaining why by Beacon Press. thereof. Therefore, Shariah is not law the It’s an election year, though, and Islamo- ISIS’ acts violate Shariah. Source: miamiherald.com

Maqasid al Shari’ah mentary or secondary to necessities)the tahsiniyyah (refinements or embellishments as desirable over comforts and necessities). These cannot include ‘luxuries’ that could be viewed as those goods and services which are wanted for their extravagant wastefulness Maqasid al-Shari’ah is a composition of two words: ‘maqasid, plural of ‘maqsad’’ and ‘al-Shari`ah’ or simply Shari’ah. Maqasid is an Arabic of a moral society. Al-Haramayn al-Juwayni (d. 1085CE), was probably the first Islamic scholar to classify the Maqasid of the Shari’ah into the three main categories of Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver and extreme lavishness and do not make a real difference in an individual’s well-being and the well-being of society. Source: islamic-banking.com word that literally means intent, objective and purpose with a desire to create harthe daruriyyah (the necessities), the hajiyyah (the complementary) and the tahsini- Nov 20 - Dec 4, 2020 -Rabi ul- II 5-19,1442 H mony with others; this relates to welfare, interest, or benefit. The vital part of the yyah (the embellishments), which has ever since been generally accepted. Al-JuwayIsl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Asar Dhur Asar Shafi / Hanfi Maghrib Isha Maqasid’s objective is preserving public ni’s ideas were then further developed by 5 Fri good (maslaha), whereby it looks at the his pupil, Ghazzali, who wrote categori- 6 Sat public benefit and welfare of society as a whole in relation to the consequences of the intentions and actions of individuals in their mutual dealings. Thus, Maqasid cally that the Shari’ah pursued five basic objectives - life, intellect, faith, lineage and property” (Al-Maqasid Al-Shari’ah: The Objectives of Islamic Law by Mohammed 7 8 9 Sun Mon Tue can also be considered as the wisdom and Hashim Kamil). 10 Wed knowledge behind governing rules. Broadly the three levels constitute a need 11 Thus Objectives, the Maqasid The objectives of Shari’ah are not specifically mentioned in the original sources of the Shari’ah, The Qur’an and Sunnah (the for the fulfilment of which has been made an individual as well as social imperative; all these refer to goods and services that can make a real difference in human well12 13 14 Fri Sat Sun sayings and conduct of Prophet Muham- being and the normal functioning of soci- 15 Mon mad (pbuh)). These were developed over ety in satisfying the basic necessities and 16 Tue the years by Islamic scholars who sought primarily to protect members of the community by establishing the essential moral values, and validate all measures necessary providing adding comfort and refinements over and above necessities. The three levels of need are summaries below: the darura or daruriyyah (necessities) 17 18 19 Wed Thus Fri for their preservation and the advancement the hajiyyah (comforts, as being comple- For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA

6Rabi ul II 5,1442 Nov 20, 2020 N AT & I NT NEWS Biden, Modi pledge to strengthen World’s largest free trade agreement

US-India ties in phone call signed in coup for China Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held Fifteen Asia-Pacific countries on Sunday his first phone conversation with US Pres- signed the world’s biggest free trade deal, ident-elect Joe Biden and they agreed to seen as a huge coup for China in extending work closely to further advance the Indo-US its influence. strategic partnership, India’s External Affairs The Regional Comprehensive Economic Ministry said on Wednesday. Partnership (RCEP) includes 10 Southeast Modi congratulated Biden during their con- Asian economies along with China, Japan, versation on Tuesday and they discussed South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, their priorities, including containing the with members accounting for around 30 per coronavirus pandemic, promoting access to cent of global gross domestic product. affordable vaccines, tackling climate change First proposed in 2012, the deal was finally and cooperating in the Indo-Pacific Region, the ministry said in a statement. Modi had earlier tweeted his congratulations to Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on November 8. The Indian prime minister recalled his earlier interactions with Biden, including during his official visits to the United States in 2014 and 2016. Biden had visited India in 2013. Biden had chaired the Joint Session of the US Congress that was addressed by Modi during his 2016 visit to Washington. Modi is known for his public displays of bonhomie with President Donald Trump who visited India in February. Stepping up the Trump administration’s anti-China message in India, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Defense chief Mark Esper visited India a week ahead of America’s November 3 presidential election. Pompeo and Esper signed an agreement expanding military satellite information-sharing and highlighted strategic cooperation between Washington and New Delhi. Modi’s critics said the prime minister had come dangerously close to endorsing Trump’s candidature, which they said could hurt India’s prospects under a Democratic administration. Leading up to the US elections, Biden condemned the Hindu nationalist government’s citizenship law that criticis say discriminates against India’s nearly 200 million Muslims. “These measures are inconsistent with the country’s long tradition of secularism and with sustaining a multi-ethnic and multireligious democracy,” Biden had said in a statement.But analysts say India-US relationship enjoys bipartisan bipartisan support, and the US wants India as a key partner in efforts to push back against China.Source: aljazeera.com Fire damages historic mosque sealed at the end of a Southeast Asian summit as leaders push to get their pandemic-hit economies back on track. “Under the current global circumstances, the fact the RCEP has been signed after eight years of negotiations brings a ray of light and hope amid the clouds,” said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang after the virtual signing. “It clearly shows that multilateralism is the right way, and represents the right direction of the global economy and humanity’s progress.” The agreement to lower tariffs and open up the services trade within the bloc does not include the United States and is viewed as a Chinese-led alternative to a now-defunct Washington trade initiative. The RCEP “solidifies China’s broader regional geopolitical ambitions around the Belt and Road initiative”, said Alexander Capri, a trade expert at the National University of Singapore Business School, referring to Beijing’s signature investment project that envisions Chinese infrastructure and influence spanning the globe. “It’s sort of a complementary element.” But many of the signatories are battling severe coronavirus outbreaks and they are also hoping the RCEP will help mitigate the crippling economic cost of the pandemic. Indonesia recently tumbled into its first recession for two decades while the Philippine economy shrunk by 11.5pc on-year in the latest quarter.“Covid has reminded the region of why trade matters and governments are more eager than ever to have positive economic growth,” said Deborah Elms, executive director of the Asian Trade Centre, a Singapore-based consultancy. India absent India pulled out of the agreement last year over concerns about cheap Chinese goods entering the country and was a notable absentee during Sunday’s virtual signing. Signatories to the agreement said they hoped New Delhi would rejoin in the future, acknowledging its “strategic importance” to the deal which already covers more than two billion people. The pact should help shrink costs and make life easier for companies by letting them export products anywhere within the bloc without meeting separate requirements for each country............... Source: dawn.com UAE’s Etihad Airways to start daily flights to Tel Aviv in March The move will deepen ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel after two countries agreed to normalise relations. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced Monday it would start operating daily nonstop flights on Istanbul’s Bosporus Strait to Tel Aviv early next year, a move that deepens ties between the UAE and Israel after the two countries agreed to normalise relations. Direct flights on Etihad between the emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv will begin March 28, giving “Emiratis and UAE residents the opportunity to discover Israel’s historical sites, beaches, restaurants and nightlife,” the state-owned carrier said in a ans. Soon after the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan statement. Tickets are already available on agreed to formalise ties with Israel in simiEtihad’s website. The announcement came lar agreements. Bahrain’s foreign minister after Dubai’s budget carrier, flydubai, said it will lead the country’s first official trip to Iswould begin offering direct flights between rael on Wednesday, state-run Bahrain News Dubai and Tel Aviv later this month. Agency reported. A historic wooden mosque in Istanbul cooling efforts were ongoing. The firefightThe UAE and Israel signed a United States- The high-level diplomatic visit will seek “to caught on fire on Sunday and Turkish fire- ers prevented the fire from reaching a forest brokered accord establishing formal dip- affirm Bahrain’s firm and permanent stance fighters put out the blaze, working from behind the mosque and the neighbouring lomatic ties on the White House lawn in toward supporting the Mideast peace proboth land and sea. houses that line the Bosporus. They were September. The deal marked a diplomatic cess” and “to shed light on shared economic The Vanikoy Mosque, built in the 17th cen- aided by the coast guard. achievement for US President Donald opportunities,” the agency said. The US State tury during the reign of Ottoman Sultan The mosque is a wooden structure with a Trump before his re-election campaign and Department said Secretary of State Mike IV Mehmed, is located on the Asian side single minaret. The cause of the fire was not reflects a changing Middle East in which Pompeo, on a Middle East tour, would be in of Istanbul along the Bosporus Strait. Vid- yet determined and the city’s governor said shared enmity of Iran has largely overtaken Israel during the coming days, as well. eos showed heavy smoke pouring from an investigation had been launched. traditional Arab support for the Palestini- Source: aljazeera.com the structure. Istanbul’s Fire Department Source: dawn.com Where are we in the COVID-19 vaccine race?

Promising results from last-stage candidate vaccine trials have raised hopes world might be turning the corner in managing coronavirus pandemic. The battle against the coronavirus pandemic shifted into a new gear this week after two encouraging sets of trial results raised hopes of successful vaccination against COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease that has killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide. Nearly a year since the new coronavirus was detected, billions of dollars have been poured into research efforts and tens of thousands of volunteers have taken part in large-scale trials as pharmaceutical giants race to deliver, at record speed, an effective vaccine. As tweeted the fire had been extinguished and the world is trying to turn the corner in the fight, here is what we know so far about the global race to produce a vaccine.

Who are the frontrunners?

US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced on Wednesday the results from the Phase 3 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine, which showed it to be 95 percent effective – the highest success rate for any candidate in late-stage trials so far. According to the trial results, the vaccine had no serious side effects, and it was 94 percent effective in older adults, who usually are more vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19. It came just days after Moderna, also a US pharma company, published promising data that showed its vaccine candidate having a 94.5 percent efficacy rate. Last week, Russia also said interim trial results showed its candidate was 92 percent effective. The first vaccine to show more than 90 percent success was Russia’s Sputnik V. On November 11, interim trial results showed 92 percent effectiveness. Overall, there are 12 candidates currently in late-stage trials, including the one developed by AstraZeneca in partnership with the University of Oxford. Its results are expected within weeks. Source: aljazeera.com