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By Islamic Human Rights Commission
IHRC demands charity watchdog take action over Times misrepresentation
IHRC has demanded that the charities regulator publicly repudiate smears made against the organisation’s charitable arm IHRC Trust (IHRCT), suggesting it is receiving and misusing taxpayer monies. The accusations, levelled by the Times and quoting the rightwing Henry Jackson Society, were contained in an article which misrepresented Gift Aid and insinuated that IHRCT was using it as a loophole to misappropriate taxpayer funds. “Gift Aid is supposed to support well-meaning endeavours. It undermines public confidence
when taxpayers see their money [supporting] such organisations,” Emma Fox of HJS was quoted as saying. This comment clearly pushes the narrative that tax-payers in general are unwittingly having their taxes given to IHRCT rather than, as is the case, donors to IHRCT giving express permission for the tax on their donations to be gifted to IHRCT. IHRC believes the misrepresentation of Gift Aid is deliberate and done so to discredit the organisation and damage its reputation and ability to attract public donations. IHRC’s letter also calls on the
Charity Commission to demand an apology from HJS for bringing Gift Aid into disrepute. Given that the former Chair of the Charity Commission William Shawcross was formerly a member of the Henry Jackson Society, IHRC has also demanded that the Charity Commission release all correspondence between itself and HJS in order to dispel any suspicions of collusion in their targeting of IHRC and IHRCT. The Charity Commission recently concluded a two-year investigation into the relationship between IHRC and its trust but did not order any changes.
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UK joins 22 other UN nations in condemning China’s detention of Uighur Muslims In Case You Missed It
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reportedly destroyed domes and minarets at mosques across the country. China denies the allegations. The group of 23 nations pushed Beijing to urgently implement UN recommendations in Xinjiang, “including by refraining from the arbitrary detention of Uighurs and members of other Muslim communities.” Ms Pierce said the group was also calling on all countries not to deport refugees to countries where they could face persecution. Beijing reacted angrily to the statement and said it was not “helpful” for US-China trade talks. The UK has led 22 other countries at the United Nations (UN) in condemning China over the country’s detention of Muslims. The group strongly criticised Beijing in a joint statement. Karen Pierce, the UK’s UN ambassador, delivered the statement to the 193-member organisation’s human rights committee. Other supporters included Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan. “We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion
or belief, in Xinjiang and across China,” Ms Pierce said. The UN says at least one million ethnic Uighurs, and other Muslims, have been detained in camps in China’s remote Xinjiang province. Beijing claims the camps are “vocational training centres” designed to stamp out extremism and give people new skills. But former detainees have alleged that inmates are subjected to torture, medical experiments and gang rape. Others have said that Muslim detainees are forced to drink alcohol and eat pork. The government has also
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Stop ‘gratuitously’ publishing ‘titillating’ detail about terrorist incidents, commission tells media
The media should stop “gratuitously” publishing “titillating detail” about terrorist or extremist incidents, according to a new report on tackling so-called “hateful extremism”. The Commission for Countering Extremism said the publication of “extremist propaganda” could also “inadvertently promote the beliefs or glorify the actions of those involved”. Although not mentioned in the report, the Mirror, Sun and Mail Online all drew criticism in March for their online coverage of the mosque attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which a gunman killed 51 people while livestreaming it on Facebook. The tabloids ran video clips containing parts of the killer’s footage, avoiding showing violence against worshippers. Mail Online said it had decided to remove the “very short excerpt” on “further reflection”. The website also briefly published a manifesto written by the suspected terrorist, which readers could download. A Mail Online spokesperson said: “As with all incidents of terror, news organisations have to strike the right balance between showing the public what has happened – and why – and playing into the terrorists’ hands.” The CCE, an independent body led by advisor Sara Khan and established by the Government last year, criticised the “difference in tone” sometimes seen in the way UK
media portrays Muslim extremists versus far-right attackers. Research by media monitoring firm Signal AI earlier this year found that just a quarter of international coverage about recent far-right attacks mentioned the word terrorism, compared to four-fifths of Islamic extremist attacks. Report noted how MP Jo Cox’s murderer Thomas Mair was portrayed as a “deeply disturbed” and “mentally ill” loner, while the murderers of soldier Lee Rigby were quickly branded Islamic extremists. It said: “We urge broadcasters and the press to show consistency when reporting Islamist and far right extremism.” It was claimed that some reporting is “inaccurate and misleading”, especially in the portrayal of Muslims and Islam. “Sweeping statements, lazy stereotypes and loose reporting can demonise and misrepresent entire communities, unwittingly contribute to xenophobia and play into the hands of extremists,” the report said. Tradtional media organisations were urged to ensure they do not portray individuals as spokespeople for entire groups, undertake “due diligence” while checking sources and guests, and avoid presenting Islamist activists as ordinary Muslims. Excessively reporting on the
actions of the likes of preacher Anjem Choudhary, who was “often given a platform by media and broadcasters”, can “reinforce opposing extremist views”, it was said. “Former EDL organiser-turnedcounter-extremist Ivan Humble said that it was ‘Anjem Choudhary on the talk shows, chat shows and newspapers’ which led to him holding far-right views,” the report said. However the report was not entirely critical of the media’s role, praising some journalists and organisations for their “balanced” coverage of extremist behaviour. In particular, it pointed to the Guardian’s 2018 report exposing the finances behind former English Defence League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the Times’ reporting on an extremist group’s Birmingham recruitment drive, and Andrew Neil’s challenging on This Week of claims made by Muslim advocacy group Cage. The report said the Sunderland Echo, which covers a town in the north east with a recent history of far-right marches, has “always made a point of refusing to give coverage to them out of an abhorrence of what they represented”. “However, when an issue arose that was so newsworthy that it made publication irresistible, the team at the Sunderland Echo considered how to report it very carefully. “In the end they did not report, although they did publish some quotations from the campaigners. When they explained their thought process to us, we were impressed with the level of detail that their considerations went into. “We are sure that many if not most journalists behave in a similar way prior to publication.” The report emphasised the fact “the media should not be censored or self-censor out of fear of offending sensibilities”. “Print and broadcast media play a vital role in our society by shining a light on extremism and the divisive tactics of extremists,” it went on.
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MPs and Reprieve take Govt to court over refusal to hold torture inquiry
The Government is being taken to court over its refusal to hold a fully independent, judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in rendition and torture. The legal action is being brought by human rights NGO Reprieve, David Davis MP and Dan Jarvis MP. The British Government has never delivered on promises to hold a fully independent, judge-led inquiry into UK complicity in US torture and extraordinary rendition of individuals as part of the so-called ‘war on terror’. The legal action claims that the Government’s refusal to hold an
inquiry is irrational, contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (under which there is an obligation to fully investigate credible allegations of torture), and violates the common law prohibition of torture. The Government must respond within 21 days. In 2010, then-Prime Minister David Cameron announced the socalled Gibson inquiry to investigate UK complicity. The Gibson inquiry lacked the independence and powers needed to get to the truth of the UK’s role in post 9/11 abuses, and was boycotted by NGOs including
Reprieve before being scrapped altogether by then-Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke in 2012. Clarke promised that a fully independent inquiry would be launched once ongoing police investigations were concluded, but this never materialised, and Mr Clarke maintains that a fully independent inquiry is needed. In 2014, the Government announced an inquiry run by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), but in delivering its report the ISC accepted its findings could only be treated as provisional, as Downing Street had blocked it from interviewing multiple witnesses. In July of this year, then-Deputy Prime Minister David Lidington told Parliament: I can confirm today that the Government has decided that it is not necessary to establish a further inquiry. There is no policy reason to do so, given the extensive work already undertaken to improve policies and practices in this area. The Government’s position is also that there is no legal obligation. Over nearly two decades, evidence of UK complicity has come out only in dribs and drabs, after repeated aborted investigations. Potentially hundreds of cases have never been fully investigated. www.pi-media.co.uk
Trump’s withdrawal decision leaves Britain’s Syria policy in disarray US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American military forces from the Syria-Turkey border has caught everyone by surprise, including the UK, which counts as one of America’s strongest allies. The Times is reporting that Trump’s apparently impromptu decision has “blindsided” the British government. Apparently the British government was not aware of the phone call between Trump and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
which led to Trump announcing his withdrawal decision. According to The Times, Trump’s decision to withdraw from significant swathes of north-east Syria will expose British Special Forces operating in the region to exceptionally vulnerable situations, thus necessitating their full withdrawal. The exact number of British special forces soldiers, presumed to be from the elite Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) regiments, is not known but
estimates have varied from several dozen to several hundreds. The Times’ defence correspondent, Lucy Fisher (who is the author of the article), claims in a tweet that the number of British special forces soldiers operating in Syria is in the “low hundreds”. In the same tweet, Fisher said that these British special operators rely on US forces for “resources, transport, infrastructure, ISR [Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance]”. www.pi-media.co.uk
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UK counter-terror strategy in new scandal
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In the latest scandal to hit the UK’s core counter-terrorism strategy, known as Prevent, it has been revealed that counter-terror police across Britain have been running a secret database containing details of all Prevent referrals. The National Police Prevent Case Management database is owned and managed by the national counterterrorism policing headquarters. The database is readily accessible by all police forces in the UK and the Home Office.
The latest revelation has raised concerns amongst privacy campaigners who fear that the database not only infringes privacy rights, but that more worryingly it disproportionately targets minority groups. Gracie Bradley, who is policy and campaigns manager for the human rights group, Liberty, told the Guardian that: “This secret database isn’t about keeping us safe. It’s about keeping tabs on and controlling people – particularly minority
A report into one of the greatest fire disasters in the U.K. said “many more lives” could have been saved if the Grenfell Tower had been evacuated sooner. The residents of the tower were told to “stay put” because London firefighters believed that they could contain the fire before it could cause fatal results, said the report released last month. Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the inquiry judge, said a decision to evacuate should have taken place within a 20-minute window once it was clear that the fire had spread out of control. “Mass evacuation of the occupants of the tower would no doubt have presented serious risks to the lives of both residents and
firefighters, given the internal layout of the building and the absence of any kind of communication system,” he said. “Nonetheless, it is likely that, in the face of a rapidly developing fire on the exterior of the building and an increasingly pervasive spread of smoke and fire throughout the interior, prompt evacuation would have resulted in the saving of many more lives.” The June 14, 2017 fire was blamed on a faulty fridge, according to earlier reports. The blaze spread quickly due to the building’s cladding (covering), which was thought to have worked as an accelerant. The final death toll of 72 included a stillborn baby, according to the
communities and political activists”. Developed in early 2003, Prevent is one of four strands of CONTEST, the UK’s overarching counterterrorism strategy. The other strands are Pursue, Protect and Prepare. Prevent operates in the precriminal space, that is well before individuals, deemed to be at risk of exposure to so-called radicalization and extremism, have crossed the threshold into criminal behaviour. Prevent has been controversial from the outset as it has been perceived to target ideas and ideology, as opposed to troublesome behaviour. The controversy escalated when Prevent was placed on a statutory footing in February 2015 following the ratification of the CounterTerrorism and Security Act. The statutory classification placed a duty on local authorities, schools, NHS trusts and prisons to report concerns about individuals perceived to be at risk of embracing so-called extremist or radical ideologies. www.pi-media.co.uk
Grenfell report: More lives could have been saved
British police. The public inquiry was ordered by then-Prime Minister Theresa May shortly after the inferno. “I am very much aware that no report, no words, no apology will ever make good the loss suffered and trauma experienced,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. “But I hope that the findings being published today will bring some measure of comfort to those who suffered so much,” he added. Johnson also wrote: “The government is committed to airing the facts of the fire in public, no matter how difficult they may be, and acting on them. That commitment is absolute.” www.pi-media.co.uk
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M&S launches market-first own label halal prepared meal range
M&S Food has launched a range of own label Halal prepared ready meals, which it claims is a first for a major UK retailer and will tap into growing demand for such products. A range of six Halal Food Authority (HFA) certified prepared meals will rolled out across 36 selected M&S stores. The retailer stated that its product development team has worked with
HFA and suppliers to deliver Halal certified versions of its most popular prepared meals, including Chicken Arrabbiata, Chicken & Mushroom Tagliatelle, Chicken & Leek Bake, Chicken Hotpot, Chicken Jalfrezi, and a Chicken Tikka Masala. Stuart Machin, Managing Director of M&S Food commented: “Protecting the magic of M&S Food means leading the way as food
innovators, with first to market ranges that respond to growing dietary demands and can deliver real commercial impact. “M&S Food is changing to become more relevant, more often to families across Britain and our new Halal meal range is a great example of how we are broadening appeal so that more customers can enjoy our delicious, quality food.” In May this year, M&S began stocking a range of Shazans branded Halal chicken products in selected stores. I t said that a strong sales response from local customers to these products led to its decision to invest in an own label range. The new M&S Halal prepared meal range has a distinctive orange packaging design and logo and will be stocked alongside the Shazans products. As well as going on sale in selected UK stores, the new range will also be sold by M&S’ international franchise partner Al-Futtaim in markets including Singapore and Dubai.
Turkey condemns French bill banning Muslim mothers’ headscarves
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned a French draft law proposal adopted by Senate calling for mothers wearing the Muslim headscarf to remove them when participating in school trips. The ministry in a written statement blasted the bill, which it labelled as an example of hypocrisy from Western countries. “Justifying the headscarf ban with the interpretation of ‘People Providing Services’ clause targets directly mothers who accompany their children, not public service
providers. This is a new example of France’s discriminatory and marginalising approach that treats Muslims differently from other groups. This is unacceptable to the Turkish and Muslim communities living in France, as well as to our country and other countries that believe in universal values,” the ministry said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry urged France to “step back’’ from the mistake it was making and said it hoped the bill would be rejected in the National Assembly.
Adopted on Oct. 31 by the French Senate following a vote of 163 to 114 senators, the draft law requires the approval of the National Assembly to take effect. France is home to 5.7 million Muslims. The Muslim dress code has been an ongoing subject of debate in France, which was the first European country to ban the fullface veil in 2011. In 2004, the country banned religious symbols in schools. The law did not extend to school trips.
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HRW says CIA-backed Afghan forces carry out ‘grave’ rights abuses
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CIA-backed security units in Afghanistan are committing “war crimes” and other “grave” rights abuses with impunity, according to a damning report by Human Rights Watch. The New York-based rights group suggested that the units -recruited, trained and funded by the US intelligence agency -- should be disbanded for unlawful tactics such as summary executions, enforced disappearances, night raids into homes and indiscriminate airstrikes. “They are illustrative of a larger pattern of serious laws-of-war violations — some amounting to war crimes — that extends to all provinces in Afghanistan where these paramilitary forces operate
with impunity,” the watchdog said in a 53-page report. The report, titled “They’ve Shot Many Like This’: Abusive Night Raids by CIA-Backed Afghan Strike Forces”, documented 14 cases in which CIA-backed counter-terrorism units committed serious abuses in the Asian country between late 2017 and mid-2019. During the last two years, these airstrikes have unlawfully claimed the lives of many civilians in night raids, it further said, adding that the forces have also attacked healthcare facilities for allegedly treating militants and killed staff. Moreover, they also “forcibly” have taken detainees to undisclosed locations.
“Air operations may precede or follow a night raid. In a number of incidents Human Rights Watch investigated, airstrikes or helicopterfired munitions killed and injured civilians before or after night raids,” the report said, warning that the US air raids in Afghanistan dramatically increased civilian casualties. The report said that while CIAbacked paramilitary forces, which are denounced by villagers and district authorities, are nominally part of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) intelligence service, they do not fall under the NDS’s normal chain of command. “They largely have been recruited, trained, equipped, and overseen by the CIA. They often have US Special Forces personnel deployed alongside them during kill-or-capture operations; these US forces, primarily Army Rangers, have been seconded to the CIA. Afghan paramilitary strike forces generally carry out operations with US logistical support and are dependent on US intelligence and surveillance for targeting,” it added. The rights group further said that the units have been allowed to call in US airstrikes, without any concern for civilian life. The raids, it added, have unlawfully struck civilians due to mistakes in identification of the designated targets, weak intelligence or political rivalries.. www.pi-media.co.uk
Bosnian court jails ex-soldier over war crimes A Bosnian court sentenced a former Serb soldier to 20 years in prison for committing war crimes against Bosniak civilians during the 1992 Bosnian War. A 64-year-old Radomir Susnjar was on trial charged with war crimes in the eastern town of Visegrad. The former Serbian soldier Susnjar, Milan Lukic and Sredoje Lukic on June 14, 1992 raided a house on the Pionirska Street, where Bosniak civilians were
held prisoners, and set it on fire, according to a court statement. A total of 57 Bosniak civilians, including children aged one and five, burned alive in the raided house, it added. Meanwhile, Susnjar’s partners in crime, Milan Lukic was slapped with life imprisonment while Sredoje Lukic was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Arrested in France in 2014, Susnjar was extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2018.
The Bosnian War was sparked by the break-up of Yugoslavia, which led Bosnia to declare its independence in February 1992. Its capital Sarajevo came under attack from Bosnian Serb militias, backed by the Yugoslav army, in what became the longest siege in modern history. Between April 1992 and December 1995, an estimated 100,000 people were killed and 2.2 million displaced in Bosnia. www.pi-media.co.uk
I November 2019
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Far-right EU lawmakers visit Kashmir amid unrest www.pi-media.co.uk
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Clashes have broken out in Indiancontrolled Kashmir while about 30 far-right European lawmakers were on a contentious visit to the disputed Himalayan region. Members of the nationalist, anti-immigration and eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, France’s National Rally, the British Brexit Party and Poland’s Law and Justice party arrived in Kashmir’s main city of in Srinagar. They were transported in a cavalcade of black SUVs, accompanied by armed troops and security jeeps, to a military cantonment in the region. Hours before their arrival, small protests erupted in at least 40
locations around Srinagar. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Many streets remained strewn with stones, shops were closed and roadside vendors absent during the visit. The Indian government said the aim of this visit was to give the deputies “a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity” of the Muslim-majority region. Indian authorities say the situation in Kashmir is returning to normal and hope that the visit will help counter international condemnation of the government’s handling of the situation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the delegation and
said their visit would give them a clear view of the development priorities of the region. The meeting prompted accusations that it aimed to blunt criticism of New Delhi over Kashmir. Chris Davies, one MEP from Britain’s centrist Liberal Democrats, said the New Delhi government withdrew his invitation after he insisted on being able to talk to locals without a police escort. “I am not prepared to take part in a PR stunt for the Modi government and pretend that all is well.” India’s opposition parties are also angry that European lawmakers are being allowed to visit a region from which most Indian politicians have been barred since August 5, when the Modi administration scrapped Kashmir’s special status and imposed a harsh crackdown to stifle dissent. “MPs (members of parliament) from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu and Kashmir while Indian MPs are banned and denied entry,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. “There is something very wrong with that.” In recent weeks, Indian security officials have turned back several opposition politicians from Srinagar airport, saying the situation was not stable enough for such visits.
Facebook sues Israeli firm for WhatsApp hack Technology giant Facebook announced that it was suing Israeli online surveillance firm NSO Group over the alleged hacking of users of its popular WhatsApp messaging service between April and May this year. In a 15-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, a copy of which was published by The Washington Post, Facebook outlined hack attacks on more than 100 rights activists, journalists, government officials, diplomats and political
dissidents. According to Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, NSO Group used a flaw in the messaging app to hijack phones and send malware to the mobile devices of a number of users that would allow its clients to covertly spy on the owners of the devices. “This should serve as a wakeup call for technology companies, governments and all Internet users,” Cathcart wrote in The Washington Post.
“Tools that enable surveillance into our private lives are being abused, and the proliferation of this technology into the hands of irresponsible companies and governments puts us all at risk.” Cathcart said the Tel Avivbased tech company was “highly sophisticated” in carrying out the alleged hacks and interceptions, but investigators had managed to trace their work and “their attempts to cover their tracks were not entirely successful.”
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Dutch laws increasingly target Muslims’ rights
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A series of laws recently enacted in the Netherlands have increased discrimination against Muslims and the violation of their rights, Dutch academics are warning. Martijn de Koning of Amsterdam University’s Anthropology and Sociology Department told Anadolu Agency (AA) that legal regulations affecting religious groups have been made in the past in the Netherlands, but recent steps are now aimed entirely at Muslims. In August, the Netherlands brought into force a ban on burqas — a full body covering including a face veil worn by some Muslim women – in public institutions. Clothing that “covers the face,” such as burqas or veils no longer to be worn in public institutions such as
schools, hospitals and government offices or on buses and trains, authorities said in August when the new law came into force. The ban was first proposed by far-right politician Geert Wilders in 2005. In May, the Dutch parliament introduced a bill for the second time to ban ritual slaughter of animals, which would prohibit the methods of humane slaughter followed by Muslim and Jewish communities. In addition to the burqa ban and restrictions on the animal slaughtering practices, Dutch Education Minister Arie Slob in September ordered a review of schools providing Islamic education. “Cases such as the ban against halal slaughter and restriction of religious education have affected
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other religious groups as well. However, with the recent ban on burqas, we have seen that the aim of religious regulations is aimed only at Muslims,” Koning said, adding that this is a serious situation and the government needs to do something about it. Professor Annelies Moors of Amsterdam University also told AA that politicians have used anti-Muslim rhetoric as a means of gaining votes that each restriction now targets Muslims. Moors said that negative reactions toward women wearing burqas may increase because of the legal proceedings, noting, “Such restrictions trigger violence and discrimination against Muslims in the community.” Cross Cultural Human Rights Centre Chairman Professor Tom Zwart said that the Dutch government’s intervention in the course content of Islamic education institutions and Islamic schools is a result of its efforts to make Islam “more democratic and European.” He explained that while Islam instructs Muslim minorities to be committed to the country where they live as long as they have religious freedom, these restrictions harm Muslims’ commitment due to the conflict of loyalties.
Islamabad court grants bail to free Pakistani ex-PM An Islamabad court in an emergency hearing granted temporary freedom to Pakistan’s ailing former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who had been in prison on money-laundering and corruption convictions. The two-judge panel, headed by the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court, granted the 69-year-old Sharif temporary bail. While Sharif remains free for now, another two-judge panel of the same
court will decide whether Sharif’s seven-year sentence on a corruption conviction should be suspended because of his health issues. Yasmin Rashid, Punjab provincial health minister, said Sharif’s health was dire and confirmed reports that the former prime minister suffered a minor heart attack overnight and was in stable condition. The court session was moved up after Sharif’s younger brother,
Shahbaz Sharif, filed an emergency appeal citing his brother’s deteriorating health. The court released Nawaz Sharif on a 2 millionrupee bond. Maryam Aurangzeb, spokeswoman for Sharif’s political party, said the court rightly granted bail based on the deteriorating health of the former prime minister. www.pi-media.co.uk
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Many Muslims listed by World-Check without evidence 16
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World-Check is a database used by banks globally to help identify and manage financial, regulatory and reputational risk to large companies. Investigators from Al Jazeera Arabic’s Ma Khafia Aazam (Tip of the Iceberg) program were able to obtain the database, which contains more than three million names, as well as the sources it uses for its designations, most importantly of financial crimes and “terrorism”. The investigative report revealed that the database, which contains hundreds of thousands of Muslim and Arab names, relied on “terrorism lists” issued by countries such as Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, without verification. The database used to be part of Thomson Reuters Financial &
Risk before a majority stake in the business was sold to the Blackstone Group in October 2018. The business was renamed Refinitiv. The creation of the database was aimed at reducing financial risk to companies. World-Check’s promotional material states that 49 of the world’s largest 50 banks use its database, which suggests that it dominates the international market. Al Jazeera’s Ma Khafia Aazam noted that the company adds about 25,000 names to its blacklist every month, most notably to the “terrorism” list, which contains hundreds of thousands of Muslim names. In their analysis of the database, the programme’s team revealed that
World-Check relied on international banks and intelligence agencies from different countries, including lists issued by Arab governments, without taking into account the level of freedom or democracy in these countries. The database also used information from the “yellow press” in some nations, most prominently Israel. When the program’s team accessed the company’s database, through one of its clients, they discovered that the sources the company relied on for its designations consisted primarily of publicly available websites. The list of people includes former Egyptian football player Mohamed Aboutrika, whose designation as a “terrorist” was based on news published on websites run by the Egyptian government. Over the years, several lawsuits have been filed against World-Check. Farooq Bajwa, whose law firm has represented people named in the World-Check database, said that the company sometimes only relies on internet search engines and lists issued by governments as a source for their lists. Kenneth Rijock, a former WorldCheck adviser, explained that any commercial database of highly dangerous persons must rely on open sources such as newspaper articles and lawsuits.
India’s court ends hearings in Babri Mosque dispute
India’s top court ended hearings to settle a land title dispute between Muslims and Hindus over plans to build a Hindu temple on a site in northern India where Hindu hardliners demolished a 16thcentury mosque in 1992, sparking deadly violence. The five judges are expected to announce their verdict in mid-
November, according to Al Jazeera. They heard 14 petitions challenging a 2010 lower court ruling that 1.12 hectares (2.77 acres) of disputed land be partitioned among Hindus and Muslims. The destruction of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, a town in northern Uttar Pradesh state,
in 1992 sparked massive Hindu violence against Muslims that left 2,000 people dead. The judges started day-today proceedings in August after mediation proceedings failed to find a compromise between the two communities
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US troops leaving Syria have no approval to stay in Iraq
An Iraqi statement contradicted the Pentagon’s announcement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Daesh (ISIL, or ISIS) and “to help defend Iraq”. “All US forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdish region so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq,” the statement said. US defense chief Mark Esper said he had spoken to his Iraqi counterpart about the plan to shift the more than 700 troops leaving Syria into western Iraq.
A senior US defense official later clarified the situation was still fluid and plans could change. A convoy of US troops crossed from Syria into Iraq’s northern province of Dohuk, in the semiautonomous Kurdish region. The additional US troops would add to the more than 5,000 American forces already based in the country, training Iraqi forces. US President Donald Trump has been widely criticized for abandoning the Kurdish Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia and allowing Turkey to launch a crossborder military operation against the group. Residents of a Kurdish-
Dozens of academics, artists, film directors, actors and journalists urged French President Emmanuel Macron to condemn a far-right lawmaker who verbally attacked a Muslim woman. According to an open letter published in the Le Monde daily, 90 people -- including actor Omar Sy and journalist Alain Gresh -- called on Macron to condemn
Julien Odoul, who ordered a Muslim woman to remove her headscarf at a recent regional council meeting. Stressing that it was unacceptable for people to be subjected to insults and racism due to their religious affiliation, the letter called on the president to take action against the lawmaker’s controversial act. In addition, it said the far right
dominated Syrian city pelted US troops with potatoes and shouted expletives at them as they drove through. A video posted on by the Kurdish news agency showed a convoy of armored vehicles driving through Qamishli. Angry residents hurled potatoes and shouted “no America” and “America liar” in English. One vehicle backed up over the pavement, in an attempt to get away from the people. “Just like rats, America, run away. Long live the resistance and long live the YPG,” a man holding a photo shouted. Some US military members, current and former, have also publicly denounced the YPG’s abandonment. Mark Giaconia, a 46-year-old former US Army Special Forces soldier, recalled camaraderie with the Kurds he fought alongside in Iraq more than 10 years ago. “I trusted them with my life,” said Giaconia. “I fought with these guys and watched them die for us.” The Trump administration’s decision to “leave them hanging” stirred deep emotions, Giaconia said. “It’s like a violation of trust,” he said. The White House declined to comment.
Leading French figures urge action against Islamophobia
in France had turned hate towards Muslims into a propaganda tool and underscored that both the right and the left in the country did not refrain from discrimination against Muslim women on the pretext of secularism. According to the letter, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer’s past remarks on headscarves proved there was discrimination by top-level state figures.
Contact: Editorial Team on 07506 466385, email: info@pi-media.co.uk
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Saudi Arabia, Palestine draw in landmark West Bank game
Saudi Arabia’s football team played Palestine in the occupied West Bank for the first time, having previously refused to enter the territory as part of its boycott of Israel. The two met in a qualifier for the 2022 World Cup at the Palestinian national stadium in Al-Ram, playing out a 0-0 draw. Cheered on by a packed and vociferous home stadium, Palestine frustrated their more prestigious guests and came close multiple times, but neither side were ultimately able to make the breakthrough. With significant excitement over the match, all tickets at the 8,000 stadium were given away free on the day, with thousands in often
disorderly queues to get in. Hundreds of others watched from windows or roofs of buildings overlooking the stadium, which is only a few metres from the Israeli barrier that cuts off the West Bank from Jerusalem. Arab clubs and national teams have historically refused to play in the Palestinian territory -- occupied by the Jewish state since 1967 -- as it requires obtaining entry permits from Israel, a country most of them do not recognise. The game marked a change in policy for the kingdom, which has previously played matches against Palestine in third countries, in line with a decades-long Arab boycott of Israel.
Why Saudi was picked to host Joshua v Ruiz rematch
The promotor of the Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jnr rematch has revealed why Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the heavyweight championship clash. At a press conference held at The Savoy Hotel in London, Eddie Hearn said there had also been approaches from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. “For us, we really wanted to go somewhere who believed in the sport of boxing, that had a vision.
I was lucky enough to attend the World Boxing Super Series where the final was in Jeddah, it was a fantastic event, not just for the logistical setup but for the vibrancy of the crowd, the interest in the sport of boxing,” he said in comments published by British Boxing News. “We already knew that Saudi Arabia was for real and that was very important for us. We have to realise that there is a whole other
However, in recent years, common concerns over Iran are widely seen as having brought the Gulf powerhouse and Israel -- both staunch US allies -- closer together. The Palestinian football association described the Saudi team’s arrival in the Palestinian territories as a “win-win” situation. Critics see it as a step toward normalisation with Israel, and Lebanon, Syria and Egypt still refuse to play in the Palestinian territories. But other countries such as Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have sent their clubs and teams to play in the West Bank. At the stadium, large Palestinian and Saudi flags had been erected on the building behind it. “God, Palestine and Jerusalem is Arab,” the fans chanted, with the stadium only a few miles from the holy city. Only one of the players in the first 11 was from Gaza, the other part of the Palestinian territories under a blockade by Israel. The winners of the two cups in the West Bank and Gaza are meant to play each other annually but this year it has been delayed for months after Israel refused permits to most of the Gazan team’s players. www.pi-media.co.uk
world out there outside of Cardiff and New York,” he added. “There is time for change there, and they are trying to make that change through sport. People think you can’t get into Saudi Arabia, or that women aren’t welcome to the show. Men and women are welcome. If you buy a ticket you get an automatic visa, and it’s six hours away. “This will go down as one of the great fights, alongside the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thrilla in Manila. He also revealed the stadium in Riyadh could hold up to 15,000. www.pi-media.co.uk
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UEFA investigating Turkish footballers for saluting Turkey’s Syria invasion
Turkey’s national side are being investigated by European football body UEFA after players celebrated their goal in a 1-1 draw against world champions France with a military salute to soldiers fighting in northeast Syria. UEFA said it was investigating “potential provocative political behaviour” by the players during the match in Paris on Monday and another Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania on Oct. 11. Olivier Giroud scored for France in the 75th minute of the match before Kaan Ayhan equalized for Turkey six minutes later. His
teammates then lined up in front of the away supporters and saluted. Turkey’s veteran coach Senol Gunes defended the team’s action, saying it was a gesture of respect for the armed forces rather than a political statement or agitation. “It’s wrong to look for malicious intentions in the soldier’s salute. We are doing it to look out for our soldiers. We are not doing it so that our soldiers go and kill people,” Gunes told a post-match press conference. “You’re always asking me about the salute, but it’s way above me. It’s Trump’s business, it’s Macron’s
business,” he said, referring to the US and French presidents. “They are the ones who rule the world, while I can barely rule the team.” US President Donald Trump, accused by critics of giving a de facto green light to the cross-border offensive, has called on Turkey to cease fire. France’s Emmanuel Macron has also urged Ankara to stop the military action. Turkey lead Group H of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, ahead of France on goal difference. Turkish midfielder Cenk Sahin was released by German team St Pauli following his Instagram post supporting Turkey’s military operation. “Cenk Sahin has been released from his training and playing duties with immediate effect,” St Pauli said in a statement. The Turkish Football Federation posted a tweet after the Albania game last week, which showed the players and coaching staff in the dressing room making the military salute. In the tweet, the federation wrote that the team “dedicated their victory to our brave soldiers and fellow martyrs.”
West Ham United’s role in engaging young Muslims using the power of football The proportion of Premier League players from racially diverse backgrounds is constantly increasing, with West Ham United among the many clubs to possess cosmopolitan squads drawn from across the world. However, there is still a lot more work to do around making football inclusive to all. The West Ham United Foundation is striving to break down barriers, using the power of football and the West Ham United brand to inspire and educate. This ethos saw Foundation employability and coach education manager Rashid Abba join 500
mosque leaders, young Muslims and other figures from the world of football – including Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury and the Football Association’s coach mentor officer Steve Smithies – at the Muslim Council’s #OurYouthOurFuture event at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium. Discussions and interactive workshops were held, focused on working out ‘how mosques can better engage with an increasingly disenfranchised youth through football and other initiatives’. The Foundation does incredible work across the community,
including facilitating multi-faith tournaments, offering qualifications to local coaches, and then by continuing to support them in setting up their own provisions. “I am privileged and proud to be able to present at the Muslim Council of Britain,” said Abba, who led a workshop looking into setting up mosque-based football clubs. “It is an honour to be able to showcase our values and be a positive influence for others so that we can continue to unite our community and inspire better futures.” www.pi-media.co.uk
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The Islamic Caliphate in a Historical Context www.pi-media.co.uk
Part 39
The wars of apostasy that had lasted 11 years took its toll on the strength of the Muslim armies that had managed to overcome the rebellions that had sprung up across the Arabian Pennisula. However, the historical foes of the Arabs, namely the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires posed a grave threat to the fledgling Islamic state and vice versa as far as the political map of the Arabian Pennisula was concerned. For Abu Bakr, the main priority was to secure and defend the borders from external threats and influences and therefore adopted the mantra ‘attack is the best form of defence’ when addressing the threats posed by the dominant forces present in the region at that time. We can safely say the significance of this move was not to signal the commencement of the creation of a ‘caliphate’ or empire straddling all four corners of the globe but to preserve the Islamic
state from being destroyed in its infancy. The Sassanid Empire for centuries had held power and influence across the Middle East and Central and South East Asia and Greece for centuries through its ability to destroy the opposition by mustering gigantic armies when going to war. Zoroastrianism namely a monotheistic faith was effectively used by the Sassanids to reinforce power by demanding loyalty from its people through the claim that the emperor was the vicegerent of Ahura Mazda the supreme God of the faith. It should be said that the Sassanids like their Byzantine counterparts no longer basked in their former glories anymore and thus had been severely weakened by ever burgeoning debts incurred after several military conquests over the centuries. Consequently, this led to a situation where raising finances no longer became an easy task especially when engaging in military
operations. The Islamic State under the auspices of Abu Bakr and Khalid Ibn Walid were presented with a golden opportunity to fulfil the pressing security objective of the day by going on the offensive against the Sassanids in Iraq and aiming to secure its borders. Abu Bakr was not dissuaded by the situation of facing multiple threats on its doorstep and ordered Khalid Ibn Walid to enter Iraq and attack the Sasaanids with intense vigour. Four major battles centring upon the areas of Wallaja, Ullais and Hira were waged by the Islamic State again the Sassanids in 633 AD. Hira, the de-facto capital of the Sassanids came under intense attack due to the superior number of men at Khalid’s disposal and fell in spectacular fashion in the same year as little resistance was provided the defenders of the city at the time. www.pi-media.co.uk
Who to turn to when looking for a Muslim Marriage Partner? www.pi-media.co.uk
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By Nadia Mohammed, Personal Match UK, Director
Nowadays Muslims within the UK are no longer relaying solely on their parents to introduce them to potential partners. I am not someone to speak negatively on meeting within the home, it has worked for years and has a high success rate with couples getting matched, it’s us that’s changing. Why are we changing? A simple answer is, we want more. More in every way, I am not generalising here, but what seems to be the reason is the more we achieve the more we require our partner to have achieved. This isn’t everyone but to an extent everyone has a standard that either that themselves have created or exposure to social media has had an impact on. The way of looking of looking for a partner is so uncertain, there isn’t one mainstream way to find someone. A lot of the times it happens within the avenues you least expect. That may be online, through families, friends, colleagues, through a service etc. One thing that shouts out to me when speaking to so many individuals throughout the years is Trust. Who can we trust? The first
answer that comes to mind is our parent/family, they want what’s best for us but even they can’t hit the nail on the head when it comes to finding us the right person every time. I can’t tell you where or when you will find a partner but I can help you identify signs. These are so important, it will give you control back into your life and no longer trust blindly for someone to find you a partner. You should feel confident in your choice. When you speak to them, do they make you feel comfortable? Normal? Like yourself? Instincts and gut feelings are usually right and we let our thoughts overtake this. An educated choice is always more reliable. Does that person(S) ask you questions that click in your head and you think ‘oh yeah, nobody has actually asked me that before’. They should help you identify what you want in a partner, if you are unsure deep inside what qualities in a partner you want, how can they match you with just an age and occupation? Ask to speak to previous or current people they have matched to
ask any questions Do they seem like they know what they are talking about? The marriage industry isn’t the easiest. That person needs the experience in speaking to different people and understanding what is needed to match them. They should also advance on what they have learned to make it a smoother process. There should be no grey areas, any questions you have they should answer for apart from “when will I get married?” The way they introduce you to someone, do you like the way they do it? Does it in keep with your comfort level and values. Allow a few days to think over before making a payment (if required), within 2/3 days. Do your research, are there better options out there? By better I do not mean cheaper, I mean more advanced and with a higher chance of providing you with what you are looking for. Have you built rapport with that person or service? Do they treat you with respect? Search for reviews online. These points are brief but crucial when making a mental, emotional, financial investment and commitment to finding a partner. Look at what options are open to you out there and once you actually speak to a few people who can help you find your marriage partner you’ll know who is genuine. There are genuine people and services out there you just need to find one that delivers. By deliver I don’t mean they will get you married as nobody can promise that but those who will introduce you to high quality potential partners.
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I November 2019
Can’t Cook,Won’t Cook! Take-out or Eat-in? Life is Hard! By Moulana Khalid Dhorat
We were seated in a five-star restaurant surrounded with all types of delectable dishes. For starters, we had shish kebab, aloo paratha, papad, and corn soup. Not sure with what dish to start with, someone piped up: “What dish is Sunnat to eat first?” The question caught us all off-guard. A lively debate then followed as to whether it’s sunnat to eat the dessert before or after the meal. Whilst all this was going on, someone who had some free airtime decided to phone Shaikh Mithai who shocked everyone with his answer: “Never mind when to have dessert, our Noble Master, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was never lavish in his meals. He never had a two-course meal ever in his life; at times, days would pass and no food was cooked in his home. His bread was made of course barley and at times of severe hunger, he would tie stones on his blessed belly. His simplicity was such that he preferred picking up the dates from the ground, rather then shaking the branches of the tree to make the fresh fruit fall upon him. His sunnat was hunger and his table was the floor.” As Shaikh Mithai was on speaker phone, everyone heard and instantly, no one felt hungry anymore. Of all animals, man is the only specie that eats without being hungry, drinks without being thirsty, and speaks without necessity. Today, whilst some of us routinely spend over £100 per meal in a restaurant, some twenty
million Muslim refugees are forced to adopt the extreme sunnat of hunger adopted by our Noble Master (peace be upon him) as his regular habit. This is the irony of life. The Almighty, out of His sheer kindness, forces some of us to become close to Him through death and suffering, whilst some are given a chance of attaining the same level through thanks and appreciation. If we do not show our thanks by means of moderation in our lifestyle, we might be also be given the “cup of bitterness” in order to realise our follies. So let us change our extravagant lifestyles before it’s too late! Getting back to the above example, it shows how we British have come to understand Islam only in a modern context. No one bothers to understand the Sunnah in its original context anymore. You see, Islam must be bent to suit our lifestyles, and not our lifestyles adjusted to accommodate Islam. Because of this, we have misunderstood many aspects of Islam. One of our most basic needs is food choices, and yet our understanding of this is very important aspect of life is very different from how it’s supposed to be understood. Let us examine only the aspect of Halaal which we have grossly misunderstood: Definition of Halaal
Many may have learnt what Halaal is in whist studying in Madrasah, but it seems many have forgotten that lesson. For many of us now, “Halaal” simply means looking for a stamp which resembles a moon and a star, or a circle with a “H” on packet of crisp, chocolates, sweets or drinks. It also means looking for the same sign on the door of a restaurant or a cafe, whether the outlet sells wine and pork, or not, whether Muslim-owned or not. Surprisingly, today we actually have Muslims who think that the concept of Halaal only applies in one’s hometown; on a journey, anything can be eaten and drunk. Others think that it’s not important to slaughter an animal according to Islamic rites. The recitation of “Bismillah” before eating is sufficient. Some believe that you can play a recording of “Bismillah” to an animal when slaughtering it, whilst others believe that even if a Christian or a Jew slaughters it without the recitation of “Bismillah,” it is Halaal. Some believe in machine-slaughter, and some do not. A friend was once travelling through a country and happened to stop at a cafe which had a Halaal sign on the door. After ordering his meal, he casually asked the owner if he knew what the sign on the door meant. He said: “It’s a lucky charm. Many people have started buying my hamburgers since a friend gave me the sign.” He quickly cancelled the order and decided to rather buy his meal from the next town. Here, he was in for a bigger shock. The waiter told him: “When a person says he wants Halaal, it means I must put some per-peri sauce in it!” The poor guy had to settle for an apple and a bun that day! In another instance, a person was standing in a queue waiting for his order when the waiter arrived with a trolley full of chickens bought from the supermarket down the road. When he asked her if it was halaal, she said: “Whenever we run short of chickens, we buy from that supermarket. As long as the first batch of chickens are halaal, we can mix any chickens with them in the middle of the month. When the Halaal inspectors come, we only show them
www.pi-media.co.uk I November 2019 the halaal invoices!” For this franchise paralysed. In the washing process, no blood should contaminate the owner, Halaal meant a teaspoon of meat, and similarly no contamination sugar to sweeten up his cup of tea! should take place in the packaging, So, everybody understands transportation, and refrigeration Halaal differently, when in fact, there phase. supposed to be no difference at all Halaal does not end here. Let’s in this issue. In the UK, every few examine the following few examples: months, we have huge fights over Eating ice-creams from nonwhether our chickens are halaal Muslim vendors where different or not, and which E-Numbers are flavours are scooped. Most of these suitable or not. Modern methods vendors serve flavours that contain of mass-slaughter have indeed some liquor like “Rum & Raisin.” A posed serious challenges, so it’s scoop of Rum & Raisin is served to a important for you, the end-user, to non-Muslim. Immediately thereafter, independently find out, from both the scoop is juggled in a dish of water parties as to why do they believe its before serving a Vanilla flavour to a halaal or haraam. Then you should Muslim customer. This may seem satisfy the inner voice in your heart. If correct, but what is not realised is there remains even an iota of doubt, that essentially the water in which the rather abstain. It must be understood that the scoop is juggled has already been contaminated by the liquor. issue of halaal and haraam, like When ordering vegetarian food fundamental beliefs (‘aqidah) is from a non-halaal eatery, are separate not negotiable. Let’s not fall in to knives and cutters used? Also, did the modern trap of “respecting unbridgeable differences” to neutralise the waiter change the gloves when switching from meat to vegetable the truth, place the truth on par Foods? More importantly, do the with falsehood, or present it as an acceptable variation of the truth. Many waiters wash their hands after visiting the bathroom? Many cases of food a time, unacceptable differences are artificially created and we are asked to poisoning have been reported when traces of faeces were found in the respect such differences in the name food. of “unity” on a particular issue. Such A Muslim family spent a weekend unity only causes further disunity. at a popular non-Muslim holiday resort Such unity is indicative of a lack of where a supper buffet was included principle and ethics. It’s grounded in in the package. The vegetable food expediency and personal gain. section was placed immediately next Understand it in this way. We to the meat food section. Whilst in may have minor differences with our the queue, it was noticed that a few wives or partners – differences in people used the spoon from the meat temperament, food habits, and travel casserole to dish out the vegetable preferences. casserole! These should be overlooked For supper, the food griddle was and negotiated. Then we have used to prepare meat-balls, but for un-unacceptable differences in breakfast, omelettes were made on behaviour like cheating, perpetually the same griddle. Although it was lying, drinking and drugging. You can washed after supper, but nobody accept a burnt pot of food now and can guarantee that every bit of fat or then, but who will accept living with meat residue was removed from the an adulteress (unless if you are an griddle. During re-heating, the residue adulterer yourself)? In such instance, is melted and combined with whatever the two shall amicably part and food is being cooked! pursue their separate ways. In the same vein, many people use public braai-stands without replacing Back to Basics the iron griddle placed on it, or placing So let’s go back to basics. Halaal a foil over it. The fat residue from the is what’s slaughtered in the name meat of previous users is inevitably of the Almighty, physically, at the combined to the meat placed on hands of a Muslim. Care should be it by the next user. This is severe taken that the animal be treated as contamination! Basting brushes humanely as possible in all respects. The jugular veins of the animal should should also be checked. Industrial dishwashers used by be slaughtered in a way that the hotels and restaurants use a large blood freely flows out of the carcass, amount of water per wash. In order to taking with it all the toxins contained save on water usage, the water used in the blood. The spinal cord should is recycled especially for washing not injured or the animal stunned to drinking tumblers. Also, the crockery the extent that the nerves become
FEATURED I 23 and cutlery are not separated. All are washed together, so the remnants of wine and non-halaal food residue may be mixed during washing process, then dried with the residue stuck on. Even after strictly observing all the rules of halaal, if we purchased the food with ill-gotten wealth, the food will also be termed as haraam. Haraam food is such a serious matter that it has been effectively used by many tyrannical kings in the past and the present to ensure that the prayers of the pious against them are not accepted. Also, it seems that Halaal has become big business nowadays. Instead of only halaal food, we now get “halaal” cruises, “halaal” phones, “halaal” game lodges and even “halaal” prostitutes! Halaal is about protecting the consumer, not exploiting him.
Eating in Public Another important issue is the concept of the modern restaurant. It may come as a surprise to many that eating in public was regarded in classical Islam as the hallmark of lowly behaviour. Eating is a sacred act, and food is a gift of the Almighty to sustain life in order to worship Him. It should be taken with dignity in the privacy of one’s home. The testimony of a person who habitually ate in the market-place was not accepted in a court of law. Today, however, the trend has completely reversed. Eating has become an art and an entertainment, not a necessity. People crave to be seen in the best restaurant, sipping exotic drinks in the most eye-catching spot. Eating a cooked meal at home over a weekend is a sign of senility. Fast-foods were initially meant for immigrant labourers who did not have families, and sandwiches were used by gamblers at the gambling table. Today, everybody uses them for their convenience – a convenience which is not free from many dangers. I’m not against many of these fast-food outlets, and I really look forward to my Biryani for Friday lunch, but when the balance is between convenience and the acceptance of my worship, I will opt for the latter, and so would you. Finally the saying “What you put in is what you get out.” cannot be more accurate with regards food. Just as infected food causes sickness to the body, haraam food spiritually affects us. A person can not be near to his Lord with haraam food in his belly; and so, the devil guides us to the worst type of thoughts and actions in this condition.
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