Inside this month
Saladin
Islam in Fiji
Unmasking 7/7 mystery Issue: 16
July 2009
Mighty warrior with a humble heart
Conspiracy? As rumours swell that the government staged 7/7, victims’ relatives call for a proper inquiry
Last month BBC Two broadcast a documentary called The Conspiracy Files 7/7 and In the absence of a public inquiry into the 7 July bombings, conspiracy theories have filled the vacuum. One of the more inflammatory involves a 56minute homemade documentary from Muad Dib also known as John Hill”. It follows a stream of allegations about the 2005 bomb attack on London. The film, entitled 7/7 Ripple Effect, accuses former PM Tony Blair, the government, the police and the British and Israeli security service of murdering the innocent people who died that day, in order to shore up support for the “war on terror”. The narrator alleges the four men blamed for the bombings were in fact fall guys in a government
plot to win support for the war on terror; they were tricked into travelling to London with rucksacks on that day. CCTV that shows them arriving in London was supposedly just to incriminate them. The film claims that they were not on the trains that blew up. It’s alleged the three men blamed for the Tube bombings were in fact murdered by police at Canary Wharf, after government agents set off preplanted explosives to frame them. Chairman of the Birmingham Central Mosque, Dr Mohammed Naseem said. He has long harboured doubts about the government account. “The Ripple Effect is more convincing than the government statement,” he
says. Dr Naseem made copies of 7/7 Ripple Effect for the mosque. At Friday prayers he asked the congregation to raise their hands if they did not accept the government version - nearly the entire gathering did. Muad Dib theory on the fact that on 7 July 2005, there was a mock exercise preparing for a possible terror attack on the London underground, with a very similar scenario to what happened ”. But Peter Power, a former Scotland Yard police officer, says on 7 July, the exercise he ran was office-based and involved just six people from a publishing company and when seeing 7/7 Ripple Effect, he found it “quite menacing and worrying”.
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I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS
the Passion -
Passion Islam
I July 2009
By Majed Iqbal
Sarkozy calls for burka ban A Superiority Complex?
Not enough with banning the headscarf from government institutions and buildings including schools, colleges and universities, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy sparked off deeper controversies by calling for the burka to be banned. The comments were aired in the first presidential address in 136 years to a joint session of France’s two houses of parliament where the French premier described the burka, a veil, worn by many Muslim women as part of their Islamic attire as a “debasement” of women – and not welcome in France. He added: “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. The burka is not a religious sign. It’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement”. “I want to say it solemnly; it will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic. We find it intolerable to see images of these imprisoned women when they come from Iran, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia.” MEP Chris Davies from the North West added more fuel to the fire when he stated that the burka does not belong in 21st century Britain. “In my experience, the burka acts as a mask, reducing identity and discouraging women from developing their own skills and personality.” Europe has witnessed rising rates of intolerance against minorities which have most often been ascribed to right wing parties. However, many statements like the French Presidents have signaled a very fine line line between right wing parties and ‘mainstream’ ones in Europe especially related to tackling Islamic and Muslim related issues. According to a survey of global opinion released in September 2008, it found that more than half of Spaniards and half of Germans said
that they did not like Muslims and the figures for Poland and France were 46% and 38% for those holding unfavorable opinions of Muslims. The survey mentioned “Opinions of Muslims in almost all of these (European) countries were more negative than are views of Jews,” analysts said. While Americans and Britons displayed the lowest levels of anti-Semitism, one in four in both countries were hostile to Muslims. Despite the French premier glossing
French Secular values as the ideal for any society, a quick track record at Frances record towards women is one worth considering before embarking on the debate of treatment of Muslim women. According to 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices report, there was a 21 percent increase from 2006 to 2007 in the number of women killed by their spouses in domestic violence disputes (from 137 to 166) whilst current figures have shot to 400 a year. Approximately 38,000 women are raped each year in the country. Sarkozy was keen to highlight how secular values must be the benchmark for France and seemed to gleam at the achievements made in France in ensuring equality for all. However, despite laws which require that women receive equal
pay for equal work the 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices report highlighted that there was a gender pay discrepancy of around 25 percent. According to a 2007 survey by the government’s statistical agency, fewer than 20 percent of private sector executives were women, despite comprising 58.5 percent of the public workforce. French women comprised approximately 50 percent of cabinet ministers in the government and were generally underrepresented in the legislature and in other levels of government leadership. The War on Terror has now re-defined its focus to addressing what are acceptable Islamic ideas and practices and what are not such that Muslim women are now being questioned on even their dress code and role in Society. The unprovoked debate of the burka to be brought into the limelight only once again serves to show the efforts in the last years in many European countries actively pursued by governments to force feed secular values to Muslim communities which themselves are questionable and open to scrutiny and debate. Hence Sarkozy confirmed this when he said “I tell you, we must not be ashamed of our values, we must not be afraid of defending them.” It seems that the French Premier was towing a similar tone like the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did in 2001 when he cited that “Western civilisation is superior to Islamic civilisation”. The French Premier talked about “Debasement” of Women who wore a burka but has yet to answer for the divide in gender opportunities, sexual harassment at the workplaces and the rising rates of domestic violence that are carried out by men against women in France to this day.
Write to: Editor, Passion Islam, PO Box 159, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 1AD or email: info@passionislam.com - www.passionislam.com This Magazine contains Ayaat of the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (SAW), please ensure you handle it with respect & care - Sukran
I July 2009
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Court revokes “exile” decision
Passion Islam
A decision by the British Government to “exile” a terror suspect from London on the basis of secret evidence must be revoked, the High Court, in central London, ruled. A judge ruled the decision was flawed because the father of five had not been given enough information to mount a fair defence. The 36-year-old, known only as BM, was forced to move away from east London to a flat in Leicester, central England. He is accused of belonging to a “network of Islamist extremists”. BM was moved to Leicester in May through a modification to a control order already restricting his movements. The Government said the move was necessary to stop BM associating with his extremist contacts and his removal from London was necessary to minimise the risk of him absconding. BM’s lawyers argued at the High 170309_148x210_Natrate_Passion IPage 1 17/03/2009 15:07:31
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Court that his continuing “internal exile” infringed his civil right to occupy his home. The judge agreed and ruled the modification to his control order deprived BM “of a civil right for a
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I July 2009
Muslims rally against sex-ed plans Faith based communities rally against government plans to introduce sex education at the primary level
Nearly 2,000 Muslims in Britain have teaching sex-ed earlier age. signed a petition against a proposed “Our concern is that these teachings sex education curriculum, protesting are prematurely sexualizing children the government’s push for compulsory at a psychological level,” Tahir Alam, a sex-ed for children as young as five. spokesperson for the Muslim Council Classes about personal, social of Britain’s education committee said and health matters including sex and “Such teachings erode the innocence relationships will be compulsory for all schoolchildren aged five to 16 when the new school year starts as part of the Sexual Relationship Education (SRE) curriculum in all of Britain’s schools from ages five to 16 according to a government report currently released for public consultation. The curriculum, proposed by the government as a solution to the country’s growing rate of teenage pregnancy, the highest in Europe, is of children.” currently open for public consultation. “The whole subject is not taught And Muslims are to tell the government from a values framework, but from that they oppose teaching sex in a value-free framework. It says ‘you school. children you make your own minds The government has also called up’,” he added. for more school-based clinics to Muslims in the west are not the provide contraception while Britain’s only faith-based community that Department for Children, Schools and 260209_148x210_STD_Passion IslamPage 1 27/02/2009 10:37:10opposes sex education in schools. Families has urged schools to begin Conservative Christians and Orthodox
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Jews have also campaigned against sex education in schools across Europe and the United States. The same debate has raged for years in the United States, where conservative Christians have led the fight against compulsory sex education arguing that they have a religious objection protected under the first amendment. Muslim parents in Britain fear early sex education will sexualize children way too early, Alam said Britain’s plan does not recognize the need of Muslim parents to maintain the Islamic identity of their children and stressed that parents and schools should work together to determine the material taught to impressionable children. The petition says sex education is the responsibility of the parent and therefore should be imparted within a domestic framework where it can be taught based on Islamic teachings that prohibit premarital sexual relations. It also demanded the right of parents to withdraw their children from sex-ed classes.
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Home-Grown UK Terrorist
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I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS
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A man was arrested in Lowestoft, Suffolk for initially abusing a train conductor. It later emerged, after being searched, that he was carrying component parts of two “viable, improvised incendiary devices” , the jury heard at the Old Bailey. Forty-three year old Neil Lewington was described by the prosecution to be a fanatical racist who wanted to target those he thought were “non-British”. Brain Altman QC leading the prosecution gave reports of the evidence that supported his statement. In the event of Mr Lewington’s house being searched, following his arrest, it was revealed that a notebook entitled “Waffen SS UK members” handbook, which contained drawings of electronics and chemical mixtures was found. In addition, “the police discovered evidence that the defendant sympathised with and quite clearly adhered to white supremacist and racist views.” An “unhealthy interest in the infamous “London Nail Bomber” David Copeland, who was a
member and local unit leader of the Neo-Nazi British National Socialist Movement and targeted the Black, Asian and Gay communities in his 13day bombing campaign. Mr Altman said: “The effect of these finds is to prove that this man, who had strong if not fanatical right-wing leanings and opinions, was on the cusp of embarking on a campaign of terrorism against those he considered non-British. “In the privacy of his own bedroom and far from the gaze of his parents with whom he lived, this defendant had amassed the component parts of and had begun the manufacture of improvised explosive or incendiary devices,” He had been unemployed for 10 years after being sacked from his last job for being drunk and, though he lived with his parents, he had not spoken to his father for 10 years. His mother said he had placed Plasticine in the keyhole of his bedroom door so no-one could see inside, the court
The publication of a book by a former top UK counter-terrorism officer has been blocked by the Attorney General Baroness Scotland, her office said. Baroness Scotland stepped in at the last minute to obtain an injunction preventing “The Terrorist Hunters” from hitting the shelves. The book, by retired Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman focused on the struggle against Islamic terrorism in the aftermath of the July 7 attacks on the London transport system. It also looked at the murder of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko and gave a behind-thescenes glimpse of top-level political and intelligence work. An advisory notice highlighting the injunction, granted by an unnamed High Court judge, was circulated to newspaper editors late last night. Further details of the reasons
behind the injunction cannot be published for legal reasons linked to continuing criminal proceedings. Thousands of copies of the 372-page book were delivered to bookshops nationwide ahead of its publication. Large sections of the Bantam Press book, co-written by former BBC home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore, were also serialised in The Times newspaper. The British media said a copy of the book was provided to the Crown Prosecution Service two months ago. Sources close to the publication said it was vetted by officials at the Cabinet Office, MI5 and the external intelligence agency MI6 but no copy was passed to Scotland Yard. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has complained that he was not given a preview of its contents.
I July 2009
heard. The court also heard that Mr Lewington, described as “a loner”, had met a number of girlfriends through mobile phone chatlines. One said she was put off when he made racist remarks, while another - an army cadet sergeant - said he asked if she had dealings with the Nazi group Combat 18, a splintered fraction of the National Front related to the British National Party. Mr Lewington is accused of preparing for terrorism by having the bomb parts in a public place. He also faces two charges of having articles for terrorism - including the weedkiller, firelighters and three tennis balls – two more charges of having documents for terrorism and another of collecting information for terrorism. Two further counts allege he possessed an explosive device “with intent to endanger life” and that he had explosives, namely weedkiller. He denies eight charges related to terrorism or explosives.
Ex-counter terror officer book banned
I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS
I July 2009
Police plan 30-minute response to head off attack
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British police are being trained to deal with incidents similar to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, it was revealed. A Police firearms units, already trained to shoot to kill if necessary, are being taught to head off the danger of a siege in the crucial first 30 minutes, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. Hotel staff are being trained to spot terrorists on reconnaissance missions as well as how to evacuate guests - or whether to advise them to lock themselves in. Should a hostage situation develop, the elite squad known as the SAS would be put on standby and attempts would be made to try to limit the information Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command have visited India to learn lessons from the attacks which killed 173 people and wounded 308 over the course of three days in November last year. Officers have made a series of presentations within the Metropolitan Police and Government warning that a Mumbai-style attack is a real possibility. They believe that terrorist groups with links to the criminal underworld might be trying to buy arms because they are easier to obtain than
Passion Islam
explosives. One senior police officer told the Telegraph: “It is one of the biggest threats we face and we have learnt important lessons. Almost all the deaths inside the hotels occurred in the first half an hour and the terrorists were not prepared for the long siege that ensued.” A senior government official said that counter-terrorism officials have had a “lot of detailed briefings” which concentrate on training police armed tactical response units to “act quickly for public protection”. “This has been an eye-opener and we are refreshing our plans,” the official added.
Language analysis for Palestinian and Kuwaiti asylum seekers
The Government has announced that asylum applicants claiming to be from Palestine or Kuwait may in future be asked to have their language analysed. This will enable immigration officers to check whether these asylum seekers are in fact of different nationalities. If applicants refuse to undergo language analysis, this refusal may be taken into account when deciding whether they have assisted in establishing the facts of their case. The requirement for language analysis will remain in place for 11 months until April 2010, when it will be reviewed. More information is provided in a Written Ministerial Statement, which you can download from the right side of this page.
Passion Islam
I July 2009
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BNP ordered to accept ethnic minority members or face prosecution The British National Party has been ordered to accept members from ethnic minorities and employ black and Asian staff or face prosecution. In a letter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, was told that he had less than a month to provide written undertakings that the party would abide by race relations legislation. John Wadham, legal director of the Commission, said that the watchdog was concerned that the BNP’s constitution and membership criteria could be in breach of the law. In a statement, the watchdog added: “This exclusion is contrary to the Race Relations Act which the party is legally obliged to comply with. The Commission therefore thinks that the BNP may have acted, and be acting, illegally.” There were further concerns over the requirement on new staff to be party members, and fears that elected BNP representatives would be unwilling to provide help and support to non-white constituents. If the BNP does not provide written undertakings by July 20 that it will make the changes required by
the Commission voluntarily, then the watchdog said that it would apply for a legal injunction which would compel them to comply. Any breach of a court order would be a criminal offence and leave the party’s leaders open to prosecution. Mr Wadham said that the Commission had a legal duty to ensure that political parties were not breaking the law by discriminating against ethnic minorities. He added: “The legal advice we have received indicates that the British National Party’s constitution and membership criteria, employment practices and provision of services to constituents and the public may breach discrimination laws which all political parties are legally obliged to uphold. “Litigation or enforcement action can be avoided by the BNP giving a satisfactory response to our letter.” The BNP has been ordered to provide a written undertaking that it will not breach race relations laws in its “employment, recruitment, procedures and practices”. On the BNP’s website, applicants for party jobs are asked to supply a membership number. The Commission
said that this amounted to a potential breach of laws which ban parties from refusing employment on the basis of non-membership of an organisation. Earlier this month, two BNP members, including Mr Griffin, were elected to the European Parliament, the highest office enjoyed by party representatives to date. The Commission said that it was concerned that they and the party’s local councillors did not intend to provide their services on an equal basis to all constituents irrespective of race or colour. A spokesman for the BNP said that the party would not be commenting.
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I July 2009
New guidelines to help Christians and Muslims share faith
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The first ever set of guidelines giving advice for Christians and Muslims who want to share their faith in an ethical way was launched at Islamic Relief’s Headquarters in London. The guide, which contains 10 points of advice, has been produced by the Christian Muslim Forum, a national body set up in 2006 to improve relationships between the two faiths. Youth Specialist on the Forum, Dr Andrew Smith, was the key speaker at the launch. He has been working for the evangelical organization Scripture Union in inner city Birmingham for the past 14 years and has been active in promoting his own faith whilst at the same time seeking to listen to and understand his Muslim neighbours. “Speaking with local Muslims and sharing my faith has been fascinating, stimulating, even fun, but at times it has become competitive, aggressive and has left a nasty taste in my mouth. I was left feeling frustrated and defensive and with no wish to do it again,” he said. “Talking to others I realized that this was a common experience, so the idea of a set of principles that would help both faiths avoid this, seemed to me an obvious way forward.” Speaking alongside Dr Smith will be Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Interfaith spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain. He recognizes that this is a controversial and sensitive area “Islam and Christianity are two world religions that are missionary and therefore are ever vying with each other for converts,” he said. “But we should be able to speak of our faith honestly and with conviction, without demeaning or ridiculing others. “There is no place for coercion or manipulation, he said adding, “It is our hope that these ethical guidelines will be adopted by many Christian and Muslim organizations.” The launch will be chaired by the Vice-Chair of the Christian Muslim Forum, Dr Richard Cheetham, the Bishop of Kingston, and will be attended by representatives from Muslim and Christian missionary organizations.
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Islamic garden will be ‘Europe wide phenomenon’
Passion Islam
I July 2009
A Multi-million pound Islamic garden for High Wycombe could be a “Europe wide phenomenon” one of its backers has said. Clare Martens said the planned garden would be a “tourist attraction” and hopefully bring Muslim and nonMuslim communities together. Addressing community leaders she said: “It will be an enormous boost to quality of life in the town.” Yet she said it was unlikely public money would be available to finance the garden, for which no location has been earmarked. Volunteers want to raise £1m to buy land and employ an architect and
LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS
designer through donations. The former Labour councillor said: “It is going to cost a lot of money.” Adding the “time is right” for the development she said: “The likelehood of it being donated by a public body is unlikely but obviously it is a possibility.” Fellow backer Mohammed Rafiq, a Labour member of Wycombe District Council, said the garden would be for everyone. He said: “People think it is really for the Muslim community. I think that is far from it. “It is something to be enjoyed by everyone.”
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The garden would “break down barriers in an enjoyable and soothing way”. Wycombe MP Paul Goodman, a shadow minister responsible for community cohesion, said the garden could resemble the garden of Andalucia in Spain, where Jews, Muslims and Christians mix. Any scheme would need planning permission from the district council. They were speaking at a seminar organised by the Council for Christian and Muslim Relations for High Wycombe at Bucks New University. www.passionislam.com
Blair knew of secret interrogation policy: report Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was aware of the existence of a secret interrogation policy which effectively led to British citizens, and others, being tortured during counterterrorism investigations. In a report, the Guardian revealed that the policy, devised in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, offered guidance to MI5 and MI6 officers questioning detainees in Afghanistan whom they knew were being mistreated by the US military. The policy was set out in written instructions sent to MI5 and MI6 officers in January 2002, which told them they might consider complaining to US officials about the mistreatment of detainees ‘if circumstances allow’. Mr Blair indicated his awareness of the existence of the policy in the middle of 2004, a few weeks after
publication of photographs depicting the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. It was around this time, Foreign Secretary David Miliband told MPs that the policy was changed, becoming more ‘comprehensive and formal’. In a May 24, 2004, letter to the intelligence and security committee (ISC), the group of MPs and peers that provides political oversight of the UK’s security and intelligence services, Mr Blair said that rather than considering making a complaint, ‘UK intelligence personnel interviewing or witnessing the interviews of detainees are instructed to report if they believe detainees are being treated in an inhumane or degrading way’. When the Guardian pointed out to Mr Blair that it had not suggested he had authorised the use of torture, but had asked whether he had played any role in the approval of a policy that led to people being tortured, his spokesman replied: ‘Tony Blair does not condone torture, has never authorised it nor colluded in it at any time.’ But there is growing evidence of MI5’s collusion in the torture of British terrorism suspects in Pakistan,
where officers of the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate were asked by MI5 to detain British citizens and put questions to them prior to an interrogation by MI5 officers. Several other men have come forward to say they were questioned by British intelligence officers after suffering brutal torture at the hands of Pakistani agents, and there have been similar allegations of British collusion in the torture of British citizens in Egypt, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. While a small number of the victims were subsequently tried and convicted in the UK, most were released without charge. International concern about Britain’s involvement in torture has been mounting for some time. In February, Martin Scheinin, a UN special rapporteur on human rights, reported that British intelligence personnel had ‘interviewed detainees who were held incommunicado by the Pakistani ISI in so-called safe houses, where they were being tortured’. Mr Scheinin added that this ‘can be reasonably understood as implicitly condoning torture’. www.passionislam.com
First Mosque to be constructed in Ukraine 12
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The construction project of the first mosque in Kiev, capital of Ukraine has started with the presence of Islamic countries’ ambassadors and the country’s Muslims. According to CİHAN, attending the ceremony marking the start of the AlRahmah mosque construction project were the ambassadors of Algeria, Lebanon and Indonesia. With the completion of the project
in a few months, Ukraine’s Muslims will be able to perform their religious rituals at the new mosque. The construction site used to be a prayer house too small for Kiev’s 3000 Muslims. Talking to reporters, Mokaddem Bafdal Algerian ambassador to Ukraine said, “This is a great success for Muslims of the country. They can now have a mosque after many
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years in which to worship, a success gained through Islamic unity and brotherhood.” Expressing satisfaction over the establishment of a mosque in Kiev, Ukraine’s Mufti, Sheykh Ahmad Tamim Jahan said, “Muslims from various nations have contributed to this project and this is a sign of Muslim unity which history will never forget.” www.passionislam.com
10th Moscow international Quran First Quran competition to be contested memorization
A press conference was held in Moscow featuring the 10th edition of Moscow’s international Quran competition, ruvr.ru website reported. Rushan Abbasev, an official with
Russia’s fatwa department, said at the press conference that Russia regards holding the competition at the international level as very important. He added that Quran reciters from 20 countries will attend the contest this year, showing a significant rise in the number of participants from different countries. “Moscow’s international Quran competition will begin on July 16 and participants will compete in the categories of Quran memorization and recitation,” he said. Mr. Abbasev noted that the competition’s jury panel would be made up of prominent international Quran reciters and Mohammad bin Rashad Al-Husseini would chair the panel. “There will be sideline programs including poster and painting exhibitions during the competition,” he went on to say.
Complaint lodged against Bollywood star A complaint was lodged against Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for making statements against Islam in a magazine. “We have registered an FIR against Shah Rukh Khan after we received an application from an advocate who alleged that the actor
made some statements hurting the sentiments of Muslims,” senior police inspector of Bandra police station, Prakash George, said. The complaint was registered against Shah Rukh and the publisher of the magazine and the writer, he said. The case was
registered under section 295-a (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religion feelings or any class by insulting its religion beliefs) and 34 (acts done by several persons with common interest) of IPC. Shah Rukh was unavailable for comment
center in Gaza Central Prison
Palestine Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs opened the first Quran memorization center in the training section of the Central Prison of Gaza. According to Ma’an, Imad Addajni, director of the Quran Memorization office of Palestine’s Endowments Ministry said that the center opened to hold a Quran memorization programe in cooperation with the Public Relations Office of the Central Prison in Gaza. “The prisoners learn Quran and practice Quran memorization and will be granted both material and spiritual awards by Palestine Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. “Based on the agreement made with the interior Ministry, those prisoners who succeed in memorizing the whole Quran will be granted remission of their sentence which will encourage other prisoners to memorize the holy Quran,” Addajni said.
Muslims offer 100,000 Qurans to US leaders
Passion Islam
I July 2009
America’s top Muslim civil liberties advocacy group launched its “Share the Quran” campaign, in which it will hand out 100,000 free copies of Islam’s holy book in an effort to reach out to the country’s elected officials and influential opinion shapers. The initiative, which has been labeled an educational campaign, was announced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at a press conference in Washington and was said to be prompted by President Barack Obama’s recent speech in the Egyptian capital of Cairo in which he repeatedly quoted from the Quran to reach out to Muslims. “ When he quoted the Quran on the fundamental values we share such as sanctity of human life, racial diversity, importance of speaking the truth, we believe it was a surprise to many people not familiar with Islam “
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CAIR executive director Nihad Awad “When he quoted the Quran on the fundamental values we share such as sanctity of human life, racial diversity, importance of speaking the truth, we believe it was a surprise to many people not familiar with Islam,” CAIR’s executive director Nihad Awad told the Washington Post. One of the group’s stated objectives was to target “local elected and public officials, media professionals and other local or national leaders who shape public opinion or determine policy” to give them a better understanding of Islam based on the Quran and not on sensationalized media stories. The initiative was “also to provide an opportunity for American Muslims to reach out to their fellow citizens of other faiths,” CAIR’s Board Chairman State Sen. Larry Shaw said. “ The initiative is also to provide
Gaza’s mud homes build hope
With no cement or construction materials being allowed by Israel or Egypt into the Gaza Strip, residents are starting to build homes out of mud, using earth excavated from smuggling tunnels that provide an uncertain lifeline to the outside world. One of the first people to build a mud house, after two years of an Israeli blockade of the Hamasrun coastal enclave, was Jihad Muhammad Shaer, 36, a preacher in the southern strip. With tens of thousands left homeless after the war earlier this year, Gaza’s Hamas rulers are now planning to construct homes, clinics, kindergartens and
even mosques from mud. Hamas has earmarked $1 million (£600,000) to develop temporary, three-storey mud homes, inspired largely by Mr Shaer’s modest house on the sand dunes outside Rafah. The house, covering 70 sq m (750 sq ft), took two months to build and cost $3,000. Built just before the war began, it has withstood the winter rains and now protects the preacher, his wife and their young children from the harsh summer heat. “The walls are also good because they are bulletproof,” smiled Mr Shaer, before adding: “But we really need rocketproof homes.”
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an opportunity for American Muslims to reach out to their fellow citizens of other faiths “ CAIR Board Chairman State Sen. Larry Shaw”Share the Quran” is a multi-year initiative and American Muslims have been asked to donate $45 to their local officials to sponsor the distribution of the more expensive Qurans, which include Arabic and English texts and English commentary. In 2007, a group of 24 Oklahoma lawmakers refused to accept a copy of the Quran as a gift from the Ethnic American Advisory Council as part of the state’s centennial celebration. The initiative is an outgrowth of CAIR’s “Explore the Quran” campaign and is part of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Washingtonbased council, which has 35 offices across the U.S. and in Canada.
Muslim Woman Fired in New Jersey for Wearing Hijab
A US federal court has been asked to decide whether Essex County discriminated against Yvette Beshier, a Muslim corrections officer, when it fired her for refusing to remove her head scarf. The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing the county Department of Corrections of wrongfully dismissing Beshier. She had been suspended and later given the sack for wearing a khimar, a Muslim head covering, on the job. Corrections officials said it violated the department’s uniform policy. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the job on the basis of race, color, sex, religion or national origin. It also requires that employers make “reasonable accommodation” for religious practices. But when Beshier asked officials to make an exception to the uniform policy to allow her to follow her religious beliefs, they refused.
I WORLD NEWS
I July 2009
Hezbollah MP meets British diplomat for first time
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Hezbollah parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad met British ambassador Frances Guy in the first such contact in Lebanon between the Shiite group’s political wing and a senior British official. “The talks covered the recent election and the situation in the region,” Hezbollah said in a statement. “I believe the doors are open to further meetings,” Raad told AFP. In March, Britain authorized lowlevel contact with the political wing of Hezbollah to stress the urgency of disbanding militias. “ Our objective with Hezbollah remains unchanged: that they reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with the U.N. Security Council resolutions “ British Foreign Office spokeswomanLondon has had no official talks with Hezbollah since 2005, and last July added its military wing to a blacklist of designated terror groups. The British embassy confirmed that the talks had covered local politics. “Basically the meeting covered the elections and the formation of a new government,” an embassy press
Passion Islam
officer told AFP. Lebanon’s outgoing government of national unity was to hold its last meeting on Thursday before parliament is dissolved later this month to make way for the new legislature elected in a June 7 poll, in which a Hezbollah-led alliance, backed by Iran and Syria, lost the election to a Lebanese coalition. The meeting also covered United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, the press officer said. Resolution 1701, passed unanimously in 2006, ended a devastating 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution demanded the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon but Hezbollah has retained its arsenal insisting it is needed for resistance against Israel. A Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said her country would hold talks with Hezbollah members “who are legitimately involved in Lebanese politics and those who are involved in violence and supporting terrorism.” “Our objective with Hezbollah remains unchanged: that they reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in
Lebanese politics, in line with the U.N. Security Council resolutions,” she told AFP. “We believe that occasional and carefully considered contact with Hezbollah’s politicians, including its MPs, will best advance this objective,” she added. “We will be taking a pragmatic approach to speaking to known moderates, political figures who to the best of our knowledge have no links with acts of violence.” www.passionislam.com
Mansouri studied law in France, and is a daughter of a former assistant to the local authority chief in Marrakech, which has a population of
more than one million. “Her election reflects the image of a modern Morocco,” said the secretary general of her Party for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) Sheikh Muhammad Biyadillah. Following the June 12 local elections, PAM won 43 seats in Marrakech second to al-Ittihad alDoustouri party, which won 50 seats. PAM, despite ranking second, managed to ally with a number of parties and form a majority coalition of 62 members to support Mansouri. www.passionislam.com
Morocco’s Marrakech elects first woman mayor A 33-year-old lawyer became the first woman to be elected mayor of Marrakech, one of Morocco’s biggest cities and a key tourist destination. Fatima Zahra Mansouri outpolled veteran outgoing Mayor Omar Jazouli by 54 votes to 35 in Monday’s municipal council vote, becoming the second woman to take a mayoral position in Morocco after Asmaa Chaâbi, mayor of Essaouira. “I am honored to lead Marrakech city hall,” Mansouri said. “I hope to be able to measure up to this new challenge.”
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WORLD NEWS
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U.S.: Report Blasts Terror Financing Laws and Investigations
Muslim charities in the United States are subject to unfair treatment by the government under terrorism financing laws, according to a new report which says the effect has been a chill on charitable giving that violates Muslims’ right to freely practice an important requirement of their religion. The laws “create a climate of fear and distrust in law enforcement and undermine America’s diplomatic efforts in Muslim countries,” says the 164-page report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), “Blocking Faith, Freezing Charities”, released. Furthermore, the reduction in charitable aid to the Muslim world and the perception that Muslims are unfairly targeted hurt the U.S. image abroad, especially among Arabs and Muslims who harbor antiU.S. sentiments and with whom U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to win favour. Obama even referred to the difficulties U.S. Muslims have giving to charities as part of his recent speech
meant to start a “new beginning” with the Muslim world. In terms of terrorism and those global affairs, the report says the treatment of U.S. Muslim charities “actually undermines counterterrorism efforts”. The laws were built upon existing terrorism financing laws in the wake of the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington. The George W. Bush administration expanded the Treasury Department’s authority over such issues by executive order – without going through Congress to approve the changes in the law. Just three months after the announcement, the three largest Muslim-American charities had all their assets frozen, “effectively shutting each of them down”, said the report. In what the report called a “pattern of conduct that has violated the fundamental rights of American Muslim charities and has chilled American Muslims’ charitable giving in accordance with their faith”, seven charities to date have been designated as “terrorist organisations” by the Treasury Department. Perhaps most troubling, the groups are given little chance to stand up for themselves because of Treasury processes that shut down the charities “without notice, and through the use of secret evidence and non-transparent procedures” tactics the ACLU cites in the cases of
The international conference on “Interfaith Dialog and its impact on propagation of human values in the world” is to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, by World Islamic Society on July 16 and 17 this year. According to Naseej, quoting the General Secretary of the Muslim World League, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, “The Switzerland Conference is to be held under the supervision of King Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, in line with Makkah and Madrid Interfaith Dialog Conferences.”
Included among the topics for this conference are “dialog and humankind”, “interfaith dialog and its impact on propagation of human values”, “dialog among civilizations in the contemporary human society”, “prospect of coexistence among civilizations”, “religious values and their role in rectifying the society” and “mass media and their role in promotion of interfaith dialog”. Underlining the need for further dialog among leaders of religions and implementation of the conferences results and recommendations, he
six of the charities. Only three of the groups have been charged and only one convicted of any wrongdoing. Furthermore, says the report, the Bush administration then would “trumpet” its actions and make “inflammatory and unfounded or exaggerated allegations” about the connections between the charities and terror groups. “The effect of these government actions,” says the report, “is to create a general climate in which law-abiding American Muslims fear making charitable donations in accordance with their religious beliefs.” The over 120 Muslim American donors and charity officials interviewed by the report painted a picture where donors are afraid to fulfill their religious obligation to give to charity because they fear investigation by the authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said the report’s author, ACLU human rights researcher Jennifer Turner. “Zakat”, as followers of Islam call charitable giving, is one of the “five pillars”, or core beliefs of the faith. The “chill” resulting from the shutdowns and close government scrutiny obstructs “free and full exercise” of Islam. Obama, in his Cairo speech designed to reach out to the Muslim world, acknowledged that fulfillment of the Muslim duty of zakat had been made more difficult in the U.S.
Interfaith Conference to be held in Switzerland
went on to say: “Joint meetings among leaders of religions will have a direct link with propagation of human values, peaceful coexistence, promotion of peace and security in the world, and the battle against evil and religious extremism.” He went on to underline the need for further efforts by Islamic organizations and institutions with the aim of promoting the Islamic human values in the world, and providing a global awareness of the moderate and peaceful Islamic principles. www.passionislam.com
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I July 2009
Gujarat Rights Panel says biased cops beat Muslim men
The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in India has found “biased and prejudiced” policemen publicly caned Muslim youths at the behest of some “Hindu organizations” following a communal clash in the town of Savarkundla, Saurashtra, in January this year. The police also attempted to book the Muslim youths under the tough Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act, and falsely implicated a local journalist who tried to photograph them assaulting the youth at a crossing in the town, the SHRC has said in its report. In its report, the SHRC said: “It is
evident that the police had planned well in advance on the demands of Hindu organizations to publicly beat up the Muslim youths — this is extremely regrettable and shameful. The police should not have violated human rights or incited communal passions to appease Hindu organizations, instead of containing communal passions... this requires further inquiry and therefore a report is sought.” On January 9, four Muslim men allegedly attacked one Govind Parmar, owner of a hardware store, and looted his shop in Savarkundla’s main bazaar. Late that night, all four men were arrested.
Some traders and Hindu leaders, allegedly from the VHP, then pressured the police to beat the men in public. On January 10, a group of policemen including Police Inspector (PI) M N Trivedi and Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) BP Sonara, brutally thrashed the accused on the street outside the town’s Nariya police chowki. The police also beat up several other Muslims unrelated to the incident, including a pregnant woman in her home. Among the victims of the police beating was journalist Iqbal Gori, who was present at the spot along with other local journalists, and taking pictures of the beating.
Abu Dhabi plans to recycle Quran pages
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I July 2009
Green is a symbolic colour of the environment, but also of Islam. In a program uniting the environment and religion, the Abu Dhabi waste management centre is preparing a new system, the first in the world, to collect and recycle sacred texts and all paper with religious content. Islamic tradition dictates that copies of the Quran, like other religious texts, should not be thrown on the ground or thrown away when they are worn out. ‘’We are preparing a system that will allow for these texts to be destroyed and reused according to Islamic law,’’ explained the manager of the Majdi al-Mansuri waste management centre to ANSAmed, ‘’paying attention to Islamic and ecological practices’’. Currently, in all mosques, there is a specific container for sacred texts, but the waste management centre is proposing to guarantee the complete separation of the text from all material starting with the initial phases of recycling. Mosques will be equipped with specific containers to deposit the materials. They will be closed from the outside and usable only by
WORLD NEWS
specific individuals, and will hold an internal shredder that will reduce the holy texts into thin strips. A sensor will go off when the container has reached capacity and a special mobile unit will collect the ‘’sacred waste’’, which will be recycled and reused, since it will be ‘uncontaminated’. Still in the planning stages, the project is making use of funds from about 250 mosques in the Abu Dhabi area, and will be discussed with the Religious Affairs Ministry. But the original ideas of the ‘green’ revolution, which with billions in investments, are transforming the working arrangement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will not stop here. A pioneering group of young architects, led by Professor Ahmad Mokhtar of the American University of Sharjah, inspired by Masdar City, a self-sustaining and zero pollution city which is taking shape near Abu Dhabi, has developed a series of projects for ecological mosques. The first objective is to optimise the use of electricity and water in mosques, which, due to the requirement to carry
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out ablutions before each prayer, use large amounts of water. The mosques have also been studied to exploit the solar potential of the country, making use of solar panels and wind, by using ‘’wind towers’’. Older mosques, open on all four sides due to the architectural style in the UAE, have allowed for cool air to enter naturally and for warm air to exit, keeping them cool for centuries. This style disappeared with the creation of air conditioners, the towers will be used in mosques in various ways, starting with the high minarets.
Germany Muslim population grows Germany has discovered it has more Muslims than suspected, with a government survey concluded that about 5 per cent of the entire population was Islamic. The poll was funded by the Interior Ministry for a series of conferences between officials and Muslim groups, after complaints that there was no reliable information on the Islamic population or their views. The survey report, released in Berlin by the Interior Ministry, calculated that about 4 million people in the country were Muslim, well up from the past estimates of 3.1 to 3.4 million based on immigration data. Germany’s overall population is around 80 million. Pollsters phoned 6,000 households with 17,000 residents. To understand how observant they were, families were asked if they ate pork or drank alcohol. Among Sunni Muslims, 91 per cent said they followed Islamic
food and drink practices. The rate among Shiites was 60 per cent and among Alawites 49 per cent. Berlin opened the talks in 2006 with a range of Muslim and secular Turkish groups amid concerns about homegrown terrorism, but officials soon found at the meetings that Muslims had concerns of their own, especially about German public schools. Muslim parents are annoyed that Christian children receive doctrine classes at schools during school hours, whereas religion teachers for the Muslim children are rare. Of those polled, 75 per cent said all Muslim pupils should be offered Islam classes. Some parents also object to daughters being compelled to don bathing gear for school swimming classes or sleep in dormitories with boys present. The survey found 7 per cent of
Muslim girls skipped swim class and 10 per cent did not take part in overnight class excursions, often with a polite excuse, because schools refuse to provide single-sex arrangements. In a summary, the ministry said access for Muslims to well paid jobs remained a problem, with many Muslim young people, especially Turkish youths, leaving school without qualifications, but social integration was better than most Germans believed. More than half of Muslims were members of German-run organizations such as sports clubs or parents’ associations. The survey also suggested that Muslims may have some weight in German elections, since 45 per cent of the minority are German nationals, either by birth or by naturalization. The rest have kept the nationality of their country of origin. www.passionislam.com
Saladin
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I OPINION FEATURE
Passion Islam
I July 2009
Mighty warrior with a humble heart Saladin (1137 -1193) (‘Salah Addin Yusuf Ibn Ayyub) founded the ethnically Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt and Syria. He was also a renowned leader in the Crusades for his military prowess against the Crusaders and his honorable mercy to them.
Rise to power He was born into a Kurdish family at Tikrit on the river Tigris. After an initial military education under the command of the Seljuk statesman and soldier Shirkuh, Saladin defended Egypt against the Crusaders and abolished the Fatimid caliphate in 1171. He took power in Egypt with the title of sultan, though many Seljuks refused to serve under a Kurd. His position was tenuous at first, as no one expected him to last long in Egypt where there had been many changes of government in previous years due to a long line of underage caliphs. As the leader of a foreign army from Syria, he also had no control over the Egyptian army, which was led by the now otherwise powerless caliph. With his brothers, Saladin turned Egypt essentially into a vassal state of his own family, against the wishes of Nur ad-Din who had sent Shirkuh and Saladin to Egypt in the first place. He also restored Sunnism in Egypt. Fighting the Crusaders On two occasions, in 1171 and 1173, Saladin retreated from an invasion of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. These had been launched by Nur ad-Din,
and Saladin hoped that the kingdom would remain intact as a buffer state between Egypt and Syria, until Saladin could gain control of Syria as well. Both Nur ad-Din and Saladin were planning a war against each other when Nur ad-Din died in 1174. Saladin then marched on Damascus, and was welcomed into the city. Aleppo and Mosul, on the other hand, the two other largest cities that Nur ad-Din had ruled, were never taken, but Saladin managed to impose his influence and authority on them in 1176 and 1186 respectively. While besieging Aleppo on May 22, 1176 the “Assassins” attempted to murder him. While Saladin consolidated his power in Syria, he generally left the Crusader kingdom alone, although he was usually victorious when he met the Crusaders in battle. One exception was the Battle of Montgisard in 1177, although he soon recovered and defeated the Crusaders at the Ford of Jacob’s Daughters in 1179. However, the Crusaders repeatedly provoked him. Raynald of Chatillon, in particular, harassed Muslim trading and pilgrimage routes, and threatened to attack Mecca with a fleet on the Red Sea. In July of 1187, Saladin invaded the Kingdom of Jerusalem and annihilated the Crusader army at the Battle of Hattin. Saladin captured and executed Raynald; he also captured King Guy. He then recaptured Jerusalem on October 2, 1187, after 88 years of Crusader rule. Soon he had taken back every
Crusader city except Tyre. Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem prompted the Third Crusade. This Crusade took back Acre, and Saladin was defeated by King Richard I of England at the Battle of Arsuf in 1191. Saladin’s relationship with Richard was one of mutual respect as well as military rivalry. When Richard was wounded, Saladin even offered the services of his personal physician; at Arsuf, when Richard lost his horse, Saladin sent him two replacements. There were even plans to marry Richard’s sister to Saladin’s brother. The two came to an agreement over Jerusalem in 1192, whereby it would remain in Muslim hands but would be open to Christian pilgrimages. Not long after Richard’s departure, Saladin died in 1193 at Damascus, where his tomb is now a major tourist attraction. Recognition Despite his fierce opposition to the Christian powers, Saladin achieved a great reputation in Europe as a chivalrous knight, so much so that there existed by the 14th century an epic poem about his exploits, and Dante included him among the virtuous pagan souls in Limbo. The name Salah ad Din means “Light of the Faith”, “Righteousness of the Faith” or “Weapon of the Faith”, and through the ages Saladin has been an inspiration for Muslims in many respects. A province centered around Tikrit in modern Iraq, Salah ad Din, is named after Saladin.
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OPINION FEATURE
Damascus, Syria, Saladin Tomb
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I SPECIAL CHARITY FEATURE
Passion Islam
I July 2009
Falling pregnant is a gift from Allah
Once a woman has confirmed her pregnancy, she should express her gratitude before Allah Ta’ala as this is indeed a great bounty of Allah Ta’ala. This is such a boon that many people beseech Allah Ta’ala throughout their lives for pious children but Allah Ta’ala has destined otherwise. In fact one of the greatest Nabîes of Allah Ta’ala, Hadrat Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) used to supplicate to Allah Ta’ala most profoundly and frequently. Even Hadrat Zakariyya (Alayhis salaam) used to supplicate for children most passionately and fervently during the latter part of his life. Hence, a Muslim woman is required to express her gratitude unto Allah Ta’ala for this great bounty.
Gratitude may be expressed in the following ways: Recite the following Du’aa very frequently: Allahummâ Lakal Hamdû Wa Lakash-Shukru Translation: O Allah! All praises are due to You alone and I express my gratitude unto You alone (for granting me the honour of motherhood). Allocate a fixed time for two Rak‘aat of Nafl Salaat. Whilst in Sajdah, make Du‘aa abundantly. Recite the following Du’aa as well: Rabbi Hab Liy MinLadunka Zurriyatan-Tayyibah Innaka Sam‘iud-Du’aa Translation: O my Lord! Bless me from your side with pure children. Verily
You are all-hearing of the Du’aa.
Recite the following Du’aa as well: Rabbi-j‘alniy Muqeema-Salaati wa min Zurriyatiy Rabbanaa wa Taqabbal Du’aa Translation: O my Lord! Render me as well as my progeny as establishers of Salâh and accept our Du’aas. Similarly, express your gratitude from the heart in such a manner that you stay happy and try to stay happy at all times. Try to forget all your past sorrows. Build your dreams and keep your hopes and spirits high. Ponder over the bounties of Jannat. Instead of embroiling yourself in the daily disputes with the mother-inlaw and sisters-in law and instead of
Passion Islam I July 2009 involving yourself with the unbecoming behaviour of your husband, maintain strict silence. On the impending happiness of the birth of your child, maintain a friendly and trouble-free relationship with all. If you do tend to hurt anyone, apologise immediately and try to forget about the dispute. If you continue vexing others, the evil effects of this nature will fall on the unborn child as well. The conditions of the mother during pregnancy, in fact even her spirit and perceptions during this state has a profound effect on the unborn child. Hence, a Muslim woman should express gratitude at all times especially during the period of her pregnancy. This gratitude should in turn develop in her the love of Allah Ta’ala. She should ponder that since Allah Ta’ala has blessed us with so many bounties, we should also devote ourselves to Him. To disobey such a majestic benefactor – by strutting about veil-less, watching television, videos, backbiting etc. – at any time and especially during pregnancy is not acceptable. Allah Ta’ala showers His bounties upon us and we in turn disobey Him!?
The first month of pregnancy Remember that you are not a single entity now. Now a child is being nourished within your own body. With a bit of precaution on your part, this child may become healthy, intelligent, understanding, pious and religious. However, with your negligence and indifference, the child may turn out to be weak, sickly and incompetent. Hence, your life should not be the same as it was before you fell pregnant. Every moment should be passed with caution and concern over the well-being of yourself as well your child. Therefore, pay careful attention to the following points: Be careful with your diet. Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. Avoid over-eating and abstain from food that can cause constipation. Eat green, fresh vegetables, like
t s Ju K AS
salads, cucumbers etc. in abundance. Make sure that they are clean and washed before use. Drink lots of sour-milk and milk. Drink as much milk as your digestive system can handle. Milk is a very blessed form of nutrition. After consuming other types of food, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would utter: Allahummâ At‘imnâ Khayran-Minhu Translation: O Allah! Grant us food better than this (in Jannat). However, milk is of such a blessed nature that there is no food better than milk since after drinking milk Rasûlullâh ? recited the following Du’aa: Allahummâ Bârik Lanâ Fîhî wa Zidnâ Minhu Translation: O Allah! Bless us in this and increase it for us. In other words, whilst drinking milk, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) did not ask for something better (as he did in the case of other foods), because there is no better food than milk. This is why he beseeched Allah Ta’ala for Barkat (blessing) and increase in it. In short, a pregnant woman should drink lots of milk because Allah Ta’ala has placed the vitamins and proteins required by the human body in milk. If pure or raw milk is detrimental to you, consume it in other forms like Lassî (curds), sour-milk, custard, Khîr etc. This is beneficial to the mother as well as the child. Abstain from tea, coffee, Pân (betel leaf), oil, Ghee, chillies and oily foods. Besides affecting the digestive system, these foods are detrimental to the muscles and nervous system of the mother and may also affect the child. Ensure that you refrain from all types of medication during pregnancy especially pain-relievers. If you are really desperate, consult a reliable female (or male) doctor explaining your pregnancy and conditions to her. It should not be such that you are prescribed medication that is injurious to pregnant women. Some medication
SPECIAL FEATURE I 21 clearly states on the lable that it is not advisable for pregnant women. Hence, if you are really desperate to use some medication, make sure you scrutinize the lable and make thorough investigation before use. In the first three months and the last month, in fact from the seventh month onwards, avoid sexual contact with your husband. This at times, adversely affects the mother and the child. Avoid sleeping late. Try to get at least eight hours of peaceful sleep. This will ensure that your body and mind is well rested. This in turn is beneficial for the child as well and it may simplify delivery of the child. Avoid excessively hard work and picking up very heavy objects as this may lead to a miscarriage. If your cruel mother-in-law or hard-hearted sister-in-law compels you to pick up heavy objects or forces you to carry out some difficult task, then excuse yourself very politely and explain to them that this task is beyond you and that you will pay a labourer to carry out this task. However, if your cruel mother-inlaw or hard-hearted sister-in-law fails to take pity on your condition, explain your helplessness to your husband and with his permission, go to your mother’s house to rest. If you are a sister-in-law to another woman (your brother’s wife), don’t be cruel to her as well. The moment she falls pregnant, try to make her comfortable and relaxed at all times. Your benevolence won’t be directed to your sister-in-law alone but you will be showing mercy to a sinless child, a priceless gem, a blossoming flower, the coolness of your brother’s eyes, a luminance of this worldly life and a source of perpetual reward for the hereafter. The degree of happiness and comfort of your sister-in-law or daughter-in-law will, Inshâ Allah Ta’ala, determine the well-being, health, robustness and happiness of the new arrival.
If you have a Question regarding this subject or any other featured articles we have covered please email us o info@passionislam.com and we will forward it onto our team of Scholars to answer.
I SPECIAL FEATURE The sending down of water is a mercy unto mankind as attested by the following verses of the Quran: “We sent down pure water.” (25:48) “We send forth the winds which fill the clouds with water and We make the rain descend from the sky. Then we grant it to you for drinking and you do not have control of its treasures.” (15:22) Commenting on this verse, Allamah Shabbir Ahmad Uthmani Rahmatullahi alaih states: “The rainy winds bring heavy clouds filled with water. Then the rain descends from these clouds and fills the rivers, springs and wells for your benefit. If Allah willed, He would not have made it drinkable. However out of his compassion, He made very sweet and palatable water collect in the crevices of the earth for your drinking purposes throughout the 12 months. Furthermore you do not have any authority over the treasures of rain nor are the springs and wells in your control. When Allah wills, He sends down the rain. Neither can you prevent it nor can you bring it when you desire. If He dries up the water of the wells and springs or He makes it go deeper into the ground beyond the reach of man, then how can you have control over it? Mufti Muhammad Shafee Rahmatullahi alaih writes: “This divine system of providing water has thousands of bounties within it. Firstly, it is a great favour (of Allah) to create this water. The second bounty is to make it reach all parts of the earth by means of the clouds. The third gratuity is to make it palatable. To provide man with the opportunity to drink it is the fourth favour. The fifth benignancy is to provide a complete and perfect system of storing this water (by means of rivers, springs, wells, etc.). Then to afford man the opportunity of satisfying himself with this water is the sixth act of divine benevolence because the water can be present but there can be some impediment or obstacle which prevents him from drinking it. The verse, “Then we grant it to you for drinking and you do not have control of its treasures,” is an indication to this divine benefaction. Glory be to Allah, the best of Creators. (Ma’ariful Quran Vol 5 Page 281) “Do you see the water which you drink. Do you make it descend from the clouds or are We the Descenders? If We so desire, We can make it bitter. Then why are you not thankful?” (56:69,70) Nabi,’(Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam), after drinking water used
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Loving the beauty of
Water
to say: “All praise be to Allah who provided us with sweet palatable water to drink and He did not make it bitter and salty due to our sins.” (Ibn Katheer) If we are grateful for these favours of Allah, He will grant us more. We as Muslims should be setting an example to other communities on how to conserve water and not to be wasteful. “Indeed those who squander are the brothers of Shaytaan.” Buraydah Radiallahu anhu narrates that Nabi Saliallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Whenever a nation refrained from paying their zakaat, Allah inflicted them with drought and poverty.” (Tabrani) Hadhrat Muaaz Radiallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah said: “Guard yourselves against sin because the wrath of Allah descends in the wake of sin.” (sunan Ahmad) Rasulullah Saliallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Verily, man is deprived of sustenance because of the sins which he perpetrates.” (Sunan Ahmad) Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar Radiallahu Anhuma narrates that once ten of them were in the company of Rasuluilah Saliallahu alaihi wasallam when he said: “I seek the protection of Allah from five things which may overtake you. When immorality becomes rampant in a people, they will be overtaken by epidemics and such diseases which never existed before. When a nation is involved in giving less weight and measure, it will be overtaken by famine, hardship and oppression of the authorities. When a community stops paying Zakaat, rain is withheld from them. If it were not for the animals in their midst, never would rain have fallen for them. When people violate pledges and promises, Allah will overwhelm them with their enemies from other nations. Thus the enemy will take their wealth by force. (ibn majah).
“Whatever calamity afflicts you is due to your actions and Allah overlooks many sins.” When a catastrophe afflicts a nation, it does not only affect the individual sinners, but it engulfs the entire community, the pious as well as the impious. It is therefore imperative to reform ourselves, refrain from sins and execute the orders of Allah Ta’ala. In this regard, hereunder follow some guidelines for the preservation of water. *A Muslim should be thrifty and cautious in the usage of water at all time; not only during a drought. Even if one’s at the bank of a river, it is not permissible to squander the water and use it as one likes. Only that amount must be used which suffices for one’s needs. * Whilst making wudu, one should not let the tap run continuously. The tap should not be opened full. Whilst making masah etc. one should close the tap. * Do not engage in conversation in’the ablution block whilst making wudu. Besides wasting water, talking of worldly things during wudu is incorrect and abominable. * When taking a ghusl, less water is used by utilising a bucket. If one has to use a shower, one should do so with moderation and not let excessive amounts of water be wasted. *Avoid extravagant use of water when washing the car or watering the garden. Sprinklers should not be left open for such a long period that the water begins to flow off the lawn or the flower patch. *Mend all leaking taps and pipes as this can lead to a substantial saving in water. In short, conserve this precious bounty in whatever way you can. May Allah Ta’ala forgive our shortcomings and shower us with abundant beneficial rain. Madrasah lslamia- South Africa
The Treasure of the
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I July 2009
‘They forsake their beds of sleep while they call on their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend of what We bestowed them. No person knows what pleasures are hidden for them as reward for their (good) deeds.’ (Surah Sajdah Aayat 16-17)
One of the 13 signs of the slaves of Allah (Ibaadur Rahmaan) is: ‘They are those who spend the night prostrating and standing before their Lord, i.e. in Tahajjud Salaah.’ (Surah Furqaan Aayat 64) The performance of Nafl Salaah (Tahajjud) during the latter part of the night or the early hours of the morning was the constant practice of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. Sayyidatuna Aaishah [radhiallaahu anha] says: ‘Do not abandon the Salaah of the night, for certainly Rasulullah r would never leave out his Tahajjud Salaah. If he r would be ill or weak, he would perform tahajjud while sitting.’ (Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith1301; Sahih ibn Khuzaymah Hadith1137) Tahajjud was also an integral part of the lives of the Sahaabah [radhiallaahu anhum] who were known to be knights / warriors by day and devout worshippers by night. Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] has encouraged the Ummah to perform Tahajjud. The Fuqahaa (Jurists) have classified Tahajjud as the most significant of all Nafl Salaahs. (Tahtaawi pg.393) Sayyiduna Abu Umaamah [radhiallaahu anhu] reports that Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] said: ‘Be mindful of the night Salaah (Tahajjud) for certainly, 1) It was the practice of the pious before you, 2) It is a means of gaining proximity
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Night
to your Lord, 3) It atones sins, and 4) It serves as a barrier from disobedience.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith3549; Sahih ibn Khuzaymah Hadith1135) In other Ahaadith, Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] has described Tahajjud as: 5. The best of Salaats after the Fardh Salaah 6. An honour for a true believer 7. A cause of extreme pleasure to Allah 8. A means of easily acquiring paradise 9. A protection from sicknesses and diseases. (al-Targheeb vol.1 pg.423-435) The Ulama mention that from among the many benefits of Tahajjud one is that it brings Noor (Divine glow) to one’s face and it protects a person from the terror of the day of Qiyaamah. It was the advice of Nabi Sulayman’s [Alayhis salaam] Mother, ‘O my son! Do not spend much time sleeping at night, because this causes a person to become destitute on the day of Qiyaamah.’ (Sunan ibn Majah Hadith1332) The best time for Tahajjud Salaah is after half the night passes upto the last part of the night (before Subh Saadiq). It is during the last third of the night wherein Almighty Allah accepts du’aas and proclaims: ‘Is there anyone seeking sustenance that I may sustain him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness that I may forgive him.’ (Sahih Bukhari Hadith1145) Hafiz ibn Rajab al-Hambali [ra] mentioned the following while commenting on the auspiciousness of this part of the night, ‘It is the best of times for Salaah, at that time the servant is closest to Allah, the doors of
the skies are opened and the du’aas (supplications) are accepted by Allah Ta’ala.’ (Lataaiful Ma’arif pg.56) Imaam Ahmad ibn Harb [ra] says, ‘Surprising is the condition of he who knows that paradise is being adorned above him and that Jahannum is being lit beneath him, and he continues to sleep between the two?’ (al-Matjarur raabih pg.130) However, if one is unable to wake up at that part of the night, then one may perform Salaatul layl (Tahajjud) any time after Esha Salaah. Rasulullah r said, ‘Whatever is performed after Esha is counted from the night, i.e. it will be considered as Salaatul layl Tahajjud.’ (al-Targheeb vol.1 pg.430; Shaami vol.2 pg.24) It was also the practice of some Sahaabah [radhiallaahu anhum] to perform their Tahajjud before sleeping. (ibn Abi Shaybah Hadith6679) One should bear in mind that it is Mustahabb (preferable) to offer the Witr Salaah last, i.e. after the Tahajjud Salaah. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith998; Shaami vol.1 pg.369) However, during Ramadhaan, one should offer the Witr with congregation even though one intends to peform Tahajjud later on. (Maraaqil Falaah pg.386) One who is uncertain of awakening at the latter part of the night should offer the Witr before sleeping and if one awakens later during the night, one may offer the Tahajjud Salaah. However, one should not repeat the Witr. (Shaami vol.1 pg.369) One may perform upto 12 Rakaats of Tahajjud. (Mirqaat vol.3 pg.238) The approach of Ramadhaan offers an ideal opportunity to inculcate the habit of practicing this salient Sunnah of our beloved Master [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. www.passionislam.com
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I SPECIAL FEATURE
Passion Islam
I July 2009
Islam in Fiji
The Muslims of Fiji comprise around 7% of the population (62 534). The Islamic community is made up of people of Indian origin, who were brought to the islands in the late 19th century by the British colonial power. The majority of the Indian community is however, Hindu. Around 16% of the Fiji’s Indian community is Muslim. There are also a few hundred indigenous Fijians, including the wellknown politician Apisai Tora, who have converted to Islam. Muslims are mostly Sunni followers Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi (59.7 percent) or unspecified (36.7 percent), with an Ahmadiyya minority (3.6 percent) regarded as heretical by more orthodox Muslims. In the 1966 elections a Suva-based Muslim communal party, the Muslim Political Front, took part.
History By the end of the 19th century, Islam was firmly established in Muslim India. Muslim migrants had had Islam in their families for generations when the first ship brought Indian indentured labourers to Fiji in 1879. The first indentured labour ship, Leonidas, had an unusually high proportion (22%) of Muslims. Between 1879 and 1916, a total of 60,553 labourers were brought to Fiji from India under the Indenture system. Of those who came from Calcutta, 6557 were Muslims, while 1091 Muslims came from Madras, 1450 from North- West Frontier, Baluchistan-Afghanistan and Punjab. Life during Indenture While, with the loss of the caste system, Hindus did not have any institution binding them together, the
Muslim faith was affected little by travel to a far off land, although initially there was a lack of mosques and learned leaders. Most of the religious duties and festivals were maintained, but under the harsh reality of the indenture system, it was difficult to pray five times a day and observe the full fast of Ramadan. C.F. Andrews, in his report after his first visit to Fiji, noted that religious decline had not been as rapid amongst Muslims compared to the Hindus, and on his second visit wrote that Muslims had retained their social system and religious life was showing signs of revival. Muslims played their part in protest against indenture. In 1907, a group of indentured labourers went on strike in Labasa, because they were being asked to work on the cane plantations, whereas on recruitment they had been promised jobs as policemen. Most of these were Afghan-Indo Pashtuns and Punjabis were Muslims. Hindu-Muslim Relationship during Indenture Although Muslims lived as a separate community in India, the early indentured labourers spoke the same language as their Hindu brethren and the two communities lived together amicably. There was also a high proportion of inter-marriage between Hindus and Muslims. The South Indian Muslims were easily absorbed into the larger North Indian Muslim community and did not suffer as much prejudice as their Hindu counterparts. There was cooperation between Hindus and Muslims in the celebration of various festivals, the best example of which was Mohurram, a Shia celebration, when Hindus and Muslims worked
together to build a decorated edifice, called the Tazia, which was carried to the sea in a procession where it was abandoned. Fiji Indian Muslims From 1884 onwards, as labourers completed their five years of indenture, Muslim communities began springing up in different parts of Fiji. They tended to be small, often isolated, but recognising the need for contact and cooperation among themselves for social and religious enhancement. There were, amongst the first Indian labourers, Muslims who were literate and sufficiently versed in Islam to assume leadership roles and to lead prayers. Prayer meetings, initially in homes, helped foster an Islamic identity and inculcated a sense of unity. The arrival of Mulla Mirza Khan, as a free-immigrant in 1898, was a boost to Islam in Fiji as he contributed a lot to the educational and religious needs of the Muslims. In 1900 a mosque was built in Navua on land provided by the Fiji Sugar Company, a small mosque and school was built in Nausori on land provided by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company and another mosque was built in Labasa in 1902. In 1909, Muslims made submissions to the Education Commission, for Urdu to be taught in the Persian script to their children. In 1915, the Anjuman Hidayat ul-Islam petitioned the government for the solemnization of Muslim marriages by a kazi and recommended its secretary’s appointment as one for the Suva area. In Lautoka, the Isha Ithul Islam emerged and in 1916 and was directing its efforts towards building a mosque there.
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I July 2009
Establishment of Fiji Muslim League By 1908 there were about 4000 Muslims in Fiji, a third of them still indentured. In 1915 the Anjuman Hidayat-e-Islam was established in Nausori and in 1916 the Anjuman Ishait El Islam was established in Lautoka. Around Suva there were only about 70 Muslims, without a school or a mosque. But as the number of Muslims in the capital city steadily grew, Anjuman-e-Islam was formed in 1919. The Fiji Muslim League was formed on 31 October 1926, at a meeting at the Jame Masjid in Toorak. Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji (MIAF) represents approximately 30% of the Sunni Muslims in Fiji who are mostly followers of Imam Shafi. The followers of Imam Shafi in Fiji are the descendants of Muslims of Malayalam origin who came to Fiji under the indenture system from Kerala in South India between 1903 and 1916. The other Sunni Muslim organisation in Fiji, the Fiji Muslim League, represents all other Sunni Muslims in Fiji who are mostly followers of Imam Hanafi. The organisation originally operated under the name of Then India Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji since it was officially formed in 1942. One of the most prominent past President and Speaker of the Association was the late Hon S.M. Koya. The Association owns mosques in Lautoka, Ba and Tavua. Role of Fiji Muslim League in Education and Welfare The Fiji Muslim League has made valuable contribution in the field of education in Fiji. The first school, Islamic Girls School, was already in existence in 1926 and is today known as Suva Muslim Primary School. Today, the Fiji Muslim League owns and manages seventeen primary and five secondary schools plus a tertiary institution (Islamic Institute of the South Pacific). The Fiji Muslim League accepts as students and staff members of all ethnic groups domiciled in Fiji. In 2000 its student population was: 4464 in secondary and 5243 in primary schools. In the secondary schools 3015 were Muslims, 994 Fijians/Christians, and 455 others, including Hindus. The Fiji Muslim League provides help for tertiary studies for needy Muslims through loans from its Education Trust and the Islamic
Development Bank. Of the two IDB loan/awards for tertiary studies one is given locally for information technology and the other for the study of medicine in Pakistan. Most of the latter in recent times have been allocated for training Muslim female doctors; some have qualified and are working in Fiji. Besides education, the Fiji Muslim League from its outset has attempted to assist in satisfying all the social needs of Muslims. Currently its involvement in social welfare is both at national and branch levels. In times of natural disasters or turmoil the Fiji Muslim League directly helps Muslims whose homes and lives are disrupted. Its charity keeps many families clothed, fed and housed, and Muslim children sent to school. Muslims and Politics Since 1929 the Fiji Muslim League has sought to obtain separate representation for Muslims, in the Legislative Council till 1970, and in Parliament (both the House of Representatives and the Senate) since 1970. Except for the period between 1932 and 1937, Muslims have been represented well in Fiji’s Parliament. From 1937 to 1963, there was always one Muslim nominated into the Legislative Council out of a total of five Fiji Indian representatives. Thus Muslims were represented by 20% of the Indian members in the Legislative Council, when they formed approximately 15% of the Fiji Indian population. In the expanded Legislative Council of 1963, a Muslim, Mohammad Sidiq Koya was elected for the first time, and Muslims held 2 of the 6 (33%) Indian seats. (The other Muslim was nominated member, C.A. Shah). In the 1966 election 4 of the 12 (33%) Indo Fijian members were Muslims. These were Sidiq Koya,
SPECIAL FEATURE I 25 C.A. Shah, and Mohammed Towahir Khan for the Federation Party and Abdul Lateef for the Alliance Party. The Muslim Political Front was formed to advance Muslim political rights and in 1966 it joined the newly formed Alliance Party, but voting trends have shown that most Muslims have always voted for the Party representing IndoFijian , showing that their political aspirations are not different from the other 84% of the Fiji Indians.
Muslim Sports In 1944 the first Muslim soccer inter-district tournament was organised in Sigatoka by the Fiji Muslim Sports Association. It has since been an annual event and in 2006, three teams from overseas featured in the inaugural Fiji Muslim Football Association International Muslim Club Championship. The Fiji Muslim sports association in association with Fiji Muslim FANCA Sports Federation is hosting its inaugural club championship during Easter Weekend 2007 in Lautoka. 4 teams from Australia,5 teams from New Zealand and 1 team from USA and all district team from Fiji will particiapte. This will be annual event to get the Muslim sports if Fiji amongst the best. Muslim Youth There is also a very active youth movement tracing its origins to the 1960s, whose executive meets regularly and organises camps and other gatherings for young Muslims. It has a national outreach, with members from high schools as well as tertiary institutions and university graduates and professionals in the workforce. Recently it has organized a wing to facilitate the interests of young educated Muslim women. www.passionislam.com
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I July 2009
CORRESPONDENCE
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