PassionIslam May 09 by Shakir Ahmed

Inside this month issue

Sexual Therapy

Quran on the Clouds

ONE MILLION Issue: 14

May 2009

IN 12 MONTHS Police stood accused of misusing their counter-terrorism powers as latest figures revealed a huge rise in use of stop-and-search powers - with only a tiny fraction leading to an arrest. The number of suspects detained and searched by police using Terrorism Act powers more than trebled last year to 124,687 - equivalent to more than 340 per day. But the massive crackdown led to just 73 people being arrested for a terrorism offence - fewer than one in 1,700 of those stopped. Officers in England and Wales used Terrorism Act powers to search 124,687 people in 2007/8, up from

41,924 in 2006/7 (file picture of a stop and search) Use of the tactics rocketed in the wake of the attempted bombings in Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West End in 2007, and almost 90 per cent of all the searches were carried out by the Metropolitan Police, which recorded a 300 per cent year-on-year increase. But civil liberty campaigners and opposition MPs warned that the vastly increased use of the powers threatened to alienate large sections of the community and undermine trust in Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police - who are already reeling from the controversy over their handling of the G20 protests.

Use of ordinary stop-and-search police powers also rose sharply for the fourth year in a row to more than a million, reaching the highest figure since 1998. A total of 1,035,438 suspects were stopped and searched under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. In areas where police make most use of the tactic, particularly London, around one person in 19 was stopped and searched last year. But it was the sheer scale of the use of counter-terrorism powers which drew criticism. Out of 124,687 stopped, 1,271 Continued on Page 3

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Damned in Damascus

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the Passion

Maryam Kallis

British citizen, Maryam Kallis, and her three children had been living with her sister in Damascus in Syria where she was studying the Arabic language. Her husband is currently living with her other child and was making arrangements for the family to move back to the UK. On 15th March 2009, Maryam Kallis was detained by the Syrian authorities and taken into custody. Since then she has been held, away from her children without having been given access to any legal representation or even being charged with a crime. The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) claim to be working

for her release, but as of yet have not provided an explanation for her detention despite gaining access to her two weeks after her arrest. The FCO now claim that it could be weeks before they are able to gain another visit. Maryam Kallis remains in Syrian custody without any charge and is being kept in a secret location. Kallis and another British citizen remain in a Syrian prison to this day. The FCO claims – as minister Bill Rammell has done here – that it is doing everything in its power to help her situation. However, the providing of comfort items such as biscuits does not go anywhere near the level

of intervention that is required in such cases – especially in countries where the torture of western nationals is well documented Write to the Foreign Office (King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH), reminding them that a person’s humanity and corresponding treatment does not change if they aren’t a British citizen. Write to the Syrian Embassy in London (Syrian Embassy, 8 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PH), reminding them of the case and the injustice of detaining individuals without charge and other inhumane treatment, by emailing us at contact@cageprisoners.com

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

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ONE MILLION IN 12 MONTHS Passion Islam

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Muslims in stop and search trebles Continued from Front Page

were arrested but the vast majority were for ordinary criminal offences and only 73 had any connection with terrorism. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘People will be highly suspicious about the scale of stop and search under terror laws. ‘This will only serve to reinforce the 170309_148x210_Natrate_Passion IPage 1 17/03/2009 15:07:31

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view that many anti-terror powers are being used for unrelated purposes. Liberal Democrat spokesman Chris Huhne said the findings would fuel fears that police were misusing powers, adding: ‘There is a real risk that indiscriminate or excessive use of stop and search may alienate the communities we rely most on for

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intelligence, which is a far more crucial tool in the fight against terrorism.’ Corinna Ferguson of the civil rights group Liberty, said the threefold increase in anti-terror stop and search was ‘a clear signal that these powers are being misused. ‘Only 6 in 10,000 people stopped were arrested for terrorism, let alone charged or convicted, and the disproportionate impact on ethic minorities is even greater than in previous years.’ Separate figures from the Ministry of Justice showed that ‘stop and account’ powers - where police question a suspect and demand that they explain their presence on the street but do not search them - leapt by a quarter last year to reach a record 2,353,918. Black people were almost eight times more likely than white people to be stopped and searched, the statistics show - as well as four times more likely to be arrested and five times more likely to be in jail.

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UK considers labelling imports from illegal Israeli settlements 4

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The British government are currently considering the controversial issue of the labelling of products imported from illegal Israeli settlements, Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell has revealed. Such a move would include “relevant domestic and international law issues,” Rammell told MPs in a written parliamentary reply published. A special meeting of government officials, food retailers, producers and suppliers was held at the Cabinet Office at the end of last month to discuss guidelines about the continuing controversy in formulating policy over goods produced in illegal

Israeli settlements. The long drawn-out controversy is over the imports appearing as Israeli products as the country of origin to claim favourable tariffs that breaches the EU’s trade agreement with the Zionist regime. It has led to growing protests at British supermarkets by proPalestinian groups and peace campaigners seeking to highlight the illegal practice and enforce a boycott. The Jewish Chronicle reported earlier this month that an agreement had been reached on draft guidelines and would be published by the government but without any

timeframe. It also maintained that it would be only a voluntary labelling practice and that there would be no legislation.

‘Swine flu name offensive to Faiths’

The outbreak of swine flu should swine flu,” he told a news conference be renamed “Mexican” influenza at a hospital in central Israel. Both Judaism and Islam consider in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, said an Israeli pigs unclean and forbid the eating of pork products. health official. Scientists are unsure where Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is the new swine flu virus originally 260209_148x210_STD_Passion IslamPage 1and 27/02/2009 10:37:10emerged, though. They say there is offensive to both religions “we should call this Mexican flu and not nothing about the virus that makes

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it “Mexican” and worry such a label would be stigmatizing. The current strain of swine flu is thought to have killed more than 100 people by the disease so far. Laboratories have confirmed that the samples tested so far, the swine flu virus in Mexico and U.S. appear to be the same.

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More British troops accused of abuse in Iraq

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British troops have been accused of using interrogation techniques on Iraqi civilian detainees in Maysan Province that breached human rights laws. Six Iraqis are asking the High Court in London to order an independent public inquiry into allegations that soldiers may have killed up to 20 captives held after a gun battle near the town of Majar-al-Kabir in May 2004. Medical evidence is being provided in support of the accusations that captives were tortured, murdered and their bodies mutilated. Five of the six also allege they themselves were abused, including being thrown violently against a wall and denied water. The case, which is being opposed by Defence Secretary, is the latest in a series of legal actions against British troops deployed in Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion.

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Last year, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to pay out a record of nearly £3m in compensation to the family of Basra hotel worker Baha Mousa, who died after being beaten by British troops and to nine other men detained and interrogated at the same time. The compensation came after former Defense Secretary Des Browne admitted the British troops had breached Article 2, the right to life, and Article 3, the prohibition of torture, in the European Convention on Human Rights. In the latest case, which is expected to take 15 days, lawyers are seeking a judicial review of the Ministry of Defence’s decision not to order a public inquiry. Rabinder Singh, counsel for the six, told the court that the case raised “sensitive and serious issues” for the British Army. It was claimed that

Muslims speak out on terror arrests The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) accused of being “dishourable” in seeking to deport up to 11 Pakistani nationals, who were arrested as terrorist suspects but were released without charge after being detained for 13 days. MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala also criticised Prime Minister Gordon Brown for claiming that a “very big plot” had been covered at the time of the arrests, saying it was “completely unfair to make prejudicial and premature remarks.” “When these arrests took place in very dramatic circumstances with students being pulled from universities and thrown to the floor, we were told by the prime minister, no less, that this was part of a very big terrorist plot,” Bunglawala said.. “Clearly there just has not been the

evidence produced to substantiate such a plot,” he told BBC radio after the 11 Pakistanis and one Briton who were detained in the Manchester area in north-west England were released without charge. In a press conference announcing their release, Greater Manchester chief constable Peter Fahy confirmed that they were “innocent.” But the Pakistani nationals were handed to the UK Border Agency to face deportation “Instead of releasing them with good grace and making clear a mistake has been made, the government is seeking to deport them, citing a very vague national security threat. That is a very dishonourable way of proceeding,” Bunglawala said.

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detainees were taken live to the scene of the battle before being tortured and killed. An inquiry carried out by the Royal Military Police rejected the allegations of murder, torture and mutilation, but its inquiry is being criticised in court as flawed and inadequate.

Government outlines MRI Scan for post mortems

Jewish and Muslim families will be able to prevent pathologists from cutting open the bodies of their loved ones for inquest post mortems, the Government announced. Coroners will consider faith issues when deciding how to determine the cause of a death and, where possible, will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning rather than an invasive autopsy. Muslim and Jewish communities object to invasive post mortems because they conflict with religious beliefs about the sanctity of the body. The announcement by the Ministry of Justice is part of the biggest overhaul of the death certification and coroners system for more than one hundred years.

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Top Scottish trade union body supports Israel boycott Scottish trade unions have joined their counterparts in Ireland and South Africa in voting overwhelmingly at their annual conference in Perth to commit to boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The vote came after the general council of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) recommended support for boycott and calls for sanctions because of Israel’s attacks on the human rights of Palestinian people and its breaches of international laws. “On our recent visit to Israel and Palestine we witnessed the human rights violations experienced by ordinary Palestinians on a daily basis,” said STUC General Secretary Grahame Smith. “We saw how restrictions on movement and checkpoints prevent people from going to work, to school and to visit their families – even when they are sick and dying,” Smith said. “The STUC has carefully considered the complex issues involved, and we believe that we have a moral obligation to show solidarity to Palestinian people,” he said. Despite aggressive lobbying by

Zionist groups, each speaker at the annual conference expressed intense anger against Israel’s butchery of over 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza, as well

Three Britons were cleared of helping to plot the deadly London suicide bombings in July 2005 in the first prosecution over the attacks which killed 52 people and left more than 700 injured. Waheed Ali, 25, Mohammed Shakil, 32, and 28-year-old Sadeer Salem were accused of having carried out a two-day reconnaissance mission by visiting various tourist sites in London in the months leading up the attacks on three underground trains and a bus. A jury last year failed to reach a verdict against the men, who were found not guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions at a retrial at London’s Kingston Crown Court, the Press

Association reported. Prosecutors had said the three men were friends of the bombers, Mohammed Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Jermaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussain. The court heard that the investigation into the bombings -- the largest ever carried out by London police -- discovered links between the men in mobile phone records, fingerprints connecting them to the bomb-factory in Beeston, family videos and surveillance. Detectives found that about seven months before the bombings, Shakil, Saleem and Ali spent two days in London with Hussain and Lindsay, visiting tourist attractions.

as much of its long history of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The overwhelming support was welcomed by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), saying it is the third example of a national

trade union federation committing to the boycott after similar votes in Ireland and South Africa. “It has lost the battle for world public opinion. It is now seen to be a state born out of ethnic cleansing and still expanding through the violent dispossession of the Palestinian people,” the SPSC said. It believed that the breakthrough would make it easier to build and accelerate a mass boycott campaign across Scotland with the devolved Scottish government already yielding to public outrage when cancelling a trade visit to Israel earlier this year. “Israel’s New Year mountain of corpses in Gaza, together with its frequent murder of unarmed civilians across Palestine were only the latest in a long series of Israeli massacres,” the SPSC said. “We may be unable to stop the next one, but our job of building the sort of mass BDS campaign that can confront Israeli violence with a countervailing force has just become easier. An aroused world opinion is increasingly ready to ensure that all don’t die in vain,” it said.

UK court clears three of plotting London bombs They also visited locations similar to ones attacked on July 7 and detectives said the trip, the key element of the prosecution case, was part of preparations for attacks on the capital. But the defendants said the trip was to allow Ali to visit his sister and take in some tourist attractions. Police have always maintained that the bombers had assistance from other people with links to al-Qaeda as they would not have had the technical expertise to construct the hydrogen peroxide-based bombs themselves.

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UK rules out ‘super-database’ of surveillance Home Secretary Jacqui Smith ruled out a state-run ‘super-database’ to track all emails, internet use, text messages and social networking but said the government wanted phone and internet providers to track users. “There are absolutely no plans for a single central store. We recognize that there is a delicate balance between privacy and security, but to do nothing is not an option as we would be failing in our duty to protect the public,” Smith said. Reports have been that the government was planning to create a single ‘super-database’ to hold vast amounts of personal information, but critics had warned that it would be an unwarranted intrusion of privacy as well as technically fraught and hugely expensive. Smith admitted that more privacy

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concerns were raised by the proposal to store all the personal communications data in a state-run single database than individual private companies retaining the information for access by the police and security services as and when they needed it. “Advances in communications mean that there are ever more sophisticated ways to communicate and we need to ensure that we keep up with the technology being used by those who would seek to do us harm,” she argued. Unveiling a delayed a consultation paper that had been expected to be published months ago, the home

secretary estimated that the cost of the private sector solution would be around £2bn over 10 years, far less that speculation that it could be as high as £12bn. Britain’s police and security services have become increasingly reliant on being able to access communications data while conducting counter-terror and crime investigations, but will have to ask companies for information on a case-by-case basis under the new proposal.

First prayers for deaf Muslims held in London

East London Mosque last month became the first in the UK to offer sign language for deaf Muslims attending Jummah prayers each week. A total of nine staff at the mosque in Whitechapel have been trained in British signing and will work alongside professionals translating the prayer sermon among the 5,000 worshippers who attend prayer sessions.

The staff trained in basic sign language act as ‘meet and greeters’ for the deaf and hearing impaired Muslims as they enter the mosque. Part-time events assistant at the mosque, Rofikul Islam is among those trained in signing and said he hoped the support would lead to more deaf Muslims attending prayers. “It must be frustrating for deaf

worshippers attending the Friday prayers if they are unable to understand what’s being said. We will be meeting them as they enter the mosque, showing them where to sit and pointing out the facilities,” Islam said. The 21-year-old volunteer said that a tester had been held recently in which 20 to 30 deaf people attended. “Once people are aware that we are offering this service we can boost that number to around 50,” he said. Mohammed Shakir, the mosque’s media and communications officer, said they were working with Alishara, a local organisation supporting deaf Muslims, to provide the service and arrange the best way to deliver the sign language. Alisharah has been working with deaf Muslims for a while, offering Qur’anic and religious classes for deaf children for the past 18 months. www.passionislam.com

UK Muslims back multi-faith call for migrant amnesty

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British Muslims are being urged to join a mass demonstration in London this month in support of a multi-faith call for an amnesty for an estimated 500,000 irregular migrants living in the UK. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said it was backing the Strangers into Citizens Day of Action on May 4, when around 20,000 are expected to join one of the largest ever public acts by faith communities and the biggest-ever pro-immigrant rally in the UK. “This is a humanitarian issue. There are many immigrants who have more or less settled in this country, some with their families,” MCB secretary general, Abdul Bari said. “Many have come from various countries for different reasons. Now that they are here, and as long as they are undocumented, they cannot contribute economically, even though they contribute to the fabric of society,” said Bari, who is one of the keynote speaker at the rally. He said that the estimated half-

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a-million irregular migrants were not recognized and that ‘it is important that they and their contribution be recognized, so the whole country can benefit’. Those supporting an amnesty include London Mayor Boris Johnson, the recently retired UK Catholic leader Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Bishop of Sothwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler as well as several MPs. The Strangers into Citizens Day of Action is being held on the May Day holiday in Britain and also includes celebrations bringing together Muslims, Christians, Chinese, Latin-Americans and other diverse communities. The movement has grown into an alliance of more than 120 civic

institutions two years ago back a call for a ‘pathway into citizenship’ to be found for many migrants from a total believed now to exceed 750,000. Critics of the plan have argued that an ‘earned amnesty’ would only encourage more illegal immigrants, but campaigners point to Spain, where levels of illegal immigration have dropped sharply since a oneoff regularization of 700,000 in 2005 was combined with border-tightening measures.

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MI5 to make Bond gadget ‘Q’

‘Q,’ the fictional gadget maestro from the James Bond films, could soon become a reality. The UK security service MI5 is recruiting a chief scientific adviser to “lead and co-ordinate” its scientific work. The job is being advertised on MI5’s website, with the successful applicant expected to use their

expertise to thwart terror operations around the world. Candidates for the “unique and challenging” role need to have “world-class scientific expertise and credibility,” “excellent strategic skills,” “outstanding influencing and communication skills” as well as a successful track record of “managing critical projects and processes in a complex environment.” The post will take up two or three days a week, the blurb adds. According to the government’s chief scientific adviser, Professor John Beddington, the new recruit will have to keep up with the latest scientific

developments to ensure British intelligence stays one step ahead of the country’s enemies. He told BBC News: “It will involve a sort of future gazing to see where technology will be taking us in a year or so.” “There is a really important role in providing scientific and technological advice on addressing problems agents in the field will face.” “The chief science adviser has a role to frustrate terrorism to prevent espionage hurting the UK, protect our critical national infrastructure and to frustrate the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

Judges back Muslims on forced marriage Senior family judges have joined Muslim leaders in condemning forced marriage as intolerable and a gross abuse of human rights. Sir Mark Potter, Britain’s most senior family judge, and Mr Justice Munby, a High Court judge, said the challenge was to spread the message that forced marriage was not acceptable, and pledged the courts’ backing to prevent such marriages. The judges were speaking at a seminar on forced marriages at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel, East London, where four key Muslim organisations — the Islamic Sharia Council, the Council of Mosques, the Islamic Cultural Centre and the East London Mosque — said that forced marriage was contrary to Islam and not to be condoned. Both judges drew a distinction between forced and arranged marriages, saying that the latter were lawful, were accepted in

many societies and should be respected. Mr Justice Munby said: “Forced marriage is intolerable. It is a gross abuse of human rights. It is a form of domestic violence that dehumanises people by denying them their right to choose how to live their lives.” Where courts could intervene in time, they would make orders preventing the “marriage” and stop a victim being taken abroad to be married. Where the victim had already been taken abroad, the courts would make orders to ensure that the victim was repatriated to this country, he said. Protective orders might then be needed to protect the victim from retaliation by her or his oppressors. The judge added that criminal offences may apply in cases of forced marriage. There were also civil remedies. The deputy secretarygeneral of the Muslim Council of Britain started a legal action against Hazel Blears, the Communities

Secretary. Daud Abdullah is seeking damages for defamation after Ms Blears severed official links with the Council over his signing

of a declaration that she believes advocates attacks on British military personnel and Israel. He firmly rejects this.

Activist in Jewish Chronicle libel win

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The Jewish Chronicle has agreed to pay £30,000 in damages, plus costs, to a man wrongly accused of “harbouring” terrorists. In a letter printed on 7 November last year, the paper published allegations that Raphael Cohen “was discovered harbouring two suicide bombers five days before they blew up the Tel Aviv bar”. he attack in question, at Mike’s Bar in April 2003, killed three people, and injured more than 50 others. Cohen is a member of the International Solidarity Movement, which, according to its website, is a “Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using non-violent, direct-action methods and principles”. He is a British citizen, but lives in

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Cairo. In the high court Cohen’s solicitor, Stephen Loughrey from CarterRuck, said: “Particularly through its use of the words ‘discovered’ and ‘harbouring’, the letter suggested that the claimant was knowingly involved in that atrocious crime. “In fact, as the defendant now accepts, the claimant did not ‘harbour’ the bombers. He met them briefly and by chance at a memorial ceremony for Rachel Corrie, an International Solidarity Movement volunteer, which was held five days before the bombing. “However, he did not know them and he certainly had no idea, or grounds to suspect, that they planned such an attack. “The defendant has already

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published a full and prominent apology on the pages of The Jewish Chronicle, and has undertaken never to publish allegations of this kind concerning the claimant at any time in the future. “In addition, it has agreed to pay the claimant a substantial sum by way of damages together with his legal costs.” Afterwards, Cohen said: “I am delighted by today’s result. The allegation published by The Jewish Chronicle was completely untrue. I am pleased that I have been able to clear my name and that The Jewish Chronicle has apologised.” Cohen said he was donating “a substantial proportion” of his damages to charity. The apology appeared on 12 December last year.

Racist escapes terror charge after threat to behead and bomb Muslims

The Crown Office has been accused of double standards by Scotland’s biggest Islamic group for not bringing terrorism charges against a man who threatened to blow up a mosque and behead Muslims. The Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF) has written to Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini querying the decision to prosecute Neil MacGregor for a breach of the peace, not terrorism offences. MacGregor, 35, has admitted threatening to blow up Scotland’s biggest mosque and to behead one Muslim a week until every mosque

was shut down. “There has been criticism for the lack of exposure this case has got, but this stems from how the case was originally handled,” SIF chief executive Osama Saeed said. “Had he been a Muslim, we suspect that counter-terror police would have been involved from the outset, and it would have been processed in a completely different manner.” Mr Saeed drew a parallel with the case of Mohammed Atif Siddique, a student from Alva, Clackmannanshire, who was jailed for eight years for internet-related terrorist crimes. “No-one seems to have looked into the internet habits that radicalised MacGregor to take copycat revenge for (British hostage] Ken Bigley’s assassination in Iraq,” he said. “We can be sure if he had been Muslim and had been inspired to replicate it, the result would have been quite different.”

Mr Saeed insisted he was not seeking to minimise the seriousness of Islamic terrorism cases. “All we are calling for is consistency, and the authorities have to explain why the heavy books of the Terrorism Acts were not thrown at MacGregor,” he said. Mr Saeed said the federation would request evidence from the case to be released under Freedom of Information laws. The hearing was told MacGregor admitted sending an e-mail to Strathclyde Police, threatening to blow up Glasgow Central Mosque if certain demands were not met. Included in the message was a threat to behead one Muslim a week. The court heard MacGregor, from Derbyshire, followed that e-mail with a 999 call to police on 5 February, 2007, in which he claimed he was from the NF and that a bomb was going to go off at Glasgow’s Central Mosque.

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America’s Colonisation of Pakistan

We’ve alienated them tremendously. Whether we agree or not” says former US ambassador to Islamabad Robert Oakley. Airing his views on Americas role in Pakistan, Oakley was responding back to a host of views presented by Obama and his team on dealing with this ‘hotspot’ in the world which has drew international attention in the last years. Americas increasing role in Pakistan through the Bush administration and the man of ‘change’, Obama, the new President of America who singled out Pakistan in his presidential campaign and within days of coming into office resumed drone attacks has clearly highlighted that Americas next target is Pakistan “If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will” Said Obama in 2007 outside the Woodrow Wilson Centre in his Presidential run up campaign Oakley, who served in Islamabad from 1988 to 92, has criticised Americas approach to Pakistan airing views which present a clear picture of a structured policy to colonise Pakistan. Oakley criticised the restrictions proposed in a congressional bill on US aid to Pakistan which has been under review for some time. The proposed restrictions require Pakistan to improve its relations with India, whether New Delhi reciprocates those efforts or not. Pakistan also needs to undertake not to support any person or group involved in activities meant to hurt India. Another proposed requirement

will allow US investigators access to individuals suspected of engaging in nuclear proliferation, such as Dr AQ Khan. ‘What we’re calling ‘benchmarks’ remind them very much of the ‘sanctions’ they had hanging over their heads for so many years. The United States has alienated Pakistan by demanding that they divert troops from the Indian border to fight the Taliban” said the former US ambassador to Islamabad. Ahmed Rashid, a leading Pakistani journalist told a US think-tank, the Jamestown Foundation, that he was ‘absolutely shocked’ by the conditions in drafts of the US congressional aid bill to his country. No political government can accept a bill like this in Pakistan, even if it is on its knees -- which it is, economically speaking,’ he said. Oakley has clearly confirmed that America was leading the politics in Pakistan through continuous dictates of what course the country should run. It was America’s decision to get rid for Nawaz Sharif in 1999 believing his presence was not conducive to help America strengthen relations with a new emerging India with the help of Pakistan. It was America who allowed the bloodless coup of Musharraf and for him to further American Interests in the region through his interchangeable titles of Chief Executive, interim head of state and President and lead on the war on terror as an ‘indispensible ally’ It was America that initiated a new change of direction of Pakistan after growing unrest on the un-popularity

of Musharraf which born out of blind subservience to America, by promoting Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto back into the Pakistani political arena under the new ‘deal’. America once again was behind furthering the cause of democracy through Zardari, a man who was under investigation for corruption charges and who has continued with furthering drone attacks, the displacement of half a million people in Swat and using the Army to kill its own citizens. Oakley was unhappy with the current Pakistani leadership, particularly the president. They were ‘both incompetent and corrupt and had no clue on the economic side of things.’ He said Oakley, in his interview to the Atlantic Council, also criticised the US drone attacks inside Pakistan. The US, he said, needed to ask itself: ‘Are we creating more terrorists than we’re killing?’ And the drone attacks, he said, were probably creating more terrorists………we’ve pushed the Pakistani army to fight our war and created a huge backlash’ Despite Oakley’s outspoken remarks, he is still in favour of containing Pakistan and has merely expressed reservations on strategy and tactics. Obama’s administration has still maintained that Pakistan is a key area of American focus and policy which Oakley agrees to. In a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mrs Clinton warned that nuclear-armed Pakistan “poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world’ Admiral Mullen told NBC news he was concerned about the prospect of both Afghanistan and Pakistan descending into chaos. ‘Pakistan — it’s a country that has nuclear weapons. My longterm worry is that descent ... should it continue, gives us the worst possible outcome there,’ he said. In the war of thoughts and ideas, America plans to convince the world that its Pakistan’s problems have arisen domestically. However, any keen observer would conclude that foreign Political interference has been the sole key factor that has bought the scenes of chaos and destruction to Pakistan. But America’s blinded ambitions in its War on Terror will not secede to this. - By Majed Iqbal -

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Abu Dhabi to protect Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi has mapped out a longterm strategy to protect its landmark Grand Mosque which was named after its mastermind late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and is one of the six largest mosques in the world. The strategy was unveiled at Cityscape real estate show by the emirate’s Urban Planning Council (UPC), which is overseeing the implementation of the Vision 2030, one of the most ambitious development blueprints in the Middle East. UPC officials said the strategy was in line with the main guidelines of Vision 2030, which gives priority to protection of the environment and preservation of the emirate’s Arab

and Islamic culture and identity. Other principles include preservation of the urban setting of the Grand Mosque, protection and enhancing of the visual experience from a variety of viewpoints and safeguarding and enhancing of the visual experience for all users. Sheikh Zayed’s sprawling Grand Mosque was inaugurated in late 2007, with a capacity to accommodate more than 30,000 people. The structure covers an area of more than 22,000 square metres and some 210,000 cubic metres of concrete and nearly 33,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement was used in its construction. The white mosque, which straddles

Law enforcement agencies are seeking scientists to develop an artificial nose that can detect the smell of fear as terrorists pass through security at airports. The US Department of Homeland Security is advertising for specialists to devise airport scanners that will sniff out “deceptive individuals”. The technology builds on recent breakthroughs in finding human scent-prints which, many researchers believe, may be as unique to individuals as fingerprints. Body odours also change perceptibly according to mood. Researchers at the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology have already produced a gel that acts like the smell receptors in the human nose. Now they are trying to create a version that can isolate the tangy smell of adrenaline, the stress hormone, so that nervous passengers or those with a guilty conscience can be singled out. Homeland Security wants a device that automatically compares odours with scents collected from crime scenes and held in a “smell bank” which, like DNA or fingerprints, could be used in court. Last month officials said they only wanted to explore the possibilities but scientists are already predicting

as a giant at the eastern entrance of the capital, is completely clad in marble and also features intricate Islamic decoration and carvings as well as extensive landscaping works. The architectural design of the mosque as a landmark building focused on the factors that would make a lasting impression on the worshipper. The main prayer hall can accommodate up to 9,000 worshippers. There are 57 domes covering the outside yard and the main building as well. The domes are decorated with white marble and the interior decoration is made of marble. Officials said the mosque had made some world records, including that the carpet laid out on the vast expanse is the “World’s Largest Carpet”. The carpet measures more than 5,600 square metres and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. Its weight is around 47 tonnes – 35 tonnes of wool, and 12 tonnes of cotton. The mosque also holds the largest chandelier. There are seven imported chandeliers from Germany and are copper and gold-plated. The largest chandelier has a 10 metre diametre and a 15 metre height.

US Scanners to sniff out `terrorists`

that it is only a matter of time before police will be able to sniff out crime artificially.

US Muslim woman to advise Obama

I WORLD NEWS

Dalia Mogahed, an Egyptian-born American who heads the Gallup American Centre for Muslim Studies, a non-governmental research centre, became the first Muslim woman to be appointed in the White House. The US administration has appointed a Muslim woman as adviser to its interfaith advisory board, a media report said. Dalia Mogahed, an Egyptian-born American, addressed the senate staff and think tanks in her first meeting after her appointment. The meeting was organised by

the Congressional Muslims Staffers Association. “I am very honoured to be given this opportunity to serve my country in this way,” Mogahed, who will be Obama’s window into the Muslim American community, said. Last month, Obama signed an executive order for setting up a new body at the White House called the Office of Religious Partnerships to support religious institutions, strengthen inter-faith dialogue and government ties. The advisory group, consisting

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I May 2009

of 25 representatives from different religions, is to report to the president on the role of religion in resolving social problems and civil rights issues. “The key idea of the office is to tap the energy and wisdom of religious organisations and leaders who focus on faith groups to solve common problems,” explained Mogahed. Mogahed will brief Obama on what Muslims want from the US administration.

‘Nobody could ever dare threaten Iranian nation’ - President

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said no one in the world could ever dare threaten Iranian nation. The President who was addressing the 20th National Gathering of Exemplary Workers and Workshops said that the political structure of world’s powerful countries has already collapsed. He said certain powerful governments for a long period had been using the motto of freedom and freedom of speech as a tool to justify their offensive views and actions against the values, sanctities and dignity of nations pretending they were supporting freedom of expression and the free flow of information. However, he said, by behaving in this manner, they just managed to create a dirty system based on

oppression, discrimination and hegemony and now were prohibiting people from offering any criticism of Zionism and its crimes. The President added: “They attack Gaza, kill ordinary and defenseless people in the name of fighting terrorism and when meet objections from other members of the international community, they say let us kill the people who are defending themselves.” It was a reference to the US and UK governments which were delaying a resolution from the United Nations Security Council to stop aggression on Gaza in December 2008. They were lobbying the barbaric notion “Let Israel finish the job of killing Hamas supporters in a matter of week and then issue a resolution to stop the war.”

“These governments are not able yet to address nations in a proper manner,” President Ahmadinejad said. “They should realize that the time of conceit and selfishness is long over in the world because the world nations now are fully aware of few governments hollow mottos.” He expressed shock that while the US has opted for a new strategy with Iran, it still considers all other options against Iran. He said Iran was not afraid of any kind of actions by these countries because, just like the former US president who considered all options but failed to accomplish anything against Iran, God willing no one in the globe dared to threaten the Iranian nation. www.passionislam.com

Israel seeks U.S. cannon to fight Gaza Passion Islam

I May 2009

WORLD NEWS

I 15

Israel wants to buy a U.S. radarguided cannon to shoot down shortrange rockets and mortar bombs fired at the Jewish state by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli newspaper reported. The Raytheon Phalanx system, designed to shred incoming shells after spotting their launch, could complement the Israeli Iron Dome system that fires small interceptor missiles and is due to be deployed on Gaza’s border by 2010. Phalanxes currently in production are earmarked for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan but Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak would ask the Pentagon to free up one unit -- costing $25 million (17 million pounds) -- for Israel, Haaretz said. “The goal is to create a situation where as many rockets as possible launched at Israel are intercepted,” Barak was quoted as saying by the newspaper, which said the minister would travel to Washington in June to propose the Phalanx purchase. Israel’s 22-day military offensive

in Gaza that ended in January failed to stamp out rocket salvoes from the coastal enclave, ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement. Such an apparatus could be crucial for any future Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank as part of peace talks with Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas’s secular rival. Barak has said a pullout must be predicated on Israel being confident it could fend off shelling attacks from the West Bank, should it also come under Hamas control. www.passionislam.com

King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, will patronize here on May 18-19 the 1st international media conference titled “Future of news publishing.” The conference is being organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information in coordination with International Afra Organization. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said that the King’s patronage of this international conference will be in recognition of media members and their roles in the development of thought and culture, adding that local, Arab and international media will be honored by the King’s inauguration of the conference.

Dr. Khoja pointed out that international experts in the press and media industry from all over the world will participate in the conference along with experts and consultants from Afra and personnel of local press and media. He noted that the conference will be accompanied by several events including organizing of an exhibition for sponsoring companies and Afra organization for presenting the latest techniques in the field of press publication as well as organization of various workshops to benefit from their experiences in this area. Dr. Khoja pointed out that the ministry has taken all necessary

arrangements for the organization of the conference and has formed a number of committees for planning and preparing for the conference. – SPA

King to open International media conference

Human Rights Watch urges enquiry into Bush’s crimes

I WORLD NEWS

One of the world’s leading human rights organisations is calling for a comprehensive enquiry into the war crimes and abuses of human rights committed by the US former president George W. Bush’s administration. The call comes a day after the release of memos by the US Department of Justice sanctioning the use of illegal interrogation methods by the Bush administration. In an interview with IRNA, a senior Human Rights Watch director said the organisation would like to see prosecutions brought against whom there is “credible evidence” they were involved either in authorising, justifying or carrying out torture. US President Barack Obama released four top secret memos that allowed the CIA under the Bush administration to use waterboarding and other illegal interrogation methods against suspects held at Guantanamo and the US secret detention centres round the world. Porteous said there is overwhelming evidence of human rights abuses

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during the Bush presidency, adding that the memos published by the US Justice Department are simply “a kind of add to the evidence”. “We are calling for an enquiry and would like to see prosecutions brought against whom there is credible evidence that they were involved either in authorising, justifying or carrying out torture,” he told IRNA in an interview. Insects, sleep deprivation and waterboarding are among approved techniques by the Bush administration used against innocent suspects in US prisons across the world. Porteous said that the memos produced by the Justice Department in the US underline the urgent need for a comprehensive international enquiry into human rights abuses by Bush. “Accountability is absolutely essential for any functioning democracy and it is also necessary to stop this happening again and restore America’s reputation which has been badly damaged by this whole

I May 2009

episode,” he said. Asked about other inquiries into Bush’s crimes, the London Human Rights Watch director said a Spanish case has been already brought against a number of officials of the Bush administration. However, he suggested, an investigation should be done in the US by the Justice Department to bring the Bush administration into trial. “For a country that claims to operate according to the rule of law, it is important to bring its own investigation and prosecution against those responsible for authorising and carrying out torture,” he said. Last month, a senior judge in Spain called for criminal proceedings against six senior officials in the Bush administration for the use of torture against detainees in Guantanamo. Many other investigations are underway around the world to bring Bush and his accomplices into trial for committing war crimes and human rights violations. www.passionislam.com

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I May 2009

India’s spy satellite to eye terrorists, infiltrators

India launched a spy satellite from Sriharikota spaceport, it is primarily to keep an eye on its borders roundthe-clock and help the government in anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations. The 300-kg radar-imaging satellite has been built by Israel and is set to blast-off on board India’s home-grown rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), PTI reported. This remote-sensing advanced imaging satellite, to be positioned 550 km above the earth, has all-weather capabilities. It carries Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, which can take images during day, night and all

weather conditions including under cloud cover, a capability that Indian satellites do not have. Given the sensitiveness of the venture, the Indian Space Research Organization is tight-lipped over the mission, not giving out much details. A senior ISRO official said that the significance of the satellite is its allweather capability. “It will be primarily used for defense and surveillance. The satellite also has good application in the area of disaster management and in managing cyclones, floods and agriculture-related activities,” he said. www.passionislam.com

A fire at King Abdul Aziz Endowment Towers gutted six floors of Sara Tower in the complex located close to the Grand Mosque. No deaths or injuries were reported in the blaze that was quickly contained by Civil Defense. Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out soon after Asr prayer while some workers in the building were welding iron rods on wooden scaffoldings. The fire damaged a large part of the building, which is under construction. This is the second fire in the building in six months. The first fire, which burned for 10 hours, consumed

nine floors of Hajer Tower. The seventower King Abdul Aziz endowment project, which is being constructed by Saudi Binladin Group, is one of the largest residential projects in the world. Spread over an area of 1.4 million square meters, the project will cost SR6 billion. Work on two towers, Marwa and Safa have been completed.

Fire damages Makkah tower

WORLD NEWS

I 17

CIA “no longer” using secret prisons: director

Revelations about the “black sites” caused international outrage during former president George W. Bush’s tenure. The CIA is “no longer” operating secret prisons used by the intelligence agency to interrogate terrorism suspects, and plans to shut all remaining “black sites,” where harsh interrogation techniques including waterboarding took place, the spy agency’s director said. The statement by the Central Intelligence Agency chief confirmed the spy service was carrying out an order from President Barack Obama to shut down the secret prisons that have been condemned at home and abroad as a flagrant violation of human rights. “ CIA no longer operates detention facilities or black sites and has proposed a plan to decommission the remaining sites “ CIA director Leon Panetta”CIA no longer operates detention facilities or black sites and has proposed a plan to decommission the remaining sites,” CIA director Leon Panetta said in a letter sent to agency employees. “I have directed our agency personnel to take charge of the decommissioning process and have further directed that the contracts for site security be promptly terminated,” he said. Pametta said the agency had also discontinued using contract employees to conduct interrogations, a concern of influential congressional members who called the practice an invitation to abuse.

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I May 2009

Quran on the Clouds

The origins of the universe

The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoretical, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition). This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern cosmology. Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that ‘smoke’. The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that ‘smoke’ material. God said in the Quran: Then He turned to the heavens when it was smoke... [Quran 41:11] Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke’ we conclude that the earth and the heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke’, they formed and separated from each other. God said in the Quran: Have not those who disbelieved

known that the heavens and the earth were one connected entity, then We separated them? [Noble Quran 21:30]

Professor Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s well-known geologists. He is a Professor of the Department of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany. He said, “Thinking where Muhammad came from .. I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advance technological methods that this is the case.” (From ‘This is the Truth’ [video]). Also he said, “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.” Quran on the clouds According to the scientists today: “Water vaporizes from the oceans

and rivers forming tiny clouds. The small clouds join together and the updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts closer to the center are stronger, because they are protected from the cooling effects by the outer portion of the cloud. These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up. This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc.” [From “The Atmosphere” p. 269 and “Elements of Meteorology” pp. 141-142] - Now just for the sake of argument, let us see what the “Muslim scientists” used to formulate their understandings centuries ago based on the revelation of the Quran (revealed 1400 years ago): Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into

I May 2009 a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it. [Noble Quran 24:43]

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Meteorologists have only recently come to know these details of cloud formation, structure, and function by using advanced equipment like planes, satellites, computers, balloons, and other equipment to study wind and its direction, to measure humidity and its variations, and to determine the levels and variations of atmospheric pressure. The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, Quran speaks about hail and lightning: ... And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it whomever He wills, and turns it from whomever He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning nearly blinds the sight.[Noble Quran 24:43] Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds, that shower hail, reach a height of 25,000 to 30,000 ft. (4.7 to 5.7 miles) like mountains, as the Quran says; ...And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky...[Noble Quran 24:43] Now this verse may raise the question: “Why does the verse say “its lightning” while referring to hail? This seems to indicate that hail is a major factor in producing lightning. Looking to a book on the subject (Meteorology Today) we find that it says: Clouds become electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of super cooled droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with the hail they freeze on contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the hail warmer than that of the surrounding ice crystals. When the hail comes in contact with an ice crystal, an important phenomenon occurs: electrons flow from the colder object toward the warmer object. So, the hail becomes negatively charged. The same effect occurs when super cooled droplets come in contact with a piece of hail and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off. These lighter, positively charged particles are then carried to the upper part of the cloud by updrafts. The hail, left with a negative charge, falls toward the bottom of the cloud, so the lower part of the cloud becomes negatively

charged. These negative charges are then discharged to the ground as lightning. [Meteorology Today p. 437] This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until 1,600 A.D., Aristotle’s ideas on meteorology were dominant in the non-Muslim countries. For example, he said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of exhalation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the sound of the collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and lightning is the inflaming and burning of the dry exhalation with a thin and faint fire. [Works of Aristotle Translated into English pp. 369 a&b] These are some of the ideas on meteorology that were dominant at the time of the Quran’s revelation, fourteen hundred years ago. Let us now bring our gaze a bit closer to earth. Consider the mountains and their majesty. Is there anything about these massive formations that may give us a clue as to the origin of creation? Quran in the Sea and River Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density. [Principles of Oceanography - Davis, pp. 92-93] For example, Mediterranean Sea water is warm, saline and less dense, compared to Atlantic Ocean water. When Mediterranean Sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1,000 meters with its own warm, saline and less dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth. [Principles of Oceanography p. 93] The Mediterranean Sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill with its own warm, saline and less dense characteristics, because of the barrier that distinguishes between them. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius (C). Even in depths (indicated here by darker colors) up to 1,400 meters and at distances ranging from a minus 100 to +2,500 meters, we find that both bodies of water maintain their individual temperatures and salinity.

SPECIAL FEATURE I 19 Although there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in these seas, they do not mix or transgress this barrier. The Holy Quran mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God said:

He has let free the two seas meeting to gather. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress. [Noble Quran 55:19-20] But when the Quran speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier. God said in the Quran: He is the one who has let free the two bodies of flowing water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.[Noble Quran 25:53] On may ask, why did the Quran mention the partition when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas? Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.” [Oceanography p. 242] This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water [Oceanography p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography pp. 300-301] This information has been discovered only recently using advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet, rather the two seas appear to us as one homogeneous sea. Likewise the human eye cannot see the division of water in estuaries into the three kinds: the fresh water, the salt water, the partition (zone of separation). www.passionislam.com

I SPECIAL CHARITY FEATURE

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I May 2009

Sponsor a child’s day out HHUGS in conjunction with Deen Riders are arranging a day out for the families of detainees in the London area. The aim of this day out is to give these families an opportunity to go out and have a stress-free day and do something different in the halfterm holidays. We will be taking the children out to the countryside where they will take part in many physical activities including: Trekking, Junior Kite Making, Drawing, Face Painting, Qur’an Competition, Art Competition, and there will also be talks for all

inshallah. We want to give you the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful event by helping us to make this day possible. Please sponsor a child today for a minimum of just £10. The money you donate will pay for coach hire, food for the families and activities. Please donate by clicking on this link: http://www.hhugs.org.uk When making your donation, please put ‘Day Out’ for the payment reference. If paying by cheque, please state the reference at the back of the

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cheque) Any contribution is welcomed inshallah. Please remember these children don’t get opportunities like these as their fathers are imprisoned. Please help us to make this day possible and give these families something to smile about. We will be taking approximately 80 people on this day, and we need to raise enough money to pay for all of them to partake on this day. Please donate generously!! The deadline for donations is Friday 22nd May 2009.

Abu Hafsah Foundation is a unique charity as its main aim is to serve the community by helping underachieving pupils fulfil their potential. Our Objective is to develop a pioneering education centre and thereafter establish a full time secondary school based on Islamic ethos. We believe in order to achieve success in this world and the hereafter we must acquire both Islamic and secular knowledge. Our aim is to create a single multi purpose education centre, which embraces Islamic education parallel with secular education so that we are successful in this life and the hereafter. Through the teaching of theoretical as well as practical Islam and based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, we aim to help our pupils develop a love for Allah (SWT) and confidence in their identity as young Muslim men. By providing stimulating and differentiated work, setting tasks and goals that are achievable to all, we aim to acknowledge and actively encourage all abilities within the centre. Our target is to continuously access and positively reward the effort and progress made by our pupils. We have high expectations of our pupils, not only in academic excellence but also in standard of behaviour, appearance and character, both inside and outside school. We hope to equip our pupils with skills to face the challenges of today’s changing world by encouraging communication, personal growth and confidence at all levels. We hope Inshah’Allah to maintain close cooperation between the centre, Parents and the wider community.

Sexual Therapy

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Medical Definition Sex therapy is the treatment of sexual dysfunction, such as non-consummation, premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, low libido, unwanted sexual fetishes, sexual addiction, painful sex or lack of sexual confidence, assisting people who are recovering from sexual assault, problems commonly caused by stress, tiredness and other environmental and relationship factors. Sex therapists assist those experiencing problems in overcoming them, in doing so possibly regaining an active sex life. Sexual Therapy in the light of shariah Sexual therapy whereby patients are required to explicitly divulge the sexual encounters that they have with their spouses will not be permissible in terms of Shari’ah. First of all, if a husband and wife are experiencing problems in their sexual lives, each of them should refer the matter to doctors of their own sex and not to doctors of the opposite sex. Secondly, when consulting with such doctors, they should then give a broad outline of the problem/s that they are experiencing and not go into the finer details of their sexual encounters. For instance the husband could explain to the male doctor his complication/s with regard to erectile dysfunctions or premature ejaculation, etc. Similarly, the woman could explain to a female doctor her problems with regard to painful penetrations, frigidity, etc. This type of exposition of their problems should be sufficient for the doctor to be able to diagnose their problems and prescribe some appropriate medical solution. Western sexual therapy that requires the spouses to explain the nittygritty and finer details of their sexual encounters and performances in bed has no place in Shar’iah. Such vivid and detailed description would be

tantamount to having sex in full view of the doctor. A Hadeeth of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) warns: “Amongst the worst grade of people on the Day of Qiyamah will be that man who has intercourse with his wife in privacy, but then goes and divulge its intimate details (to others).” [Recorded in Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Pg. 464]. Commenting on the above Hadeeth, Allamah Nawawi (Rahmatullahi alaih) writes: “In this Hadeeth man has been prohibited from divulging and vividly describing the details of the intimate contact that he has with his wife.” [Ibid]. In a Hadeeth of Abu Dawood, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) once asked the Sahabah (radhiallahu anhum): “Is there any man from amongst you who, when he goes to his wife and closes the door behind him, enjoys the privilege of being intimate with his wife in such complete secrecy that he is also blessed with a curtain of concealment by Allah Ta’ala?” The Sahabah (radhiallahu anhum) replied, “Yes!” Then Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) asked: “Is there any such man who then sits (with other people) and (divulging details of his intimacy with his wife), says that ‘I did this and that (in the bedroom)’?” The men (amongst the Sahabah (radhiallahu anhum) all remained silent. So then Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) posed the same question to the women that “Is there any woman amongst you that divulges these secrets to others?” The women too, remained silent. Then, one lady got the courage to speak and (drawing the attention of

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Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam), she said, “The women talk of these things and so do the men!” Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) then said, “Do you know what such behaviour is akin to? It is like a female Shaytaan meeting a male Shaytaan in an alley and indulging in sexual intercourse in full view of the public!” [Recorded by Abu Dawood, Vol. 1, Pg. 296]. On the basis of the above Ahaadeeth, neither would it be permissible for a person to explicitly divulge the intimate sexual encounters that he has with his/her spouse in the bedroom, nor would it be permissible for a Muslim doctor to pry into a couple’s private lives to fish out such explicit details. [2.1] In the same vein, it would also be prohibited for a patient to view and for a Muslim psychiatrist to show -as part of the their “therapy” (sic) - such videos to patients that that depict explicit sexual acts. Furthermore, as a general rule, Shari’ah has forbidden us from deploying Haraam means as a “cure” for problems and ailments. Hence a Hadeeth of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) states: “Do not treat your ailments with Haraam.” [Recorded by Abu Dawood, Vol. 2, Pg. 185]. Watching such explicit sexual acts being performed on video can never be condoned in Shari’ah, and no amount of “therapy” arguments can ever legalize it. Sometimes these so-called western “therapy” procedures even defy common logic! Watching such videos would result in a combination of many sins; for instance watching the private parts of strangers, watching such sexual acts being performed that are meant to be confined to the bedroom, etc, etc. We should vanquish ourselves to the Shariah and leave the matter to Allah Ta’ala.

In Good Company

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Who we keep company with is reflective of who we are. For as far back as I can remember, my parents would always admonish me and my siblings to keep good company. My Dad specially had a favorite saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” Needless to say, I was always very conscious, and careful about choosing the right people to surround myself with. In Islam it is doubly true and essential to surround yourself with righteous companions, because they will help to keep your feet planted on the straight path, while doing otherwise may lead you astray. It was Ahmad ibn Harb, rahimahullaah, who said, “There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim’s heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart of the Muslim than mixing with sinners, and watching their actions.” No matter who you are, or how strong or independent you may feel, no man, or woman, is an island, and you can’t make it through this life alone. This is why Islam so stresses the Jama’ah, or the congregation. The sayings that there is strength in numbers and that it is the lone sheep that gets devoured by the wolf are true. Therefore we need to adopt correct manners, in that we try ardently never to do an action or to befriend anyone without knowing whether the pleasure of Allah is in it or not, and never loving and hating for worldly reasons. For the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wassalaam said, “Whoever loves for Allah, and hates for Allah, gives for Allah and withholds for Allah, has completed his faith.” (Abu Dawud) So who should be our companions? First of all they should be good Muslims, who believe in Allah and His Messenger. For Allah says in the Qur’an, “And who so obeys Allah

and the Messenger [Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wassalaam], then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are.” [4:69] Secondly, being around them should make you want to increase in good deeds. Allah ta’ala says, “And We have sent down to you [O Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wasallam], the Book [this Qur’an] in truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it and Mohayminan [trustworthy in highness and a witness] over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that [He] may test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you [all] is to Allah; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ.” [5:48] By aligning ourselves with people who do good deeds, we are then prompted to compete with them in this regard, and thus improving the character and the religion of everyone involved. Lastly, but by no means the least, our companions should help us to remember Allah. For Allah ta’ala says, “O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And

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whosoever does this, then they are the losers.” [63:9] In this time of hustle and bustle, it is very easy for us to get caught up in the pursuit of worldly gains. This is why it is increasingly important to surround ourselves with people, who will encourage us to think of Allah, in every instance of our lives. The superiority of the remembrance of Allah was explained by the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, who said, “The example of the one who remembers his Lord, in comparison to the one who does not remember his Lord, is that of a living creature compared to a dead one. (Bukhari) So let us take stock of the people we spend our time with. Do they fall into the above categories? If our friends aren’t doing these things, then what does being with them say about us? We should strive to love those who love Allah, and to hate those who hate Allah, and what He has sent down of guidance for humanity. For the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam said, “Whoever possesses three things will find the sweetness of eman. For Allah and His Messenger to be more beloved to him than anything else; to love a person for Allah’s sake alone; and to hate to return to disbelief the way he hates to be thrown into the fire.” (Bukhari)

THE FOUR MADHABS

I SPECIAL FEATURE

Passion Islam

The Four School of thoughts

THE MAALIKEE MADH-HAB: The Founder: Imaam Maalik [717-801 CE].

The founding scholar of this Madhhab, Maalik Ibn Anas Ibn Aamir, was born in Madinah in the year 717 CE. His grandfather, Aamir, was among the major Sahaabah of Madinah. Maalik studied Hadeeth under az-Zuhree who was the greatest Hadeeth scholar of his time, as well as under the great Hadeeth narrator, Naafi, the freed slave of the Sahaabee Abdullah Ibn Umar. Imaam Maalik’s only journeys outside of Madinah were for Hajj, and thus he largely limited himself to the knowledge available in Madinah. He was severely beaten in the year 764 CE by the order of the Ameer of Madinah, because he made a legal ruling that forced divorce was invalid. This ruling opposed the ‘Abbaasid rulers’ practice of adding in the oath of allegiance given to them by the masses the clause that whoever broke the oath was automatically divorced. Imaam Maalik R.A. was tied and beaten mercilessly until his arms became severely damaged to such a degree that he became unable to clasp them on his chest in Salaat and thus he began the practice of performing Salaat with his hands at his sides according to some reports. Imaam Maalik R.A. continued to teach Hadeeth in Madinah over a period of forty years and he managed to compile a book containing Hadeeths of the Prophet Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and Athars of the Sahaabah and their successors which he named “al-Muwatta” [the Beaten Path]. He began his compilation of Hadeeths at the request of the Abbaasid Caliph, Abu Ja’far al-Mansoor, [754-775 CE] who wanted a comprehensive code of law based on the Prophet Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam’s Sunnah which could be applied uniformly throughout his realm. But, on its completion, Imaam Maalik R.A. refused to have it forced on the people pointing out that the Sahaabah had scattered throughout the Islamic empire and had taken with

them other parts of the Sunnah which also had to be considered in any laws imposed throughout the state. Caliph Haroon ar-Rasheed [768809 CE] also made the same request of the Imaam, but he was also turned down. Imaam Maalik R.A. died in the city of his birth in the year 801 CE at the venerable age of 83. Formation of the Maalikee Madhhab: Imaam Maalik’s method of teaching was based on the narration of Hadeeths and the discussion of their meanings in the context of problems of that day. He would either narrate to his students Hadeeths and Athars [statements of the Sahaabah] on various topics of Islamic law then discuss their implications, or he would inquire about problems which had arisen in the areas from whence his students came, then narrate appropriate Hadeeths or Athars which could be used to solve them. After Imaam Maalik R.A. completed ‘al-Muwatta’, he used to narrate it to his students as the sum total of his Madhhab, but would add or subtract from it slightly, whenever new information reached him. He used to strictly avoid speculation and hypothetical Fiqh and thus his school and its followers were referred to as the people of Hadeeth [Ahl al-Hadeeth]. Sources of Law Used by the Maalikee Madh-hab: Imaam Maalik R.A. deduced Islamic Law from the following sources which are listed hereunder in the order of their importance. The Most Holy Qur’aan Like all the other Imaams, Imaam Maalik R.A. considered the Most Noble Qur’aan to be the primary source of Islamic law and utilized it without laying any preconditions for its application. The Sunnah The Sunnah was used by Imaam Maalik R.A. as the second most important source of Islamic law, but, like Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A.’ he put some restrictions on its use. If a

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Part 2

Continued from last month

Hadeeth were contradicted by the customary practice of the Madinites, he rejected it. He did not, however, insist that a Hadeeth be Mash-hoor [well-known] before it could be applied as Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A. did. Instead he used any Hadeeth that was narrated to him as long as none of the narrators were known liars or extremely weak memorizers.

‘Amal [Practices] of the Madinites Imaam Maalik R.A. reasoned that since many of the Madinites were direct descendants of the Sahaabah and Madinah was where the Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam spent the last ten years of his life, practices common to all Madinites must have been allowed, if not encouraged by the Prophet Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam himself. Thus Imaam Maalik R.A. regarded common Madinite practices as a form highly authentic Sunnah narrated in deeds rather than words. Ijmaa of the Sahaabah Imaam Maalik R.A. like Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A. considered the Ijmaa of the Sahaabah, as well as that of later scholars, as the third most important source of Islamic law. Individual Opinions of the Sahaabah Imaam Maalik R.A. gave full weight to the opinions of the Sahaabah, whether they were conflicting or in agreement, and included them in his book of Hadeeth, ‘al-Muwatta.’However, the consensus of the Sahaabah was given precedence over individual opinions of the Sahaabah. Where there was no consensus, their individual opinions were given precedence over his own opinion. Qiyaas Imaam Maalik R.A. used to apply his own deductive reasoning on matters not covered by the previously mentioned sources. However, he was very cautious about doing so because of the subjectivity of such forms of reasoning.

I May 2009 Customs of the Madinites Imaam Maalik R.A. also gave some weight to isolated practices found among a few people of Madinah so long as they were not in contradiction to known Hadeeths. he reasoned that such customs, though occuring only in isolated instances, must also have been handed down from earlier generations and sanctioned by the Sahaabah or even the Prophet Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam himself.

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Istislaah [Welfare] The principle of Istihsaan developed by Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A. was also applied by Imaam Maalik R.A. and his students except that they called it by the name Istislaah which simply means seeking that which is more suitable. It deals with things which are for human welfare but have not been specifically considered by the Sharee’ah. An example of Istislaah is found in Caliph ‘Alee’s ruling that a whole group of people who took part in a murder were guilty even though only one of the group had actually committed the act of murder. The legal texts of the Sharee’ah covered only the actual murderer. Another example is right of a Muslim leader to collect taxes from the rich other than Zakaah if the interest of the state demands it, whereas in Sharee’ah only Zakaa has been specified. Imaam Maalik R.A. also applied the principle of Istislaah to deduce laws more in keeping with needs which arose from current situations than those deduced by Qiyaas. Urf [Custom] Like Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A., Imaam Maalik R.A. considered the various customs and social habits of people throughout the Muslim world as possible sources of secondary laws as long as they did not contradict either the letter or the spirit of the Sharee’ah. According to custom in Syria, for example, the word Daabbhah means a horse, whereas its general

t s Ju K AS

meaning in Arabic is a four legged animal. Hence, a contract made in Syria requiring payment in the form of a Daabbah would legally mean a horse whereas elsewhere in the Arab world it would have to be more clearly defined as a horse. Main students of the Maalikee Madh-hab: The most notable of Imaam Maalik’s students who did not later form their own Madh-habs were al-Qaasim and Ibn Wahb. Abu Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn al-Qaasim [745-813 CE]. Al-Qaasim was born in Egypt but travelled to Madinah where he studied under his teacher and mentor for a period of more than twenty years. He wrote an extensive book on the Fiqh of the Madh-hab, eclipsing even ‘alMuwatta’ of Imaam Maalik himself and called it al-Mudawwanah. Abu Abdillaah Ibn Wahb [742-818 CE]. Ibn Wahb also travelled from Egypt to Madinah in order to study under Imaam Maalik R.A. He distinguished himself in the deduction of laws to such a degree that Imaam Maalik R.A. gave him the title of al-Muftee, which means the official expounder of Islamic Law.Ibn Wahb was offered an appointment as judge of Egypt, but turned it down in order to maintain his integrity as an independent scholar. Imaam Maalik R.A. had other famous students from other Madh-habs. Some of them modified their own Madh-habs based on what they learnt from Imaam Maalik R.A. for example, Muhammad ash-Shaybaanee who was among the foremost students of Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A. There were others who developed their own Madh-habs by combining Imaam Maalik’s teachings with that of others, for example Muhammad Ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee who studied for many years under Imaam Maalik R.A. as well as under Imaam Abu Haneefah’s student Muhammad ashShaybaanee. Followers of the Maalikee Madh-

SPECIAL FEATURE I 25 hab: Today, the followers of this Madh-hab are found mostly in Upper Egypt, Sudan, North Africa [Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco], West Africa [Mali, Nigeria, Chad, etc.] and the Arabian Gulf States [Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain].

THE SHAAFI’EE MADH-HAB: The Founder: Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee [769-820 CE]. The full name of the scholar after whom this school of legal thought has been named was Muhammad Ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee. He was born in the town of Ghazzah on the Mediterranean coast of what was then known as Shaam in the year 769 CE. but travelled to Madinah in his youth to study Fiqh and Hadeeth under Imaam Maalik R.A. He succeeded in memorizing the whole of Imaam Maalik’s book, ‘al-Muwatta’ and recited it to him from memory, word perfect. Ash-Shaafi’ee remained under Imaam Maalik until the latter passed away in 801 CE. He then departed to Yemen where he taught. He remained in Yemen until he was accused of Shi’ite leanings in the year 805 CE and brought as a prisoner before the Abbaasid Caliph Haroon ar-Rasheed who was the ruler of Iraq from 786809 CE. Fortunately, he was able to prove the correctness of his beliefs and was subsequently released. Ash-Shaafi’ee remained in Iraq and studied for a while under Imaam Muhammad Ibn al-Hassan, the famous student of Imaam Abu Haneefah R.A.. He then travelled to Egypt in order to study under Imaam al-Layth, but by the time he reached Egypt the Imaam had passed away. However, he was able to study the Madh-hab of al-Layth from al-Layth’s students. Ash-Shaafi’ee remained in Egypt until his death in the year 820 CE during the rule of Caliph alMamoon [813-832 CE]. Continued next month

If you have a Question regarding this subject or any other featured articles we have covered please email us on info@passionislam.com and we will forward it onto our team of Scholars to answer.

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