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Millions in Aid to Syria sent from UK Issue: 76

July 2014

Ramadan Mubarak

Aid organisations across the UK have already sent millions worth of aid to Syria this Ramadan

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Aid organisations across the UK have already sent millions worth of aid to Syria this Ramadan. One of the organisation Ummah Welfare Trust secured relief supplies worth ÂŁ1.6 million from Turkey with the aim of benefitting 400,000 orphans, widows, elderly and refugees inside Syria. Ummah Welfare Trust field team, consisting of Trustees,

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project managers and field workers from the UK entered into Syria and started distributing food packs to needy families. A convoy of 70 trucks laden with food packs, baby milk and clean water entered Syria with the aim of reaching distribution centres inside Syria. In partnership with local aid groups, goods will be distributed in Lattakia, Halab, Idlib, Hama and its outskirts.

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www.pi-media.co.uk I July 2014

By Craig Murray

Former Ambassador Human Rights Activist

Lord Byron, Terrorist

The brief wave of Islamic terrorism in the UK followed our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and effectively stopped when those occupations ended. In every case of actual terrorist attack, the terrorists involved cited those invasions as a key part of their motive. There may yet be another residual attack, but as a campaign it is over, and historical perspective will show it related purely to our invasion of Islamic lands. Yet we have suffered a week of media propaganda aimed at repeating the mantra that Isis’ success in Iraq will lead to terrorist attacks in the UK. The only apparent purpose of this mantra is to justify some degree of US/UK intervention in Iraq’s current civil war. As it was the US/UK invasion which caused this civil war in the first place, this is ironic. As any form of UK intervention is the only thing that might in fact provoke Iraq related terrorist attacks in the UK, it is a crazed argument; the absolute opposite of the truth. The brief period of Islamic linked terrorism in the UK killed about eighty people – a tiny percentage of those who died in the UK from Irish linked violence in the 70′s and 80′s – but had two disproportionately dreadful effects. The first was a massive reduction in civil liberties in the UK. The second was the spawning of a vast and parasitic security industry, both within government, and in the private sector but government funded. The patent absence of any genuine Islamic terrorism in the UK to fight is an obvious threat to the funding of this huge industry. Hence the current hype about the threat from Birmingham school governors or British residents fighting in Iraq and Syria. We have the usual propagandists for this threat thrust upon the airwaves again – Frank “Goebbels” Gardner and even the utterly discredited “Quilliam Foundation” who have been back on the BBC. At the moment they are peddling the utterly untrue line that 9% of those who travel from the UK

to participate in fighting abroad, on return get involved in terrorist activity in the UK. Frank Gardner has been repeating this ad nauseam. This claim is absolutely unfounded. It is brought to you by the same people who claim there are 4,000 active terrorists in the UK, or that MI5 foiled 34 active terrorist plots. How gullible do you have to be to believe that in the last seven years this 4,000 committed terrorists in the UK, with their 34 active plots, managed to kill nobody at all, except for the two deranged and utterly disorganised Nigerians who murdered the unfortunate Lee Rigby? The other 3,998 must be the world’s least productive terrorists. Surely between 3,998 fanatical and committed murderous terrorists they could at least have injured somebody? The truth is that in the last seven years Irish political violence has again killed more people in the UK than Islamist political violence. If you have 4,000 totally nonproductive fantasy terrorists, then it is not surprising that you think that one in nine of those who go to fight abroad are involved in such “terrorism” in the UK. In fact, the terrorist threat in the UK is miniscule and the entire narrative is a nonsense. You have a much greater chance of drowning in your own bath than of being killed by a terrorist. The death of Gerald Conlon should be a sobering reminder of the willingness of English juries to make completely improbable terrorist convictions on the say-so of the authorities. There has probably not been a war abroad in the last two hundred years in which some UK resident did not go and fight. The BBC and Sky news headline is about someone from Aberdeen who went to fight for Isis. That is meant to terrify us about terrorism here. Nonsense. Somebody else from Aberdeen went to fight in a war abroad. George Gordon, Lord Byron, went

to fight for the Greek revolt against Ottoman rule, and died of fever in a Balkan swamp. (Under Blair’s “anti-terror” legislation, that would have made Byron guilty of terrorism in the UK). In the same decade George De Lacey Evans went to fight for the Spanish Infanta against her uncle. Several Britons including David Urquhart fought against the Russian invasion of Circassia. I am talking in all these cases of politically motivated volunteers, not mercenaries. A number of British residents fought in the FrancoPrussian war. Several Britons fought for the Confederates in the US civil war – almost certainly some fought for the Union as well, but I can’t claim to know of them. Garibaldi had a Welsh officer called Griffiths. We should all be terrifically proud of the Britons in the International Brigades in Spain. British residents fought on all sides in the recent civil wars in the Balkans. I should be astonished if some British residents of Ukrainian and Russian heritage had not gone to join militias there at present. Nor should we forget that the same political establishment which so deplores Britons going abroad to fight, has legalised, massively encouraged and financed the mercenary activities of hired killers like Tim Spicer and Tony Buckingham. The hypocrisy is rank and stinking. The dreadful violence and destruction the West has inflicted and promoted in recent years in its efforts to gain control of the mineral resources of the Middle East continues to play out. Those who see communities with which they identify abroad engaged in military conflict will always produce a small number of people going to join the fight. This is in no sense unusual, and in no sense a threat to ordinary citizens in the UK. The link to terrorism here is entirely a fiction. The unfortunate thing is that the mainstream media allows no outlet for people to mock its false assertions and point out its sinister agenda.

Write to: Editor, PI Media, PO Box 159, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 1AD or email: info@pi-media.co.uk - www.pi-media.co.uk - mob: 07506 466 385 This Magazine contains Ayaat of the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (SAW), please ensure you handle it with respect & care - Sukran -

Views expressed in the Passion column are of the contributers and not necessarily of PI

UK proscribes five groups linked with Syria www.pi-media.co.uk

I July 2014

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Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Turkish People’s Liberation Army-Front are among the groups designated as terrorist organizations. The United Kingdom announced

it would proscribe five organizations linked to the civil war in Syria under the British Terrorism Act. The Home Office published a draft oder that added five organizations

including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Turkish People’s Liberation Army-Front (THKP-C) to its list of designated terrorist organizations. Under the draft order, it will be a criminal offence to associate with or give financial backing to these groups. The organizations are added to a list of four other groups already operating in Syria. Previously the UK government had outlawed alNusra Front, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Ansar al-Islam (also known as Ansar al Sunna). “We condemn all acts of terrorism committed in Syria, where the conflict poses a growing threat to UK, regional and international peace and security,” Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said.

I July 2014

Migrants Invisible in UK Media

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Charity watchdog warns Muslims of bogus collections during Ramadan

A new report published Migrant Voice reveals huge underrepresentation of migrants in mainstream British media. Migrant Voice analysed 577 online news stories relating to migration over an 11 week period from January to April 2014, from sources including the BBC, ITV, SKY news, The Daily Mail, The Times, The Sun, The Evening Standard, and The Guardian. There are some fantastic examples of migrants’ contributions to British life that feature in all of these media outlets, but when we step back and look at the overall data it is clear that migrants’ views are systematically invisible or

ignored when it comes to most stories affecting migrants. The debate on migration takes place largely within the media, yet migrants themselves are all too often subject to a ‘code of silence.’ Migrant Voice works to bring more migrant voices into the debate - voices all too often ignored by politicians or those with ‘an axe to grind.’ Following the launch of the report, Migrant Voice wrote to editors and reporters to ask them to sign up their new ‘Meet a Migrant’ Campaign. You can read the full report at http://www.scribd.com/ doc/229372612/Migrants-Invisiblein-UK-Media

A warning about bogus collectors preying on worshippers during Ramadan has been issued by the Charity Commission. It comes at the start of the Islamic Holy Month of Ramdhan. Worshippers are being urged to check before giving to collections. One-in-10 charities above £100,000 has been a victim of fraud, the Charities Commission revealed. Genuine fundraisers need a licence from the Met Police to collect in public, it points out. The Commission is urging donors to check that organisations asking for their cash are registered which can be verified online, make sure collectors are wearing an identity badge, that their collection tin is sealed and to be wary of collectors who only give out a mobile number. Donors are being urged if suspicious to call Action Fraud on 0300-123 2040, to check if they are registered as charity go to www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Diabetes UK launches innovative Ramadan project nationwide Diabetes UK and the Muslim Council of Britain have launched an innovative project to help Muslims with diabetes fast safely through Ramadan. Following a successful trial last year, the ‘Managing Diabetes during Ramadan’ project now has an even wider range of material to support people with diabetes cope with their condition during Ramadan. The information includes online advice and factsheets in four different languages and guidance for Muslim

leaders and healthcare professionals. Diabetes UK trained local community volunteers will also be giving talks in mosques in the lead up to Ramadan. As well as the local talks, the Diabetes UK website will host a variety of blogs about fasting during Ramadan, and there are three videos available to watch in which Muslims talk about their personal reasons about fasting or not fasting. Jenne Patel, Equality and Diversity Manager for Diabetes UK, said: “The information and support

now available will raise awareness in the local South Asian community about how to fast safely, and it’s fantastic that our volunteers are helping us do so.” Diabetes UK has also produced factsheets about fasting safely during Ramadan in Urdu, Bengali, Arabic and English. For more information about fasting safely throughout Ramadan, as well as the ‘Diabetes and Ramadan’ project, visit www. diabetes.org.uk/ramadan

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Britain bans forced marriage British legislation banning forced marriage came into effect on Monday, with those found guilty of the largely hidden practice facing up to seven years in prison. The law applies not only within Britain but also makes it a criminal offence to force a British national into a marriage abroad, as many youngsters are flown out to weddings in their ancestral homelands, particularly in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Nearly two-thirds of the cases dealt with by the government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) relate to Britain’s South Asian communities. Campaigners welcomed the new laws as a “huge step forward”, while the government hopes they will protect potential victims. A practice wrecking the lives of unknown thousands of British-born youths, forced marriage has been increasingly exposed in the last decade. Last year, the FMU dealt with some 1,300 cases — 18 per cent of them men. Forty per cent of victims were aged 17 or under; three quarters were aged under 22.

Officials fear the number of victims coming forward is just the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile charities say few leaders with influence in their communities are prepared to take a stand, for fear of losing their support base. The cases related to 74 different countries, although 43 per cent were linked to Pakistan, 11 per cent to India and 10 per cent to Bangladesh. Other countries with multiple cases included Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and Tunisia. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said children as young as 12

had contacted them about forced marriage, with the numbers calling up two-thirds in the last year. The charity’s Ash Chand called the new law “a huge step forward which we hope will deter those plotting against their own children. “Many young people who call our ChildLine service about this issue are frightened, concerned and feel control of their lives is being wrenched from them.” www.pi-media.co.uk

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UK official admits online interception of citizens

The British government’s top security official has admitted that the UK government allows the interception of people’s online activities without a warrant. In a 48-page statement, released, Charles Farr, the director of the Office for Security and CounterTerrorism at the UK’s Home Office, said the mass interception and surveillance of citizens’ activities on social networks is legal. He said the practice of monitoring searches on Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as emails to or from non-British citizens abroad, by the country’s security services is permitted by the law because the communications’ US origins make them to be classified as “external.” Under the Regulation of

Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which regulates the surveillance powers of public bodies, the interception of “external” communications does not require an individual warrant in the UK. Commenting on the issue, James Welch, the legal director of Liberty, a human rights campaigning organization, said, “The security services consider that they’re entitled to read, listen to and analyze all our communications on… US-based platforms. If there was any remaining doubt that our snooping laws need a radical overhaul, there can be no longer. The agencies now operate in a legal and ethical vacuum; why the deafening silence from our elected representatives?” Farr’s statement was issued in response to a legal challenge brought

by several civil liberties groups, including Amnesty International, against the country’s intelligence services over the violation of the privacy of people via online surveillance. The statement is the first detailed defense of the UK government’s spying policies since revelations by American whistleblower Edward Snowden. Classified documents leaked by Snowden in June last year disclosed that Britain’s domestic spying apparatus, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), was secretly accessing the network of cables that carry the world’s phone calls and Internet traffic and was sharing the data with the US National Security Agency (NSA).

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UK Islamic banks disappointed over plans for sukuk www.pi-media.co.uk

In Case You Missed It

Islamic banks in the UK are disappointed that the British government has not included any of them as issuers of its first Islamic bond. The UK is staking its claim as the western centre for Islamic finance by becoming the first non-Muslim country to sell a government bond that complies with the religion’s ban on interest, selling £200 million in a five-year investment. However, Islamic banks based in London have expressed surprise that they were not included as one of the five institutions hired to issue the bonds, or sukuk. Malaysia’s CIMB, Qatar’s Barwa, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Standard Chartered and HSBC have been chosen to lead the sale after what the Treasury called an open and competitive process. “The government’s decision not to choose a local Islamic bank as an arranger is a lost opportunity to promote the homegrown Islamic finance industry,” said Harris Irfan, of European Islamic Investment Bank, which says it has supported London’s development as a centre of Islamic finance.

Britain has six Islamic banks, which are expected to be active buyers of the new bond. “We are pleased that progress is being made on the UK government sukuk as it is important for the UK Islamic banks and the industry,” said Humphrey Percy, chief executive officer of Bank of London and The Middle East, the biggest Islamic bank in Europe. “Naturally we are disappointed that no UK Islamic bank has been selected as an arranger, however BLME will be actively participating in the issue for liquidity purposes and on behalf of our customers.” However Sultan Choudhury,

managing director of Islamic Bank of Britain, a largely retail bank, said he was unsurprised by the UK’s choice of issuers, which he saw as a commercial decision. “I understand where the government is coming from,” he said. The UK’s sukuk will use an ijara structure, where investors receive a share in the agreed rental income of certain assets, in this case three central government offices. Britain has been working on plans for a sukuk for years and rejected a previous planned sale after deciding that the structure was too expensive to set up. www.pi-media.co.uk

UK to re-open embassy in Iran The UK is set to re-open its embassy in Iran, the foreign secretary has announced. In a written statement to the UK parliament Hague said that bilateral relations had improved and that he had spoken to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif. “I telephoned Foreign Minister Zarif to discuss the progress we have made to date and our common interest in continuing to move forward in the UK-Iran bilateral relationship,” said Hague. Hague added, “I have therefore now decided the circumstances are right to reopen our embassy in Tehran. There are a range of practical issues that we will need to resolve first. However it is our

intention to reopen the Embassy in Tehran with a small initial presence as soon as these practical arrangements have been made.” However, Iranians will still have to apply in Istanbul and Abu Dhabi for visas to the UK because the embassy in Iran will only have a “limited range of services”. The foreign secretary said that the concern has been that “staff would be safe and secure, and confidence that they would be able to carry out their functions without hindrance,” adding, “Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK’s global diplomatic approach.”

Diplomatic relations were suspended after Iranian protesters attacked the British embassy in Iran in 2011. The UK responded by expelling Iranian diplomats from the UK.

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Guantánamo ordered to hand tapes thought to show abuse A federal judge ordered the Obama Administration to pass attorneys four more videotapes depicting the Forced Cell Extraction (FCE) of a disabled hunger-striker at Guantánamo Bay. The latest tapes, recorded on May 29-30 this year, are thought to depict a new FCE team handling Syrian prisoner Abu Wa’el Dhiab especially roughly following a court order which temporarily halted his force-feeding. They are in addition to the 28 tapes viewed over by lawyers from legal charity Reprieve, which is representing Mr Dhiab. Of these, 18 have been filed to the court in support of Mr Dhiab’s case. Abu Wa’el Dhiab, a father of four from Syria, is one of several hungerstriking prisoners currently asking the DC District Court to order a halt to the practice of force-feeding at

Guantánamo Bay. Mr Dhiab has been held at the US prison without charge or trial since 2002. He was cleared for release by the Obama Administration in 2009. Judge Gladys Kessler indicated that she aimed to schedule a trial on the merits of Mr Dhiab’s case by 1 September at the latest. Cori Crider, Reprieve attorney for Mr Dhiab, said: “Bit by bit, tape by tape, this case is starting to reveal the ugly reality of Guantánamo. The only question is how long the President, who has the power

to release this cleared man, will continue to look away and leave him to endure this pointless torment.” Alka Pradhan, Reprieve US attorney for Mr Dhiab said: “These first-ever glimpses into Guantánamo Bay are extraordinarily disturbing. I challenge the President to look at the mounting evidence and take ownership of the abuse my client is enduring.”

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Al-Azhar grand imam says Arab spring was western plot www.pi-media.co.uk

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Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the head of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, has claimed that the Arab Spring uprisings, which spread across the Arab world in 2011 in a bid to rid it of decades of dictatorship, was a plot initiated by the West to recolonize the Middle-East and North Africa. “The Arab Spring revolutions have carried some benefits for some Arab countries. Yet, some of these revolutions were part of a larger plot to divide other countries,” el-Tayeb told the El-Hayat El-Youm program according to the Al-Arham

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newspaper. “The West has invented incorrect theories to be able to control the treasures of the East, ignoring the fact that science should be a mutual human benefit,” el-Tayeb added in his first televized interview since Egypt’s military coup ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi. “Till now, the west has not met with the east, where a widening gap has been growing though AlAzhar scholars have predicted the possibility, if not the necessity, of meeting between the east and the

‘Germany unrivaled as NSA spying host in Europe’

A new report reveals that secret spying operations by the United States have been much more widespread in Germany than previously thought, raising questions about Berlin’s possible complicity in the operations. The report, published by the German daily Der Spiegel is based on classified documents exposed by American whistleblower Edward Snowden. The article exposed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has developed an “increasingly intimate relationship with Germany over the past 13 years while massively expanding its presence” in the European country. “No other country in Europe plays host to a secret NSA surveillance architecture comparable to the one in

Germany,” the article added. According to the report, the data collected by the American agency from its sites across Germany was used in controversial US “Capture or Kill” operations against suspected militants. The European Technical Center (ETC) is considered as one of the key NSA bases, which is located in the city of Wiesbaden, southwestern Germany, the report further pointed out. Referring to the NSA’s relationship with its German partner, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the Spiegel article also noted that the cooperation appears to be growing, adding that “the exchange of data, spying tools and know-how is much more intense” than previous estimates.

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west since the renaissance,“ he said. While the Arab Spring resulted in a few minor reforms in the stillstanding Algerian government, the result in other countries has been much different. In Tunisia, where the revolution first started, former dictator Zine al Abidin Ben Ali fled mass protests to make way for the rise of the Islamist Ennahda Party. However, mass protests against Ennahda forced the ruling party to make a number of concessions to avoid civil war. Egypt likewise succeeded in ousting dictator Hosni Mubarak, who was later replaced by Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi in the country’s first free elections. A year later, however, Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi removed Morsi from office in a military coup. Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was killed after being caught by a mob. Similarly, the new government in Yemen has struggled to contain growing militancy and separatism. Syrians have been unable to remove Bashar al-Assad from power after a three-year civil war has brought the country to ruins.

Palestinian girl, the youngest doctor in the World When someone enrolls in the medicine school that one of the longest schooling required profession, by the time they finish school they will be around 30-or at least on their late 20s. But not for this girl; Eqbal Asa’d is a Palestinian Muslim woman that started the Medicine school when she was just 14 years old, ‘myhijab.info’ reports. Asa’d got her Bachelor degree in Medicine with Honors and was set by the Guinness World Records as the youngest doctor in the World, according to the report. She has been signed to go to Ohio, U.S to continue her education even further and become a Pediatrician.

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US military lost 400 drones in crashes since 2001: Report

Mosque “Lala Tulpan” Included as one of top Russian symbols

The United States has lost more than 400 military drones in major accidents around the world since 2001, a year-long investigation into the issue shows. “Military drones have slammed into homes, farms, runways, highways, waterways and, in one case, an Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane in midair,” The Washington Post said in its exclusive report published. Citing 50,000 pages of accident investigation reports and other records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the newspaper said that hundreds of military drones have crashed due to a host of problems, including mechanical

failure, human error, weather and other reasons. The Post said of the 418 known crashes between September 11, 2001 and the end of 2013, there have been 194 so-called Class A crashes that resulted in either the total loss of a drone or damages of more than $2 million. According to the report, 67 drone accidents took place in Afghanistan, 41 in Iraq, and 47 occurred within the United States during test and training flights. The investigation calls into question the safety and security of drones, which have become extremely important in US military operations.

The list of architectural symbols, which make up the cultural background of Russian megacities, was published on Lenta.ru website. The list includes both ancient and modern buildings, except sights located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. “We have tried to collect interesting objects, which are preserved or newly built in the administrative centers of the other regions,” - said on the portal. As a result, the list of architectural symbols included a mosque, “Lala-Tulip”, which located in Ufa. The mosque has three floors. Height of the two minarets, built in the form of buds of tulips, is 53 meters. The mosque can accommodate 1000 believers. Besides the mosque it was also included the Tatar State Theatre “Nur”, which also located in Ufa.

Israel approves 172 new Jerusalem settlement units

The Israeli government approved the construction of 172 new homes for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli media has reported. “The Israeli committee for building and planning gave its approval to start building 172 settlement units in the [Jewish-only] settlement of Har Homa [built on Jabal Abu Ghneim],” Israel’s Walla news website reported. Palestinians accuse Israel of waging an aggressive campaign to “Judaize” East Jerusalem with the aim of effacing its Arab and Islamic identity. They insist that Israeli settlement

building must stop before a comprehensive peace deal can be reached. International law considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem occupied territories captured by Israel in 1967, deeming all Jewish settlement building on the land illegal.

Israel okays 2 synagogues near Aqsa mosque Israel has approved the construction of two synagogues near the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian NGO said.

In a meeting, the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that an Israeli panel has given the green light for the building of a 7-storey synagogue 100 meter south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. According to the NGO, another synagogue will be constructed 250 meters west of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. “The final floor of this five-storey building, which overlooks the mosque compound, will be used to monitor the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the foundation said in its statement. www.pi-media.co.uk

US Imam calls for holy books protection law 16

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A few days after the burning of three copies of the Noble Quran in front of a Dearborn mosque, an American Muslim imam has called for issuing a new law banning burning of desecrating holy books. “We want all of the religions to cooperate with us to bring respect to the word of God, whether the Quran, Bible, or Torah,” Sheikh Husham Al-Husainy, imam of Dearborn’s Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center,

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told Press & Guide. Noting that he understands it will be a challenge, the imam said, “But again, a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step.” A day before anti-Islam Pastor Terry Jones made a visit the deplorable act of the Qur’an-burning took place in front of the Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center in Dearborn. “I’ve been in this mosque for 20

I July 2014

years, and this never happened,” the imam said. “It’s the first time.” Jones, a 58-year-old pastor and the head of a small fringe church in Gainesville, Florida, burnt the Quran in front of a crowd of about 50 people on March 20, 2012, in what he called “International Judge the Quran Day”. Jones had denied the claims that were made about him burning the Quran. Since 9/11, US Muslims, estimated between six to seven million, have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was stigmatizing their faith. There have been 800 incidents of violence, threats and vandalism against Muslims since 2001. Estimates show that 14 percent of religious discrimination is reported against Muslims.

New Zealand muslim woman has MP hopes www.pi-media.co.uk

I July 2014

A chartered accountant from Hamilton New Zeland Anjum Rahman performed well at a recent Labor Party conference, and is expected to be ranked inside the party’s top 30 candidates for the September 20 general election. The mother-of-two unsuccessfully stood for the Hamilton City Council last year, but has helped set up an ethnic women’s centre in Hamilton,

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is a member of the Interfaith Council and the board that runs community radio station Free FM. “For me, running for public office is an extension of the community work I’m already doing.” She has been a Labor Party member for 10 years, and previously stood for a list seat — with rankings in the 60s — in 2005 and 2008. Among her top priorities are

Tunisia election to be held in October, November Tunisia’s election authority has proposed holding a parliamentary election in October and the first round of a presidential vote the following month, marking the final step towards full democracy in cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings. Tunisia’s often turbulent political transition began after the 2011 uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and inspired revolutions across the region. Since then, Tunisia has been led by a caretaker government and has adopted a new constitution that has been praised as a model of democratic transition in the Arab world. “Our proposal, which we will present to the Constituent Assembly,

is to hold parliamentary elections on Oct. 26, 2014, and for the first session of the presidential vote be held on Nov. 23, 2014, and the second session on Dec. 26,” Chafik Sarsar, head of the country’s election commission, told Reuters. It is widely expected that the Tunisian parliament will in the coming days approve the dates after politicians ended disputes over the election. Sarsar also said it was likely that parliament will back the proposed electoral calendar because there were no other viable dates on offer. Setting a date for elections could restore investor confidence in Tunisia’s collapsed economy. www.pi-media.co.uk

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supporting small businesses and creating a society where everyone felt included, she said. “I think a lot of social issues are around people not feeling part of the community, not feeling valued.” Rahman, who wears a hijab or headscarf, immigrated to New Zealand from India as a child, and is a staunch Kiwi. “I’d be really pleased to be the first [female Muslim] MP, but that’s not the only thing about me. “I want it to be that no one even bats an eyelid, when people realize New Zealanders come in all hues, shapes and sizes. But for that to happen, someone has to be first.” Ashraf Choudhary was New Zealand’s first Muslim MP when he was elected on the Labor list in 2002. Pakistan-born Choudhary had to provide his own Quran for the swearing-in ceremony. The south-pacific island country of New Zealand is home to 36,000 Muslims, according to the 2006 census.

Russia combats online extremism

Russia’s Interior Minister says the number of extremist crimes committed via cyberspace has significantly increased. Speaking at a session of the Russian lower house of parliament, Vladimir Kolokoltsev said: “Police constantly monitor the Internet to reveal extremist content, especially websites spreading calls for illegal actions.” “The number of legal proceedings for extremist activity with the use of Internet resources has more than doubled last year,” Kolokoltsev said, adding that criminal action was brought against 186 people, while 386 people were subjected to administrative liability. More than 7,000 extremist materials were deleted from the Internet.

I WORLD NEWS

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Sri Lanka opposition blames government for religious violence

Sri Lanka’s opposition and civil society spoke out against deadly communal violence that has hit southern resort towns in recent days. Local hospital sources told Anadolu Agency that eight people have now died in the aftermath of clashes, which started after a rally held by Buddhist hardliner group Bodu Bala Sena in the town of Aluthgama, was followed by a march

through the predominantly Muslim town of Dharga. A local source told AA that up to 2,500 Muslim women and children have taken refuge from the violence in the Al Humaizara School in Beruwala. AA also received reports that many Muslim houses in the area of Welipanna were set on fire. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United

National Party, in a speech to parliament blamed the government for not resolving communal disputes in the area. He also called for party leaders to stop a Bodu Bala Sena rally planned to take place in the town of Mawanella. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka also released a strongly-worded statement criticizing “the blatant attack on members of the Muslim minority.” The U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pilay said that she was “very concerned this violence could spread to Muslim communities in other parts of the country,” and urged the government to prevent violence and hate speech. Bodu Bala Sena, which literally translates to Buddhist Power Force, is a right-wing Buddhist group that was established after the end of Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war in 2009. They belong to the country’s Sinhalese Buddhist majority and have been accused of inciting hate against other religions in Sri Lanka.

New study reveals FBI set up terrorism related prosecutions Nearly 95 per cent of terrorist arrests have been the result of FBI foiling its own entrapment plots as a part of the so-called post-9/11 War on Terror, a new study revealed. According to the report entitled ‘Inventing Terrorists: The Lawfare of Preemptive Prosecution’, the majority of arrests involved the unjust prosecution of targeted Muslim Americans. The 175-page study by Muslim advocacy group SALAM analyzes 399 individuals in cases included on the list of the US Department of Justice from 2001 to 2010. “According to this study’s classification, the number of preemptive prosecution cases is 289 out of 399, or 72.4 percent. The number of elements of preemptive prosecution cases is 87 out of 399, or 21.8 percent. Combining preemptive prosecution cases and elements

of preemptive prosecution cases, the total number of such cases on the DOJ list is 376, or 94.2 percent,” the report concluded. The authors define ‘preemptive prosecution’ as “a law enforcement strategy adopted after 9/11, to target and prosecute individuals or organizations whose beliefs, ideology, or religious affiliations raise security concerns for the government.” Nearly 25 percent of cases (99 of 399) contained material support charges. Another almost 30 per cent of cases consisted of conspiracy charges. More than 17 per cent of the analyzed cases (71 of 399 cases) involved sting operations. Over 16 percent of cases (65 of 399 cases) included false statement or perjury charges, and around six percent of

cases involved immigration-related charges. According to the report, since 9/11 only 11 cases posed “potentially significant” threat to the United States. One of the FBI’s strategies involved “using agents provocateur to actively entrap targets in criminal plots manufactured and controlled by the government.”

Saudi Arabia rejects foreign interference in Iraq

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I July 2014

WORLD NEWS I 19

In Case You Missed It

Organisers of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, have announced the event will run from January 15-18 next year at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture

Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and championship title sponsor HSBC have confirmed preparations are in full swing ahead of the milestone, which will reflect the event’s remarkable growth over the past decade.

This year’s event attracted over 63,000 fans to see Pablo Larrazábal seize the Falcon Trophy from under the noses of Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, and a significant cut of the $2.7million prize purse - the richest in the region. Since its inception, the championship has teed off every January at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, forming part of the Tour’s ‘Gulf Swing’, which also includes tournaments in Dubai and Qatar. Earlier this year, the Abu Dhabi Championship was also billed, for the second year running, as the region’s best professional sporting event at the Middle East Sports Industry Awards (SPIA). Golf in Abu Dhabi has created tailored packages to suit all types of players and itineraries, including packages for the 2015 Championship, which include a complimentary clinic with a world top 30 player. By Neil Halligan

Ramadan should not harm players, says FIFA medic Muslim players at the World Cup observing the religious festival of Ramadhan should not suffer any deterioration in their physical conditioning, FIFA’s chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak said. The month-long observance started on Sunday, is a period when adherents fast between sunrise and sunset. Dvorak told reporters at FIFA’s daily media briefing: “We have made extensive studies of players during Ramadhan, and the conclusion was that if Ramadhan is followed appropriately, there will be no reduction in the physical performances of players. “We have done extensive studies and nothing worries us. “The players observing Ramadhan always have the

provision to ask for an exemption and follow Ramadhan at a more appropriate time. This is what I have learnt from the religious leaders in Algeria.”

Michel D’Hooghe, chairman of FIFA’s medical committee told reporters: “It should not be a problem and we had the same thing at the London Olympics two years ago.”

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I July 2014

World’s first Real Madrid branded cafe opens in Dubai www.pi-media.co.uk

Spanish football giant Real Madrid has announced the opening of the world’s first Real Madrid Café in Dubai. The two-level dining destination, which can accommodate up to 375 guests, has been established at The Beach Mall in Jumeirah Beach Residences.

Real Madrid Café, part of the Real Madrid World, offers a mix of dining, entertainment and retail experience for football fans, its operator said in a statement. “We are very excited to open the doors to the very first Real Madrid Café in the world, and privileged that it will happening right here in Dubai,

a city that is equally passionate about football and food,” said Khaled Al Muhairy, chairman, Ginza Holdings, operators of Real Madrid Café. “The Real Madrid Café is where football and the world that revolves around the club come alive, evoking its achievements, players and facilities, visually showcasing testimonies of its myths, as well as the greatest and most unforgettable moments in its history,” added Al Muhairy. Real Madrid Café offers a menu combining traditional Spanish favourites, such as gazpacho, omelletes and paella, with a wide selection of international specialities, said Rene Rojas, senior restaurant manager. The cafe will show football matches from the world’s best leagues once they restart after the summer break as well as games from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Gulf states rally behind Qatar over World Cup bribery claims Gulf states rallied behind Qatar following allegations published by Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper that a senior Qatari football official made payments to win the country’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar has vehemently denied the accusations and Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani of the Gulf Cooperation Council - which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman - attacked what he called a “biased media campaign”. “The Secretary General affirmed the GCC’s ... complete support in the face of all doubters and haters and everyone who is attempting to lessen (Qatar’s) right to host this historic global sporting event,” the GCC statement said. Qatar won its bid through “honest competition,” he said. If corruption was proved, Qatar could be stripped of the Cup, or at

least face a challenge to its position as host either through a re-vote or other processes. The World Cup has never been held in the Middle East before. Qatar defended its campaign and rejected the corruption allegations which it said were timed to coincide with an investigation by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, into the

bidding process for the 2022 World Cup and the one before it in Russia in 2018. The GCC statement will provide welcome support for Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew envoys from their neighbour in March over its backing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the region.

Health Guidelines for Ramadan

I FEATURED

What we eat and drink directly affects our health. Fasting during Ramadan can be good for your health if it’s done correctly. When the body is starved of food, it starts to burn fat so that it can make energy. This can lead to weight loss. However, if you fast for too long your body will eventually start breaking down muscle protein for energy, which is unhealthy. Those observing the fast should have at least two meals a day, the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and a meal at dusk (Iftar). Meals should be simple and not differ too much from a normal diet. It is important that meals contain items from all the major food groups including: • Fruit and vegetables • Bread, other cereals and potatoes • Meat, fish and alternatives • milk and dairy foods

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• Foods containing fat and sugar Breaking a fast with a feast is not recommended and can cause weight gain, regardless of how long a fast has lasted during Ramadan. A Diet Plan Suhoor – the pre-dawn meal: This should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours. It is very important to include slowlydigested foods. iftar – the meal that breaks the day’s fast: This could include dates or fruit juices to provide a refreshing burst of energy. These healthy meal ideas will give you a varied and balanced diet during Ramadan. They include ingredients from the major five food groups. Fluids (water and juices) and dates should be added to each

I July 2014

Suhoor and Iftar. The fast is broken with dates, followed by dinner. Suhoor Day 1: a bowl of porridge with milk, one slice of toast and a handful of unsalted nuts Iftar Day 1: pitta bread with chicken, salad and hummus and one or two pieces of baklava Suhoor Day 2: wheat-based cereal with milk, a plain scone or crumpet and an apple or banana Iftar Day 2: chicken with boiled rice, vegetable curry and mixed salad, followed by fruit salad with single cream Suhoor Day 3: a bowl of shredded wheat or muesli and a pear or orange Iftar Day 3: baked fish with roasted vegetables, or fish curry with rice followed by sweet vermicelli or one piece of jalebi (an Indian sweet) Suhoor Day 4: cheese, then one

I July 2014 teaspoon of jam with crackers or toast, and a handful of dried fruits Iftar Day 4: pasta cooked with vegetables and chicken or fish, and a slice of plain cake with custard.

FEATUREDI 25

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Foods that are beneficial during fasting: Complex carbohydrates will help release energy slowly during the hours of fasting. They are found in grains and seeds such as barley, wheat, oats, semolina, beans, lentils and basmati rice; Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly. These include bran, cereals,whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin, vegetables such as green beans and almost all fruit including apricots, prunes and figs. Foods to avoid: Heavily processed, fastburning foods containing refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar and white flour. Too much fatty food should also be avoided, such as cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets.The guide suggests drinks such as tea, coffee and cola could also be avoided because of their caffeine content.

Frequently asked health questions about fasting during Ramadan.

These answers have been put together by medical experts and Islamic scholars and researchers. Should a person with diabetes fast? People who have their diabetes under control, either by their diet or using tablets, may fast. However, their GP may require them to change their medication to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Those who need insulin to control their diabetes should not fast. I get severe migraines when I don’t eat and they get worse when I fast. Should I fast? People with uncontrolled migraines should not fast. However, managing your migraines is possible with the right medicine and certain lifestyle changes. Ask your GP for further advice on controlling your migraines. Should a person with high or low blood pressure fast? People with well-controlled high blood pressure may fast. Their GP may require a change to their medicine to help them take tablets

outside fasting times. Someone with low blood pressure who is otherwise healthy may fast. They must ensure they drink enough fluid and have enough salt. Is fasting harmful when a woman is expecting a baby? Must pregnant women fast? There’s medical evidence to show that fasting in pregnancy is not a good idea. If a pregnant woman feels strong and healthy enough to fast, especially during the early part of the pregnancy, she may do so. If she doesn’t feel well enough to fast, Islamic law gives her clear permission not to fast, and to make up the missed fasts later. If she is unable to do this, she must perform fidyah (a method of compensation for a missed act of worship). Is Ramadan a good time to quit smoking? Yes. Smoking is bad for your health and Ramadan is a great opportunity to change unhealthy habits, including smoking. Find out more about stopping smoking by contacting health.matters@rccl.org or ring 01924 510030 and speak to a health advisor. From what age can children fast safely? Children are required to fast upon reaching puberty. It isn’t harmful. Fasting before this age is tolerated differently depending on the attitude of the parents and the child’s general health and nutrition. Fasting for children under the age of seven or eight isn’t advisable. It’s a good idea to make children aware of what fasting involves and to practise fasting for a few hours at a time. Can I use an asthma inhaler during Ramadan? Muslim experts have differing opinions on this issue. Some say that using an asthma inhaler isn’t the same as eating or drinking, and is therefore permitted during fasting. In their view, people with asthma can fast and use their inhalers whenever they need to. However, other scholars say that the inhaler provides small amounts of liquid medicine to the lungs, so it breaks the fast. They say that people with poor control of their asthma must not fast until good control is achieved. Some people with asthma may opt for longer-acting inhalers so

that they can fast. See your GP for further advice. Can a person fast if they are getting a blood transfusion in hospital? No. A person receiving a blood transfusion is advised not to fast on medical grounds. They may fast on the days when no transfusions are required. I am on regular medication. Can I still fast? If the medicine needs to be taken during fasting, do not fast. If this medication is required as treatment for a short illness, you can compensate for missed fasts by fasting on other days when you are well. If you are on long-term medication then you could talk to your GP about whether you could change your medication, so that you can take it outside the time of the fast. If your disease is unstable, or poorly controlled, do not fast. Those who are unable to carry out the missed fasts later, due to the longterm use of medication, should do fidyah. Could dehydration become so bad that you have to break the fast? Yes. You could become very dehydrated if you do not drink enough water before the fast. Poor hydration can be made worse by weather conditions, and even everyday activities such as walking to work or housework. If you produce very little or no urine, feel disoriented and confused, or faint due to dehydration, you must stop fasting and have a drink of water or other fluid. Islam doesn’t require you to harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, it will need to be compensated for by fasting at a later date. Can I fast while I have dialysis? People on peritoneal dialysis must not fast and should perform fidyah. Haemodialysis is performed about three times a week and causes significant shifts of fluids and salts within the body. Such patients must not fast and should perform fidyah. Article put together by Health Matters @ Ravensthorpe Community Centre LTD. health.matters@rccl.org 01924 510030

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