VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 30, May 31, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri

Editors: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

PART I:

APPEAL TO OUR SPECIAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM LONDON:

"Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

A BUFFET FOR BURMA (Myanmar) with Ustadh Abu Muntasir (JIMAS)

Date: Saturday 31st May 2008

Time: 6.30 pm - 9.00 pm

Venue: Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, Aldgate, London, E1 6LS

With up to 1000 years of Islamic heritage, the history, culture and environment of Burma make it a very unique and rich country. Unfortunately many of its people have been living in poverty and the recent cyclone has brought further suffering to their lives. Come and taste authentic Burmese cuisine with recipes from some of the various Burmese Muslim communities, including Rohingyas, Panthay, Pashus, Kamans and Myedu. And while you are stimulating your taste buds, learn more about the beautiful story of Islam's journey to the heart of Burma and how Burmese Muslims have been particularly affected by the current regime. Ustadh Abu Muntasir, who knows the country well, will remind us of the importance of charity during times of disaster and relate some of his personal experiences of the region.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to Burma Aid - a not for profit company in the process of UK charity registration; Registration number - 06591979.

All are welcome but please book your seat in advance".

For registration and more information contact: Tel: 07511 684 263

E-mail: info@burma-aid.org

Website: www.burma-aid.org

Wassalaam 'alaikum wa rahmatullaah.

Burma Aid Tel: 07511 684 263

E-mail: info@burma-aid.org Website: www.burma-aid.org"


PART II:

May 18, 2008 (www.whitehouse.gov)

President Bush Attends World Economic Forum
Sharm el Sheikh International Congress Center
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

"There are people who claim that democracy is incompatible with Islam. But the truth is that democracies, by definition, make a place for people of religious belief. America is one of the most --is one of the world's leading democracies, and we're also one of the most religious nations in the world. More than three-quarters of our citizens believe in a higher power. Millions worship every week and pray every day. And they do so without fear of reprisal from the state. In our democracy, we would never punish a person for owning a Koran. We would never issue a death sentence to someone for converting to Islam. Democracy does not threaten Islam or any religion. Democracy is the only system of government that guarantees their protection" .

President George W Bush

PART III:

THE DEBATE OF HIJAB IN NORWAY: Sexuality is currently the most important gender equality issue. (Condensed version)*

Berit Gullikstad is a researcher at the Center for Gender Studies at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The debate surrounding the use of hijab may indicate that sexuality currently is the main gender equality issue, while economy appears to be of less importance. These are the words of Berit Gullikstad, who has analysed the Norwegian debate over hijab.

THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE:

Both sides argued that women ought to be free to decide for themselves. But what does that mean?

– Advocates of the ban claimed that Muslim women are forced to wear a headscarf, and that a ban would give them the right to choose.

-The opponents, on the other hand, said that women with hijab should be considered as independent individuals who make their own choices and deserve respect. From this Viewpoint, a ban would deny women the right to decide for themselves, says Gullikstad.

The debate clearly accentuates the perception of gender equality as a trademark of the Norwegian identity, says Gullikstad. – Categorisations were central to the debate. While advocates of the ban assumed the position of “free and equal”, women with hijab were stamped as “subdued” and feeble. The women argued that they too were free, and stressed that a ban in reality would prevent them from working. Filing complaints when suspended from jobs is a testament to the women’s drive and awareness of their rights, says Gullikstad.

THE RIGHT TO WORK:

The right to be economically independent has traditionally been important to the Norwegian women’s movement and closely linked to the notion of gender equality. Gullikstad is surprised that this element received so little attention throughout the debate, despite the fact that what sparked the Norwegian debate was the suspension of Ambreen Pervez.

Pervez was fired from a furniture store on the grounds that her headscarf violated their dress code policy. She filed a complaint with the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud and won her job back. – Many self-proclaimed feminists avoided the question of what a ban would imply for Muslim women’s economic situation. This makes me wonder: Has economic independence lost its importance to ethnic Norwegian feminists? If so, why, asks Gullikstad, who presents one theory: The debate over hijab may suggest that sexuality currently is the most important gender equality issue.

SEXUALITY = FEMININITY:

According to Gullikstad, sexuality was a focal point on both sides of the debate. Those in favour of the ban argued that the headscarf is an unacceptable means of curbing women’s sexuality, and hence oppressive. The opponents, not least Muslim women, claimed that the headscarf is liberating. With the headscarf you are seen as a person, not mainly as an object of desire. There is a similar understanding of sexuality in the debate over teenage girls’ way of dressing. Some schools want to ban see-through trousers and bare stomachs, both to protect the girls and to avoid male teachers feeling like voyeurs. – With this kind of argumentation sexuality equals women’s skin, hair and figure. It is taken for granted that men feel desire when met with this femininity. Hence, sexuality is turned into “nature” both for women and men. Men’s sexuality is viewed as outside their own control, and something women must consider when they choose outfits, says Gullikstad.

WHAT IS EQUALIZED SEXUALITY ?

Her analysis of this issue has shown that the question is how to do sexuality in order to be categorised as “equal, claims Gullikstad.

– How available can and must the female body be in order to be “equal” and at the same time “appropriate”? One of the battles of the debate was where this line should be drawn, she says.

– Gullikstad adds: "I find it particularly interesting that, except for the issue of women in leading positions, the debate surrounding gender equality today revolves primarily around ”the others”. As my analysis of the debate over hijab shows, this is an area where our society still has a lot of work to do with regards to gender equality" .

PART IV:

IS BELOW A NEW FORM OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN OR JUST A FASHION SHOW (After all, the body is covered)?

Islamic fashion set to be the Next Big Thing:

Picture "women's Islamic dress."

If you imagined a plain, black burqa, or even a black abaya accompanied by a niqab, you may be envisaging an outfit that could soon be a relic of the past. That's because the Islamic women's fashion industry around the world is taking off—in a big way. Aside from introducing abayas decorated with crystal beads, pearls, embroidery, satin flowers and other colorful adornments, designers are introducing dramatic new styles, fabrics, and colors to Islamic dress. For instance, British designer Sophia Kara offers an outfit composed of a "hooded abaya with a matching niqab, or face veil, in shocking pink over a salwar, or loose pants, printed with an ornate English floral motif" as part of her Imaan Collections. High-end designers including Hermés and Gucci are also trying to break into the Muslim market with scarves and other products.

What's the attraction? Perhaps it's about encouraging women to "experiment ... with ways to feel happy about themselves while holding on proudly to their faith," as Raja Rezza Shah, entrepreneur and director of the Islamic Fashion Festival, says. Perhaps even more than that, it's about the bottom line: The global Muslim fashion industry is estimated to be worth at least $96 billion, assuming that half the world's 1.6 billion Muslims dress modestly, and that they spend $120 a year (a conservative estimate) on this type of clothing. Some outfits even sell for $10,000—which is not all that surprising considering that several of the key markets for Islamic fashion include oil-rich states like the United Arab Emirates—and Muslim fashion shows have have been held in places from Tehran to Jakarta to the United States.

"Islamic fashion is also not just restricted to Muslims. As with the burqini (Burkha + Bikini), which has gained popularity amongst non-Muslims, Muslim styles have begun to influence European street fashion. I'm willing to bet that this is an industry that's got a pretty bright future".

ISLAMIC FASHION SHOW IN IRAN

Just have a look at the traditional and contemporary Iranian designs of Islamic wear: An Islamic fashion event was organized where Muslima models walked down the ramp swaying their hips to the traditional music, and showing off the designer apparels to the enthusiastic female crowd.

ISLAMIC FASHION SHOW IN BERLIN, GERMANY

The presentation by German and Germany-based
Turkish designers is organized for Muslim women
and is the first such event in Germany, according
to the culture workshop.

Berlin Islamic Fashion Show: A model presents a wedding dress by Turkish designer Muhterem Cen during the 'Walk of Islam' fashion show in Berlin.

ISLAMIC FASHION SHOW IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Despite the ban on headscarves, many young Turkish women continue to embrace Islamic dress, as was apparent at a recent Islamic women's fashion show in Istanbul

PART V:

IS BELOW AN EXAGGERATION ?

May 28, 2008

According to "Religious trends and our religious future," from the CHURCH OF ENGLAND NEWS, UK will be "Islamic nation" in 2038. "

"If recent reports of trends in religious observance prove to be correct, then in some 30 years the mosque will be able to claim that, religiously speaking, the UK is an Islamic nation, and therefore needs a share in any religious establishment to reflect this. The progress of conservative Islam in the UK has been amazing, and it has come at a time of prolonged decline in church attendance that seems likely to continue. This progress has been enthusiastically assisted by this government in particular with its hard-line multi-cultural dogma and willingness to concede to virtually every demand made by Muslims".

PART VI:

GLOBAL UMMAH'S "SWAT" TEAM SPOTS AN IMAM'S UN-ISLAMIC VERBAL BEHAVIOR:

Tehran, 27 May (AKI) - A top Iranian cleric from the northeast, Ayatollah Ahmad Elmalhoda, has reportedly called feminists "whores and foreign spies".

"These whores, clutching a piece of paper in their hands to gather signatures, are working for foreign powers and want to destabilize the Islamic Republic," said Elmalhoda. He is the highly influential prayer leader in the northeastern holy Shia city of Mashad. Elmalhoda has called on the government to "intervene decisively against these whores, because it is improper to leave them to act with impunity."

(ED NOTE: One of the criteria to judge what is Islamic or unislamic behavior is to view it in context of what would our loving Prophet Mohammed (SAW) have told in similar situation. Based on the gems of hadith and Holy Quran, it looks unlikely that feminists would be given above derogatory names. We support feminists in terms of their efforts to work on equality in terms of equal pay for same work and other related issues. We however urge them to have an open mind to better understand Islam. If they also resort to condemning Islam based on misinformation and prejudice, then there is no difference between the above Imam's irresponsible statements and their own Islamophobic statements).

As usual, feel free to e-mail your valuable comments to info@mehrunyusuficds.com.

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 29, May 25, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri

Editors: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin


In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

EDITORIAL:

Too often, many of us are caught up with one one specific aspect of Islam at the expense of many other important aspects and in the process we inadvertently freeze ourselves within the confines of the specific aspect that we are caught up with. The world is increasingly becoming complex in terms of living. Allah has gifted us the tools through the gems of Holy Quran and Hadith to facilitate us to utilize it in various facets of our life and had repeatedly emphasized the importance of KNOWLEDGE, still there is tremendous room for improvement for our GLOBAL UMMAH in terms of appropriately utilizing such tools to help with our day to day living.

Our heart goes out to all human beings (descendents of Adam and Eve) who are currently suffering injustice and pain and we pray that Allah gives relief from such pain and showers his Mercy and Blessings to all of Mankind. All terrorists (whether private or State sponsored) who harm the innocents should be condemned by the international community. An innocent is an innocent, be it a woman or child and the innocent's pain and suffering in the face of TERROR remains the same regardless of the source of terror. We believe that there is a direct link between terrorism and violation of human rights. Our prayers for an end to conflicts in Iraq, Somalia, Chechyna, Kashmir, Darfur and many other conflict hot zones of the world.

Islam champions the cause of human rights including the rights of women and children, unfortunately this again is an area that we could further improve upon.

If you carefully analyze the content of most Islamic speeches they tend to focus on the religious aspects of Islam, which is great. However we believe that they need to go way beyond it and address other important aspects too that pertain to Islam including human rights, injustice et.c and CONNECT IT WITH THE PRESENT WORLD, CURRENT EVENTS AND PASSIVE CONTEMPORARY RESPONSE FROM THE UMMAH. There are lot of opportunities for interfaith co-operation in this area to work towards WORLD PEACE. It is high time, we come out of our insulated boxes of our respective faiths and work together for all mankind. "Mankind is but ONE community" - Holy Quran.

As a first example, what is the global Ummah doing to prevent the gross injustice against infanticide ? As a second example, what are we doing to prevent the injustice committed on our brothers and sisters in Darfur, Sudan which is perpetrated by our own Muslims.

PART I:

DARFUR - A TRAGEDY THAT VIVIDLY DEMONSTRATES THE POWERLESSNESS OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH

(PLIGHT OF OUR MUSLIM SISTERS IN DARFUR)

Brilliant design, shocking message from Amnesty International Hungary.

“My camp is my home, and the men here are part of my family. I don’t want to let them die by the hands of the militiamen. So I made a decision in order to keep the men out of danger, I get the firewood myself. That is my gift for them; to face rape every day.”

STOP THE DAILY RAPES IN DARFUR.

Advertiser: Amnesty International Hungary Agency: DDB Budapest, Hungary Source: Ads of the World

Part II:
DENMARK:

Above dramatic image has sparked debate in Denmark

"Row over Denmark Court Veil Ban"

By Thomas Buch-Andersen BBC News, Copenhagen.

Danish diplomats to Muslim countries are preparing themselves for another wave of anti-Danish protests after the government announced it would bar judges from wearing headscarves and similar religious or political symbols in courtrooms.

Although the ban will include crucifixes, Jewish skull caps and turbans as well as headscarves, the move is seen as being largely aimed at Muslim judges. Earlier the party produced a widely published poster showing a female judge wearing an all-encompassing burka. Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen says the ban on religious symbols is needed because judges "must appear neutral and impartial".

But Court President Torben Goldin says the ban is absurd. "Danish judges go through 15 years of training to ensure that they are only acting according to Danish law and not influenced by their religious or political beliefs," he said. Muslim groups have criticised the ban. "What's next? The length of my beard?" said Zubair Hussain, a spokesman for the Danish Muslim Council. He is backed by Fahmy Almajid, an integration official, who called the ban "unbelievably stupid". " It is counter-productive to what we have been working towards for so many years - to get Muslim women to work and to show young Muslims that they are a part of Danish society," Mr Almajid said.

Sabba Mirza, a 25-year-old female Muslim and law student, told a Danish newspaper that wearing her scarf was a personal choice. "My headscarf is part of the lifestyle I have chosen," she said. "If that prevents me from getting a job in Denmark, I'll have to move to a country where people are more enlightened and can see past the scarf."

He told Danish television that the ban merely had good "entertainment value". But, so far, the presidency of the Danish parliament, the Folketinget, has said that it will not bar parliamentarians from wearing headscarves when speaking in parliament.

Part III:

(A "Woman's Place" is IN THE WORLD and ITS VARIOUS ACTIVITIES including sports)

(www.ftlouie.typepad.com)

Winning the 200 meters at the Asian games, with clothing specially designed by Nike.

Women's boxing is not, as you might expect, a mainstream sport in the deeply conservative and paternalist Middle East but it still exists in Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.


RAZIA SHABNAM: TRAILBLAZER FOR CALCUTTA'S YOUNG WOMEN:

(news.bbc.co.uk)

Prayers: "I pray to Allah that I get a job soon. A job that allows me to coach and be a referee. "Maybe a job in the police," says Shabnam, who travelled to Turkey earlier as a referee in an international boxing competition.

Backing from dad

"My father has been my biggest support. Without him, I would never have dared to box," says Shabnam of her father, Rahat Hussain, a wrestler-turned-Social Worker. "You need strength to survive. That's all I tell my children," says Mr Hussain. "But the way these girls survive and manage to box, it is like trying to scale the Himalayas without any warm clothes!"

FIRST FEMALE MUSLIM ARAB SOLDIER JOINS ELITE ISRAEL AIR FORCE UNIT:

(blog.foreignpolicy.com)

For the first time ever, a female Muslim Arab soldier has joined an elite Israeli Air Force unit. Upon completing a medic training course with top honors, she became part of the Airborne Combat Search and Rescue Unit 669, a premier unit that extricates wounded soldiers from combat zones in sensitive and highly classified operations. Unlike Jewish young adults, most Arab Israelis are not required to serve in the military, but this soldier, from an Arab village in northern Israel, volunteered to serve.

PART IV:
RETHINK BIAS:

Posted by Marc

Over 170 buses in Richmond, Virginia USA have one of three signs with Arabic writing promoting silly sayings like, “Paper, Scissors, Rock” and “Paper or Plastic.” The bus company has been getting calls from riders wanting to know what the signs mean. Sometimes when people see or hear a language they do not understand it scares them. Muslims stare fear and mistrust in the face almost daily. With these bus signs Rethink Bias is saying that even though we fear what we don’t understand we are able to overcome that fear by learning about others. We can rethink bias, but it starts with learning about our neighbours.

(Ed NOTE: So dear Brothers and Sisters, once you feel secure and confident, please open your doors to NON-MUSLIM NEIGHBORS as a first step. Allow them to learn about Islam and Muslims from good role models like you and not from the Media. Many practicing Muslims in western countries are very insulated and by us closing the door to our non-Muslim neighbors and friends, we are in a way forcing them to depend more on the media or from other unreliable and inaccurate sources to learn about Islam).

PART V:

IRAQ - RATED THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH

FOR THOSE WHO LEAD COMFORTABLE LIVES, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED:

A family makes do with light from battery-powered lamps during a recent power outage in Baghdad. Credit: Saad Khalaf / Los Angeles Times (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

With no reliable electricity supply, Baghdad residents go to elaborate lengths to get enough power to light their homes and stay cool through the looming summer.

(latimesblog.latimes.com) Iraqi women line up to buy rationed cooking oil on Feb. 9 in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq. Credit: AP Photo/Loay Hameed

(latimesblogs.latimes.com)

The Iraqi toddler brought to the United States for lifesaving heart surgery through the efforts of Marines has been reunited with her family in Haditha.

The girl’s father and several other relatives were at Baghdad International Airport on March 7 to welcome 2-year-old Amenah and her mother back home, according to a military statement. The family then flew to Al Asad Airbase in Anbar province, where they boarded an MV-22 Osprey to Haditha. Later that day, Marines attended a celebratory dinner at the girl’s house. "I am very happy. I was very worried that my daughter would not come home alive," Amenah’s father, Ala Thabit Fattah, was quoted as saying. "I am very grateful for the great treatment the American people gave to my family.".

IRAQ: Celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Kurdish hills

(latimesblog.latimes.com)

PART VI:
INFANTICIDE:

One of the greatest injustices against females. Muslims should champion the rights of every single female - both born and unborn. Both Holy Quran and our Prophet condemned INFANTICIDE.

EVEN TODAY, THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM IS MEASURED IN FRIGHTENING PROPORTIONS: "AT LEAST SIXTY MILLION FEMALES IN ASIA ARE MISSING AND FEARED DEAD, VICTIMS OF NOTHING MORE THAN THEIR "SEX". WORLD WIDE RESEARCH SUGGESTS, THE NUMBER OF MISSING FEMALES MAY TOP ONE HUNDRED MILLION".

When was the last time you heard about the above stats from your TV channels, radio programs or newspapers ? When was the last time, the local Imam, Rabbi or Priest addressed the above serious injustice to their congregations and suggested both grass roots and global strategies to fight against it? Is it because the huge numbers (above) numb our sensitivity or is it that the victims are undervalued because they were females or for various other reasons ?

This is the loss and tragic consequence that our humanity is experiencing today due to neglecting the gems of ISLAM. In Islam females are a gift from Allah to the parents.

The weapons being used to annihilate the females are prenatal sex selection, abortion and female infanticide - the systematic killing of girls soon after they are born. We urge all "Muslims of Conscience" to champion the cause to work on eliminating such horrible practice and injustice. Holy Quran advises us to fight against injustice and if this is not injustice, what else is?

(osocio.org)

Experts who have analyzed the National Family Health Survey 2 (NFHS2) estimate that about 300,000 girls go "missing" in India each year. Other studies have put the number between 150,000 and 500,000.

(osocio.org)

Stop Female Infanticide

Posted by Marc

"Female infanticide is the intentional killing of baby girls due to the preference for male babies and from the low value associated with the birth of females."

The phenomenon of female infanticide is as old as many cultures, and has likely accounted for millions of gender-selective deaths throughout history. It remains a critical concern specially in China and India. In all cases, specifically female infanticide reflects the low status accorded to women in most parts of the world; it is arguably the most brutal and destructive manifestation of the anti-female bias. It is closely linked to the phenomena of sex-selective abortion, which targets female fetuses almost exclusively, and neglect of girl children.

Evidence in Pre-Islamic Arabia

Sexism was particularly prominent in Arabia before the time of Prophet Mohammed (570 AD to632 AD). The Persian world was a very paternalistic society, and females were generally seen as an undesirable burden to a family struggling to survive. A common proverb held that it was "A GENEROUS DEED TO BURY (ALIVE) A FEMALE CHILD" Nevertheless, the Holy Quran introduced reforms that included the PROHIBITION OF FEMALE INFANTICIDE. Prophet Mohammed outlined the wrongfulness of infanticide.


The data is truly astounding, Estimates indicate that 30.5 million females are "missing" from China, 22.8 million in India, 3.1 million in Pakistan, 1.6 million in Bangladesh, 1.7 million in West Asia, 600,000 in Egypt, and 200,000 in Nepal.

It is clear that the onerous costs involved with the raising of a girl, and eventually providing her an appropriate marriage dowry, was the single most important factor in allowing social acceptance of the murder at birth in India. In China, economics also played a significant role since it was a poor country with one of the lowest rates of agricultural output per acre of arable land in the world. With an extremely high infant and child mortality rate, because of sparse food supply and medical care, a married couple needed to raise three sons in order to ensure the survival of one into adulthood. Females were only consumers and a serious financial burden to a poor family. They were therefore often killed at birth.


The imbalances are also giving rise to a commercial sex trade; the 2005 report states that up to 800,000 people being trafficked across borders each year, and as many as 80 percent are women and girls, most of whom are exploited.

"Historically infanticide was something that was practiced in poor places in China," Mosher said. "But when the one-child policy in China came into effect we began to see in the wealthy areas of China, what had never been done before in history — the killing of little girls."

In recent years, female infanticide has taken a back seat to sex-selective abortion or female feticide, due to the advent of amniocentesis and ultrasound technology as well as other prenatal sex selection techniques, many of which are now readily available in clinics and doctors’ offices.

"We feel it's a serious problem that everybody should be concerned about and aware of," said Wanda Franz, President of the National Right to Life Committee. "This is a form of abortion that, from our point of view is especially egregious. Abortion is claimed to help women; obviously in these cases, females are the direct victims, because women in these cultures are not valued".

In his presentation before the World Youth Alliance in New York City last April, Eberstadt warned that "The Global War Against Baby Girls" is expanding.

"There are gender imbalances in almost every East Asian country, but Japan," said Eberstadt, who has also noted alarming irregularities in Western Asia in places like Cyprus, Qatar and Pakistan, as well as in some countries on the African continent, including Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

Indian Girls Bear Dowry Burden:

Like China, there is a strong son preference for various socio-economic reasons, such as the son being responsible for carrying on the family name and support in old age. Furthermore, in some sections of India it is believed that only sons can perform the last rites for parents.

In addition to sharing a strong son preference, both India and China lack a national social-security system. As it is assumed that a daughter will become a part of her husband’s family, parents must rely on their sons to take care of them.

Since the 1970s, Indian government has promoted a two-child family as "ideal." While no formal laws exist, the general fertility decline in the country has led to smaller families, with couples still preferring to have at least one son. But the government has done more than just suggest this number.

"In India it has been done state by state, village by village," Mosher said. "They have sterilization campaigns and there is enormous pressure. Villages that won’t comply have been denied fertilizer, access to irrigation water, etc."

Complicating matters even further in India is the dowry system, where families pay large sums in order to marry off their daughters. Although prohibited in 1961, newspaper reports illustrate the continuing phenomenon. This can be very expensive for families, adding to the perception that girls can be a financial burden.

While many people see this as a problem of the poor, analysts say it is more prevalent among those in the wealthier and educated segments of society.

"Hindu girls are being smuggled and purchased from poor countries like Nepal and Bhutan to be brides for Indian men," said Bernard Dickens, professor emeritus of health law and policy at the University of Toronto Law School.

The United States sponsored a resolution at the U.N.’s Commission on the Status of Women that called for eliminating infanticide and gender selection. The resolution was withdrawn due to opposition from several countries, including China and India; however, the issue of prenatal sex selection was included in the final conference document. If the imbalances continue, Adam Jones, executive director of Gendercide Watch, sees another possible outcome.

"Because of the disparity, surviving women have greater market value," he said. "As a result, it may become more economically viable for families to have girl children, thus reducing rates of female infanticide and sex selection."

"Greece, Macedonia and Yugoslavia betray some hints of prejudicial death rates for little girls in the post-war period," he said. While the numbers are very small, he notes they are "nonetheless curious and unusual.

"In the western hemisphere, Venezuela and El Salvador both have unnatural death rates for little girls and now also display unnatural sex ratios at birth," he continued.

Published reports point to problems among some immigrant groups in Canada as well. And even in the United States, Eberstadt said, some Asian-American populations have begun to "exhibit sex ratios at birth that could be considered biologically impossible."

"Since the mid-1990s, the issue of female infanticide and sex selection has been highlighted in several conferences and in several U.N. documents," said Samantha Singson, chief U.N. liaison for the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. "Unfortunately the issue isn’t getting as much attention as we feel it deserves."

(Above condensed from www.infanticide.org and foxnews.com - Sherry Karabin)

PART VII:

India's pink posse hunts down bad guys (bbc.co.uk)

They wear pink saris and go after corrupt officials and boorish men with sticks and axes.The several hundred vigilante women of India's northern Uttar Pradesh State's Banda area proudly call themselves the "gulabi gang (pink gang), striking fear in the hearts of wrongdoers and earning the grudging respect of officials.Two years after they gave themselves a name and an attire, the women in pink have thrashed men who have abandoned or beaten their wives and unearthed corruption in the distribution of grain to the poor.They have also stormed a police station and attacked a policeman after they took in an untouchable man and refused to register a case.

The women thrashed a policeman in protest against the arrest of a poor man

PART VIII:
BABIES HELP PREVENT CANCERS:

Janelle Miles in The Weekend Australian:

The more babies a woman has, the less likely it is that she will get breast, colorectal, ovarian and uterine cancers, Australian research suggests. Scientists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) found increasing numbers of pregnancies were associated with a significantly reduced risk of certain cancers. "The more children you have, the more protective it gets," said medical health statistician Steven Darlington. "It seems that an increase in the hormones produced during pregnancy are protecting against cancer, but we're not quite sure exactly how or why that happens." He studied more than 1.2 million Swedish women, including about 25,000 who had delivered twins, to determine the effect of reproductive history on a number of different cancers.

(Note: Needless to say, there are several other important factors that need to be seriously considered before having babies)

As usual feel free to e-mail your valuable comments at info@mehrunyusuficds.com.

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
St. Louis, Missouri

Volume 28, May 18, 2008

Editor: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and Merciful

FOCUS OF THE WEEK: DISASTER IN MYANMAR (BURMA)

PEOPLE ARE DYING IN MYANMAR. CAN YOU HELP ?

(BELOW: LETTER RECEIVED BY EDITOR):

"May 15, 2008

Dear Mohamed Ziauddin:

I am writing to you from Yangon, Myanmar, where emergency relief efforts in response to Cyclone Nargis are now in their second week. It’s raining heavily, further complicating relief efforts. It is unbelievably miserable and dangerous for thousands in temporary shelters. Time is of the essence.Save the Children’s first plane load of relief supplies arrived on Monday, May 12th. It passed government inspection and is currently being distributed in some of the hardest-hit areas of the delta region.

In the coming days, we will need your help more than ever to help us expand our work to assist children and families most affected by the storm.The good news is that about 115,000 survivors have been reached with lifesaving supplies including rice, water, oral rehydration solution, plastic sheeting and other urgently needed materials. The staff have been purchasing supplies locally within Myanmar and speeding them to families in need — by truck and by boat.By mobilizing Save the Children’s 500 aid workers who live in Myanmar, we are able to get to the most vulnerable children and families. Thirty of our child-protection staff are being trained to assist children who have been separated from their families, and we hope to get significant family-tracing activities going in as early as a day or two.

The spread of disease is one of our biggest concerns, as is the increasing number of diarrhea cases among children. And while that does not seem serious for Westerners, we know that diarrhea is a major killer among young children in the developing world. Save the Children’s oral rehydration solution can save the lives of many of these children.While our work is not easy, our hopes and spirits are strong. I’m told that as our team in Pathein was loading a boat, some local people — struggling themselves — arrived and offered to help. That really brought tears to our eyes. Their generosity and kindness, like yours, makes all our efforts worthwhile.

Andrew Kirkwood

Myanmar Country Office

Director

Save the Children

P.S. We’ve just learned that for a limited time, donations made for Save the Children’s work in Myanmar will be doubled by a special matching gift from the nonprofit group Not On Our Watch, founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and others (up to a total of $250,000 raised). This means that your gift today could go twice as far".

PART II:

ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC COUNTRIES (OIC) CALLS FOR NGOS TO UNITE TO TACKLE POVERTY:

The Secretary General of the Organisation of The Islamic Conference (OIC) visited the Muslim Aid London headquarters on the 29 April 2008 to show his appreciation for Muslim Aid's humanitarian work around the world and also to address some the challenges faced by NGO's in tackling poverty in the future.

Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the OIC met with the Chairman of Muslim Aid, Farooq Murad and Tanzim Wasti, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees. Shahid Malik, Minister for International development for DIFD was also present.

The afternoon started with a brief introduction by the Chairman of Muslim Aid, Farooq Murad, who expressed his appreciation for the Secretary General’s visit.

"We receive many guests at Muslim Aid, but I believe today is very special. This day shows the Director General’s testimony to Muslim Aid and also his commitment for the need for action to combat poverty, resolve conflicts, build peace, assist in the face of natural disasters, and improve governments and support education and development".

Shahid Malik, then spoke of DIFD’s work across the world and highlighted the need for Muslims to work in solidarity to alleviate poverty and suffering.

“We are the fourth richest country in the world, we have responsibility to go beyond these shores to help those less fortunate”.

He focused on the need for ‘international development by consent’; the need for NGOs to gain broader public support by effectively communicating how their money is spent and how humanitarian aid addresses global issues as well as those faced by individual countries.

“Climate change, resource scarcity, disease and extremism are issues that affect us all and have no boundaries”, he said.

Hamid Azad, Head Overseas for Muslim Aid, then delivered a presentation that focused on the emergency relief work of Muslim Aid as well as long term sustainable development projects in health care and shelter.

Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the OIC, followed with a talk entitled “The Role of Muslims in The West” where he stressed the need for the humanitarian community to work together to alleviate poverty particularly by tackling the current global food crisis and also to engage in political discourse regarding the discrimination of Muslims. He also thanked Muslim Aid for it’s commitment to providing humanitarian relief to some of the most affected countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh.

“I feel proud to note the magnificent humanitarian work undertaken by Muslim Aid which perfectly embodies the teachings of our religion”.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations which consists of 57 member states spread over four continents. The organisation promotes the voice and interests of Muslims across the world in the spirit of international peace and harmony.

For further information.

Contact name : Jonaid Jilani
Contact email : jonaid@muslimaid.org

PART III:

(Minority Muslims in Burma)

BELOW UPDATE FROM "MUSLIM AID":

Muslim Aid is on the ground in Myanmar (also known as Burma). Our emergency response team from Sri Lanka touched down in Yangon (Rangoon) early on Saturday 10th May 2008. We are one of the very few international aid agencies to be given access to Myanmar.

Within a few hours of their arrival the team and our local partners set about delivering vital supplies of clean drinking water, medicines, food and utensils.

Muslim Aid needs your help to raise US $2 million to save the lives of the thousands of survivors left homeless by the devastating cyclone in Myanmar. Muslim Aid has already allocated US $200,000 to provide clean water, food and basic health care.

The generous response that we have witnessed so far from donors in the UK and abroad has enabled us to send 1.5 million aqua tabs which can help to provide clean water for 50,000 people for one week. We have 9 water purification systems with the help of our partner ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) in Yangon. We are also sending 500 food parcels. This will provide 70,000 people with clean drinking water every day as long as there is water available.

Muslim Aid has been quick to respond to the current crisis in Myanmar after the devastating Cyclone Nargis hit the country on Saturday 3rd May. Experts fear that the massive storm surge that swept into the Irrawaddy delta, southwest of Yangon, has killed up to 100,000 people with thousands more missing and more than 1.5 million left homeless.

We have already assisted over 3,000 people but with your generosity we will deliver aid to many more.

Please give today and help us deliver:
• clean drinking water
• medicines
• mosquito nets
• food and cooking utensils.

Thank you for your support, together we can continue to save lives.

The Earth Quake in China was the second natural disaster to strike South East Asia inside 10 days. Muslim Aid has allocated £30,000 to its partners in China to help provide emergency relief to those affected. Our partner organisations have mobilised volunteers, food, water and emergency shelter provisions. Please support this appeal and help us to provide assistance in yet another terrible natural tragedy.

Donate today to the Muslim Aid China Earthquake appeal.
CALL NOW +44 (0) 20 7377 4200
or donate online http://www.muslimaid.org/

PART IV:

BELOW UPDATE FROM "FEED THE CHILDREN" :

Saturday, May 17, 2008

As torrential downpours struck Myanmar on Friday, the ruling junta has said more than 130,000 people are dead or missing. Feed The Children is working to move pre-positioned emergency food from its international offices in neighboring Thailand to reach those displaced and devastated by the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma).

Feed The Children’s program staff in Thailand has developed strong relationships with Burmese partners and is leveraging these relationships to help expedite the delivery of aid to the Burmese people.

Feed The Children is also reaching out to cyclone victims who have crossed the border into Thailand.

Up to 2 million people have been affected by Cyclone Nargis, the largest natural disaster since the Asian tsunami of 2004. Many of these 2 million people are now homeless. The United Nations estimates between 63,000 and 100,000 people may have died as a result of the cyclone.

Those who managed to survive the storm are still at risk, due to lack of food, clean water, and medical supplies. Food, construction materials, plastic tarpaulins, mosquito nets, water purifying tablets and medication to prevent outbreaks of cholera and malaria are badly needed.

Feed The Children is closely monitoring conditions with UN agencies to assess needs and to expedite the delivery of aid into the country.

PART V:

Muslim Car

"The Malaysian car maker Proton has announced plans to develop an “Islamic car”, designed for Muslim motorists. Proton is planning on teaming up with manufacturers in Iran and Turkey to create the unique vehicle. The car’s selling points will be not safety or fuel economy, but a compass that is designed to point towards Mecca and a special place to keep a copy of the Qur’an and a headscarf"

PART VI:

"Incredible India! Infants thrown off roofs to thank God: Religious traditions are diverse and sometimes as bizarre as they can get.."

Solapur, India 4/29/2008

(ED Note: Is below practice by Muslims a marked deviation ?)

Religious traditions are diverse and sometimes as bizarre as they can get. A village in Solapur, Maharashtra, has a dangerous tradition of throwing newborns from a height of 50 feet onto a sheet, which is held by devotees.

The infants are thrown off the roof of the Baba Sheikh Umar Saheb Dargah in Musti village in Solapur. This is an age-old tradition practiced by couples who are blessed with a child after taking a vow at the dargah. The devotees also believe that this ritual is good for the health of the child.

"People have been following this tradition for almost 500 years now. They believe that if they throw the child from the roof then it does good to him or her," deputy sarpanch of Musti village, Ravikiran Mehta said.

While the practice may seem dangerous and superstitious to others, the devotees strongly believe that the fall will not harm the infants. The reason given is that there has been no recorded evidence of any physical disability to the infants.

"It's our family tradition and so we follow it," a devotee said.

Both Muslim and Hindu families take part in this ritual, however the state administration chooses not to interfere and provides heavy police security during the ritual every year.

PART VII

Queen Elizabeth dons Muslim headscarf to visit Turkish Mosque (Telegraph.co.uk)

By Gordon Rayner,

Chief Reporter 15/05/2008

Wearing a Muslim-style headscarf and walking in stockinged feet, the Queen toured one of Turkey's most important mosques during her first state visit to the country in 37 years.

(Queen Elizabeth is presented with a copy of the Koran during a visit to the Green Mosque).

Her Majesty, who had been wearing a wide-brimmed hat and white shoes, adhered to the Islamic dress code, which requires women to cover their heads and all visitors to remove their footwear, during the visit to the 15th century Green Mosque in the eastern city of Bursa.

PART VIII

SHOULD REQUEST FOR TOLERANCE FIRST BEGIN FROM HOME -WITHIN THE UMMAH?

As usual feel free to e-mail your comments: info@mehrunyusuficds.com