VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 189, June 26, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

Editorial:

We have started this E-Zine by highlighting the positives followed by discussion on extremism, challenges faced by Muslims et.c.

PART I

POSITIVE NEWS

(ED NOTE:

Having a piece of cloth in the form of hijab over one's head should not be a deterrent for Muslim women to reach for the highest level of education, career advancement and building of personal interests and activities. We strongly support a Muslim women's right to be assertive to maintain her Islamic identity while at the same time support their right to advancement in education, career and other personal interests.

Isn't it a paradox that the same anti-islamic forces who accuse a woman wearing hijab to supposedly represent "submission" and "subservience" then turn around and expect her to be "submissive" to their secular and anti-islamic wishes ? However if the same Muslim woman abandons the practice of Islam and dances to their tunes of secularism, then she has really "ASSERTED" herself. However if she ASSERTS herself to maintain her Islamic identity, they DO NOT VIEW IT AS ASSERTIVENESS AND SEE HER AS A THREAT. We clearly see double standards in their own view of what it means to be ASSERTIVE and we ask, WHY, SUCH DOUBLE STANDARDS ?

In such a background, we now have a shining star and an assertive and exceptional American Muslima role model, Kulsoom Abdullah who has smashed yet another negative stereotype of a practicing Muslim woman. We applaud and support her determination to raise up in her professional interest in weightlifting while at the same time maintaining her Islamic identity.

ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE. A practicing Muslima is NOT A PART TIME MUSLIMA. Please check out her own website at www.liftingcovered.com. We would also recommend checking out www.muslimwomeninsports.blogspot.com)

PART I-A

UNITED STATES:

(www.msnbc.msn.com)


(www.11alive.com)

Weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah Fights Hijab Ban

(www.dawn.com)
June 12, 2011

www.dawn.com

In this March 13, 2010, photo provided by Kulsoom Abdullah via her website on Thursday, June 9, 2011, Abdullah competes in the 2010

ATLANTA:
Looking to get stronger, Kulsoom Abdullah took up weightlifting a couple of years ago. She quickly grew to love the male-dominated sport, entering local competitions and even allowing herself to dream of one day making it to the Olympics.

She’d like to see how far this passion might take her, but not if it means compromising her religious beliefs.

Seems perfectly reasonable.

Yet Abdullah, a 35-year-old Atlantan, has been barred from entering the US senior nationals in Iowa next month. The problem: Her Muslim faith requires that she cover her arms, legs and head—which violates international rules governing weightlifting attire.

“I’d hate to think that just because you dress a certain way, you can’t participate in sports,” Abdullah said Thursday.

“I don’t want other women who dress like me to say, ‘I can’t get involved in that sport’ and get discouraged. It would be nice to have an environment where it wouldn’t be an issue of how you dress or having different beliefs and faiths.”

She’s right. It’s time for sports to show the rest of society how to bridge the gap between legitimate concerns and religious tolerance.

“What we hear all the time is, ‘You’ve got to empower Muslim women around the world,”’ said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has taken up Abdullah’s cause.

“Well, how can you empower a Muslim woman more than being a weightlifter? She should be encouraged and helped along in this process. There shouldn’t be arbitrary roadblocks placed in her path.”

Abdullah got a bit of good news Thursday when USA Weightlifting agreed to take her case to the IWF later this month. This, of course, is a bigger issue than any one sport, any single athlete.

We’ve seen virulent protests erupt over plans to build an Islamic center near the site of the World Trade Center in New York. We’ve heard Muslims complain about being singled out in France, where authorities have tried to enforce the nation’s secular foundations with a ban on burqa-style veils. It’s an ongoing struggle in sports, too—with some compromise, but not nearly enough. Muslim women have competed in track and field wearing neck-to-ankle bodysuits and the traditional headscarf known as a hijab, most notably Roqaya Al-Gassra of Bahrain, who made it to the semifinals of the 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

Then again, Iran’s female soccer team recently had to forfeit an Olympic qualifier match in Jordan because the players wanted to wear Islamic head scarves. International governing body FIFA, which hasn’t exactly come across as the most upstanding institution in recent weeks, defended its decision by saying the scarves are banned for safety reasons.

As if to show it wasn’t singling out any particular religion, the organization also has prohibited neck warmers used during chilly winter matches in the English Premier League. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the so-called “snoods” could be used to “hang somebody.”

Hey, if soccer is worried about someone trying to strangle a player by grabbing a hijab or a neck warmer, there are bigger issues to address. And Iran’s youth team already had been allowed to take the field last year at a major Olympic-style event wearing specially designed caps that protected their modesty.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in the latest row, describing FIFA as “dictators and colonialists who want to impose their lifestyle on others.”

Every religion has its own peculiarities, which might seem odd to those on the outside but are perfectly reasonable to the faithful. Stifling religious traditions and practices is a very slippery slope indeed, one that sport should make every effort to avoid.

Of course, there are rules that might run afoul of a particular religion but legitimately prevent someone from gaining an unfair advantage. For instance, swimming has banned high-tech bodysuits that led to a rash of world records, ruling they compromised the integrity of the sport. These days, females can only wear shoulder-to-knee suits that leave their arms and lower legs exposed. If a Muslim women wanted to wear a full-coverage swim suit on religious grounds, she would clearly have an advantage in the pool. Abdullah isn’t trying to gain any sort of competitive edge, however.

She merely wants to abide by her beliefs when she’s snatching a bar full of weights above her head. When first starting out, she was allowed to enter local meets wearing garb that made her comfortable on the inside and out: Loose-fitting exercise pants, a tight-fitting long-sleeve shirt with a T-shirt over it, and the head scarf. As she attempted to move up to higher-level competitions, she ran up against International Weightlifting Federation rules, which forbid suits that cover either the knees or elbows because judges must be able to see that both have been locked out to complete a lift.

OK, that’s understandable. But Abdullah said a tight-fitting shirt allows judges to get a good look at her elbows. And, if it meant ensuring a level playing field, she’d certainly be willing to wear a leg covering that conforms to her religion but allows the judges to determine whether she’s completed a lift. Considering all the advances in athletic apparel, that shouldn’t be a major issue. If the IWF agrees to alter its rules, she might still get a chance to do some snatches and clean-and-jerks at next month’s national meet. While she’s not yet lifting at an Olympic level, she hasn’t given up on that dream.

“She’s not seeking any kind of advantage. She’s seeking to maintain her religious principles,” Hooper said.

“In an atmosphere of goodwill, these things can always be resolved.”

Seems perfectly reasonable.

(www.english.alarabiya.net)

(www.timesofummah.com)

www.gadailynews.com

www.gadailynews.com


(www.ajc.com)

PART I-B

UNITED KINGDOM

UK: 'Muslims are integrating better than many Christians'

21 Jun 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the Telegraph (h/t T&P):

Muslims are integrating better than many Christians, according to the head of the Government's equality watchdog

Trevor Phillips warned that "an old time religion incompatible with modern society" is driving the revival in the Anglican and Catholic Churches and clashing with mainstream views, especially on homosexuality.

He accused Christians, particularly evangelicals, of being more militant than Muslims in complaining about discrimination, arguing that many of the claims are motivated by a desire for greater political influence.

London: Art exhibition to showcase achievements of Muslim women

23 Jun 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the BBC (h/t Euro-Islam):

An East London-based charity is seeking women to take part in an art exhibition showcasing the achievements of everyday Muslim women.

Participants will be photographed by award-winning photographer Liz Hingley, sit for portraits and record stories of their lives.

The idea came from conversations between young Muslim women and workers at the charity, Maslaha.

PART I-C

Italy:

First Halal Mozzarella

21 Jun 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via ANSA:

Muslims can now feast on one of Italy's best-loved gastronomic delights, mozzarella, without any fear they are breaking Islamic Law.

For the first time a producer of the famous cheese from Campania, the La Baronia company based at Castel di Sasso near Caserta, has won certification that its mozzarella is halal - made in accordance with the dictums of Sharia. Italy's Zayd Ibn Thabit Islamic Culture Association and food-certification agency TUV gave the endorsement in an initiative promoted by the 'Consorzio di Tutela della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP', the consortium that ensures the cheese is made according to time-honoured tradition.

''This initiative is a sign of the attention companies and public institutions are devoting to religious miniroties,'' said Abdallah Massimo Cozzolino, an imam at Naples Mosque and the president of the Zayd Ibn Thabit Islamic Culture Association.

PART I-D

AUSTRALIA

Australian Muslim community demands 'taxpayer-funded halal training centre'

www.newkerala.com

June 20, 2011

Canberra:
Australia's top Muslim body has demanded a new taxpayer-funded halal training centre that would prepare refugees for jobs slaughtering animals in rural areas.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) said the centre would help solve the live-animal export dilemma while boosting jobs and maintaining the meat and livestock industry.

According to the Herald Sun, AFIC President Ikebal Patel will write to Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig within days to seek financial backing. Patel insisted that for a “couple of million dollars” taxpayers would get more country jobs, more refugees out of big-city "enclaves" and into work, and a stronger home-grown meat and livestock industry. “We think the Australian Muslim community can help both the Government and the meat and livestock industry,” said Patel. He said that more Australian meat-processing plants could be opened as a result of training, with halal meat shipped offshore to places such as Indonesia.

ANI

PART II

EXTREMISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN

(ED NOTE:

One does not need to have a Ph.D to recognize which action is from an extremist. We have a problem with any individual trying to impose his or her value system over others. In below example at Antwerp, we vehemently oppose self-styled sharia police and their actions of imposing their values on others. True practice of one's faith should come straight from one's heart. We equally oppose the below mentioned St. Paul (Minnesotan) blogger who tried to harass the Muslim women who wore the hijab).

PART II-A

BELGIUM

Antwerp: Sharia Police Patrols Against Gays, Girls in Short Skirts

26 Jun 2011

Via HLN, Lacquemant:

On Sunday night, June 12th, a gay guy was attacked by North African youth in Brussels. The youth beat him and tried to choke him. According to Bruno De Lille (Greens), Secretary of State for equal opportunities in the Brussels Region, most homophobic attackers come from the Muslim community, and that those acts are not linked to religion, but rather to a macho culture.

He said there are also East-European homophobic attackers, and that those who express sentiments against women, often do the same towards gays. According to Carim Bouzian, a gay immigrant from Antwerp, the situation in Antwerp is not much better than Brussels. Gays are reprimanded by the Islamic 'morality police', a group of older men and radical youth who feel they must warn gays about their 'erroneous behavior'.

It starts off with various curses and 'Don't you know what the Koran says? You're going to hell!', and if you don't answer right, you risk being punched. Bouzian says that there's no place in the city which is safe from this morality police. Gay couples who live in immigrant neighborhoods regularly get in their mail an envelope bearing verses from the Koran and containing a dead rat. But they also patrol the more upscale neighborhoods. A friend of his was attacked in broad daylight in the hip neighborhood of Antwerp South.

Gays are not their only targets. Fons Bastiaenssens of the Antwerp police says that young immigrant girls with a short skirt are also cursed, mostly by older, radical Muslim men. The phenomenon is very diverse in time and place, which makes it harder for the police to act against it. They rarely get official complaints about the morality police.

It's unclear how many gays are threatened in Antwerp. About a year ago the gay community warned of the situation in the Middenvijver park, where gays came for paid sex with immigrant youth. That was too much for the morality police, and a group of immigrant youth attacked gays there.

PART II-B

UNITED STATES:

Arrested St. Paul Blogger Charged with Disorderly Conduct
(www.loonwatch.com)

21 Jun 2011

Islamophobia from Conservatives? Who’da thunk it?

St. Paul, Minnesota
A St. Paul blogger faces misdemeanor charges after he allegedly harassed two Muslim women last week in downtown Minneapolis. Minneapolis police say John Hugh Gilmore, 52, who writes a blog called Minnesota Conservatives, caused a scene Thursday night on Nicollet Mall. Sgt. Bill Palmer, a police spokesman, said Gilmore appeared to be drunk when he confronted the two women wearing the Muslim headscarf known as the hijab.

“Mr. Gilmore made some comments that he didn’t believe the women should be in the United States, and that he thought that they were ruining America,” Palmer said.

One of the women, University of Minnesota student Jamila Boudlali, said she’s lived in Minnesota her entire life and has never been hassled about her religion. Police say several onlookers intervened, and Gilmore allegedly threatened to assault one of the men. Gilmore was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process.

Boudlali said Minneapolis police, who took the man to jail, did the right thing.

“I have to admit I was very surprised that the guy got arrested because we’ve always kind of been afraid, I guess, of the police, and afraid to report things when things happen to us,” Boudlali said. “It made [me] really happy and made me have a lot more trust and confidence in the city of Minneapolis.”

The Muslim women had been attending the liberal NetRoots Nation convention, which was taking place at the same time as the conservative RightOnline conference. Gilmore didn’t respond to a request for comment.

PART III

CHALLENGES FACED BY MUSLIMS
www.montreal.ctv.ca

June 18, 2011
(condensed version)

CTV Montreal exclusive:
Soccer referee sidelined for wearing hijab

Sarah Benkirane has been barred from refereeing while wearing her hijab.

MONTREAL — A former Lac St. Louis soccer referee is blowing the whistle on rules she said prevent her from practising her religion.

Sarah Benkirane, 15, was told after two years of refereeing for the soccer association that she was out of a job, after a complaint surfaced over her wearing her hijab while calling games.

"For me it's not really an option to take it off," she explained of her traditional Muslim head scarf. "It's part of my religion. It's part of who i am. It's the way I express myself, so I think I should be allowed to wear it as long as I'm not causing any harm to anybody else and I'm not."

PART IV:

Below e-mail sent by Dr. Lewis:

BEWARE OF SCAM TARGETING OLDER MEN:

Pretty sure I've seen this one before but as a public service it bears repeating!

SCAM TARGETING OLDER MEN...........

Women often receive warnings about protecting themselves at the mall and in dark parking lots, etc. This is the first warning I have seen for men. I wanted to pass it on in case you haven't heard about it.

A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular customers at Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco, or even Wal-Mart. This one caught me totally by surprise.

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

Here's how the scam works:

Two nice looking, college-age girls will come over to your car or truck as you are packing your purchases into your vehicle. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. (It's impossible not to look.) When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' but instead ask for a ride to McDonald's.

You agree and they climb into the vehicle. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet. I had my wallet stolen Aug. 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, again on the 17th, 20th, 24th, and the 29th. Also Sept. 1st, 4th, 8th, twice on the 16th & 17th, and very likely again this upcoming weekend.

So tell your friends to be careful. What a horrible way to take advantage of us older men. Warn your friends to be vigilant. Wal-Mart has wallets on sale for $2.99 each. I found even cheaper ones for $.99 at the Dollar Store and bought them out in three of their stores. Also, you never get to eat at McDonald's. I've already lost 11 pounds just running back and forth from Lowe's, to Home Depot, to Wal-Mart.

So please, send this on to all the older men that you know and warn them to be on the lookout for this scam. (The best times are just before lunch and around 4:30 in the afternoon.)

THE END