VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

2011-12-16T22:49:00.009+03:00

Volume 215, December 25, 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:

This issue is Part II of the series in Chechnya. Repeating WE ARE ONE GLOBAL UMMAH during Friday prayers and other occasions that involve Islamic speeches is only the first step. It is our personal belief that the mainstream media has not done enough justice in fully covering the gruesome atrocities perpetrated by the Russians towards our Chechen brothers and sisters. We also believe that such important coverage was DELIBERATELY IGNORED. However if there is any incident involving Chechen terrorists hurting the Russians, it becomes MAJOR HEADLINES.

Such a biased practice of one sided selective reporting against Chechens is actually a symptom of a larger problem in the global mainstream media. Above bias against Chechens has its roots in bias against Global Ummah in general. While the mainstream media is generally united in its approach towards Muslims, pathetically, the MUSLIMS ARE NOT, INSTEAD THEY CONTINUE TO BE DIVIDED and unable to be united to respond to such bias.

So you should not be surprised why such global media bias will continue on and on again, unless the Muslims come out of their comfort zones and rally for a cause that goes beyond their individual nationality, language, culture and ethnicity. Now you can better understand, why our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) emphasized repeatedly on the concept of GLOBAL UMMAH and made statements reinforcing such a concept.

To have an in-depth understanding of our Global Ummah, we need to first understand how diverse we are in the sea of humanity. We need to understand the injustice perpetrated on us by both non-Muslim Governments and brutal Muslim Governments such as the current Syrian Government. Islam is one of the major religions in the world. It encompasses about 57 Muslim countries and has Muslims scattered across the globe on almost all countries and representing almost all races, cultures and ethnicity's. The focus in this issue is on one such distinct Muslim group of the Global Ummah: "The Chechens from Russia".

WE BELIEVE THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH HAVE REALLY NO CLUE TO THE HISTORY OF CHECHNYA AND THE SUFFERINGS OF SUCH A GREAT COURAGEOUS GROUP OF MUSLIMS. AS WE INDICATED THE BIASED MEDIA REPORTING EARLIER, THE ONLY TIME THAT THE GLOBAL UMMAH GENERALLY HEARS ABOUT CHECHENS IN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS IS WHEN SOME OF THEM BOMBED THE TRAINS IN MOSCOW OR INVOLVED IN SOME OTHER TERRORIST ACTS. WHILE WE UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMN SUCH TERRORIST ACTS WE STILL BELIEVE THAT THE MEDIA COVERAGE IS BIASED AGAINST CHECHENS. WE WOULD LIKE TO EDUCATE OUR GLOBAL UMMAH THROUGH THIS MEDIUM OF BLOG ABOUT THE HISTORICAL PLIGHT OF OUR CHECHEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Our Chechen brothers and sisters went through unimaginable hardships in their struggle for trying to gain independence from Russia. It was OKAY with Russia for many other former Republics of USSR (Armenia, Azerbaijan (Muslim majority), Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan (Muslim majority), Kyrgyzstan (Muslim majority), Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova) to gain independence but not Chechnya. The Chechen war with the Russians intensified the Russian hate for the Chechens to the point of Russians breaking every single law of the civilized world in terms of dealing with prisoners of war, suspected Chechen and innocent Chechens.

It should be clear to the Russians that since Chechens are part of the mosaic of GLOBAL UMMAH, their hate spewed towards Chechens is hate spewed towards the entire Global Ummah of 1.5 billion Muslims. Sure, some could argue that the Russians don't care. What is important to us is not whether Russians care or not, but whether the global Muslims have publicly & courageously demonstrated to the world and made clear without any single iota of doubt, of what Global Ummah really stands for: "ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH".

Almighty Allah has clearly stated in the Holy Quran (From ayah - Suratal Mu'minoon)

"And verily this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore Fear Me (and no other)."

Muslims across the world should not allow any variable be it political, national, cultural, ethnic, racial to color its uniqueness of being ONE SINGLE GLOBAL UMMAH. Speaking of ONE UMMAH within the confines of a Mosque in the absence of non-Muslims is not enough and we need to go out into the world and demonstrate in practice our Islamic values of PEACE, LOVE AND SPIRIT OF UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD NOT JUST AMONG MUSLIMS BUT FOR ALL OF MANKIND.

While we don't need to remind you what is happening in reality, we need to focus on our common points and move forward with relentless vigor to pursue JUSTICE AND WORK FOR UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND PEACE FOR THE ENTIRE HUMANITY.

Prophet Mohamed (SAW) stated:

"The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body suffers." [Imam Muslim]

(BELOW QUOTE FROM www.inter-islam.org)

"So we the Muslim Ummah, whatever colour, nationality or gender, wherever we are, are like this body. If we hear that any part of this Ummah is being oppressed, then we should feel this pain. Have we forgotten the beloved companions radiyallaho anhum of Rasullullah ? May Allah send peace and blessings upon him. Have we even realised that they were of different colours and backgrounds ? Hazrat Bilal May Allah be pleased with him was from Ethiopia , Hazrat Salman May Allah be pleased with him was of Persian decent, Hazrat Suhaib May Allah be pleased with him was from Rome and Hazrat Abu Zar May Allah be pleased with him was from Gifar". They used to love each other more than real brothers. These were the Sahabas. (www.inter-islam.org)

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

"The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part strengthening the others" and "Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim, Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar]".

While we should be loyal peace loving model citizens in our respective countries, we need to come out of our individual boxes of nationalities, cultures, ethnicity's, race, color et.c. and have the courage to stand up for each other as global peace loving Muslims and help each other across the globe from a humanitarian perspective. Global Ummah's symbolic flag and banner in essence comes from Islam's core belief:

"ash hado an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash hado anna Mohammadan rasoolo Allah" which can be translated as "I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Mohammed is a messenger of Allah"

The focus of this issue is on the injustice committed by Russians against our Chechen brothers and sisters . Let it go on record, that the hearts of the 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe are with their Chechen brothers and sisters in all the pain, sufferings, discrimination, oppression that they suffered. None can challenge Almighty Allah's plan which we see in Chechnya today. Though it may not be the best plan that Chechens wanted, Allah may have a better plan for them in future which none of us including the Chechens can see today.

The focus of the Global Ummah should be shifted to PEACE given the realities on the ground. We heard a million times, ISLAM STANDS FOR PEACE, let's put it in practice not just in Chechnya but in other hot spots around the world to the best of our abilities. AS A GROUP OF 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS, WE WONDER:

Where was the strong condemnation and uproar by the media and INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY when our Chechen sister was deliberately run over by a Russian tank ?

Where was the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY when our Chechen sister's ankles were tied with steel cables and her body was tore apart by two Russian armored personnel carriers. To add insult to injury, the Russian soldier stated: "There was lot of blood, but the boys needed it". How sick should the mind of the person who uttered above statement be ? Such Russian soldiers of the 21st century civilized society in reality were worse than the barbarians several centuries ago. Worse, the Russian soldiers were not representing some primitive, untrained guerrilla group hiding in the forests, but they were representing not just a western civilized nation but also one of the former super powers of the world.

IN DEFENSE OF GLOBAL UMMAH'S CHECHEN CHILDREN:

The Global Ummah takes deep offense when the Russian soldiers described our Chechen children as "wolf cubs". One could only be described as an agent of the devil to even suggest that: "all Chechens over 5 years old should have been slaughtered and those below five to be sent to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners".....it's much easier to kill them all. "It takes less time for them to die than to grow".

"If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think".

Included in below article are terrible statements made by Russian soldiers that clearly reflect their intense hate for our loving Chechen brothers and sisters. These statements were taken from the an article "WAR HAS NO RULES FOR RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING CHECHEN REBELS" by Maura Reynolds - Times Staff Writer for Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2000. For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html

PART I

WAR HAS NO RULES FOR RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING CHECHEN REBELS

Troops admit committing atrocities against guerrillas and civilians. It's part of the military culture of impunity, they say. But many now have troubled consciences.

By MAURA REYNOLDS
Times Staff Writer

Los Angeles Times
17th September 2000

(condensed version)

"The Soviet Union signed the Geneva Conventions after the end of World War II. Officially, that means that Russia's armed forces are obligated to abide by the principles of the accord: that civilians and combatants who have surrendered should be treated humanely and that violence of any sort or execution of war prisoners is forbidden".

Since Russia launched a new war against separatist rebels in its republic of Chechnya a year ago, Russian and Western human rights organizations have collected thousands of pages of testimony from victims about human rights abuses committed by Russian servicemen against Chechen civilians and suspected rebel fighters. To hear the other side of the story, a Times reporter traveled to more than half a dozen regions around Russia and interviewed more than two dozen Russian servicemen returning from the war front.

What they recounted largely matches the picture painted in the human rights reports:

The men freely acknowledge that acts considered war crimes under international law not only take place but are also commonplace.

"What rules?

What Geneva Conventions?

What difference does it make if Russia has signed them?" said a 25-year-old army officer. "I didn't sign them, none of my friends signed them. . . . In Russia, these rules don't work."

But Malcolm Hawkes, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, points out that according to international law, "Russia is obliged to respect human rights regardless of abuses committed by the other side."

A major reason is the blood-curdling acts of the Chechen fighters themselves--while enjoying de facto independence for three years, many ran brutal kidnapping gangs that abducted Russian hostages, some of whom were tortured and killed. Russian TV reports have repeatedly broadcast gory footage of atrocities allegedly committed by the Chechens, including mutilations and be-headings.

(a) "I remember a Chechen female sniper. We just tore her apart with two armored personnel carriers, having tied her ankles with steel cables. There was a lot of blood, but the boys needed it."

(b) "The easiest way is to heat your bayonet over charcoal, and when it's red-hot, to put it on their bodies, or stab them slowly.

You need to make sure they feel as much pain as possible. The main thing is to have them die slowly. You don't want them to die fast, because a fast death is an easy death. They should get the full treatment.

They should get what they deserve. On one hand it looks like an atrocity, but on the other hand, it's easy to get used to. "I killed about nine people this way. I remember all of them", says Andrei. (Russian service man Andrei)

(c) The summary executions don't just take place against suspected fighters. One 33-year-old army officer recounted how he drowned a family of five (four women and a middle-aged man) in their own well."

(d) "I would kill all the men I met during mopping-up operations. I didn't feel sorry for them one bit." ........"We would also throw fighters off the helicopters before landing.

The trick was to pick the right altitude. We didn't want them to die right away. We wanted them to suffer before they died.

Maybe it's cruel, but in a war, that's almost the only way to dull the fear and sorrow of losing your friends." (Russian serviceman Boris)

(e) "It's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." ......."We shouldn't have given them time to prepare for the war," he continues. "We should have slaughtered all Chechens over 5 years old and sent all the children that could still be re-educated to reservations with barbed wire and guards at the corners. . .. But where would you find teachers willing to sacrifice their lives to re-educate these wolf cubs? There are no such people. Therefore, it's much easier to kill them all. It takes less time for them to die than to grow." --"For political reasons, it's impossible to murder the entire adult population and send the children to reservations," he says. "But sometimes, one can try to approximate the goal." (Russian) Lieutenant colonel Valery

(f) So there will be one Chechen less on the planet, so what? Who will cry for him?"

(ED NOTE:
Regarding the above, the importance of the Global Ummah cannot be overstated. YES, 1.5 BILLION MUSLIMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE FOR THE ONE CHECHEN THAT WOULD BE LESS ON THE PLANET DUE TO THE BRUTAL INJUSTICE OF THE RUSSIANS AGAINST OUR CHECHEN BROTHER.

But let's be honest here, THE GLOBAL UMMAH WAS NOT THERE FOR THE CHECHENS.

THIS IS AN AREA OF IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL OF US. IF GLOBAL UMMAH WAS REALLY THERE, ABOVE STATEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE).

"There were cases when small kids would run to the middle of the road, right in front of a moving convoy of trucks and APCs. And they were shot dead right on the spot by soldiers who thought the kid could be carrying a mine or a grenade. Hell knows, maybe they weren't. But it is better to be safe than sorry." Gennady says the most important lesson his commanders taught him was: Shoot first. Think later. If you see someone who looks suspicious, even a child, do not hesitate: shoot first and only then think.

Your personal safety is priority No. 1. All the rest does not matter. (Russian military personnel) - Gennady

(g) "Our commander told us all the time, 'There's no such thing as a Chechen civilian,' " a conscript said. "It's easy for a person to get away with almost everything," he says. "You take this wretched Chechen down into a basement or a cellar under the guise of checking his documents in a quiet place. And then you just knock him off the way you want. There are no eyewitnesses, and no one will say anything.

"Usually it happens like this: You walk along the street and see a house with a basement. Why stupidly enter it? Why risk your life for nothing if you can avoid it? At best you just spray gunfire around, at worst you throw a couple of hand grenades into the basement. Denis took photos of one incident. His unit was preparing to lift off in a helicopter when the troops were warned that a Chechen sniper was in the area. They found him hiding in the bushes near the helicopter pad, armed with an antitank grenade launcher.

"We did not talk much," he remembers. "The officers began to try to convince the soldiers not to execute the guy without a trial, but the soldiers said, 'No way.' . . .

They took him to the side and unloaded their clips right into his body--90 bullets altogether. "I took photographs of him before the execution, and I also photographed his dead body afterward. Boy, he looked terrible--the bullets broke his fingers and disfigured his palms. They turned his face and head into a bloody mess.

"He looked like a pile of fresh meat clothed in blood-soaked rags".

(Russian military personnel) DENIS

(h) "The worst thing is when a person goes to Chechnya to make money," said a 34-year-old OMON officer. "A person who does that should really have his head examined by a psychiatrist, for this person clearly has a propensity for sadism." For the complete article: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/icons/russ-atrocities.html

CONCLUDING EDITORIAL NOTE:

Let's recall below statement from our loving Prophet Mohamed (SAW) and in above context translate it to the Global Ummah being one body and the pain in one part of our body (our Chechen brothers and sisters) being extended to the whole body (Global Ummah).

Currently as we conclude this E-Zine, we acknowledge that several parts of the body (Global Ummah) are continuing to experience pain specially in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia et.c. MAY ALLAH EASE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF ALL MUSLIMS.

HADITH:
"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Imam Muslim],

THE END

2011-12-16T21:26:00.037+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 214, December 18, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

(xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

EDITORIAL:

Our Chechen brothers and sisters have been one of the strongest and most courageous group of Muslims the world had ever witnessed. When the UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC (USSR) broke up, many of the States within USSR were able to become independent nations, but not Chechnya. The Chechens still tried to fight for their independence through two major wars and they courageously stood up against a former Superpower of the world.

MAN PROPOSES, BUT ALLAH DISPOSES. Maybe Almighty Allah had other better plans for Chechens which none of us know at the present time and as time unfolds so would Allah's plan become a reality. This E-Zine is Part I of a series of issues on Chechnya and in this issue our spotlight is on their history, tradition, culture et.c

(www.en.wikipedia.org)

Chechen Republic flag since 2004

The flag is composed of three horizontal bars of, from top to bottom:

Green, representing Islam;
White; and Red; superimposed on them is a narrow vertical white band at the hoist, containing the national ornament, a design of four golden scroll shapes.

(CHECHEN) EARLY HISTORY: 900 BC – 1555 AD
(Davit Chumburidze)
(Condensed version)

The ancestors of modern Chechens were the Vainakh-speaking tribes (Durdzukians and Didoyans) that hypothetically inhabited the Northern slopes of the Caucasus range since the 9th century BC. Ancient Georgian sources state that some Vainakh tribes occupied certain areas to the South of the main Caucasus range where they were playing a significant role in the forming of ancient Iverian kingdoms. During the early Iron Age, (7th century BC) the territory of modern Chechnya and surrounding areas were conquered by the Scythians and Sarmathians. Scytho-Sarmathians dominated the area until the end of the 3d century BC.

Since the beginning of the 3d century BC, the Alan-speaking tribes seceded from the Scytho-Sarmatian confederation and became the dominant player in North Caucasia until the devastating invasions of the Huns (4th century AD) and Avars (6th century AD). The 5th and the 6th centuries were marked by the beginning of the spread of Christianity among the Alans and Vainakhs.

Between 652AD and 790AD the Vainakhs successfully defended their lands from the Arab invaders from the south and the Khazars from the north, forming a new tribal confederation with the Alans who won supremacy over other tribes of North Caucasia and by the end of the 11th century managed to form a semi-state structure that some historians even tend to call “the Alan kingdom”. In 1080 the Vainakh tribe of Kistin successfully repelled the invasion of Seljuk Turks who came from Central Asia and established a short-lived but vast empire covering most of the Middle East and the Caucasus. Between 1184 and 1240 most of the Vainakh tribes were nominally incorporated into a strong Georgian kingdom. The Georgian Queen Tamar organized them into three provinces, namely Didoyeti, Durdzuketi and Tusheti. However, Georgians did not interfere with the Vainakh lifestyle and tribal structure, rather finding satisfaction in collecting tribute and recruiting soldiers from Georgia's northernmost provinces.

During the middle of the 13th century the Georgian kingdom was defeated and partially destroyed by the Mongols. The Vainakh lands to the north of the Caucasus range were formally incorporated into the Mongol Kypchak Empire while those to the south of the range remained within the kingdom of Georgia but in fact were dominated by Mongolian occupational troops. However, the Mongol domination over the Vainakhs was nominal and in fact had no or little influence on their lifestyle. In the 14th century, the whole Caucasus was devastated by the hordes of Tamerlane. The Vainakhs managed to repel that invasion and remained outside the short-lived Tamerlane's empire.

The 15th century was marked by the decline and disintegration of the Georgian kingdom, as the Vainakhs of North Caucasia became politically independent of Georgian kings. On the contrary, the Transcaucasian Vainakhs (Tsova-Tushins and most of the Kists) became more and more integrated into political life of the new-formed Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kaheti. Disintegraton of Georgia. As well as the fall of Byzantian Empire (1453) and Genoese Black Sea coastal colonies (1475) significantly diminished Christian influence in North Caucasia.

Between 1475 and 1555 North Caucasian Vainakhs were successfully manipulating between Ottoman Turkey, Khanate of Crimea and the Astrakhan Khanate. That period was marked by swift Islamisation of the Vainakhs, caused not only by political influence of the new Islamic regional powers but also by the century-old competition of Roman Catholic and Georgian Orthodox versions of Christianity as well as Vainakh tribal Paganism. The beginning of the 17th century was marked by further expansion of the Ottoman empire growing into the dominant power in the area.

Vainakhs living both to the north and to the south of the Caucasus range, were united into several tribes, among them Aukh, Didoy, Durdzuk, Ichker, Kachkalyk, Kistin, Michik, Tushin, etc… Each tribe subdivided further into clans (or teyps in Vainakh). That clan system never disappeared from Vainakh / Chechen life and is as strong nowadays as it was 800 years ago.

History of Islam in Chechnya
(Below is condensed version, for complete article, please visit www.chechynafree.ru)

The penetration of Islam in the 13-15 centuries in the Chechen tribes and communities to unite the people on the "Muslim brothers".

As the official religion of Islam was first adopted in the realm of Simsim in the southeast of Chechnya in the era of the Golden Horde.

Intensive penetration of Islam contributed to the economic, cultural and political ties with the Chechen and Ingush population of Kabarda, Kumykov, the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Turkey and Persia, the Shah. In the 16-17 centuries Vainakhs entered into a close economic, cultural and political ties with other North Caucasian peoples professing Islam. In the legends preserved the names of the first preachers of Islam in Chechen society: Termoli, Bath, Bers.

In the 16-19 centuries. gradually - then working, then in opposition to the old traditional beliefs and Christianity - Islam became the dominant religion and the only Vainakh.

Final approval of Islam in Chechnya due to the strengthening of the national liberation movement. The first major leader of the national liberation war, who raised the banner of "gazavat" - a religious war against infidels, ie, Non-Muslims - was a shepherd from the village of Aldy Ushurma in place which later was built the fortress of Grozny. Ushurma known in history under the name of Sheikh Mansour (Winner). Religio-political agenda Mansour was supported by the clergy not only Chechnya, but Dagestan and Azerbaijan. It was the merger of North Caucasian peoples under the banner of Islam in a single state. Instability in the 80s of the 18th century in the North Caucasus is connected with the name of Sheikh Mansur. The wave of popular uprisings subsided in 1791, after the arrest of Sheikh rebellious.

In 1834, Shamil sold the idea of Sheikh Mansour: Imamate was established - the Islamic secular-religious state, which lasted 27 years. Under the banner of a religious war against non-Muslims - "gazavat" Shamil joined the mountaineers of the Northern Caucasus in the struggle against the colonial policy of tsarism. Islam is the Imamate of Shamil in the period, combining the secular and the religious sphere, was a synthesis of religion, politics and law.

From the mid 19th century in Chechnya began to spread Islam Sufi persuasion. Two etymology the term "Sufi" give an idea of the nature of faith: from the Greek «sophos» - sage, from the Arabic "Sufi" - wearing coarse woolen garments, ascetic. For Sufism is characterized by a combination of idealist metaphysics of ascetic practice, religious tolerance. The doctrine of the Sufis among the great champion of Vainakhs spread the idea of resisting evil with violence, Sheikh Kunta-Haji Kishiev. Its activities are pursued by Imam Shamil: primarily in connection with performances of Kunta Haji against the war.

CHECHEN TRADITIONS:

(ED NOTE:

Chechens have several traditions unique to their community. To read in detail about their multiple traditions, please visit an excellent site www.chechnyafree.ru. As an example of their unique traditions, we have highlighted but one single tradition below. Source: www.chechnyafree.ru)

"Nohchalla" - Chechen character
(www.chechynafree.ru)

The word "Nokhchallah" does not lend itself to translation . But it may and must be explained. "Nokhcho" stands for Chechen."Nokhchallah" brings together all the specific properties of the Chechen character. It implies a whole gamut of moral and ethical norms. It may be described as the Chechen code of honor.

Chivalry, gentility, diplomatic skills, manliness, generosity and reliability are the qualities which a child of a hardline Chechen family imbibes with, as they say, his mother's milk. And the Chechen code of honor is rooted in the remote days of Chechen history.

In the severe conditions of bygone years a refusal to open the door to a stranger could lead to lethal frostbites. He could succumb to fatigue or famine, fall prey to a wild beast or highway robbers. The ancestral tradition which has been held sacred, demands that a stranger be welcomed in, seated by the fire, offered food and shelter for the night. Hospitality is, thus, "nokhchallah." The narrow roads and paths of Chechnya zigzag around mountain cliffs and on the brink of precipices. A fight or a heated argument may send one down into the abyss. Politeness and willingness to compromise are "nokhchallah." The strenuous conditions of their life taught the highlanders to help and support one another, which is also "nokhchallah." But "nokhchallah" has nothing to do with the Table of Ranks. There have been neither princes nor serfs among the Chechens.

"Nokhchallah" is an ability to deal with people without showing your privileged position. The privileged should be extra polite and accommodating to avert hurting anyone's feelings. If two men meet and one of them is riding on horseback and the other walking, the one who is riding shall be the first to utter words of greeting. If the one who is walking is older that the one who is riding, the rider shall dismount to greet the older man.

"Nokhchallah" is friendship that lasts all life: in joy and sorrow. Highlanders hold friendship sacred. Inattentiveness or impoliteness shall be forgiven if they are displayed to a brother, but to a friend - never!

"Nokhchallah" is special respect for women. A man dismounts his horse before entering the village where the relatives of his mother or his wife live. And here is a story about a man who asked to spend a night in a house that stood on the outskirts of a Chechen village, without knowing that she was alone. The hostess could not reject his request. She gave him something to eat and made a bed for him. In the morning, the man realized that the woman was alone and that she had spent the night sitting by a lit lantern in the anteroom. As he was hurriedly washing up, he brushed the woman's hand with his small finger by accident. The man cut the finger off with his knife before leaving that place. Only a man brought up in the spirit of "nokhchallah" will go to such pains to protect a woman's honor.

"Nokhchallah" rules out all attempts at subjugation. Male Chechens have, since times immemorial, been brought up as protectors and trained to bear arms. "Come at liberty" is the oldest of the greetings in actual use in Chechnya. The freedom of spirit and readiness to fight to protect it is "nokhchallah."

"Nokhchallah" demands that Chechens respect all other men, regardless of their social origins, family background and religious beliefs. The bigger the difference between a Chechen and someone else, the more respect the Chechen shall accord that someone. You have a chance to be forgiven for hurting a Moslem's feelings because, people say, you may meet the person whose feelings you have hurt on Judgement Day. But all is lost if you have hurt the feelings of a person of a different creed, because there is no chance of ever meeting him. The sin will stay with you forever.

"Nokhchallah" is no book of do's and don't's. It is of their own free will that the Chechens obey its rules.

It is a condensed formula of a Chechen way of life.

CHECHEN HISTORICAL PERSONALITIES

Kunta-Khadzhi Kishiev – the Chechen Mahatma Gandhi
(www.chechynafree.ru)

The nature of Kunta-Khadzhi’s teachings is best reflected in his sermons and instructions that were collected from accounts by murids of the Kunta-Khadzhi fraternity.

The most serious of works about the life of Kunta-Khadzhi is a book by philosopher Vakhit Akaev, which is called “Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi. Life and Teaching” and which came out in Grozny in 1994. The author writes: “Islam that got established in Daghestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia is of specific nature, which formed under the influence of Sufism. The Sufi Order facilitated dissemination and strengthening of Islam in the North Caucasus. It got stronger in Daghestan in the 19th century, when many representatives of official Islam stopped following the Koran and Sharia and began to encroach on the rights of the poor in favour of the ruling classes. That prompted Imam Gazi-Muhammad to declare gazavat or holy war on the ruling clique of mountaineers and expansionist policy of tsarism in the North Caucasus.

The Kadiri tarikat, a social movement and religious concept, known in the North Caucasus as Zikrism, emerged at the end of the Caucasian war and at the initial stage its ideology differed radically from the concept of holy war. The founder of Zikrism Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi, a native of the Chechen village of Ilskhan-Yurt, appeared on Chechnya’s political scene at a time when people, weary of continuous war with the tsarist regime, needed peace.

Kunta-Khadzhi’s sermons calling for peace, brotherhood and support for the poor and orphans found a response among the people, driven to the point of physical extermination. Central in his sermons were the ideas of non-resistance to evil with violence, renunciation of military actions against the tsarist regime, which outnumbered mountaineers in military might, and appeals for submission. Kunta-Khadzhi was fully aware of the fact that irreconcilable resistance to the tzarist regime might result in a complete of annihilation of Chechens. It was that very circumstance that made Kunta-Khadzhi appeal to the idea of ending the bloodshed and returning to peaceful life. Zikrism ideology ran counter to the concept of holy war, or gazavat, which called for continuing the struggle till final victory. Shamil pursued Kunta-Khadzhi for his anti-gazavat ideas”.

The historical dispute between Shamil and Kunta-Khadzhi ended in a crush of the mountaineers’ centuries-old resistance to the immeasurably strong conqueror. Shamil, who had brought about the concept of gazavat or holy war, became a guest of honour of the Russian tsar and spent the rest of his life in Mecca. Kunta-Khadzhi, an advocate of submission, peace, good will and justice, was arrested with the consent of Tsar Alexander II in winter in 1864 and experienced in full what it was like to be an ordinary criminal in the jails of Novocherkassk and Ustyuzhino. St.Kunta-Khadzhi was tortured by loneliness, hunger and cold. The sheikh’s letters, which never reached his family, testify to severe trials all of which he stood humbly and with dignity.

In the above work Vakhid Akaev writes: “… Born into a poor Chechen family, on a territory conquered by the Russian Empire, he did all he could to establish spiritual brotherhood and social justice and put his whole heart into the cause. Success in combating social evil, as he saw it, could come not from the use of force, but from moral purification, elevation and mutual support among the mountaineers, the eternal search for God. The sheikh’s ascetic lifestyle, his profound piety and desire to alleviate people’s sufferings drew Chechens that had suffered most in the war to his side. As for the attitude of tsarist dignitaries and the tsar himself, it was different from that to Shamil… Unlike Shamil Kunta-Khadzhi was not a warrior and did not perform any feats of arms. He is a peace-maker, a saint and his deeds lie in the spiritual sphere. He recognizes one power – the power of God. Hence there could be no leniency towards Kunta-Khadzhi on the part of rich and mighty.

For the tsarist regime people with Kunta-Khadzhi’s outlook were much more dangerous than Shamil.

The tsarist authorities looked on Kunta-Khadzhi as a fanatic, criminal and trouble-maker inciting people to serving God, and not the ruling classes.

Hence official tsarist documents classed him as “a political criminal”, a “fanatic”, for he was seeking a righteous society calling for justice and life according to the laws of conscience and suffered to the point of self-torture feeling so keenly about people’s sins.

Followers of Kunta-Khadzhi have never acknowledged his death in a belief that he went into hiding and will make a come-back, thereby recognizing him as Mahdi (the last Messiah, successor of prophet Muhammad, God bless Him). Even in the most tragic times for Chechen people Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi relentlessly called for mutual assistance and charity. In India he would undoubtedly have been given the name of Mahatma or Teacher, and in Chechnya he is known as Evliya, which means Saint. He is not just a saint, but a saint, who suffered for new philosophy, new outlook.

One is tempted to throw a bridge across the spiritual world of Kunta-Khadzhi to that of Leo Tolstoi to Mahatma Gandhi…” .People of different religions – Chechen Kunta-Khadzhi, Russian Leo Tolsoi, Hindu Mahatma Gandhi – all urged the humanity to be kind, compassionate, modest and generous.

As for Kunta-Khadzhi himself, a preacher, who called for renunciation of mundane life and non-resistance to evil with violence, he was sent to life exile to the town of Ustyuzhno in the Novgorod province. He died there on May 19th,1867.

Significantly, in the early 20th century printing-houses in Daghestan published collections of sayings by the Chechen saint that had been put together by his followers.

The teachings of Kunta-Khadzhi Kishiev

* If you want to love Allah – love justice.Wish your neighbour what you wish yourself. Never try to be richer, higher or stronger than others.Share with the poor everything God has sent you.Beware of the envious. Let them envy your knowledge, fairness and generosity. Pray to Allah that nothing earned with someone else’s blood and sweat would get attached to you. This is an insurmountable obstacle towards tarikat.

* A war is preposterous. Distance yourselves from anything reminiscent of war, if the enemy has not come to take your faith and honour from you. Your power lies in your intelligence, patience and justice. The enemy will never stand up to this force and admit defeat sooner or later. No one can overpower you or your truth if you follow your faith with devotion.

* The Almighty wants murids to spend their time doing good, that is, repair roads and bridges, clean up springs, grow trees along the roads and build mosques. A murid has to visit bed-ridden people, show interest in the needs of the elderly, the orphans and all feeble and sickly and do all he can to help them. A murid has to do other things that God might approve of, such as reconcile spouses that have fallen out, return mothers to their children and restore families.

* Never respond to evil with evil, for it causes more evil. Any evil is against God. God alone has the power to punish the villains and pardon the benefactors. You will defeat the villains and violent by rejecting them, perfecting your souls and your Order. The clearer and more righteous the way you follow, the more difficult you will make it for villains and tyrants. They will succumb to the power of your truth, for they will feel that the Almighty is on your side. They will be defeated by God and your tarikat. Time is working for you, for it is working for justice.

* Don’t carry weapons. Stay away from them. Weapons remind you of violence and take you off your path to God. The power of weapons is nothing as compared to the power of human beings that follow the path of God. Any weapons testify to lack of confidence that the Almighty will come to your rescue at the right moment. Besides, Eblis constantly sends your hand groping for the dagger or gun. You are becoming a victim of Eblis.

* Be hard-working. Don’t shrink from the most difficult of work. He who doesn’t earn his living lives at the expense of others. This is a sin, which equals to stealing. Learn to value and feel deep respect for every bread crumb, for this crumb is enough to feed a bird and an ant. You will save a soul made by God and none but Him is capable of creating even the smallest of being. Love the world created by its Great Maker and do all you can to preserve it.

* Refrain from excesses, for excesses, unlike needs, know no limits. It is a shame and a sin to wish what others haven’t got, to wish to stand out from others for luxury, smart clothes or a larger place to live in. It is a shame and a sin to have a lot of cattle and not to share them with those starving. It is a shame and a sin to change clothes every day and go by looking loftily on those wearing threadbare clothes for a long time.It is a shame and a sin to stand near a barefooted in expensive and stylish footwear.It is a shame and a sin to try to stand out from others for a high and costly hat. Excessive food, sleep, clothes and living quarters do not bring us closer but keep us away from Allah. Every Muslim is beautiful for his moderation and modesty. Moderation and modesty are the keys opening the gate to God.

* Don’t long for earthly honours. Earthly honours are illusions. Be happy and proud that you are equal among equals. If you discover you know more or have more, be quick to give it away, for otherwise it will be lost. What you have given away will come back, become a witness on Dooms Day.

* Don’t argue with the authorities, don’t try to replace them. All authority comes from God. Allah knows better, what authority to establish and where and for what purpose. The authorities have their own account to give to God. Don’t be enticed by the seemingly prestigious status of the authorities. Our tarikat is, undoubtedly, higher, for earthly authorities are supposed to resolve earthly problems mainly. No one has yet been sated with earthly pleasures. Earthly life is like salt water: the more you drink it, the more thirsty you become. Calm your souls in tarikat. A calm soul, striving for the Almighty, is eternal joy and happiness.

* A murid must respect an older person, for the latter has seen a lot, gone through a lot and knows a lot. A murid must respect a younger person, for it is possible that he hasn’t committed many sins yet. A murid must respect every person and be courteous to all, for it is the only way for his soul to stay calm and not let him diverge from tarikat.

* Feel deep affection for animals surrounding us. Take care of them in the right way and the right time. Cows, sheep, horses, dogs or cats cannot tell us of their needs. So we ourselves have to know and remember about them. Don’t rush to say your prayers if your cattle need water or food.Our souls must be pure and calm, when we pray to Our Maker.

* We have to be more attentive to animals than to people, for the animals are unaware of what they are doing. Cattle caught wandering in the kitchen-garden should not be beaten or cursed. They should be cautiously sent away, for they came there through people’s negligence. Torturing or tormenting animals is a grave sin. It is a sin to kill innocent birds, insects, all living creatures. All living creatures that do no harm to human beings must be protected by murids.

* All vegetation is alive too and has a soul of its own. Hide an axe, when you enter a forest, and cut the tree or pole you have come for. Care for every tree, bush or blade of grass. Love them and treat them as good friends.It is a terrible sin to cut a fruit-tree, a tree by the riverside or a tree by the roadside, which gives shadow to a traveler on hot day. Murids should plant trees everywhere and look after them until they grow.

* Water is the most sacred of God’s creations, for water, according to the Koran, never stops glorifying the Almighty Maker even when all living and non-living cease to do so. It is a great sin to pollute water. In spring and river water people use for drinking it is not allowed to wash dirty things, bathe or wash off dirt. For this purpose, you have to pick up some water and walk away from the spring or river. It is forbidden to throw rubbish into water and change the course of the river without need, for an action of this kind will kill all living creatures in the dried-up river-bed.

Fatima Arsanova
(www.chechynafree.ru)

A woman’s life at a time of political upheavals is always more difficult than that of a man. Nevertheless, a great number of women have become heroines of their time, among them Fatima Arsanova.

A girl from a poor Chechen family, Fatima looked at the revolutionary events in Russia of the early 20th century as a difficult way to a free, just and happy future. Fatima and her elder brother – Saidbei Arsanov, a future writer, took part in rallies and demonstrations in Vladykavkaz. In 1917 Fatima joined a self-defense unit. She never hesitated to take up the most difficult of tasks given by resistance fighters, was a connection, then joined a medical team and showing unbelievable courage and will-power helped the wounded. Fatima the paramedic became a legend spoken about all across the North Caucasus.

In August 1918 fighting was on in mutinous Grozny and both Russians and Chechens were dying on the barricades. Though it was next to impossible for Fatima to get into the besieged city, she and several other girls made their way into Grozny and immediately went to the frontlines to save the wounded. The slim girl wearing a men’s suit and carrying a medical bag was flying about like an angel reaching for everyone hit by a bullet. She was admired and her courage was inspiring. They said Fatima on the frontlines was a symbol of good luck and the soldiers were doing all they could to protect her against the bullets.

Fatima was tirelessly dressing the wounds from sunrise to sunset rushing to attend to every fighter. At one point, during a battle near a railway station, she fired a machine-gun to inspire Red Army soldiers panicking at the sudden appearance of an enemy armoured train.

She was only 20, when she was killed in a battle in the autumn of 1918. Fatima the paramedic is the legend of the North Caucasus… Fatima Arsanova is a Chechen hero.

CHECHEN DANCE
(www.chechynafree.ru)

EUROPE'S BIGGEST MOSQUE IN CHECHNYA

Vast New Mosque Opens in Chechnya
(www.bbc.co.uk)
May 8, 2009

(www.bbc.co.uk)

A new mosque in the Russian region of Chechnya - described by the authorities as the biggest in Europe - has opened.

The Heart of Chechnya mosque has been built in the centre of the capital, Grozny - on a spot where civil war raged only a few years ago.

Hundreds of local people attended the opening of the mosque, which was built in memory of Chechnya's assassinated pro-Kremlin leader Akhmad Kadyrov. His son Ramzan - the present ruler - led the inauguration ceremony.

Muslims played traditional instruments outside the mosque, built in the classical Ottoman style, and reminiscent of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.

The Turkish-built structure, which can hold 10,000 worshippers, has risen where there was only rubble, says BBC correspondent James Rodgers.

Russia's Chechnya province President Ramzan Kadyrov, right, and Russian parliament deputy Adam Delimkhanov seen at a mosque in Chechnya's capital Grozny, southern Russia, Friday, May 8, 2009.
(AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)

THE END

2011-12-01T07:41:00.019+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 213, December 11, 2011

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

EDITORIAL:

While the spotlight of previous two E-Zines was on the importance of fatherhood and the negative consequences in the absence of father at home, the focus in this E-Zine is in dealing with loss of father and/or other family members and the impact of subsequent grief experienced by family members and exploring the possibilities of Ummah assisting them in the HEALING process under the title:

"CLINICAL APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPT OF GLOBAL UMMAH"

The permanent absence of Muslim men at home "percentage wise" is greater than the absence of men in other individual religions at their respective homes. See the toll of lives lost in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia et.c. and without question, as a group, the death of adult Muslim men is much larger in proportion compared to group of Muslim women or group of Muslim children.

We want to emphasize that any loss of life is SAD ENOUGH and our comparison should not be misunderstand in terms of value of life. The purpose to highlight the above is two fold: (a) First is to understand the impact of loss of head of household and second (b) loss of the primary bread winner at home and its economically devastating impact on the family. For example, in Kabul alone (Afghanistan) currently there are TWO MILLION WIDOWS and half the families are being raised by a single parent, in majority of the cases, it is the mother.

As part of the name of this E-Zine, VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH, above issue is an important issue for the entire Muslim global community. We were curious to know as to what is the global ummah doing to deal with the severe negative impact of loss of family members (including fathers/husbands) especially as it pertains to loss by traumatic deaths including being blown up to pieces by bombs, when even the most basic minimal normal procedure to bury the dead by washing the body becomes almost impossible due to the nature of death ?

One easy option is to just state "Allah is there" and leave it at that. But Almighty Allah has also told us that HE would not help those who do not help themselves.

When Almighty Allah stated in the Holy Quran: "MANKIND IS BUT ONE COMMUNITY", the people fourteen hundred years ago who were riding camels and horses & living in mud/clay huts had no clue to the depth of above awesome statement by Allah as compared to the present 21st century, when we use phones, fax, Internet, video-camera and post / send instant tweet messages et.c and realize that INDEED WE ALL ARE ONE COMMUNITY.

Although we have Internet to reinforce the depth of ONE COMMUNITY in terms of communication, we believe that there is lot of improvement for the global ummah to use the TOOL OF INTERNET to assist each other across the globe.

We humbly appeal to get your valuable feedback to assist us in developing innovative ways to reach out for the grieving family members by having a GLOBAL ISLAMIC CYBER GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP that has a matrix of LIVE HOT SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD where while deaths instantly occur, we are available ONLINE to supplement and provide ongoing support to the grieving member. We urge all interested Muslim organizations and Islamic Centers to contact us and symbolically be an extension of "our hearts" so to speak to reach out and assist the grieving family members. There is no hidden agenda, there is no catch, the service is FREE. But we cannot do it alone, we need help from one and all.

Further, the Islamic Centers, Muslim Social Service Organizations and other similar entities can be a medium to link us as providers of emotional support to the English speaking grieving family members across the globe.

We believe that currently the Islamic Centers/Masjids are grossly underutilized in terms of their potential to assist the distressed Muslims in their local neighborhood.

The Islamic Centers / Masjids play a pivotal role to ensure that their grieving members in their local area have access to such support group and get the needed support, Currently we can start only such a support group for English speaking Muslims as the first baby step.

In terms of helping Muslims worldwide who are dealing with grief, trauma and loss, we desperately need voluntary ON-LINE clinicians who are specialized in grief across lifespan, intertwining attachment theory, family systems therapy and neurophysiology to provide an effective online clinical intervention for processing grief with the ultimate goal of healing. We need volunteers at the local level to lead support group for families and children who have experienced the loss of a family member through death.

Your valuable feedback and/or participation to help above project would be highly appreciated. Please e-mail us at www.amyusuf786@ymail.com.

Below are few pictures and a video highlighting the sudden loss of lives due to traumatic death. Further to better understand the dynamics of GRIEF, we have raised several questions as part of brain-storming with Muslims globally.

PART I

A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS:

(ED NOTE:

Before you proceed any further, we want to caution you that below are disturbing graphic images that are NOT MEANT for the faint-hearted. So if you consider yourself in above category, please kindly exit from this E-Zine immediately.

If you note the main caption in bold letters at the very top of this E-zine VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH, you would see the caption titled: "YOUR WINDOW TO THE HARSH REALITIES OF THE MUSLIM WORLD". The pictures below reflect such a harsh reality that the global ummah is experiencing. Above caption surely DID NOT MEAN to present to you pictures of beautiful flowers from a garden or a romantic couple on a honeymoon, french kissing on a beach.

Further we want to emphasize that the primary purpose to present below pictures is for you to get a better clinical in depth understanding of the intense emotional pain and devastating grief that the surviving family members and injured victims would be going through after such a traumatic and shocking event. (A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS).

We condemn terrorism against innocent people from all sources including private extremist organizations and also State sponsored. We defend the innocent men, women and children from all religions, nationalities, cultures and ethnic groups. We appeal to people from all countries across the globe to work together for GLOBAL PEACE.

We want you to see the huge vacuum that is left for the untreated traumatized family members resulting in the ongoing pain and suffering in their day to day life and its potential disruption in the areas of their individual and family lives. Almost all of the victims in below pictures are not individuals that came out of the blue, but are part of a larger family having relatives that may include grandparents/father/mother/brothers/sisters/wife/children/cousins/nieces/nephews/grandchildren et.c.

You yourself try to recall when was the last death of your own relative and what were the circumstances surrounding it. Let's assume that it was a death due to health related reasons. Even then, try to recall the pain and grief of the immediate relatives of the deceased. Compare and contrast such a death with a traumatic death due to being blown up to pieces or gunshot or shrapnel wounds et.c, the blood and gore around the dead and the overall commotion surrounding the death.

CAN THE LOCAL AND GLOBAL UMMAH JUST KEEP QUIET AFTER SEEING SUCH EXCRUCIATING PAIN THAT OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE GOING THROUGH ?

From a clinical perspective, in what ways can the Muslim mental health professionals along with co-operation from the Imams and volunteers step up to the plate and provide emotional and social support to such grieving Muslims ?

We believe that in this situation it is not a question of money, it is a question of WILL, DETERMINATION, PROPER PLANNING, TEAM WORK, CO-ORDINATION AND A SOUND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TO REACH OUT AND EASE THE GRIEF AND SUFFERING OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS.

Given the current state of pathetic affairs in the world including politics of "US Versus THEM", SHIA-SUNNI CONFLICT, INTER-ETHNIC CONFLICT, POWER HUNGRY AND SELF CENTERED DICTATORS WITHIN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, we see no sight in end and it is likely to continue for quite a long time.

Further natural disasters like earthquakes and cyclones are likely to occur bringing yet another group of our Muslim brothers and sisters who shockingly had to lose their family members. Therefore, even now, it is not too late, from a clinical and organizational perspective for the Ummah at the local, state, national and international level to work towards assisting fellow Muslims who have lost their loves ones by easing their pain of grief and assisting them in the healing process.

Don't underestimate yourself and let us tell you that your opinion, ideas and feedback is valuable, WOULD YOU NOT CARE THEN TO SHARE IT WITH US ? )

AFGHANISTAN:

Attack on Afghan Minority Group Leaves Over 60 Dead

December 7, 2011
(www.lens.blogs.nytimes.com)

Suicide bombers struck Shiite (mostly Hazara) pilgrims on December 6, killing over 60 people in Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif during holy holiday of Ashura. I was moved by a photo of a woman crying out in horror at the carnage around her. It was also a cry of helplessness and a cry of sorrow. I couldn’t help but feeling that sense of helplessness and sorrow.

video: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/attack-on-afghan-minority-group-leaves-over-60-dead/

PART II

KASHMIR - INDIA

KASHMIR, WILL IT EVER BE RESOLVED ?

October 28, 2010

Below pictures of Kashmir from www.koolblue.wordpress.com

A young innocent Kashmiri student, aged 22, shot dead at point blank range by the draconian CRPF. They had promised a revenge killing after a trooper was shot dead by militants in the same location: The Slaughterers awarded one hundred rupees and promotions for killing the innocent Kashmiri.

The 8 year old innocent was killed by Indians during current protests

Can this old man be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of Indian troops deployed in valley?

Baramulla Kashmir - PEOPLE CARRY THE BODY OF NINE-YEAR-OLD TARIQ AHMAD

PART III:

TURKEY EARTHQUAKE PICTURES
www.survivalstarter.com
By M&C October 24, 2011

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van rpovince, Turkey, 24 October 2011. More than 1,000 people were likely to have been killed in an earthquake as powerful as the one that struck 23 October in eastern Turkey, experts from the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute said at a press conference broadcast on Turkish TV. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was flying from Istanbul to the province of Van, the epicenter of the earthquake whose preliminary magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey, was 7.3. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van province, Turkey, 24 October 2011. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van province, Turkey, 24 October 2011. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van province, Turkey, 24 October 2011. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van province, Turkey, 24 October 2011. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Relatives of victims mourn in front of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Turkey, in the city of Ercis, Van province, Turkey, 24 October 2011. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

PART IV:

CHECHNYA - RUSSIA

According to www.pbs.org, an estimated 40,000 people – both military and civilians – died in Chechnya’s 1994-1996 war with Russia. More than 300,000 residents of Chechnya left the republic as refugees.

www.cerebral-coffins.com/spk/first-chechen-war

www.cerebral-coffins.com/spk/first-chechen-war

PART V:

BOSNIA

(ED NOTE:

Our Muslim sisters in Bosnia have suffered a double blow. First is to go through the grieving process due to the loss of their own family members (mostly male relatives) through torture and death. Second is to deal with their own painful horrific past in terms of being victim of torture and rape.

Needless to say, besides thousands of our Bosnian brothers being killed by the ruthless Serbs, there were thousands of Bosnian women in various countries who were struggling with the trauma of rape and PTSD symptoms et.c for a long time.

The global ummah not having had any semblence of any organizational structure in place to help the traumatized Muslims had MISSED a golden opportunity to assist our Bosnian brothers and sisters who were victims of the SERBIAN GENOCIDE in early 1990's.

Given the current atrocities against Muslims around the world including SYRIA, it is still not too late to develop above clinical model to reduce the psychological pain, anguish and trauma experienced by Muslims across the globe.

We need to start thinking as to how newly formed interdisciplinary teams originating from within Islamic centers and Muslim Social Service Organizations can assist traumatically distressed Muslims who may have problems with prolonged grief and others issues including being a victim of rape and torture.

Finding effective approaches for healing above psychological wounds could be equally applied to assist Muslims from various countries including but not limited to Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kosovo, Chechnya where there has been conflict resulting in loss of lives, permanent disability, trauma from being tortured et.c.

THE BRUTAL RAPE OF OUR BOSNIAN SISTERS:

"The Serbian military were ordered to rape Bosnian women as part of the mass ethnic cleansing, some in the 16 rape camps constructed for that purpose. Intent on producing a new generation of Serb children, women were confined in these camps and subjected to perpetual sexual abuse until they became pregnant. Children resulting from rape were viewed by Serbs as "clean and purified".

......Yet for the estimated 50,000 rapes that occurred during the years of the war, there have only been 30 convictions to date".

SOURCE: www.womenforwomeninternational.org.uk/wordpress

www.bosniangenocide.wordpress.com

21-year-old Edna Dautovic was one of many Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) women who were tortured, brutally raped, and then killed by the Serbs in the Omarska concentration camp near Prijedor. Pre-war photo of Edna Dautovic courtesy of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

CONVICTION OF SERB SOLDIER GIVES BOSNIAN WOMEN HOPE FR JUSTICE:
Nov 15, 2011
Rebecca Parnell
www.womenforwomeninternational.org.uk/wordpress

www.womenforwomeninternational.org.uk/wordpress

The US envoy pioneering efforts to combat sexual violence has welcomed the conviction of a Bosnian-Serb ex-soldier for acts of murder, rape and enslavement during the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s.

Hatidza Mehmedovic a Bosnian Muslim woman, survivor of the Srebrenica atrocities in 1995, prays in front of the memorial wall with the names of victims of the Bosnian Serb offensive in July 1995 on May 26, 2011 in Potocari near Srebrenica. (Elvis Barukcic/AFP/Getty Images)

www.srebrenica-genocide.blogspot.com
Photographer: Ron Haviv

Serbian paramilitaries kick and kill Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) civilians on the streets of Bijeljina on 31 March 1992, the first day of the Bosnian war. Serbian troops slaughtered hundreds of unarmed Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) civilians - men, women, children and elderly - in during the attack on this norteastern Bosnian city.

PART III

GRIEF:
QUESTIONS THAT ARE FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What is the possible impact of grief on a Muslim(a) across his or her entire lifespan ?

What role does the connection between early attachment styles, developmental, relational trauma, Islamic belief system and grief have across one's entire lifespan ?

How does one distinguish the difference between healthy grief VS complicated grief/prolonged grief, uncomplicated grief, complex post traumatic stress disorder ?

What are the neurophysiological impact on grief and does Zikar/deep intense islamic meditation have a "positive impact" in changing the neuro-circuitry of the grieving individual ?

What are the differences between child and adult grief from an Islamic perspective ?

What is the role of gender especially in context of people living in an Islamic country, specific culture in the said country and specific type of traumatic death in determining the severity and type of grief response that a Muslim(a) may have ?

How best can the Muslim community specially the Imam, elders, Mental Health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and volunteers (who lead grief support groups in a Masjid) co-ordinate their efforts to effectively help adults and children grieve and how best can above voluntary team help grieving parents and children inculcate appropriate coping skills ?

How do you examine a tragic death and subsequent stress suffered by a family member from an Islamic perspective ?

How does such grief and stress impact you and your relationships ?

In what innovative ways can the clinical problems resulting from trauma and tragic death be combated and solved by using a combo pack of Islamic tools of Holy Quran & Hadith blended with the icing of the latest therapeutic techniques in the field of grief and counseling ?

What the the various masks of stress that are spawned emotionally, physically and mentally due to the initial loss of a loved one through traumatic death ?

How the above loss and stressors take a devastating toll on the grieving Muslim family member ?

How can a Muslim(a) avoid the pitfall of getting into addictions as a coping mechanism with grief and as a magnifying reaction to stress ?

How can anger and resentment be better tamed in order to make stress less toxic ?

How can a grieving member of the global ummah liberate himself/herself of intense pain by utilizing the valuable gems from Holy Quran and hadith as one of the many interventions ?

REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS FOR GRIEF ACROSS THE LIFESPAN:

Research in grief treatment has emphasized the importance of connecting bonds and the importance of staying connected during the grieving process.

What role can local grief support groups originating from within Mosques and Islamic Cyber Grief Support groups do:

(a) to alleviate the intense emotional pain and stress caused by a traumatic and tragic death of a loved one ?

(b) be a platform to talk out your grief with other trusted members of your local support group ?

(c) be a platform to encourage externalization of grief through journaling, expressive arts, blogging et.c ?

(d) facilitate the grieving member to help others and in the process recover himself/herself ?

THE END

2011-11-26T07:11:00.008+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 212, December 4, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

("TRULY HEART RUST JUST AS IRON RUSTS, AND THEIR POLISHING IS SEEKING FORGIVENESS")

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

ED NOTE:

As we indicated earlier, our main focus is on the welfare of HUMANITY. The concept of GLOBAL UMMAH is the first step towards attaining the larger step of ONE LOVE, ONE HUMANITY. Like many other extremists, we REFUSE to voluntarily imprison ourselves in a single box and with a smile and cheer, we extend our hand of friendship, love and affection to all human beings of all faiths, cultures and persuasions.

With such an approach indicated above, it should come as no surprise that we would work for the betterment of Ummah by seeking knowledge from all sources including highlighting news, articles from Christian and Jewish sources that are listed below. In a way, it is yet another step for us to focus on the common points of all religions.

Islam places a lot of emphasis on the stability of the smallest social unit - FAMILY. Both the father and mother's role is important in terms of contributing to a healthy FUNCTIONAL family.

Unfortunately certain Muslim men have unintentionally practiced the negative cultural aspects in the name of Islam which has ultimately culminated doing more harm than good to the family. Below articles are an eyeopener to the devastating impact on the children especially daughters who are raised without fathers at home. However by no stretch of imagination are we ever going to support the presence of the father at home if he has violated Islam on all counts in terms of committing the crime of severe abuse to his spouse and children.

Prophet Mohamed (SAW) is the best role model we ever can have in terms of his NOT ever emotionally or physically abusing any of his family members.

In this E-Zine, our focus is on continuation of "Fathers" and "Fatherhood" Part II as an extension from the previous issue. We start off from an Islamic perspective in terms of highlighting an excellent article on importance of fathers, followed by an article that analyzes the impact that absent fathers have on female development and college attendance and later with another article on the severe impact on the consequences of fatherlessness and yet another article on the best gift that a father can give - HIS PRESENCE.

We wanted to give an example to highlight the awesome work some Christian organizations have done to help those daughters who have no fathers as indicated in below note from www.daughterswithoutdads.net

Their Mission Statement sums it all: "Restoring women to wholeness, one life at a time". We in particular wanted to quote the first sentence of their MISSION:

"The mission of Daughters without Dads Inc. is to provide counseling, assistance and spiritual guidance for young girls and adult women based on Christian biblical values".

We apologize for our ignorance and lack of knowledge if anyone of you could e-mail and confirm one single Muslim organization in the global ummah that dedicates its exclusive service to helping Muslim daughters without dads. If you are aware of it, please e-mail us and we will publish it in our subsequent issue. Until we hear otherwise we are presuming that none exists.

WE HAVE A DREAM, THAT SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE GLOBE, A GROUP OF MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL JOIN TOGETHER AND DEVELOP A ORGANIZATION WITH ITS FOCUS ON DAUGHTERS WITHOUT DADS AND ASSIST THEM BY PROVIDING COUNSELING AND SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE TO THE YOUNG MUSLIMAS BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF HOLY QURAN AND HADITH.

WILL YOU HELP OUR DREAM TO TURN INTO REALITY ?

PART I

THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS:
www.iqrafoundation.com
(condensed version)

It is well known that Islam places a heavy emphasis on the importance of loving and respecting parents. In fact Allah (swt) has repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an that parents hold the next highest status after our Lord and beloved Prophet (s).

Allah (swt) is our supreme provider, sustain-er, and protector. He uses parents as a means to provide us, as we grow, with food, shelter, clothing, guidance, and protection from harm. As creations of Allah (swt) we can never return the favors of our Lord except by being obedient and showing gratitude. The same can be said for parents. As children we can never repay the countless favors of our parents accept by being obedient and showing gratitude.

Allah (swt) says in Surah 17 Ayah 23:

“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor.’

However, it is important to note that the role of a father is also highly recognized in Islam. It is said that,

“God’s pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and God’s displeasure is in the displeasure of the father.”

Fathers are significant because they are commanded by Allah (swt) to work hard to provide the physical, educational, psychological, and spiritual needs of a child. ‘

Ali ibn al-Husain (r) is reported to have said:

“The right of your father on you is that you should know that it is he who brought you into existence, and you are a branch of the tree of his life.”

According to an article from Family and Consumer Sciences:

“Fathers are essential to the healthy growth and development of their children. Dads bring a unique perspective to the family and lives of their children.”

Fathers have a powerful influence on the healthy development of their daughters and sons.

School-aged children show significant gains in intellectual development when their fathers are involved with them as infants.

Involved fathers enrich their daughter’s and son’s self image.

Children who have involved fathers show more sense of humor, longer attention spans, and more eagerness for learning.

Father involvement helps teens to develop a strong sense of who they are and increases their ability to resist peer pressure.

Dads are role models who teach their children to be strong, flexible adults.

Fathers teach gender roles: they are generally more physically active with their sons and more protective of their daughters.

Fathers often think “out of the box” and offer alternative strategies for problem solving.
Dads tend to offer more physical play than mothers, which increases the physical competency of their young children.

When fathers model behaviors that are respectful to women, their sons are more likely to model their father’s respectful behavior as well.

http://fcs.tamu.edu/families/parenting/fathering/fathering_text/fathers_are_important.php

Islam encourages the need to show continuous kindness, respect, care, and concern towards fathers as it can often be difficult to keep a steady balance between working, taking care of a household, and fulfilling the many roles of a parent.

Abu Hurairah always encouraged other people to be kind and good to their parents.

One day he saw two men walking together and inquired of the younger one, “Who is this man to you?” to which the young man replied, “He is my father.” Abu Hurairah advised him by saying, “Do not call him by his name, do not walk in front of him, and do not seat yourself before he does.”

PART II

THE EFFECTS ABSENT FATHERS HAVE ON FEMALE DEVELOPMENT AND COLLEGE ATTENDANCE:

by Franklin B. Krohn, Zoe Bogan

Researchers agree the females who lack father figures are more prone to experience diminished cognitive development and poor school performance (Grimm-Wassil, 1994, p. 149). Children who experience early father absence inevitably have weaker mathematical than verbal skills and usually find it difficult to adjust well with others although fatherlessness alone does not cause poor adjustment (Adams, Milner and Schrepf, 1984, p. 140).

PART III

THE CONSEQUENCES OF FATHERLESSNESS

www.fathers.com

Some fathering advocates would say that almost every social ill faced by America's children is related to fatherlessness.

Six are noted here. ....Children from fatherless homes are
(1) more likely to be poor,
(2) become involved in drug and alcohol abuse,
(3) drop out of school, and
(4) suffer from health and emotional problems.
(5) Boys are more likely to become involved in crime, and
(6) girls are more likely to become pregnant as teens.

PART IV:

www.dadsworld.com

(1) 63% of teen suicides come from fatherless homes.
That’s 5 times the national average.

SOURCE: U.S. Dept of Health

(2) 90% of all runaways and homeless children are from fatherless homes.
That’s 32 times the national average.

(3) 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes.
14 times the national average.

SOURCE: Justice and Behavior

(4) 85% of children with behavioral problems come from fatherless homes.
20 times the national average.

SOURCE: Center for Disease Control

(5) 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
9 times the national average.

SOURCE: National Principals Association Report

(6) 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.
10 times the national average.

SOURCE: Rainbow’s for all God’s Children

(7) 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes.
20 times the national average.

SOURCE: U.S. Dept. of Justice

(8) Daughters of single parents without a Father involved are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, 711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a pre-marital birth and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.

(9) 91% of 701 fathers surveyed by the University of Texas at Austin agreed that there is a “father-absence crisis in America.”

What were the 4 major obstacles for fathers to overcome? 1) Work demands 2) The media 3) Pop Culture 4) Finances

PART V:

A FATHER'S BEST GIFT: HIS PRESENCE:

Jewish World Review Oct. 4, 1999

Kathleen Parker

A father's best gift? His presence

IT IS SAID that the best thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother.

A girl lucky enough to observe her "first man" demonstrating affection and respect for the woman with whom she most strongly identifies grows up with confidence and high self-esteem.

More likely than not, she'll set her standards high when seeking her own mate.

Now, new research published in the August issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that there's more fathers can do: Be there.

The gist of the study of 173 girls and their families is that girls who have a close, positive family relationship in their first five years --especially with their fathers -- enter puberty later in life. Specifically, the researchers found that girls reaching puberty later had fathers who were active caregivers and had positive relationships with the mothers.

Conversely, the researchers -- led by Dr. Bruce Ellis of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand -- found that girls who grew up without their father at home, or in dysfunctional homes where the father was present, entered puberty earlier.

Why? Apparently, girls' biological clocks are tuned not only to their physical environment but to the emotional atmosphere as well. We've all heard of female roommates who, after living together a few months, mysteriously synchronize their menstrual cycles. The same principle may apply to the onset of puberty in relation to the man of the house.

Ellis and his colleagues believe that girls subconsciously adjust the timing of their puberty based on their fathers' behavior. Pheromones -- those information-packed hormones we hear so much about -- hold the key.

The theory is that girls who grow up in a stable relationship with their biological father are exposed to his pheromones, which causes them to postpone puberty -- possibly as a shield against incest. Who knows? Maybe Neanderthal Dad was a randy creep when Mom was napping.

Girls who grow up with stepfathers or their mothers' boyfriends, on the other hand, are exposed to other-guy pheromones that may accelerate puberty. Draw your own conclusions.

PART VI:

DAUGHTERS WITHOUT DADS

www.daughterswithoutdads.net

Daughters without Dads Inc.

MISSION STATEMENT :

“Restoring women to wholeness, one life at a time”

MISSION :

The mission of Daughters without Dads Inc. is to provide counseling, assistance and spiritual guidance for young girls and adult women based on Christian biblical values. We offer several educational resources to help bring balance in adjusting to living and/or growing up without a father or other positive male influence in the household and/or community. Daughters without Dads Inc. will embrace all girls/women within the community in efforts to prevent and/or address such issues as self-esteem, purity, education, prevention of addiction and physical well being.

WHO WE ARE :

An organization that provides a safe and supportive environment where young girls and women who are dealing with situations, such as emotional imbalance resulting from a void in the home or community when a father or positive male relationship is missing. We want to open up the door for girls/women to have an opportunity to communicate and reflect on how they feel about father. We believe that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. We have a holistic approach to the well being of all girls/ women by addressing issues such as domestic violence and emotional wellness.

SERVICES OFFERED :

Monthly Recreational Activities
After School Program
Homework/Tutoring Assistance
Summer Soul Success ( 12 sessions)
One on One Mentoring
Parenting Support Network
Child Minding Services
Community Investment (Volunteerism)
Purity Program
Domestic Violence Support Services

THE END

2011-11-22T21:08:00.006+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 211, November 27, 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)

Or have they adopted intercessors besides Allah? Say: “Even though they do not control a thing and have no awareness?” Say: “ Intercession is entirely Allah's affair . The kingdom of the heavens and Earth is His. Then you will be returned to Him.” (Surat az-Zumar, 39:43-44)

Those who have faith in Allah and yet associate partners with Him assume that these partners will intercede for them on the Day of Judgment. According to their belief, such “guardians” will take responsibility for their followers or purify them. And so they undertake strenuous efforts to earn their approval and constantly think of them. But this is no more than a huge delusion, for Allah states that He will be the only Protector on the Day of Judgment, as follows:

Abandon those who have turned their religion into a game and a diversion, who have been deluded by the life of the world. Remind [them] by it [the Qur'an], lest a person is delivered up to destruction for what he has earned with no protector or intercessor besides Allah. Were he to offer every kind of compensation, it would not be accepted from him... ( Surat al-An‘am, 6:70)

On that Day, no one will befriend another or bear some one's sins. As Allah informs us, only those who please Him will be allowed to intercede, and this person will surely say the truth. Unbelievers will find no guardian or intercessor on that Day, and no support, protection, or intercession, for Allah is the only Guardian and Intercessor:

Allah created the heavens and Earth and everything between them in six days, and then established Himself firmly upon the Throne. You have no protector or intercessor apart from Him. So will you not pay heed? ( Surat as-Sajda, 32:4)

By Harun Yahya
(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

ED NOTE:

In this E-Zine, our focus is on "fathers" and we wanted to share few articles on the topic of fatherhood. This is Part I and we will conclude on this topic with next issue as Part II.

PART I

PART I-a

FATHER HOOD

Below note received by e-mail from Sr. Najmunisa seem to have been initiated by Sr. Rizwana Ahmed.

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 years old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?' The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.

Devastated by his own actions......sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.

The next day that man.. committed suicide. . .

Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this:

Things are to be used and people are to be loved.
The problem in today's world is that people are used while things are loved.

Let's try always to keep this thought in mind:
Things are to be used,
People are to be loved.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character;
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I'm glad a friend forwarded this to me as a reminder..
I hope you have a good day no matter what problems you may
face it's the only day you'll have before it's over.

PART I-b

FATHERHOOD IN ISLAM
www.tariqramadan.com

20 June 2010
Tariq Ramadan

It is important for Muslims to have a discussion about fatherhood while keeping in mind the ever-fragile state of Muslim families. We need to re-assess the language we use and the ontological assumptions we make when we speak about the role of the father because often, the problem doesn’t just lie with the crisis but the way we deal with it.

Muslims naturally feel inclined to place the mother at the centre of the process of raising children, unwittingly ignoring the father’s role. Islamic tradition does stress the role of the mother. For example, when asked who a Muslim should love most, the Prophet Muhammad said, “Your mother, your mother, your mother and then your father.” It is also said that paradise lies at the feet of the mother. As a result, we tend to focus on the father as an individual, not as someone who should and can play a central role within his family.

When we assess issues from an Islamic perspective, we categorise everything according to “rights” and “duties”. We speak of the rights of the man, the rights of the woman, the duties of the man, the duties of the woman. This mentality is dangerous. It reduces issues to black and white, right and wrong absolutes. This approach is more prevalent than we realise.

We must take from all the human sciences that can deal with family problems.

Another problem in our approach is the idealism. We speak about an idealised past and idealised families which have nothing to do with reality, whether it be now or the history of our ancestors.

Muslims must realise we may be Muslims but we live in Western societies and therefore, face the same problems as other families.

There are various reasons why we are facing this crisis of the family.

1.) Immigration

Immigration is a very difficult process because it involves uprooting oneself from a familiar cultural environment and transplanting oneself in a foreign land. Many immigrants fear that if they adapt to their host culture, they will lose their own. This rarely lasts because the peer pressure and constant bombardment of the host culture inevitably has an effect on children. We have to find healthier and more comfortable ways to effectively interact with the dominant culture.

2.) Unemployment

Many Muslim fathers are unemployed. The inability to fulfil the traditional role of bread-winner and protector destroys the self-confidence of a father in a very profound way. This is not just a Muslim problem. In fact, many problems face by European-Muslim families have nothing to do with Islam so why do we remain afraid to search for solutions outside our faith?

What is the way forward?

We need to creatively tap into Islamic values for solutions because that is what Muslim families are most likely to be receptive to. The father is more than just an individual. He can play an important role, far beyond that of just the financial protector.

The Prophet Muhammad himself was a role model as a father. When his own daughter would come to him, he would stand up out of respect for her, as people in traditional societies often do.

We have forgotten these aspects of the Prophetic example. We are replacing these values with an obsession with enforcing rights and duties. That is what is destroying the spirit of the family.

But what does fatherly authority mean in the Islamic tradition? Is it all about saying yes or no to the actions of your children? Many fathers miss the opportunity to educate their children and accompany them through life. An absentee father spends long hours working or engaged in voluntary community service, at the expense of time with his family.

Muslims keep saying the Islamic tradition cares for wholesome family life but Muslims themselves are having a difficult time upholding these values because we have lost our grasp of what it means to be a good Muslim and a good parent.

Fathers have poor relationships with their children. There is lack of dialogue, tenderness and affection. Also, feeling uncomfortable in his social surroundings can add to disengagement at home as he tries to grapple with his insecurities.

We need local and dynamic social policies which will counter this problem. For example, in the Mauritan Islands, a scheme is underway whereby fathers are told their children will be taken care of if fathers attend training workshops several times a year.

Muslim families need to share experiences with those who share the same problems.

We need to be open and learn from different sources, including non-Muslim ones. We need to take the best from mainstream psychology and social studies and incorporate these into solutions custom-made to help Muslim families.

We don’t necessarily have to integrate into society by abandoning our heritage but rather, integrate the positive things we learn from society into our lives.

What we need to do is not to name and shame mosques or families. Don’t look for the guilty people – look for solutions. We need grassroots workers working between families and mosques, people who are rooted in Islam and connected to reality.

Resources on fatherhood: Fatherhood Institute

PART I-c

(ED NOTE:

Smoking unfortunately is the biggest addiction that Muslim men have in the global ummah. While we acknowledge that we have no right to impose our view on their personal lifestyle, we humbly wanted to just present below article as food for thought).

FATHER'S SMOKING MAY LEAD TO DAUGHTER'S EARLIER MENOPAUSE:

By Join Together Staff
June 3, 2011

The smoking habits of fathers may influence the timing of their daughters’ menopause, a new study suggests. Japanese researchers found that a woman whose father smoked, while her mother was pregnant with her, may go through menopause about a year earlier than a woman whose father did not smoke.

Previous studies have shown that a woman’s own smoking habits, as well as her partner’s, can also influence the timing of menopause, Reuters reports. The new study found that a father’s smoking has a greater effect on the timing of a woman’s menopause than her partner’s smoking, lead researcher Dr. Misao Fukuda, of the M&K Health Institute in Ako, Japan, told Reuters.

The study included more than 1,000 women who were past menopause. The researchers found that women whose fathers smoked while their mother was pregnant hit menopause about 13 months earlier, than those whose fathers didn’t smoke. The findings are published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

PART I-d

(ED NOTE:

Canada has been judged as the "Best country to live in the world" couple of times in the past and it is considered one of the leaders representing the west in this 21st century. But we ask with what values and where is it heading towards? There is no question it has several positive aspects. But when it comes to the rights of a father who has biologically contributed to the fetus, it is sad that he has no rights. No doubt Islam continues to stand the test of time)

CANADA:

SHUT OUT: FATHERS OF UNBORN CHILDREN HAVE NO LEGAL SAY WHETHER THEIR CHILDREN LIVE OR DIE
October 28, 2010
Hilary White
(www.lifesitenews.com)
(condensed version)

Rome:
What is the first thing that pops into the minds of ordinary people when they hear the word “abortion”? If you have been lucky, or blessed, enough to have seen through the common rhetoric of our death-cult culture, you may answer something like, “…kills an unborn child.” But, sadly and despite our continuing efforts, the world at large has not yet made that connection.

No, what most people think spontaneously when they hear the word is “women’s rights.” The issue of “rights” in abortion rhetoric is the first and last one in any debate on the subject.

I was not involved in the pro-life movement, nor was I even paying much attention, when the Chantal Daigle case was making headlines in Canada, but the decision of the Supreme Court in Tremblay v. Daigle (1989) found that a fetus has no legal status in Canada as a person, either in Canadian common law or in Quebec civil law. While Canada has no positive law about abortion, the status of the unborn child is firmly established: there isn’t one.

Between the legal non-status of abortion and the legal non-existence of the unborn child, the question in the Daigle case that was under debate at the time, was, “should a father have any rights?” In Canada, the Supreme Court decided, No.

....... I was powerfully reminded of two incidents I experienced when I was working in Toronto and giving talks in local Catholic high schools. I was often able to surprise the kids by telling them that the legal situation in Canada gave absolutely no rights to men to have any say in whether their children live or die.

I usually related the story of a man I once spoke to on the phone who had called our office asking for legal help. He and his girlfriend were refugees from Honduras, and had no idea what the laws were in Canada. The man’s girlfriend was pregnant and was living in a woman's shelter. These places are often run by the hardest core of radical feminists, and they had arranged for her to have an abortion (immigrant/refugee women, many of whom don't speak English, are often told by social workers that they will be deported if they have a child, that their child is "illegal").

This poor man, who was in Canada having fled Honduras during one of their political difficulties and who could not risk being sent back, asked me, begged me, to tell him what he could do to save his child's life and get his girlfriend some other kind of help.

I was forced to tell him that in Canada, he had no legal rights whatever and if he tried to intervene to save his child, he could be arrested and probably deported.

At the end of one of these talks, a nice kid in one of the grade eleven classes was asked to escort me to the next class. He was tall and gangly and was tremendously good looking, but looked so sad; his face would have made you burst into tears. He quietly and very politely thanked me for having brought the subject of men's rights up in the talk. He felt very strongly about it, he said, because his own girlfriend had had an abortion the year before. He said that he had wanted to help raise the child and that his parents had agreed, saying they would help too. But he was shut out of the discussion and his child was dead. He was 16.

For more details check out: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10102801.html

THE END

2011-11-10T22:58:00.008+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 210, November 20, 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)

(ED NOTE:

In this E-Zine we have shifted our focus to India and we first highlighted a positive note in terms of long overdue justice done in terms convicting extremist Hindu perpetrators, followed by highlights on interfaith relations and extremism.)

PART I:

POSITIVE NEWS:

(ED NOTE:
We are glad that finally at least to some small extent justice that was already long overdue has finally been done in terms of Court sentencing 31 people to life in prison for their role in the death of 33 Muslims).

LIFE SENTENCES IN GUJARAT RIOT CASE
November 10, 2011
(www.cathnewsindia.com)

A Jesuit rights activist has welcomed a verdict by a Gujarat court that sentenced 31 people to life in prison for their involvement in riots in 2002 that led to the death of 33 Muslims.

Father Cedric Prakash SJ said of the case that “the wheels of truth and justice were slowly but surely moving in the right direction.”

A mob numbering about 1,500 set fire to the home of Ibrahim Sheikh of Sardarpura village, where people had taken refuge from rioting.

More than a 1,000 mostly Muslim villagers were killed after 60 Hindu pilgrims died in a train attack that sparked widespread anti-Muslim riots that lasted three days.

Wajahat Habibullah, head of the National Commission for Minorities, said the verdict would give “some kind of sense of justice” to the Sardarpura victims, including 17 women and 11 children.

“Though coming after nine long years, the judgment will serve as an effective deterrent to those creating hatred between communities,” said Fr Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

Among the convicted were village leader Kanubhai Patel, an active pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party member who led the mob, and his successor, Kacharabhai Patel, a member of Congress, Dhobal said.

Source: ucanews.com

PART II:

INTERFAITH RELATIONS:

PART II-a

(ED NOTE:
For too long, people of various faiths have been focusing on their DIFFERENCES rather than on their SIMILARITIES. Below is an excellent example of a common point when it comes to women wearing their dress modestly. Although the hockey star below is a Christian, there are millions of Muslims who could connect with him on the same level of what he is saying).

HOCKEY STAR: LADIES, HONOR GOD WITH THE WAY YOU DRESS

Kathleen Gilbert
October 5, 2011
(www.lifesitenews.com)

A young hockey player for the University of North Dakota has an unusual message from the world of sports for women.

(UND forward Rocco Grimaldi tweeted that being beautiful isn't about wearing the least amount of clothing).

“Ladies, you can help us guys out big time. Put your boobs away and everything else that is hanging out,” wrote UND forward Rocco Grimaldi on Twitter last week, as picked up by Yahoo! Sports.

Grimaldi, who is outspokenly Christian, kept his explanation going through several Twitter posts.

“Guys have a hard enough time with that temptation without u helping it along.

When did being a beautiful girl become dressing with the least amount of clothes on?” Grimaldi tweeted. “When did what u wear become a competition?

“Before you dress ask, ‘Does this outfit honor God, does it honor my body, does it help serve/love my brothers? If it’s a no to any of those questions, then u shouldn’t wear that outfit. "ThinkBeforeYouDress"

Grimaldi followed up with a series of tweets reprimanding promiscuous men. “Guys, when did sleeping with every girl u can, make you a man?” he wrote. “And don’t blame the women for how they dress ... Women are not an object for playing with".

“Sex is a gift from God. We have made it idolatry by how we use it. We blame the women for what they’re wearing, we blame the media for what they’re producing, but we never blame OURSELVES for how WE’VE twisted God’s gift to only glorify ourselves. WE are the men and WE are to blame. God put US in charge of this earth so WE are the ones who need to man up and lay down our lust. Don’t fall into that temptation. If you don’t do this, you may be a boy for the rest of ur life "ManUp”

PART II-b

MUSLIMS HELP RE-BUILD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
September 22, 2011

Muslims are helping to re-build a Christian school in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir that was destroyed by fire during anti-Christian violence last year.

“What happened here is certainly wrong and it should not have happened. I can assure you that our people will not allow it to happen again,” said Munshi Mukhtar Ahmed, a Muslim teacher.

He said that the burning of the school was a big loss for the local (Muslim) community and they are still feeling its pinch. The Tyndale Biscoe School has about 450 students, almost all of them Muslims. The school is run by the Church of North India (CNI).

“The arson was led by a group from outside. They did not know the damage they have done,” said Gulam Mohammed Bhat, a Muslim on the school management committee, after meeting on September 20 to plan the school’s reconstruction.

CNI Bishop Pradeep Kumar Samantroy of Amritsar said, “We are happy that the (Muslim) community has deplored what had happened. Our loss has been heavy but the most important thing is that we have been able to rebuild peace.”

The Jammu and Kashmir government is contributing to the reconstruction of school. Bhat said that local Muslims will volunteer to help during construction of the new school building.

The school had to face the ire of Muslims on September 13, 2010, agitating against the desecration of Quran in the US.

Two dozen Muslim protesters were killed by security forces and over 100 injured. There are about four million Muslims in Kashmir and 5,000 Christians.

Source: Christian century

PART II-c

PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS ATTEND CHARISMATIC CONVENTION:
November 16, 2011
(www.cathnewsindia.com)

More than 10,000 people belonging to different faiths attended a charismatic convention held in Varanasi over the weekend.

Fostering inter-faith harmony, Hindu sages, a maulavi (Muslim priest), a Sikh Granthi, and a lady teacher of Jain religion prayed in their own traditions during the Nov 11-13 convention.

This deepened the commitment of the participants towards inter-religious harmony and peace, said Fr Ajesh in a statement.

An inter-religious prayer meeting was held with the theme “Satyameva Jayate” (truth alone wins). Fr. Anil Dev led religious leaders of different faiths in reciting St.Francis of Assissi’s prayer “Lord make me an instrument of peace..”

Source: Press release

PART III:

EXTREMISM:

CHRISTIAN GROUPS CONDEMN TOGADIA'S REMARK
November 11, 2011
(www.cathnewsindia.com)

Church groups have condemned the inflammatory speech of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia who called for a new constitution that allows to “behead anyone” who converts Hindus.

Togadia made the controversial statement at a function in Ahmedabad on Monday.

The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) condemned the “hate campaign” of the VHP leader and said the inciting speech was against the values preached by the Constitution, especially the Right to Freedom of Religion.

Stating that Togadia’s speech disturbed peace and harmony, NCCI demanded the government to take stern action and prevent such events in the future.

“Will Togadia endorse the same beheading for conversion by Hindu new-age god-men and women, people from other faiths?” asked GCIC President Sajan George.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based advocacy group, Thursday expressed concern over Togadia’s speech and said such statements previously led to increasing violence against religious minority communities.

Source: Christian today

THE END

2011-11-01T06:35:00.009+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 209, November 13, 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:

In this E-Zine, we started highlights about the positive news, followed by Islam in Europe and Extremism.

PART I

POSITIVE NEWS:

PART I-a

(ED NOTE:

Below program is yet another excellent program run in mosque that is aimed to steer young people away from crime, drugs and gangs. As we indicated in our earlier issue, although Mosque is primarily meant for prayers, it could be open for multi-purpose use that could go a long way to benefit not only the Muslims but the community at large. In the process it could also enhance partnership with other faiths and other private and public entities for the benefit of the local community. We applaud the superb work done by our Muslims in below Mosque and ardently hope that other Mosques not only across the UK but across the world emulate the same in what ever ways feasible).

YORKSHIRE:
PROGRAM IN MOSQUE AGAINST CRIME, DRUGS AND GANGS
October 14, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via Dewsbury Reporter:

A BID to steer young people away from crime, drugs and gangs is being run in mosques.The ‘cutting edge’ talks are also a response to a Dewsbury councillor’s claim that some communities are living in fear. Coun Karam Hussain recently told the Reporter some Asian youths were creating a climate of fear with violent burglaries. Speaking after a member of his own family was targeted, Coun Hussain said some residents in Ravensthorpe were too frightened to report problems to the police.

Originally aimed at the aftermath of the summer riots, the talks, delivered by youth services officer PC Pete Whitehouse, are a partnership between police, Kirklees Faith Network and Street Chance Dewsbury.

PART I-b

SWEDEN:

ICE MOSQUE PLANNED FOR LAPLAND

October 19, 2011

By Richard Orange in Malmö

Sweden's Muslims are planning to build an 'Ice Mosque' in Jukkasjärvi, the Lapland home of the country's famous Ice Hotel.The Ice Hotel includes an ice church, where around 150 couples are married each winter

Photo: The Ice Hotel

Imam Mahmoud Aldebe, head of the Swedish Muslim Association, said that the mosque would be an opportunity to tell tourists about Islam."It would be a new way of seeking dialogue between different cultures and religions," he told Norrländska Socialdemokraten, a local paper."It's not actually such a controversial idea. It has been received well with everyone we have spoken to."

Each winter, Ice Hotel founder Yngve Bergqvist, oversees the sculpting of a giant 5,500 square metre complex, using ice cut from the local Torne river

PART I-c

(ED NOTE:

Below is yet another excellent initiative in Finland by bringing new textbooks for Islam class in Public Schools. In particular we like the message it conveys of being tolerant to people of other religions and customs. How awesome would it be if the same message of being tolerant is also introduced in Madrassas and other Islamic schools specially in Muslim countries. The very fact that there would be significant opposition to such initiative reflects that we really have a long way to go to put in practice what ISLAM ALREADY STANDS FOR - TOLERANCE).

FINLAND:

NEW TEXTBOOKS FOR ISLAM CLASS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

October 14, 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Tundra Tabloids points out that the book is part of a program for Muslims.

Via OnIslam:

Seeking to teach younger generations about Islam, Finland has introduced textbooks about the Islamic faith and Muslim traditions in public schools." The stories are set in Finland so that the events would have resonance with the lives of the pupils,” Suaad Onniselka, an author of the textbook, said, reported Ahlul Bayt news agency.

The new book, tilted “Salam – islamin polku (Salam – the Path of Islam), teaches pupils about the Islamic calendar and Muslim traditions.

It also teaches young Finnish about other religions and the importance of tolerance for others. The book features two Finnish Muslim children, Fatima and Adam, who visit a forest, a grandmother’s farm, and bake wheat buns.

“The status of Islam as a minority religion is reflected in the fact that the stories also teach how it is possible to live along with other people even though the religion and customs are different,” said Onniselka, who teaches Islam at the lower level comprehensive school in Vesala in the east of Helsinki.

PART I-d

UNITED KINGDOM:

ABDUL ARAIN COULD BECOME THE FIRST MUSLIM CHANCELLOR OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SWEEPING ASIDE CENTURIES OF TRADITION

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Reporter Raymond Brown spoke to the Mill Road trader about his bed for the prestigious position.

The names of some of its colleges, Jesus, Christ’s, Trinity, Magdalene, St John’s, are straight out of the Bible. And a succession of princes, earls, dukes, and lords have assumed the largely ceremonial position of Chancellor down the ages. But on Sunday night, after the votes are counted, the institution may have a Muslim community leader at its helm for the first time.

The owner of Al-Amin grocery store – which means ‘just or fair one’ and was the nickname given to Mr Arain by his father – says his faith and candidature is simply a reflection of a diverse community.

He said: “I think it will be good for Cambridge and the varied and diverse community it has.“What I’d say is that I believe in God and share the values of the Christian and Jewish faiths, which come from the same roots as the Muslim faith. We pray to the same God.“I will not have any problem attending any Christian ceremonies or going to church if that is what the duties will involve.“The Muslim community in Cambridge have been very supportive and encouraging.”

PART II

ISLAM IN EUROPE

PART II-A

(ED NOTE:

There is lot of emphasis on both the Holy Quran and the Hadith of seeking knowledge. We believe that seeking knowledge is not confined only on Islamic matters but encompasses all available knowledge that could be accessed for the betterment of humanity. It is definetely NOT new information that physical abuse of children is widespread across the globe specially in the underdeveloped and developing world. There is no question that the incidence of physical abuse of children in the Western countries is lower compared to non-western countries. Unfortunately many immigrants who have settled down in the western countries have not let go of the outdated mode of discipline that they learnt as kids while they were in their home countries which primarily involves physical abuse of the children as a way to change their child's behavior.

Several research studies have clearly indicated that physical abuse as a disciplinary measure is not as effective as other non-aggressive behavioral forms of discipline. The above problem is two fold. First, even if the parents want to abstain from physical abuse of the child as a form of discipline, many of them are not aware of concrete alternative forms of discipline that are free of physical abuse. Therefore they continue to perpetuate the ONLY FORM of discipline they experienced in their own childhood. Second, there is no program in 99.99 percent of the Masjids or local Muslim organizations to educate them on such forms on non-aggressive disciplinary techniques. FOR SOME REASON THE GLOBAL UMMAH HAS FAILED TO IMPLEMENT THE ISLAMIC EMPHASIS ON SEEKING KNOWLEDGE TO APPLY IN THIS AREA OF DISCIPLINING CHILDREN.

Here again the role of Muslim psychologists and social workers to educate the local Muslim Ummah on the various non-aggressive forms of discipline cannot be overemphasized. The PRIMARY PROBLEM continues to remain in most local Muslim communities in terms of absence of an organizational structure to HOST, CONDUCT WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS et.c. by both Muslim and non-Muslim professionals specialized in this field to educate parents and school teachers on the latest non-aggressive techniques and interventions that are available to successfully disciplining children.

We not only agree with the below title of Child Abuse in the Madrassas being the "tip of the iceberg" but go one step further to state that even within certain Muslim families (not all families), the problem of physical abuse of children and wife remains a silent and often ignored problem. It is easy to call the Police or local CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES HOTLINE. But once the father is in jail, who is going to support the family ? This remains the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION that unfortunately prevents many from reporting and as a result in many cases, it remains unreported and the problem possibly continues unabated)

UNITED KINGDOM:

CHILD ABUSE CLAIMS AT MADRASSAS "TIP OF ICEBERG"

October 23, 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the BBC (h/t EuropeNews):

Britain's madrassas have faced more than 400 allegations of physical abuse in the past three years, a BBC investigation has discovered.But only a tiny number have led to successful prosecutions.The revelation has led to calls for formal regulation of the schools, attended by more than 250,000 Muslim children every day for Koran lessons.The chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board said he would treat the issue as a matter of urgency.Leading Muslim figures said families often faced pressure not to go to court or even to make a formal complaint. A senior prosecutor told the BBC its figures were likely to represent the tip of an iceberg.

PART II-b

NORWAY: 25 % THINK THERE ARE TOO MANY MUSLIMS

October 27, 2011

Via NRK (Norwegian):

Norstat recently conducted an opinion survey for Norwegian broadcaster NRK to check the attitudes of Norwegians towards Islam. 65% said they don't have a Muslim among their acquaintances. 42% were OK with a family member marrying a Muslim, compared with 21% who weren't.25% agreed with the statement that there were too many Muslims in Norway, 49% disagreed. 24% thought Islam is a threat to Norwegian culture, while 54% disagreed.

The opinion poll shows signs of change in Norwegian's attitudes towards Islam. Anders Ravik Jupskås of the Department of Political Science at Oslo University says that this "shows a kind of July 22 effect, in which we maybe see a more positive attitude towards a multicultural Norway." Men were more skeptic towards Islam than women, and those with a low-education level were more skeptic than those with a hgiher-education level. There were also regional differences. 6% of Oslo residents very much agreed with the statement that Islam is a threat to Norwegian culture, compared with 20% in the Sørlandet region.

EXTREMISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN:

PART III

(ED NOTE:

As we had indicated earlier, we oppose forcing one's values on other adults. We believe the youth in below incident had no right to threaten to kill another man for not fasting on Ramadan and such behavior falls into the category of extremism)

AMSTERDAM:

POLICE LOOKING FOR YOUTH WHO THREATENED TO KILL A MAN FOR NOT FASTING ON RAMADAN

October 31, 2011

Via De Pers (Dutch):

The Amsterdam police published photos of a group of youth who threatened to kill a man in Amsterdam-West last August because he did not fast on Ramadan. The group shouted at the man that they'll shoot him in the head, the police reported Monday.

The man was called a 'filthy homo who doesn't comply with the Ramadan". The youth also told him that they've been very clear and that next time they'll catch him and kill him 'after which you'll go to hell'. The police tried solving the case on their own, without success. They did not publish the photos earlier because for privacy reasons they don't put everything on the internet, according to a police spokesperson.

It's unclear whether this is a homophobic crime. "That they called him 'gay' doesn't mean that he is. For us it doesn't matter in any case if it is or not. What these people did is criminal and therefore they must be caught." Jupskås points out that the trend is for people who know some Muslims to be more positive than those who don't know any. He says similar polls in other European countries show that a higher proportion of Muslims doesn't necessarily lead to more prejudices.

THE END

2011-10-26T21:43:00.013+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 208, November 06, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

EDITORIAL NOTE:

In this E-Zine, we have started off with highlighting positive news, followed by interfaith relations, Islam in Europe, Extremism and the issue of discrimination.

PART I

POSITIVE NEWS:

ED NOTE:

Below video is a very touching video. To see the deepest respect our loving Muslim brothers and sisters in Chechnya have given to receive a bowl that our Prophet Mohamed (SAW) once used is breathtaking. Looking at below video, for a short moment we were almost in a trance, trying to visualize how 1400 plus years ago, the same bowl was used by the greatest human being ever to live on Earth. At the end of the video, while tears welled up in our own eyes, co-incidentally, we observed that even the President of Chechnya who had taken the bowl in his hands, kissed it and then he broke down crying.

While it may mean nothing to non-believers, for Muslims who love our Prophet to death, IT MEANT EVERYTHING. To all those Chechyans that came to the event, we send our flying kisses. LONG LIVE ISLAM. If anti-islamists think that they could eliminate 1.2 billion Muslims concentrated in 57 Muslim countries and spread across the globe, they could continue dreaming. Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in the world and nobody can stop it. All the trash talk against Islam is only going to strengthen our conviction and make us stronger Muslims and we deeply feel sorry that the anti-islamists are wasting their time when they could be using their time productively for their own betterment elsewhere.

However one common platform that we could work together is to root out our common enemy - the criminals/extremists who are the cancer of GLOBAL UMMAH and who have no qualms in killing innocent men, women and children and who have perverted the teachings of Islam which stands for TOLERANCE, PEACE AND JUSTICE.

PART I-a

GROZNY: PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S BOWL DELIVERED FOR ETERNAL STORAGE
September 22, 2011

(full video) Via Interfax:

A bowl said to have once been used by the Prophet Muhammad has been delivered to the Chechen capital of Grozny from Britain. Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechen government members, and representatives of the Chechen Muslim Authority were meeting the relic at the Grozny airport. A live chain of students, school children, and clerics was formed from the airport to the Chechnya's Hearth Mosque. After the bowl was delivered to the mosque, a collective prayer was conducted there.

PART I-b

LEUVEN: MUSLIM STUDENTS OPEN COLLEGE ACADEMIC YEAR
October 6, 2011

Via HLN (Dutch, h/t NRP):

Two Muslim students in headscarves, opened the academic session at the Group T engineering college in Leuven with a prayer. "Kamila and Manan are, with so many others, a symbol of the plurality of our worldviews," says the international college, who is part of the K.U.Leuven. Group T's teacher training is the only one in Flanders in which students can choose between five different religious subjects: Catholic, non-confessional ethics, Buddhism, Islam and starting this year also Protestantism. Group T says that a plurality coordinators is responsible for an intense dialog between these life-views.

PART II

INTERFAITH NEWS:

AUSTRIA

VIENNA: SAUDI ARABIA TO SET UP INTER-RELIGIOUS CENTRE

October 16, 2011
(condensed version)

Via the Austrian Times:

Foreign Ministers Prince Saud al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Michael Spindelegger of Austria and Trinidad Jimenez of Spain, from left, pose after signing the agreement for the establishment of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, KAICID, in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger and high-ranking representatives from Spain and Saudi Arabia signed a contract sealing their intention to create such an institution in Vienna.

The Austrian Initiative of Liberal Muslims (ILMÖ) said it feared integration would become more difficult for Muslims in Austria as the centre may strengthen "fundamentalist-conservative Islam" in the country. Fuat Sanac, the new head of the Austrian Islamic Denomination (IGGiÖ), said he welcomed the idea to locate such a centre in Vienna. Sanac said: "What’s wrong with starting a dialogue among different peoples?" The Turk claimed the establishment of the institution could improve the situation of Christians in Saudi Arabia.

PART III

ISLAM IN EUROPE

PART III-a

SCOTLAND:
HALAL HAIRDRESSER

Via the Herald:

With its frosted windows, CCTV cameras, and tightly monitored security entrance, it is going to be one of Aberdeen’s most secretive business enterprises. So, you could be forgiven for wondering if the shop has something to hide. Well, it does – its customers. Or rather it is the customers who want to remain hidden. For this is Scotland’s first ‘halal hairdressers’ – a beauty salon which conforms to the strict rules of Islam; a place were Muslim women who wear the veil or headscarf can be seen uncovered without the risk of the gaze of men.

Discreet Creative Hairdressing, scheduled to open in three weeks, is the brainchild of 21-year-old Mahida Iqbal and her husband of nine months, Fueb Mieh.

The salon will be a ‘man-free zone’.

The frosted windows will stop any inquisitive men passing by from gawping at the clients. No-one can get in without passing through a secure buzzer entry system with CCTV. All this means that the Muslim ladies who have come for a new hair-do can remove their headscarves safe in the knowledge that only other women can see them.

Iqbal hit on the idea when she began wearing the headscarf for the first time last year, although she credits her husband – a fellow entrepreneur who runs Indian takeaways – for coming up with the proposal. While there are other salons in Scotland which offer a ladies-only service, Iqbal wants to offer something geared to the needs of the Muslim community. She said: “There are hair salons in Glasgow that are ladies-only, but not like our salon.

Our salon is completely discreet, completely hidden from the public, from men, whereas the salons there, men still walk past and they can still see in or come in. Ours has a buzzer entry system, and we’ve got CCTV so that we can see who’s actually approaching the door.

PART III-b

FRANCE:

VEILED WOMAN ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL BID

Via AP

A Frenchwoman who wears an Islamic face veil, despite a nationwide ban, wants to run for president in next year's elections.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Kenza Drider said she wants to defend the rights of all French women.

She is among a group of women mounting an attack on the law that has banned Muslim face veils from the streets of France since April. They want to prove the measure contravenes fundamental rights.

PART IV

EXTREMISM:

PART IV-a

DENMARK:
JEWISH WOMAN ATTACKED BY BOY WHO'S BEEN TOLD TO "KILL ALL JEWS":
October 14, 2011

(The Jewish Cemetery in Copenhagen)

The report doesn't state the religion of the attackers, but Danish authorities have been concerned for a long time about the effects of antisemitic Arab satellite TV on Muslim-Danish kids.

Via Danish Police (h/t Uriasposten):

A 21-year old Jewish woman was overseeing the Jewish cemetery in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen this past Sunday when two young boys of foreign origin, about 13 years old, approached and asked what the place was. She answered it was a Jewish cemetery. One of the boys asked whether she was Jewish, to which she answered in the affirmative. At this point he pulled out a corkscrew and threatened her, saying he'd been told he should kill all Jews. The other boy told him to stop. Both boys then ran off.

PART IV-b

SERBIA:
17 ARRESTED AFTER ATTACK ON US EMBASSY IN BOSNIA:
October 30, 2011

Via AFP:

(shooter Mevlid Jasarevic)

Serbian police on Saturday said they had arrested 17 people in the southwestern Muslim-dominated district of Sandzak, on suspicion of links to an Islamic extremist who opened fire on the US embassy in Sarajevo. "Police detained 17 persons suspected of being members of the radical Wahhabi movement and having close links with Mevlid Jasarevic," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Wahhabism is a strict and ultra-conservative branch of Islam which is dominant in Saudi Arabia. The suspected radical Islamist Jasarevic, a Serbian national from Novi Pazar, was wounded and arrested after opening fire Friday on the US embassy in Sarajevo. A police guard was wounded in the attack.

PART V

DISCRIMINATION:

SPAIN

MADRID: GIRL KICKED OUT OF EXAM FOR WEARING HEADSCARF:
October 09, 2011

Girl kicked out of exam for wearing headscarf The teacher refused (ES) to let her take the test since her headscarf covered her ears, which could be used to cheat as it could hide electronic equipment.

Via Bikya Masr (h/t Islamophobia Watch):

A 14-year-old Muslim girl in Spain was kicked out of an exam in her Madrid secondary school after she refused to take off her headscarf, local Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos reported on Tuesday night. Eivan Khemins Eibar, the girl’s lawyer and a specialist on discrimination cases, sent a report to the school manager saying the student did not do anything wrong in wearing the hijab.

THE END

2011-10-24T21:06:00.005+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 207, October 31, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

ED NOTE:

In this E-Zine we have started out with the positives, followed by Islam in Europe and concluded by touching on the issue of Extremism.

PART I
POSITIVE NEWS:

PART I-a

(ED NOTE:
We are glad that FINALLY the Greek Parliament has approved Mosque Plans. We believe that it was long overdue and were awaiting that auspicious day when we could hear below good news. Finally the time has come)

GREECE
ATHENS: PARLIAMENT APPROVES MOSQUE PLANS
September 08, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via al-Arabiya:

(An extreme right wing party poster, which reads ‘Mosque in Athens: Nowhere and Never,’ in front of Muslims attending outdoor prayers at Attiki square in Athens)

Greece’s parliament on Wednesday approved the construction of a new mosque in Athens to satisfy a long-standing demand by thousands of Muslim residents, a government source said.

The project to build the Greek capital’s first official Muslim place of worship in decades was supported by 198 deputies from the centre, right and left (out of 300) against the objections of 16 nationalist MPs.

The mosque plan was included in an environment ministry bill regulating illegal construction, another long-running concern in Greece.

It calls for the renovation of an existing state building -- a disused military base -- in the run-down Athens industrial district of Elaionas.

PART I-b

(ED NOTE:

East lancashire Mosque should be a role model for other mosques to emulate in terms of giving donations for worthy causes to the best of their ability. We believe it is a step in the right direction).

UNITED KINGDOM:

EAST LANCASHIRE MOSQUE DONATES £47K TO LOCAL HOSPITALS
September 23, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the Blackburn Citizen:

MEMBERS of an East Lancashire mosque has donated £47,000 to provide home comforts for patients at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital.

Blackburn peer Lord Adam Patel and representatives from Masjid-e-Tauheedul Islam mosque in Bicknell Street met health bosses to present the gift this week to the hospitals’ charitable fund.

It is used to improve equipment for patient areas, and pay for additional patient “comforts and amenities”, outside of what the NHS normally provides.

Speaking to health chiefs during a presentation event, Lord Patel said: “At Bicknell Street mosque we have always taken part in charity work.

“When the hospital needed a new MRI scanner we contributed generously, there was a need in the eye department and we also donated there and throughout the world we are collecting handsome money for charities in Pakistan and India and to people who are suffering in Africa.

“We have collected this money for this particular purpose for East Lancashire Hospitals to contribute something back.

“We want to prove ourselves as good citizens. We need to work together because this is our hospital and this is for the East Lancashire community.

PART II

ISLAM IN EUROPE

PART II-a

TATARSTAN:
CONTROVERSY OVER MUSLIM FESTIVAL AWARD TO FORMER PORN STAR
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Oct 12, 2011

Via RT:

The 7th Muslim Film Festival that took place in the Russian city of Kazan in September has ended in a sex scandal. The issue related to a former porn actress who was awarded at the festival.

Rewarding of German actress with Turkish roots Sibel Kekilli known for criticizing Islam and having starred in several porn films in the past caused major disappointment in the Islamic community. The scandal emerged at the suggestion of the Tatarstan Muslims spiritual leader Ildus Faizov.

The local Culture Ministry, represented by Deputy Minister Guzel Nigmatullina, stated that the representatives of the Islamic Council of the Republic under Ildus Faizov himself consulted the selective committee of the festival on religious matters.

PART II-b

ALBANIA:
BIKINIS AND HIJABS CONTRAST ON "BURQA BEACH"
September 23, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via AFP:

September has seen devout Muslims again flocking to Albania's only "burqa beach" after the Ramadan holy month, where women bathe in full hijab -- a short distance from the "other" Albania where girls romp in scanty bikinis.

The contrast is not to every one's liking but is a testament to Albania's centuries-old tradition of religious tolerance, which even survived nearly half a century of a communist rule that tried to stamp out all religion.

About two-thirds of this Mediterranean state's 3.2 million residents are Muslim. Much of the rest is Christian -- both Orthodox and Catholic -- and co-habitation among the different faiths is the norm in EU-hopeful Albania.

"To each their own," said Selim, a Muslim who gave only his first name.

But "why do some people think that showing off their buttocks is a sign of civilization and freedom, while protecting one's body from other people's glances is an expression of underdevelopment?" he asked.

PART III

EXTREMISM:

PART III-a

(ED NOTE:
How sad that the extremists have won a small victory by making insults and threats to a Mayor's family (for his positive comments on immigrants) and in the process caused him to resign)

SWITZERLAND:
MAYOR RESIGNS OVER THREATS AFTER PRAISING IMMIGRATION
October 7, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the Local:

The mayor of a small town in northern Switzerland has left office after positive comments he made about immigrants were met with insults and threats directed at his family.

Josef Bütler, the mayor of Spreitenbach, made the decision after he discovered that defending the integration of immigrants in Switzerland can turn into a nightmare. More than half of the town's 11,000 inhabitants are of foreign origin.

On August 24th, Bütler participated on the TV show Schweiz Aktuell. Asked about the high proportion of foreigners in Spreitenbach, the Christian Democract praised the coexistence of Swiss and foreigners and said that for him immigration represented a “challenging enrichment.”

PART III-B

CATALONIA:
MUSLIMS ACCUSED OF DOG-POISONING
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via Hudson New York:

Spanish authorities are investigating the recent deaths by poisoning of more than a dozen dogs in Lérida, a city in the northeastern region of Catalonia that has become ground zero in an intensifying debate over the role of Islam in Spain.

All of the dogs were poisoned in September (local media reports here, here, here, here and here) in Lérida's working class neighbourhoods of Cappont and La Bordeta, districts that are heavily populated by Muslim immigrants and where many dogs have been killed in recent years.

Local residents say Muslim immigrants killed the dogs because according to Islamic teaching dogs are "unclean" animals.

THE END

2011-10-21T20:59:00.019+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 206, October 23, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.blogspot.com)

ED NOTE:

In this issue we have started off highlighting the positive news, followed by news relating to interfaith relations, Islam in Europe and extremism.

PART - I

POSITIVE NEWS:

PART I-a

UNITED KINGDOM:
FIRST FREE SCHOOL FOR MUSLIMS GETS THE GO-AHEAD
September 19, 2011

Via the Daily Mail:

First free school for Muslims gets the go-ahead amid fears over 'segregated schooling'

The first free school for Muslims in the country will open in Blackburn, Lancashire, next year. The business case for Tauheedul Islam Boys' School in Darwen has been approved by the Government. But opponents have described the decision as 'extremely bad news' for community cohesion and claim it will deprive state schools of vital funds.

PART I-b

(ED NOTE: We appreciate below initiative taken in Sweden for the Police to learn Arabic and Muslim culture. It will be a positive step in communication with the large Muslim population in Malmo.)

SWEDEN:
MALMO: POLICE TO LEARN ARABIC, MUSLIM CULTURE
September 5, 2011

Via the Local:

Police who patrol Malmö's Rosengård district are being offered a special Arabic language class to help them better understand and communicate with local residents in the predominantly immigrant area.

So far 45 officers have signed up for voluntary twelve-week class, which will provide training on a number of common greetings and pleasantries in Arabic, the local Skånska Dagbladet newspaper reports.

“It's about dealing with immigrants in a more dignified and little more civil manner,” local police chief Bengt Hersler told the newspaper.

PART II:

INTERFAITH RELATIONS:

PART II-a

NETHERLANDS:
JEWS AND MUSLIMS JOIN FORCES TO DEFEND RITUAL SLAUGHTER

Via RNW:

Dutch Jews and Muslims have joined forces in their fight against a bill banning ritual slaughter.

The Lower House of parliament has already approved the bill, which will be debated in the Senate on Tuesday.

The initiative for the Jewish-Muslim platform was taken by Ibrahim Wijbinga, Chair of the umbrella organisation of Islamic undertakers, and Rabbi Lody van der Kamp.

The Jewish-Islamic platform wants to defend shared religious values and promote dialogue between Judaism and Islam.

PART II-b

(ED NOTE:

When we talk about peace, we need to realize that there are millions of people of other religions and cultures and we need to truly practice Islam for what it really stands for - TOLERANCE. Part of such tolerance is being more accepting of people of other faiths. They are not asking you to change your faith and join them, all they ask is to respect their faith as you would like them to respect your faith. Practicing tolerance is one of the easier attributes to follow and we all should sincerely strive to exercise more tolerance towards people of other faiths. Below article gives both the Muslims and Jews a common platform to work together and take a common stand against extremists who are working against both Jews and Muslims).

SWEDEN: JEWS, MUSLIMS FACE SIGNIFICANT DISCRIMINATION
August 22, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the Local:

The number of xenophobic web sites have almost doubled since 2007 and Jews and Muslims wearing apparent religious symbols are subjected to significant discrimination in Sweden today, according to a new report from the Living History Forum (Forum för levande historia). “Sweden as a whole is a tolerant country but this report shows that racism is growing and is being professionalized on the internet. There is today a small but growing minority that harbour hatred against Muslims and Jews,” minister for integration, Erik Ullenhag, wrote in a statement on Monday.

According to the report, these are characterized by anti-Semitic and Islamophobic views, where conspiracy theories are the most recurring elements. The Jewish group is often cast as world conspirators whereas the Muslim group is seen as physical occupiers, actively are on their way to taking over society through mass-immigration and rising nativity figures.

PART II-C

GERMANY:
POPE MEETS WITH MUSLIM LEADERS, EMPHASIZES COMMON VALUES

Via M&C:

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday emphasized the similarities between values held by Christians and Muslims during a meeting with Muslim leaders in Berlin and said they should work together to build a better world.

'We can offer an important witness in many key areas of life in society,' the pope told a gathering of 15 Muslim representatives from Islamic associations and charities and Islam teachers.

'I am thinking, for example, of the protection of the family based on marriage, respect for life in every phase of its natural course or the promotion of greater social justice.'

Those present included the head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Aiman Mazyek, as well as members of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB).

PART III

ISLAM IN EUROPE:

PART III-a

RUSSIA:
MOSCOW: CITY'S OLDEST MOSQUE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW MOSQUE

Via RFE/RL:

Moscow authorities have demolished the Central Mosque, the Russian capital's oldest, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports.

The mosque on Moscow's Vypolzovy Street was built in 1904 on the initiative and with the financial support of Tatar businessman Salikh Yerzin. It was torn down on September 11.

Rushan Abbasov, the head of the Central Mosque's communications department, told RFE/RL the building was demolished after it became clear that deep cracks in its walls made it unsafe.

He said the mosque will be replaced by a new and much-larger building, which is badly needed by Moscow's growing Muslim population.

The Central Mosque was the residence of Ravil Gainutdin, the chairman of Russia's Council of Muftis, who is also the mosque's imam.

Gainutdin supported the building's demolition, saying it would free the space to build a larger Islamic center.

Meanwhile, the leader of an unofficial Islamic congregation in Moscow, Albir Krganov, said the destruction of the historic building is a barbaric act that will lead to the de-Tatarization of Moscow's Muslim community.

PART III-b

ALBANIA
(www.theprovince.com)

ALBANIA MUSLIMS PROTEST OVER NUDE EXHIBITION NEAR MOSQUE

Agence France-Presse
August 3, 2011

TIRANA - Muslims in an Albanian coastal town have protested against the opening of an exhibition of nude photographs and sculptures in a gallery a few metres from the local mosque, media reported Wednesday.

"This exhibition is unacceptable. It should not be opened next to the mosque of the town" of Durres, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the capital Tirana, local mufti Redi Quku was quoted by media as saying.

Quku said the opening of the exhibition of works by Albanian artist Mustafa Biduli was offensive to Muslims, in particular as the show takes place during the holy month of Ramadan.

The local Muslim community has said it will file a complaint against local authorities who have "severely provoked believers" with the exhibition.

Most of Albania's population are Muslims, but the country also has a significant Christian minorities, both Orthodox and Catholic.

PART III-c

ITALY:
ISLAM EXPO PLANNED FOR DECEMBER CALLED A PROVOCATION
August 25, 2011

Via La Repubblica, il Resto del Carlino (Italian):

The Young Muslims of Italy organization announced its Islam Expo will be held in December in Bologna. The Northern League says this is a provocation. Manes Bernardini of the Northern League asked the Bologne municipality not to approve the expo, and in any case, not to partner with it. Bernardini added that he wouldn't do such a thing in a Muslim country, and that that having the expo might lead to requests to remove the Christmas tree in the nearby square.

Yassine Lafram of the Young Muslims of Italy says that the expo is not a provocation against the Catholic Church, and that Christmas time was chosen because people are on holiday, and it would allow more people to come. He said that the event is not only for Muslims and that everybody is invited to come.

Lafram compared the expo to the Festa de l'Unità and said it will be a gathering of young people from all over Italy who will come to discuss and affect integration. The expo will offer discussions on the situation of Muslims, how they should behave and integrate and what added value they bring.

PART IV

EXTREMISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN:

PART IV-a

FRANCE:
RACIST SLOGANS FOUND ON MUSLIM GRAVES IN FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY
September 18, 2011

By RFI

(PHOTO)The battlements of Carcassonne's medieval old town
Tony Cross

About 30 Muslim graves have been desecrated in Carcassone, south-west France. A legal inquiry has been launched to find the perpetrators and punish them.

PART IV-b

FRANCE:
TWO FINED FOR INCITING ANTISEMITISM IN McDONALD'S
September 25, 2011

Via AFP (French):

Two members of the radical Islamic group "Forsane Alizza" were convicted of "inciting racial hatred' by a court in Limoges for organizing an invasion into a McDonald's branch in 2010, and haranguing the crowd with antisemitic statements. Nassir Mokhtari (27) and Boumediene Nebah (31) were found guilty of "inciting to national, racial, religious discrimination in speech, writing, picture or electronic means of communication to the public".

They were sentenced to 800 euro and 1500 euro respectively. On June 12, 2010, the two men organized on the Internet an invasion of the McDonald's restaurant in Limoges, where they distributed leaflets. A dozen people, most of whom masked their faces, harangued the consumers to stop eating in the chain, which they said financed the Israeli army.

A video of this event was later posted on the Internet. In addition the leader of Forsane Alizza ('Knights of Pride'), Mohamed Achamlane from Nantes (nicknamed 'Brain' on the Internet), will appear in court for a hearing on Sept. 27 for inciting discrimination and racial and religious hatred. He's accused of hate speech and of inciting to burn the penal code during a demonstration Sept 17, 2010. The hearing was scheduled for June 8th, but was postponed due to several minor incidents. The defendants and their supporters refused to remove their headgear inside the courthouse.

THE END

2011-10-10T07:38:00.020+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 205, October 16, 2011
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

ED NOTE:

In this E-Zine, we have first highlighted the positive news followed by important issues pertaining to Islam in Europe and concluded by news related to Extremism.

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

POSITIVE NEWS:

Part I-a

GERMANY: FORGING A EUROPEAN BRAND OF ISLAM
August 8, 2011

Via WSJ:

Germany's government is granting five of its public universities up to €4 million ($5.7 million) each to develop Islamic theology programs. The Osnabrück experiment, the first German university course of its kind, has gained a great deal of attention. During a recent class, news cameras and reporters circled the students, men dressed neatly in suit jackets and a single row of head-scarfed women.

Among the seminar's revelations for Selman Yavuz, who leads a small Muslim congregation in western Germany, was that according to a Roman Catholic doctrine, the church holds Muslims in "esteem." "Many of us didn't know that they believe such good things about us," said Mr. Yavuz, 32 years old. "It changes your thinking."

In Germany, the program is widely regarded as a paradigm-shifting if belated acknowledgment that Islam is now a permanent part of German life.

But broader acceptance of the university programs by Germany's Muslims—who have roots in different countries and varying religious interpretations—is by no means certain.

One challenge is that nearly 90% of the nation's imams come from abroad, particularly Turkey, and many promote an Islam that is "oriented to Turkey," said Rauf Ceylan, professor of religious sciences at the University of Osnabrück, and therefore "disturb the integration process."

PART I-b:

(ED NOTE:

Below initiative taken by CAIR - Cincinnati is a very positive step. We wish many more Muslim organizations step up to the plate and take similar initiatives to reach out to the community in various ways).

CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations) :
Cincinnati Muslims Provide School Supplies for Low Income Students
August 18, 2011
(www.cair.com)

(CINCINNATI, OH, 8/18/11)

The Cincinnati office of Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio (CAIR-OH) yesterday delivered school supplies to several hundred students at a local elementary school through a national “School Supplies for Students” effort.

“School Supplies for Students,” is part of the national “MUSLIMS CARE" project that will benefit the 450 students attending Hays-Porter Elementary School in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood by providing school supplies for the whole year.

After the Muslim community representatives presented the donation to students, teachers and staff, they received handmade cards from the students as an expression of gratitude.

"This project makes a big difference for both the children and the teachers,” said CAIR-Cincinnati Executive Director Karen Dabdoub. “Last year, the school standardized test rates improved and the school is now rated as “Continuous Improvement” when it had previously been rated as “Academic Emergency”. The school staff said this contribution goes a long way in encouraging the students and giving them pride in their school and in their work.”

The supplies delivered included pens and pencils, notebooks and paper, folders, crayons, pencil sharpeners, and other classroom items.

This project is one of many by Cincinnati area Muslims to increase contributions to and improve our society.

PART II

ISLAM IN EUROPE:

PART II-a

GREECE: SHARIAH LAW TO BE ABOLISHED
August 22, 2011

Via the Greek Reporter (h/t europenews):

According to an article of the Greek newspaper “Eleftherotypia”, under the scope of reforms in the Greek Family Law, the Shariah will be abolished for Greek Muslims.

This Muslim law establishes among others the right of polygamy and gives only to men the right to divorce their wives which constitutes a problem for the women in Thraki, Northern Greece. Even in Turkey, this law was abolished in 1926.

PART II-b

SWITZERLAND:

MUSLIMS DENOUNCE ISLAMOPHOBIA WITH YELLOW BADGE
August 18, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via Philosemitism:

A Muslim radical group has launched a poster campaign to denounce rampant islamophobia is Switzerland.

The campaign is also approved by moderate Muslims. "It is true that as Muslims we feel we have become the new scapegoats", says Lucia Dahlab, vice-President of the Union of Muslim Organizations in Geneva.

PART II-C

(ED NOTE:

It is really unfortunate that our own Muslim brothers and sisters in below article supported the ban on Burka. As indicated in the past, we have a problem with anyone trying to impose their values and personal preferences on others specially when it pertains to the dress.

To those leaders of the Italian Muslim Community who stated that "The approval of a Italian draft law to ban the burka is a victory for women's rights", we ask them as to which "women" they are talking about ?

Definitely not the women who are wearing the Burka.

The very fact that certain Muslim women on their own "FREE-WILL" choose to wear the Burkha IS AN ACT OF EXERCISING THEIR INDIVIDUAL RIGHT TO WEAR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO WEAR. Now by trying to pass a law to TAKE AWAY THEIR INDIVIDUAL RIGHT TO WEAR A DRESS OF THEIR CHOICE, and then turn around and say that it is a VICTORY FOR WOMEN'S RIGHT ? Is this a joke ?

Let's say the truth as it is (we realize that truth at times can be bitter): SUCH A DRAFT LAW IS A DEFEAT (not victory) FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN WHO PREFER TO WEAR A BURKA ON THEIR OWN FREE WILL.

Needless to say we vehemently oppose those who try to force women to wear the Burka. We already had enough problems with the Taliban in Afghanistan passing laws to enforce what women should wear and what they cannot wear. PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR FOOTSTEPS. In conclusion, please leave the adult women alone and respect their independence in terms of making their personal choice. They need neither your help nor your suggestions as to what to wear or not to wear. As adults, they are capable of making such a decision on their own).

ITALY:
MODERATE MUSLIMS CHEER DRAFT LAW BANNING "WOMEN-SEGREGATING" BURKA
August 3, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Rome, 3 Aug. (AKI) - The approval of a Italian draft law to ban the burka is a victory for women's rights, according to some leaders of Italy's Muslim community.

"We learned of the news with great pleasure," said Gamal Bouchaib and Ahmed Bashir of advocacy group Moderate Muslims in Italy and Mustapha Mansouri, member of the Interior Ministry's Committee for Islam, an advisory group, in a joint statement.

The draft law passed by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday would prohibit the wearing of a burka, niqab or any head wear which covers the face. It has the backing of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's government and is due to face a parliamentary vote when politicians return from their summer break.

Similar bans have been passed in France and Belgium

"We're ready to demonstrate in the streets to defend this law for the freedom of all women," that statement said, stressing that rules that force women to don the burka are hypocritical and a violation of women's rights. "We don't take lessons from anyone...that segregates and hides the existence of women." the statement said.

About 1 million Muslims live in Italy.

PART II-d

(ED NOTE:

We applaud below initiative taken by Muslims who have started a petition for tolerance. We support their belief that "those in favour of a multi-cultural society, particularly those with a Muslim background need to be mobilised in defence of a peaceful and culturally diverse society. We join the forces that have condemned the verbal and physical attack on the Belgo-Morrocan couple. We have the same problem as we mentioned in above article, when anybody tries to impose their values on others and what is more troubling in below article is that they have resorted to uncalled for verbal and physical attack on the couple. We would argue that if Islam truly stands for tolerance, the miscreants who perpetrated the aggressive act against the couple really did an anti-Islamic act).

BELGIUM:
MUSLIMS START PETITION FOR TOLERANCE
August 14, 2011

Via VRT:

An association that brings together progressive Muslims has launched a petition in defence of multi-culturalism in society. The petition calls for greater tolerance and more openness and has come about after a Belgo-Moroccan couple suffered verbal abuse and physical abuse at the hands of Muslim youths.

The Francophone Muslim organisation ‘Musulmans Progressistes’ launched the petition to show its disdain at the verbal and physical abuse suffered by the couple.

The organisation believes that “those in favour of a multi-cultural society, particularly those with a Muslim background need to be mobilised in defence of a peaceful and culturally diverse society.”

PART III

THE UGLY HEAD OF EXTREMISM RAISES ITSELF AGAIN:

PART III-A

MUSLIMS CALLED 'ENEMY' AT HEARING ON MINNESOTA ISLAMIC CENTER

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (WCCO)
An Islamic Community Center is one step closer to moving into a Plymouth neighborhood, but not everyone in town is happy about it.

A downtown Plymouth post office doesn't use most of the space in their building and it's for sale. So, the Northwest Islamic Community Center made an offer to buy it.

That move brought a rare crowd into the Plymouth Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night.

It's because the Islamic group would like to share the building with the post office, leasing it back for rent, which means prayer services and postal services would be in the same building.

During a public hearing on whether the building should be used for religious purposes, citizens sent strong messages -- on both sides.

"Aiding the enemy is treason," said one man opposed to the center.

PART III-B

NORWAY:
PROGRESS PARTY LEADER APOLOGIZES FOR SAYING MUSLIMS NEED PSYCHIATRIC HELP
August 18, 2011
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via the Foreigner:

In a week when Progress Party has been put under scrutiny due to Carl I. Hagen’s “most terrorists are Muslims” comments, FrP are dealing with more criticism today.

It has been revealed that Trond Røed, respected leader of the Buskerud region, was forced to apologise after admitting to send out an eleven-page document to almost 100 party members in 2004.

Contained in it are suggestions that people who follow Islam must be “deprogrammed” using psychiatric help , as well as arguments for imposing a veto on further preaching of their faith.

THE END

2011-10-06T22:06:00.065+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 204, October 9, 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)

ED NOTE:

We have started out this E-Zine by highlighting the positive news followed by interfaith news and then mental health. We have dedicated this issue of E-Zine primarily to the topic of Mental Health. People across the world from all nationalities, religions and cultures have medical illnesses and it is in most cases (except HIV and a few more) accepted as a norm to seek treatment without any stigma or ostracism attached to it.

However the same cannot be said of mental illness. Although we are in this "enlightened" 21st century, the stigma and negativity attached to mental illness is severe enough for many to restrict seeking treatment. Thus millions of people including the Muslims continue to suffer from the debilitating affects of mental illness.

What can we as Muslims do to help our fellow Muslims at a local level who may be suffering from extreme emotional distress ?

Are there any Muslim support groups for people with history of Major Depression, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse et.c. ?

Research studies have shown that for people with strong religious values, emotional support from their congregation is of help. In some facilities, spiritual support is listed as one of the treatment intervention.

Specially for immigrant Muslims who have settled in a new country, what innovative strategies can the Ummah through their professionals at the local and national level come up with, that strikes a healthy balance in terms of maintaining one's Islamic identity while at the same time be a MODEL CITIZEN integrating in the adopted country for permanent settlement ?

The whole issue is a complex issue and we readily acknowledge that we have barely touched the tip of the iceberg while discussing this issue of Mental Illness in context of the Global Ummah by addressing the Turkish Muslims in both Germany and Switzerland as a case study.

PART I

POSITIVE NEWS:

PART I-a

FRANCE:

100-150 MOSQUES IN PROGRESS

August 4, 2011

Via AFP (French):

100-150 mosques are currently being built in France, the president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, Mohammed Moussaoui, told RTL. Moussaoui said that most are financed by the worshipers and very few from abroad. The interior minister, Claude Guéant, said three months ago that in the past decade the number of mosques increased from 1000 to 2000. Guéant wants to stop Friday prayers in the streets.

According to Moussaoui, 17-23% of French Muslims go to Friday prayers, which he says distinguishes between the practicing and non-practicing Muslims. He repeated that prayers in the streets were outrageous, but stemmed from lack of places in mosques. According to a senior official, there are 17 mosques in Paris, all filled up, and they can't accommodate more than 13,000 people, which is clearly insufficient.

PART I-b

NORWAY:

CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WANTS A MOSQUE TO INCREASE IMMIGRATION
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)
September 3, 2011

Via Utrop (Norwegian):

Trude Brosvik, head of Christian Democratic KrF party in the Sogn og Fjordane county, thinks a mosque will contribute positively to the county.

"Like it is important for Christians to have a Church, it's also important for Muslims to have a mosque here in the county. A mosque will be an advantage if we're to take in immigrants," Brosvik told the Firda newspaper.

The Frp party in the county previously announced a new goal to increase the number of residents by 13,000 by 2020.

"KrF is concerned by freedom of religion, and we have a lot of understanding for having people practice their faith. Therefore we principally support that also Muslims should get to build their own hall of assembly," says Brosvik.

Frank Willy Djupvik, Frp's candidate in the county elections, told Firda that Muslims should be allowed to build mosques in a country with freedom of religion, but within the laws and not by using county money.

PART II:

INTERFAITH RELATIONS:

PART II-a

CAIR-HOUSTON: INTERFAITH GROUPS PROTEST TEXAS GOV. RICK PERRY'S PRAYER RALLY
CBN News
8/5/11

As thousands prepare to attend Texas Gov. Rick Perry's prayer rally, The Response, opponents are holding an interfaith service in Houston Friday night. Although they haven't found evidence, they've accused Perry of using tax dollars to plan the event and say he's blurring the line between church and state. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, warned the governor "don't mess with the Constitution." "Don't believe that just because you're the governor you have something in your job description that says you're the pastor of everyone from San Antonio to Dallas," he said. Members of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) were also present at Friday's protest. "If it had been a Muslim governor, head of state, and he elected to have a Muslim prayer and opposed to bringing other people in, that would have been a big issue," Mustafa Carroll of the Dallas Fort Worth Chapter of CAIR said.

PART II-b

NETHERLANDS:
CALL TO PRAYER AT INTER-RELIGIOUS SERVICE
(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via De Gelderlander

On Sunday September 4th the town of Doetinchem will hold a festival, followed by a joint inter-religious service. The city found Muslim, Catholic and Protestant leaders who agreed to participate in the service. Before the service the town will ring the church bells and sound the Muslim call to prayer.

Originally there were reports this will be done from a temporary minaret, but those reports turned out to be erroneous. "It's a statement from all participants," explains organizer Joop Sars. Sars said that in these times of hardening attitudes, they want to show that Doetinchem is a tolerant city where diverse nationalities live side by side and can confirm their faith together in the town's festival.

PART III

MENTAL HEALTH:

(ED NOTE:

WE ARE ONE UMMAH !
WE ARE ONE UMMAH !
WE ARE ONE UMMAH !

Yes, we have heard that before.

But dear Muslim brothers and sisters in Germany and Switzerland, as part of UMMAH, please educate us as to what you are doing to help our Turkish sisters who in Switzerland have a suicide rate three times the average and in Germany, young German women of Turkish origin, are five times as likely to attempt to commit suicide as non-immigrant women of the same age, and they are twice as likely to succeed ?

In Switzerland, sixty percent of them had problems in their relationships and twenty percent had problems with their parents ? We were just curious as to what is the Swiss Ummah doing to address this above two problems ? Does the Swiss ummah have a network of ansars (field case workers), counselors and psychotherapists who work voluntarily from their headquarters (Muslim Social Service Committee) in the local Masjids ? OR is there an indifferent attitude such as "Well, there are clinics and hospitals they could go to".

While we want to be clear that we are NOT implying that the above volunteers from Masjid should be the primary mental health treatment providers, which we are aware they CANNOT BE, what we are saying is that as Muslims we need to be PROACTIVE and if we have a organizational structure and are able to reach out to Muslims at an early stage of a problem, identify their issues and encourage & refer them to seek treatment in the community, it could go a long way to prevent the problem from getting worse and blowing out of proportion.

We are hundred percent sure that not all values the immigrants bring from their home countries to their new country of settlement are truly ISLAMIC, although they may masquerade as Islamic. We believe that as Muslims if we sincerely tried to siff through the values and identify & eliminate the negative attributes that masquerade as Islamic, it could go a long way to reduce conflict between the immigrant husband and wife relationships & conflicts between parents and children. We know above is EASIER SAID THAN DONE and we acknowledge the extreme complexity of the whole issue. But we have to start somewhere and take the FIRST BABY STEP.

As Muslims the Imams and other leaders of the Muslim Community must encourage the concept of seeking treatment and work hard towards reducing if not eliminating the severe stigma attached to mental illness.

We were wondering, whether the ONE UMMAH concept is applicable only when you get together on Friday prayers, functions over the weekend, Tarawee prayers during month of Ramadan and during Eid functions ? OR is the ONE UMMAH concept applicable WAY BEYOND the above events. If that is the case we humbly appeal to you all to work together to help not only our Turkish sisters in Germany and Switzerland, but many other Muslims worldwide who are currently going through challenging times in terms of economical difficulties, social adjustment issues, family conflict issues, divorce, recent death, coping with chronic illness and debilitating conditions due to mental illness, substance abuse, gambling and sexual addictions et.c.

In the psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes in the United States, if the patient has strong religious beliefs, every attempt is made to help the patient receive services such as visits by the pastor for SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS SUPPORT and providing religious services within the facility.

For example if a Muslim sister is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, in as much as a Pastor could visit a Christian patient for providing support, an Imam could also visit the patient and provide Islamic support. There are hadith that emphasize the importance and rewards given to anybody that visits a patient who is sick. Please note that such visits are not confined to medical sickness alone but all types of sickness including mental illness. Further there is a very long way the Muslims have to go in terms of working towards reducing the stigma towards mental illness.

The challenge for Muslims is that due to absence of a Muslim Social Service Committee in many Masjids, there is no central coordination and there is NO LINK between a Muslim patient in a psychiatric unit to the Imam. The link for sure is there when the patient may have already overdosed on medications or committed suicide in some other way and the Imam is called for the funeral prayers.

The male editor of this E-Zine recalls that in the past, he was a mental health professional as part of an EMERGENCY OUTREACH BUREAU in a particular County. That County had a toll free hot line number for anyone to call if they are OR if they knew one of their family member or friend et.c was suicidal or homicidal. The above professional was on-call and received several referrals & went to different parts of the county and visited the suicidal/homicidal patient and as needed referred the individual to a psychiatric hospital via the help of ambulance and police if need be.

Apparently one day the above professional learnt from members of the local Masjid that an adult Muslim male committed suicide by hanging from a tree in his own backyard. It was so sad and painful to note that the above professional went all over the County to evaluate patients who were suicidal and referred them for treatment, but little did he know that in the same City where he lived, there was a mysterious suicidal Muslim brother who committed suicide without receiving any help. While there were Pastors from Church who had called the same 800# requesting a psychiatric evaluation for one of their Church members in their community, because of lack of a organizational structure in the Muslim community to reach out to distressed Muslims, the Imam had no clue of an impending crisis / death and had NO opportunity to be pro-active to seek out help on the late Muslim's behalf.

We strongly encourage Muslims in local communities to put in practice the ONE UMMAH concept and have Masjid as their headquarters not only to pray together but also to create opportunities to help each other in various ways through various committees and sub-committees. Anyone who knows the history of Islam knows very well, that our own Prophet Mohamed (SAW) used Masjid for multi-purpose use beyond just prayers.

This is a really sad state of affairs for Muslims GLOBALLY. The below case study examples in Germany and Switzerland is just a platform to even begin discussion on such an important but neglected issue in both the real world and the Cyber world including the blogosphere.

PART III-a

Caught Between Two Cultures:
Risk of Suicide Greater for Turkish-German Women
www.spiegel.de
(condensed version)
By Barbara Hardinghaus
August 5, 2011

The number of attempted suicides is five times as high among young Turkish-German women than their ethnic German counterparts. In a state of limbo between two cultures, they often succumb to despair. Sema (not her real name) , a 27-year-old woman who tried to commit suicide twice, is a case in point.

Berlin has about 170,000 residents of Turkish descent. For several months last summer, life-sized posters were displayed in subway stations and on advertising columns. They included a hot line telephone number and one sentence, written in both German and Turkish:

"End your silence, not your life!"

Meryam Schouler-Ocak, the physician-in-chief at the psychiatric clinic of Berlin's highly respected Charité hospital, is behind the poster campaign. Her office is in the St. Hedwig hospital, not far from the café where Sema is sitting. Schouler-Ocak is of Turkish origin.

Young German women of Turkish origin, she says, are five times as likely to attempt to commit suicide as non-immigrant women of the same age, and they are twice as likely to succeed.

Many young Turkish women who were born in Germany, even if they are well integrated into society, still face pressures associated with their origins and can have an especially tough time.

..... "Often it's a desperate plea for help," says Oliver Razum, a physician and professor of health science at the University of Bielefeld in western Germany.

"But if someone jumps from a tall building, they intend to succeed."

Razum, the numbers man, was one of the people who had sent his statistics to Berlin physician Schouler-Ocak when she was doing her research.

He has even more statistics in his records, including numbers that describe how immigrant women commit suicide: 43.3 percent hang themselves, 16.3 percent jump from tall buildings and 13.5 percent take pills. ....

The crisis hotline project that Schouler-Ocak heads will continue until the end of September. It's uncertain how it will proceed, but the Berlin crisis service is planning ot take over the hotline for at least one day a week because so many women have been calling in .

When Sema (not her real name) tried to commit suicide, the doctors advised her to stay in the hospital for a few days longer. But her parents took her home and said nothing.

....A Second Suicide Attempt
She got up on a chair and tried to throw herself out of the window of her parents' apartment. She was 19 when she tried to kill herself the second time, a few weeks before the wedding. But her parents held her back. Sema told them that everything was OK, and that she wanted to sleep for a while. When she was alone, she got up and swallowed every pill she could find. She took four bottles of pills this time, her mother's sleeping pills and antidepressants. When Sema opened her eyes again, she was in the intensive care unit. She had been under for two days. Now she was disappointed that it hadn't worked. After four days in the hospital, Sema went back home and married the man who locked her up.

For the complete article check out: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,778237,00.html

PART III-B

SWITZERLAND:
FEMALE TURKISH MIGRANTS THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE
September 7, 2011

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

Via WRS:

60% suffered from problems in their relationships, and 20% suffered from problem with their parents.

Studying the reasons why people try and take their own lives is an important part of tackling suicide prevention. Research released on Tuesday uncovered some worrying trends in migrant communities. A group from the University Psychiatric Clinic in Basel carried out in-depth interviews with Turkish migrants who had attempted to take their own lives.

PART IV

(ED NOTE:

Muslim Chaplains in the UK seem to be doing a splendid job in trying to connect their communities to public entities. We should admit that Muslim Chaplains in the United States are lagging behind in this respect. But inshallah they will catch up soon.

On a personal note, we attempted to be a bridge to connect the Imams to various public entities to assist our Muslim clients/inmates/consumers and we mailed our invitation to almost all Masjids in a particular City but unfortunately received a dismal response in terms of responding and/or attending the CONSORTIUM OF MUSLIM SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.

In one hospital, there was already a assigned Rabbi and Pastor visiting the patients in Intensive Care Unit and other units, on a voluntary basis whenever requested by patients. There were several Muslim patients too and therefore, we tried to request the Imam of the local Masjid to be a volunteer, but unfortunately he did not seem to be interested to be assigned on a regular basis as the Rabbi and Pastor. This is not to be misconstrued to reflect all Imams. We are sure there are several other Imams within the US, who are motivated and would do their very best to assist our Muslim brothers and sisters who are consumers in various public entitites including hospitals, prisons, schools et.c.)

UNITED KINGDOM:
MUSLIM CHAPLAINS CONNECT COMMUNITIES TO PUBLIC BODIES
September 25, 2011

The research found chaplaincy is a rapidly expanding sphere of work for Muslim religious professionals

Via the BBC (h/t Islamophobia Watch)

Muslim chaplains in Britain play a key role linking their communities with public organizations, research by Cardiff University has found.

It found a rapidly growing number of Muslims in a sphere of work usually associated with the Christian faith.

Chaplains can be found in prisons, hospitals, airports, courts, higher education and the military, with some people describing them as role models.

PART V

THE SCENARIO OF A MUSLIM COUPLE:

There was a Muslim couple who separated after few years of marriage. Some friends from the local Masjid (couples consisting of males & females) who met them as a couple while attending various parties and functions were shocked because they seemed at all times to be a "happily married couple" all along. The common close friends of the couple got together and with the sisters leading the group approached the separated wife and asked her what happened all of a sudden in terms of the separation.

She went off on them like bullets continuously flying off an AK 47 machine gun, making horrendous accusations against him, "he did this","he did that" and "I did not expect that he would be ..." et.c. She continued in a loud uninterrupted tone. Although they met her in parties on numerous occasions earlier, they never saw her with such an explosive verbal blowout. They were waiting when she will stop, but she continued making a long list of accusations relentlessly against him. Finally one of the sisters had to interrupt her and politely requested her that they had to leave to take care of something else.

The same group of common friends later went to the husband and asked him what had happened for them to separate. In a slow, polite and calm manner, he started out talking all good things about her. He recalled the happy occasion of their marriage ceremoney, their honeymoon, their enjoyable out of town trips and he continued verbalizing glowing praises of her. They were shocked and one of them commented to him, that when they met his wife, she had lot of negatives to tell them about him, and now he is talking nothing but good things about her ? He told them that, he fully understands where she is coming from and he cannot talk anything bad about her, since "she is not here to defend herself". The friends later left puzzled.

Was the marital conflict building up lot of anger, seething resentment that the wife did not find an avenue to express it to anyone until the common friends met her ?

Were they the outlet for her to finally vent out her explosive locked up intense negative feelings against him ?

Was she in a MANIC PHASE of her prolonged UNTREATED BI-POLAR DISORDER to which the husband was used to but not the friends who only met them at parties ?

Was the husband a real gentleman as he appeared to be or was he is an extremely slick emotional manipulator who brought her to her current state of anger as she exhibited ?

ALLAH KNOWS BEST

THE END

2011-10-06T22:06:00.052+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 203, October 2, 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:

In this issue, we have started with review of positive news, followed by extremism, interfaith relations and Islam in Europe and cultural values impacting Islamic sexuality.

POSITIVE NEWS:

PART I-a

(ED NOTE:
Inshallah Sr. Ibtihaj Muhammad will be the first American in hijab to participate in Olympics in 2012)

OLYMPIC HOPEFUL IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD WILL COMPETE THIS WEEKEND. FENCER WITH HEADSCARF IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST

Aimee Berg

(loonwatch.com)

When Ibtihaj Muhammad fastens her headscarf, or hijab, around her chin, one of its purposes is to deflect unwanted attention.

But when she wears a hijab in a sporting arena, it often has the opposite effect.

The New Jersey native is currently ranked 11th in the world in women’s sabre, a discipline of fencing. Only one American ranks higher: Mariel Zagunis, the two-time Olympic and world champion.

Both women will compete this weekend at a World Cup fencing event at the New York Athletic Club to earn points toward qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee do not track athletes’ religion, but if Muhammad makes the Olympic team, she would likely be the first practicing Muslim woman to represent the U.S. at the Games.

When she competes, photographers often zoom in on the name Muhammad on the back of her fencing jacket. Her mother, Denise, recently saw such a photo and said, “I realized: my God, she’s representing all of us".

PART I-b

(Council of American Islamic Relations) CAIR- NEW JERSEY THANKS GOVERNOR FOR DEFENDING MUSLIM JUDGE
(08/05/2011)

South Plainfield, New Jersey:

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today thanked Governor Chris Christie for his strong and rigorous defense of newly-confirmed Superior Court Judge Sohail Mohammed.

Prior to the recent swearing-in ceremony, Governor Christie publicly characterized his judicial nominee as an "extraordinary American," an "outstanding attorney," and an "outstanding human being," emphasizing the "integral role" Mohammed played in the post-September 11th period in building bridges between American Muslim community leaders and law enforcement authorities.

Governor Christie also highlighted Mohammed's "diligent and zealous" legal representation of individuals who were "inappropriately detained by FBI" following the tragic attacks on 9-11.

"We applaud Governor Christie for shining a spotlight on the tremendous contributions of Judge Sohail Mohammed," said CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Yee. "Governor Christie's praise highlights the commitment of American Muslims to building a better society. We hope the governor's comments will help stem the rising tide of Islamophobia in our society and help unify our nation."

Send a note of thanks to Gov. Christie through: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/Copy to: info@cair.com

PART I-c

(ED NOTE:
Below video is an exceptional video of a truly brave Muslima who seem to try her very best to practice "sabr" (patience) while at the same time assertively defend Islam despite being pounded literally by several anti-Islamists whose verbalization's indicates pathetic ignorance of Islam).

Brave Muslim Girl Takes A Stand at TDSB Friday Prayer Protest

Uploaded by Heatchem on Jul 27, 2011

PART I-d

(ED NOTE:

We encourage all Muslims to be innovative and try in various ways to fill the void that immigrants may feel in their adopted country.)

NETHERLANDS: NEW MOROCCAN-DUTCH WOMEN'S MAGAZINE
05 Aug 2011

(Hoda Hamdaoui with the first edition of de Hoda)
Via RTV Utrecht (Dutch):

The Netherlands now has a new women's magazine. De Hoda is a lifestyle magazine for Moroccan-Dutch women about beauty, fashion, traveling and cooking.

Chief editor Hoda Hamdaoui of Veenendaal says that Moroccan women want to read different articles than ethnic Dutch, because they have different customs.

Make-up and clothing for work and school is essentially different than those for Moroccan parties, she says. She says she lacks this type of information in the already existing women's magazines.

The first edition of De Hoda is small, but if it's up to Hamdaoui, the magazine will be much bigger. It's currently published as a quarterly, but the chief editor wants to make it a monthly in a few years.

The magazine, which costs 4 euro, is available online and in various kiosks in Utrecht and Veenendaal.

PART II

UGLY HEAD OF EXTREMISM RAISES ITS HEAD AGAIN:

(ED NOTE:
As you may have noted from our previous issues, we highlight extremists from all faiths including Islam. The real danger to peace in the world is not from people of any particular religion but by extremists of all religions. One of the core values of extremists is their belief that they can impose their values on others and such a attitude is dead wrong. Other core values is their feeding on hate and violence)

PART II-a

France: Police probe Facebook call to cut Muslim throats

Via Expatica:

French police were on Friday trying to identify a Facebook user who called "to cut Muslims's throats instead of sheep" during the Eid al-Adha feast, sparking the ire of Muslim and anti-racist groups.

"Police are carrying out an investigation to identify the author of these unworthy declarations," police said in a statement, adding that the Facebook "wall" page in question had already been taken down.

Following the posting, the French Muslim Council (CFCM) contacted police and the French anti-Islamophobia

Collective (CCIF) contacted the social networking site to have the page removed.

The offending statement called on the world to mark the Feast of Sacrifice, known as Eid al-Adha, on November 6 by "cutting Muslim throats instead of sheep". "We will finally have a good reason to celebrate," it said.

PART II-b

WHY ETHNIC HAZARAS FLEE THEIR HOME
www.cathnewsindia.com
September 30, 2011

Quetta is a small city located in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, a couple of hours by road from the Afghan border. It is the administrative centre of Baluchistan and a second home to hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees who have settled in the city following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent outbreak of the Afghan civil war. (Hadi Zaher, newmatilda.com) Among them are tens of thousands of Hazaras, adding to an older community that arrived there a century earlier after the invasion of the Hazara homeland in Afghanistan’s central highlands by Amir Abdur Rehman, known in the British Empire as Afghanistan’s Iron Amir.

The Hazaras adhere to the Shiite branch of Islam, distinct from the Sunni Islam, by far Islam’s largest sect.

...Some of these people live legally, some have been able to obtain UNHCR refugee cards, but most have to make regular payments to local authorities and the police to avoid incarceration and deportation.

This community has become the target of killings and massacres and its members have been forced to flee for their lives.

The list of attacks specifically targeting the Hazara community is long. Members of the community, easily distinguishable for their Mongoloid features, bear the brunt of Pakistan’s sectarian violence. Almost every time the killers have got away and each time the Taliban affiliated Pakistan-based sectarian outfit Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ) has claimed responsibility.

LeJ has a declared agenda to rid Pakistan of all Shiites, who they consider heretics and liable to be killed. Leaflets distributed by the group have declared Hazaras and Shiite Muslims to be “infidels”. Followers are urged to take “extreme steps”, much like ones carried out by the Taliban in Afghanistan. (Source: www.newmatilda.com)

PART III

INTERFAITH RELATIONS:

Part III-a

Jews and Muslims in America: More in Common Than We Think
(condensed version)
August 15, 2011

By Joshua Stanton, August 14, 2011

(cross-posted from AltMuslim)

A new Gallup poll shows that American Muslims and Jews – in addition to having a shared religious minority experience – share a great deal of political and social views, as well as a deeper than expected affinity.

Contrary to common assumptions, many Jewish and Muslim Americans enjoy warm relations. Yet we are only beginning to understand how and why this is so. A Gallup report released last week goes a long way to explaining this unexpected trend, which shows that the two diverse communities have more in common than is often thought.

The report, “Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future”, reveals that overwhelming numbers of Jewish Americans believe Muslim Americans are loyal to their country – 80 per cent to be exact. Aside from Muslims themselves, no other religious community demonstrates such confidence in the loyalty of America’s Muslim citizens.

Further, it seems that Jewish and Muslim Americans share a number of common political views –even about issues as contentious as the Middle East conflict. The same study indicates that 81 per cent of Muslim Americans and 78 per cent of Jewish Americans support a two-state solution, which would enable Israel and a future independent Palestinian state to live side by side. While dialogue about the Middle East conflict remains contentious, the vision for a long-term solution appears surprisingly similar.

How could this be? Why would two communities, so often portrayed as being at each other’s throats, not only have confidence in each other but have similar perspectives on even the most contentious issues?

....In short, Jews and Muslims share profoundly in their experience in the United States. As small religious minorities, each under two per cent of the American population – with Muslim Americans perhaps a fraction of that figure – they maintain a sense of marginalisation. Yet their response to this adversity is one of contribution to society through significant investment in personal education, which in turn creates new opportunities.

Jewish immigration to America may have peaked over a century ago, while Muslim immigration is still relatively new. But both communities share in their drive not only to make America their home but to attain a prominent role in that new found homeland. Both communities would do well to recognise the remarkable parallels in their experiences as immigrants to America – as would Americans in other religious communities. The potential for collaboration is clear, while the narrative of conflict has been significantly debunked.

Joshua M. Z. Stanton is co-founder of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue and Religious Freedom USA, as well as a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow at Hebrew Union College. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

PART III-b

(ED NOTE:
What the world can learn from below event of young people gathering for world peace ? We hope that there are many more events on the same model)

YOUNG PEOPLE GATHER FOR WORLD PEACE
September 29, 2011
(www.cathnewsindia.com)

About 250 young people from various faiths gathered recently for an interfaith youth forum in Myanmar to gain a better understanding of their different religions and to work together for a more peaceful world.

The Shalom Foundation’s Interfaith Youth Cooperative Action for Peace (IYCAP) wing and a Buddhist monk from Wailuwon monastery in Bago Township organized the event called “Meeting towards cooperative action” at the Wailuwon monastery on September 24.

The Shalom Foundation is a Christian NGO that came to Myanmar in 2000 with the aim of working for peace and development in the country.

During the event participants listened to talks, held group discussions and played games.

“Although we are from different religions, our goals, intentions and beliefs are the same. We will be able to achieve ‘victory and peace’ if we work together,” said Saboi John, president of the IYCAP.

Ma Thiri a Muslim girl from Yangon said the gathering was the perfect opportunity for young people to have a clear understanding of other religions. “As the real meaning of Islam is ‘peace’, I do hope we will be able to work for peace among mankind together,” she said.

Venerable Po Nyaw Bartha the monk in charge of Wailuwon monastery and one of the organizers said: “We can create a good relationship with one another through gatherings like this. And we will come to realize the effectiveness of unity and cooperation in building peace.” (Source:ucanewscom)

PART IV

ISLAM IN EUROPE:

Part IV-a

ITALY:

TOWN'S KEBAB BAN ENRAGES MIGRANT COMMUNITY

(www.islamineurope.blogspot.com)

August 7, 2011

Via Deutsche Welle:

A town in northern Italy has sparked outrage among migrants after it passed a ban on the sale of "foul-smelling" foreign foods, especially kebabs.

Municipal authorities' decision to ban the sale of kebabs and other "non-traditional" food in a town in northern Italy has raised the ire of local migrants.

"To ban kebabs in Cittadella is like forbidding pizza in Paris or New York," said Abdallah Khezraji, a member of the Consulta Regionale Immigrazione for Italy's Veneto region.

PART IV-b:

NORWAY:

"HATE-CAMPAIGN AGAINST MUSLIMS SIMILAR TO JEWS IN THE 1930's"
August 4, 2011
(www.aftenposten.no)

Via Aftenposten (Norwegian):

Erna Solberg, head of the Norwegian Conservative Party, says that the hate campaign against Muslims today is like the one Jews suffered in the 1930s. She wants Norwegians to confront the everyday racism we see around us, at work, in clubs and on the internet, reports VG.

"The way the extreme, anti-Islamic groups talk of Muslims today is comparable to the way extreme, antisemitic groups spoke of Jews in the decades that led up to WWII," Solberg told VG.

Solberg stresses that Muslim don't get the same brutal treatment Jews did, but still thinks that the extreme harassment of Muslims has obvious similarities to Jew hatred.

She says that it gives pause for thought that you can't dismiss this as something coming from outside Norwegian society. The feeling is quite strong. It would have been easier to dismiss the acts if that person hadn't been raised in Norway and was apparently quite normal.

"In 2011 Norwegians are different than in 1960, and if Norwegians who have a slightly different background, who have parents from another place, constantly see a politician debate which asks if they're just as Norwegians as others, it contributes to them feeling more distanced," Solberg told VG.

PART IV-c

UNITED KINGDOM:

"WHEN ACCUSED OF TERRORISM WE ARE MUSLIMS, WHEN KILLED BY LOOTERS, WE BECOME ASIAN"
August 15, 2011

Via al-Jazeera:

There is a lively debate taking place in the UK media between left and right wing commentators as to the causes of the English riots, in which hundreds of shops and businesses have been looted. However, both sides agree that the looting has been inexcusable. I hope both sides will also agree with me that Muslims have played an important role in helping to tackle the looting and preserve public safety. This would be an especially important acknowledgment if it came from those Islamophobic commentators who consistently denigrate Muslims.

"When accused of terrorism we are Muslims, when killed by looters, we become Asian", a Muslim student explained to me. He was commenting on the media reportingof the death of three young Muslims in Birmingham on Tuesday night. Like many other Muslims, they were bravely defending shops and communities as rioters went on a violent rampage of looting.

In recent days Muslim Londoners, Muslims from Birmingham, and Muslims in towns and cities around England have been at the forefront of protecting small businesses and vulnerable communities from looting. Having worked closely with Muslim Londoners, first as a police officer and more recently as a researcher, for the last ten years this commendable bravery comes as no surprise to me. But their example of outstanding civic duty in support of neighbours is worth highlighting - especially when sections of the UK media are so quick to print negative headlines about Muslims on the flimsiest of pretexts.

PART V

ISLAMIC SEXUALITY:

(ED NOTE:

We fully support the views of Sister Selma Cook in her excellent article below titled "The Myth of Hymen Continues" and wanted to reinforce the key points.

Should it be important that evidence of blood on the first night of marriage be considered a indicator that the bride is chaste and pure ?

Above question has two components reflecting a cultural and Islamic value. The cultural component is the "evidence of blood" and the Islamic component is the "expectation of being chaste and pure". We have found no evidence either in the Holy Quran or the hadith of above cultural aspect. If you have found any such evidence please educate us by quoting the source and sorry for our ignorance.

So as Muslims, we need to ask ourselves as to why we should put a cultural value first and push the Islamic value in the back burner. While some may argue that both are interconnected, majority of scientific studies indicate that such a link may not be true in many circumstances. In other words, by clinging on to above cultural belief we may needlessly be contributing to torment and hardship faced by innocent brides who have just taken the first step of one of their most important events in their lives - "MARRIAGE".

We need not only to reverse above priorities but go beyond it. It is NOT just two lives coming together but literally two WORLDS coming together. It is fine and romantic to start off with honeymoon. But the real married life starts after the honeymoon period. The focus should be to build on common points, to exercise more tolerance to differences rather than be domineering, controlling and imposing one's views over to the other. If the goal is to sustain a lifelong healthy marital relationship, it is extremely important to learn positive coping skills to deal with difference of opinions and other complexities involving relationships with in-laws, financial, career, social and other related issues.

In Islam marriage is a legal and halal gateway for a man and woman to start leading an intimate life together.

Could excessive obsession on the issue of virginity be a deviation from the practical challenges that a newly wed couple have to face ?

In the light of above, why are certain Muslims putting culture before Islam ? Is the growing demand for reconstructing the hymen a symptom of such obsession on following the culture. To better understand the cultural causes leading to increased demand for such a surgery and what really entails in such a surgery, we have highlighted topics from various sources below.

PART V-a

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOPIC FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

(1) Below paragraph from "HISTORY OF HYMEN REPAIR": (www.revirgination.net)

In some cultures, women's hymen can affect her marriage prospects, her family's reputation, and even her very life. The virginity of the bride is valued for religious, social, and even economic reasons. In many Mediterranean and African cultures, the husband's family may take revenge through violent punishments and banishment of the bride because the "non-virgin" bride "shamed" them. Clearly, those who seek Hymenoplasty believe that the procedure is necessary for their social status, happiness, and even preservation of life.

(2) Below paragraph from an article in www.msmagazine.com:

According to news reports, hymenoplasty, or “revirgination” surgery, is increasingly in vogue across Asia, in the Middle East and in Muslim communities in Western Europe and the U.K. While there is no hard data about hymenoplasties in the United States, approximately one to two thousand vaginal rejuvenation surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year.

And on promotional websites like Revirginization.net, the surgery is being billed as the Next Big Thing.

(3) Below paragraph from sub-title"THE SURGERY" (www.helium.com)

The surgery itself is a relatively simple one. It is an outpatient procedure known as a hymenorraphy. By doing this, they can ensure their patient will have a much more impressive display of virginity loss during intercourse with their partner.

Since one of the measures of virginity is the hymen itself, it is important for the surgeon to replace that thin sheet of skin. To do this, skin is removed carefully from the internal walls of the vagina so that it can be formed into the new hymen. Typically the surgeon is going to use any remaining hymen formation in order to start the procedure. For those women that were born without a hymen this of course is a much more difficult process as the complete hymen will have to be manufactured using only the available skin in that region of the body.

Once the hymen is recreated often times the surgeon is going to make it more reactive to intercourse. Since the major identifier for many of intercourse with a virgin is the presence of blood afterwards, blood becomes an important aspect of the design. This is often done through the insertion of a small gelatin pocket filled with a blood substitute in the hymen that will release when the new hymen is broken. This presence of blood will give the appearance that virginity was indeed lost.

(4) Below paragraph from subtitle:"Type of Hymen Repair" (www.revirgination.com)

Hymen repair, hymen reconstruction, hymen surgery, Hymenoplasty or revirgination refer to the comestic surgery that restore your hymen. Hymenoplasty is a simple procedure that repair torn hymen. There are two most popular type of Hymenoplasty

Simple Hymenoplasty:

Doctor will piecing together the remnant by closing the tear. It is a simple procedure and could be in three to seven day. The hymen tissue is pulled together so vagina will again cover by it. The risk of fever and infection is low since hymen is relatively avascular. However, the result is not meant to last long so it is best to perform in less than a month before your next intercourse.

Alloplant:

If you hymen can't not be restore, a Tear-through biomaterial will be insert and act as your hymen. Hymen implant is an easy procedure than can be done under local anesthetic and as a day case surgery. It takes less than two hour and patient can return to work the next day. It is not easy to notice it is not a real hymen.

(5) Condensed note from an article in New York Times titled "In Europe, Debate Over Islam and Virginity" (www.nytimes.com) by Elaine Sciolino and Souad Mekhennet

PARIS — The operation in the private clinic off the Champs-Élysées involved one semicircular cut, 10 dissolving stitches and a discounted fee of $2,900.

Dr. Marc Abecassis carries out hymen reconstruction surgery on a 23-year-old French woman of north-African origin.

But for the patient, a 23-year-old French student of Moroccan descent from Montpellier, the 30-minute procedure represented the key to a new life: the illusion of virginity.

Like an increasing number of Muslim women in Europe, she had a hymenoplasty, a restoration of her hymen, the vaginal membrane that normally breaks in the first act of intercourse.

“In my culture, not to be a virgin is to be dirt,” said the student, perched on a hospital bed as she awaited surgery on Thursday. “Right now, virginity is more important to me than life.”

Gynecologists say that in the past few years, more Muslim women are seeking certificates of virginity to provide proof to others. That in turn has created a demand among cosmetic surgeons for hymen replacements, which, if done properly, they say, will not be detected and will produce tell-tale vaginal bleeding on the wedding night. The service is widely advertised on the Internet; medical tourism packages are available to countries like Tunisia where it is less expensive.

PART V-b

THE MYTH OF HYMEN CONTINUES
Sr. Selma Cook
(www..islamicgarden.com)

Women around the world are expected to bleed on their wedding nights as proof they are pure. But modern medicine tells us not all pure women will bleed. What's more, it is illegal in Islam to accuse a pure woman of immoral behavior. Read about this controversial issue here.

While an intact hymen that bleeds when broken on a bride's wedding night has traditionally been regarded as proof of her virginity, this is a myth which has been disproven many times over in the twentieth century as the medical establishment has made it clear that:

1. Some girls are born without a hymen;

2. The hymen may tear naturally when a girl plays sports or engages in any physical activity;

3. The hymen is not always smooth but tends to be perforated and that the perforations may get bigger and cause the hymen to break once a girl menstruates;

4. The hymen can be broken by the use of tampons;

5. The hymen may be very small or very elastic so that no breakage occurs at all (some women even become pregnant while their hymens are still intact);

6. A hymen may not bleed when broken.

Given these facts, it is extremely sad that women all over the world are still expected to bleed on their wedding nights as proof that they are virgins and that they often pay severe consequences if they happen not to bleed, possibly being shamed and humiliated, instantly divorced or even killed.

To avoid such disasters, women have resorted to various tricks to ensure that they bleed, including the use of animal blood in their private parts or even cutting themselves, while wealthier women often get gynecological exams before marriage and do hymen-repair surgery in the event that no hymen is found. There is so much confidence in the idea that an intact hymen proves virginity that the trend in many countries now is to have one's daughter "officially certified" as a virgin by a clinic. This is so embarassing for the girls that a number of them (most notably in Turkey) have committed suicide rather than be touched by strangers in this bizarre, invasive manner.

As a Muslim woman, it pains me greatly to hear of lives being destroyed by such blatant ignorance. In Islam, there is no such need to prove one's virginity by bleeding on the wedding night. This is not to say, however, that it is not important that both the husband and wife should be virgins provided that they are entering into their first marriages. Sexual relationships outside the marital union are strictly prohibited in Islam and there are very serious punishments for men and women who violate this rule. It is actually very difficult to prove someone's adultery in Islam as there must be four witnesses to the act and this is seldom (if ever) achievable. One may also choose to confess to his/her own adultery while a woman's adultery is considered automatically proven should she become pregnant out of wedlock. Married men who witness their wives committing adultery do not need three additional witnesses in court but may swear four times that they have seen the act.

Islam is so fair in this case that the wife is allowed to confirm or refute her husband's accusation; if she claims innocence, she need only swear four times that she did not commit the act, and she will not be punished.

The Islamic process for verifying adultery is very cautious simply because it is such a serious crime of which to accuse someone. In fact, it is a very big sin in Islam to falsely accuse someone of adultery, and the accuser is held accountable for slander under Islamic Law. Islam has discussed all aspects of adultery and fornication from defining the terms to explaining how it is proven and how one is punished for them. In all the texts and historical references we have available to us, it is never mentioned that a woman must bleed in order to prove her virginity or that there are any physical signs of virginity (such as an intact hymen) of which we should be aware. We only know that it is prohibited to accuse another human being of illegal sexual intercourse without having sufficient proof of that as described above. If a Muslim woman (or man, by the way) is truly not a virgin and she chooses to lie about that, then she surely knows that she will face Allah with her lie on the Day of Judgment. This alone is enough to make the vast majority of Muslims abstain from illegal sexual relationships.

Unfortunately, Islamic Law is not applied to its fullest in many of our Islamic nations, and the people who have religious knowledge are not always well coordinated with the people who have scientific or medical knowledge. Even worse, it only takes one or two people in positions of power to give wrong information, and lives are changed forever. This is what is happening in parts of the Muslim world.

I was prompted to write this article after reading a disturbing essay on virginity authored by a well-known Muslim professor in the field of obstetrics and gynecology at a university in Kuwait. (I am not sure whether or not he is also a medical doctor as this is not mentioned on the website where I found his essay. It is, by the way, a very nice website with a lot of useful information about medical ethics in Islam.) In any event, the professor takes it upon himself to say that it is completely false that a hymen may tear when a girl engages in activities such as horseback riding, bicycle riding or gymnastics.

He does not give any evidence for that at all, and it does not take much reading between the lines to understand his real message: that some unchaste women who want to conceal their pasts use sports as an excuse for why they do not bleed and that women in general have become less fearful of being identified as non-virgins since science now backs them up and allows them to escape suspicion of immoral behavior.

While a small percentage of women may deceive their husbands and families in this manner, the fact is that we cannot ignore or twist scientific facts in order to enforce morality.

I am not a doctor myself but it seems like common sense that physical activity can stretch and tear the hymen which is, incidentally, not usually any thicker than a grape skin. As I researched this subject, I came across pictures of various types of hymens, and it is clear that no two women are exactly alike in how their hymens are formed. Some (as mentioned earlier) are perforated while some are smooth and elastic. Some girls do not even have a hymen. So, to state the obvious: it is outrageous to use the hymen as a means by which to gauge the chasity of any woman.

But it is still not obvious to many. The professor also writes that gynecologists are generally wary of examining single women for fear of breaking the hymen and often do pelvic examinations per rectum. Women who suffer from cryptomenorrhoea (a closed hymen which does not allow for the flow of menstrual blood and results in the blood getting backed up) only get a small incision made in the hymen so the blood can pass rather than having the hymen fully opened.

In other words, the health of women is compromised and put at risk just to ensure she will bleed after marriage and prove something Islam never asked her to prove in the first place.

I realized how scary this whole situation can be for women when I read a young woman's question on an Islamic discussion board a few months ago. She wrote:

Assalamua'alaikum dear people

I am a 22 year old muslim sister who is currently looking for a husband. My cultural background is such that people can only tell that you are a virgin if you have a hymen. Scientific fact is that some women don't have a hymen and others break theirs easily.

Although i am a virgin, i am terrified of what my wedding night holds because if there's no hymen (please Allah i hope there is), my family and even my husband (whoever he might be), would doubt my virtue. Any suggestions or advice for my fears?

A heated debate followed this question with the majority of respondents (mostly Muslims living in the West) suggesting she should not even bother with the accusations of others as they are baseless in Islam. Of course this information is correct but it does not take into account the reality of the consequences a woman may face if she is thought not to be a virgin. When a woman's life is literally at risk in such situations, then she should definitely think about this issue and decide how she will handle it. In fact, all women should think about it because it might not be you in this situation but your daughter, sister or friend one day in the future. Are we (the women) going to allow the misinformation to continue by teaching our daughters how to use animal blood and other false techniques to ensure their husbands see blood, or are we going to take the steps necessary in order to educate men and women both about this very important issue?

Apparently, it is not even enough that the husband be educated in the field of obstetrics and gynecology (as evidenced by the professor): a major, widespread effort is needed to combat this deep-rooted ignorance.

Western (non-Muslim) feminists often fail in their efforts to educate other societies about such issues because they approach the situation from the wrong direction, one which Muslims find offensive. They do not take into account the values of the Islamic religion which state that men and women both should be pure at the time of first marriage; rather they often suggest that women should be liberated from this idea and allowed to date and have boyfriends with whom they may choose to be intimate. This idea is unacceptable in Islam, and it should not have a place in the movement to educate Muslims about the nature of the hymen. Instead, the focus should be on scientific facts and on understanding the true Islamic position on this matter.

Another mistake non-Muslims often make is to blame and criticize Islam for the ignorance which can serve to oppress women. We have already seen this in the Western movement to abolish female genital mutilation: in the beginning of this movement the world was informed that this abhorrent practice is an Islamic ritual that Muslim women must undergo as a matter of religious obligation when the fact is that this practice is un-Islamic and has its roots in pre-Islamic African traditions.

While some Muslim women are circumcised, it is not because Islam asked them to do that but because they live in a society in which religious knowledge has taken second place to cultural practices.

With regards to the hymen issue, it is also wrong to blame Islam (as I have demonstrated in this article), and what's more: this problem is by no means limited to the Islamic world - women in Asia, South America, and even Europe and North America still believe in the myth of the hymen: just ask your mothers and grandmothers.

All Muslims have a responsibility to fight ignorance and oppression. If you are a Muslim, the least you can do to educate others about this issue is to start with your own family...make sure that your sons and daughters both have correct information before they get married. Open the subject with your husbands, mothers, aunts and friends as much as you can within the limits of good taste as it is not always acceptable to discuss such topics openly (depending on the culture.)

If you work in the healthcare industry, find opportunities to educate your patients even if they come to your office for another type of healthcare concern. One way to do this might be to prepare a general package of healthcare pamphlets for each patient, and the hymen can be one of the subjects covered. This way you are not embarassing or offending anyone, but you are still getting the word out. If you work in a multi-cultural society, do not forget to have the information printed in more than one language.

I thank you all for taking the time to read this lengthy article and I ask that Allah guide us all to the Truth and

Beauty of Islam as it is truly a religion and way of life which fights injustice in all its forms.

PART V-c

SWEDEN: DOCTORS UNDER FIRE FOR NEWLYWED "HYMEN TIP"
24 Aug 2011

Via the Local:

Swedish doctors have come under fire for advice to girls born into so-called honour cultures to pierce their genitals with a needle in order to draw blood on their wedding nights to satisfy tradition and the expectations of their families.

"Society should never condone or accept or promote, give fuel to this kind of madness," Eduardo Grutzky who works with social issues such integration, racism and culture at ALMA europa, told The Local on Wednesday. Grutzky expressed support for doctors on an individual level and explained that in Sweden they are faced with dual challenges on a practical and a normative level.

THE END

2011-09-25T06:34:00.034+03:00

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 202, September 25, 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:

In this E-Zine we have highlighted positive news, Islam in the United States, discrimination against Muslims, extremism raising its ugly head again and interfaith issues. The Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other Muslim extremists through their deviated perspective of Islam have brought nothing but DISGRACE and SHAME to the beautiful, peace loving and tolerant religion of our lovely ISLAM. We encourage Muslims to do your best to be practicing Muslims while at the same time continue to climb up the ladder of your education, career and be peace loving citizens.

PART A-1

POSITIVE NEWS:

(ED NOTE:

Sister Haia Radwan is an exemplary role model for the Muslim sisters in America in terms of her maintaining her Islamic identity while at the same time continues to excel in her career. We would love to see more Muslim sisters emulate her as a role model whatever educational or careers they may want to pursue).

Chicago Muslim Journalist Attends White House Correspondents Dinner

May 19, 2011 By Haia Radwan, CIOGC

www.muslimmedianetwork.com

Photo: Brendan Smialowski from www.whca.net
via
www.chicagocrescent.com

Deborah Orin Scholarship winner, I was recently invited to the Annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This experience was possible because of the grace of Allah and my work as a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. It was truly a humbling experience, Alhamdulillah.

I was able to enter a VIP room before the event where I met Sean Penn, Jon Hamm and Seth Meyers – Hamm even complimented me on my hijab.

I was able to take pictures with President Obama and the First Lady. I talked to the President about the horrendous traffic in Chicago every time he visited, and it made him laugh.

After dinner, the program began with the award ceremony. As my name was called, I walked confidently across that stage.

I did not feel nervous; rather I was proud to wear hijab on national television and represent Muslim women. It was great to show the world that Muslim women are smart and educated, and not oppressed. Islam has always given women the rights to vote, be educated, work, and be an integral part of society. It is so beautiful how the Quran has a whole chapter called Surat An-Nisaa (Chapter of Women) dedicated to women.

Meeting the President and receiving an award in journalism was wonderful, but the highlight of my night was to show what Muslim women can do. Being the only one wearing a hijab made me very recognizable and that was a good thing. Many people including journalists, congressmen and women and even some celebrities congratulated me.

I believe my hijab is empowering, and a blessing.

When employers look at my work, they can judge me based on my talents and not the way I look. The important thing is to be proud of the hijab, and proud that the United States gives us the freedom to be who we are.

Now it is our job to give back as active citizens. We need to vote and be involved in the community on every level. I left the event with many business cards and contacts.

However, what was even better was leaving knowing that I represented Islam for what it really is. Alhamdulilah, I never once felt uncomfortable about who I was as a Muslim. I hope that Allah gives me the strength to excel as a journalist and I hope I can inspire other young Muslim girls to be proud of their identity and to know that anything is possible.

PART A-2

(ED Note:

New Jersey Supreme Court Judge Br. Mohammed Sohail is yet another excellent role model for the Muslims in America. We are proud to have brothers like him who are literally like a jewel in the crown of the American Ummah).

NJ GOV. CHRISTIE BLASTS CRITICS OF NEW MUSLIM JUDGE
Lisa Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal,
July 27, 2011

ONLINE.WSJ.COM
(Condensed version)

Sohail Mohammed

(PHOTO) Governor's Office/Tim Larsen

PATERSON--A lawyer who defended Muslims detained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was sworn in as a New Jersey Superior Court judge on Tuesday, as Gov. Chris Christie called those who criticized his nomination ignorant. The appointment of Sohail Mohammed, 47 years old, angered some conservatives, who said they were concerned about the influence of Sharia law, an Islamic code of law.

Mr. Christie defended Mr. Mohammed, who is Muslim, calling him an extraordinary American and an outstanding lawyer who helped strengthen ties between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muslim community after the 2001 attacks. Mr. Christie said the people Mr. Mohammed represented were inappropriately detained by the FBI after what he called a very difficult time for law enforcement.

"It's just crazy, and I'm tired of dealing with the crazies," he said. "It's just unnecessary to be accusing this guy of things just because of his religious background." Mr. Christie added: "I'm happy that he's willing to serve after all this baloney."

Sitting behind the bench in a packed courtroom in the Passaic County Courthouse, Mr. Mohammed told of how his journey to that spot in many ways centered around that very room.

It was in that courthouse where he took his oath of citizenship and where he served jury duty, which is what led him to abandon an engineering career and become a lawyer. He spoke of how he is an example of the American dream, how he came to the country in 1980, and how his mother worked two jobs to support the family.

He thanked Mr. Christie for being a friend. "It's all part of the process," Mr. Mohammed said when asked about the criticism of his nomination.

PART A-3

SETTLEMENT REACHED IN ARIZONA MUSLIM FAIR HOUSING LAWSUIT

Sean Crowley, KPHO 5,
July 26, 2011

PHOENIX - Attorney General Tom Horne announced today the largest settlement of a fair housing lawsuit in the Civil Rights Division's history. Soha Abdelrahman and her husband Hany Ibrahim have received $197,000 in compensation from Hall apartment entities.

According to the lawsuit, Hall agents discriminated against Abdelrahman and Ibrahim because of their race (Arab), national origin (Egyptian) and religion (Muslim) by complicating the application process to discourage them from renting and by inspecting their apartment without permission while they were moving into Villatree Apartments in Tempe.

PART A-4

100,000 Copies Of Quran For Cambodian Muslims In Next 5 Years
KI MEDIA NEWS
July 28, 2011

PHNOM PENH, July 28 (Bernama) -- The World Quran Endowment Programme organised by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) with the cooperation of Restu Foundation will print 100,000 copies of the Quran with translation in the Khmer language for distribution to Muslims in Cambodia in the next five years.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the effort was to fulfil the need of the Muslim community in Cambodia and to ensure that each Muslim family would have at least one copy of the Quran.

"There are about 500,000 Muslims in Cambodia and there is only one Quran for every six families. So, we hope generous Malaysians can assist Cambodian Muslims through this programme so that each family will have at least one Quran," he told Malaysian journalists here Thursday.

Ahmad Zahid had earlier handed over 10,200 copies of donated Quran to the president of the Cambodian Islamic Community Development Foundation Othsman Hassan and Cambodia mufti Kamaruddion Yusof at Chrouk Romeat Mosque in Kampung Chhnang and Amar bin Yazid Mosque at KM9, to be distributed to Muslims here.

"Translation of the Quran into the Khmer language has been completed and we are only waiting for sufficient funds to print the copies of Quran," he said.

Earlier, speaking before 1,500 Cambodian Muslims at Chrouk Romeat Mosque, Ahmad Zahid said the 10,200 copies of Quran given away today showed the concern of the Malaysian government and people towards Muslims in Cambodia. Kamaruddin said he was touched and thankful for the gift of the Quran, adding that the Cambodian Muslim community depended on outside help for copies of the Holy Book.

"We hope there will be enough Quran for us in future," he added. At the two presentation ceremonies, Ahmad Zahid also handed over 500 Muqaddam booklets and 1,000 prayer rugs for use by the Cambodian Muslims.

PART B-1

ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES:

ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR SHOWS DISREGARD FOR MUSLIM CONSTITUENTS
Zahed A. Haseeb
Rockford Register Star

July 29, 2011

Via CAIR

I applaud the Register Star editorial staff for the piece criticizing Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, for making a joke on his Facebook page in which he suggested he would cut off ties with his daughter if she were to bring home a Muslim ("Mohammed from Iran") boyfriend. ... Politicians say dumb things that offend people all the time, but they almost always backtrack and produce apologies that can be characterized as anything from empty to genuinely contrite.

We can often abandon our cynicism and let the offending remark pass as just another gaffe. But what does it mean when a politician refuses to apologize for offending and even alienating a section of his constituents?

By not showing any remorse for his comment, he displays an utter disregard for his Muslim constituents. If Sen. Syverson's punch line featured "Tyrone from the West Side," he'd have apologized and retracted his comment as soon as someone saw it and criticized it -- because,in his mind, he would have offended constituents who matter.

PART B-2

Council of American-Islamic Relations- Michigan
CRITICS DENOUNCE 'FOREIGN LAWS' BILL
United Press International
August 17, 2011

Via CAIR

DETROIT, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Opponents criticized as discriminatory a measure that would forbid Michigan courts to consider "foreign laws," including Shariah, or Muslim law.

"This plan goes against our country's core values of accepting people from all races and walks of life," State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, a Muslim, said as she joined other opponents in Detroit on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Michigan chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations said it would sue if the measure becomes law.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib,
Democrat-Detroit, Michigan

PART C

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MUSLIMS:

SEATTLE MUSLIM SAYS HE LOST JOB OVER BEARD (CAIR)
Allen Schauffler
King 5 News
August 4, 2011

via CAIR

A Seattle-area Muslim is suing his former employer, claiming he was fired as a security guard for refusing to shave his beard, which he wears for religious reasons. Abdulkadir Omar filed his federal lawsuit July 15 in Seattle. He spoke publicly about it Thursday along with representatives from the Seattle chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Omar, however, did not want his face shown in entirety.

Omar says that in November 2009, a supervisor at American Patriot Security told him he had to shave his beard. Omar responded that his beard is part of his religious beliefs and refused. He was suspended the following spring.

Omar filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which found that Omar was wrongfully terminated. The Yemeni-born man, now an American citizen, says he grew up believing in certain civil rights and he feels those rights have been violated. He's asking for changes at the company and for punitive damages for Omar.

PART D-1

UGLY HEAD OF EXTREMISM RESURFACES AGAIN:

HARVARD INSTRUCTOR RECOMMENDS DEMOLISHING MOSQUES

Leanna Erhlich, The Harvard Crimson, 7/27/2011

via CAIR

A group of Harvard students have started a petition calling on the University to sever ties with Subramanian Swamy, a Harvard Summer School economics instructor who wrote an op-ed against Islamic terrorism that many have called offensive and inflammatory. In an article published July 16 in the Indian newspaper Daily News and Analysis, Swamy recommended demolishing hundreds of mosques, disenfranchising non-Hindus who do not acknowledge their alleged Hindu ancestry, and banning conversion from Hinduism.

PART D-2:

Indonesian court lets anti-Ahmadi mob perpetrators off 'lightly'
By AFP
July 28, 2011

(PHOTO:An Indonesian Muslim accused of assault on a Ahmadiyah follower sits waiting during his verdict at the court room in Serang, Indonesia's Banten province July 28, 2011. A group who brutally attacked and killed three followers from a religious sect were jailed on Thursday for periods between three to six months in prison. REUTERS)

SERANG, INDONESIA: In what seems to have been a light sentence, an Indonesian court on Thursday sentenced religious fanatics who killed three members of the minority Ahmadiyah Muslim sect in a frenzied mob attack to between three and six months in jail. Dani bin Misra, a 17-year-old who smashed a victim’s skull with a stone, received three months for manslaughter. While Idris bin Mahdani, who led the mob of more than 1,000 Muslims in the February attack, was convicted of illegal possession of a machete and received five months and 15 days in jail.

Twelve people stood for trial, but none faced murder charges in what human rights activists termed was a travesty of justice in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

The unprovoked violence against the Ahmadiyah sect members in Cikeusik, western Java, was one of the most horrific in a long line of attacks on the minority group in Indonesia in recent years. Ahmadiyah, unlike mainstream Muslims, do not believe Mohammed was the last prophet and are regarded as heretics and blasphemers by conservatives in places like Indonesia and Pakistan.

“When the Cikeusik video went viral, people around the world were shocked and appalled by the savagery of the mob kicking and slashing three men to death,” Human Rights Watch Deputy Director for Asia Phil Robertson said.

“But instead of charging the defendants with murder and other serious crimes, prosecutors came up with an almost laughable list of ‘slap-on-the wrist’ charges.

“The Cikeusik trial sends the chilling message that attacks on minorities like the Ahmadiyah will be treated lightly by the legal system. This is a sad day for justice in Indonesia.”

PART D-3

Video: Tenn. Muslim Mom Says Road Rage Incident 'a Hate Crime'
(CAIR)

Uploaded by CAIRtv on Jul 28, 2011

CAIR Seeks FBI Probe of Tenn. Anti-Muslim Road Rage Incident

Knife-wielding driver shouts 'I'll kill you,' spews religious slurs at Muslim

www.youtube.com

PART D-4

Clinton Mosque Leaders Calling Vandalism Hate Crime
August 15, 2011

www.kwqc.com

A local mosque is vandalized and now the people who run it are calling it a hate crime. Leaders at the Islamic Society of Clinton County said rocks were thrown through windows, causing hundreds of dollars worth of damage.

Investigators are looking into an act of vandalism. They said more than a dozen rocks were thrown through the front door windows.

PART D-5

Two Churches Torched in Indonesia
August 03, 2011
www.thejakartaglobe.com

Two homes used as churches were burned to the ground in Riau on Tuesday night, a report said. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on minority religious groups in Indonesia that have prompted international condemnation, including from the United States and European Union. The homes were being used as unlicensed houses of worship in Kuansing regency, VIVA news reported.

PART D-6

Toronto Synagogue Vandalized

Swastika, 'Islam will rule' spray-painted on exterior walls of Beth Tikvah Synagogue
in Ontario's capital
Ynet
August 5, 2011

The Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto, Ontario, was vandalized late Thursday night. Staff members of Beth Tikvah Synagogue found a swastika and the words "Islam will rule" spray-painted on one of the exterior walls of the temple, Canada's CTV reported on Friday.

PART D-7

Pakistan: Honour killings - Man guns down six daughters

The International Herald Tribune
July 27, 2011

On Tuesday morning, Arif Mubashir called his teenage daughters to his room and shot them while the rest of the family, including their mother, watchedFAISALABAD: A man gunned down six of his daughters on suspicion that two of them were in relationships with boys in the neighbourhood.

On Tuesday morning, Arif Mubashir called his teenage daughters to his room and shot them while the rest of the family, including their mother, watched. His wife Musarrat called the police after the incident.

Mubashir shot the girls after their brother said two of them were in a relationship. He told police officials that he had killed his daughters because they were both “without honour”. The man said his daughters Sameena, 14, and Razia, 16, were in a relationship with college boys from the neighbourhood and the sisters had helped each other. “I should have been told immediately but the girls sided with each other. They were both corrupt,” Mubashir told Tandlianwala Police Inspector Javed Sial.

Police officials have taken Mubashir into custody and filed a case against him. “He does not regret what he did. He boasted that he would do it all over again if he had to,” Sial told reporters. Pakistan has repeatedly been termed as one of the least women-friendly countries. In June, the Thompson Reuters Foundation ranked Pakistan as the world’s third most dangerous country for women.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2011.

(PhotoPPI) British minister Sayeeda Warsi

According to the Guardian, the British minister says Pakistan fails to give women rights that were granted in Islam.

According to British minister Sayeeda Warsi, Pakistan is failing to live up to one of the tenets of Islam which guarantees rights to all women, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

Warsi is a Conservative party co-chairman and minister without portfolio, who is the first Muslim to sit as a full member of the cabinet.

Lady Warsi said Pakistan is denying rights granted 1,400 years ago in the Quran.

Warsi, 40, whose father arrived in Britain from Pakistan in 1960, said in a Guardian interview that, in a “nutshell”, Pakistan is not living up to the ideals of its founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Warsi said she had also raised concerns about the treatment of minorities in Pakistan. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s only Christian minister, was shot dead in March after he called for the reform of blasphemy laws that impose the death sentence for insulting Islam. Warsi said: “I said to them … let me talk to you about the rights of minorities, the protection of women and the concept of meritocracy. I gave real examples of how Islam embodies all of those values, and the question I put was: my country wasn’t formed in the name of Islam, but yours was; so why does my country embody the values of the faith that your country was formed on the basis of?”

Warsi said her heritage enabled her to speak out. “This was not the west arriving with an ideological perspective of women’s rights about to impose them on a nation. I understand this culture, I deeply understand the faith and the culture that is part of this nation … But what I don’t see is you in many ways having the very values upon which the nation was formed, the vision of the founder of Pakistan.”

Last week, a Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll showed Pakistan as the third most dangerous country in the world for women.

PART E

INTERFAITH ISSUES:

RELIGIOUS LEADERS MARCH AGAINST VANDALISM AT CALIFORNIA MOSQUE

Venusse Navid,

Whittier Daily News

July 28, 2011

LA MIRADA - Members of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths gathered in unison Sunday for a peace rally in light of recent vandalism targeting a Muslim mosque on Imperial Highway. The peace rally was organized by Rezaur Rahman, president of Muslim Community Services, Inc., in light of vandalism that took place July 18 at the mosque. A brick or large rock was thrown through the mosque's rear glass doors.

"We feel great that different groups of faith wanted to support us during this successful peace rally," Rahman said Thursday. About 100 people began a one-hour walk from the mosque, and proceeded through the streets of La Mirada in honor of religious peace in the community.

"While many of us were braced for any possible negative responses from passers-by, we received nothing but positive and encouraging words and gestures of support," said Interfaith Witnesses founder Vicki Tamoush.

PART F

To All Who Hate Muslims Must Watch

Uploaded by slvlart on Sep 20, 2010

END