Volume 93, Ramadan 1, 1430(24th August, 2009),Toronto, Canada
Editors: Haja Mohideen and Azra HM Yusuf
Editors: Haja Mohideen and Azra HM Yusuf
President Obama extends Ramadan Greetings
By: Rashad HussainIslamiCity
White House Briefing Room - As the new crescent moonushers in Ramadan, the President extends his best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.Each Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar, Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting is a tradition in many religious faiths and is meant to increase spirituality, discipline, thankfulness, and consciousness of God’s mercy.
Ramadan is also a time of giving and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this summer, American Muslims have joined their fellow citizens in serving communities across the country. Over the course of the month, we will highlight the perspectives of various faiths on fasting and profile faith-based organizations making real impacts in American cities and towns.This month is also a time of renewal and this marks the first Ramadan since the President outlined his vision for a new beginning between America and the Muslim world.
As a part of that new beginning, the President emphasizes that our relationship with Muslim communities cannot be based on political and security concerns alone. True partnerships also require cooperation in all areas - particularly those that can make a positive difference in peoplesÕ daily lives, including education, science and technology, health, and entrepreneurship - fields in which Muslim communities have helped play a pioneering role throughout history. The President’s message is part of an on-going dialogue with Muslim communities that began on inauguration day and has continued with his statement on Nowruz, during trips to Ankara and Cairo, and with interviews with media outlets such as Al Arabiya and Dawn TV.As this dialogue continues and leads to concrete actions, the President extends his greetings on behalf of the American people. Ramadan Kareem.Rashad Hussain is Deputy Associate White House Counsel.Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Ramadan message from Liberal Democrat Leader
Nick Clegg MP
Ramadan message sent to The Muslim News by Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, MP. As Ramadan comes round once more, I’d like to wish all Muslims observing the month my very best wishes. I have learned from working with Muslim communities across the UK - and indeed from the many Lib Dem councillors and candidates who are practising Muslims - that the fasting and Qur’an reading during Ramadan provide spiritual renewal and enlightenment. As friends and family are brought together every night, we also reflect on all the millions of people around the world who still go without food and clean water every day. We in the Liberal Democrats have always championed religious tolerance, and we are proud of the diverse traditions in our country. We recognise the importance of the principle of Zakat to Muslims, especially at this time, and I deeply regret that Islam can be unfairly portrayed in many parts of the media especially when Muslim communities in this country do so much excellent charitable work. I congratulate Muslims for the volunteering and donations they make during the month of Ramadan and at other times, and, more broadly, to thank British Muslims for the enormous contribution they make to life in this country. Ramadan Mubarak!
Swedish paper accuses the Israeli Army of
killing Palestinians for their organs, IMEMC & Agencies
Ramadan message sent to The Muslim News by Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, MP. As Ramadan comes round once more, I’d like to wish all Muslims observing the month my very best wishes. I have learned from working with Muslim communities across the UK - and indeed from the many Lib Dem councillors and candidates who are practising Muslims - that the fasting and Qur’an reading during Ramadan provide spiritual renewal and enlightenment. As friends and family are brought together every night, we also reflect on all the millions of people around the world who still go without food and clean water every day. We in the Liberal Democrats have always championed religious tolerance, and we are proud of the diverse traditions in our country. We recognise the importance of the principle of Zakat to Muslims, especially at this time, and I deeply regret that Islam can be unfairly portrayed in many parts of the media especially when Muslim communities in this country do so much excellent charitable work. I congratulate Muslims for the volunteering and donations they make during the month of Ramadan and at other times, and, more broadly, to thank British Muslims for the enormous contribution they make to life in this country. Ramadan Mubarak!Swedish paper accuses the Israeli Army of
killing Palestinians for their organs, IMEMC & Agencies
A reporter writing for Aftonbladet Swedish newspaper said that Israeli soldiers kidnapped and killed Palestinian youths to trade their organs. Israel’s Foreign Ministry denied the report and said it is a clear example of the efforts to demonize Israel. The reporter, Donald Boström, said that Levy Rosenbaum, a resident of Brooklyn, is involved in the human organ trafficking. He stated that nearly half of kidney transplants conducted in Israel since 2000 were illegally purchased from Latin America, Turkey and Eastern Europe. The reporter also claimed that Israel’s Foreign Ministry is aware of the illegal trade but acted against it. Rosenbaum was arrested in July after he told an undercover FBI agent that he is a "match maker", the agent was taping him while posing as a customer. Later on, Rabbis and elected officials were arrested in New Jersey for human organ trafficking. Rosenbaum said that he buys bodies from poor families in Israel for $10.000 and would then sell the organs to patients in the United States for $160.000. In its report Aftonbladet claimed that Israel is the only Western state that does not condemn illegal organ trade, and fails to take any legal action against the doctors and persons involved in it. It added that several Palestinian youths were kidnapped from their villages and towns in the Middle of the night and that they were killed, dismembered and buried. The reporter added that he knew about the illegal trade from UN employees while he was conducting interviews for a book he was preparing in the occupied West Bank. Boström mentioned an incident in which a Palestinian from Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers apparently for hurling stones at their jeep. The Palestinian was shot by the soldiers in his chest, stomach and leg and was moved to an unknown location while he was in a serious condition. His body, wrapped with bandages, was returned to his family five days later with a visible scar from neck to stomach. Boström said in his report that several Palestinians stated that young men from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank were detained by the Israeli army, and were returned to their families at a later stage, dead and missing organs. The Israeli Foreign Minister, rejected the claims of Boström and called on the Swedish citizens ignore the "lies and inflammatory accusations". In July, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, netted 40 well-known figures in New Jersey for money laundering and corruption, in a scheme that involved sales of Israeli kidneys in the US and other corruption rackets. Two members of the New Jersey state legislature and three mayors were among those captured in the raid. They are accused of running a complex network of corruption that spanned a period of decades. The FBI investigation of the money-laundering ring began ten years ago, as federal agents grew suspicious of potential international money laundering by a group of charities controlled by rabbis. Much of the laundered money originated in Israel, and was funneled through Swiss bank accounts before ending up in New Jersey. One of the schemes involved buying kidney from "vulnerable people" in Israel for $10,000, and then selling them on the US market for $160,000
Sweden summons Israeli ambassador
Israel’s ambassador to Sweden, Benny Dagan, has been summoned by Sweden’s foreign office to discuss the diplomatic discord following an article in a national newspaper claiming Israeli soldiers harvest the organs of dead Palestinians.
Malaysian Woman Wants Public Caning
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
Malaysia — A Malaysian Muslim woman is calling for being caned in public for drinking alcohol, saying the punishment will deter other Muslims from serving the beverage. "I never cried when I was sentenced by the judge," Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno told Reuters."I told myself, alright then, let’s get on with it."Kartika, a 32-year-old mother of two, was arrested in a raid for drinking beer at a hotel lounge last year.She was sentenced to six lashes by a Shari`ah court in July in what was considered a warning to other Muslims to abide by religious laws.She also paid a 5,000 ringgit ($1,420) fine.The penalty has drawn fire from Amnesty International amid calls for the Malaysian government to revoke the sentence.Regretful Kartika said she does not plan to appeal the court verdict."Who am I to question the Islamic authorities’ laws? That is beyond me," she said.Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants.The general rule in Islam is that any beverage that get people intoxicated when taken is unlawful, both in small and large quantities, whether it is alcohol, drugs, fermented raisin drink or something else.Muslim Malays form about 60 percent of the 26-million population of multiracial Malaysia.The multi-ethnic country applies Islamic Shari`ah law only to its Muslim population.Deterrent The Malaysian Muslim woman has requested to be caned in public to deter other youth from drinking alcohol."I want to respect the law," Kartika said.Malaysian authorities has rejected the woman’s request, insisting that the punishment be done in a women’s prison next week.Kartika said four close relatives, including her father and sister, have requested permission to witness her being caned in the prison.Officials have indicated that the request would be granted, she said.Kartikla will be the first Malaysian woman to be caned in a prison.Officials confirmed that they do not intend to hurt her, but she will be struck on the backside using a small thin cane and only with moderate force."Shari`ah whipping is more like caning naughty schoolboys," an unidentified "whipping officer" said."In Shari`ah the punishment is not in the force of the whipping but to bring shame."The whipping implement is supposed to be soft and supple, so as to inflict the least pain."Kartika’s father, Shukarno Abdul Muttalib, however, still insists that his daughter should be caned in public."As a Muslim, I agree with her punishment, but I don’t agree that it should be done in jail, she is not a prisoner," he told Bloomberg News."If the authorities want to use this as an example, then the caning should be done in public."US releases Pakistani journalist WASHINGTON, (APP)
U.S. immigration officials have released a Pakistani journalist who reports for Voice of America’s Deewa Radio and whose home was destroyed by Taliban militants last month in northwestern Pakistan. Rahman Bunairee, 33, was freed Wednesday, more than one week after he arrived in the United States and was taken into custody at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. According to VOA, the Department of Homeland Security has refused to comment on his case, citing privacy reasons. Bunairee was let go after U.S. customs authorities apparently resolved questions about his visa, the VOA News reported on its website. The journalist’s ultimate legal status and right to remain in the U.S. will be determined at a future immigration hearing. The journalist is currently reviewing his legal options with his attorney. VOA’s parent agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, issued a statement welcoming Bunairee’s release, describing him as a man of extraordinary courage and dedication. The BBG said it expects Bunairee will in due course be able to undertake the assignment at VOA for which he has come to the United States. Bunairee traveled to Washington to help VOA develop its broadcasts to the troubled Afghanistan-Pakistan border region through the Radio Deewa service. Bunairee came to the United States after a group of militants came to his residence early last month in northwestern Pakistan’s Buner district and blew up his home. The reporter, who was not present at the time, said the militants allowed 11 members of his family to leave. No one was reported hurt in the blast, but the journalist said militants threatened to take further action if they found him.
Holocaust Not Prophet Cartoons Offensive
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
Wilders, who is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims, put the offensive cartoons on his website.
Holocaust Not Prophet Cartoons Offensive
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
Wilders, who is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims, put the offensive cartoons on his website. THE HAGUE — Cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are not offensive and publishing them is not punishable by law, but cartoons denying Holocaust are, Dutch prosecutors have declared. "The cartoons are about the Prophet Mohamed, but don’t say anything about Muslims," the Public Prosecution Office (OM) said in a statement cited by Agence France Presse. The OM received several complaints from Muslims against anti-Islam far-right MP Geert Wilders and a local TV channel over the reproduction of the anti-Prophet Danish cartoons. The 12 cartoons were commissioned and published by the Jyllands-Posten daily in 2005. They include drawings of a man described as Prophet Muhammad, including one wearing a bomb-shaped turban and another showing him as a knife-wielding nomad flanked by shrouded women. The prosecutors received many complaints after Wilders, notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims, put the cartoons on his website and Nova channel showed them. But the OM concluded that neither Wilders nor the TV channel should be prosecuted. It insisted that the drawings, considered blasphemous under Islam, are not illegal and do they incite discrimination against Muslims. Not Holocaust In a separate case, the OM found that Holocaust-denying cartoons are offensive and punishable by law. "(The cartoons) insult Jews because of their race and/or religion," the prosecutors said. The OM had received complaints about two cartoons published on the website of the Arab-European League (AEL), including one said to show Jews denying the Holocaust. The prosecutors said the cartoons are offensive because they imply that Jews themselves invented or exaggerated the Holocaust. They threatened to punish the AEL unless it removed the cartoons. "If it complies, charges will be provisionally dropped." According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the Holocaust refers to "systematic state-sponsored killing of Jewish men, women, and children and others by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II." The commonly used figure for the number of Jewish victims is six million. But the figure has been questioned by many European historians and intellectuals, chiefly French author Roger Garaudy.
US missile attack toll mounts to 12, including women and children
US missile attack toll mounts to 12, including women and children
MIRANSHAH,Pakistan, (The News): The death toll of US drone strike in Danday Darpa Khel reached to 12 as women and children are also among the dead. According to sources, a US drone fired missile at a house in Danday Darpa Khel area. Eyewitnesses said 12 bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far whereas several were injured, some of them reported in a critical condition. According to reports, all victims of the attack belonged to Afghanistan. Five houses were also demolished in the attack. Militants carried out synchronized attacks at a check post near Miranshah air force base; Ameen check post, Colony check post and Ghulam Khan Road check post after the missile strike. Security forces opened retaliatory fire, however, no loss of life was reported. On the other hand, political officials imposed indefinite curfew in tehsil Miranshah.
Obama’s Muslim Advisor
Obama’s Muslim Advisor
By Muhammed Qasim, IOL Correspondent
WASHINGTON - Dalia Mogahed, a hijab-clad American Muslim, has made history being the first Muslim woman appointed to a position in President Barack Obama’s administration. She sets on a newly-formed interfaith advisory board the administration hopes will improve relations with Muslims in the US and across the globe.The Egyptian-born American heads the Gallup American Center for Muslim Studies, a research center that produces studies on Muslim public opinion worldwide.
US Court Reverses Scholar Visa Ban Verdict
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers
"I am gratified that the court has found that my exclusion from the United States is without basis," Professor Ramadan said. (Google)
WASHINGTON - Dalia Mogahed, a hijab-clad American Muslim, has made history being the first Muslim woman appointed to a position in President Barack Obama’s administration. She sets on a newly-formed interfaith advisory board the administration hopes will improve relations with Muslims in the US and across the globe.The Egyptian-born American heads the Gallup American Center for Muslim Studies, a research center that produces studies on Muslim public opinion worldwide.
US Court Reverses Scholar Visa Ban Verdict
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers
"I am gratified that the court has found that my exclusion from the United States is without basis," Professor Ramadan said. (Google)
CAIRO — A US federal appeals court has overturned a previous verdict upholding a government decision to deny one of Europe’s leading Muslim intellectuals entry, reported The New York Times on Saturday, July 18. "I am gratified that the court has found that my exclusion from the United States is without basis," Professor Tariq Ramadan said in a statement. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously ruled Friday that the US administration has to confront Muslim scholar with the allegations against him. The three-judge panel said the consular officer who denied Ramadan the visa had not told the scholar of the reason why his visa was revoked or given him the chance to explain his point. "The record was unclear whether the consular officer had done so," the court said. Ramadan was invited to teach at the University of Notre Dame in 2004 but the Bush government revoked his visa, citing a statute that applies to those who have "endorsed or espoused" terrorism. In 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the American Academy of Religion, the American Association of University Professors and PEN American Center challenging the decision. The administration then abandoned its claim Ramadan had endorsed terrorism, linking the ban to $1,336 he donated between 1998 and 2002 to a Swiss charity the US blacklisted in 2003. Friday’s ruling sent the case back to a lower court for further consideration and then give the Muslim scholar the chance to deny the government allegations. If that did not happen, the panel said, a new visa hearing should be held. Engagement ACLU said the court ruling proves the weak argument the government has cited to bar the Muslim scholar. "In this case the government simply has not offered a constitutionally adequate justification for its actions," said ACLU lawyer Jameel Jaffer. Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan, which argued the case for the government, declined to comment on the court ruling. The Muslim scholar said that the visa denial of his and his likes harm efforts to engage between the West and the Muslim world. "(I’m eager to) engage once again with Americans in the kinds of face-to-face exchanges that were crucial to bridging cultural divides," he said. "I hope to be able to come back to the States and resume my work with scholars," he added in an interview with the Times. "This is what I want." A Swiss citizen of Egyptian origin, Ramadan is one of Europe’s leading Muslim thinkers and has often condemned terrorism and extremism. The author of 20 books and 700 articles on Islam, he was named by Time magazine as one of 100 innovators of the 21st century for his work on creating an independent European Islam. His reputation in British and American academic circles is one of a moderate expert on Muslim affairs.
Muslim Woman on Africa Top Peak
Muslim Woman on Africa Top Peak
By Mohammad Yahia, IOL Staff
Awady at the summit of Mount St. Catherine, as part of her training for the ascension up Mount Kilimanjaro
Awady at the summit of Mount St. Catherine, as part of her training for the ascension up Mount Kilimanjaro CAIRO —Dr. Nadia El-Awady, a hijab-clad Muslim woman and a former IOL staf member, has succeeded to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. "I made it," Awady said in an SMS she sent to IslamOnline.net, confirming that she had successfully achieved her plan to reach the highest point of Kilimanjaro."Special greetings from the roof of Africa!"The mountain located in north-eastern Tanzania, stands with its highest peak, Uhuru, at 5,892 meters.Awady reached the Uhuru peak on Saturday, August 15, at 7:30 local time (4:30 GMT). This came after a five-day trek up the Marangu route along the mountain slope, one of six different trekking routes up Kilimanjaro.She is expected to return to her home country, Egypt, in a few days.Awady was a staff writer in IslamOnline.net from April 2000 until July 2008, writing many articles in English and Arabic on a variety of issues.She founded IslamOnline.net’s Health & Science Section in 2002 and ran the section until June 2006.Awady served as IOL deputy editor in chief from September 2005 until June 2006.She became Director of Outreach and Cooperation for Media International, which operates IslamOnline.net, in July 2006 and served in the post for two years.She was recently elected as the president of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ). She is the first Arab to head the prestigious worldwide organization.
Iraq’s Undercover Fashion
By Afif Sarhan, IOL Correspondent
Women buy the latest fashion trends but keep them from foreign eyes under the abaya. BAGHDAD — In war-torn Iraq, where women are being harassed and even attacked for not toeing the line on their attire, fashion is very alive but completely hidden from foreign eyes. "I’m always keen to buy the latest in fashion and try to go to the market as soon as the new season arrives," Ruba Khais al-Beidhan, a Baghdad resident, told IslamOnlione.net, dressed in a large, black abaya. The 25-year government employee says that, just like many Iraqi women, she sports fashionable clothing under the abaya. New Iraq…Oppressed Women "Every time I go out to buy some clothes, people start to show me what isn’t fashionable. As if I don’t have interest in wearing something that might bring some attention because I wear abaya and cover my hair with a headscarf. " Beidhan, studying for masters in pharmacy, added that while she covers up her body in the loose cloak on the streets, she enjoys showing her sense of fashion while among family members and girl friends. "I do have pleasure to show that although I’m wearing something without glamour from the outside, I can be as fashionable as other women underneath it." Shop owners affirm that many like Beidhan are attentive to the latest fashion trends and keep them under their traditional abayas. Fua’ad Ibraheem al-Samaraye, owner of a women clothing shop in Baghdad’s Mansour district, reports an ever-increasing number of customers looking for fashionable clothes. "Before I was having both men and women clothing, but as soon as I turned to sell only women’s, the number of clients increased by 80 percent." In his shop, abaya-wearing women make the majority of buyers once the new season collection arrives. "Many of them come with fashion magazines issued in Lebanon or Europe, and look for designs printed on them, being wore by models or actresses," says Samaraye. "This has showed me that like any other women; they care about their appearance, even if is to be used only for their families." Unfazed Suha Hayett, a Lebanese fashion designer who pays regular visits to Baghdad, affirms that Iraqi women are highly fashionistas despite the war. "Once I was speaking with a woman who had even her face covered and she was aware of all fashion updates from around the world," Hayett told IOL. "She said that she spends hours over the internet printing pictures of new style releases from all over the world and take them to her seamstress." Hayett is amazed to see such insistence on being fashionable despite the violent targeting of women who do not comply with the traditional dress codes. "There are still some of them who take the risk and go out showing their fashionable clothes but the majority prefers to keep it under abayas and show them when they have special events." Many women have been attacked for wearing Western clothing in public, rather than traditional dresses. The weapon of choice for attackers is corrosive acid, according to police and several survivors. In some cases, women who refused to shun Western clothes were forced to leave their jobs. "It is sad to know that you might get killed or burned with acid when you go out wearing fashionable clothes," says Latifiah Kareem, 31, an activist. She laments that before the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraqi women were the most fashionable in Middle East. "But years of war and oppression, have driven Iraq years back. "I want back the old Iraq, when we used to go out without concerns or fear."
Iraq’s Undercover Fashion
By Afif Sarhan, IOL Correspondent
Women buy the latest fashion trends but keep them from foreign eyes under the abaya. BAGHDAD — In war-torn Iraq, where women are being harassed and even attacked for not toeing the line on their attire, fashion is very alive but completely hidden from foreign eyes. "I’m always keen to buy the latest in fashion and try to go to the market as soon as the new season arrives," Ruba Khais al-Beidhan, a Baghdad resident, told IslamOnlione.net, dressed in a large, black abaya. The 25-year government employee says that, just like many Iraqi women, she sports fashionable clothing under the abaya. New Iraq…Oppressed Women "Every time I go out to buy some clothes, people start to show me what isn’t fashionable. As if I don’t have interest in wearing something that might bring some attention because I wear abaya and cover my hair with a headscarf. " Beidhan, studying for masters in pharmacy, added that while she covers up her body in the loose cloak on the streets, she enjoys showing her sense of fashion while among family members and girl friends. "I do have pleasure to show that although I’m wearing something without glamour from the outside, I can be as fashionable as other women underneath it." Shop owners affirm that many like Beidhan are attentive to the latest fashion trends and keep them under their traditional abayas. Fua’ad Ibraheem al-Samaraye, owner of a women clothing shop in Baghdad’s Mansour district, reports an ever-increasing number of customers looking for fashionable clothes. "Before I was having both men and women clothing, but as soon as I turned to sell only women’s, the number of clients increased by 80 percent." In his shop, abaya-wearing women make the majority of buyers once the new season collection arrives. "Many of them come with fashion magazines issued in Lebanon or Europe, and look for designs printed on them, being wore by models or actresses," says Samaraye. "This has showed me that like any other women; they care about their appearance, even if is to be used only for their families." Unfazed Suha Hayett, a Lebanese fashion designer who pays regular visits to Baghdad, affirms that Iraqi women are highly fashionistas despite the war. "Once I was speaking with a woman who had even her face covered and she was aware of all fashion updates from around the world," Hayett told IOL. "She said that she spends hours over the internet printing pictures of new style releases from all over the world and take them to her seamstress." Hayett is amazed to see such insistence on being fashionable despite the violent targeting of women who do not comply with the traditional dress codes. "There are still some of them who take the risk and go out showing their fashionable clothes but the majority prefers to keep it under abayas and show them when they have special events." Many women have been attacked for wearing Western clothing in public, rather than traditional dresses. The weapon of choice for attackers is corrosive acid, according to police and several survivors. In some cases, women who refused to shun Western clothes were forced to leave their jobs. "It is sad to know that you might get killed or burned with acid when you go out wearing fashionable clothes," says Latifiah Kareem, 31, an activist. She laments that before the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraqi women were the most fashionable in Middle East. "But years of war and oppression, have driven Iraq years back. "I want back the old Iraq, when we used to go out without concerns or fear."
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