VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 115, January 26, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

CONTENTS:

(1) A Sample From Comments Of Readers of VOGU

(2) Interfaith Issues

(3) The Most Powerful Position in the World: President of the US - Barack Hussein Obama

(4) Aminatou Haidar:"Human Rights Campaigner and Representative of the Sahrawi people"

(5) India: (a) Supreme Court Observation on Muslim Women's Photos Valid, says Community (b) Yvonne Ridley denied India Visa To Attend Meeting in Kerala.

(6) Islam: Holy Quran- The Book that shaped the world

(7) Islam and Abortion: All Human Life is Sacred in Islam

(8) Alleviating the Social Ill of Dowry

(9) Key Demographics of Muslim-Americans.

(1) A SAMPLE FROM COMMENTS OF READERS OF VOGU:

Thanks for the feedback of VOGU Volume 112, January 8, 2010 from our reader Mrs. Najmunisa Yusuf from Chennai, India:

"Referring to above, the issue I wish to lay bare my views before the eyes of the discerning readers and exhort them to give me their valuable feedback. To begin with I totally agree with the Editor Br Ziauddin on his punctuated punches of the facts and quotes related to the topic and the heart rending visuals displays of Muharam mourning by self inflicting wounds. The most deplorable aspect of this violent mourning is the preying on the Right and Dignity and vulnerability of children. Against this backdrop I wish to share and remind the readers of some basic facts, based on the essence relevant to the issues on hand, from the Holy Quran the ultimate book of guidance to mankind.

The first point is that Allah Has vouchsafed to us our bodies as 'amanath' which have to be protected and taken care of. Are we keeping this fact in mind while wounding our bodies in memory of the martyrdom of the beloved grandchildren of Our Holy Prophet? Did our beloved Prophet mourn the death of his near and dear ones in this way during his lifetime? Then why are we doing all this violent displays of reverence and grief to the departed venerable ones?

We are reminded so many times in the Holy Quran that we all belong to Allah and to Him we shall return then why this sort of displays of mourning ? We are not to mourn the death of our dear departed ones for more than three days and that too silently without much displays of grief. Are we following Sunnah by devoting days together to mourning by inflicting injuries on our bodies entrusted to us by our Creator.?

Are we not bringing innovations which were never practised during the lifetime of our beloved Prophet. Is this not a deviation from what our Prophet Muhamed (pbuh) preached and practised?

The last but not the least, it was on the day which is mourned as Ashura that many earlier Prophets were graced with Allah's mercy. It was on this day way back in the past the struggles of our Prophets like Adam, Hawwa, Moosa and Yunus culminated in victory and forgiveness. The Red sea opened and made way for Prophet Moosa and his followers to walk towards freedom away from the tyranny of the pharoah's rule. Prophet Yunus was saved from the stomach of a fish and went on with his mission and Prophet Adam and Hawwa were forgiven by Allah for their disobedience and were redeemed. Let us all remember that Prophet Muhamed (pbuh) was the last Prophet and our religion was perfected during his lifetime. Where is the room for such innovations and digressions?

I entreat the readers to clarify or discuss more on this issue by mailing Sr. Amina at this email id aminaomer 56 @hotmail .com She is a noted dawah preacher and well versed in Arabic and doing research work in the same.

I conclude by encouraging the readers to enlighten me and others on such topics which will foster brotherhood and unity among the Ummah as a whole I consider this blog as a monolith in the landscape of understanding Islam better and striving to be better human beings and better Muslims which would please Allah subhanatalah.
Allah Hafiz.
Najmunisa Yusuf

(2) INTERFAITH ISSUES:

Almighty Allah declares in the Holy Quran:

(a) "O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware" 49:13


(b) "Those who believe (in the Qur’an and call themselves Muslims), and those who are Jews, and Christians and the Sabians; whoever truly believes in God and the Last Day and does works that benefit humanity, their reward is with their Lord. For them shall be no fear from without, nor shall grief touch them from within" - 2:62


(c) "Mankind is but one community" (2 : 213)


(d) "Those who benefit humanity get rewarded manifold. No dust of sadness and no trace of humiliation will overshadow their faces. Such are the rightful dwellers of the Garden; they will abide therein" 10:26


(e) “But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter, then certainly, Allah has prepared for those among you who benefit humanity, an immense reward.” 33:29


(f) "Those who benefit mankind will be rewarded better than the recompense for their good deeds. And they will be secure from horror that Day" 27:89.

The Exalted Prophet Mohamed (SAW) stated:

(a) The essence of religion is wishing well for all humanity. (Ma’arifil Quran)

(b) There is reward for you in kind treatment of any living being. (Bukhari)

(c) Allah is Kind to those that are kind to His creations. (Bukhari)

(d) Be kind to the dwellers of the earth and the Creator of the Universe will be Kind to you. (Abu Daud, Haakim)

(ED NOTE:
If one is in sync with the realities of the world, it becomes obvious that for the peace of humanity, it is better to be respectful of each others differences and work together for the good of humanity.

Amidst the sixty plus years of Arab-Israeli conflict, relations between the Jews and Muslims in the United States are gradually improving despite having had a slow and rocky start. In particular we would like to thank the Jews of Reston, Virginia for having allowed the Muslims to use their synagogue for Muslim services during the month of Ramadan last year)
.

In this Sept. 14, 2009 photo, Aishah Bates, left, sits with other women during Ramadan prayers held at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, Va. The prayers are organized by the All Dulles Area Muslim Center, who rent the space in the synagogue for the month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

In this Sept. 14, 2009 photo, a group listens to a speech during Ramadan prayers held at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, Va. The prayers are organized by the All Dulles Area Muslim Center, who rent the space in the synagogue for the month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

In this Sept. 14, 2009 photo, two men talk after Ramadan prayers held at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, Va. The prayers are organized by the All Dulles Area Muslim Center, who rent the space in the synagogue for the month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

In this Sept. 14, 2009 photo, people participate in Ramadan prayers held at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, Va. The prayers are organized by the All Dulles Area Muslim Center, who rent the space in the synagogue for the month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rabbis of an ultra-orthodox movement are pictured in this file photo. Leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis on Friday told their flock to shun the Internet, claiming that even sites meant for the arch-conservative religious community contained "lies and terrible impurity. "(AFP/Getty Images/File/Mario Tama)

(ED NOTE: Like the silent moderate majority of Muslims, we know there are thousands of moderate Jews in Israel. We respectfully call upon them to assertively speak out against the wrongful actions of extremist Jewish settlers)

ABOVE PICTURE: Jewish settlers have started rebuilding an outpost in the occupied West Bank in an act of defiance against Israel's partial moratorium on settlement construction. (AFP/Jack Guez)

Hardline Jewish settlers on Wednesday started rebuilding an outpost in the occupied West Bank in an act of defiance against Israel's partial moratorium on settlement construction. About 50 settlers, among them children, started building a brick house on a hill close to the Alon Shvut settlement near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. "This is our response to the construction freeze decided by the government," hardline settler leader Yehudit Katzover told AFP.

"If authorities stop us, we will come back as many times as possible to restart construction," she said, pointing out that on several occasions police had previously demolished outposts built on the hilltop.

The international community considers all settlement in the West Bank illegal.

Under US pressure, the Israeli government last month announced a 10-month moratorium on new building permits in settlements. The settlement issue is one of the thorniest in Middle East peace efforts and the Palestinians have said they would not resume negotiations, which came to a halt almost one year ago, unless there is a total settlement freeze..... (AFP)

WE CALL FOR IMMEDIATE HALT ON ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS
IN IRAQ AND MALAYSIA

ED: (We hope and pray that the Iraqis will protect our Christian Brothers and Sisters in Humanity against any extremist elements trying to harm them)

(Iraqi Christians at Church) yahoo.news.photos

Attack Against One Faith is Attack Against All Faiths
(Attacks Against Churches in Malaysia)
23 January 2010
www.aliran.com

A string of civil society groups in Malaysia have come out to strongly condemn the arson attempts on two suraus in Muar, Johor on 21 January.

We, the undersigned Malaysian civil society groups from different spiritual, cultural and ideological backgrounds, condemn unreservedly in the strongest possible terms the latest arson attacks against two suraus in Muar in the early morning of 21 January.

Any attack on any faith in Malaysia is an attack on all faiths in Malaysia. We express our solidarity with the Sirratulrahim Surau in Kampung Sabak Awor and Parit Beting surau, and to the Malaysian Muslim community at large.

The attacks on the suraus seem to be a deliberate and desperate move to provoke Malaysians into sectarian conflicts. The earlier attacks on nine churches, a mosque, a surau, a gurdwara and a convent school, have failed to trigger even distrust as Malaysians of all faiths and creeds stand united in the wake of violence.

While the Police must act swiftly in investigation and defeat any act of violence and terrorism, we call upon all Malaysians to have faith in peace, freedom and reason.

After all, these attacks are at most a crisis of law and order caused by a failure of the Malaysian state, not a crisis of religious harmony indicating a failure of the Malaysian society.

Let us stay calm and support each other. Let our spirit of fraternity defeat any unscrupulous conspiracy to tear Malaysian society apart, to censor media, to compromise on rule of law or to justify draconian measures like ISA.

As Malaysians stand united, terrorism and authoritarianism shall have no place in this blessed country.

Endorsing civil society groups:

Aliran Kesederan Negara (ALIRAN)
All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
Bar Council of Malaysia
Civil Right Committee, Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
(CRC-KLSCAH)
Civil Society Committee of LLG Cultural Development Centre Bhd
(LLGCSC)\
Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI@Parliament)
Friends in Conversation (FIC)
Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism Christianity Hinduism
Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST)
Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
Penang Du Zhong Education Society
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
Sarawak Central Region Friendship Association
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
Sisters in Islam (SIS)
The Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs
The Micah Mandate (TMM)
Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

Endorsing Political Parties

Democratic Action Party (DAP)

(3) THE MOST POWERFUL POSITION IN THE WORLD: President of the US: Barack Hussein Obama

US President Barack Obama (C) stands with Ms. Bilquis Abdul-Qaadir, a basketball player at University of Memphis, as he hosts a dinner celebrating Ramadan and highlighting the contributions of American Muslims at the White House in Washington, DC, September 1. (AFP/Jim Watson)

US President Barack Obama (C) as he hosts a dinner celebrating Ramadan and highlighting the contributions of American Muslims at the White House in Washington, DC, September 1. (AFP/File/Jim Watson)

President Barack Obama introduces Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, a University of Memphis student, who, as a high school student in Massachusetts, broke the high school career points record in women's basketball for her state, as he makes remarks during a dinner celebrating Ramadan in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Barack Obama speaks during a dinner celebrating Ramadan in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A MUSLIM WAS ONE AMONG SIXTEEN TO WIN THE AWARD OF PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM - HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR
(Aug 12, 2009)

WASHINGTON – "President Barack Obama will recognize the accomplishments of actors, activists and athletes on Wednesday when he awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 people.

The recipients have diverse backgrounds and achievements in fields ranging from sports and art to science and medicine to politics and public policy. The White House has said the individuals were selected for their work as "agents of change."

President Harry S. Truman established the Medal of Freedom in 1945 to recognize civilians for their efforts during World War II. President John F. Kennedy reinstated the medal in 1963 to honor distinguished service".

Muhammad Yunus, was one of the sixteen people who won above award. Muhammad was previously the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his global, pioneering work extending "micro loans" to poor people who don't have collateral.

(4) Aminatou Haidar:"Human Rights campaigner and representative of the Sahrawi people"

Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar sits on a wheelchair at the airport in Arrecife, on the Spanish Canary Island of Lanzarote. Amnesty International on Wednesday called for Haidar, who is on a three-week-old hunger strike at a Spanish airport, to be allowed to go home.(AFP/Andres Gutierrez)

Awards and Nominations

Haidar was awarded:
(a) The 2006 Juan Maria Bandres Human Rights Award (from Spain)
(b) The 2007 Silver Rose Award (from Austria)
(c) Nominated for the Sakharov Prize and the Ginetta Sagan Fund Award
(d) In February 2008, the American Friends Service Committee announced it had proposed Haidar to be a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, though she was not awarded the Peace Prize.
(e) Haidar won the 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. In addition to the prize (which includes money), the RFK Memorial Center offers to partner with recipients in their work
(f)Haidar was awarded the 2009 Civil Courage Prize on 20 October 2009 at an award ceremony in New York City. (en.wikipedia.org)

On Friday, December 18, 2009, following 32 days on hunger strike and a brief admission to the intensive care unit of Lanzarote hospital, the BBC reported Haidar had returned home following interventions by the U.S. and France. Upon her return, Haidar was placed under house arrest by Moroccan police.

(5) INDIA:

Supreme Court Observation on Muslim Women's Photos Valid, says community (condensed version)

Calcutta News.Net

Saturday 23rd January, 2010

The Supreme Court's observation that Muslim women will have to lift their veils to be photographed for the electoral rolls is valid, members of the community say.

A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Deepak Verma had made the observation while deliberating on a plea to prohibit display of photographs of burqa-clad Muslim women in the voters' list.

The petitioner, Ajmal Khan had said that the photos in electoral rolls are seen by male polling booth officials, which was against Islamic religious tenets.

Naeem Kashani, a government teacher working in Kashmir, felt the apex court's remarks were justified. 'In Islam, the veil does not mean hiding your face. It signifies modesty,' she said.

Kashani noted that identity verification was essential for ensuring free and fair voting. 'This is a safety issue and should not be mixed with religion... If one is going to vote, it is important to prove one's identity,' Kashani told IANS.

Zishan Haider Naqvi, a doctorate student in Islamic Studies, asserted that Islam never suggests that the whole face should be covered. 'A girl is free to keep her face open and just needs to cover the hair and not the face. You can see how Iraqi, Lebanese, Turkish, Iranian other Central Asian women are dressed. They don't wear a burqa, which means to cover the whole face,' Naqvi told IANS.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has already come out in support of the apex court's observation, terming it 'progressive'.

'Muslims are going for passports and making I-cards for the Haj, then why is there a problem with voter cards?' Abdur Raheem Qureshi, an AIMPLB official, asked while speaking to a television channel.

According to Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind president, Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman, there should be provision for maintaining the modesty of women by deploying women officers at polling booths.

'At airports, there are special women officers to check passports and for screening, so the government could do the same for polling booths,' Usman told IANS.

YVONNE RIDLEY DENIED INDIAN VISA TO ATTEND MEETING IN INDIA:
(condensed version)

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram
Gulf Times. Jan 25, 2010

British journalist and former Taliban captive Yvonne Ridley has alleged she was denied visa by India to address a Muslim women’s conference in Kerala.



Ridley, who converted to Islam after her release, was to inaugurate the conference themed “Women Power for Social Revolution” organised by the women’s wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala’s Muslim-dominated Malappuram district on Sunday evening.

“I have great respect for Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and we have been practising this in Gaza protests. But I don’t know why I have been denied a visa to visit Gandhi’s land,” Ridley told the meeting through videoconferencing.

The journalist who currently works for Iran’s Press TV network is a vocal critic of India’s Kashmir policy. She was in the country in 2008 addressing a series of public gatherings and press conferences.

Ridley said Muslim women were expressing themselves both on spiritual and worldly matters and nobody can stop them or ignore them. Their fight is against the new world order created by imperialism and Zionism which has become a global threat.

“We can make critical interventions in social and political spheres without shirking our responsibility to our families,” said K K Fatima Zahra, president of the Jamaat-e-Islami women’s wing. “The new generation is ready to become the flag carriers of truth and make a difference.”

Tens of thousands of women attended the conference.

“In the three-tier panchayati raj (local self-government) system, 50% of the seats are reserved for women. The next elections are a great opportunity as well as a heavy responsibility,” said Zuhra.

(6) Islam: (HOLY QURAN)
The Book that shaped the world

1/22/2010
Source ::: The Peninsula
By Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari

This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah. (2:2)

Has anybody ever come across a book that contains a preface where its author mentions its infallibility from any single error? Has anyone ever heard of any author who talks with such confidence and authority? This is the Quran; it was revealed to one human being named Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and its Author is Allah, the Lord and Sustainer of the Universe.

At a time when the world sank to its lowest, oppression and tyranny exceeded all limits, human beings were enslaved by arrogant kings and emperors, and women lost their human dignity on earth, a night in the month of Ramadan was destined to determine the course of human history from then on.

Fourteen hundred years ago, Allah, the Lord, decided to bring back humanity from the disgrace of slavery into the position of Allah’s emissary on earth. That was Laylat Al Qadr (the Night of Power); the night when Angel Gabriel, on the command of Allah, made an eternal link between the heaven and the earth. That was a night that shaped the destiny of humanity.

This is the Quran that:

• transformed a nation that stooped in chaos

• revolutionised them and elevated them to the peak of human perfection

• changed people’s hearts

• molded their characters

• uprooted their ignorance

• reconstructed their societies in a noble and divine fashion

Within 10 years, the tiny oasis of Yathrib, just named Madinah, became the blessed land where a comprehensive code of life evolved from nothing. Madinah became the center of a divine civilisation, the center of inspiration for humanity. Those were the Arabs who were on the verge of self-destruction because of their lawlessness, vulgarity, stupidity, and, to use the Quranic terminology, jahiliyyah (ignorance). They were the people despised by the two super powers of the time, the Persians in the east and the Romans in the west, to the extent that neither of these two powers was even interested in taking over these barbaric and lawless territories.

Yet, the Quran was revealed to them, which is a proof that Allah can easily change the fate of a nation if He wishes. But Allah’s sunnah (typical way or principle) is not simply to guide people without any reason; they have to acquire guidance with their own action and endeavor. Only then, Allah may confer his favor and help on them, as He, the Almighty, says in the Quran,

“Say, “O Allah, the Lord of Power (And Rule)! You give power to whomever You will, and You strip off power from whomever You will, and You endue with honor whomever You will, and You bring low whomever You will. In Your hand is all good. Verily, over all things You have power.” (3:26)

The heavenly revelation has been termed as:

• huda (guidance)

• bayyinah (clear sign of guidance)

• furqan (criterion to discern the true from the false)

• bayan (clear explanation)

• maw`idhah (admonition)

Revealing some of these terms about the Quran, Allah, the Exalted, says,

“Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment between right and wrong.” (2:185)

He also says,

“This is a declaration for mankind, a guidance, and an admonition unto those who ward off evil.” (3:138)

Connecting the Heaven With the Earth

The hearts of the Arabs expanded to such an extent that those barbaric people grasped the true meaning of the message and learnt how to live as the best nation on earth.

It is dhikr (a reminder) and the kalam (word) of Allah. Allah showered His mercy on humanity in the form of a direct communication with His Messenger for 23 years in the barren Arab land. Within 10 years, the tiny oasis of Yathrib, just named Madinah, became the blessed land where a comprehensive code of life evolved from nothing. Madinah became the center of a divine civilisation, the center of inspiration for humanity.

This is because of the Quran’s miracle and the unique person that received and memorised it by heart, namely, the last Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH); the heart that received the full weight of divine love for humanity, leading it with the Quranic message.

It was the weight that no other creation would ever have dared to bear, as it was revealed in the Quran itself:

“Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would certainly have seen it falling down, splitting asunder because of the fear of Allah.” (59:21)

The Quran’s Impact on Arabs

The Quran elevated the Arabs, who produced a miracle within only one generation. The hearts of the Arabs expanded to such an extent that those barbaric people grasped the true meaning of the message and learnt how to live as the best nation on earth. The fountain of love and universal brotherhood created the “best people” on earth. Praising the Muslim Ummah in the Quran, Allah, the Almighty, says,

“You are the best of the nations raised up for the benefit of men; you enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah.” (3:110)

This (best of the nations) was reformed by the Quran, as the Quran:

• Created a world where a young woman could travel alone between two distant places of Arabia without any fear for her safety

• Created minds that willingly surrendered to Allah to such an extent that a sinner would rush to the Prophet to be punished in this world rather than suffering from the Hellfire in the hereafter

• Created compassionate hearts that cared for other living beings and the natural world

• Promised prosperity and victory for those who abide by it

• Created generations that grew up with the Quran kept in their hearts, that they could override mountains and oceans in their fight to establish a just world

• Created a Quran-oriented generation that left behind a legacy prevalent for more than one thousand years

The shining Quran is still alive and waiting for people who would adhere to it and change the fate of the whole world. It is rekindling the hearts of millions and demanding action from them.

What a marvel! While other heavenly books are either lost or corrupted, the Quran is still preserved in its pristine form, either as a mushaf (a book) or as a code of beliefs in Muslims’ hearts. That is because Allah promised to protect it; He, the Exalted, says,

“Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.” (15:9)

Whenever a Muslim recites the Quran, Allah is speaking to him. Allah reminds us to think, to reflect on and look for His signs around us and even inside ourselves, to learn from the past, to follow His guidance, to serve humanity, and to look after His creation. Do we understand Him, His call, and His message? And if we understand, do we respond? And if we respond, do we act wholeheartedly?

Are we prepared to take the challenge? “Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition.” (13:11)

(Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari was born in Bangladesh in 1953, and he studied at Chittagong University. Later, he moved to the United Kingdom. He is currently the chair of the East London Mosque and the London Muslim Center.) www.islamonline.net

(7) Islam and Abortion

All human life is sacred in Islam
Dr A. Majid Katme (MBBCh, DPM)

From conception through to natural death only Allah (God), the Creator of all, can create life or ordain that it be taken away. The moment of death has been fixed in advance by God Almighty.

Abortion is forbidden in Islam.

There is not a single statement in the Holy Book Al Qur'an or in the sayings (ahadith/sunnah) of the final Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which allows abortion!

On the contrary, there are verses in the Holy Book Al Qur'an which are clearly against the killing of any unborn child or child, male or female, by any means, for any reason and at any stage of the pregnancy (Chapter 6, verse 151, Chapter 17, verse 31,Chapter 5, verse 31, Chapter 60,verse 12). Muslim women are described in the Al Qur'an as (amongst other things) those who "do not kill their children." (Chapter 60, verse 12)

In Islam we are asked to marry, conceive and maintain pregnancy till its natural end as fixed by GOD, and to produce many children. Every conception is legitimate and every pregnancy is desired and wanted. In Islam there is no such thing as an "unwanted pregnancy." Every child is regarded as a great gift from God.

Many verses in Al Qur'an describe beautifully and scientifically all the different stages of development and growth of the unborn baby, producing great admiration for The Creator, the best of Designers! (Chapter 23, verses 12,13,14)

Islam also has stated clearly the rights of the foetus; the right to life and protection from any harm, the right to lineage, the right to support from family, the right to legal status and inheritance.

Ibn Taymiyah, one of Islam's great scholars, said: "It is the consensus of all fuqaha (renowned Muslim scholars) that abortion is prohibited."

Al Ghazzali, a great scholar of Islam, indicated that it is a crime to disturb the fertilised egg of a human being.

The fertilised egg (the foundation of every human being), which is called NUTFA AMSHAJJ in the Qur'an, is to be fully protected and respected!. All destructive embryo research is against the teachings of Islam!

Every fertilised egg contains the genes, the inheritance from both parents with clear gender either boy or girl!

Imam Malik (a well-known Muslim scholar) states, abortion is not allowed at any stage of the pregnancy from conception. Not only that, but Islamic law prescribes punishment for anyone performing or assisting in abortion:

Al-Gurrah (blood money) is payable if the baby is aborted dead. (At current rates this would be about £1000) Full Diyyah (blood money, about £20,000) is payable if the baby is aborted alive.

ISLAM IS STRONGLY PRO-LIFE.

Muslims should work closely with Pro-Life organisations, Christians and others in order to stop the daily killing of innocent unborn babies (this is a Muslim duty)!

Please join with me in the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), which campaigns to protect all lives from conception until natural death. SPUC Muslims is a division of the Society reaching out to the Muslim community - please help us peacefully oppose the culture of death in this country.

Dr A. Majid Katme (MBBCh, DPM)
Muslim Coordinator, SPUC
Pro-life, pro-family Muslim Campaigner (UK/UN)
T: 07944 240 622 E-mail address: muslims@spuc.org.uk

Dr. A. Majid Katme is available to give talks on Islam and Abortion, Islam and euthanasia, Islam and human cloning and other issues affecting the sanctity of human life.

(ED NOTE: Below is an excellent article on abortion)

Let us fight for life

www.arabnews.com
(Letters to Editors)
Paul Kokoski
Jan 25, 2009

I commend the hundreds of thousands of people including pro-life leaders from Canada, Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania who attended the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday. America's March for Life has become the world's pro-life protest against the aggressive promotion of abortion and population control that is sweeping the world and which is now the official policy of the United States, thanks to the administration of President Barack Obama.

If an (human) embryo is human, it is a person - this is the golden rule for bioethics.

It is a scientific fact that human life begins in its entirety at the moment of conception. From the first moment the embryo has a full anthropological qualification; there is continuity; there are no leaps that have in them substantial mutations; the embryonic body develops. Every manual of human embryology states that the zygote is already an unrepeatable human being, unique in its species, a different being from the mother and the father.

Ultimately, free will cannot be cited as justification for society to allow moral choices that strike at the most fundamental rights of others. Such a choice is abortion, which constitutes the taking of innocent human life.

The so-called "right" to abortion championed by feminists and abortion supporters ends up enslaving women because they are turned into instruments of sexual gratification. If the woman can abort without restrictions, the man is free of any responsibility as father, leaving the woman as his tool of sexual gratification in a position of "nonequality".

Let us fight for life. Life is the future of man, never death.

(8) ALLEVIATING THE THE SOCIAL ILL OF DOWRY

(ED NOTE: How many Potential Muslim Bridegrooms Are Willing to Promise Not to Take Any Dowry ? We hope and pray that in the coming future, Muslim Men will move in the direction of NOT taking any dowry and thereby avoid additional multiple problems to the bride, dowry related abuses and tragic dowry related deaths).

Dowry-Free Mass Wedding Performed in Bangladesh

People's Daily Online (China)
January 25, 2010

A mass dowry-free wedding of 108 couples, rare thing in Bangladesh, was held at the venue of three- day congregation of Muslim, which ended on Sunday on the bank of the Turag river at Tongi, 25 km north of the capital Dhaka.

Organizers of the congregation told reporters that all the new couples are from very poor families of different parts of the country. The wedding was held in presence of their guardians. A similar mass wedding was also arranged last year by the organizers of the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj.

Demanding dowry from the bride's family is still very common in Bangladesh.

A campaign is on against the dowry system as the dowry kills scores of women in Bangladesh which is the world's third largest Muslim country. Though Islam prohibits dowry, the system is present in the South Asian country in all sections of the people.

There is anti-dowry law in force in the country with punishment of imprisonment for demanding dowry, but it lacks proper implementation.

Many young people do not demand dowry before marriage, but they do it after marriage and very often torture the wife for failing to bring dowry. In many cases, the brides were killed by their husbands.

According to Home Ministry statistics, at least 250 housewives die annually, most of them are dowry-related deaths.

(9) KEY DEMOGRAPHICS OF MUSLIM-AMERICANS

(usatoday.com. Oct 7, 2009)

Gallup Organization interviews with a random sample of 946 Muslim Americans in 2008 shed light on the demographics of this rarely studied group:

RACE:
Muslims are the nation's most racially diverse religious group. At least a third of Muslim-Americans are black mostly converts or children of converts to Islam. "The significant proportion of native-born converts to Islam is a characteristic unique to the United States," Gallup said. More than a quarter call themselves white, while nearly one in five identified as Asian and about as many classified themselves as "other."

RELIGIOSITY:
Muslim-Americans are more religious than other Americans, but less likely than those in predominantly Muslim countries to say religion plays an important part in their lives 80% of Muslim-Americans compared to virtually all in Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Morocco, for example.

IDEOLOGY:
Muslim-Americans are the U.S. religious group most evenly spread out along the political spectrum 29% liberal, 38% moderate, 25% conservative.

PARTISANSHIP:
49% of Muslim-Americans called themselves Democrats, 8% Republican and 37% independent. Gallup found that among all Americans in 2008 34% identified as Democratic, 26% Republican and 33% independent. But voter registration was relatively low among Muslim-Americans.

OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS:
Muslim-Americans skew young, with 36% age 18-29, double the rate for the general population. They're more likely than other Americans to be single. Forty percent have at least a college degree, compared to 29% of Americans overall. Muslims may be slightly more likely than other Americans to report low household income.

Results were subject to sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points for Muslim-Americans, 0.2 points for all Americans.

THE END