I’m Awais Nisar from Pakistan and a proud Muslim. I consider myself very lucky of the fact that I’m living in an Islamic country where we have the rights to live according to the teachings of Islam and implement them in our life without any worry and obstruction. All Muslims in their respective countries think that Muslims don’t have religious rights in USA and European countries. Last night I happened to see a video which made me to review my thoughts about Muslims in USA. A local TV channel took up this matter to show American citizens the double standard in their society which in itself is a great step by the TV channel because this would certainly give people a wake up call to correct their behavior with Muslims and other minorities.

But, interestingly the result was totally opposite to the expected outcome. Most American said no to racism while few agreed to it. TV channels used two actors in the experiment,shopkeeper and the costumer. They just read the script. The goal was to know the behavior of people when they see something wrong happening in front of them.

Well, I would just say “We all are immigrants in this world! It really doesn’t matter if you are Muslim,Christian,American,Pakistani whatever, we all belong to one Earth so we collectively have the responsibility to live in it peacefully, just like a home. A family living in a home has members with different ages, different body shapes, different attitudes but all family members realize they have to live together because there is no other way of doing this.That is what we call a happy family when all members Love each other and support each other and this also keep their home safe.

We need to think of one another as members of one big family. Earth is like our big home and think all humans as one family. If we cannot support each other then at least we should not harm each other!

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Two months back, an Afghan soldier shot dead four French soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to train them.  The unarmed victims got killed at the spot that made former French president to cry out and rush to Afghanistan and announce immediate drawdown.

If this entire incident is understood in the local dialect, it says: the French government says good bye to training and UN mandate and does not want poke its nose in others affairs. Now France is creating a great brouhaha over the killing of a few soldiers. The soldiers are there to fight. If they kill others, they win appreciation and if others kill them, why is there hue and cry? The entire French Government is making a noise over the death of just a few soldiers. Where is the NATO alliance and where is the terror war commitment?

The soldiers are soldiers no matter which country they belong to. This is a good parameter that if their soldiers die, they start lamentation and express grief, and if not one or two, but a dozen of Pakistan troops die, or rather killed, everyone assumes silence. They completely tighten their lips as if nothing has happened. This double standard has become a lesson for us to learn for both the Pakistani public as well as the rulers.

Following the 9/11, we jumped into the others’ war over nothing. Everyone was declared a member of either Al-Qa’ida or the Taliban. Our Army was unleashed by the United States and the west on our own people. The rest of the job was done by the drone attacks. Soon our soldiers were unsafe. Not one, but countless of them embraced martyrdom. The international community has never appreciated our sacrifices in terms of compensation.  The US and other western nations continued berating Pakistan and insulting Pakistani nation. Then US deliberately killed 24 soldiers at Salala Check Post and there never came any apology.

Now see the condition of the public. There is shortage of electricity, gas and food items in Pakistan. The US provided aid and there is no denial. But it was just a peanut as compared to what Pakistan lost in terms of money, resources and lives. Most of the aid was paid back to the US trainers, US companies to purchase weapons to fight terror war and to repair roads left destroyed by the NATO containers. Now that the Parliament is there in place in Pakistan to decide about NATO supply and new tariffs, the US papers and officials are balking over the demand, saying that it is extortion. How is it extortion when Pakistan demands just transit fee for using roads and areas for last eleven years. No country came to rescue Pakistan during last four years when it suffered the worst suicide attacks and economic downturn.

However, we are very naïve people, for “we are expecting fidelity from those, who do not know its meaning”.

When you are overawed by somebody, and accept his supremacy, then what is justice and what is fairness. The recent measures taken by France should open our eyes. They have awakened over the death of only four soldiers. We should rather speak face to face to the US officials that we have rendered sacrifices more than 100 times than theirs and not for ourselves but for the US public to save them from Islamic extremism and Al-Qa’ida. They are not a threat to us. They are only a threat to the US and the US public. At least, 40,000 Pakistan lives perished for US public demand some sort of respect and honor,not insults from Panetta and other his cohorts.

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Although people from various parts of the world have developed various ways of developing fascinating buildings, it’s also noteworthy to understand that even the animals have their own unique architectural marvels throughout the origin of life. For instance by analyzing the so called insignificant creatures of this planets such as the ants and the spiders who make up ugly ant hills and webs respectively actually have deep engineering designs in them as well  Its even suggested in several places that every human being who has delved deeply into the design of such engineering masterpieces are as a matter of fact not actually superior to what is seen by the marvels of the animal kingdom.

It’s not remarkable to understand that the entire Creation depends on nature from their own instincts without any prior training or reasoning because they have all been given by their Creator, Allah Himself, and is not merely an act of Muslim Education evolved from “science” since science is also from Allah. Similarly even people do this same task from their own intellect by examining these magnificent creations and developing better structures. There exists a clear relationship between the actions of people and their outlook of life in general; this states that the latter is always the cause of the former.

The erection of various buildings and other structures in an Islamic perspective is also not generally considered to be under the haram or makrooh category unless it causes any infringement towards any divinely-prescribed norms. According to Chapter 51, verse 56 of the Qur’an that says, “And I did not create the Jinn and the mankind except to worship me”

The primary reason for people to start the development of various buildings and other structures is because of the need for erection of a suitable shelter for their survival. This was the starting point for their development which gradually improved into the various buildings and sly scrapers that we have today. Muslim Education has also given a lot of knowledge towards architecture and other interesting topics to the world today because of the various benefits which it offers towards the construction field.

Another reason for the advancement of Muslim education in this field is because of their thirst to develop beautiful places of worship, i.e. mosques, for the entire Muslim community to attend their daily and weekly prayers. Due to this several prominent designs, and functions of the buildings created came up during the last coupon of centuries in different parts of the world. This can be easily observed by completing a simple Google search using the query Beautiful mosques of the world or any other similarly related phrase. Furthermore by studying various documentaries that are completed in this field by even the Non Muslims; it could be noted that even the Christian Churches of today were once built to be used as mosques by the Muslims!

In conclusion it could be said that Muslim Education has played a significant role in the overall architectural developments which are being used and analyzed today by various architects and tourists from all parts of the world.

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Muslim and Sikh transit workers will be allowed to wear religious head coverings while on the job under a settlement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Wednesday. The agreement ended a winding legal case propelled by the Sept. 11 attacks.

The authority faced a series of lawsuits, including one from the United States Justice Department, in the years that followed the attack; the suits claimed that the authority was selectively enforcing policies on head coverings worn by Muslim and Sikh employees and that it had transferred workers to nonpublic positions if they refused to remove the coverings or attach the authority's logos to them.

Under the new policy, any religious headgear will be permitted as long as it is blue, the color of the authority's logo, said Adam Lisberg, the authority's chief spokesman.

In a statement, the Justice Department said the authority would pay a total of $184,500 to eight current or former employees who had been "denied religious accommodations" under the old policy.

Amardeep Singh, the programs director of the Sikh Coalition, which filed two of the lawsuits in conjunction with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said the resolution closed a "disturbing chapter" in the Sikh community's history in the city. "There was a feeling in the community that Sikhs and Muslims have been collectively punished in some way for the events of 9/11," Mr. Singh said.

New York Times, 30 May 2012

See also AFP, 30 May 2012

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Alif Academy, an independent Islamic school in Forest Gate, has been granted planning permission after attempts by Newham Council to close them down.

A public inquiry was set up by The Planning Inspectorate in February to inspect the council's enforcement notice on the grounds that the primary school and nursery was not safe or fit to operate as a school.

The enforcement notice was quashed and planning permission granted at Newham Town Hall in East Ham on May 23.

Headteacher Hasib Hikmat estimates it has cost the school £52,000 in legal fees to overturn the decision.

He said: "In a time of austerity, the council think it's fine to be spending public money, probably tens of thousands of pounds, on legally fighting something that made little sense from the beginning trying to shut down a school that provides extra capacity and jobs for local people which runs with no financial assistance from the council."

Mr Hikmat said the parents and staff were "chuffed" at the Planning Inpectorate's decision and plan to have "a very, very big party" to celebrate.

He added: "Newham is in dire need of better schools and it's opened the door to more investment in the development of industrial sites in Newham and, hopefully, more schools. We do want to build bridges with the council. We are not here to cause trouble, we are here to operate a school and invest in the community."

Now Alif Academy has planning permission, they hope to win a Nursery Education Grant to help with their development.

Newham Recorder, 30 May 2012

Newham Council does seem to have a tendency to waste public money trying to shut down local Muslim institutions. Last year the council's enforcement notice on the Tablighi Jamaat mosque in West Ham was also overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.

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The Town Hall last night (Wednesday) backed down on plans to deduct five minutes worth of pay every time one of its Muslim employees takes a quick break to pray. Children's department chief Councillor Nash Ali said yesterday that he has asked for the deductions to be stopped after the council's biggest union cried foul.

The move followed a dispute brought by Camden Unison, which claimed the worker concerned – in the play service – was effectively being penalised for his religious beliefs. Camden is adamant that the case was not rooted in any religious prejudice and that the tone of the union's claims, published on its web site, had been "inflammatory".

The member of staff, who has not been identified by Unison, has worked for the council for 10 years. His breaks to pray were likened to the way smokers are permitted time for cigarettes without their salary being docked.

John Shepherd, a union co-convenor in the children, schools and families department, said the man involved had "prayed at work once a day for around five years". He added: "Prayers take around five minutes. A few weeks ago, he was told he would now have five minutes of his salary deducted each day he prays. Unison immediately took up the case, pointing out the obvious discrepancy between this treatment and the treatment of other members of staff who smoke, for example, or maybe go to the toilet more often than other workers.

"In these instances managers do not monitor where staff are every second of the day and make minuscule pay deductions. So why should a Muslim worker be treated any differently? We argued that doing so is likely to be an unlawful deduction of wages and a potential breach of the Equality Act on the basis of the protected characteristic of religious belief."

The union said it had not heard any movement on its complaint for several weeks before going public with its online article, which prompted New Journal queries to the council.

Cllr Ali said: "I have asked for the deductions to be stopped. We do not wish to see small deductions from salaries for small periods of time to pray and I have sought confirmation that arrangements are in place for any employee who wishes to pray during the working day to do so, while making up any missed time at a later date."

He added: "The member of staff concerned is employed in a specific role where, under Ofsted guidance, there is a requirement for a fixed staff-to-child ratio to ensure the children and young people in our care are safe. As a responsible employer, the council is as accommodating as possible to any employee wishing to observe their religion and discussions are in progress to find a mutually agreeable solution."

Camden New Journal, 31 May 2012

You can consult Camden UNISON's "inflammatory" statement on the case here.

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A "constructive" and "positive" meeting has been held between police and the Sikh and Muslim communities following a protest at a Luton police station.

The groups held talks on Wednesday after hundreds of Sikhs gathered at Buxton Road on Tuesday night. The protest was over allegations a Muslim man had assaulted a Sikh woman. Police said officers were working with the two groups and wanted any concern about criminal activity to be reported.

Speaking after the meeting, Sikh representative Jaswinder Singh Nagra said: "I think it was very constructive. We need to educate the police about our cultural sensitivities."

His thoughts were echoed by Qazi Abdul Aziz Chishti, president of the Sunni Mosque Council in Luton, who was also at the meeting. "We will work together not only on this issue, but on all issues," he told the BBC. "We have formed a working group with the Sikh community."

Bedfordshire Police Ch Supt Mike Colbourne said: "We want the public to report any issues, fears or concerns that they have."

BBC News, 31 May 2012

This will come as a disappointment to the English Defence League, who have tried to exploit the issue in an attempt to set the Sikh and Muslim communities against each other.

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A Manassas man accused of being a white supremacist was arrested Wednesday by members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force after allegedly receiving a fully automatic AK-47 from an undercover agent.

Court records show Douglas Howard Story, 48, of the Manassas area, allegedly provided a semi-automatic AK-47, along with $120, to an undercover law enforcement agent with the intent that it be modified to become fully automatic. He then allegedly received the modified weapon from an undercover agent and was subsequently arrested, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and FBI  Assistant Director for the Washington Field Office announced Story's arrest Wednesday.  He has been charged with a violation of the National Firearms Act – a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Manassas Patch, 30 May 2012

See also Inside NoVa, 31 May 2012

Douglas Story made the news back in 2010 after the license plate on his truck (pictured above) was recalled following a complaint by CAIR. Story laughably claimed that the 14 and 88 on the plate had no Nazi or white supremacist implications but were merely a homage to his favourite stock car drivers. You might think that nobody would be stupid enough to swallow this nonsense, but you'd be wrong. Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch indignantly defended Story in a piece headlined "Hamas-linked CAIR smears anti-jihad Virginia driver as neo-Nazi", before being forced to back off when Story's actual political beliefs were exposed.

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Islam encourages elevation of humanity at large through all essential means like science and technology. Muslims had understood this concept and worked hard to explore, discover, and invent in the field of science. Throughout history Muslims made immense contributions in almost every sphere of science known on earth including; cosmology, cosmography, geography, natural history, physics, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, philosophy, law and architecture. The contribution of the Muslims in all branches of science and arts is immense.

Muslims and Astronomy;

When it comes to Astronomy for instance, there has been more than one evidence mentioned in Qur’an about the solar system especially that Muslims depend on both the Moon and the Sun in their daily prayers and daily life. By the moon they determine the beginning and the end of the months in their lunar system. By the sun they determine the times of their prayers and fasting. The Qur’an contains many references to astronomy: “And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming.”

Galileo (d. 1442) is generally considered to be the inventor of the telescope. But the truth is that long before his time, Abu Ishaq ibn Jundub (d.767) had already made observations of the heavens. He had devised certain rules for observing distant objects and, in accordance with those rules; he had invented a telescopic instrument. It was this initial telescope which was further developed by Galileo, and which is the actual forerunner of the now highly perfected electric telescope of modern time.

Muslims and Mathematics;

Mathematics was their most favorite subject and it was developed by the Arabs and Persian scholars. Muslim mathematicians excelled in geometry, as can be seen in their graphic arts, and it was the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also in the fields of natural history, even geology and mineralogy) who established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other Muslim mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.

Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word “cipher” comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the decimal system – base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol to express an unknown quantity, i.e. variables like x.

The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi, invented the subject of algebra (al-Jabr), which was further developed by others, most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khwarizmi’s work, in Latin translation, brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics to Europe, through Spain. The word “algorithm” is derived from his name.

Muslims and Medicine;

In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it is created by Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or cure those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.

Muslims have also played a very important role in medicine. Some of the famous Muslims are Ibn Sina, Ibn Maimon, Ibn Rushd, Al-Razi, Ibn Nafis and many others. Later on the names of those great Muslim scientists were Latinized and their researches and work was translated into various languages of Europe.

Arabs and Muslims made extraordinary advances in medicine through their research. The first important physician was Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi (d. 923), known in Europe as Rhazes. He wrote voluminously on many scientific and philosophic subjects, and over fifty of his works are extant. His greatest work, Al-Havi, was translated into Latin as the Continents, (the comprehensive book). It was the first encyclopedia of all medical science up to that time, and had to be completed by his disciples after his death.

Stay Tuned as we will continue the great inventions and contributions of Muslims in science.

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When mom and her sisters used to cover their hair even in the hottest days; when they rushed to cover their heads if a stranger suddenly jumped in; when every time they watered their plants in the balcony they never felt lazy to put their scarves on; I realized that veiling must have been something so important that they could not just give it up so easily.

Growing up in a Muslim society, most of the Muslim women I knew wore hijab, so it was so natural for me to do the same. It did not occur to me, when I was young and before wearing the hijab, to think of the reasons why Muslim women should cover their hair in front of stranger men. However, I grew in love with it and I looked forward to the day when I would take the decision of wearing it.

Before taking this decision, it was still necessary to have some training like what I did each year in Ramadan (fasting month).  During this holy month, among many little girls, I and my friends used to wear colorful scarves that lighted up our small and innocent faces. I will never forget how people were so impressed to see us learning chastity. These looks made me grow happier and more attached to hijab.

So, Here came the day that I took the step I have been always waiting for which is to be a muhajjaba “veiled girl”. I am sure many girls would now say “are you insane?”, “who would like to chain his liberty with his own hands”, “who would like to quit wearing lovely shorts in the summer or enjoying a fancy swimsuit on the beach?”

Well, it is not about liberty; it is about the innate desire of getting covered. It is this instinctive feeling of being modest, and chaste. Not only Muslims who have this feeling, but it is something all human beings share. It leads us to morality, protection and civilization; that is why it is preached in Islam. In fact, anything and everything that helps man to have a better life is in Islam.

These words will not be to the liking of some Non-Muslim fellows who believe that liberty is the only thing that ensures our humanity and that one can protect themselves through self-restraint and good education. If this so, why sexual assaults rates are high in a country like Canada? There, a woman is sexually molested every 6 minutes!!!

The concept of veiling is not unusual to other religions, as it is preached in Christianity and Judaism as well.  Catholic nuns cover their hair, and even Christians who go to church to pray wear some scarves out of modesty and reverence. It is even said by some Christian scholars that women should cover their heads even outside churches. In Judaism, women in Rabbinic period used to cover their hair and sometimes they covered even their faces. So, to conclude, veiling is a practice that all religions advice people to do for their protection and civilization, and by the way, freedom is not about clothes, it is about thoughts and achievements.

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EDL leader Kevin Carroll pretends to be an ally of the Sikh community at last night's protest – and (right) an EDL demonstrator shows the membership's real attitude to SikhsA Sikh elder today shared his concern at attempts by the English Defence League to hijack a protest by the Luton Sikh community. The protest outside Luton Police Station last night was in response feelings of a lack of action by the police force.

Catrin Nye, a BBC journalist reported:

The Sikh protesters shut down the dual carriageway through the centre of Luton, they sat down on the road and chanted surrounded by a large police presence. Their reason they said was the police haven’t dealt properly with the alleged sexual assault on a young Sikh girl in the town.

In the early hours of the morning the remaining protesters gathered at Guru Nanak Gurdwara just minutes from the protest site. Members of the English Defence League joined the protest. They claimed they were going to turn it into a national event but that didn’t happen.

She went on to confirm that the EDL had not been invited as had initially been claimed.

My name is Jaswinder Singh Nagra, I'm one of the community elders. I personally did not welcome their (English Defence League) presence. Obviously they wanted to make hay of this because it's their town. Some of the young boys were very angry and welcomed them but I'm not happy. Our values do not match.

Responding to whether support for the EDL by young vulnerable Sikhs concerned him, Jaswinder Nagra replied:

Yes it does because they're very exploitive and we don't want our youth following their propaganda.

Turban Campaign, 30 May 2012

See also EDL News, 30 May 2012

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Hello everyone, I apologize for my absence, but as I mentioned in my last post, Egypt is having its first Presidential elections, everything was hectic and following the news and the numbers. So I had no time to write. This is why this blog post will be about the results of the elections any my humble analysis of these numbers.

Although there has been no official and confirmed count, but the primary numbers indicate that Round 2 of the elections will be between Mohamed Morsy (Muslim Brotherhood) and Ahmed Shafiq (ex-Prime Minister). My prediction about the top 5 people was almost right; I got four out of five. As instead of Khaled Ali, it was Ahmed Shafiq. The competition was between 5 candidates, then it became between three candidates until we arrived to the final two. The 5 candidates were Mohamed Morsy, Hamden Sabahy, Ahmed Shafiq, AmrMoussa and Abo El Fetouh.

Before I start to analyze, I’d like to say again that this is my own political opinion and mine only, I do not represent the website or other writers, some may agree and some may not agree, but this is my opinion and I’m entitled to say it loud.

These five had the most votes, but the real competition was between the top 3 candidates, Hamden Sabahy, Mohamed Morsy and Ahmed Shafiq. The numbers kept jumping and the places kept switching, and as I mentioned, there is not confirmed or official announcement, but the numbers say that the first two who will undergo the second round are Ahmed Shafiq and Mohamed Morsy. But I am still hoping that last minute changes would push Hamden Sabahy in the top two (my candidate).

The numbers are pretty close, the difference between Ahmed Shafiq and Mohamed Morsy and not more than 200k, and between them and Hamden Sabahy is about 500k. In percentages, about 1-2% difference between them. If the numbers stay the same, the people will have to choose between two candidates, the ex-prime minister of the ex-president and the candidate of the Islamic Political Party who proved their failure in the parliament.

We are really facing one of the most difficult choices. Either we choose Ahmed Shafiq, the ex-prime minister, which is basically bringing back the old regime back, after the thousands that died. Or, we can pick the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, after they failed miserably in the parliament, plus the fact that they are a majority in the parliament, or a near majority, so they got the parliament, the president and nearly all the unions, so by doing that, we are basically building a dictator regime with no opposition, how will the parliament correct the president if they both belong to the same political party. They will be judge and jury, and me as a Christian, I really don’t know what to do or who to choose, I’m still thinking about it, or I’ll boycott the second round.

As a friend of mine said “One killed me and the other will”.

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Omar Ebn Al Khattab was a very strong man, but he was never a dictator, especially that the Muslim culture refuses that kind of rulers. He asked for others opinions in different issues and he even listened to people he didn’t know. He honored men, women and children and considered himself the servant of all Muslims.

Sayedna Omar respected women (a lot of Westerners may not believe this), while a lot of people can not imagine how he was treating his wife in a beautiful way because of his strength. Before Omar Ebn Al Khattab entered Islam, his wife wasn’t able to negotiate or discuss anything with him, as she used only to receive his orders. After he became a Muslim, Omar Ebn Al Khattab honored his wife and encouraged her to discuss different issues with him. One day one of the companions came to Omar Ebn Al Khattab complaining from his wife who shout all the time, but when he arrived to Omar’s home, he heard Omar’s wife shouting. The man asked Omar “why you let her shout like that?”, so Omar said she cleaned my clothes, arranged my bed for me to sleep and raised my children, so I bear her when she is angry. Can we see this mercy?!

I wonder why so many Westerners think that Omar Ebn Al Khattab was a dictator? Is that because he controlled almost all the world? Or is it because of his power and strength? Actually Omar Ebn Al Khattab was not a dictator at all, but he was modest and kind. He never knew how is living in a palace or how is wearing luxurious clothes, but he was just holding the teachings of Islam in his heart and acting according to it.

One day Omar Ebn Al Khattab went to the Masjid “mosque” and said “Al Salatu Jameaa” which is something to be said to gather Muslims for prayers or to talk about an important issue. A big number of Muslims entered the Masjid and Omar told them; ” O Muslims, when I was young I used to guard the sheep of old women in the desert, so I was feeding the sheep, cleaning it, and cleaning its sleeping places, while my salary was some dates to be put in my hands, so I just wanted you Muslims to know this”.

Sayedna Aly Ebn Abi Taleb (one of the companions) asked Omar Ebn Al Khattab “why did you say this, you just insulted yourself”. Omar replied “this is what I wanted, as my soul told me I’m Amir Al Moamnen (the Prince of Muslims), so I wanted to let my soul know how weak I was”.

This is a situation by a man who never let himself become an arrogant, but he maintained his modest wherever and whenever he was. That is why he refused to be paid for being the Caliph because this would make him rich and money changes people even if those people are never one of the great Sahaba like Omar. Omar’s Jalabeya “rope” was full of cuts that one day his servant said “I looked at Sayedna Omar’s Jalabeya and counted twenty one cuts in it, among them four on his shoulder”. He never tried wearing silk like kings and he never took luxurious things to his house, but he was taking what is in his house and gives it to the poor Muslims.

To be continued…

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Official results in Egypt’s presidential election indicate the following results as of 10:00 am EST on Monday, May 28: Mohamed Morsi: 5,764,952 votes – 24.7% Ahmed Shafiq: 5,505,327 votes – 23.6% Hamdeen Sabahi: 4,820,273 votes – 20.7% Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh: 4,065,239 votes – 17.4% Amr Moussa: 2,588,850 votes – 11.1% Mohamed Selim al-Awa: 235,374 Which means a second round between Morsi and Shafiq on 19 June 2012

The upcoming Egyptian elections have the potential to not only change Egypt, but the entire Middle East. There’s a strong possibility that decades of American policy in the region can be overturned.  The elections have huge implications for the United States and even bigger ones for Israel.  War and peace may be in the balance.

Here in our Cairo bureau as I listen to the boats float by on the Nile blasting music as revelers enjoy the city before it’s clogged by voting with checkpoints, there’s talk that this could be a moment like 1979 in Iran, a possible 180-degree shift for the country and the Middle East.  I’ll start at what’s immediately coming up.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Egyptians go to polls to elect a new president.  First off, that’s big statement in itself.  Egypt hasn’t elected a truly democratic leader in its 5,000 years of recorded history.  This is the land of the pharaohs, the undisputed and often tyrannical God-kings.  Then it was the land of the Romans, sultans, Mamluks, Khedives, kings, European-dominated governments and finally military rulers.

There are five main candidates who have a chance of winning the election.  Egypt has a presidential system.  The president runs the state.  Who the president is matters profoundly.  In order, the candidates are:

Mohammed Mursi:

is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. He was the party’s back-up candidate, until the original contender Khairat al-Shater lost his appeal against disqualification in mid-April.

Mohammad Mursi was originally the reserve candidate for the Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood had long feared that the ruling military council would use Egypt’s election committee to disqualify Islamist presidential hopefuls in order to make room for former regime officials to win.

According to some estimates, the Brotherhood has a million activists in Egypt.  Mursi is the official brotherhood candidate, but would likely end up as the group’s “face man.”  Mursi is not charismatic.  He’s not a dynamic speaker.  He wasn’t the Brotherhood’s first choice.  The group initially wanted its powerful money man Khairat al-Shater, a business tycoon who manages the group’s wealth, to be its candidate, but he was disqualified on account of his prison record.  Egypt’s military-backed presidents, including Hosni Mubarak, imprisoned many Brotherhood members, seeing the group as its biggest existential threat.  Analysts say Shater, the Brotherhood’s supreme guide, and its leadership committee would end up being the real force behind Mursi, pulling the strings. Right after the revolution that toppled Mubarak, the Brotherhood said it would not present a candidate for president, but then broke its promise.  A Brotherhood victory would be a total about-face for Egypt.  Since the late president Anwar Sadat, Egypt has pursued a largely pro-American, Western-leaning policy.  Egypt has maintained a peace treaty with Israel since March 1979, following the Camp David accords. The Brotherhood has already threatened to cancel the peace treaty if the United States stops providing the $2.1 billion of military and development aid Egypt has received annually since 1982.  The Brotherhood now talks publicly about maintaining good relations with the United States, but at its core the group is not pro-American.  The Brotherhood is actively anti-Israel.  Egypt’s long-term relations with United States and short-term relations with Israel could be at risk if Mursi becomes president.  Egypt is the biggest country in the Middle East.  So goes Egypt, so goes the region.  A dramatic shift in Egypt’s alignment would have global implications.

Ahmed Shafiq 

Mr Shafiq was Egypt’s last prime minister under Mubarak. He served for just over a month, until he resigned on 3 March 2011. His candidacy sparked angry reactions from those who saw him as a Mubarak loyalist. He was initially barred from standing, but reinstated recently after an appeal. Shafiq insists that he was always a voice of the opposition within Mr Mubarak’s regime.

His campaign flyers call him “the only civilian-administrative presidential candidate who has real and successful administrative experience”, referring to his nine-year term as minister of civil aviation.

Campaign material says that “Shafiq is the candidate of revolutionary decisions”, because he asked regional governors to name streets after dead revolutionary activists, and also froze the assets of key figures in the former regime.

Shafiq is the ultimate “fulool” candidate.  He was the last prime minister appointed by Mubarak.  Shafiq was, like Mubarak, an air force commander.  Shafiq still defends Mubarak.  Shafiq is presenting himself as “Mr. Security.”  After the revolution Egyptian police were discredited.  They were seen as the henchmen of the Mubarak regime.  For the past year, the police have largely been absent from the streets.  With the police gone, murder, rape, kidnappings, car-jackings and antiquities’ theft have all risen dramatically.  Shafiq says he’ll restore order in 24 hours.  He’s the strongman candidate.  His message appeals to some Egyptians fed up with the deteriorating security situation.  Critics say the revolution replaced one dictator in Mubarak and that electing Shafiq would simply be bringing in another one.

Abd Elmoneim Abo-ElFotoh                                                                                                                                                                                    

Dr Abo-ElFotoh, a respected moderate, is running for office as an independent candidate

A long-time Muslim Brotherhood member known for his liberal views,was suspended from the group after he announced in May 2011 that he intended to run for president.

He lists four main aspirations behind his candidacy – to promote freedom in Egypt, to promote the value of justice, to strengthen education and scientific research, and to open the doors to investment in Egypt from Arab countries and beyond.

Al-Fotouh, like Mursi, speaks about maintaining good relations with world powers, including the United States. During his campaign, however, Al-Fotouh called Israel “an enemy state.”.Al-Fotouh likes to say Turkey is example Egypt could follow with an Islamist leader, but without Islamic fundamentalists deciding how people should live their daily lives.

sources : 

Wikipedia, Al-Ahram , AFP, BBC Arabic , CBC Egypt , ON TV

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يبدو ان الامور في مصر تتجه نحو المزيد من الانقسام الشعبي بعد ان أوضحت النتائج الأولية و الغير رسمية تقدم مرشح الإخوان المسلمين  محمد مرسي و مرشح النظام احمد شفيق في الجولة الأولى من الانتخابات و بالتالي حصر جولة الإعادة بينهما . فالصعود المفاجئ لأحمد شفيق خلط الأوراق من جديد و بين مدى الدور الكبير الذي قد يلعبه الإعلام في توجيه الرأي العام و صناعته . خاصة وان الإعلام الرسمي ألقى بثقله في هذه الانتخابات و نجح في تبييض صورة شفيق بالرغم من كونه و لسنوات طويلة واحدا من أبناء النظام البائد . و هكذا يبدو ان الأموال  و الإعلام و النفوذ الكبير للمستفيدين من النظام السابق قد ساهمت كعوامل في تقليص الزخم و الثوري أثره على هذه الانتخابات . و إلا كيف يمكن أن نفسر نسبة الأصوات المعتبرة التي نالها كل من احمد شفيق و عمرو موسى .

 أن هذه النتائج تنبئ بشكل جلي أن القوى المضادة للثورة نجحت في تخطي العاصفة و هي الآن تعيد تنظيم صفوفها  لتلعب دورا سياسيا بارزا في مصر ما بعد الثورة , و الواقع هو أن هناك الكثير من المصالح المتداخلة محليا و إقليما يسعى أصحابها لحمايتها و هي التي أفرزت نتائج الدور الاول من الانتخابات .

لكن المعضلة التي يجد المصريون اليوم انفسهم امامها هي أن المرشحين الذين أفرزهما الدور الاول يمثلان خطرا حقيقيا لكثير من الاطراف مما ينبئ بحالة من الاستقطاب و الاحتقان السياسي في الدور الثاني ستستمر بعد انتخاب الرئيس المقبل لجمهورية مصر العربية . فانتخاب أحمد شفيق سيمثل لفئات عريضة من الشعب مؤشرا خطيرا على فشل الثورة و على الانقلاب السلس عليها من طرف المجلس العسكري . في حين سيكون من الصعب حصول الاستقرار في حالة تولي مرشح الإخوان المسلمين الذي لا يمكن ان ينال إجماعا شعبيا  . و في هذه الحالة  ستكون  عودة وجه من اوجه النظام السابق لتولي الرئاسة في مصر  أمرا لا يمكن تفسيره إلا بشيئين . الاول هو ان الأغلبية الصامتة أثناء الثورة و اثناء الانتخابات التشريعية  لم تكن مؤيدة للثورة بشكل تام و قد وجدت فرصتها لتعبر عن خوفها من المجهول و تمسكها بالوضع القائم ,  أما الثاني فهو  ان ما انتجته الانتخابات التشريعية من سيطرة شبه مطلقة للإسلاميين على البرلمان خلقت العديد من المخاوف حول الاتجاه الذي يمكن ان تأخذه مصر إذا هيمن فيها الإسلاميون على السلطتين التشريعية و التنفيذية , و هنا بالضبط يمثل الأقباط احد أسباب العودة للتصويت لمرشح النظام السابق على حساب بقية المرشحين .

و ميل الوعاء الانتخابي القبطي يعكس في الواقع استمرار مخاوفهم من الاسلاميين و من طريقة حكمهم للبلاد . فكما في كثير من الدول الإسلامية , ضلت ورقة الأقليات تستخدم بشكل مستمر تحت دعوى حمايتها من الاضطهاد الديني في حالة تولي الإسلاميين للسلطة . و في هذه الحالة يتحمل الإسلاميون و الإخوان المسلمون بالخصوص   جزء من مسؤولية تنامي هذا الشعور من عدم الثقة نظرا لعدم وضوح خطابهم السياسي . فعلى عكس خطاب المرشح الإخواني السابق عبد المنعم ابو الفتوح و الذي يتسم بدرجة اكبر من الوضوح و الاتساق بخصوص طبيعة الدولة المدنية و حقوق الاقباط , نجد أن خطاب الإخوان المعلن و المضمر ليسا مطمئنا و يحمل مؤشرات التذبذب و عدم الوضوح .

  لكن ما يبقى مهما في هذه اللحظة هو مدى قدرة قوى الثورة و القوى المضادة كل في جانبه على التوحد و على رص الصفوف للفوز بالمعركة الاخيرة و التي ستحدد بشكل فاصل مصير الثورة . و لهذا تقف على عاتق الإخوان مسؤولية كبيرة من حيث ضرورة جمع الصف و تحقيق الإجماع الفعلي على مشروع واضح لدولة ديمقراطية و مدنية حديثة و هنا يبدأ فعلا الامتحان الحقيقي للجماعة  و هو قدرتهم على التخلي على الشعارات و تحقيق النتائج على الميدان بعد تحقيقها على مستوى الصناديق . و من المبكر الآن الحديث عن مستقبل الحكم في مصر في حالة نجاح مرشح الإخوان بالرئاسة , لكن لو تم ذلك فعلا و هو متوقع فمن الاجدر و من مصلحة مصر أن يتعلم الإخوان من أخطاء غيرهم بدل التعلم من اخطائهم .

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British Freedom chairman Paul Weston (centre) with vice chairs Kevin Carroll and and Stephen LennonA British Freedom member has posted a report on the BF website about the Islamic takeover of Croydon (where the Muslim communty comprises 5% of the population, compared with 66% who are Christian). He writes:

"In parts of Croydon things English and things Western have been visibly relegated. It's all halal here, halal there and halal everywhere. If you wish to enjoy an animal that has been spared throat-slashing (after being stunned or not), and killed in a manner befitting our own culture then chances are you'll have to search, and sometimes search hard. There are 'Halal Meat Sold Here' signs that inform the population of the 'enrichment' bequeathed to us via the odious triumvirate that is mass pandering, mass appeasing and mass immigration."

(The BF editor helpfully adds a note pointing out that "in halal slaughter nowadays many animals are stunned before having their throats cut, which is arguably more humane. However this is not the main issue for most people, who are more concerned about unknowingly eating meat that has been sacrificed to Allah".)

Not only are the Muslims taking control of Croydon but things don't seem to be going too well for British Freedom itself in the borough. A branch was set up at the start of the year and was promoted as one of the BFP's success stories, having hit the ground running by setting up a website, a Facebook page and even a daily e-paper, while launching itself enthusiastically into a campaign against the expansion of local mosques. Croydon organiser Lee Cooper appeared to be a rising star in the party, joining the BF executive council in March with the post of Communications Officer.

Last week, however, the struggle against the Islamisation of Croydon suffered as serious setback when Cooper announced that he had "formally resigned from all positions previously held within the British Freedom Party, due to inconsolable differences with certain recently made decisions" – presumably a reference to English Defence League leaders Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll being appointed joint BF vice-chairmen – and he has taken the BF Croydon website, Facebook page and Twitter account with him.

So it looks like the elevation of Lennon and Carroll to the leadership hasn't been an unalloyed benefit for British Freedom, doesn't it?

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It's back to school for hundreds of Kirklees bobbies as they take a lesson in Islamic culture. Around 300 frontline officers will take part in 'myth-busting' training designed to help them better understand the Muslim communities they serve.

Acting Chief Insp Adrian Waugh said: "We want to make sure that our officers have a full understanding of the diverse communities they serve on a daily basis. Our aim is always to treat everyone fairly and by taking part in the training, it gives our officers the knowledge and awareness to deal with people professionally and courteously while dealing with different religions and cultures."

Kirklees Faith Network has designed a 90 minute cultural awareness programme for the police at no cost to the force after the success of an similar scheme in 2009. That scheme earned commendations from the then divisional commander, Chief Supt John Robins.

Faith network volunteer Waseem Riaz said: "These sessions are not designed to propagate the Islamic faith. They're designed to give a basic introduction into the Muslim culture for staff engaging with different sections of the community. It's myth-busting work."

Dewsbury Reporter, 29 May 2012

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A judge in Tennessee ruled Tuesday that the public wasn't properly notified about a meeting where local officials approved the plan for a proposed mosque, meaning construction of the disputed project will be stopped.

The new facility for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was one of several Muslim projects in the U.S. that hit a swell of conservative opposition around the same time as the controversy over a plan to build a Muslim community center near New York's ground zero.

Chancellor Robert Corlew noted that his ruling doesn't stop the Rutherford County Planning Commission from reconsidering the issue and again approving the site plan in the booming city of about 100,000 people southeast of Nashville.

Saleh Sbenaty, a spokesman for leaders of the mosque, said the ruling was disappointing but his group remains committed to building the Islamic center. They have been worshipping for many years at a smaller site in the community.

The opponents of the mosque have fought for two years to stop construction. During lengthy hearings in 2010, they presented testimony that in effect put Islam on trial. A string of witnesses questioned whether Islam is a legitimate religion and promoted a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law and the mosque was a part of that plot.

The judge dismissed those allegations but held a trial on the narrower claim that the public meeting law was violated because meeting notice wasn't adequate. The meeting notice was published in the Murfreesboro Post, a free weekly newspaper that claims distribution to 45,000 homes in the county of more than 250,000 people.

Associated Press, 29 May 2012

See "Judge rules nearly finished Tennessee mosque doesn't have permit", Reuters, 29 May 2012

Reuters quotes Joe Brandon, attorney for the group opposing the Islamic Center, as saying that if the nearly completed construction did not stop immediately his group would seek a court injunction. Brandon added: "This was a huge victory. This is the first time in the United States that the political entity of Islam has been stopped in its tracks."

See also "CAIR seeks DOJ action after TN judge stops mosque construction", CAIR press release, 29 May 2012

Update:  See "Ruling leaves Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in limbo", Daily News Journal, 29 May 2012

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A bill that would protect the rights of workers who wear religious-oriented clothing at work was overwhelmingly passed by the California Assembly on Tuesday, May 28. AB 1964 now goes to the State Senate, where its proponents hope it will pass before the Legislature adjourns at the end of August. Then it would go to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

The bill, dubbed the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2012, essentially would not break new ground but would clarify the federal Fair Employment and Housing Act, said Rachel Linn, spokeswoman for Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D-Davis, author of the measure.

The bill, which moved through several assembly committees with little opposition, was supported by a broad collation of religious affiliations, including Muslim, Sikh, Catholic and Jewish organizations as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.

Only three members of the Assembly voted against the measure Tuesday, including Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks. Donnelly said in an email that he opposed AB 1964 because it places another burden on employers and could lead to unneeded lawsuits.

Adel Syed, the government relations coordinator for the Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he regularly reviews cases in which women who keep their heads covered in observance of Muslim law are treated differently in the workplace and may not have the same opportunities as their coworkers.

The same thing happens to Sikh men and orthodox Jewish men who wear yarmulkes, Syed said. Some employers are skittish about having these workers front and center, where they would interact with customers and the public.

"Some employers might say they are making a reasonable accommodation," by permitting the traditional garb, Syed said. "But then they decide to put that person in the back, in the stockroom."

Press-Enterprise, 29 May 2012

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People have different opinions when it comes to the role of proper grammar rules in the Arabic language proficiency level. They should be aware of the fact that learning Arabic requires the same amount of effort and persistence as any other foreign dialect.

The reasons for which people decide to begin learning Arabic are very different also. Some need to learn it because of a romantic involvement or friendship, while others do it for a job. A lot of the cases when people want to learn Arabic are when they are planning a travel to Middle Eastern countries or countries in North Africa. Another reason might be the simple fact that someone sees learning a new language as a hobby.

No matter the reason for which one wants to learn Arabic, there are several techniques for becoming proficient in Arabic. At least one of these methods will suit your individual needs and will help you getting to a more advanced level. The basics of the Arabic language can be learned on your own. At first, one should try to attempt only a few words to assess if learning this language is something you want to spend your time on, and also to get a general idea before deciding to spend money on traditional trainings.

Many people that have their doubts about whether to start learning Arabic or not, want to know just how useful the language will be and for what purpose it will be used. Arabic is spoken by Muslims even in parts of India and Indonesia. Some countries that use some form of the Arabic dialect are as follows:Kyrgyzstan,Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan,Uzbekistan, Bangladesh,Turkmenistan, Malaysia,Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

Certain places have Islam as their main religion, and a lot of people study the Arabic Language dialect to be able to read the Qur’an. These countries are:Tanzania,Nigeria,Djibouti,Somalia,Niger,Senegal,Ethiopia,Gambia,Sudan,Mali,Ghana and Guinea.

If someone is very interested in becoming proficient in the Arabic language, he should keep in mind that some components will be very easy to learn, while the rest will be very hard to learn. Another thing to remember is that some individuals are able to take in new languages a lot easier in comparison to other individuals. People that use the Hebrew dialect will find it easier to learn Arabic, because of some similarities between the two languages while English or Spanish speaking people will need more time to accommodate to the Arabic grammar. This might be valid for people that are proficient in another dialect because their brain already comprehends other expressions and rules.

The Arabic language has 28 consonantal phonemes and two semi-vowels. Any dialect of the Arabic language is read from right to left, as opposite to the English language. The Arabic language also includes sounds that don’t exist in the English language. For example, the Arabic glottal stop is non-existent in the English language. Typically the apostrophe represents the glottal stop in Arabic.

Even though the Arabic Language grammar is nothing like the one in the English language, it is not hard to learn it. Some rules of the Arabic grammar are actually easier than the English rules of grammar. Once the person has gained a significant amount of proficiency in the essentials of the Arabic language and decides to commit more time to studying the language, he must discover a method to improve the level of proficiency that is suitable for his individual needs. An advanced level of the Arabic language might include some expenses, but they are worth it if they will help one become very proficient in Arabic.

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Muslim Academy is an online portal to understanding the Arabic language, Muslim culture, and Islam – everything you need to understand the modern Muslim world.  We offer private, live, one on one instruction in both Arabic language, Islam, and Tajweed.  Our lessons are online, taught via Skype, with native speakers of Arabic living in Egypt.  At the end of each lesson, the student receives a copy of his lesson so that he or she can constantly learn from it.  As an online teaching center, we often get many questions about how things are different from private, in home instruction.

Well, one benefit is the cost advantages.  In places like America and the United Kingdom, private instruction can cost as much as USD $30 per hour because the cost of living is so much higher.  Teachers earn much more money.  At Muslim Academy, we have exceptionally talented, native speakers who live and breathe the Arabic language, and who can offer rates much lower than those in the West, because the cost of living is lower.  We’re talking as low as $6.73.  What???  Also, in the West, you may be taught by someone named Fred or Jack or Suzie, i.e. someone who has very likely never studied Arabic in an actual Arabic speaking country before.   At Muslim Academy, we’re native speakers of the Arabic language, so you know you’re getting people who actually know what they’re talking about.  At Muslim Academy, we’re cheaper, and offer higher quality instruction, than the other guys.

Another advantage is the time.  With in person classes, there is often a set time that people have to get up to get to a school and be on time, sometimes through the snow and the rain and the sleet.  And if they are not on time, all the other students laugh at them.  At Muslim Academy, you can learn from the comfort of your home.  We don’t ask whether you are wearing your pajamas or not, because wearing pajamas is your fundamental right.  You can eat cookie dough during classes, you can have Oprah in the background.  We don’t know and we don’t care.  Can real life classes say the same thing?  At Muslim Academy, we don’t care if you wear your pajamas or eat cookie dough while learning Arabic language.

The third advantage is how smart you can look in front of your peers.  If you’re in school, learning Arabic language with Muslim Academy will help you get better grades and impress you in front of your classmates.  Let’s face it, you’ll look cool.  You’ve probably struggled with getting good grades in Arabic because you have nobody to practice with.  Why is nobody else learning Arabic?  We have no idea.  If you want a job with a top secret government organization, what language do you think the government wants.  French? Yeah go back to Napoleonic times buddy.   No, in today’s world you need to learn Arabic.  Did we say our lessons our cheaper?  That’s good because you’ll need the money for all the dates you’re going to have.  At Muslim Academy, learning Arabic will make you cool, and probably get you a date because you’re so cool.

Finally, learning Arabic language with Muslim Academy means that your teacher is 1,000 miles away.  According to LearnArabicTV, some teachers beat their students.  Well, we can assure you Muslim Academy never beats our students – even if we wanted to, we can’t beat people through Skype – an online connection.  Can we back up this claim?  Absolutely.  Just watch the video below.  Don’t all schools claim not to beat their students?  No they don’t.  Show us one school that has on their blog they don’t beat their students, and we’ll give you a free class.  At Muslim Academy, we don’t beat our students.  That’s our guarantee.

Yeah, we said it.  We had the guts to say it.  Not many do.  That’s what makes us different.  We’re the young generation.  We’re the future.  We’re Muslim Academy.  Language.  Culture.  Religion.

To the Max.

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Contraception could be explained as any method used for the prevention of the child birth. Since this measure contradicts the purpose of marriage, we shall try to clarify this universal truth in the light of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (P.B.U.H).

Islamic Sources:

The fundamental sources judging the ethics of contraception in accordance with the Islamic laws are the Qur’an, Prophet’s tradition and ijtihad (the efforts exerted by the Islamic scholars on issues which remain unexplained due to unavailability of specific text). The Qur’an does not give a resounding statement either in support or against contraception as such. There might be a similarity in its denunciation of infanticide, which was generally confined to the female off springs and in trend before the arrival of Islam.

Some scholars have deducted the conclusion from the traditions of the Prophet that if the process of creation is stopped due to the fear of feeding infants, then the crime would be equal to infanticide. In the pre-Islamic era, girls were considered a burden and liability to the family. Therefore, female infanticide was quite common. As soon as girls were born they were buried alive. The arrival of Islam put an end to this inhuman and immoral practice. Infanticide is the killing of an already existent child whereas contraception implies to the precaution taken to avoid birth.

The Qur’an encourages mothers to feed their children for two years after birth. Qur’an seems silent on the topic of contraception consequently it leaves us on the Hadiths to look for our answers. The method of contraception practiced in the days of the Prophet was called Al’azl. It’s literal meaning is to pull apart. To speak of it technically, it is a process in which the male counterpart withdraws at the time of emission to prevent child birth.

From the Hadith, it is clear that Prophet (SAWS) was aware of the practicing of Al’azl and he did not ask the people to stop this practice. However, in another Hadith it has been emphasized that a woman should give her acceptance for this procedure. Another Hadith explains that Allah can create whenever He wants, and He has the infinite powers. Muslim scholars have tried to explain this issue further by their research of the Sunnah. They have come to the conclusion that this process of withdrawal was permitted by the Prophet and cannot be compared to minor infanticide.

There are four schools that have given their derivation of contraceptive methods. The first one states that it is not desirable for the husband to practice ‘azl with his wife without her consent as it is her marriage right to bear children. Another school agrees to the above conclusion. Imam Al Nawawi of Shafi School says that this act is not commendable in any condition, irrespective of the women’s consent. However, if the wife agrees then it will not be considered haram. The Hanbali School states that the practicing of azl without reason is improper. However, it is not haram but the consent of the wife is important.

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An Awesome Journey Of My Life:

Mecca is one of the oldest cities of the world, which is known as the Holy City of the Muslim cities of the world. Here, an annual pilgrimage takes place known as Hajj. Almost, all the people of the world, especially Muslims have knowledge about the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Different people from different races, genders and different cities, countries and regions visit this precious Holy place known as Mecca. I have been blessed with the journey to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. I could not describe my gracious feelings, which were appearing after seeing the wall of Mecca. The city of all Prophets, Adam, Ibrahim, and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). This journey to Mecca faithfully represented the incredible spiritual journey of Hajj pilgrims. When I have made my seven circuits around the Kaaba, it was the best moment of my life. When I drank water from the well of Mecca.

I have observed different things over there. On the Pilgrimage, there were thousands of pilgrims of different colors, eyes and races. But were making their seven circuits around the Kaaba. different colors. Even, I could not observe any discrimination between Islam and Christianity over there. The Muslims of east and west were equal in the Pilgrimage of that Holy place. I really felt so good by observing all these points during The Pilgrimage to Mecca.

No doubt, The Pilgrimage to Mecca reflects the rich intellectual and theological tradition of the Muslim People of the world. In the precious journey, the concept of discrimination completed excluded. In the Pilgrimage to Mecca, people never think about the races, background, countries, colors and appearance of one another. In this great journey of Mecca, a strong bonding of understanding and co-operation usually creates between and among the Muslim people.

Whatever I observed on The Pilgrimage to Mecca, forced me to re-arrange my thoughts, which I had previously in my mind. All Muslims are same, brothers and sisters of one another. This is a reality where actually takes place during the Pilgrimage to Mecca. The precious journey to Mecca can easily change the thoughts of the Muslim people. On the platform of Mecca, all the people eat in one plate, sleep on one bed and perform the same activities on the platform of Mecca.

As the Hajj is connected with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from the many centuries, since then Muslims from all over the world have been performing this Holy activity. Different pilgrims from the different countries converge on the Kaaba, and join the procession of Hajj. It is really a hearty feeling, when you touch the Gulaaf-e-Kaaba with your hands. The Pilgrimage of Mecca is something which consists of several steps, and there are many ethical values which you need to remember during this precious journey. I have learned many values from my whole Holy journey to Mecca.

When pilgrims come back from the Pilgrimage, they are literary like a new born baby. I also felt very awesome, when I came back from The Pilgrimage To Mecca.

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Pat Condell, the National Secular Society's favourite comedian (he has been repeatedly nominated for their Secularist of the Year award, although he has yet to win it) has long had a fan base among the Islamophobic right in the United States. He has recently acquired a new admirer. It's none other than Bonni Benstock-Intall of the hate site Bare Naked Islam, which achieved notoriety last year for its promotion of violence against Muslims and attacks on mosques. Over the past year or so Bare Naked Islam has repeatedly posted Condell's videos and hailed him as a fellow anti-Muslim bigot.

I get the impression that even the National Secular Society has begun to find Condell a bit of an embarrassment. The NSS no longer loudly proclaims Condell as a member, urging everyone to watch his Islamophobic videos and pouring scorn on critics who characterised his anti-Muslim diatribes as hate speech. Given Condell's repeated rants against immigrant rapists, that is hardly surprising. By any standards the material Condell produces these days can't be characterised as anything other than hate speech, as his enthusiastic endorsement by Bare Naked Islam makes clear. But we've yet to hear any leading figure in the NSS dissociate the organisation from Condell or withdraw its earlier declarations of support for him.

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The government is facing renewed calls to curb the slaughtering of animals that have not first been rendered unconscious – a debate that pits religious sensitivities against the convictions of animal welfare campaigners.

Senior Conservative backbencher Greg Knight has told MPs that the practice of slaughtering cattle, lambs and chickens in this way is "rife".

The law demands that animals be stunned before they are killed – by electrocution, gassing, or shooting retractable rods into their brains – but there are exemptions for animals to be killed according to Jewish and Muslim traditions, without stunning them first. In the Commons on Thursday, Mr Knight described these exemptions as "unacceptable".

This is the culmination of a series of interventions from the Conservative backbenches in recent weeks, adopting progressively more hardline stances on the subject.

The previous week, Conservative MP for Ealing Central and Acton Angie Bray claimed that "more than 25% of meat sold in our shops comes from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter". As this amount "exceeds easily the needs of our communities with special religious requirements", she suggested that some abattoirs were using the exemptions for kosher and halal meat as an excuse to cut costs. "New measures" might be needed to enforce the law properly, she said.

And last month, Tory MP for Shipley Philip Davies launched a bid to change the law to ensure that halal and kosher meat on sale in shops and eateries was labelled as such. "My sole reason for introducing the bill is to give consumers more information, so that they can exercise their freedom of choice," the former Asda employee told MPs. Mr Davies said his objective was to ensure that consumers knew "how the meat has been killed".

Kosher meat is not processed in the UK from animals stunned prior to slaughter. But EU research from 2006 indicated that 75% of cattle, 93% of sheep and 100% of chickens slaughtered in the UK for halal meat were stunned prior to their deaths. Figures produced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in 2011 give a similar picture: 84%, 81% and 88%, respectively. Meanwhile, Denmark and New Zealand have both legislated to ensure that all animals killed for halal meat are stunned first.

So labelling meat as halal will not fully achieve Mr Davies' objective, since consumers will be unaware whether the animal had been stunned or not.

MPs were quick to point out flaws in Mr Davies's bill, before voting to consign it to the legislative scrap heap by a majority of just three. "If it said that all chickens had to be labelled in a certain way if the birds had been battery hens, or if he had proposed that meat had to be labelled in a certain way if the animals had been kept in dreadful conditions before being killed... I would at least regard him as consistent," Sir Gerald Kaufman said.

The veteran Labour MP accepted that Mr Davies had not the "tiniest anti-Semitic feeling in him", yet he had come forward with a bill that "picked on two small minorities".

BBC News, 28 May 2012

It's no doubt true that Davies harbours little hostility towards the Jewish community. However, the same could be said of Geert Wilders, yet that didn't prevent the PVV supporting anti-halal legislation in the Dutch parliament, which like Davies' bill affected shechita too. In both cases the legislation was aimed at Muslims, but the Jewish community suffered collateral damage. If anyone is prepared to argue that Philip Davies doesn't have the "tiniest Islamophobic feeling in him" I wish them luck.

As for Angie Bray, she raised the question of her constituents "unknowingly eating meat from animals that might not have been pre-stunned during slaughter" in the House of Commons last year, only to be told by James Paice, minister of state at Defra, that "the vast majority of meat slaughtered under halal conditions is pre-stunned, so the issue is not quite as straightforward as some people believe". This didn't prevent Bray returning to the issue this month with her claim that over 25% of meat sold in Britain "comes from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter", citing as her source "a new report by a former president of the British Veterinary Association".

In fact the 25% figure was from an opinion piece by Professor Bill Reilly in the Veterinary Record. It was based on an estimate by the Halal Food Authority and referred to all halal meat sold in the UK, pre-stunned and unstunned. Rather than check out the original article, Bray (or her researcher) evidently preferred to rely on a garbled account in the Daily Telegraph, which wrongly reported that "a quarter of all meat on the British market is now killed according to the non-stun Halal principle".

Only a few days before Bray made her intervention, the Food Standards Agency published the results of its 2011 survey of animal welfare in British slaughterhouses which contained the figures quoted in the BBC report above, namely that 84% of cattle, 81% of sheep and goats and 88% of poultry killed in halal abattoirs were stunned before slaughter. By contrast, none of the animals killed by the shechita method were stunned before their throats were cut. Yet Greg Knight MP's press release calling for "humane animal slaughter" refers only to halal and makes no mention of shechita.

The FSA found that overall 97% of cattle, 90% of sheep and goats and 96% of poultry were stunned before slaughter. In other words, far from being "rife", as Greg Knight asserts, slaughter without pre-stunning affects only a small minority of all animals killed in UK abattoirs.

None of this is to preempt a discussion about whether stunning before slaughter results in less suffering for the animal being killed, which is itself questionable, or indeed whether MPs supposedly concerned about animal cruelty might be better occupied addressing the appalling practices to be found in non-halal UK abattoirs. The point is that Tory MPs like Bray and Knight have launched their attack on halal slaughter in the name of animal welfare without bothering to acquaint themselves with the basic facts of the case. In short, they are couple of ignorant bigots out to win popular support by jumping on the latest anti-Muslim bandwagon.

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A man has admitted threatening to kill his neighbours and forcing his way into their Thornhill Lees home. Daniel Smith, 39, was told that he should expect a long jail term when he returns to Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on June 22.

On Wednesday, Smith admitted 10 offences linked to events in Victoria Road on August 26, 2011. They included burglary, common assault, affray, four counts of making threats to kill and two counts of possessing a knife.

He denied aggravated burglary and possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon – charges which he had faced at an earlier trial where a jury could not reach a verdict.

A re-trial had been ordered and was expected to start at the court on Wednesday morning. But when Smith entered guilty pleas to the majority of charges, the prosecution decided a second trial was not in the public interest.

Prosecutor Christopher Tehrani said the complainants in the case had been spoken to and agreed with that course of action.

Judge Guy Kearl QC told Smith: "This is going to result in a long sentence of imprisonment. I do, however, think it will be helpful to me if I can have the assistance and benefit of a pre-sentence report upon you." He said it would be in Smith’s interest to co-operate with the probation service while they prepared the report.

Smith was remanded into custody until his sentencing.

Dewsbury Reporter, 27 May 2012

See also Hope Not Hate, 28 May 2012

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Vandals struck at a Preston community centre and daubed the walls with racist graffiti. The Hamaara Centre, at the rear of Castleton Road, Deepdale, Preston, was broken into and windows and furniture were smashed by the offenders.

The centre, which is run by Preston Muslim Forum, is used for English classes, youth clubs and mother and toddler groups.

The vandals are believed to have entered the premises using the rear shutter and they caused extensive damage including the smashing of windows and damaging the table tennis table, snooker table, storage cupboard and furniture and toys used by the mother and toddler group.

Paint was also sprayed on the walls and racist graffiti including the Nazi Swastika symbols was scrawled all over the walls.

Lancashire Evening Post, 28 May 2012

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Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which were carried out by hijackers from Arab countries, animosity toward Muslims sometimes has taken the form of opposition to construction of mosques and other Islamic facilities. National debate erupted over plans for a community center that became known as the "Ground Zero mosque" in Lower Manhattan.

In the last five years, there has been "anti-mosque activity" in more than half the states, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Some mosques were vandalized – a $5,000 reward is being offered in a 2011 Wichita mosque arson case – and others were targets of efforts to deny zoning permits.

Mosque opponents often raise concerns about traffic and parking, but Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU's freedom of religion program, says they can be "sham arguments" that mask anti-Muslim sentiment.

USA Today, 28 May 2012

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Rival marches by a far-right group and anti-fascists have passed off without major incident. The Scottish Defence League (SDL) and Unite Against Fascism held separate marches towards St Andrew's House in Edinburgh where they also held their own rallies.

Lothian and Borders Police said around 80 people were at the SDL event while around 300 attended the counter-protest. The force said it organised an extensive police operation for the events and that no one was arrested.

Luke Henderson, of Unite Against Fascism, said: "It was fantastic: the streets of Edinburgh belonged to the anti-racists today. We really represented the diversity that makes Edinburgh the multicultural and vibrant city that it is today."

Press Association, 26 May 2012

See also BBC News, 26 May 2012

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Redditch residents put on a show of unity and defiance as a march through the town from the EDL passed off peacefully.

More than 100 officers were drafted in from across the West Mercia force area as well as Warwickshire, West Midlands and British Transport Police to help control the event and tensions were high throuhgout the day as a large counter demonstration, made up of residents from all sections of Redditch's community and members of United Against Facism, attemped to get near to the main EDL rally.

Between 100 and 150 members of the EDL from across the region turned out for Saturday's rally which saw speeches made from the bandstand although police officially estimate the figure at about 40.

The event lasted for about half an hour during which members of the group urged people to "wake up to the facts" about Islam and made a number of anti-islamic statements and chants.

Trouble flared when passers-by from the afro-caribbean community angered by some of the comments attempted to intervene with the rally and a lager can appeared to be thrown from the EDL side, but officers quickly intervened. In total there were three arrests – one for a breach of the peace and two on suspicion of assault – and police say they were all men and believed to have been attached to the counter EDL demonstration.

EDL member Ed Stevens said they were trying to raise awareness about the threat of Islamic grooming of young white girls.

"It's an awareness campaign, more than anything particularly connected to Redditch. There have been one or two minor incidents around this town but the main thing is we are coming to town and cities everywhere to say take notice of what's going on in your country."

But after the group left about 3pm the larger counter demonstration, with an estimated 500 people involved and which had been held back for most of the day in Easemore Road, marched through the town down to the railway station and back again before holding a brief rally also at the bandstand.

There are now plans to set-up a Redditch Against Facism group.

Safder Hussain, one of the organisers of the counter-protest, said: "The message we have sent to day is straightforward, we do not want the EDL here, we are united and we are strong in that.

"Redditch is a mixed community, I have personally lived here for 40 years and I have never had race relation problems, 99 per cent of Redditch people are the friendlist, nicest people you could ever hope to meet. These people from outside Redditch are coming in to Redditch to spread their malicious, evil, garbage."

Smallwood resident Charlotte Gallen added: "I have lived here all my life, we are proud of the diversity in our town and we always have been."

Other faith groups across Redditch also lent their support to the counter-protest.

Rev Dick Johnson, chairman of Redditch Churches Together, said: "We are together against what the EDL stand for, standing with those who want peace and unity in our community. In Redditch we are a united community and it's wrong for people to come to this town and suggest their are problems - it's just not true."

Supt Adrian Pass, North Worcestershire Police Commander, thanked the people of Redditch for their support in ensuring the afternoon passed off peacefully.

"My appreciation goes to the local community for the very dignified and respectful way they held their protest and the way they conducted themselves.

"This was a great effort by the whole community and it is a tribute to all those involved the town is calm and everything is returning to normal."

He called the arrests isolated incidents but added they would check film and CCTV footage to see if any incidents had been missed.

"We always consider all of the facts but we did say we as the police would be dealing very robustly with any people who wanted to commit criminal acts and that's what we did do."

Staff from Redditch Borough Council were supporting the police operation and Kevin Dicks, chief executive of Redditch Borough Council, was in the command centre West Mercia force headquarters watching events.

He added the council wanted to work with the community over the coming weeks and months to stage an event during the summer to highlight the town's diverse community.

"The Redditch community did us proud and celebrated that diversity with a very peaceful counter demonstration. We have a really diverse community here in Redditch and one we are proud of. We want to work with the community over the coming weeks and months to organise something that is a celebration of Redditch."

Redditch Standard, 26 May 2012

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