Sharia News Watch 109 - dd. 11 Mar 04
Enzo
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The Sharia Newswatch provides a regular update of news quotes
on Sharia (Islamic Law) & Islamic news, as appearing on the major
news searchengines.
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ALGERIA
El Harrach imam assassinated in possible "terrorist" attack
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=48288874
.. [newspaper El Watan web site on 11 March]
The imam, according to a security source, had led the dhuhr [midday]
prayer. The terrorist lead, which has not been eliminated, has not,
for the time being, been formally established. The imam, who took two
bullets, one to his head and the other in his left arm, was admitted
in a comatose state to Zemirli Hospital. After having been admitted to
the reanimation room, the imam succumbed to his wounds early yesterday
evening. The case was handed over to the criminal brigade of the
Province of Algiers Judicial Police Service [SWPJ] to determine the
motive for the act, it was reported by Algiers Province security
agencies.
BAHRAIN
MP wants strict application of Sharia in Bahrain - 08 Mar 04
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=113161
..
An Islamist member of the Bahraini Parliament intends to propose the
introduction of Islamic Sharia castigations, including amputating the
hands of thieves, to the kingdom's criminal code in an attempt to
confront what he described as "the surreal rise" in crime. MP Jassim
Al Saidi claims Bahrain's secular code is "too soft to stop the recent
upsurge in all sorts of crimes." Criminals are being "encouraged" by
lenient punishments, he told Gulf News at the House of Deputies
yesterday. A leading Bahraini human rights activist however rejected
the proposal saying the idea itself is "bizarre."
..
"Islam has addressed this issue long time ago," said Al Saidi, "The
thieve should get his hand cut off. I assure you others will get the
lesson." Al Saidi is a controversial figure whose focus on religious
issues has been widely criticised in Bahrain, a multi-cultural society
where most people lead a Western-style life. Last year, he, a long
with another Islamist MP, Sheikh Ali Matter, introduced a motion to
allow soldiers and policemen to grow their beards. He also got the
Parliament tied for a day to debate the issue of allowing fully veiled
women to drive.
Hard work prepares women for top jobs - 08 Mar 04
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=76084&Sn=BNEW
..
"It was not an easy job coming up all the way to be one among the six
Shura Council members selected from thousands of women." Dr Haffadh,
who has held various responsible positions at the Health Ministry and
is currently chairwoman of the health, population and environment
committee at the Supreme Council for Women, believes women have to
fight for their rights and independence. "As long as women are quiet
nothing will come to them on their own. We have to fight for our
rights and achieve them. That is where the true success of women
lies," said Dr Haffadh. She said the enthusiasm of Bahraini women for
more education was a good starting point from which to improve their
status. "But the women must put more effort into participating in the
Bahrain labour force. Only 26 per cent of Bahraini women are working
at present and the rest of the workforce are men.
..
Dr Haffadh said a lot more effort was needed from the government side
to enforce family law in Bahrain and consequently reduce the number of
divorces. "We don't have family law in Bahrain and we mainly depend on
the Sharia Law. The law by itself is good," she continued. "But since
they are not translated into articles it is left to the clergymen to
interpret - and clergymen are also human beings. "We trust them but it
is again human interpretation. So it is a must that we have a written
law.
..
Dr Haffadh said children have to be prepared to face reality once they
had reached a marriageable age. "There is no sex education and also we
do not have enough organisations to support couples with their
problems. "Even if we do, most couples are not aware of it. Such
things should be given more publicity."
BANGLADESH
[comment] Alternative dispute resolution - 10 Mar 04
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/03/10/d40310020234.htm
..
We agree fully with chief justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain who opined
that Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) being cheaper and speedier
than the traditional justice system, can largely mitigate the
sufferings of the poor population. Those who fall victim to fatwa in
rural Bangladesh could also be saved. There is no doubt that over the
years the rising expenses of legal system, inordinate delays in the
disposal of cases and the huge backlog have not only shaken the
confidence of people in the judiciary, but also encouraged arbitrary
justice like the so-called shalish [traditional local arbitration].And
that's where we failed to meet the demand for justice.
..
Building awareness at the community level on conflict or dispute
resolution and creation of regular corps of trained and efficient
mediators/neutrals' upon whom the judges or the disputing parties can
rely for this process are pivotal to the establishment of such a
system. It will also be a clear move away from the arbitrary, vested
interest group-sponsored derailment of justice. Mostly the tiffs or
complaints from smaller causes snowball into long-drawn-out conflicts
that contribute to the mounting backlog of cases. This problem can be
addressed through the alternate dispute resolution method.
Milad - Not an Islamic Paradigm But a Serenade to Muhammad - 07 Mar 04
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2004-03-07&hidType=FEA
..
The lyrics of Milad, when sung in a melodious Arabic tune, might fill
our hearts with unfathomed respect for Prophet Muhammad. Presumably,
our illiteracy (most of us) of Arabic language, happened to be a
blessing in disguise. While we perform the Milad ritual with holiness
in mind, we know nothing about what we are saying. If the Imam,
leading the Milad ceremony, ever knew that his wordings tantamount to
assuming Muhammad as a girl and falling in love with him, perhaps he
would, immediately, perform thousands of other prayers to wash out the
sin (if any) he has committed. Frankly speaking, a number of Milad
wordings are suggestive of amorous expressions of a man to his lover.
For instance: "O Mohammed, my love. You are the bride of my beating
heart. Your face brings happiness. Your prettiness is unparalleled.
You are a healing drink for our hearts. You are the light of our
bosom", and a host of others. How this ritual, dedicated to
serenading Prophet Muhammad, crept into Indian brand of Islam? There
is no easy answer but the composition, grammar and word choice
indicate its origin in Indian subcontinent. It is more so when the
expression "Maulana Muhammad", could not be traced in any country
other than the [Indian] subcontinent.
..
Here comes the genius of Aliya Madrassa [constituted by the British in
1780]. It tamed the essence of Islam by clipping its wings after
altering many of its creeds. Since the Madrassa was administered by
the Christian missionaries, it helped popularize the idea that Islam
was nothing but a dream of Muhammad himself. Consequently, Islam was
named after Muhammad and was called "Mohamadan" religion, just as the
followers of Jesus are known as "Christians", after the name of the
Christ.
..
Though the term "milad" means a birth and by extension "birthday", but
milad has a different religious stigma for the Muslims of India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. They perform Milad for the prevention of
cholera, passing exams, getting a new job, having son's circumcision,
performing a marriage and the list goes on and on. In fact the Milad
is embedded as an Islamic hymn, dedicated to Muhammed with the
compelling feelings as the Christians do for Jesus. The wordings of
the Milad is still puzzling. Perhaps some love stories, composed by
the not-so-popular ones, lingered a couple of years and then the book
got smudged and dusted. The page of the book that enshrined an erotic
line - "You are the bride of my beating heart" lost its appeal after a
while. Naturally, nostalgia thins out with the age of the beholder.
..
In fact, some of the expressions of the Milad are highly offensive
when viewed from the Koranic verses that demand "all praises are for
God." Apart from the contradiction with the Koranic guidance, some of
the lyrics of the Milad are suggestive of a lustful serenade to
prophet Muhammad. In fact the Milad is an obscenity and a ridiculous
entertainment involving Muhammad.
Being skeptical of the anomaly of this ritual, occurring only in the
Indian subcontinent, I got hold of the Arabic text of the Milad and
had it translated by some Syrians who are scholars in Arabic. The
comments of the translators are not all that palatable. According to
them the wordings of this poem could have never been chosen by an
Arab. It appears to have been composed by one whose mother tongue was
not Arabic. It contains offensive words and they are not befitting for
the reverence and decorum maintained by the Muslims for their
Prophets. The beauty of a full moon, i.e. a moon of 14 days, is used
in Arabic culture for the erotic expression of the beauty of a pretty
girl. In composing this poem, perhaps a non-Arabic person plagiarized
an old Arabic poem of amorous courtship of a man to a woman.
I have presented the translated and transliterated version of the
Milad for the readers' perusal. [..]
..
Incidentally, a class of Islamic 'mullahs' (clerics) were produced by
Aliya Madrassa who were dedicated to advising the Muslims to devote
their times on religious rituals alone. Learning English was
vehemently discouraged amongst the Muslim. They came up with the
sermon that this world is merely a temporary shelter for our onward
journey to hereafter. Consequently, this dogma kept the Muslims far
away from the political and administrative arena during the early
British rule.
EGYPT
Egyptian cleric approves marriage via matchmaking agencies
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/mar9w14.htm - 09 Mar 04
..
Egypt's Grand Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa issued a decree Sunday approving
marriages arranged by matchmaking agencies, including those operating
on the Internet, as long as women's families were informed. "It is
legal under Islamic law to get married through firms that specialise
in marriages on condition correct information is given" on the
suitors, Sheikh Ali told Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency.
..
However, the decree banned the use of "centres which have a purely
commercial aim or which encourage young women to meet suitors alone
and without their parents' knowledge." Matchmaking agencies, including
those on the Internet, have proliferated in Egypt in the last few
years, with some offering their services to Egyptians living overseas.
INDIA
Muslims excommunicated for supporting national anthem - 10 Mar 04
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=48237243
.. [Indian news agency PTI]
Fifty-four pro-BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] Muslims were
excommunicated and their marriages nullified by a local mufti after
they reportedly expressed the view that singing of India's national
song Vande Mataram was not un-Islamic, a fatwa which has sent ripples
in the community in this northern Indian town [Agra in Uttar Pradesh].
..
It was wrong for Muslims to sing Vande Mataram, the mufti said, adding
those advocating the song were deviating from the religion. The fatwa
also nullifies the wedding of those excommunicated. Muslims who made
statements in favour of the national song should offer prayers to
renew their faith in Islam and remarry according to Islamic rites, he
said. Among those excommunicated were Mutwallis (Masjid [mosque]
heads) of the Loha Mandi and Shaheed Nagar mosques, where a group of
pro- BJP Muslims had said that the song praised the motherland and did
not mask any religious sentiments. Of the 54 persons who were
excommunicated, 13 had asked for forgiveness.
INDONESIA
ban on public kissing as part of public morality crackdown
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040309/w030940.html - 09 Mar 04
..
A proposed bill before parliament would ban kissing on the lips and
making love in public places. Erotic dancing, public exposure of
private body parts and "performing in, organizing or watching sex
shows" would also become crimes, said Aisyah Hamid Baidlawi, who heads
a house committee on pornography. "The bill aims to protect people
from exploitation and promote morality and ethics," he said Tuesday.
The proposal has been discussed since 2001 and nothing has come of it
so far. Baidlawi declined to predict when or whether he thought it
would become law.
IRAN
Shiite Young Folks Interpret Islam In A Fun Way - 10 Mar 04
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=48261358
.. [Global Information Network]
The holy month of Moharram, marked by ritual mourning, has highlighted
a rift between official religious doctrine and young people who make
up the large majority of this Shiite Islamic republic's population.
Contrary to the uniform and austere religion promoted by the state,
young Iranians increasingly have turned to individual interpretations
that allow them, for example, to express themselves through Western
fashions and popular music. The specific forms of expression and the
energy with which young people pursue them might be unique to the
current generation, but its members recognize that the act of
balancing state doctrine with individual conscience is not new.
..
The nouveau-riche area [Tehran] is named for the sculpture that
dominates it, a structure consisting of a hollow trunk, a metal heart
and a headscarf, and designed to symbolize an archetypal Islamic
mother. The neighbourhood, like the rest of Iran, has been observing
Moharram. .. "My friends and I lament and beat our chests gently
during the first ten days of the mourning month of Moharram and listen
to rhythmic lamentations while we go riding in our cars," said Amin,
speaking in his French-style decorated dinning room.
..
As some tell it, young men who beat themselves on the chest and young
women who wear trendy dresses and muted makeup are drawn to the
processions increasingly by a desire to be seen and to be found
appealing. "By avoiding eye-catching makeup during these days I intend
to show my tribute to the Karbala tragedy and Imam Hussain's martyrdom
but at the same time I am on the trail of the parade to see and to be
seen. What is wrong with that?" said Farideh Agahi, 20, a student at
Tehran Azad University, in the capital's affluent northern district.
Over the years, new musical instruments, fashions, rhythms and
eulogies have been incorporated into the mourning ceremonies in
Tehran. "Many things, such as drums, flutes and synthesizers, today
are common but were unthinkable ten or 12 years ago," said shopkeeper
Ali Hassani, 60. Western couture is a relative newcomer, and it stands
in stark contrast to Mader roundabout's sculpture, which serves as a
constant reminder of acceptable dress for Muslim women. "For the first
time, the new middle class mourning fashion almost spontaneously
popped up in the aftermath of the Sep.11 tragedy," said Nader
Forghani, 35, who runs a boutique featuring the latest Italian and
French fashions on the northern side of the roundabout. Since then, it
has become common for the neighbourhood's middle- class residents to
descend on the roundabout for a candlelight vigil to mark the tenth of
Moharram, Nader said.
..
Local media reported that vigilantes attacked participants in the
Ashura candlelight vigil with iron bars and heavy chains. Some of Amin
Mazaheri's friends were among the victims.
..
Sociologist Karamat Azimi, 60, said the vigilantes had misjudged the
situation. "Before the Islamic revolution, middle class and educated
people used to convert covertly and overtly to different schools of
thought such as Marxism, even various Islamic or Protestant Christian
denominations. But nowadays, they try to individualize the official
version of Islam," Azimi said.
IRAQ
Iraq's Al-Sistani Criticizes Constitution - 08 Mar 04
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3836429,00.html
..
Iraq's top Shiite cleric criticized the nation's newly signed interim
constitution on Monday, saying it will not have legitimacy until it is
approved by an elected body.
..
"Any law prepared for the transitional period will not gain legitimacy
except after it is endorsed by an elected national assembly,''
al-Sistani said in a fatwa, or religious ruling, released on his Web
site.
[comment] Iraq Navigates Between Islam and Democracy - 07 Mar 04
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/weekinreview/07sach.html?ex=1079326800
..
The role of Islam in governing Iraq is likely to remain a potential
deal-breaker, not only now in discussions of a transitional "basic
law" but also in a year or so, when Iraqis hope to elect
representatives to write a permanent constitution. Excluding Islam
entirely is widely considered impossible. Many Iraqi political figures
said that such a decision would probably doom the constitutional
exercise, leaving its authors open to accusations of kowtowing to
foreign influence and risking a definitive rift with the Shiite
majority. But accepting Shariah, or Islamic law, could raise other
problems. If the will of the majority is respected only to the extent
that it conforms to Islamic law, the public's will can be thwarted by
any non-elected "guardian" of religion, noted Sohrab Behdad, an
Iranian-American who writes frequently on Islamic issues. "What is
Islamic may not be preferred by the majority, and what is preferred by
the majority may not be Islamic," said Professor Behdad, who teaches
economics at Denison University in Ohio. "What if the majority decides
to legalize consumption of alcohol?"
..
"Once you include Islam, you can never change it," said Adel Darwish,
a London-based writer specializing in the Middle East. "You run the
risk that anyone challenging this concept will be accused of blasphemy
and will have a fatwa hanging over their head."
..
In practice, however, merging constitutionally enshrined religious
power with existing civil and criminal law has been difficult. The
courts simply haven't known how to do it. "In all cases it turned out
to be a mostly symbolic point, because when it came to the actual
implementation. the courts said, We cannot be asked to reconcile this
discrepancy between the enacted law and the aspirations stated in the
constitution," said Khaled Abou el Fadl, an expert on Islamic law who
is a visiting professor at Yale University. "On a rhetorical bombastic
level, you have people shouting, 'Islam, Islam,' " he added. "But when
it comes to nuts and bolts, it plays a very small role except in
family law."
The structure of a future government will also be part of a new
constitution, and that is where religion could play a major role. But
Ayatollah Sistani and many other prominent Iraqi Shiite leaders have
said they do not want an Iranian-style constitution that
institutionalizes the clergy as the country's ultimate political
power. They envision, instead, a government in which religious
authorities are given a formal role as advisers or consultants to the
justice system, a system more in line with the mainstream school of
Shiite political thinking in Iraq. "We will not have institutions
within a state," said Faleh A. Jabar, a senior fellow at the Institute
of Peace in Washington and the author of several books on Iraq's
Shiites. "Religious institutions will be there, but only in the sense
that Sistani is an institution."
..
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04067/281671.stm - 07 Mar 04
..
Sistani's Najaf-based sons and Qom-based son-in-law conduct the
day-to-day operations of his foundation's properties, which include a
successful Internet service provider that employs 66 workers and
operates sites like Sistani.org and the home page for Iran's
conservative Council of Guardians.
KENYA
Demo over Kadhi's courts - 09 Mar 04
http://www.eastandard.net/headlines/news09030418.htm
..
Over 300 Christian religious leaders yesterday demonstrated outside
the Bomas of Kenya following the inclusion of Kadhi’s courts in the
Zero Draft. This was also as the delegates rejected a motion seeking
to make Kenya a Christian State. The group, led by retired
Presbyterian moderator, Jesse Kamau, were stopped by security
officials from storming the venue of the National Constitutional
Conference to present a memorandum to the delegates.
..
"We hereby demand an immediate and unqualified apology from PLO
Lumumba to the Christian community and the leaders he insulted by his
utterances broadcast on the electronic media," they stated. The
leaders, operating under the banner of the Kenya Church, accused
Lumumba of stoking religious fires. They further accused the CKRC of
having "an elaborate and deliberate agenda" behind the entrenchment of
Kadhi's courts into the Constitution.
..
The vowed to resist the entrenchment of the courts in the new
Constitution. "We wish to state categorically that we shall not accept
anything beyond this in the Constitution," they said. The clerics
wondered why the issue did not feature in the Bomas consensus group
recommendations. They said they had handled the debate on the courts
with tolerance and understanding, wondering why the review commission
had discarded their views.
KUWAIT
Adel Imam reprimands Kuwaiti Islamists for wrongfully banning his play
http://albawaba.com/headlines/TheNews.php3?sid=272353 - 11 Mar 04
..
Egyptian comedian-actor Adel Imam has held a press conference in Qatar
at the Doha Festival, where his famous play "The Bodyguard" is being
featured, that extreme Islamists (referred to as Birds of Darkness)
were behind the banning of his play in Kuwait a few weeks ago. Adel
stressed that he was extremely disappointed when he was notified that
his play was banned by the Birds of Darkness, not understanding what
reasons or objections they may have against the play. According to the
Safir daily, Adel added that he could not understand how some Lebanese
singers like Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wahbi and the like can without any
problem perform in Kuwait and his simple play be banned and regarded
as inappropriate. Adel stressed that he always abides by Censorship
standards and ethics and his play does not offend in anyway. The actor
noted that his play was shown in Jordan, Syria, and other Arab
countries without facing any problems. Adel revealed that he believes
one of the main reasons his play was banned in Kuwait is due to the
fact that he had recently held a quarrel with a female Kuwaiti
Censorship member. During his quarrel he was accused of being a
politician, but he denied the matter stressing that he was able to
make the entire Arab nation laugh and cheer them up, unlike the
malfunctioning Association of Arab Universities, which has achieved
nothing.
MALAYSIA
Role of Islam dominates Malaysian election - 07 Mar 04
http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp;?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4512466
..
The role of Islam looks set to dominate Malaysian elections like never
before in the country's 46-year history, as a row brewed over an
Islamist opposition leader's promises of heaven to Muslim voters.*
..
"This is an issue that we have to face. We cannot put it aside,"
[prime minister] Abdullah, himself the son of a respected Islamic
scholar, told reporters after a political rally in the southwestern
state of Malacca. "We have to have answers, explanations for the
people. Otherwise, there will be views and edicts that are unsuitable,
that will influence Muslims, if left unanswered," he said, a day after
meeting with 2,000 ulama, Muslim scholars, in Putrajaya, the country's
new administrative capital.
..
The large Chinese and Indian minorities, who make up around one-third
of Malaysia's population, can do little more than look on as UMNO does
battle with PAS. PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat was quoted by
the Star newspaper on Saturday as saying that the Koran states that
"those who rally behind Islam are also those who want to live under
divine laws laid down by Allah". "And naturally, they will go to
heaven for choosing an Islamic party, while those who support
un-Islamic parties will logically go to hell," he said.
..
Lim Kit Siang, a veteran leader of the largely Chinese opposition
Democratic Action Party was alarmed by the contest between UMNO and
PAS to prove their Islamic credentials. "When I was in parliament for
30 years, from 1969 to 1999, I never heard anyone talk about an
Islamic state. The term was never used because the mainstream
nation-building agenda was for a secular democracy with Islam as the
official religion," Lim told Reuters. He feared either side could use
the election result as a mandate to pursue a religious agenda, even
though he believed Abdullah personally stood for an Islamic way of
life without an Islamic state.
..
* Malaysian Islamic leader promises heaven - 06 Mar 04
http://newsobserver.com/24hour/world/story/1188350p-8152563c.html
..
"It is stated in the Quran that those who rally behind Islam are also
those who want to live under divine laws laid down by Allah," Nik Aziz
was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper. "And naturally, they will
go to heaven for choosing an Islamic party, while those who support
un-Islamic parties will logically go to hell." Anuar Bukhary, Nik
Aziz's press secretary, told The Ass. Press the quotes were accurate.
Woman: There's no room for violence - 08 Mar 04
http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Features/20040308074658/Article/indexb_html
..
[Women’s Development Collective executive director Maria Chin
Abdullah] said marital rape was still not considered a crime in
Malaysia. "A wife is expected to submit. So, it is very difficult in
practice for a woman to prove that sexual assault has occurred unless
she can demonstrate serious injury. "Otherwise, she has to produce
four credible witnesses under syariah law. This is often near
impossible as in most rape cases, there are seldom any third-party
witnesses," she explained. The passing of the hudud laws in Terengganu
in 2002 further discourages the reporting of rape cases. The section
on rape states that "a woman who reports she has been raped will be
charged with qaraf (slanderous accusation) and flogged 80 lashes if
she is unable to prove the rape".
..
"A rape victim is afraid of being stigmatised as 'spoilt', dirty or
impure. If she is married, she fears her marriage will be jeopardised.
Which is why victims remain silent." She added that there is also a
tendency for society to blame the victim, that she was gullible, too
friendly or sexily dressed. "Does this warrant a person to commit
rape? The point to stress is that no one deserves to be raped."
..
Domestic violence has long been, and is still, considered a private
matter by society, said Maria. "Society" encompasses relatives,
neighbours, the community and the Government. "The Domestic Violence
Act provides little protection still to abused women as there are
legal loopholes. There’s still a need to monitor its implementation
and impact on abused women. There is still reluctance to report
domestic violence because a woman feels a need to keep her marriage,
or for the sake of her children, she stays on and suffers the abuse,"
she explained. The 2001 Annual Report of the Women's Crisis Centre
said that of the 67 domestic violence cases seen by WCC, only 10
applied for the Interim Protection Order.
MOROCCO
Islamic affairs minister redefines Ulema role - 06 Mar 04
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040306/2004030620.html
..
Morocco's Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Taoufiq, said
the Ulema (Islamic scholars) need to re-define their traditional
mission and apprehend their role in the respect of Morocco's
democratic choices and as a religious duty that is part of the respect
of the community will while abiding by the goals of the sharia
(Islamic law). The official told ulema at a lecture marking the
opening of the cultural season of 1425 (hejira year) at the "Dar
Al-hadith Al-Hassania" school this new approach will frustrate
superficial and shortsighted attitudes of those who deliberately or
unintentionally make a misinterpretation of Islam.
He further argued that Ulema's new role will spare the nation the
hazards of discord, in keeping with the tradition of predecessors who,
in their books and thought, produced evidence to the pertinence of the
Sunna (Prophet's tradition) prescriptions and their ability to fathom
temporal realities. Democracy, he went on, also requires that
Itijtihad (jurisprudence) be restored in its tolerant dimension toward
pluralism and diversity and that Islamic scholars accommodate the
divergence of viewpoints and of behaviors, even divergence on
religious issues while respecting the country's laws and priorities
and the collectivity interests. He also urged Ulema to integrate the
principle of freedom as a synonymous of democracy, which, beyond its
collective dimension, also implies individual freedoms.
..
While Ulema used to apprehend their role within a specific field and
sparse initiatives, they are presently integrated in the "Amir Al
Muminine" institution [commander of the faithfull], that entitles them
to act within a comprehensive vision through the higher council and
regional councils of Ulema and to harmonize their efforts, through
their contribution in an experience for the success of which the moral
support of Ulema is essential, the lecturer explained.
NETHERLANDS
Dutch Agency Says Young Muslims Recruited For 'Jihad' - 10 Mar 04
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/001119.php
..
Young Dutch Muslims are being recruited for armed terrorism missions
against Western targets, the Dutch secret service said Wednesday.
In a note to parliament, the agency known by its Dutch acronym AIVD
repeated its November 2002 warning that recruits are active in the
Netherlands. "It's known that some stayed in a training camp. Others
are involved in supporting Islamic terrorism-related activities like
arranging money and passports," the agency said. "Still others are in
turn trying to win over other potential recruits."
..
"In the past year and a half, there was a noticeable decrease in the
age of the group of young men susceptible to recruitment," the AIVD
said. "In some groups of young Muslims, the wish to take part in jihad
appears to be part of youth culture." The agency said that some
Islamic-interest Web sites frequented by young men appeared to be
"fascinated with violence." "It definitely can't be ruled out that
some of these youths just want to make an impression on their peers
with radical behavior and statements," the AIVD said. The agency also
added that it had "established that some Muslim women, too, foster
sympathetic feelings for the violent Islamic struggle. However, they
don't play a prominent role in recruiting, as far as is known."
NIGERIA
[Kano] Playing with polio - 08 Mar 04
http://www.iht.com/articles/509044.html
..
All vaccination campaigns are notoriously vulnerable to a few
holdouts, and Nigeria's recalcitrance is endangering the global effort
to wipe out polio, a campaign universally endorsed by Muslims outside
of Nigeria. The local clerics' protest [Kano] appears to be a
political maneuver aimed at turning public opinion against Nigeria's
federal government. World Islamic leaders have joined forces with
Nigerian health officials to answer the clerics' wrongheaded charges.
The Organization of Islamic Conference passed a resolution supporting
polio vaccination, and the mufti of Cairo issued a pro-vaccination
fatwa. It is hoped that in the next campaign, at the end of March,
vaccination will be nationwide.
Kano ready to enforce sharia rule - 08 Mar 04
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=qw1078734601294N262
..
The government of northern Nigeria's biggest city - part sprawling
warren of mudbrick neighbourhoods, part modern trading centre -
insists it is finally getting ready to get serious about the
application of Islamic sharia law, just over three years after
millions of cheering Muslims celebrated its return.
..
This past week's case should be a minor incident in an unruly yet
conservative city, but in reality it marks a significant shift, Sule
said; the unlucky drunk's prosecution was overseen by Nigeria's
federal police force, acting in co-operation with Kano State's
Islamist vigilante force, the Hisba. Once a gang of street toughs
loosely organised by the mosques to enforce Islamic morals, the Hisba
has been brought under Shekarau's wing as a paid arm of law
enforcement; reporting un-Islamic activity to the police for
punishment. Kano's Christian minority could be the next to suffer
their wrath. For although sharia is not meant to apply to non-Muslims,
Sule [Kano State's spokesperson] says that the state is determined to
enforce the law banning the sale of alcohol, whether it be in the
crowded beer parlours of Kano's Christian ghetto, Sabon Gari, or in
the high-class hotels serving expatriate traders and the political
elite.
..
Christians from southern Nigeria's Igbo ethnic group, stack crates
ready for their return to the Kronenbourg brewery in Kaduna for
refilling. Behind the trucks, thousands more crates stand in
warehouses ready for departure; thousands more than the small
Christian community could ever empty on its own. For, while Igbo
traders play sharia's rules to their comparative advantage, the Muslim
Hausa are their best customers, locals admitted.
..
even some Muslim leaders fear that this time the authorities could
push their zeal too far and trigger violent unrest, in part because of
the rising influence of Saudi-funded ultraconservative Wahhabi Muslims
in the government. "They need to send them packing, because of the
dangers and distress they bring among Muslims, which could explode
into violence," said Sheik Musalqasiyuni Nasir Kabara, one of the
local leaders of the moderate Qadiriyya sect, part of the Sufi mystic
tradition in Islam. "We abhor alcohol, on that the sects converge,
there's no doubt about that," he said. "The point of difference is how
to go about solving the problem of the sale of beer. The beers are
largely drunk by Muslims." .. he warned, Kano has fallen under the
rule of hardliners determined to force a confrontation. The result, he
fears, will be bloody: "Whatever Wahabbis are involved in,
historically it's all about violence and causing trouble, look at what
happened in Afghanistan."
OMAN
Sultan Shows Support For Equal Status For Women - 09 Mar 04
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=48189939
..
According to "Oman Observer", Sultan Qaboos issued Royal Decree No
28/2004, appointing Dr Rawyah bint Saud bin Ahmed al Busaidiyah, as
Minister of Higher Education. This Royal Decree culminates Omani
women's progress within the context of the renaissance and paves the
way for further contribution to the march of national development.
Statistics show that Omani women in the civil service sector account
for 31 per cent of the total personnel. They occupied 19 per cent of
public vocations which do not come under the civil service system.
Eighteen per cent of the private sector employees who are registered
at the Public Authority for Social Insurance are women and 56 per cent
of teaching staff posts at government schools are occupied by women.
Girls represent 49 per cent of students in the general education
system. In the Higher Education, female students make 61 per cent of
students studying at Education Colleges, 26 per cent at the Sharia and
Law College while at the Sultan Qaboos University girls make 55 per
cent of students admitted at the diploma level, 50 per cent of
students at the degree level and 35 per cent of students admitted for
postgraduate studies.
PHILIPPINES
16 Shari'a judges appointed by Arroyo - 10 Mar 04
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN200403114539.html
..
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has appointed 16 new judges of the
Shari’a Circuit Courts in Mindanao as part of her commitment in
addressing the needs of Muslim Filipinos.
..
"Arroyo has shown again her concern and respect for the Islam religion
by appointing qualified candidates for Shari’a courts vacancies, not
only in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao , but also in
Christian areas," Datumanong said. Three of the judges are assigned in
Shari’a Circuit Courts in Pagadian City, Tacurong City, and Kidapawan
City, all outside Muslim Mindanao. He said Mrs. Arroyo also made
history when she became the first Philippine President to have an
Islamic festival, Eid’l Fitr, declared as national holiday last year.
..
"This is unprecendented, actually, being the first time all vacancies
of the Shari’a Muslim courts were filled up by the President,"
Ampatuan said. .. Arroyo earlier ordered Datumanong and Hussin to
search for the best qualified bets for Shari'a judges from the
300-strong pool of Shari'a counselors-at-law since 1983.
New edict okays family planning for RP Muslims - 10 Mar 04
http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV200403104466.html
..
Grand Mufti Dr. Ali Mohammad Juma'ah, the highest Islamic religious
authority of Egypt's revered Al-Azhar University, has endorsed family
planning, including the use of oral contraceptives, to Muslims in the
Philippines. The endorsement was secured this year by Cotabato City-
based Darul Iftah (House of Decree) head Mufti Omar Pasigan when he
led a delegation of Muslim and non-Muslim religious leaders to Cairo,
Egypt last Jan. 10. Before the endorsement which Pasigan's group
considers as a "fatwa" (ruling or decree), family planning,
particularly the use of condom, intra-uterine device, etc., and oral
contraceptives or pills, was shunned by Muslim-Filipino couples for
being un-Islamic.
..
"The goal of the DoH-ARMM's RS program is not to limit the number of
children of Muslim families, but it is intended to introduce to them
healthy practices, such as spacing of children," Pandi said, noting
that ARMM has the highest infant mortality rate. He added that Egypt
and Indonesia, both Muslim countries, also allow family planning.
..
Ustadhz Mohammad Pasigan, one of the members of the Egypt-delegation
sponsored by the USAID, said Juma'ah opposed calling it as fatwa.
However, "we are still calling it as such, a fatwa," Ustadhz Pasigan
said.
SAUDI ARABIA
Hajj: Different Colours, One Mission [Daily Trust - Abuja] - 10 Mar 04
http://allafrica.com/stories/200403100756.html
[Mansour Al-Nogaidan] The Jihadi Who Kept Asking Why - 07 Mar 04
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/magazine/07SAUDIS.html?ex=1079326800
[..]
Saudi scholar 'bans' US-backed channel - 08 Mar 04
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8F5D69C8-E38C-41C0-882E-DE88D7A39E8C.htm
..
In a fatwa published on Monday, Shaikh Ibrahim bin Nasir al-Kudhairi
said the channel was haram (forbidden) and a source of corruption.
A judge at the grand Islamic court in Riyadh, al-Kudhairi printed his
religious ruling in al-Hayat newspaper. He claims Alhurra is intended
to "fight Islam … and support American hegemony", branding the staff
who worked at it as "agents in the pay of America".
..
"It seeks an Arab audience in order to weaken and control them" and
wages "an intellectual war is currently being waged to rub out the
Arab identity and Muslim religion". The Broadcasting Board of
Governors' Middle East Committee supervises Alhurra which is financed
by the US Congress. The channel was launched to improve the image of
the United States in the Middle East. It also intends to rival popular
Arabic-language stations such as Qatar's al-Jazeera and Dubai-based
al-Arabiya.
Jeddah Dispatch - Queer Sheik - 05 Mar 04
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=F4bD483qZPViqE1CyQTDkh==
..
In recent months, however, Jeddah's malls have become meeting places
for another group: homosexuals. Gay Saudi men now cruise certain malls
and supermarkets, openly making passes at each other, and one street
in Jeddah is said to have the most traffic accidents in the city
because it is the most popular place for Saudi drivers to pick up gay
Filipinos, who strut their stuff on the sidewalk in tight jeans and
cut-off t-shirts. (Filipinos are one of the larger groups of foreign
workers in Saudi Arabia.) Meanwhile, gay and lesbian discos,
gay-friendly coffee shops, and even gayoriented Internet chat rooms
are now flourishing in some Saudi cities; in the chat rooms, gay and
lesbian Saudis discuss the best places to meet people for one-night
stands.
..
in some Saudi cities, the authorities have started to look the other
way. In part, the government has realized that the thousands of Saudis
who have recently returned from the United States because of stricter
visa policies, and who are relatively liberal-minded, are unwilling to
countenance such harsh anti-gay policies.
..
Slightly freer to cover gay and lesbian issues, the Jeddah-based daily
newspaper Okaz recently reported that lesbianism was "endemic" among
schoolgirls, in an article that revealed salacious details of lesbian
sex in school bathrooms. Despite the Okaz report, Ibrahim bin Abdullah
bin Ghaith, head of the religious police, told reporters he would not
send enforcers to investigate schools for lesbians--perhaps because of
pressure from higher officials.
..
According to several gay Saudis, the number of gay-themed Saudi
websites has exploded in recent months. Some of these sites are still
blocked, but software to avoid the blocks is easily purchased in local
markets. Most sites exist for one reason only: to facilitate meet-ups.
..
The Jeddah gay community also frequents malls, supermarkets,
restaurants, and a disco catering to gay men, whose existence is an
open secret. One Jeddah restaurant now features young Filipinos
plastered in makeup and obviously taking hormones, possibly in
preparation for a sex-change operation. At a disco north of Jeddah
city, gay men gather each week to drink beer (which is also officially
prohibited), dance together to Western music, and introduce their
partners to friends. Many of the disco-goers are young returnees from
the United States, but there are also older Saudi businessmen who have
lived in the kingdom for years. One evening, the disco even featured
two Saudi drag queens, who made a dramatic entrance onto the floor.
Without an official complaint from the government or from Saudi
citizens, the religious police will not raid the disco.
SPAIN
Al-Qaeda linked group responsible for Madrid bombings - 11 Mar 04
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/001123.php
..
The jihadist website Jihad Unspun is saying that a hitherto unknown
radical Muslim group, the Lions of Al-Mufridoon, is claiming
responsibility for the train bombings in Madrid that have killed over
190. The major media is blaming the attacks on the Basque separatist
group ETA.
TUNESIA
Women's Rights - 10 Mar 04
http://www.reveiltunisien.org/article.php3?id_article=1042
Country Profile: http://www.iifhr.com/Country%20Profiles/Tunisia.htm
TURKMENISTAN
State Interfereing In Religious Life Of Ethnic Uzbeks - 11 Mar 04
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav031004.shtml
..
[Igor Rota, news agency Forum 18] .. says that over the past year, the
Turkmen government has replaced ethnic Uzbek imam-hatybs, or mosque
leaders, with ethnic Turkmens in all of the main mosques of the
Dashoguz region -- even though ethnic Uzbeks make up more than half
the local population. "Historically, in the Soviet times for example,
most imam-hatybs in this region were [Uzbeks]. But now most of [them]
are Turkmen. This is a problem because local Uzbeks complained that
Turkmen imams have no good education and prefer that imam-hatybs [are]
Uzbeks," Rotar said. Rotar notes that ethnic Uzbek imam-hatybs have
been sacked from their jobs in all three active mosques in the town of
Dashoguz. In the Kunya-Urgench district of Dashoguz, Uzbek imam-hatybs
have been forbidden from serving at ancient sites and three cemeteries
-- Ashig-Aidyn, Ibrahim-adam, and the so-called "cemetery of 3,360
saints" -- which are revered by Muslims.
UK
Fears as young Muslims 'opt out' - 07 Mar 04
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3539535.stm [Sunday's Five Live Report]
..
[Navid Akhtar is a practicing Muslim deeply concerned about a growing
trend among his contemporaries toward a separatist ideology that turns
its back on Britain].
..
Young Muslims are opting out. They've renounced the Islam of their
immigrant parents and feel disillusioned with a society that they
perceive as racist. Many are turning their backs on democracy and
Britain. And they are finding a new identity in a brand of Islam that
is radical and intolerant. Out of 1.8 million Muslims living in
Britain today, the highest proportion have their roots in Bangladesh
and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Both these groups came to Britain
as economic migrants from rural villages. Settling into Britain has
not been an easy experience and many feel excluded from the
mainstream. The worst hit are the young, who find themselves at odds
with their parents' insular Asian culture and a Britain they believe
is hostile towards them. Many young Muslims, confused about their
identity, have turned to their faith to provide answers and stumbled
upon what they call "pure Islam".
..
Pure Islam has claimed the mantle of being the only real Islam as
practised at the time of the Prophet Mohammed and his companions.
It regards the Islam that came from the Indian subcontinent as
corrupted and polluted by "cultural" values such as music. In
particular, pure Islam rejects any new developments in Islamic
thinking, and refuses to understand that Muslims living in the West
face a unique set of challenges. This has led to a split within the
British Muslim community, creating a belief amongst many young people
that there is no compromise between Islam and life in the West.
..
The major failure has been the inability to produce imams and scholars
who speak English and understand the issues and problems that the
second generation are going through. Chair of the Dudley Muslim
Association Khurshid Ahmed told the programme: "I'm quite ashamed to
admit that the leadership within the Muslim community, not just in
Dudley, but nationally have let our young people down. "The quality of
education provided in our mosques has not been very adequate. "We have
not been able to connect sufficiently with our young people and that
has led them to being a lot more alienated from their own families and
from the community. "
Headache for Howard as whistleblower blows top - 11 Mar 04
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=280922004
..
A bid by Michael Howard [opposition] to embarrass the Prime Minister,
Tony Blair, over a civil-service whistleblower backfired yesterday
after the man was exposed as holding offensive views about Muslims.
In rambling tirades posted on a BBC website, Steve Moxon, who revealed
that checks on eastern European immigrants were being waived, argued
that Islamic fundamentalists "eventually will have to be silenced by
nuclear weapons".
USA
Muslims see new opposition to building mosques since 9/11 - 09 Mar 04
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2004-03-08-mosque-opposition_x.htm
WORLD REGIONS
Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition - 26 Feb 04
http://www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2004/02/Article02.shtml
Essays by Western Muslim Scholars [book review]
FINANCE
Inslamic Finance: Commitments to maintain in Murabaha transactions
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=113402
Islamic insurance can confuse many - 09 Mar 04
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm?id=ZAWYA20040302131027
'Give Islamic finance space to develop', expert urges - 09 Mar 04
http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/35984.html
..
Professor [Rodney] Wilson, co-author of a new book on Islamic finance
issues, raised issues concerning the extent of government and central
bank support for Islamic finance which had not been discussed before
at the Dubai forum.
..
Bahrain is the most pro-active state in the region in terms of laying
the groundwork for Islamic finance, according to Professor Wilson. The
Bahrain Monetary Agency is highly supportive, there are 27 Islamic
banks on the island with assets of $4 billion, it has six Islamic
takaful insurance companies and over $1.5 billion has been raised
through sovereign sukuk issues. "Kuwait and Jordan are particularly
supportive. Kuwait passed a new Islamic banking law last year while a
special law has governed Jordan Islamic Bank since the 1970s. There is
encouragement in the UAE and Qatar," said Professor Wilson.
In Qatar Islamic banks account for one quarter of deposits. There are
three major institutions, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Islamic Banks and the
national Bank of Sharjah in the UAE. Saudi Arabia gives limited
support at Government level but the Kingdom boasts many private
successes. There is an absence of Islamic banking laws in Saudi
Arabia and there are no government sukuk securities. However, Al Rajhi
is the largest Islamic bank in the world, over 25 per cent of bank
deposits in Saudi Arabia are Islamic (including 17 per cent of
conventional bank deposits) and the country has the world's largest
Islamic mutual fund industry. Professor Wilson said that Oman, Libya
and Syria remaine 'hesitant'.
[Kuwait] Gulf Investment House announces second property sale
http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/35876.html - 08 Mar 04
..
Gulf Investment House announces second property sale of the Bunyan
Fund at a 30 per cent gain. Gulf Investment House (GIH), a
Kuwait-based investment company, announced today the sale of the
Summit at Carlsbad (Carlsbad), located in southern California at a 30
per cent gain. This makes Carlsbad the second sale in the Bunyan Fund,
launched by GIH in 2001, to post double-digit gains, following Truman
Park's 90% gain at the end of last year. The Bunyan Fund is the first
Sharia compliant international real estate fund that has begun to
realize and capture gains through the successful implementation of
exit plans within the specified investment holding period.
..
In terms of the market, the barriers to entry for construction of
multi-family apartments were exceptionally high in the City of
Carlsbad. The value of permit-approved land increased significantly
over the past two years, driving the land value of the Carlsbad
project to attractive levels.
..
'Now that the Bunyan Fund has sold half of its assets, our efforts
will remain centered on evaluating potential exit opportunities for
the remaining two assets of the Fund.'
Ghana to adopt principles of Islamic Banking - 06 Mar 04
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=235334
..
Vice President Aliu Aliu Mahama of Ghana on Friday tasked financial
institutions in the country to consider adopting some of the
principles of Islamic Banking to assist the private sector to be
vibrant. Opening the first seminar on Islamic Banking and Financing in
Accra, Mahama said high interest rates charged by conventional banks
were inimical to the growth of businesses. Developing countries such
as Ghana therefore have to be more ingenious in designing measures to
assist their economies to grow, he observed.
Guidance Financial Group launches Islamic securities program in the US
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=48170788
..
Guidance Financial Group, an international Islamic financial services
company, announces the launch of the Guidance Fixed Income Fund to
American customers. The Fund will hold securities that are backed by
Shariah-compliant real estate finance assets. The securities will be
issued and guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
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