dinsdag 21 oktober 2003

Sharia News Watch 77 Sharia News Watch 77 : a collection newsquotes on Shariah, for research & educational purposes only. [*]  Shortcut URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shariawatch/message/77 The Shari'ah Newswatch provides a weekly update of news quotes on Shari'a (Islamic Law) & related subjects, as appearing on the major news searchengines: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shariawatch/ AFGHANISTAN Raw Data: Excerpts From Tape  - 18 Oct 03 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,100519,00.html .. Excerpts from the purported Bin Laden tape broadcast Saturday on the Al-Jazeera television station: [..] Taliban make a return, punish the beardless - 19 Oct 03  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=240626 .. The operation was carried out late Friday by a group of 50 Taliban on a road linking the western part of Khost province with Gardez, provincial capital of adjoining Paktia, the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported. Quoting unidentified sources in the area, the private news agency said the fighters set up a picket, raised their flag and searched vehicles. Some clean shaven drivers were punished with three strokes of a stick for violating the Taliban’s ultra-orthodox interpretation of Islamic Sharia laws which insist all men grow beards, it said. They also snatched and smashed music cassettes and gave drivers pamphlets warning of harsh penalties for breaches of Sharia, ordering they be distributed on their routes, it added. After maintaining the picket for several hours the group retreated to their mountain hideouts. BOSNIA And HERZEGOVINA Izetbegovic: Symbol of a Muslim struggle  - 19 Oct 03 http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/113D2696-9691-4CA5-991A-E0180F491EC5.htm BRUNEI DARUSSALAM Brunei To Sight New Moon On Saturday Marking Fasting Month - 21 Oct 03 http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Oct03/211003/nite04.htm .. Brunei will sight the new moon of Ramadhan on Saturday the 25th of October. Syarie judges and officials of the Syariah courts, as well as officials from the state Judiciary Department, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Survey Department will be at vantage points throughout the country on that day to sight the new moon. ..The first day of Ramadhan will be announced over Radio Television Brunei as soon as the result of sighting the new moon is confirmed. Meanwhile, by the command of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, working hours in all government ministries and departments during the fasting month will be from 8 am to 2 pm. DUBAI  UAE Ramadan working hours for govt institutions - 21 Oct 03 http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2003/October/theuae_October575.xml&;section=theuae&col= .. The Ministry of State for Cabinet Affairs has released a circular on the official working hours during the holy month of Ramadan for ministries and other federal government institutions. According to the circular, ministries and federal government institutions will open at 9 am and close at 2 pm. GHANA Muslims urged to look for appearance of the new moon - 18 Oct 03 http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=45012 .. The Office of the National Chief Imam and the Ameer and Missionary In-Charge of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Ghana, on Saturday urged Muslims to look out for the new moon on Friday October 24 2003. .. Currently, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah have their weekend holiday on Friday.  In Alor Star, Kedah Religious Affairs Committee chairman Fadzil Hanafi said that Islam never designated any particular day as a holiday and when to carry out worldly affairs.  "If a state has a holiday on Friday but its people don’t pray and perform religious obligations, it is also not right because Islam states that we must work after we pray, not sit around holidaying," he said. INDIA [Gujarat] Now, maulvis' fatwa spins out of control  - 20 Oct 03 http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=33761 .. A recent fatwa issued by two Muslim clerics has created problems for Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) vice-president Kadeer Peerzada. The fatwa, issued by Imam of Hazrat Khwaja Dana Saheb Mufti Mohammed Murtazakhan Razwi of the Sunni sect and Mufti Ismail Wadiwala of the Tablique sect, states: "Idol worship is against Islam. Any Muslim found worshipping idols should be boycotted from the community. If he has to return to the community, he should remarry and apologise to the Almighty." The similarity in both the fatwas is striking and they both do not name anyone. However, why it means trouble for Peerzada is because he was shown holding a puja thali at a Navratri function on October 2. Copies of the fatwas and newspaper cuttings carrying Peerzada's photograph are being widely circulated among Muslims in the city. But the two clerics claim they were tricked into issuing the fatwas. Mufti Razwi said a person had asked him a written question on what Islam has to say about a Muslim found worshipping an idol, to which he had given a written answer, which was the fatwa. He said: "Though the fatwa is binding on Muslims, I neither knew the purpose for asking the question nor the man who has being targeted for political gains. I did not name anyone." .. Peerzada said: "I have not performed any puja. I was only holding the prasad plate. My detractors have done this to malign my image in society." But, at a meeting in Patni Colony on Wednesday, about 5,000 Muslims, including religious leaders, condemned the way Peerzada was maligned and lauded him for attempting to bring about communal harmony. We'll abide by court verdict: Muslim panel  - 20 Oct 03 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=241799 .. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday reiterated its stand that only the court verdict on the Babri Masjid would be acceptable to it. The Board expressed its satisfaction over the way the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in UP handled the "tension created by the Sangh Parivar and its affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)" on the issue last week.  On the question of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Board said it has no problem with most aspects of the UCC, but it would not compromise with matters relating to family law. "The executive committee has called upon Muslims to abide by the rules of Shariat in their life and to solve and settle their family disputes according to the Shariat law," Board secretary A R Qureshi said. INDONESIA Shirin Ebadi epitomizes women's jihad [Jakarta Post] - 17 Oct 03 http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=42712999 .. Yet Muslim women have been playing a great role in jihad, not in its military-like associations, but in the struggle against discrimination, domestic violence and social injustice. This type of jihad involves the struggle for basic women's rights both in the domestic and the public spheres. Muslim women have demonstrated multiple voices of jihad, but most have emphasized the moral and spiritual struggle against backwardness, poverty and social injustice. Muslim women also believe in the universal applicability of jihad and agree on the high status of women accorded by Islam, but they interpret and implement jihad according to different perspectives in their local contexts. Aisyiah, the women's wing of the Muslim organization Muhammadiyyah, and Muslimat, that of Nahdlatul Ulama, have been among the active Indonesian women's organizations in such "gender jihads''. Both organizations engage in religious propagation, and educational and political activities. They run orphanages, maternity clinics, hospitals and day-care centers. They are actively involved in establishing cooperatives in villages. Most of their activities are conducted in rural areas where they attempt to help eradicate illiteracy and to encourage women to be more independent. Other, more recently established organizations, such as Rahima, Puan Hayati, Cut Nyak Dien and the Liberal Islam Network, involve many young and educated Muslim women working in groups and developing networks in pursuit of their goals. They have raised various issues such as domestic violence, unequal domestic relations (including the issue of polygamy), a greater role for women in politics, and economic independence. In dealing with such issues, Muslim women have attempted to use different channels and means, including the media, the Internet, publications, workshops, and advocacy. They never use violent, military means to promote their ideas. Some join demonstrations, but every time women are involved, demonstrations turn out to be peaceful, including demonstrations involving Muslim and non-Muslim women demanding an end to the violence in Maluku. Ramadhan crackdown on nightspots  - 21 Oct 03 http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/oct21w16.htm .. Indonesia's Islamic authority urged the government on Monday to close nightspots and ban television shows featuring pornography and violence during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan. "We call on the government to close all entertainment spots and put in order television shows which exhibit pornography and violence," the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (Muslim scholars) said in a statement. .. Local soap operas featuring violence and romantic intrigue are popular among Indonesians. .. Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic organisation, has announced that Ramadhan will start on October 27. The largest organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, has not yet announced a start date. The two organisations -- which claim tens of millions of members -- traditionally differ on when the month should begin. IRAQ Iraqis to celebrate first post-Saddam Ramadan - 21 Oct 03 http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=7475 .. "It is the first Ramadan celebrated in freedom," said Sheikh al-Araji, a cleric at Al-Kazem, the most important Shiite Muslim mosque in Baghdad.  ..  "The mosque is ready to receive close to a million people a day," said Araji. But security concerns are ever-present in the war-shattered country where violence remains rampant six months after the overthrow of Saddam. .. Sunni Sheikh Abdel Salam al-Kubaissi is less upbeat about Ramadan 2003. "This year there's a new element. It is the first Ramadan under the occupation. The country is occupied by an enemy who is not easily evicted," said Kubaissi, a member of the council of leading Sunni clerics formed after the former regime collapsed on April 9. He says this is the time for Sunnis and Shiites - whose differences usually include the day that Ramadan starts - "to bridge the gap that separates them." Unity is needed "to face the enemies and the invaders who play on the differences in faith," he said. Question of Iraq's future dogs Islamic summit to end   - 18 Oct 03 http://www.etaiwannews.com/Asia/2003/10/18/1066440889.htm .. Leaders of the world's largest Islamic organization [OIC] watered down a proposed statement yesterday that had urged a quick end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, after the country's U.S.-picked government insisted the withdrawal of American troops anytime soon would be a "disaster." Top Iraqi cleric urges crackdown on spread of wepaons     - 21 Oct 03 http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=42827271 .. Iraq's most influential Shiite Muslim cleric warned of "grave problems'' if nothing is done to stem the proliferation of firearms in the country and blamed clashes between his supporters and followers of a radical cleric on the weakness of Iraq's U.S.-backed authorities. In written comments given Sunday to The Associated Press, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, spiritual leader of most of Iraq's Shiite majority, also said there could be "no substitute'' for a general election to choose delegates to a convention to draft a new constitution despite U.S. demands for a quicker selection process. The U.S.-led coalition has repeatedly stated its preference for a faster method to choose the delegates -- such as having the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council select from a list of legal experts put forward by tribal and other leaders. Coalition officials believe choosing them by general election would take too long. .. Al-Sistani's demand for measures against illegal arms possession appeared to be a call on U.S. and Iraqi authorities to take action against the Imam al-Mahdi Army, a militia set up by firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose members fought nightlong battles against al-Sistani's supporters a week ago in the holy Shiite city of Karbala. .. Elaborating on an earlier edict, al-Sistani said there was not one party or authority in Iraq that can select delegates to a constitutional conference in a way that would ensure fair representation of all segments of society. "Furthermore, it is certain that personal, party, religious and ethnic interests will interfere one way or another in the selection process, rendering the conference illegitimate,'' he said. "There is no substitute for a general election to choose members of a constitutional conference.'' KENYA Secrets of the Ringera Report   - 19 Oct 03 http://allafrica.com/stories/200310200371.html .. Like fictional crime based on the actitivies under world, Justice Aaron Ringera's report on corruption and the misconduct of judicial officers is a compelling mixture of dark humour and cruel betrayal by custodians of justice, we can now reveal. Although none of the 23 judges suspended from their duties pending investigations by two tribunals has admitted being notified of their misdeed, few are likely to survive a full hearing if they contest allegations against them. The corruption and unethical conduct enumerated in Ringera's "dragon" range from the shocking to the preposterous. Some judges are accused of openly taking sides in cases before them. Others allegedly took it upon themselves to advice litigants to change advocates if they hoped to win. In the more macabre cases, some judges openly solicited bribes, which they personally went to fetch from their victims in parking bays and lobbies of Five-Star hotels in the wee hours of the morning. .. Constitutional Review Officials On Law Society of Kenya List for New Judges   http://allafrica.com/stories/200310200688.html  - 20 Oct 03 .. Yesterday, the Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim, defended the Ringera report against accusations that it was not fair, saying it was a credible record of the state of the judiciary. Urging those named to resign or face the tribunals set up last week, Sheikh Kassim said the spotlight should now be turned on lawyers and other judicial officers. He said graft in the judiciary would only be eliminated if the campaign targeted all those in the justice system, including lawyers and the police. "It is not only judges and magistrates who are corrupt but also lawyers and prosecutors. The government should target all these people to effectively deal with the problem of graft in the judiciary." The Chief Kadhi said academic achievement should not be the only qualification necessary in the selection of those to serve in the judiciary. Muslims Slow in War On AIDS, Laments Don   - 20 Oct 03 http://allafrica.com/stories/200310200646.html  [The Nation - Nairobi] ..     The chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, Prof Abdulghafour El-Busaidy, said Muslims had a misplaced belief that the scourge was not an Islamic problem. Contrary to the belief, he said, Aids was ravaging the worshippers and there was need to come up with strategies to fight it. Prof El-Busaidy said it was unfortunate that their response had remained slow, limited, fragmented and uncoordinated while the problem was taking root in the community. .. "As you are all aware, Islam as a faith and a way of life has a very strong component of preventative health, destigmatisation and care of the sick and orphans in general situations as well as HIV/Aids," he said. He said mosques, madrassas (Islamic classes), imams, teachers and other service organisations had not been fully tapped as potential media for communication to the Muslim community. KOSOVO Kuwait panel inaugurates two mosques in Kosovo    - 21 Oct 03 http://www.kuwaittimes.net/today/local_news.shtml#3 .. Secretary General of the Kuwaiti Joint Relief Committee Faisal Al-Mugahwi inaugurated two new mosques financed by Kuwaiti donors, in two villages of the Frizai province. .. He added that the committee's aid covered several aspects, including offering foodstuff and cloths, in addition to building houses and new mosques, which spread all over Kosovo, as well as rebuilding the ones destroyed during the war. .. The number of mosques in Kosovo will reach 31 by the end of this year. The committee will inaugurate ten mosques on several stages throughout this year; in addition to that it will provide health services for the people of Kosovo through the Kuwaiti Medical Centre, which was inaugurated last year. LEBANON Lebanon To Mark Ramadan On October27 : Shiite Scholar   - 21 Oct 03 http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2003-10/21/article09.shtml .. Lebanon's grand Shiite authority Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah announced that Monday, October 27, will be the first day of the Muslims holy fasting month of Ramadan. "It has been ascertained to us, in accordance with accurate astrological calculations and the possible sighting of the lunar crescent, that Sunday, October26 , completes the month of Shaban," said the veteran Shiite scholar in a statement, a copy of which was received by IslamOnline.net Tuesday, October21 . Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue. While one group of scholars sees that Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow this sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia. A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that Islam is against division and disunity, since Muslims, for instance, are not allowed to hold two congregational prayers in one mosque at the same time. This group believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this. MALAYSIA Harmonising Syariah and Civil Laws must be done through proper process http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2003&;dt=1021&pub=Utusan_Express&sec=Home_News&pg=hn_03.htm ..      - 21 Oct 03 Chief Justice Tan Sri Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim Monday said any changes made in the effort to harmonise the Syariah and Civil laws must be done through a proper democratic process. He said whatever deliberations made and conclusions reached at the International Conference on the Harmonisation of the Syariah and Civil Laws must be made or reached within the existing framework of the Federal Constitution, especially on provisions relating to fundamental liberties, such as freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. "We must always remember that the roles that fundamental liberties play are many and no less important in shaping a democratic society. .. The conference is organised by the Harmonisation Unit and Law Centre of the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyah of Law of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). "I understand that this is the first international conference of its kind wherein special emphasis will be given towards harmonising the Syariah and Civil laws in Malaysia with the hope that it will be a major contributory factor towards the realisation of our very own common law based on local values." .. Meanwhile, the Dean of the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyah of Laws, Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod, said the objective of the conference was to present the findings of researches undertaken by specialists of their disciplines and to share their expertise with others involved in the related fields. "The conference will focus on the formulation of theoretical guidelines and methodology on the Islamisation of human science in general and the harmonisation of Shariah and Civil laws in particular," he said. He said in making the guidelines, the areas of agreement and conflict between the principles and dogmas of Islam and particular disciplines were to be ascertained. The question still is: Do Jews control the world? - 18 Oct 03 http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Columns/20031018084932/Article/ .. However, singling out Jews here may not go down well with those in the West as any remark or statement that has a negative connotation may result in those making the remark being labelled anti-Semitic, a racist or even being equated with Adolf Hitler. Those were the labels Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad received for saying that "Jews controlled the world". Forget about the fact that his statement was taken out of context. .. It is accepted among Third World nations that Jews in the US control the country's foreign policies, hence the reason why the US has always vetoed resolutions in the United Nations that favour Palestinians, even though the majority of members support them. .. Malaysia says: Jews are smarter than Muslims - 17 Oct 03 http://web.israelinsider.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=ViewsPage&;enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El2873&enZone=Views&enVersion=0& Kelantan to maintain Friday weekend holiday - 18 Oct 03 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/10/18/nation/6517289&;sec=nation .. Kelantan will maintain Friday as a weekend holiday despite suggestions to have it reverted to Sunday, Berita Harian reported.  .. Currently, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah have their weekend holiday on Friday.  MOROCCO Morocco to stage all-out information campaign on family code reforms http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031018/2003101812.html ..      - 18 Oct 03 The Moroccan government is to stage an all-out campaign to explain to the public the nature of the amendments brought to the "Mudawana (Family Code)" announced last Friday by King Mohammed VI at the opening of the Parliament fall. The awareness campaign will be conducted in two steps, announced Moroccan minister of Habous (endowments) and Islamic affairs, Ahmed Taoufiq, during a cabinet meeting held here Thursday. The first step, prior to the adoption of this new Code by the parliament, will be carried out by Ulemas (Muslim theologians) who will explain the effort of Fiqh's (Islamic Law) interpretation implied by the proposed reforms, through their participation in debates including in the media. The second step consists in associating qualified preachers to this process once the draft Code is adopted by the parliament. They will explain to the public in mosques the positive contribution of this Code to the stability and serenity of the society, bearing in mind the guarantees offered by the Muslim religion. NIGERIA Lawyer in Sharia Death Case Makes  US Circuit  - 21 Oct 03 http://www.liberiaorbit.org/lonewshauwai.htm .. The lead defense counsel in the globally publicized Sharia death case of Amina Lawal in Nigeria has been making the circuits in the United States. Hauwa Ibrahim successfully led a team of lawyers for the acquittal of Amina by the Sharia Appellate Court in the Nigerian State of Katsina. .. "I was born, bred and have lived as a Muslim," Defense Counsel Hauwa Ibrahim says, pointing out however that her major objective is to see the triumph of the rule of law and due process. She says her campaign is not one of anti-Sharia, anti-Muslim, or anti-tradition. "My humble desire is to use legal skills to help the voiceless, the illiterate, the poor, and the vulnerable." Hauwa has worked in 47 Sharia cases without pay, and she says most of the accused fall in the category of the vulnerable and voiceless she is committed to helping. .. In her remarks at the program, Hauwa Ibrahim said the ruling of the Sharia Appellate Court in the Amina Lawal case would be remembered for a number of precedents in Nigerian Sharia law and practice. She said while the lower courts refused to make any reference to the Nigerian Constitution, the appellate court recognized the Constitution in its ruling. She said  also important was the appellate court's shifting of the burden of proof of guilt to the prosecutor from the accused. The court also ruled that the duty of the police was not going into homes to search for alleged adulterers and bringing them to court, Hauwa disclosed. [Jigawa] Removal of Religious Studies in Schools Irks Parents - 21 Oct http://allafrica.com/stories/200310210242.html [Daily Trust - Abuja] .. Parents in Jigawa State have kicked against the state's new education policy which removes the teaching of religious studies from the normal schools timetable. Some parents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse at the weekend that it is inconceivable that a government could adopt Sharia and then remove the teaching of religious studies in schools. The new education policy has removed teaching of religious studies from the normal lesson hours and placed it between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. .. [Speaker of the state assembly, Alhaji Mujitafa Malan] insisted that the two-hour period set aside for the lesson was not abnormal but was unable to say how the government intended to woo students back to school after the normal academic period. PAKISTAN Elaborate arrangements to facilitate Pakistani Hajjaj during ensuing Hajj season   http://www.nni-news.com/current/main/news-05.htm [Urdu Press Review] The tragedy of the Muslim woman - 17 Oct 03 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_17-10-2003_pg3_6 .. Writing in "Insaf" (26 September 2003) Maulana Abdur Rasheed Arshad said that a judge of the Sindh High Court had recently passed a judgement giving equal share in inheritance to a woman while there is a clear edict (nas) in the Quran that she should receive half a share. He said the judge while quoting the UN human rights charter violated the charter of the Quran. He said the UN was a "londi" (slave girl) of the Jews and could not be in favour of the Muslims. He added that the Lahore High Court too had applied a new reasoning to a case of love marriage between two Christians which was wrong. .. According to "Nawa-e-Waqt" (26 September 2003) one Nasima Bibi of Shadbagh who was accused of insulting the Quran died in jail in Lahore after being bailed out by the High Court in June with Rs 50,000 [EUR 750,-] bond for her and her two sons who were also arrested. No one came forward to stand bail for them and the mother died. The sons then prayed to the court that they be allowed to leave and bury their mother as no one was willing to stand bail for them. They said their mother was wrongfully accused by a man to get hold of her house. She was a God-fearing person and could not think of insulting the Quran. The court let the sons below 18 years of age go on a bail of Rs 5,000. [Punjab] Legislator Fights Pakistan's 'Blood' Marriages - 20 Oct 03 http://www.womensenews.com/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1569/context/archive .. Humaira Awais Shahid's campaign to outlaw forced marriages of women in Pakistan began with a letter from an illiterate girl named Sitara Isakhel. A tribal jirga, or council, last year sentenced the 17-year old and her 8-year old sister, Sameera, to marry members of a more powerful tribe after their brother was accused of impregnating a woman he was not married to. .. Vinni, which comes from the Pashtun word for blood, vanay, is a centuries-old practice in Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan of giving women into marriage as compensation in cases of murder, territorial disputes or other serious disagreements. The "aggrieved" party normally seeks young, beautiful, virgin girls to assuage their need for revenge and in the process forever damaging the reputation of the "guilty" family. The custom is also known as swara in the northern areas of Pakistan. It is common in three of the four Pakistan provinces, including the Northwest Frontier, Sindh and Punjab. In exchange, the accused parties--almost exclusively male--escape further punishment. "The councils play a major role in this, as the decisions are taken and implemented by them," Shahid tells Women's eNews in an interview. "And in most cases, no matter the evidence, the panchayat (tribal elders) rule in favor of the more influential party." Standard rates do apply. One girl above the age of 7, or two girls younger than 7, is viewed as commonly acceptable compensation for murder. .. the politically inexperienced Shahid pushed forward, presenting a resolution last February calling on the federal government to enact legislation against vinni, setting a five-year imprisonment for any person involved in ordering or carrying out a sentence issued by the tribal elders. The resolution passed unanimously. "Truth be told, half of them didn't even know what they were voting on," she recalls with a laugh. "For weeks after, other members came up to ask me what precisely vinni is and, to their credit, once I explained, they gave me full support." Over the ensuing three months, Shahid enlisted the help of lawyers, human-rights activists and politicians to create a draft bill, which wound its way through the Punjab Law Department and then the Home Department and has now landed with the Federal Interior Ministry for approval. Once the ministry signs off on the draft, Shahid will have to persuade a member of the National Assembly to sponsor the bill and press for a final vote. .. Confident her vinni bill will pass, Shahid has already begun looking at other inhumane practices to tackle during her five-year tenure as a provincial legislator. In August, she put forth a resolution calling on the federal government to amend the Pakistan Penal Code to classify throwing acid as attempted murder. The practice is widespread and can permanently scar a woman. Again, her resolution passed unanimously. [Balochistan] Draft Shariat Bill ready: minister - 19 Oct 03 http://www.dawn.com/2003/10/19/nat9.htm .. Senior Balochistan Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay said on Saturday that the Nifaz-i-Shariat committee had finalized the draft Shariat bill, that would be reviewed in a provincial Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal meeting before being submitted to the cabinet for approval. Talking to this correspondent, he said the finalization of the bill was delayed to include the recommendations of religious scholars of different schools of thought in it. [NWFP] NWFP governor objects to Hisba Act  - 20 Oct 03 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-10-2003_pg7_54 .. Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said on Thursday he had sent the Hisba Act back to the provincial government with objections and received a reply on Wednesday.  “I returned the Hisba Act with objections, or whatever you call it, comprising four pages, and on Wednesday the government side sent a reply I haven’t received yet,” the governor told reporters after a seminar called “Role of Media in Vision 2020 Pakistan” organised by the Pakistan National Committee for Prevention of Blindness, at a hotel. [NWFP] Islamic bank approved in Pakistan  - 21 Oct 03 http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=64683&;Sn=BUSI .. Pakistan's central bank has authorised a government-owned bank in the conservative North West Frontier Province to begin interest-free banking in accordance with strict Islamic law, the provincial finance minister said yesterday. Sirajul Haq, the province's finance minister, said Pakistan's State Bank was allowing the Khyber Bank, owned by the provincial government, to work according to Islamic principles of not giving or taking interest. The first branch to offer Islamic banking will open in about one month, fulfilling a promise by the coalition of religious-based parties that won provincial elections last October to extend the policy to government-controlled lenders. Previously, only private banks adhered to the policy. [NWFP] Barbers announce to stay away from shearing beard http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=41973 - 18 Oct 03 .. Barbers community of this hilly town [Basham] has pledged to relinquish the shaving job with announcing penalty of Rs. 20,000 [EUR 300] and sealing off shop for a term of six month for violators of the pledge. The move initiated by the barbers association is having backing from local police so that no injustice is done to any barber. The association has set up public committee representing all walks of life for mustering the support of masses for their initiative. Talking to Online a group of people vehemently opposed this move saying that such campaign can obstruct the process of enforcement of Sharia in the country in the wake of evolving global situation when the international media is focusing on Pakistan particularly frontier province. .. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3207848.stm - 20 Oct 03 .. The ban on shaving beards is not expected to affect the locals in a town where almost all men can boast bushy facial hair. But Bisham has also been a popular stopping-point for tourists from Pakistan's cities, who come seeking the mountain air. The clean-shaven amongst them may now have trouble maintaining a stubble-free appearance, according to Jehanzada, a local man. Sher Ali of the Bisham Barbers' Association says the ban is the result of "an ongoing debate about our work". "There were concerns that our earnings from shaving beards were un-Islamic and tainted - so we have decided to stop." The town's barbers will continue to trim men's hair, massage scalps and groom those who use the public baths. They are reportedly considering a further ban on "Western-style" haircuts.  .. The fall of the Taleban in 2001 was followed by a barber shop boom in the Afghan capital, Kabul, as thousands of men flocked to be shorn of their regulation facial hair. SAUDI ARABIA Boom Time for Business as Ramadan Approaches - 21 Oct 03 http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;section=0&article=33956&d=21&m=10&y=2003 .. Businesses are gearing up to meet consumer demand during Ramadan, which starts on Sunday or Monday, amid complaints that some are taking advantage of the shopping season to put up their prices. Ramadan means big business for traders, and according to an estimate the total turnover of the Eastern Province market during Ramadan last year was nearly SR 1.3 billion [EUR 296 m]. Projections for this year are that it could reach SR 1.8 billion. Fast-moving consumer goods have the largest share of the market, amounting to almost 40 percent, followed by garments, textiles, electronic goods, furniture and jewelry. Saudi opposition site interviews "wanted" Saudi security suspect http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=42691472 .. One of nineteen Saudis wanted by the authorities has denied fighting in Iraq, according to an interview with an opposition web site. Abd-al-Aziz al-Muqrin said that his aim was to "purge" Saudi Arabia of non-Muslims, the web site said. In the interview Al- Muqrin discusses previous operations in Afghanistan and Algeria. The following is the text of the report of first of two part interview with Al-Muqrin; by unidentified interviewer; place and date not given; entitled "Interview with Abd-al-Aziz al-Muqrin, one of 19 wanted Saudis", published by London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia web site on 13 October. [..] Saudi Arabia: too little, too late   - 16 Oct 03 http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid031016_1_n.shtml .. Proposals to introduce a modicum of local democracy in Saudi Arabia have been announced against the backdrop of mounting internal discontent within the Kingdom. JID has asked a leading expert on the Gulf region to analyse the latest developments and to assess whether these will be sufficient to stem the tide of opposition to the House of Saud. .. However, although growing numbers of Saudi citizens are deeply dissatisfied with the present system of royal government, in reality there is very little support for a Western-style democracy which, it is feared, would undermine the country's Sharia code of Islamic law. Opposition groups in Saudi - and many of the émigré organisations which operate abroad - are not pursuing a vision of Western democracy, but an even more rigid interpretation of Sunni Sharia and the ousting of those sections of the royal family which they regard as having been corrupted by association with the West. These are not the sort of people with whom Washington - or Western human rights campaigners - will be comfortable doing business. Government Cracks Down as Beggary Turns Big Business   - 19 Oct 03 http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;section=0&article=33845&d=19&m=10&y=2003&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom .. With expatriate beggars remitting an estimated SR250 million [EUR 57m] annually, the government is cracking down on begging ahead of Ramadan. The campaign started last Thursday under the slogan "Not Every Beggar Is in Need," Okaz newspaper reported, but already officials from the Anti-Beggary Department in the last two months arrested some 1,100 beggars, most of them overstayers. .. The slogan of the campaign in borne out by a study conducted by the Anti-Beggary Department. "The annual income of a beggar ranges between SR18,000 [Eur 4.000,-] and SR35,000 [Eur 8.000,-]," the study said. "More than 7,000 beggars including women and children were arrested in the recent past in Jeddah alone, of which the majority were African nationals." .. The total number of beggars in the Kingdom is estimated at about 100,000, with an average individual daily income of about SR50 [Eur11] . The situation is not helped by the fact that there are about half a million unemployed expatriates in Saudi Arabia. But Saudi nationals too are involved in the profession. Another survey conducted by Dr. Abdullah Al-Yousif of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University, says 69 percent of child beggars in Riyadh are Saudis, including 56.6 percent of them girls. SINGAPORE What 'mujahideen' means in Arabic  - 20 Oct 03 http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,4386,215560,00.html? .. 'Mujahideen' is the plural of the word 'mujahid'. A 'mujahid' is anyone who struggles for a noble cause against enemies, tyranny, oppression or bad desires in order to regain honour, freedom or personal upliftment. 'Jihad' comes from the root word 'jahada', which means to endeavour, to strive or to work hard. In Islam, 'jihad' means to strive in the name of God, by disciplining oneself against desires such as greed, anger or lust. Jihad can also mean to defend one's country or religion against aggressors. The words 'mujahideen' and 'jihad' were included in the glossary of Islamic terms issued by Muis in October 2001. SOMALIA Somali War Children Explore Life Without Guns - 08 Oct 03 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&;u=/nm/20031008/lf_nm/somalia_childsoldiers_dc_1 Somali bodyguards arrested over thwarted VIP trip   - 12 Oct 03 http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L12231562.htm .. Officials of Mogadishu's Islamic courts arrested 10 bodyguards after they stopped a former Somali president they once protected from flying overseas in a row over pay, aides and city residents said on Sunday. SOUTH AFRICA 'Madrassas' a concern in South Africa  - 16 Oct 03 http://www.washtimes.com/world/20031016-085537-6257r.htm .. The information officer at the Pakistani Embassy in Pretoria said his government is concerned about the flow of illegal immigrants from Pakistan to South Africa via Mozambique, but that the office was working closely with South African authorities to combat the problem. .. Muslim officials in South Africa say there has been a surge in the construction of madrassas in the country in recent years to deal with the influx of foreign students barred from schools in Pakistan and the Middle East. The majority of the new schools are located in Cape Town, with others in Johannesburg and Durban. Ihsaan Hendriks, deputy chairman of South Africa's Muslim Judicial Council, recently told the Agence France-Presse news service: "Several Islamic colleges have been established in South Africa for local Muslim communities and for Muslims in neighboring countries."  Mufti Muhammad Jamil, spokesman for the Pakistan-based Federation of Madrassas, told the news service last month that some 500 foreign students who had been in Pakistani Islamic schools have relocated to South Africa. SUDAN Statement by Embassy of Sudan; 'Making Money out of Conflict: Francis Bok and 'Slavery' in Sudan' - 17 Oct 03 http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=127-10172003 Freed Sudanese Islamist calls for elections - 18 Oct 03 http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/10/18/sudan.islamist.reut/ .. Turabi, who heads the Popular National Congress Party and was once the ideologue for Bashir's government, said elections were key to preventing secession of the south. "Elections should be as soon as possible," the 70-year-old told Reuters and Sudan's daily Al-Khartoum at his home in the capital. He said government in Sudan should be decentralized. "Sudan is too big to be governed from one center," he said. He said Bashir's government had warped his ideas on implementing sharia, saying most laws -- including those on freedom of worship and alcohol consumption -- should be determined by individuals, not the state. "Family laws, personal laws ... what you drink, the way you dress, the way you associate with people ... Those laws have to be personalized. Other laws have to be local. Each federated state parliament should develop its own laws," he said. .. Turabi's release was seen as a government attempt to rally support from Turabi's northern support base for any peace deal with the SPLA, which is seeking more autonomy for the south. For many southerners, Turabi is a symbol of Khartoum's attempt to impose Arabic and Islam in the south. USA General issues apology for religious war comments    - 18 Oct 03 http://www.tribnet.com/news/story/4190369p-4203401c.html .. An Army general who has been widely criticized by framing U.S. battles against Islamic militants in religious terms said Friday that he was "not anti-Islam or any other religion" and apologized to "those who have been offended by my statements." In a short statement aimed at quieting calls for his removal, Lt. Gen. William Boykin said he does not regard the war on terrorism as a war between Islam and Christianity. He said the main point of his church speeches has been to urge Americans to pray for their leaders. .. News reports this week quoted several instances over the past two years in which Boykin, appearing in uniform before evangelical Christian groups, portrayed the war on terrorism as a religious struggle. In one videotape he was shown saying "the enemy that has come against our nation is a spiritual enemy" named Satan. In another, he said President Bush "is in the White House because God put him there." And discussing a 1993 battle with a Muslim militia leader in Somalia, he said: "I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol." Implications of Islamic values in the public workplace  - 01 Oct 03 http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=42668977 .. To help public managers better understand issues of religious practice in the workforce, we begin with a brief review of the place of religion in the United States and its workforce. We follow that with an explanation of Islamic religious practices and the constitutional and legal principles that allow religious practice in the workplace. We then review current case law that illuminates some of the problems and resolutions to accommodating Muslim employees. YEMEN Yemeni cleric sees militants splitting Muslims     - 18 Oct 03 http://www.yobserver.com/topstories/hometopstories.php?id=2474&;issue=91 .. A moderate Yemeni cleric is leading a campaign to fight Islamic extremism with a message of peace and tolerance in one of the worst hotbeds of religious militancy. Omar Bin Hafidh is one of the five leading scholars in Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama Bin Laden, helping a government drive to "re-educate" militants, mainly prisoners held for planning attacks on Western and Yemeni targets. Hafidh, who teaches at the Dar Al-Mustafa Centre for Islamic Research in the eastern Yemeni town of Tarim, said Islam has greatly suffered from acts of religious extremism such as the September 11 hijacked plane attacks on US cities. .. Government officials say some 20 people have been released after "re-education", while some 60 suspects remain in jail. Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Committee have criticized the arrests, saying suspects were held on unclear charges or outside the legal framework. Hafidh said the "re-education" campaign employed tapes and other media to persuade militants to abandon violence, as well as discussions about the interpretation of the Koran. WORLD Main elements of OIC communique  - 17 Oct 03 http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=42712327 [Africa] Time to abolish the death penalty  - 10 Oct 03 http://www.madagascarnews.com/p/93/e14c7cbffb7f.html?id=1697dc9 FINANCE [World Bank] Jakarta banks vulnerable to corruption  - 20 Oct 03 http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_425898,00020008.htm [Qatar] Finance Ministry signs deal for $700mn Islamic bond http://www.gulf-times.com/2003/10/11/finance.htm   - 11 Oct 03 .. The Ministry of Finance on Thursday signed an agreement with a special purpose company - Qatar Global Sukuk (QGS) - to raise $ 700mn through the seven year Islamic bond (Sukuk al-Ijara).  The company that was formed on Wednesday represents 45 major investors who are participating in the issue. .. The A3/A+ rated Sukuk al-Ijara follows Islamic-compliant bonds from Malaysia, Bahrain and the Islamic Development Bank, he said.  The minister said Sukuk al-Ijara is the largest Islamic bond issued so far. Region-wise the bond has been distributed as follows: Middle East 72%, Asia 14%, Europe 13% and US offshore 1%.  The distribution in terms of investors is: Islamic banks and funds 52%, conventional banks 24%, central banks and government authorities 13%, fund managers 10% and private banks 1%. .. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm?id=ZAWYA20031020055357 .. The entry of the Saudi Ministry of Finance would be a major psychological boost for the Islamic capital market. The Kingdom is by far the largest market for liquidity. It would also signify a vote of confidence by the Saudi authorities for the Islamic bond market. Iran, which is contemplating going to the Eurobond market with two new issues, could contribute by issuing an Islamic Eurobond. An Iraqi reconstruction bond issue, underwritten and guaranteed by the IDB, could also go a long way in adding market depth and political credibility. Malaysia set the ball rolling last year with its $600 million Malaysia Global Sukuk, the first Islamic bond to be issued. It was rated BBB and Baa2 by S&P and Moody’s respectively. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in June this year launched an Islamic bond, a $400 million sukuk al-ijara, which was rated AAA and AA by S&P and Fitch. The reasons why the sukuks al-ijara seem to be so successful are many. They are new and there is behind-the-scene pressure put on domestic subscribers. But above all, there is a dearth of investment opportunities with varying maturity profiles for Islamic financial institutions, awash with liquidity especially short-term investments. The result is that there is a serious mismatch between their short-term deposits and their long-term assets. Thus, the need for tradable instruments that can be liquidated easily when cash is required becomes paramount. The Malaysia Global Sukuk is listed on the Labuan International Financial Exchange and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. In the first six months after issue, the sukuk saw only two trades on the Labuan exchange. It was only listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange three weeks ago, becoming the first Malaysian bond to be listed on a stock exchange in MENA countries. Qatar aims to use some funds raised from its sukuk to finance the construction of the $450 million Hamad Medical City in Doha, which will initially be used as the athletes’ village for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. .. The challenge for Islamic bond structurers also is to come up with a more varied profile of issues, beyond the bai-salam sukuk and the sukuk al-ijara. These would include al-istisna bonds, mudaraba bonds, and musharaka bonds. Even seasoned Islamic bankers agree that to add depth to the market, the innovators will have to get their thinking caps on. After all the sukuks-al-ijara depend on quality assets which are then securitized. The Muslim world does not have that depth of quality assets. Furthermore, these assets have to be acceptable from a Shariah compliance point of view; and have to have proven rental and other income streams to effectively guarantee the securitization process. Central Bank Watch: Malaysia As Islamic Banking Center - 20 Oct 03 http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031020/15/3f4as.html ..  In July, the Islamic Development Bank issued a $300 million Sukuk securitizing a mixed portfolio of leased assets and receivables, and Malaysia may well be studying it as a model for its next Sukuk issue expected sometime in 2004, industry participants said. On Friday, Islamic Development Bank President Ahmad Mohammad Ali said the IDB will tap the market for more funds, following the success of the issue, national news agency Bernama news reported. .. Islamic issues are fast gaining popularity in the domestic market as well. In 2002, Islamic debt issuance in Malaysia amounted to $3.6 billion, or 52% of total private debt securities. That is the first time the amount of Islamic issues surpassed conventional market issues. At the OIC business summit Thursday, industry leaders called for a broader ownership base for Islamic banking products to better tap the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world. But the market participants said that the success of these ventures isn't dependent on Muslim investors alone. Around 70% of the IDB's Sukuk that went to market in July was bought by conventional institutional investors, Saad Ashraf, head of Citigroup Islamic in the U.K., said at the summit. The prospects for takaful products also are bright. Malaysia was the first country in Asia to provide Islamic insurance, beginning in 1984, and now controls close to 40% of the global market, Mohd Fadzli Yusof, the chief executive of Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd., said at the OIC summit Thursday. He noted that there is big potential for growth in this sector, given low market penetration. While Muslims make up around 14% of the world population, Muslim countries account for only about 5% of total insurance premiums. Over the last five years in Malaysia, takaful insurance has grown at an average of about 30% a year, compared with just 10% for conventional insurance. [Bahrain]  More Arab investors opt for Islamic banking    - 16 Oct 03 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/business/16_10_03_d.asp .. "The region is witnessing a rapid improvement in real estate ­ about a 40 percent increase in the last year alone ­ and stock markets are also booming.These are indications of high liquidity available for investment in the area after being repatriated from abroad," Saeed Fahim,the Chairman of Al-Fahim Group of the United Arab Emirates said this week. Fahim was speaking on Monday after announcing the establishment of a new Islamic investment bank ­ International Investment Bank (IIB) in Bahrain ­ in which his group will own 24 percent. Forty-five investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar will own the bank which will focus on real estate in Gulf Arab states and Europe as well as direct investment in successful companies. IIB Chief Executive Aabed Zeera of Bahrain said a European investment firm was negotiating to have a stake in the $43 million bank. [*]  Copyright: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 - http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html - this material is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this list for purposes that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. [USA:  http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html] 9:44:59 PM    comment []