Sharia News Watch 102 : a collection newsquotes on Sharia, for
research & educational purposes only. [*] Shortcut URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shariawatch/message/102
The Sharia Newswatch provides a regular update of news quotes
on Sharia (Islamic Law) & related subjects, as appearing on the major
news searchengines. All editions :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shariawatch/
Hajj, Eid-al-Adha, hijab, mixed marriages, secular, constitutions
AFGHANISTAN
[comment] Judiciary not upholding Afghan law - 30 Jan 04
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/158606_afghanwomen30.html
..
[Chief Justice Mawlavi Fazl Hadi Shinwari] has put scores of
unqualified mullahs on benches at all levels and has created a "fatwa
council" in the Supreme Court to issue religious edicts. Another
justice on the court who has more than 30 years experience as a judge
told me that this fatwa council, a throwback to the Taliban era, is
illegal under Afghan law.
..
[Afghanistan's new constitution] has a very dangerous loophole: It
states that no law can be contrary to the "beliefs and provisions" of
Islam. (This formulation replaced the more liberal phrase, "principles
of Islam," in last-minute politicking at the loya jirga, Afghanistan's
constitutional convention.) "Provisions" can be interpreted by
extremists to allow for the imposition of Sharia, or strict Islamic
law. Another section of the constitution gives the Supreme Court the
power to determine whether laws and treaties made by the government
are in accordance with the constitution. Together, these two articles
give the Supreme Court the power to reject virtually any law or treaty
as un-Islamic.
..
It is critical that Karzai take decisive action. First, his
administration should make clear that the Supreme Court can issue
opinions only on legal cases that have been properly argued before it.
Second, Karzai should disband the current Supreme Court and appoint
new members, a power granted to him by the constitution. This new
court must consist of respected and experienced Afghan jurists.
..
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=53691 - 04 Feb 04
..
In a specific recommendation to the president, the secretary of state,
and Congress, the Commission [U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom] says the Afghan constitution should also exclude
the use of blasphemy, "offending Islam," apostasy, or similar offenses
to stifle debate or restrict religious freedom.
Afghan paper calls on elders to help prevent poppy cultivation
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=46487640
.. [Afghan newspaper Anis on 28 January]
[enemies of lives and health of human beings and particularly of the
youth] have also restarted their efforts for poppy cultivation in some
parts of the country. They have encouraged a number of our farmers to
grow this haram [forbidden] plant instead of wheat and other useful
plants. Our farmers do not know that poppy cultivation is forbidden by
Islam and that the illegal drugs made from the nectar of the poppy
crop destroys the lives of a number of uninformed human beings,
particularly the youths as a result of efforts made by the traffickers
of illegal drugs inside the country and in different parts of the
world.
..
Therefore, influential elders and ulema of the country; let us use our
humane, Afghan and Islamic feelings and tell all those farmers who own
lands to destroy their poppy crops if they have already cultivated
them and urge the relevant authorities to provide these farmers with
assistance considered by the international organizations. In this way
they can benefit both in this world and in the life hereafter. Let us
tell them that in the future they should only grow halal [allowed by
Islam] crops and not haram [forbidden by Islam].
BANGLADESH
Blood problem for Bangladesh festival - 29 Jan 04
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3440799.stm
..
Eid ul Adha, Islam's annual festival of sacrifice is here. But Sadiq
Hossain, the mayor of the Bangladeshi capital, wants this year to be
different. Hundreds of thousands of cattle will be sacrificed in the
capital and across Bangladesh on 2 February. Mr Hossain is urging
those who can to carry out the sacrifice in public parks. But he knows
that in this crowded city most animals will be slaughtered in the
street, leaving the stench of blood hanging in the air for days.
"Wherever you go in the Islamic world - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or
Qatar - you will never see such a slaughter in the streets as in
Dhaka," Mr Hossain says. The festivities are held every year to
commemorate the readiness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.
..
On the day of the Feast of Sacrifice, teams of mullahs will travel
around the city to carry out the slaughter. Bystanders use a rope
around the animals' legs to bring them to the ground. Verses from the
Koran are recited before the cattle are despatched with a sword across
the throat.
..
"This year there are fewer cattle than last year," said trader Khazi
Mohammed Selim at Gabtali market. "Officials at the border are being
very strict. They are not allowing any cattle through from India."
..
For those tired of beef, a novel but expensive option is a camel.
Abdul Zabar specialises in them. "I went to Rajasthan, in India, just
before Eid to buy camels," he said.
..
Eid also means bumper sales for blacksmiths. .. "During Eid I get
lots of orders for knives. Everyday I make eight to ten." By
tradition, the meat from the sacrifice will be divided into three
parts, one for the owner, one for friends and relatives, and one for
the poor. But off-cuts and offal will be discarded, leaving a big
clean-up job for the city authorities.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Khalwat, Divorce Cases On The Rise In Brunei - 31 Jan 04
http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Jan04/310104/nite01.htm
..
Religious authorities in the country yesterday expressed concern over
the reported rise in the number of lose proximity (khalwat) cases,
adultery and consumption of alcohol by Muslims. According to records
there were 304 Khalwat cases, 77 adultery cases and 60 alcohol abuse
cases last year.
..
In an interview with the Weekend yesterday, the Acting lead of
Religious Enforcement said religious enforcement officers have carried
out a series of talks at schools and colleges like Maktab Dull,
villages in Tutong and Belait with plans to expand these to the
village consultative councils in all the four districts, besides
carrying out spot checks and raids.
..
Other violations under Civil Criminal Section include eating, drinking
and smoking during Ramadhan and two cases of preventing Muslims from
performing prayer, twenty nine cases of non-Muslims aiding in the
offence of close proximity. Divorce outside the court contributed the
largest slice of the cases recorded under Family Section last year
with 121 cases, 17 cases getting solemnised without the approval of
the Syariah court and 16 cases with failing to report divorce. Others
included six cases of polygamy without the consent of the Syariah
court, one unfaithful wife, two cases of wife abuse and two cases of
wife leaving house without the consent of husband. In total, 168 cases
were reported under the Family Section last year. The Acting Head of
Religious Enforcement Division also cautioned Muslims to think twice
before having their marriages solemnised abroad.
BULGARIA
Biggest Mosque in Bulgaria Close to Ruin Down - 03 Feb 04
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=30616
..
Tombul Mosque, the biggest Bulgarian mosque based in the northern town
of Shumen, is on its fast way to ruin down soon, as it has seen no
reconstruction works since its erection in 1744. The 260-year-old
mosque is also the biggest one on the Balkan Peninsula, besides the
Turkish Islam-praying religious temples. The Bulgarian mosque,
distinguished as a cultural monument, forms a complex of its temple
and the monastery school attached to it. According to the estimations
of the National Institute for Culture Monuments, the religious
building reconstruction demands over half a million levs. [EUR
255.000,-] Residents say that the mosque is frequented not only by
prayers, but also by tourists from Germany, Japan, the United States,
attracted by its historical and cultural merits. An agreement between
Turkey and Bulgaria envisages common financing of reconstruction works
at the Tombul Mosque, the Bulgarian share amounting to BGN 520,000.
CANADA
Islam's Feast of Sacrifice - 02 Feb 04
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f1187010-752b-4ef2-9be9-2448955cabd5
CHINA
Cellphone for Chinese Muslims - 02 Feb 04
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/10530.shtml
..
China's official Xinhua News Agency has reported that China Mobile is
to start selling a mobile phone designed specifically for China's
Turkic Muslim population. The new Uighur compatible phone went on sale
last week in the Uighur heartland, the strongly Muslim region of
northwestern China known as Xinjiang. The phone was developed by
Beijing Capitel, and features Uighur-language menus, text-messaging
ability and voice-activated dialing. Chinese and English can be used
as backups.
EGYPT
Egyptian butcher sold dog meat for Eid - 03 Feb 04
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=8746
..
The Egyptian police arrested a butcher who allegedly sold dog meat to
his customers who believed they were buying lamb for the Muslim
holidays of Eid al-Adha, a government newspaper reported Tuesday. A
veterinarian alerted the authorities and the 29-year-old butcher
confessed to police that he slaughtered three dogs and sold the meat
as lamb to earn enough money to get married, Al-Akhbar said, quoting
police.
FRANCE
Paris Suburb to Televise Slaughter of Sheep - 31 Jan 04
http://www.aljazeerah.info/31%20n/Paris%20Suburb%20to%20Televise%20Slaughter%20of%20Sheep.htm
..
The Paris suburb of Evry, which has one of France's largest Muslim
populations, has decided to install video screens to enable the local
faithful to watch some 3,300 sheep being slaughtered for Eid this
year. The televised ritual slaughter which will take place in a large
mobile abattoir is the idea of a local meat wholesaler.
..
The new approach to the slaughter of the Eid sheep comes after years
of difficulties for French Muslims who, having bought a sheep for Eid,
thought it was their right to see them killed in a local slaughter-
house. That, however, contravened strict governmental regulations on
security and hygiene. Additionally, there were relatively few
slaughterhouses available for the killing of the sheep according to
Halal practice. However, with the number of sheep to be killed this
year rising to 110,000, the government decided it was time to
introduce new methods by which they might be slaughtered under
government sanitary regulations but also religiously-authorized
conditions.
INDIA
[Kashmir] Truce on borders, lessening violence cheers Kashmiris ahead
of Eid - 31 Jan 04
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&;u=/afp/20040131/wl_sthasia_afp/india_kashmir_eid_040131054443
..
Taking advantage of a ceasefire on Kashmir's borders and lessening
violence inside the region, Kashmiri Muslims have been crowding
markets to shop for Islam's second biggest festival of Eid al-Adha.
[Maharashtra] Camel to be sacrificed on Bakr-Id - 31 Jan 04
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/456312.cms
..
A four-year-old camel is all set to be slaughtered in Dongri on Bakr-
Id on Monday. Mohammed Khan of Attargali Lane brought the camel, named
Kaveri, all the way from Hyderabad on Wednesday. Advocate Kamal
Kishore, who fights for animal rights, said that it was illegal to
kill camels without permission under the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals Act.
..
Secretary of the Raza Academy, Sohail Rokadia, said that the sacrifice
of camels was uncommon in Mumbai -- around 10 to 12 camels are
sacrificed in Mumbai every year. However, in Arabian countries camels
are commonly sacrificed during Id. Mr Rokadia claimed that it was not
illegal to kill camels who are beyond their productive years. The
average lifespan of a camel is 40 years, though it is usually retired
from active work at 25. Mr Rokadia said that as per Shariat law, a
camel should be more than five years before it can be slaughtered.
[Uttar Pradesh] Cow sacrifice on Eid not mandatory: Deoband seminary
http://www.keralanext.com/news/index.asp?id=25309 - 01 Feb 04
..
One of India's leading centres of Islamic learning Sunday said Muslims
were under no compulsion to sacrifice cows, an animal considered
sacred by Hindus, on the occasion of Eid ul Zuha. The Darul Uloom
Deoband, however, dismissed reports that its leaders had issued a
'fatwa', or edict, banning cow slaughter by Muslims during Eid, which
will be bserved Monday.
..
He, however, noted that religious leaders in Deoband had even in the
1940s issued an appeal advising Muslims that sacrificing cows was not
mandatory on the occasion of Eid.
..
"There are states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where cow
slaughter is banned and it is natural that Muslims in these states
should respect the laws of the land," said a student at Deoband.
[West Bengal] And the garland goes to... by Bhusan Nandy - 29 Jan 04
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=4&;&id=34506
..
Nasreen's arrival in Kolkata to release her next book added a
disturbing new dimension to the controversy over Dwikhandita [Split in
Two]. Interested quarters were out to engineer a facade of communal
tension brewing in the state to retrospectively justify the ban. They
found an agent provocateur in the Shahi Imam of the Tipu Sultan Mosque
who issued a post-prayer fatwa on 16 January that Nasreen be greeted
with a garland of shoes and her face be tarred black. The Sunni cleric
also announced on behalf of the Ulema Council a payment of Rs 20,000
to any one who would implement the punishment. The Kolkata mullah's
action is dreadfully reminiscent of the spate of fatwas his
Bangladeshi counterparts had issued in 1994 pronouncing death sentence
on Nasreen because her book, Lajja [Shame], was a chilling expose of
the post-Babari, no-holds-barred Hindu cleansing in Bangladesh –
wanton arson, murder, rape and destruction and desecration of temples
and deities. The BNP government of the day let the perpetrators of the
genocidal crimes go scot-free but proscribed the book and exiled its
author. The Left Front here didn't ban Lajja fearing that would
alienate Hindu voters, but in order to humour the minority community,
Marxist elements maligned Nasreen on the sly. At the height of the
anti-Nasreen agitation in Dhaka, at a wining and dining session hosted
by a Bangladeshi diplomat in Kolkata, a CPM politburo member
reportedly told his host that R&AW had sponsored the writing and
publication of Lajja. Though the Bangladesh High Court has declared
fatwa illegal, Islamic zealots there continue to commit atrocities on
ordinary Muslims for alleged violation of the Shariat, albeit in
remote, rural areas.
..
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=46549394
.. - 01 Feb 04
Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin's latest book is
selling well in India, her publisher said Sunday, despite threats to
her personal safety from Islamic leaders here who allege the book
insults Islam. The Bangla language book "Sei Sob Andhakar,'' or "Those
Dark Days,'' has sold more than 1,500 copies in two days at the
Calcutta Book Fair, said her publisher Shibani Mukherjee of People's
Book Society. The figures are high by Indian publishing standards.
..
"Sei Sob Andhakar'' -- the book fourth in an autobiographical series
-- covers the two months that she spent in hiding in Bangladesh after
Islamic fundamentalists ordered the fatwa against her.
INDONESIA
Indonesia Backgrounder: Jihad in Central Sulawesi - 04 Feb 04
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/10759031951.htm
..
The International Crisis Group's latest report, Indonesia
Backgrounder: Jihad in Central Sulawesi,
http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=2500 takes as a starting
point an outbreak of violence in Poso and Morowali districts in
October 2003 in which thirteen people were killed, most of them
Christian villagers. Most of the attackers proved to be locally
recruited men from the Mujahidin KOMPAK militia group, and most had
family members killed in a wave of attacks on Muslims in May-June 2000
and were likely motivated by revenge. Mujahidin KOMPAK is an
organisation that was spawned by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), had JI members
among its leaders, but was institutionally distinct from South East
Asia’s largest terrorist organisation. In trying to piece together why
it was created and how it had come to Poso, ICG uncovered new
information about rifts within JI. "JI is not a monolithic
organisation with a single set of goals", says Sidney Jones, South
East Asia Project Director for ICG. "There are serious differences
over how, when, and where to wage jihad, and the gap appears to be
widening". The report found that Mujahidin KOMPAK and JI cooperated
and competed in Poso. Both aimed to strengthen local groups for jihad
so that they do not need outside assistance, but their approaches
differed significantly. JI insisted on religious indoctrination as an
absolute prerequisite to war; Mujahidin KOMPAK focused on "learning by
doing" and getting recruits into battle as fast as possible. "JI was
viewed as slow and bureaucratic", says Jones. "Mujahidin KOMPAK was
seen as leaner, meaner and quicker".
IRAQ
Iraqi Council to Debate Plan for Transition - 31 Jan 04
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq31jan31,1,7392077.story
..
Iraqi leaders are to begin debate today on a newly crafted proposal
for a transitional government that would fuse European and American
styles of democracy, with executive, legislative and judicial branches
underpinned by a bill of rights.
..
The document does not call for the strict version of Sharia religious
law in place in countries such as Saudi Arabia. Rather, it says that
the broad sweep of Islam -- encompassing a vast landscape of thought
and legal concepts -- should be the principal source for legislation.
..
Others familiar with similar ethnic power-sharing arrangements in
Bosnia-Herzegovina and elsewhere said that a tripartite presidency
could cement rather than ease ethnic rivalries in Iraq. "You are
defining the political dialogue in terms of ethnic and religious
identity, which is not the way to start building a democracy," said
Paul Williams, an American University professor of law and
international relations who has been a legal advisor to the Bosnian
government. Such a system would likely exclude Iraq's minorities, such
as Turkmens, Christians or Assyrians, from holding the presidency,
Williams said.
..
Included in the draft law is a bill of rights that guarantees freedom
of speech, the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of movement, the
right to demonstrate and strike and the right to schooling and
healthcare. The proposal also grants an array of other rights unheard
of in Hussein's time, including a ban on arbitrary arrest or
detention; the right to a fair and public hearing; the right to speedy
public trial; the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty;
and a ban on the use of physical or psychological torture.
..
Details of Iraqi Draft Fundamental Law - 02 Feb 04
http://www.juancole.com/2004_02_01_juancole_archive.html#107570900566603237
..
The Kuwaiti newspaper al-Qabas ["Firebrand": arabic url :
http://www.alqabas.com.kw/news_details.php?cat=2&;id=55661] has
published a draft of the Fundamental Law on which the Interim
Governing Council is working. It will function as Iraq's constitution
until a new one can be fashioned, and will allow a transitional
government to be installed this summer.
..
The Fourth Article, says, "Islam is the official religion of the state
and is considered a fundamental source of legislation. This Law
respects the Islamic identity of the majority of the Iraqi people and
guarantees the complete freedom of the other religions and their
practice of their rites."
This article had been insisted on by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, and
its insertion was one of the first attempts by Bremer and the IGC to
compromise with him. It is similar to a provision put into Egyptian
law to mollify the Muslim Brotherhood there. The Egyptian constitution
initially recognized Islamic law as "a" source of legislation. After
the MB agitated (and after splinter groups now related to al-Qaeda
engaged in violence), the government changed the phraseology to
"Islamic law is the principal source of legislation" and reviewed
thousands of laws to ensure they did not contradict Islamic law. It is
not entirely clear that fundamentalist forces in Iraqi society do in
fact interpret Islamic law in such a way that they would protect the
rights of the religious minorities.
Article six recognizes Arabic as the official language, but says the
situation in Kurdistan will be respected.
..
Article 7 recognizes "the people" as the "source of authority."
Article 9: "Iraqis are equal in rights and duties regardless of race
(al-jins), national origin, sect, or ethnicity (al-'irq), and all are
equal before the law."
Article 11: "An individual has a right to education, well-being, work
and security, and the right to a just and open trial."
..
Article 16: "It is not permitted to carry a weapon for self-defense
without a permit issued in accordance with the law."
..
Article 18, point 1: "No Iraqi citizen may be deprived of Iraqi
citizenship."
..
Article 20: The transitional parliament will have one member for every
100,000 citizens, i.e., about 250 seats at the moment. Several later
articles create a "presidential council" (with 3 rotating presidents!)
that will appoint the prime minister and his cabinet (!) and have the
power to veto the parliament's legislation. This is an extremely
cumbersome executive.
Article 41, point 5: The transitional parliament will specify the
decentralized prerogatives of the provinces, which are not included in
the Federal purview.
point 6: "The guarantee of the rights of women to political and other
participation in a manner that is equal to the rights of men in the
entire society."
..
[comment] Interim Iraqi Constitution - January 2004 draft - 03 Feb 04
http://www.geocities.com/nathanbrown1/interimiraqiconstitution.html
secular parties unite in effort to prevent religious government
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/7827974.htm
.. - 29 Jan 04
The umbrella group, whose Arabic name roughly translates as the
"Consortium of Democratic Forces," met for the second time Thursday,
with representatives from the two main Kurdish factions, the Iraqi
Communist Party, the Arab Socialist Movement and two other secular
democratic parties. It's impossible to gauge the parties' appeal in
the absence of elections. However, in a poll last August by Zogby
International in four Iraqi cities, 49 percent of Iraqis said they
preferred a democracy guided by Islamic law, 24 percent wanted an
Islamic state dominated by clerics and only 21 percent desired a
secular democratic state. The poll of 600 adults has a margin of error
of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
..
Politicians and community groups that stand by their secular message
are increasingly the targets of attacks.
[comment] I wanna secularise you up - 29 Jan 04
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/675/re6.htm
..
An article in the 17 January issue of Al Zaman daily newspaper
marvelled that the IGC found time to worry about marriage laws in the
face of Iraq's other problems, asking "Is the personal status law an
obstacle that stands in the way of rebuilding the telephone network,
or the electrical and water systems or repairing schools or
establishing security or, most importantly, ending the occupation?"
Al-Damluji criticised the decision as symbolic of a short-sighted and
simplistic view of Iraqi society. The idea of locking familial law
under a single religious banner ignores the ethnic and religious
diversity of the country and this blurring of lines has become
commonplace in diverse cities such as Baghdad and Mosul.
..
However, Al-Damluji is not opposed to the idea of a comprehensive
review of the law to streamline it and make it more relevant to modern
times. The original 1959 law was liberal and secular, but it has been
tampered with over the years, according to the political conditions of
the time. The law contravened Shari'a by decreeing equal inheritance
shares for male and female children, and banned men from polygamy
without the consent of the first wife. But the inheritance rule was
abolished shortly after Abdul-Karim Qassem was ousted by the Ba'ath
Party in 1963, and the polygamy ban was later cancelled by Saddam
Hussein.
..
[comment] The GC's view of women in Iraq by Raqiya Al-Qaisi -24 Jan 04
http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/archives/2004_01_01_healingiraq_archive.html#107495900426007029
..
US lawmakers say Iraqi women's rights in jeopardy - 05 Feb 04
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/05_02_04/art23.asp
..
The letter made reference to GC resolution 137, approved by the
25-member GC on Dec. 29, which replaces Iraq's 1959 personal-status
laws with religious laws, to be administered by the clerics from the
religious group to which the parties in the dispute belong. The laws
in question span a wide range of domains, from the right to education,
employment and freedom of movement, to property inheritance, divorce
and child custody.
..
While the CPA is considered highly unlikely to ratify the resolution,
there is concern Muslim conservatives could push it through the
transitional government, to which sovereignty is supposed to be
returned by the CPA by June 30. Shiite clerics are not only expected
to increase their representation in the government, but they may be
supported by conservative Sunnis, as well. Since the ouster of Saddam
Hussein by US-led forces last April, religious conservatives in both
Shiite and Sunni parts of the country are reported to have become
increasingly prominent and influential.
Religious disputes agitate situation in Iraqi holy city of Najaf
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/beta/Story.nsp?story_id=46654998
.. - 03 Feb 04
Aswad Al Abayachi, a government employee, told Xinhua that followers
of the young Shiite cleric, Muqtada Al Sadr, are not on good terms
with the members of the Badir brigade, the military wing of the High
Council of Islamic Revolution, headed by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, member
of the Interim Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). "The shrine of the Imam
Ali (the forth caliph at the Islamic State) is closed to visitors for
days now, and the situation is very tense," Al Abayachi said and
advised us to return immediately to Baghdad.
..
Tension started when the followers of Ayatollah Al Sistani, the top
Shiite cleric, demanded the closing of the Sadr followers office,
which is said to be carrying out special trials of some people inside
the shrine.
..
Some political parties, which are interested in Iraq, expect the
dispute to aggravate between the Shiites during Ashoraa, a Shiite
occasion with special rituals banned at the time of the former regime.
The gatherings at that time would help in heightening the feelings of
the followers to pronounce their aims and goals in that period. Some
Iraqi newspapers mentioned lately that the IGC gave Al Sadr a 48-hour
deadline to cancel the court that he formed and close the prison that
came with the court and hand the detainees to the government.
..
Iraqi sources say that Muqtada Al Sadr arrested a number of people in
the city within a frame of legitimate sues to be tried by a court he
formed, which had an Islamic characteristic and works inside the
shrine of Imam Ali.
KENYA
Muslims mark Idd Ul Hajj - 02 Feb 04
http://www.eastandard.net/headlines/news0202200404.htm
..
Muslim leaders asked the Government to declare the second Idd Ul Hajj
a national holiday. Idd is recognised as an Islamic holiday by the
United Nations Organisation and Islamic states. The Council of Imams
and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) and the unregistered Islamic Party of
Kenya (IPK) said the UN has declared today (Monday) a holiday to all
its staff to compensate for the Sunday holiday. .. Only the Idd-Ul-
Fitri, which follows the Holy Month of Ramadhan, is recognised by the
Government.
KYRGYZSTAN
Interview with prominent Uighur human rights activist - 29 Jan 04
http://www.uzbekdaily.com/p/9b/3eb0f69df79508.html
..
Since 9/11, Chinese officials have portrayed Uighur radicals in
Xinjiang as separatists and terrorists with links to a range of
extremist Islamic groups throughout Central Asia. In Bishkek, these
charges have found a sympathetic ear. In 2000 and 1999, Kyrgyzstan
struggled to contain armed incursions by militants affiliated with the
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). Uighur activists maintain that
they are trying to preserve their cultural identity in the face of
relentless assimilation pressure from Chinese authorities in Xinjiang.
Some 10 million Uighurs live in China and roughly 50,000 Uighurs are
believed to be living in Kyrgyzstan, though unofficial estimates put
the number at twice that amount. Tursun Islam, head of 'Democracy' - a
local rights group helping the Uighur minority in Kyrgyzstan, told
IRIN in an interview about his concern for Uighur asylum seekers, who
had been extradited by Kyrgyz security forces and sent back to China.
Many have been accused of terrorist offences and executed.
MALAYSIA
Conflict of laws in mixed marriages - 30 Jan 04
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=24425
..
Conflicts could arise in a mixed marriage to determine the custody of
the children when one of the parents converted to Islam, he said at
the opening of Legal Day 2004 here. "Under the Syariah law, the
children will follow the Muslim parent and adopt the Muslim religion
and the Muslim parent will also have custody over the children.
However, under civil law the non-Muslim parent will also have custody
over the children," he said. Mohamed Bazain said in the case of
properties succcession in a mixed marriage, the Syariah Court would
apply the Syariah law principle to the children who embraced Islam as
their religion, while the non-Muslim children might take the matter
before the Civil Court. "Where do we draw the line? It is not clear in
the present context of the law," he said. Mohamed Bazain also said
only time would tell whether there would a symbiosis between the Civil
Court and the Syariah Court.
However, he said that at the appellate stage of the Syariah Court,
High Court Judges were already sitting together with Syariah Appellate
Court Judges. In terms of procedures, Mohamed Bazain said there were
many procedural similarities between the two courts, like the Sabah
Syariah Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure Code were almost
equivalent to the provisions in the Civil Court. The Syariah Civil and
Criminal Procedure Codes were now in the process of being standardised
throughout the country and very soon there would be very little
difference between the Civil Court Procedure and the Syariah Court
Procedure, except on the jurisdictional powers of the judges, he said.
..
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/1/30/nation/7207740
..
Lawyers may be compelled to study Syariah law as the line between
conventional and Islamic judicial systems blurs in the country, Sabah
Attorney-General Datuk Mohd Bazain Idris said. He said there was
already a standardisation of the Syariah civil and criminal procedure
codes while there were minimal differences between the civil court and
Syariah Court procedures except for the jurisdictional power of the
judges.
[Terengganu] Islamic Party Prohibits Lunar New Yr Celebration
http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2004020510180003
.. - 05 Feb 04
Malaysia's Islamic party [PAS] has rejected permission for a major
Chinese New Year celebration in a state under its control, criticizing
plans for women performers to sing and dance. Organizers vowed
Thursday to defy the ban, saying the state government's refusal to
grant a permit challenged traditions of tolerance between the Malay
Muslim majority and the large ethnic Chinese minority. The refusal put
the state government of Terengganu, controlled by the Pan-Malaysia
Islamic Party, on a collision course with the organizers, led by the
national Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry and the state chapters of
two ethnic Chinese parties. Abdul Hadi Awang, chief minister of
Terengganu, was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper
that permission had been denied because women would be performing
during the time of Muslim evening prayers. "We will not tolerate any
activities with female performers dancing and singing, especially when
Muslims are supposed to perform the evening prayers," Abdul Hadi was
quoted Thursday as saying.
MOROCCO
Row over Morocco's 'commercial' Eid - 30 Jan 04
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3445411.stm
..
The Eid season is considered to be a time when Morocco's impoverished
farmers earn extra income to see them through hard economic times.
But increasingly, it is the middle men who make the profit. There are
sometimes three middlemen in the sheep's journey from a rural farm to
the city, who inflate prices leaving farmers with very little profits.
A sheep can cost anything between $160 to $450 in the capital, Rabat.
But there have been complaints in newspapers and from politicians,
that the Eid festival has become too commercialised.
..
Abdelkader Amara of the Islamist Justice and Development Party says
the adverts are corrupting the idea of the Eid al-Adha. "This is
influencing people to go to the bank, to get money for something which
is not an obligation," said Mr Amara. He says according to Islam, you
cannot be condemned if you cannot afford to sacrifice a sheep. The
Eid festival also presents a challenge in Morocco's cities. Often
those who buy a sheep do not have anywhere to keep it, before it is
slaughtered. Many families keep the animals waiting to be sacrificed
on the balcony or in their bathrooms.
NIGERIA
Zamfara issues dress code for female corps members - 03 Feb 04
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article03
..
Alleging series of complaints about indecent dressing, the Zamfara
State Governor Ahmed Sani has announced a dress code for female youth
corps members. Speaking at the weekend in Gusau, the governor
declared: "Any female corps member deployed to the state will be
issued with a new pamphlet to serve as a guide on how to dress
decently." The move, according to him, was necessitated by the series
of complaints received about indecent dressing among the female corps
members. The governor added: "I want to tell you that we have drawn
the attention of the concerned authorities, we have gone to the extent
of discussing the issue with the leadership of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN)."
..
The state governor, the first to introduce the criminal aspect of the
legal system in the Fourth Republic, has constantly urged moslem
scholars to commit their knowledge into writing to erase misgivings
about the Sharia legal system. Speaking in October last year at the
launch of the book: Sharia and Justice by Justice Bashir Sambo in
Kaduna, Sani argued that the sustenance and establishment of the legal
system could only be successful if it was properly documented at every
stage.
NORWAY
Norway Muslim woman wins Hijab case - 31 Jan 04
http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=197560&;n=34
..
A Norwegian store has overturned its own ban on staff to wear a hijab
to allow a Muslim woman to return to work after a ruling by the
country's gender equality Ombudsman.
..
The decision comes two weeks after several hundred people in Oslo
joined an international day of protest against French plans to ban the
hijab in state schools and offices. Oslo daily, Aftenposten reported
that the dispute over Pervez was resolved at a meeting with the
store's administration director, Anniken Aaseth, after which it was
agreed that nothing more about the case would be said to the press.
..
Pervez filed a complaint with the gender equality, which concluded
that A-Mobler could not prohibit employees to wear headgear unless it
is a danger for life and health.
PAKISTAN
The Hijab Syndrome II - By Burhanuddin Hasan - 31 Jan 04
http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en52228
..
I have received a large number of e-mails from Muslims living in the
westerns countries, both for and against my point of view. I thought
in view of the growing controversy in France and England over the
issue of Hijab (head scarf) worn by some girl students and working
women, I should present both points of view on the subject. It is
however; amazing that only some obscurantist Muslims living in western
countries have strongly reacted to my liberal approach to the Islamic
dress code. There has been no feedback from Pakistan or any Muslim
country. [..]
[Punjab] Women acquitted in Hudood case - 02 Feb 04
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-2-2004_pg7_39
..
District and Sessions Judge Chakwal Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad acquitted two
women and another accused man involved in Hadood Ordinance case of
Choa Saiden Shah by giving them the benefit of the doubt. Choa Saiden
Shah Police reported an accused Muhammad Nadeem, Kalsoom Bibi and
Kaniz Bibi as they were arrested red handed in a poultry farm in a
sexual compromising position. The prosecution could not prove the case
because of which the accused were released.
QATAR
Overload hinders phone services during Eid holidays - 04 Feb 04
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&;subsection=Qatar+News&month=February2004&file=Local_News200402043138.xml
..
Mobile and fixed line telephone users in the country experienced some
delays in getting their International Direct Dialling calls through
from January 31 evening until late yesterday, owing to an apparent
overload of international switches. Some mobile phone users also
experienced a temporary outage of the Calling Line Identification and
Presentation (CLIP) service. According to available reports the
delays were, however, not as severe as those witnessed during the Eid
Al Fitr season in November last year, when Qatar Telecom (Qtel)
handled nearly three million mobile phone calls and almost half that
number of outbound IDD calls. International routes on which delays
were experienced included India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and GCC
countries. Qtel was charging the lower, off-peak hour rate for calls
made during the Eid Al Adha holidays.
SAUDI ARABIA
Eid-ul-Azha Special - Fifth pillar of Islam - 01 Feb 04
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/02/01/d40201090283.htm
The pilgrimage to Mecca: one woman's journey - 30 Jan 04
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0130/p07s02-wome.html
Haj Reflections: Day One - 31 Jan 04
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;article=38892
Haj Reflections: Day 3 - 02 Feb 04
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;article=38963
Hajj pilgrims continue stoning rituals - 02 Feb 04
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&;slug=Saudi%20Hajj
The Stoning: A Symbol of Complete Devotion - 23 Jan 04
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5&;article=38444
Hajj: The journey of a lifetime – III - 30 Jan 04
http://www.bahraintribune.com/ArticleDetail.asp?ArticleId=20795
Pilgrims Pour Into Mina - 30 Jan 04
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;article=38812
Muslims Gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj - 31 Jan 04
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&;u=/ap/20040131/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_hajj_040130191331
'Illegal' Hajis Breach All Barriers - 31 Jan 04
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&;article=38887
..
Yesterday, there were thousands without Haj permits who had
successfully crossed various barriers and checkpoints set up
specifically to turn them back. Many of them were seen squatting on
the pavements. By law, anyone living in the Kingdom needs a Haj permit
from the passport office. Both Saudis and expatriates are limited to
performing Haj once every five years. However, many disregard the
rules and have made it their practice to perform Haj annually. Their
zeal unfortunately adds to the logistic pressures at the holy sites
and makes it harder on the legitimate pilgrims.
Death Toll In Hajj Stampede Tragedy Rises To 244 - 02 Feb 04
http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=020104104720
..
At least 244 people, including three Indians and 15 Pakistanis, were
trampled to death and an equal number injured in a stampede as
pilgrims scrambled to stone the Satan on Sunday in Mina valley near
Makkah. Hajj Minister Iyad Madani told reporters in Mina, Saudi
Arabia, that the stampede occurred at 9:00 am and lasted for four and
a half-hours. He said 244 pilgrims died in the incident in Jamarat and
244 were injured. The stampede took place as pilgrims flocked to
Jamarat Bridge in Mina to stone the Satan. According to the minister,
some pilgrims were not organised and there was a crush by people
carrying personal belongings which caused obstacles to the movement.
He said most of the dead were believed to be from among illegal
pilgrims. These are people who came to Makkah to perform Umrah during
Ramazan, as well as residents of Saudi Arabia who never registered to
perform this year's Hajj. But the minister could not provide the
nationalities of those who lost their lives.
..
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/02/international0411EST0446.DTL
..
Most of those killed in Sunday's tragedy on the plains of Mina outside
Islam's holy city of Mecca were Asians, with the biggest number of
dead identified thus far from Indonesia and Pakistan, the official
Saudi Press Agency reported.
..
Fifty-four Indonesians and 36 Pakistanis were among the dead, plus
about a dozen citizens each from Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, India and
Bangladesh, SPA reported. It said other pilgrims to die in the
stampede were from China, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and several
African countries. Two of the dead were Saudis, and 53 bodies remained
unidentified, SPA said. The crowd got out of control Sunday as people
moved along a wide ramp leading to the "stoning of the devil" ritual
-- where pilgrims throw pebbles at three stone pillars, symbolizing
their contempt for the devil. Saudi authorities said that with
pressure from behind, a few pilgrims fell down and panic set off a
stampede.
..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3450333.stm
..
Pilgrims traditionally throw stones at the pillars - called Jamarat
al-Aqaba, Jamarat al-Wusta and Jamarat al-Ula - before beginning the
religious feast of Eid al-Adha, when animals are sacrificed. Hundreds
of thousands crossed over and under the 15-metre (50-foot) bridge
spanning a small valley between two cliffs at Mina. "There was more
than 400 metres of people pushing in the same direction (which)
resulted in the collapse of those next to the stoning area... and
those behind. That led to panic," said Hajj minister, Iyad Madani.
..
Recent history of hajj marred by tragedy - 02 Feb 04
http://www.iht.com/articles/127582.html
..
King Fahd orders modernisation of Mecca, Medina after Hajj tragedy
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=8731 - 02 Feb 04
..
The 20-year project, announced by royal decree, would be drawn up by
ministers and senior regime officials who would "gradually put forward
proposals" and could call on expertise from abroad as well as within
the kingdom, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
SWEDEN
Slaughter Ban Mars Eid Al-Adha In Sweden - 30 Jan 04
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-01/30/article04.shtml
..
Some 500,000 Swedish Muslims will celebrate Eid Al-Adha, to be marked
on Sunday, February 1, with prayers and new clothes, but animal
sacrifice will not be an easy job. The Swedish law bans the slaughter
of the animals in general, an act of worship where Muslims revive the
tradition of Prophet Ibrahim.
..
The ban leaves some Muslims with no other option but to travel for
villages where they buy and sacrifice sheep.
..
Swedish Muslims do not only have to worry about sacrificing animals,
but also about distributing the meat. A Muslim who makes a sacrifice
should give at least third of the meat to the needy and poor, who
almost do not exist in this rich high-standard country. The Swedish
government pays a monthly allowance to unemployed citizens until they
get a job. With these difficulties in mind, some of the Swedish
Muslims who hail from other countries send money to relatives in their
homeland to make the sacrifice on their behalf.
TUNESIA
Tunisia holds out welcome cup - 29 Jan 04
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Features/0,,2-11-37_1475919,00.html
..
Women are seen as men's equals, she notes. This is unusual in a Muslim
country but the tradition stems from 19th century personal status
traditions that were passed into law in 1956 - revolutionary
legislation for the region. Intermarriage is illegal and divorce can
only be settled in a court of law. A family planning programme was
initiated to curb excessive population growth. Women vote, study and
serve in government. And women earn equal salaries to men in similar
professions. Legislation giving women status as equal partners in
marriage was passed in 1993. Over a quarter of the work force is
female (including teachers and health care workers). In excess of
10.000 Tunisian companies have women at the helm. In politics the
country boasts five female cabinet members and 11,5% of women are
members of parliament.
UGANDA
Muslims reject new family law - 02 Feb 04
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news020211.php
..
Several Muslim leaders in Uganda celebrated the Idd Adha holiday
yesterday vowing to disobey a proposed new family law. Several
speakers here - at the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme
Council - opposed the Domestic Relations Bill, which proposes, among
others, to outlaw polygamy. Muslim leaders said the proposal violates
the Muslim holy book, the Koran, which allows Muslim men to marry up
to four women. One of the speakers, acting Mufti Sheikh Rajab Kakooza,
who is also the director of Sharia law, said the DRB contradicts the
Koran. "In Islam we are taught to obey our leaders, but when they are
diverting us from the Koran, we have to oppose them and obey Allah,"
he said. Kakooza asked politicians to always consult religious leaders
over spiritual matters before making laws that could spark off chaos
in the country. Both the Mufti, Sheikh Ramathan Mubajje, and his
deputy, Sheikh Twaib Mukuye, are in Saudi Arabia for the hajj
pilgrimage and did not attend the prayers.
UK
[Lancashire] Muslim body scan to avoid post mortems - 05 Feb 04
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/bolton/news/NEWS2.html
..
Muslim families opposed to traditional post-mortem examinations will
soon be able to pay for MRI body scans under new rules set to be
approved by the council. The move was suggested by Islamic leaders
whose religion disapproves of bodies being dissected by pathologists
attempting to find the cause of death. Bolton coroner Jennifer Leeming
has agreed that, where possible, families will be able to pay £ 750
[EUR 1.100,-] to use a scanner at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
But full autopsies will still have to go ahead in cases where Magnetic
Resources Imagery scans cannot determine how death was caused.
No date has been set for the introduction of the rule change which is
being recommended by council advisors. Town hall bosses were
approached by Bolton's Council of Mosques after the idea was suggested
by Derby ward councillor Dr Ebrahim Adia, who had become aware of a
similar arrangement being used by the Jewish community in Manchester.
Muslim parents to withdraw kids unless school lifts hijab ban
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00328203060.htm - 28 Jan 04
..
Muslim parents at Lutan in Bedfordshire have threatened to take their
children away from the local Icknield High school unless its
headmaster revoked his decision to ban wearing 'hijabs' by Muslim
girls. The secondary school in Bedfordshire is the only school in the
UK which has banned the use of hijabs (veils), provoking
al-Muhajiroun, a radical Muslim group, to take up the issue.
..
News of [the headmaster's] decision, which is rooted in the school's
strict "no hats" uniform policy, quickly reached the local branch of
al-Muhajiroun. Within days, community activists had condemned the
school as racist and the local Labour MP was urging a rethink. Last
night, as the school's governors held a meeting to discuss the issue,
Muslim parents were threatening to take their children away from the
school, while non-Muslims were urging the governors to resist the
pressure.
USA
Prayer: A central part of Islamic religion - 29 Jan 04
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/Stories/0,1413,209~22484~1923201,00.html
FINANCE
Islamic Finance: A look at irrevocable and revocable contracts
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=109486
[UK] Islamic funds breeze in to new cash source - 30 Jan 04
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-5-982346,00.html
..
Wind power and the stable, bond-like returns it promises to investors
have convinced First Islamic Investment Bank to make its first step
into the UK’s complex renewable energy market. Producing electricity
from wind may currently be more costly than generating it from the
black stuff, but Islamic investors are hoping that getting in at the
early stages of the Europe-wide push to reduce carbon emissions will
pay long-term dividends.
..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1134690,00.html
..
The City - in the unlikely guise of Bahrain-based First Islamic Bank
and a new private equity fund, Englefield Capital - has finally woken
up to the fact that the government's target for producing 15% of our
electricity from renewables by 2015 is for real. The two, courted for
a year, are together taking two-thirds of the £400 m [EUR 585 m]
vehicle being set up by RWE Innogy, the German-owned power group, to
fund the expansion of its National Wind Power offshoot. Green energy
costs a bundle and the government's plans require a multi-billion
investment. For debt-laden RWE it is, as one adviser put it, "better
to lease the assets rather than own them, a bit like leasing an
aircraft".
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go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
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