Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts

Monday, May 20, 2024

On this Day in History, May 19, Malcolm X, an icon for resisting injustice by “any means necessary”, was born

    Monday, May 20, 2024   No comments


On May 19 of every year, many Americans celebrate “Malcolm Day,” the anniversary of his birth, to honor one of the most prominent defenders of black rights in the United States during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. This day is not a federal holiday, although some are. American states and cities have made it a holiday, so who is Malcolm X?

Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925 as Malcolm Stuart Little, the fourth of eight children, in Omaha, Nebraska, and died on February 21, 1965, in New York. He was a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam. After his assassination, his life story spread widely and he became a hero among black youth.

After his birth in Nebraska, baby Malcolm moved with his family to Lansing, Michigan. During his early childhood, he and his family were exposed to racist abuse from the Ku Klux Klan, and they had to move frequently to avoid harm from this violent racist group.

When Malcolm was six, his father, Reverend Earl Little, a supporter of black leader Marcus Garvey, died after being hit by a streetcar, sparking speculation that he had been the victim of white murder.

The family was so poor that Malcolm's mother, Louise Little, resorted to cooking dandelion greens from the street to feed her children. After being admitted to a mental institution in 1939, Malcolm and his siblings were sent to foster homes or to live with family members.

Malcolm excelled in school, but after one of his teachers told him in eighth grade that he should become a carpenter instead of a lawyer, he lost interest and soon finished his formal education.

Malcolm moved from a foster home in Michigan to live with his half-sister, Ella, in Boston. There he became involved in petty criminal activities in his teenage years, becoming a street hustler, drug dealer, and leader of a gang of thieves in Roxbury and Harlem (in New York City).

While in prison for robbery from 1946 to 1952, he underwent a conversion that eventually led him to join the Nation of Islam. His decision to join the Nation was also influenced by discussions with his brother Reginald, who had become a member and who was imprisoned with Malcolm in the Norfolk Colony. In Massachusetts in 1948.

Malcolm quit smoking, gambling, and eating pork in 1948. In order to educate himself, he spent long hours reading books in the prison library. In accordance with Nation of Islam tradition, he replaced his surname "Little" with an "X", a custom among Nation of Islam followers who considered their family names to have originated from slave-owning whites.

In the early twentieth century, some Muslim religious leaders in the United States asserted that Islam was the natural religion of blacks, relying largely on accounts of African Muslims being kidnapped centuries ago and sold into slavery in the Americas.

The Nation of Islam, a movement and organization of black Americans, was founded in 1930 by Elijah Muhammad and is famous for its teachings that combine elements of traditional Islam with black nationalist ideas.

The Nation of Islam also combines religious ideas with those that denounce the suffering suffered by blacks at the hands of whites.

Malcolm rose so quickly through the ranks of the Nation of Islam that Elijah Muhammad, who had a special affection for Malcolm, appointed him spokesman for the group, second only to Muhammad himself. Under Malcolm's leadership, the Nation of Islam claimed half a million members.

Malcolm was an articulate public speaker and charismatic figure who expressed the pent-up anger, frustration and bitterness of African Americans during the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1965.

He delivered speeches in the streets of Harlem and spoke at major universities such as Harvard and Oxford. His penetrating wit and passionate radicalism made him a formidable critic of American society. He also criticized prevailing civil rights movement concepts, challenging Martin Luther King's views on coexistence and nonviolence.

Malcolm argued that issues of black identity, integrity, and independence for black people were more important than the civil right to sit in a restaurant or even to vote. In contrast to King's strategy of nonviolence and civil disobedience, Malcolm urged his followers to defend themselves "by any means necessary."

He also disagreed with Martin Luther King's ambition for America to be a place where blacks and whites lived together, as Malcolm did not believe in this vision and wanted a separate nation for blacks only.

...

Racial segregation ended throughout the United States thanks to the efforts of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, of which Malcolm

Civil rights include the right to liberty, the right to education, the adult right to vote, and the right to a fair trial.

For a long time in the United States, African Americans were denied their civil rights.

Black Americans suffered from slavery and were bought and sold for money. Their life as a slave was very difficult and difficult to imagine now. Most of them were treated horribly by their white owners and had no rights at all. Many of them were forced to change their names, sometimes to the name of their owner.

Although slavery was abolished in England in 1833, and in America in 1865, blacks were still treated fairly due to segregation laws - or rules - that separated blacks from whites.

Racial segregation in the United States meant that, by law, non-white people were kept physically separated and treated poorly compared to white people.

Things like housing, hospitals, schools, transportation, and workplaces were segregated, based on the color of a person's skin.

For example, black children were not allowed to go to the same schools as white children, blacks had to sit separately on buses, and were not allowed in whites-only areas.





Saturday, April 20, 2024

Berkeley law school professors claim privacy of their home to limit free-speech after hosting a University event in the home

    Saturday, April 20, 2024   No comments

 Media coverage depicts Palestinian students' attending and protesting a university event as an attack on professor's private residence. 

During a dinner for students that the dean of the University of California, Berkeley law school held in his house’s backyard earlier this month, a woman wearing a hijab and checkered Palestinian scarf suddenly stood up with a microphone and amplifier. What followed lasted only a couple of minutes, but has led to a fierce debate about the limits of free speech, drawn death threats for those involved, and created a “media firestorm”, as the dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, has put it.

Some short and chaotic viral videos illustrate part of what happened. One of them shows the woman, Malak Afaneh, as she gives a Ramadan greeting; she is accompanied by a small group of other student protesters. As Afaneh begins reading a speech about the Israel-Gaza war, Chemerinsky and his wife, the law professor Catherine Fisk, quickly cut her off.

“This is not your house,” Fisk says, putting her arm around Afaneh’s shoulder and trying to grab the microphone. “This is my house.”

For a pair of law professors, and from the point of view of conducting university business from one's home, for the duration of the event, the home is no longer private home. The rules of the University apply to the event that is part of the university events.

The known facts are as follows: the pair of law professors used their home for a University event. For them to claim privacy after they invited the students home, and then telling them what to do and what not to do or say during such a  university event amounts to discrimination.

If the dean and his wife, also a law professor, did not want students protesting in their home they should not, freely and willingly, make their home an extension of the University of California.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Israeli PM: “Islam in the Arab countries needs radical change”

    Wednesday, November 29, 2023   No comments

The war in Gaza may not be a war against Hamas after all, it is a war on the ideology and beliefs of Hamas. Echoing France’ President who called for an “Enlightened Islam”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his meeting with American businessman Elon Musk, who visited the Gaza Strip settlements, that “Islam in the Arab countries needs a radical change.”


Israel will purge Gaza’s mosques and schools of their “poisonous” ideology once its war with Hamas concludes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told X (aka Twitter) owner Elon Musk in an interview on Monday.

 

The Israeli premier pointed to the wealthy Gulf states as examples of Muslim countries that had been “de-radicalized.”

 

Speaking to Musk in an interview live-streamed on X, Netanyahu said that the destruction of Hamas would be a “precursor” to more systemic changes in Gaza.


Expanding on his vision of a “de-radicalized” Gaza, Netanyahu told Musk that “you first have to get rid of the poisonous regime, as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan in World War II.”

 

Netanyahu pointed to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as examples of Arab states that had undergone this process, likely referring to their recognition of Israel in 2020. With Riyadh on the cusp of a US-brokered recognition deal before the current war began, Netanyahu added that the “same thing is happening to a considerable extent in Saudi Arabia.”

 

The Israeli leader suggested that his country’s “Arab friends” could help rebuild Gaza, where the UN estimates that around half of all homes have been destroyed since the war began. Earlier this month, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the Arab nations would not take part in any potential post-conflict peacekeeping in Gaza, nor would they “clean the mess” left behind by the Israeli military.

 

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Former US official: Killing 4,000 Palestinian children is “not enough”

    Wednesday, November 22, 2023   No comments
To understand why US foreign policy in the Middle East was a complete failure, listen to this former US official, talk to a NYC food cart operator and tell him how he really feels about Muhammad, Quran, Muslims, Egypt, and the war in Gaza.

Stuart Seldowitz, a former US State Department official under President Barack Obama, said that the killing of 4,000 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip is “not enough,” in a scene that sparked great criticism and reactions.

Seldowitz served as the acting director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate under the Obama administration. He also worked as a senior political officer in the State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs.

Seldowitz appeared in a video clip circulating on social media platforms, harassing a young Egyptian man who works as a street food vendor in New York by calling him a "terrorist."

The young man documented, via a video clip, that this former official came to him several times and provoked him in many ways. Among them was his inappropriate talk about Islam, and he also threatened to deport him from America.


The United States provides unlimited support to Israel during its war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for more than 6 weeks and has left, to date, more than 14,000 martyrs, including about 5,800 children, in addition to tens of thousands injured and displaced due to the violent Israeli bombing.

Some excerpts:

Scenes posted on the “X” platform show the street vendor repeatedly explaining to Seldowitz that he is currently working, asking him to stay away from him. However, the latter refused and insulted him, calling him ignorant because he did not master English.


Seldowitz, after continuing to harass the street vendor, accusing him of supporting the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and "terrorism," told him, "Do you know? If we kill 4,000 Palestinian children. That's not enough, it's not enough."

In other scenes, Seldowitz also appears harassing the seller by uttering provocative and insulting words toward the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the Holy Quran.

"What do you speak? You speak Arabic, the language of the Quran, the holy Quran that some people use as a toilet. What do you think of that, people who used the Quran as a toilet? Does it bother you?" Seldowitz asks mockingly.

"That’s why you're selling food in a food cart, because you’re ignorant. But you should learn English. It’ll help you when they deport you back to Egypt and then the Mukhabarat wants to interview you.”

In another video, he harasses the same vendor but is interrupted by a bystander who tells him to leave, saying "It's not right; you are harassing."

 

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Chinese Foreign Ministry: We are good friends of the Arab and Islamic countries

    Tuesday, November 21, 2023   No comments

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced on Monday before a delegation including Arab foreign ministers that the international community must take urgent measures to stop the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza.

"Let us work together to quickly calm the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible," Wang said in his opening speech in Beijing.

Wang added to the diplomats that “there is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza,” noting that “the situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world and reconsiders the principle of good and evil and the basic principles of humanity.”


He stressed that "the international community must act urgently and take effective measures to prevent the spread of this tragedy."


Wang said, "China is a good friend and brother of the Arab and Islamic countries," adding that it "firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of the Arab and Islamic countries, and strongly supported the efforts of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests."


Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed "China's strong sympathy for the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip," adding that "what the people of Gaza need most is security, food and medicine, not war, weapons and ammunition."

Wang Yi stressed that "the historical injustice against Palestine cannot continue," and that "China is currently working closely with all parties to strengthen the ceasefire and end the war."


The Arab delegation includes the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine, and the Secretary-General of the Council of Islamic Cooperation.


The visit of the Arab ministerial delegation comes as part of a tour to the capitals of a number of countries that are permanent members of the Security Council, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the committee formed from the recent Arab-Islamic summit, with the aim of advancing the process of stopping the war on Gaza, and dealing with the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Strip.


China backs an international peace conference to push the Palestinian issue back to the track of two-state solution: top diplomat


China supports the convening of a more authoritative, broader and more effective international peace conference as soon as possible to push the Palestinian issue back to the track of the two-state solution, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a phone conversation on Wednesday with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that the current situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with an increasing number of casualties among the civilians. Any country with a conscience and a sense of responsibility can't allow such a tragedy to continue. The recent emergency special session of the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce, reflecting the strong call from the international community, Wang said.



Sunday, November 05, 2023

A Million people march in Indonesia in support of Gaza

    Sunday, November 05, 2023   No comments

The Indonesian capital, Jakarta, witnessed massive demonstrations denouncing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and demanding a ceasefire.


Participants in the demonstration called by the Indonesian People's Alliance to Support Palestine raised slogans demanding the lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip, the entry of humanitarian aid and an end to the war.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Timeline and connections between the fake news story of “40 babies beheaded” and the stabbing to death of Muslim-American child

    Monday, October 16, 2023   No comments

Media review: 
The leader of “the most powerful nation in history”, Biden, and a cable channel that propagandize for itself under the slogan, “The Most Trusted Name in News”, peddled a fake news stories originating in Israel and claiming that “40 babies beheaded” by Palestinians. Four days later, in an area near Chicago, a man stabbed a 6 year old -Muslim-American child, while shouting, “You Muslims must die”.

As we have learned from the last 4 years, words of persons in positions of power have consequences. A Congressional committee condemned former president Trump for saying to his supporters to “fight like hell”. It was argued that his words incited the violent attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The words of the president of the United States and the media do shape the national discourse, and evidently, the discourse created an atmosphere in which the cruel stabbing of a six-year-old American was made real, and possibly more Muslim-Americans will face more violence because of this irresponsible behavior.

Words matter, and those in power must pay attention to their words. This is just an example of how media outlets and political leaders fail to undertake due diligence check for a story before amplifying it, and the deadly consequences of such negligence.


  

Friday, September 01, 2023

Presidential elections in Singapore.. Tharman is the likely successor to Halima Yaqoub

    Friday, September 01, 2023   No comments

Since its secession from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965 until today, Singapore has known only 3 prime ministers, while 8 presidents have succeeded in that small country in Southeast Asia, which is described as a "city-state"; With an area of 710 square kilometers, and a population of 5 million people, half of whom are foreigners coming to work, making it the fourth country in the world in terms of population density.

Singapore is a country of many races, ethnicities and religions, 3 quarters of its citizens are of the Chinese race, while the rest of the population belongs to the Malay race or mixed Indian or Eurasian race. As many ethnicities as there are many religions in Singapore as well and include Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity.

All three prime ministers that Singapore has known came from ethnic Chinese - the largest of Singapore's ethnicities - and from one party, the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore continuously since 1959.


And while the presidency of the government remained confined to the Chinese ethnicity, the ethnicities of those who assumed the position of head of state, which is an honorary position, varied, as they include, in addition to the Chinese ethnicity, the Malay and Indian ethnicities, and others of mixed ethnicities as well.


The religions of these presidents also varied between Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. The first president of the state was Youssef bin Ishaq, whose image is placed on the country’s banknotes. He is a Malay Muslim who held the position for 3 consecutive terms from the founding of the state until his death in 1970. While it was Executive power is in the hands of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder and builder of Singapore and its first prime minister, who has been in office for 3 continuous decades.


The current president, Halima Yaqoub, 70, is a Muslim of the Malay ethnicity. She took office in 2017 after winning by acclamation, without a competitor, declaring that she was satisfied with one 6-year term that ends on September 17. Then, today, Friday, multi-party elections will be held to choose a successor.

In contrast to the position of prime minister, which the parties compete for in general legislative elections; The position of the president is non-partisan under the constitution, and the parliament remained the one who elects the president, until the constitution was amended in 1991, allowing him to be elected through presidential elections. Today's elections, Friday, are only the third since the constitutional amendment that transformed this position into a position elected by the public and gave the public the right to choose.


What is unique to Singapore in the requirements for a candidate for the presidency is that he has worked either as a senior government employee or CEO of a company whose shareholders have a value of at least 500 million Singapore dollars (370 million US dollars).


Although the role of the president in Singapore is largely ceremonial, there are strict requirements for the position, which formally oversees the country's accumulated financial reserves that can only be relied upon in exceptional circumstances, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2009 global financial crisis. With the power to veto certain actions and to approve anti-corruption investigations.


Three candidates who meet the conditions are competing in the elections taking place today, namely the Deputy Prime Minister and former Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is the youngest of the three candidates (65) and the most fortunate, compared to his competitors; They are Ing Kok Song, 75, and Tan Kin Lien, 75.

Economic backgrounds and a major public position appear to be the common denominator among the three contenders, who the election administration announced that they met the strict criteria for competition among the applicants for candidacy.


The announcement of their official acceptance of the candidacy came less than two weeks before the elections were held today, which is a very short period compared to the rest of the world, and was the object of the complaint of the candidate, Tan Kin Lien, who saw it as an insufficient period for the electoral campaign that ended last Wednesday before the election day of silence yesterday, Thursday.


The nominee, Ing Kok Song, is a former chief investment officer at the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund that manages the country's foreign reserves, and spent more than 4 decades working in public service until his retirement in 2013. Ing is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Avanda Management Corporation. Investments worth billions of dollars.


Having spent years working closely with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Eng admitted he might be seen as "part of the establishment". However, he believes that the lack of direct political affiliation makes him an independent candidate. He never joined the Popular Action Party, which has ruled the country since its independence six decades ago. He believes that his long experience in the financial sector puts him in a good position to protect the national reserves.


As for Tan Kin Lien, a former presidential candidate in Singapore, this is his second attempt to win the position. Having come last out of 4 candidates in the 2011 presidential election, he is a former chairman of one of Singapore's leading insurance companies and has the support of several opposition leaders.


Layan presided over the International Federation of Cooperative and Mutual Insurance from 1992 to 1997, and the federation was an international organization that at that time represented 123 insurance groups in 65 countries, and employed 260,000 people. The total assets of the members of this international association amounted to 1.5 trillion US dollars in 1997.

As for the most likely candidate, Deputy Prime Minister and former Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, he is a multi-ethnic Singaporean citizen (Tamil-Indian-Ceylon) who is known as a supporter of the ruling People's Action Party, but he submitted his resignation before his candidacy. He is widely seen as having the support of the government, and has been questioned about his independence during the election campaign.


Before resigning his government positions to contest this election, Tharman spent more than two decades in office with the People's Action Party, rising to the position of Deputy Prime Minister.


He was first elected to Parliament in 2001 and was Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the Coordinating Minister for Social Policy, and provided economic advice to Prime Minister Lee.


He said that if given the opportunity to lead, he would be "total and impartial in the discharge of the constitutional duties of office in respect of the prudent use of the country's reserves".


While his rivals seemed preoccupied with their party independence, Tharman urged voters to judge candidates on their record, rather than their past affiliations.


"If I am lucky enough to be elected president, I will represent the unity of Singaporeans, of all races, religions, social backgrounds and political leanings, at a time when views among the population are becoming more diverse," he said.


Since Tharman entered Singaporean politics just over two decades ago, he has avoided constant calls from the public that he should become the next prime minister of the Southeast Asian country.


Tharman - who is very popular and has risen in the ranks of the ruling People's Action Party, and is very popular among members of the opposition - insists that he is not suitable for the position of prime minister. He even likened his refereeing skills to those of a soccer goal-maker, saying that he is better as a team player who can provide assists than a superstar who scores goals. "I enjoy making long passes," he said. "But I'm not the striker."


His candidacy is thus a far cry from the quest for the premiership currently held by Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's founding prime minister. He is expected to retire and choose his successor before the country's next general election in 2025.


But it is a step that helps avoid the looming question of whether the Chinese-majority country (or the ruling party) that promotes its multi-ethnic and pluralistic society is ready or reluctant to elevate someone from an ethnic minority to the position of prime minister.


Also unique to Singapore is voting, which is compulsory for more than 2.7 million eligible citizens of Singapore. Those who do not vote without valid reason are subject to being removed from the voter list.


He also notes the absence of long, orderly lines at polling stations, as well as the raucous atmosphere that can accompany elections in other countries, with supporters cheering or handing out flyers to push for last-minute votes. And "presidential elections are increasingly being treated as a general election."


Today's presidential elections are being watched closely as an indication of support for the ruling Popular Action Party after a rare series of political scandals that rocked the party recently, which is rare in a country that has benefited from the reputation of its clean government, and has become an international center for a group of industries such as finance and aviation, especially since the party has suffered from its worst electoral performance ever in 2020; However, he maintained his majority of more than two-thirds.

Observers said the vote could indicate the level of support for the PAP ahead of general elections scheduled for 2025 or discontent after recent scandals that include a corruption investigation into the transport minister and the resignation of two PAP lawmakers over an affair.

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Thursday, August 31, 2023

Media review: Islamic dress front and center in France again... He who wears a cape or a shirt will not enter his classroom on Mondays

    Thursday, August 31, 2023   No comments

On Sunday, French Education Minister Gabriel Atal announced that he would ban the wearing of the "cloak" in French schools, indicating that wearing this Islamic dress is a violation of the strict secular laws applied in the field of education in the country.

"Wearing the abaya in school will no longer be possible," Atal said during an interview with French TV TF1. And he stressed his endeavor to set "clear rules at the national level" to be followed by school principals before the start of the new academic year in all parts of France, starting from September 4 next. 

Clearly, the universal values that Macron instructed his diplomats to promote exclude Muslims' rights to dress. 


Here are some of what the French media outlets have said about these issues and the topics they covered.

The French newspaper Le Figaro revealed that the Minister of Education, Gabriel Atal, confirmed today that students who wear the “abaya” for females and the “shirt” for males will not enter their classrooms with the start of the school season on Monday.

The newspaper pointed out that the minister made it clear - in an interview with Radio France International today - that these students will be allowed to enter only the schools that accept their reception and bear the responsibility of clarifying the goals of this government decision to them.

"Behind the cloak and the shirt, there are young girls and boys and families, people with whom we must dialogue through a clear pedagogical method," the minister said.


The French minister was keen to stress that French secularism is one of the main values for the French school, adding that his delay in announcing the details of the implementation of this decision is due to the fact that he entered into discussions and dialogues with directors of educational institutions who were waiting for a clear detail from the government on how to implement it.


The French newspaper stated that some schools include a number of students concerned with this decision, and therefore school officials were in need to clarify the government's position, to provide them with all guarantees for the implementation of the decision.


Le Figaro added that Minister Gabriel Atal confirmed that his ministry will send explanatory notes and a guide to all schools explaining how to implement the decision, along with messages that are supposed to be sent to families.


According to the French newspaper, the new decision to ban gowns and shirts is a continuation of the implementation of the March 15, 2004 law banning the wearing of clothes or symbols that show religious affiliation in French educational institutions.


Prominent French left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon strongly criticized the decision, and called on officials to avoid provoking conflicts of a religious nature.


Le Figaro also quoted Manuel Bombard, coordinator of the France Fatherland Party - which is led by Melenchon - as saying that he would propose to the party's parliamentary group to reject this decision, which he described as dangerous and harsh, and to put it up for review before the Council of State with the aim of proving that it is a decision contrary to the constitution.


And in July of last year, Le Figaro published an investigation that revealed that despite the application of the 2004 law, there is a significant increase in the abayas worn by girls and shirts worn by males, so that they doubled in secondary schools, especially when Ramadan comes, so that some principals They expressed their dissatisfaction and began to wonder why such clothes were so popular.


An official French book defending French secularism had previously spoken of gowns and shirts, and said that the ban was not only related to “symbols or clothing that by nature show religious affiliation,” such as the veil, the Jewish skullcap, and the large cross, but rather related to all symbols or clothing that “do not indicate religious affiliation.” directly to religion, but wearing it is to clearly show religious affiliation.


And the French newspaper Le Point considered - two days ago - that the decision of the Minister of Education, Gabriel Atal, is not an easy decision from a legal point of view, and wondered on what legal basis this ban would be built and what risks could be taken in the event of an appeal before the administrative court.


The anthropologist of religions, Anne-Laure Zwilling, believed that the cloak is not associated with Muslim worship, but rather with "culture", while university professor Claire Geville denounced President Emmanuel Macron's vision regarding education, and saw that "the measure against the cloak may cause more conflict than it will solve a problem," and he said, " From my point of view, this issue, which comes to the fore and dominates everything else, is more a matter of a political agenda than a real educational issue.


For his part, Abdullah Zakry, Vice President of the French Islamic Council, expressed his surprise at the decision to ban the wearing of the abaya in French schools, and called on the French Ministry of Education to issue a statement explaining the reasons that prompted the decision to ban the abaya in schools, and denied that this dress is a religious symbol.


Abdullah Zakry said that the abaya is a form of "fashion" and not a religious garment, expressing his hope that the French Minister of Education had consulted religious authorities before making a decision to ban it.


Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Philippines: Muslims affirm that the first dictionary of Islamic law will be issued bearing the slogan of justice and mercy

    Wednesday, August 30, 2023   No comments

With the Philippines achieving the achievement of publishing the first dictionary of Islamic law, Muslims expressed their happiness that the aforementioned book promotes neutrality and moves for it and benevolence.

Attorney Maysara Dandamoon Latif, a former Member of Parliament who is now the head of a local council, emphasized that the newly released dictionary enhances appreciation between different cultures.


He added, “The dictionary embraces the spirit of inclusiveness that welcomes individuals of different religions and ethnicities to enrich their understanding of Islamic concepts.


Latif emphasized that Sharia guides have never had dictionaries, and that the newly launched Islamic Sharia Dictionary is the first of its kind.


The responsible authorities stressed that the reader will understand that Sharia promotes justice and mercy instead of hatred and that it enhances understanding because Islamic Sharia teaches mercy, kindness and humanity.


Former Muslim Senator Sameera Gutuk said that the Dictionary of Islamic Law is a wonderful contribution to literature.


And she stressed, "Those who stand behind the completion of this book were not just authors and writers, but rather advocates who gathered together as one community."


Tuesday, May 23, 2023

MP Geert Wilders: "The Netherlands is no longer the Netherlands"

    Tuesday, May 23, 2023   No comments

Dutch Member of Parliament and far-right politician Geert Wilders ridiculed what he said was the increase in Muslims in the Netherlands, and added that watching them perform prayers in the streets of the Netherlands expresses the stripping of the Netherlands of its identity.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Eid Mubarak: Muslims around the world celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan

    Saturday, April 22, 2023   No comments

After a month of fasting, reflection, and prayers, Muslims around the world mark the end of the month of fasting, Ramadan, with prayers, visits to family and neighbors to ask forgiveness, and recommit to a more balanced life.

These are some images of Muslims celebrating Eid 2023.

Saturday, February 04, 2023

In the strongest threat.. Medvedev: If “Crimea” is targeted, the rest of the Ukrainian lands that are still under Kyiv’s control will turn to ashes, and there will be no restrictions, and our response will be with all kinds of weapons

    Saturday, February 04, 2023   No comments

The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, announced that his country has not set restrictions for itself when responding to any attacks against its territory from Kyiv, and there will be a willingness to use all kinds of weapons to respond to that.

Medvedev added, during press statements, by saying: “Our response can be anything, and the Russian president confirmed that. We do not set ourselves any restrictions and, depending on the nature of the threats, are ready to use all kinds of weapons.”

"If Ukraine launches any attack on Crimea, there will be counter-attacks, and the rest of the Ukrainian lands that are still under Kyiv's control will turn to ashes," the deputy head of the Russian Security Council stressed.

In a related context, the adviser to the President of the Russian Republic of Crimea for media policy, Oleg Kryuchkov, described the threat of the Kyiv authorities to launch a missile attack on the peninsula as “barking” from under the sofa, according to “Sputnik”.

Earlier, the adviser to Vladimir Zelensky's office, Mikhail Podolyak, said that after agreeing with the West on the supply of tanks, Kyiv is negotiating the supply of long-range missiles and aircraft to launch strikes in Crimea.


Fighting in Crimea could impact Tatar Muslims there. Tatars are indigenous inhabitants of Crimea, Eastern European Turkic people historically formed in the Crimean Peninsula, which is on the northern coast of the Black Sea. It is estimated that 500,000 Tatar Muslims inhabied the region. Crimean Tatars are, genrally, Sunni Muslims, and they make up 15% of the Crimea population. The majority of the Crimean population adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Crimean Tatars are ethnically connected to the people who live in the Republic of Tatarstan. Founded in 1005 on the banks of the Volga River, about 500 miles east of Moscow, Kazan, the capital of the republic, was a main stop along the Silk Road, the historic trade route for the exchange of not only of goods and services, but also of habits and cultures. Today, about 53% of Tatarstan's population are Muslims, the rest are mostly Russian Orthodox Christians.


Based on previous actions, and based on the use of the Chechen armed forces in conflict zones, Russian fedeation leadership is likely to rely on Chechen Republic armed forces to manage the conflict in Crimea, to make sure that contact between the Russian armed forces with local Muslims is done through other Russian Muslim officials. 




Thursday, February 02, 2023

Only three Muslims-majority countries, Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco provide some form of military aid to Ukraine

    Thursday, February 02, 2023   No comments

When will the war in Ukraine be declared a world war?

With almost all NATO member states and EU countries now openly providing weapons to Ukraine, pressure will be buidling on the rest of the world to take clear position on this conflict--though Russia has not openly asked for any military assistance from what it calls "friendly nationa states."

It should be noted also that only three Muslim-majority countries, Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco, provide some form of military aid to Ukraine.

From Europe, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Moldova still observe conditional neutrality.



Sunday, December 11, 2022

Islam in Russia: The 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria

    Sunday, December 11, 2022   No comments

Russian leaders have been systemically integrating Islam and the Muslim communities in the Russian federation since the end of the Chechen war. The participation of the Chechen armed forces in the war in Ukraine have propelled that trend to new levels. The celebration of this pivotal Islamic event, therefore, takes special place. 

Chechen Muslims participated in the anniversary of the adoption of Islam in the region formally and informally. Officially, the Chechen government sent a delegate and the following statement from the Chechen Republic about the the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria was released:

A truly significant date was celebrated in Russia - the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria.

On the occasion of this memorable event, a solemn event was held in Moscow, which was attended by guests from all over the country, as well as authoritative political and public figures. On my instructions, dear BROTHERS, Chairman of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic Magomed Daudov and Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic - Plenipotentiary Representative of the Chechen Republic under the President of the Russian Federation Bekhan Taymaskhanov, at the head of the Chechen delegation, attended the celebration and conveyed my sincere congratulations to those present.

For all of us, this holiday is of great importance. Today Islam is an integral part of Russia. Here, side by side with other religious denominations, almost 15 million Muslims peacefully coexist. Of course, this phenomenon can be called unique, and Russia is a rare example of a true legal state.

Thanks to the competent and far-sighted policy of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the rights of every Muslim are strictly guarded and protected at all levels. At the same time, Vladimir Vladimirovich repeatedly noted the contribution of Muslims to the comprehensive development of the country, as well as to strengthening state sovereignty. It is our active civic position, true patriotism and moral principles based on the canons of Islam that earned us honor and respect among followers of other religions and nationalities.

With all my heart I congratulate dear BROTHER, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, and all Muslims of Russia on this holiday! I sincerely wish you health, prosperity, happiness and a peaceful sky above your head!

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Is Pakistan on a path to profound changes that can no longer be controlled by outdated systems and outside players?

    Saturday, November 26, 2022   No comments

Streets of Rawalpindi in Pakistan now. Supporters of Imran Khan gathered as part of a massive anti-government march in Islamabad.

At the moment, the former Prime Minister of the Republic Imran Khan speaks to a crowd of protesters. After his speech, the general column is expected to move to the capital.





Thursday, November 10, 2022

Why did Russian leaders Order Troops Withdrawal from Kherson City?

    Thursday, November 10, 2022   No comments

 Although the recent announcement that Russian forces will be pulling out of parts of Kherson region, mainly parts of the Oblast on the right-side banks of the Dnipro River, the move could signal a strategic adjustment. The justifications and explanations by military generals who developed the plan and those involved indirectly may shed some light about their thinking that could determine the military map of Ukraine for months or perhaps years to come.

 

1. Surovikin reports to Shoigu:

 ▪️ The situation in the area of   the special operation has been generally stabilized, the combat capabilities of the joint group and forces have increased significantly, the combat strength has been increased at the expense of the mobilized, reserves have been created;

▪️ Russian troops have resumed offensive operations in certain areas;

▪️ Street fighting is underway on the eastern outskirts of Artemovsk;

▪️ And the situation in the Kherson direction: we successfully resist all enemy offensive attempts;

▪️ Our losses are 7-8 times less than those of the enemy;

▪️ In the area of the Vremevsky ledge, the units pushed the enemy back and occupied the dominant heights in the depths of his defense;

▪️ The city of Kherson and adjacent settlements cannot be supplied and function; and

▪️ Everyone in the Kherson region, and this is more than 115 thousand people, left the area of   hostilities.

 

2. Reactions from Russia:


2.1. Kadyrov, presdient of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic, who is a strong supporter of the operation and whose troops are active in the war front put out this statement:


Kherson is a very difficult area without the possibility of a stable regular supply of ammunition and the formation of a strong, reliable rear. In this difficult situation, the general acted wisely and farsightedly - he evacuated the civilian population and ordered a regrouping.

there is no need to talk about the "surrender" of Kherson. "Surrender" together with the fighters.  Surovikin protects the soldier and takes a more advantageous strategic position - convenient, safe. Everyone knew from the very first days of the special operation that Kherson was a difficult combat territory. The soldiers of my units also reported that it was very difficult to fight in this area. Yes, it can be kept, it is possible to organize at least some supply of ammunition, but the cost will be numerous human lives.

I believe that Surovikin acted like a real military general, not afraid of criticism. Thank you, Vladimirovich, for taking care of the guys! And we will not stop hitting the enemy and we will not get tired.

 

2.2. The owner of PMC "Wagner", Prigozhin, who previously criticized the command of the Russian army for retreating from Liman, today supported the decision to leave Kherson. He said:

The decision to withdraw troops from the right bank of the Dnieper is not an easy one, but it speaks of the readiness of the command to take responsibility for the lives of soldiers. The withdrawal of troops with minimal losses is Surovikin’s achievement, which does not do honor to Russian weapons, but emphasizes the personal qualities of the commander, who acted like a man who is not afraid of responsibility.

3. Analysis:


The more likely strategic goals that motivated this move:

Russian leaders seem to now realize that Ukrainian military will not stop fighting and that the conflict is now hardened. It is a situation similar to the one in Syrian, which Russian military is very familiar: The two sides are determined to fight to the end, given the support of regional and world powers to opposing side, here Ukraine. Therefore, Russian leaders are building the infrastructure for a war that could last for 10 to 15 years. This means, they must use the geography to set long-term defensive positions, which will allow them to continue to degrade the capability of the other side using long distance weapons.

By moving troops across the Dnipro River, Russia may appear to have given up some territories. However, the move will free some troops and resources to regain territories on the left side of Iskil River in the northeast. The use of rivers and lakes as natural defensive lines, the Russian military will position itself for long conflict in which they must reduce the losses of human assets. The territory they lost in the south (1) will be replaced by territory in the east (2), mostly likely during  a spring offensive that will establish the two major rivers as a more defensible border in the long run.

The increased production of precision weapons and versatile drones fits in this long-term strategy, one which will cause more economic and military damage to the Ukrainian side, especially if the supply of weapons from the US and EU slows down or stops altogether.

Some of the most prominent Arab and Muslim candidates in the American midterm elections

    Thursday, November 10, 2022   No comments

Muslim-Americans are active in local and national US politics. They are members of both major parties. During the most recent elections, some won, some lost, but overall, it was a banner year for politicians who are members of the Arab and/or Muslim communities. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim organization in the United States, said that 145 Muslim-American candidates ran in the midterm elections at the local (district), state (state legislature and executive positions), and at the federal level. (The Senate and the House of Representatives). Kerr saw that this represents a new record for the volume of Islamic participation in the midterm elections, which included 48 candidates for legislative councils in 23 states.

A statement by CAIR stated that there are currently 29 Muslim-American legislators in the councils of 18 states, and New York and Minnesota lead these states with three legislators each.

A total of 82 Muslim candidates won the races on Tuesday, the highest percentage since CARE began tracking the electoral progress of American Muslims.

Some of the Muslim policians who ran for national offices:

Daryl Issa - Republican - California - House of Representatives / win

In California's 48th District, Arab-American Republican Representative Daryl Issa faced a challenge from Democratic newcomer Stephen Houlahan, but was victorious with 61% of the vote.


Darren Lahoud - Republican - Illinois - House of Representatives / win

Republican candidate Darren Lahoud, a Lebanese-American, handily defeated his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Haderlin, in Illinois' 16th district with 66% of the vote.


Abraham Hamadeh - Republican - Arizona - Attorney General/ Not yet determined

For the position of state attorney general, Republican Abraham Hamadeh, a former military intelligence officer and lawyer of Syrian origin, is vying with Democrat Chris Mays, and the winner will represent the state on important issues related to immigration, abortion, and election management. Hamadeh won the support of former President Donald Trump.

As of the end of yesterday, Wednesday, Hamada had obtained 50.1% of the vote, compared to 49.9 percent for his democratic rival, and the completion of the counting and counting of votes had not yet been announced.


Rashida Tlaib - Democrat - Michigan / win

Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib won for the third time in the 12th district in Michigan, after defeating Republican Stephen Elliott, and got 73.3% of the vote, despite being bullied by the former president, in addition to campaigns directed by the Jewish lobby.


Ilhan Omar - Democrat - Minnesota / win

Ilhan Omar won a landslide victory in the fifth district in the state for a seat in the House of Representatives. Ilhan is considered one of the most effective Muslims in defending Arab and Islamic issues in Congress. She received the votes of 75% of the electorate, while her Republican opponent, Cecily Davis, received less than 25% of the vote.


Garrett Greaves, Republic of Louisiana/Foz

In the southern US state of Louisiana, Garrett Graves, a Republican of Lebanese descent, won the 6th District over another Republican contender, Brian Bayzer, by 80%.


Andrew Carson, Indiana, Democrat, House of Representatives

Farrow, Representative Andrew Carson in his seat, which he has held for several years, won by 68% over Republican candidate Angela Grabowski.


State legislatures

At the local level, dozens of Arab candidates achieved important victories, including Harvard-educated Democratic candidate Abdel Nasser Rashid, who won the Illinois State House of Representatives in the 21st district in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago, which includes one of the largest concentrations of Palestinian Americans. In Iowa, Democrat Sammy Sheetz won the 78th District in the state House of Representatives.

The Somali-born American, Zainab Muhammad, won the 63rd district seat in the Minnesota local Senate, and Zainab won the votes of 39 thousand 63 voters, or 85.8%, compared to 14.2% for her Republican challenger, Sean Holster. Zainab will be the first Muslim woman elected to the state senate, joining her fellow Democratic senator Omar Fateh, who won re-election.

Commenting on the election results, CARE National Executive Director Nihad Awad said, “The historic string of electoral victories for American Muslims that broke previous records is a testament to our community’s continued rise in American politics and the trust our neighbors have placed in us to represent them and fight for their interests. ".


In the press release, Awad called on "all elected American Muslim leaders to be inspired by their Islamic faith, and to work towards the best possible future for all Americans."



Wednesday, November 02, 2022

How the Russian Federation is Relying on the Chechen Republic to Foster Stronger Relations with Muslim-Majority Countries

    Wednesday, November 02, 2022   No comments

Russian large Muslim population has always played a bridging role between Muslims and the Russian State. With the rebranding of the Russian Federation as the new framework designed to keep Muslim-majority areas tethered to Russia, the Chechen Republic is now integrated into the Federation system to not necessarily play a role in foreign policy, but to showcase Russian Muslims’ role in Russia’s foreign policy. 

In this video release, the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, describes Grozny’s hosting of an important economic meeting between Iran and Russia.


Grozny hosted an important state event aimed at strengthening friendly, businesslike and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Today, the Chechen Republic has become a kind of bridge connecting Russia and Iran, providing a platform for delegations to work in Grozny. The outcome of the 16th plenary session of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was the signing of documents on cooperation in various fields by the parties.

The agreements and agreements reached will have a fruitful impact on long-term relations between the two states. The Russian side, headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, is doing a great job in this direction.

Over the eight months of this year, the trade turnover between Russia and Iran increased by 36.4 percent and is approaching $4 billion. And this is far from the limit.

At the end of the meeting, I had the pleasure of talking at the dinner table with Alexander Novak and with the head of the Iranian delegation, Javad Ouji.

I was pleased to hear warm comments from our Iranian friends about the beauty of Grozny, about the good-natured and hospitable Chechen people. I'm glad they all liked it. For my part, I thanked the foreign delegation for coming to the Chechen Republic.

  


 


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