Smuggling children from Yemen into Saudi Arabia to beg for money

Islamic World News

08 Aug 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Smuggling children from Yemen into Saudi Arabia to beg for money

Religious Extremism Exposes a Pair of Countries in the Dark Ages Study: American Muslims Exemplify Diversity Local Militants Struggle with Taliban Government for Control of Pakistan White House: 'Jihadists' and 'global war' no longer acceptable terms Christians in Pakistan Attacked for Religious Beliefs Cleric: Iranian nation is united and vigilant Iraq bombs targeting Shi'ites kill 50 Jihadi testifies against fellow Georgia terror suspect Afghan Taliban say unhurt by Mehsud's death Iraqi girl jailed for attempted suicide bombing Rs 200 million for rehabilitation of Christian victims of rioting in Pakistan Muslim Girls Honoured for Completing 'Hunar' Courses Art and Architecture of Islam – a Trinidad Perspective Compiled by Mohammad Sanaullah URL: http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1616   -------------------- Begging for life! Hamid Al-Sulami | Arab News MAKKAH: Smuggling children from neighbouring Yemen into Saudi Arabia to beg for money, especially during pilgrimage season and the holy month of Ramadan, is a rising phenomenon. Nobody really knows how many children are trafficked into the country and forced into bondage as child beggars. Estimates vary from a few dozen to as many as 10,000.   Whatever the number, it is recognized to be a problem that lies in the area of child exploitation and child labour. It is a violation of UN conventions on children's rights, and it robs countless children of not just their childhood but adulthood as well, as they are kept out of school as virtual slaves to racketeers as slimy as the worst mafia captains. These overseers and criminals can even be the heartless fathers of these children. Child begging rackets often involve a number of kids who are tossed out into the streets to beg or sell trinkets, forced to sleep on the street until they have accumulated an amount of money that is enough to keep them from being physically abused by their masters, and hopefully get a decent meal. These kids can be seen begging in front of mosques or near gas stations and shops. Yusuf Ali, 8, who was seen begging near a gas station in Jeddah, told Arab News that he was smuggled into the Kingdom a few months ago with a group of adults. His parents handed him off to a man who promised that the boy would find work in Saudi Arabia and send money home. "When I arrived in the Kingdom, a man named Abu Ayyoub placed me in front of this mosque and asked me to beg for money from the worshippers when they come out of the mosque after prayers," said the boy. "He also asked me to beg at gas stations when it is not prayer time." The boy said his master takes about SR75 of the SR150 he usually makes in a day. He claims to live in a house he knew only as "Al-Izba" where several other beggars are housed. "I do not know when I can go back to mom," he said in tears. Ahmed Alami, a 10-year-old Yemeni boy begging at a rest house on the road to Makkah, said he lives alone in the nearby mountains. He says that he takes in about SR20 an hour, but half of that goes to the man to whom his father entrusted him. "My father sent me to Saudi Arabia to work with a friend of his in selling vegetables, but that man asked me to beg instead," he said. Full Report at: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=125265&d=8&m=8&y=2009 -------- Religious Extremism Exposes a Pair of Countries in the Dark Ages Aug 6, 2009 Two stories this past week from different parts of the world caught my attention as having a common theme -- the dangers of religious extremism in a pair of countries that have devolved into the world's backwaters. In Pakistan, more than 100 homes in a Christian community were attacked and eight people killed in a riot led by a Sunni Muslim militant group. The massacre was inspired by rumours that a Koran had been burned at a Christian wedding party. That such an action -- most deemed to be a false rumour -- could inspire eight hours of chaos and murder is appalling. But Pakistan, which is 95 percent Muslim, has a blasphemy law said to be frequently used to terrorize minorities. Read more here. In Sudan, the country that brought us the Darfur genocide, a woman accused of violating Sudan's indecency law by wearing trousers in public could face 40 lashes for her crime. The law is based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law. About 100 women protested outside a court hearing in the case, now adjourned for a month. And some of the women were beaten. Read more here. Full Report at: http://blogs.indystar.com/thoushalt/2009/08/religious_extre.html ------ Study: American Muslims Exemplify Diversity Priscilla Martinez, Aug 6, 2009 "Oh humankind! Indeed, we have created all of you from a single male and female. Moreover, we have made you peoples and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. And, indeed, the noblest of you, in the sight of God, is the most God-fearing of you. Indeed, God is all-knowing, all-aware." (The Qur'an, "The Chambers," verse 13)   This quote from the Holy Scripture is often used to show the religious diversity inherent in Islam.  Early this spring, The Muslim West Facts Project released the first-ever national study of randomly selected American Muslims, revealing that they are the most diverse religious group in the country. Gallup, a leader in opinion research and polls and located in Washington, DC, has partnered with The Coexist Foundation, a UK registered charity, to collect and disseminate data from the Muslim world and the West about beliefs held in the topics of education, religion, culture, and democracy.  Their goal is to promote better understanding among members of the Abrahamic faiths as well as in their relationships with other religions and the secular world, and to provide Muslim and Jewish leaders with information to combat Islamophobia and anti-Semitism globally.  This initiative has been named The Muslim West Facts Project.  Dalia Mogahed, who serves on the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships and was a keynote speaker at the Islamic Society of North America 2009 Convention, is Senior Analyst and Executive Director of the Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies. The report, titled "Muslim Americans: A National Portrait," compares the opinions of Muslim Americans with those of specific religious groups and with those of the general U.S. population.  Its eye-opening results uncover important differences in ideas of gender equality, civic engagement, life evaluation, and religiosity, among others. A sampling of the report's findings about American Muslims:     * 35% are African-American, 28% are White, and 18% are Asian.     * 36% are aged 18 to 29, with 37% aged 30 to 44.     * 40% have a college degree or higher.     * 80% say religion is an important part of their daily lives.     * 70% report having a job, the highest percentage among the groups surveyed.     * 41% see themselves as "thriving," while 56% say they are "struggling," and 3% identify themselves as "suffering."     * 10% identify themselves as "very liberal" or "very conservative" with the remaining bulk identifying themselves almost equally as "liberal," "moderate," or "conservative." Full Report at: http://www.examiner.com/x-13139-DC-Muslim-Examiner~y2009m8d6-Study--American-Muslims-Exemplify-Diversity ------- Local Militants Struggle with Taliban Government for Control of Pakistan's Khyber Agency By Mukhtar A. Khan, Aug 6, 2009 Pakistani security forces have not yet established their writ in parts of the volatile Khyber tribal agency. Despite a drawn out military operation dubbed Sirat-e-Mustaqeem (Straight Path), the wary Islamist militants are still at large. Some call it a friendly game of hide-and-seek, others call it a staged drama, yet over 600 people have been killed in the fighting. Several thousand more have been displaced due to the exchange of fire between the Taliban and Pakistani security forces. Last year, the government claimed to have killed or seriously injured Mangal Bagh – the leader of Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI)—described as a Robin Hood-like character who has gathered several thousand disaffected people around him. Mangal Bagh is still alive and dwelling in the Tirah Valley, where he controls most parts of the agency. Mangal Bagh does not allow his organization to be aligned with the Baitullah Mahsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but has imposed the same strict Shari'a rules in those parts of the Khyber agency under his control. Anybody who is not wearing a head covering has to pay a fine of 100 rupees. He has also imposed a jazia (also called a jizya, or protection tax) for the non-Muslim communities living in Khyber. Each non-Muslim individual has to pay him 1000 rupees annually, with exceptions for women, children and the handicapped (Daily Mashriq [Peshawar], June 2). Full Report at: http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=35376&tx_ttnews[backPid]=7&cHash=5d331443a6 --------- White House: 'War on terrorism' is over 'Jihadists' and 'global war' no longer acceptable terms By Jon Ward and Eli Lake Aug 6, 2009 It's official. The U.S. is no longer engaged in a "war on terrorism." Neither is it fighting "jihadists" or in a "global war." President Obama's top homeland security and counterterrorism official took all three terms off the table of acceptable words inside the White House during a speech Thursday at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. "The President does not describe this as a 'war on terrorism,'" said John Brennan, head of the White House homeland security office, who outlined a "new way of seeing" the fight against terrorism. The only terminology that Mr. Brennan said the administration is using is that the U.S. is "at war with al Qaeda." Full Report at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/06/white-house-war-terrorism-over/?feat=home_top5_shared ------ Christians in Pakistan Attacked for Religious Beliefs Aug 6, 2009: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community denounces violence against Pakistan's Christian minority. (GOJRA, Pakistan) - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) strongly condemns the violence towards Pakistan's Christian minority last week in the town of Gojra. In response to a report that a Quran had been defiled, a mob of up to 20,000 individuals in Gojra rioted and, on Saturday, attacked local Christian residents for no other reason than their religious beliefs. More than 100 Christian houses were burned and looted in a rampage that lasted 8 hours and resulted in 20 injuries and seven deaths. Pakistani authorities later stated that the report that spurred this violence was spurious. Such episodes of religious intolerance and violence have become increasingly common since the passing of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws in 1984. Many legal experts say the laws have been badly misused since their introduction by the military dictator General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq. Full Report at: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/august062009/christians_gojra_8-6-09.php -------- Cleric: Iranian nation is united and vigilant TEHRAN - Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani has said that the Iranian nation is "united and vigilant" and that is why all plots against the Islamic Republic have failed so far. He made the remarks in a sermon at Friday prayers in Tehran. Ayatollah Kashani also stated that the Supreme Leader's approval of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency on Monday was an endorsement of the fact that "republicanism and Islamism" are inseparable in Iran. The system founded by Imam Khomeini was an Islamic republic, which was overwhelmingly endorsed by the people, he noted, referring to the 1979 referendum in which 98 percent of the people voted "yes" to the Islamic republic system. The Imam and the voters sought to establish a republicanism based on the spirit of Islam, and the "Constitution is also based on this," he added. He also mentioned the extreme pressure imposed on the Islamic Republic over its efforts to utilize nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and the intense propaganda campaign launched against Iran after the June 12 presidential election. Full Report at: http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=200416 ------- Iraq bombs targeting Shi'ites kill 50 By Jamal al-Badrani, Aug 7, 2009 MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed 38 people as they left a Shi'ite Muslim mosque just outside the volatile northern Iraqi city of Mosul, officials said Friday, while bombs in Baghdad killed another 12. Police said 140 people were wounded in the suicide bombing, one of several attacks in recent weeks targeting Shi'ite religious gatherings. The provincial governor, Atheel al-Nujaifi, said 37 people died in the attack and 276 were wounded. A week ago a series of blasts outside Shi'ite mosques in Baghdad killed 31 people. Sunni Islamist militants like al Qaeda, who consider Shi'ites heretics, are often blamed. Full Report at: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE57628520090807 ------ Jihadi testifies against fellow Georgia terror suspect By GREG BLUESTEIN (AP) ATLANTA — A few weeks ago, Syed Haris Ahmed sought to convince a federal judge his talk of terror attacks was just boastful online chatter. He apparently failed and was convicted of plotting to support terrorist groups. He stood in the same courtroom Wednesday as a key prosecution witness against his friend and suspected cohort Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, who is charged with sending video of Washington landmarks to overseas terrorists and travelling to Bangladesh to pursue "violent jihad." Ahmed told jurors that he and Sadequee discussed travelling to Pakistan to "obtain military-style jihad training." He said the two talked about targeting oil refineries to disrupt the American economy. And he said he took Sadequee with him to Washington to make the video clips so Ahmed could raise his own prestige in the online jihad community. "I just wanted to prove to someone I could be of some benefit," said Ahmed, who is awaiting sentencing. "I wanted to raise my reputation so I thought, 'What if I could make videos?'" Sadequee could face up to 60 years in prison on four counts that he plotted to aid terror groups and ultimately took concrete steps to help them. Full Report at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gm7LOJRC22iff_W9qNJyAGx9wXxAD99T0PVG2 ----- Afghan Taliban say unhurt by Mehsud's death August 08, 2009 KABUL: The reported death of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud will not hurt the Taliban cause in Afghanistan, an Afghan Taliban spokesman said on Friday. "The Taliban's jihad against foreign forces in Afghanistan will not be affected if a Pakistani Taliban leader is killed on the other side of the Durand line," Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said from an undisclosed location. "We feel sympathy for our brothers who fight for the same cause, but resistance against the Afghan government and its foreign allies will continue." Pakistani officials claim Mehsud was killed by a missile strike two days ago. Reuters -------- Iraqi girl jailed for attempted suicide bombing 15-year-old Rania Ibrahim sentenced to seven and half years, though it remains unclear whether she was forced to act against her will Aug 6, 2009 A teenage Iraqi girl has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for attempting to blow herself up at a checkpoint in north-eastern Iraq, but questions remain as to whether she was victim or villain. Rania Ibrahim was sentenced in a juvenile court on Sunday for the attempted attack in August 2008 on Iraqi forces near the town of Baquba, about 40 miles north of Baghdad, a provincial judge, Zaid Khalaf, said today. The incident was captured in dramatic police footage that was seen around the world on You Tube, but conflicting accounts surrounded her arrest from the outset. US officials said the 15-year-old turned herself in after being wired up to the explosives against her will, while Iraqi police said she was caught by a patrol after arousing suspicion while walking in Baquba town centre. Full Report at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/06/iraqi-girl-rania-ibrahim-sentenced ----- Rs200 million for Gojra rehabilitation By Tariq Saeed TOBA TEK SINGH, Aug 6: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday that rehabilitation of Christian families affected by recent incidents in Gojra would cost Rs200 million, half of which would be provided by the federal government.  Addressing members of the Christian community and other people here, he said there would be no point-scoring and the federal and provincial governments would work jointly to rehabilitate the affected families.... Full Report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/rs200-million-for-gojra-rehabilitation-789 -------- Muslim Girls Honored for Completing 'Hunar' Courses Patna: August 6, 2009 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday handed out bank passbooks with a balance of Rs. 2,500 to a number of girls who successfully completed courses in various skills including sewing, knitting, handicraft, nursing, and cosmetology under the 'Hunar' scheme to purchase tools of their choice. The event dubbed as 'Auzaar', or tools, was held at the S. K. Memorial Hall in Patna and was attended by thousands of girls who successfully completed the program that was introduced by the Chief Minister a year ago. Touting the success of the scheme, officials said nearly 12,000, out of a total of 13,768 graduated from the training programs that prepare girls from the minority community to start their own career in the field of their likings. Full Report at: http://www.patnadaily.com/news2009/aug/080609/hunar_girls_honored.html ------ Art and Architecture of Islam – a Trinidad Perspective By NicolaGamaldo, Augt 07 2009 The place of worship for followers of Islam is called a mosque. The mosque originated from the Arabic word 'Masjid,' meaning a place of worship. The mosque is a sacred place of quiet and male Muslims are obliged to attend service there every Friday. Here in Trinidad, the normal mosque consists of a large covered court, with fountains attached to the building to facilitate ablutions before worship. Most of them were fairly recently constructed, each with a floor plan in either a rectangular, hexagonal or octagonal shape. Traditionally, the mosque is painted in white (symbol of purity) and green and its domed structure was inherited from the Christian Byzantine architectural tradition in the Near East. However, the domes in Trinidad show variety and are not of the traditional shape of the Arabian mosques. Full Report at: http://news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20090807135615641  URL: http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1616