Islam and Politics 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Will Al-Ghannoushi Transform Tunisia into an Islamic State? Al-Ghannoushi, who was in exile in London, has returned to Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution and has already made a mark as the most important voice in Tunisian politics. Many secular intellectuals and politicians in Tunisia fear that Al-Ghannoushi and his movement may use the democratic process to transform Tunisia into an Islamic state and undermine the civil and political liberties of those who do not share his Islamist vision. Tunisia has made considerable strides in terms of granting women equal rights, and there is a genuine fear among young women that Al-Nahda may seek to convert Tunisia into another Iran. -- Muqtedar...

Islam and Politics 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Pakistan: Sectarian Politics Exceptions apart, as a general rule in politics it doesn’t pay to raise too many temples to emotional instability: lurching from one position to another. For instance, making a fetish of going out of one’s way to attack the MQM, often totally unnecessarily; then, when the weather slightly turns, lunging in the other direction, desperate to get into bed with the same nemesis. Dramatic behaviour such as this leaves ordinary mortals slightly bewildered. And it doesn’t help to bandy about that trite phrase, ‘there is no last word in politics’. How many phases of the moon does this piece of wisdom cover? -- Ayaz Amir Pakistan: Sectarian Politics By Ayaz...

Islam and the Media 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Media Fables on the Syrian Revolution: Respect Journalistic Ethics This disregard for a fundamental tenet of good journalism pains me deeply. I am a Syrian national and have been a correspondent of Al Arabiya for the past two decades. These have been decades of turmoil in my part of the world. I have therefore, perforce, spent most of this time covering wars and insurgencies. In all this time I have never knowingly violated the cardinal rule of good journalism, which is to verify my information before airing it – check and countercheck it and do my best not to mislead viewers. To me, therefore, it is all the more distressing to see these principles being treated so casually by so...

Islamic Ideology 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Russian Muftis for Peaceful Islam At the meeting with muftis, Mr. Medvedev returned to the same topic. He noted that Moslem religious organizations are doing a lot to make the Caucasus peaceful. “Sometimes, a religious leader must be very bold to openly say that real Islam has nothing to do with violence,” the president said. “In the last year, over 20 muftis, who tried to withstand extremist interpretations of Islam, were killed.” “Unfortunately,” he continued, “we cannot do away with terrorism overnight. But it is inspiring that we are united in our aims and our efforts. At present, many people of non-Moslem nationalities, who have fled from the Caucasus because of unrest, are coming...

Islamic Culture 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Gender Ghettos in Iranian Universities Summer temperatures regularly reach over 40ºC (104ºF) in Iran, but women are not allowed to wear shorts or loose hijabs. Those accused of wearing “western-style” clothes, as well as women whose headscarves fit too loosely, or whose clothes fit too tightly, face humiliation, fines and arrest by the so called morality police. For Iranian women, the feeling of wind blowing in their hair is something they can only dream about since the Islamic clergy came to power. Actresses must wear veils even when portraying indoor activities, such as sharing a meal or sleeping. Iranian people from the various classes, led by women, university students and intellectuals,...

Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Indonesia Must Abolish Death Penalty, Show Mercy On Dec. 18, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a moratorium in respect for the use of death penalty. Had there been a worldwide moratorium, Ruyati and the lives of other Indonesian citizens on death row could have been saved. The time has come for Indonesia to ask itself whether it is really worth keeping the death penalty as a criminal punishment. There is a range of factors that suggest it is now in Indonesia’s interests to abolish or at least have a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Experience and statistics from around the world indicate that the death penalty is not a greater...

Islamic World News 15 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Suicide bomber attacks Karzai's brother's memorial, 4 killed Mumbai Blast: LeT hand? Cops told to tread cautiously 'Don't name Muslim outfits for Mumbai Blasts without evidence' Gilani urges Ulema to play role in promoting interfaith harmony Jamaat-e-Islami condemns Mumbai serial blasts and demands a high level Enquiry Pennsylvania Man Indicted For Allegedly Soliciting Jihadists To Kill Americans Four Lashkar militants take woman as hostage in J&K Six Afghan civilians killed in NATO raid 15 killed in Karachi political violence sparked by minister’s comments Karachi killings: Pak minister blames wives, girlfriends Kurd rebels ambush Turkish soldiers, 20 killed in clash Four...