Saudi Woman Gets 300 Lashes, Jail for Complaints, Islam, Women and Feminism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam, Women and Feminism

Saudi Woman Gets 300 Lashes, Jail for Complaints

A Saudi woman who filed harassment claims in Saudi Arabia without being accompanied by a male relative has been sentenced to 300 lashes and 18 months in jail, Human Rights Watch said.

Sawsan Salim lodged a series of complaints in 2007 at government offices and in court in the northern region of Qasim in which she alleged harassment by local officials, the New York-based rights group said. She was sentenced in January on charges of making “spurious complaints” against government officials and appearing “without a male guardian,” the group said in an e-mailed statement received today.

“In Saudi Arabia, being a woman going about her legitimate business without a man’s protection is apparently a crime,” Nadya Khalife, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in the statement. “The government needs to free Sawsan Salim and keep its promise to end this discriminatory system.”

Bandar bin Mohammed al-Aiban, president of the government- run Saudi Human Rights Commission, couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

Saudi Arabia, which maintains a code of Islamic morals, said in June at a meeting of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council that it would end the male-guardianship rule, said Human Rights Watch.

The system requires women to get permission from a male relative to go to classes, work, to travel, open a bank account or receive non-emergency medical care. It also requires a woman to be accompanied by a male guardian to conduct public business, HRW said.

http://newageislam.com/saudi-woman-gets-300-lashes,-jail-for-complaints/islam,-women-and-feminism/d/2538

India: Aggressive Wahhabi assertion leads to riots in Vaishali, Islam and Sectarianism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Sectarianism

India: Aggressive Wahhabi assertion leads to riots in Vaishali

The 100-years-old mosque in Kamalpur village was owned and managed by the followers of Barailavi sect. As per information, prayers have been led by Barailavi Imams for a long time. Recently, the mosque had got renovated by a wealthy person belonging to Deobandi sect. He wanted a Deobandi Imam and a Deobandi Hafiz to be appointed for the prayers and Taraveeh (special Ramazan prayer) simultaneously in the Holy month of Ramazan. The Barailavi followers insisted upon the appointment of a Barailavi Imam and Hafiz which had been the tradition for about 100 years. The other group flatly refused to accept and follow the old tradition. Thus a dispute occurred of which no solution could be found.

Some anti-Islamic elements tried to disturb unity among the Muslims and create differences within community. The situation was brought under control by the responsible residents of the society. They contained it with great sincere efforts and tactfulness, preventing any more serious and unpleasant incident from taking place.

Initially the controversy arose over the matter of leading Friday prayers which resulted in fighting and stone-pelting among the residents of Kamalpur. The district administration was somewhat aware of the brewing sectarian conflict and they were quite mindful too of trying to prevent any serious untoward incident. So they had deputed a police force in the concerned village even before the incident took place. They brought the situation under control by taking action immediately.

http://newageislam.com/india--aggressive-wahhabi-assertion-leads-to-riots-in-vaishali/islam-and-sectarianism/d/1702

India probing an Armyman: Is this possible in Pakistan?, Islam and Politics, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Politics

India probing an Armyman: Is this possible in Pakistan?

By Kamran Shafi

There are details of the movements of Lt. Col. Shrikant Prasad Purohit and of how his laptop, which is "believed to have crucial information" and which went missing when he was arrested on October 29, has "been traced" by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team which is investigating the affair. Indeed, there are indications already that the RDX explosive used was stolen by the colonel/his helpers from the stores of an Indian Army artillery regiment. It is to be immediately noted that serving Lt. Col. Purohit is in civilian custody; and is being investigated by a civilian agency.

It is to be noted too that whilst the BJP has criticised the government for "framing Hindu leaders" and its president, Rajnath Singh, has accused the Congress of "communalising" terrorism to win elections, newspapers have pointed out that he has brushed aside allegations "that he could be guilty of the same by battling for persons held for terrorist attacks".

And so the Indian state goes on, trying to administer this vast and diverse country with problems that seem so massive: a huge population, now bordering on 1.2 billion people; poverty like we Pakistanis could not even begin to imagine; an infrastructure that needs immediate repair and refurbishment. I mean how do you keep an infrastructure going that has the weight of 1.2 billion souls upon it?

http://newageislam.com/india-probing-an-armyman--is-this-possible-in-pakistan?/islam-and-politics/d/1001

Kashmir: The present crisis too can be overcome, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

Kashmir: The present crisis too can be overcome

The first step toward turning the tide of the agitation in the State will require making it absolutely clear that it will remain an integral part of India, come what may, and Jammu and Kashmir will not be separated.Apart from the blunders by the Jammu & Kashmir Government -- which have been discussed too threadbare to require reiteration -- one reason why the violent movement in the Valley has snowballed is the belief that the Government of India is losing the will to fight indefinitely to retain the State as an integral part of the country, and that a prolonged, massive upsurge will undermine whatever resolve it still has and force it to give independence to the Valley. This belief, which has to some extent been reinforced by some Indian eminences favouring independence for Kashmir, must immediately be shown as totally delusory.

http://newageislam.com/kashmir--the-present-crisis-too-can-be-overcome/current-affairs/d/649

US based Indian American Muslim group denounces bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore and expresses solidarity with the victims, Islam

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

US based Indian American Muslim group denounces bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore and expresses solidarity with the victims

Washington D.C., July 27, 2008

According to reports, a series of 17 blast occurred in crowded places in Ahmedabad city leaving at least 29 people dead and over 100 injured. A day earlier, the city of Bangalore was struck with bomb blasts that killed 2 people and injured several others. “Humanity is the ultimate victim in such acts of mindless violence” said Mr. Rasheed Ahmed, President of IMC-USA. He further stated that “The authorities should conduct a thorough and transparent investigation immediately and refrain from adopting the usual template of blaming Muslim sounding virtual groups whose existence or lack thereof cannot be proven”.

In recent months, authorities have come under intense criticism for their ineffectiveness in conducting honest and transparent probes into blasts that rocked other Indian cities. During the blasts in Hyderabad last year, rather than track the culprits, the police arrested scores of innocent Muslim youths associated with various civil liberties groups in the city. After weeks of harassment and torture, almost all the arrested had to be released on account of lack of evidence.

http://newageislam.com/us-based-indian-american-muslim-group-denounces-bomb-blasts-in-ahmedabad-and-bangalore-and-expresses-solidarity-with-the-victims/islam,terrorism-and-jihad/d/315