Islam and Pluralism

06 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Ramadan: Mike Ghouse seeks to Share the Diversity within Islam

By Mike Ghouse Day 5 of Ramadan 2011 Friday, August 5, 2011 | Ramadan 5, 1432 PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam. THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/ramadan--mike-ghouse-seeks-to-share-the-diversity-within-islam/d/5201

Hindi Section

06 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

शांति बहाली के लिए हत्या क्यों?

जावेद आनंद धर्म का पालन करने वाला कोई भी मुसलमान बिना बिस्मिल्ला हिर्रहमा निर्रहीम (शुरु आल्लाह के नाम से जो बड़ा रहम करने वाला और अत्यन्त दयालु है) के बिना कोई भी कार्य प्रारम्भ नहीं करता है। पैगम्बर मोहम्मद (सल्लल्लाहो अलैहे वसल्लम) के बारे में वो तुम्हें बतायेंगें कि अल्लाह ने उनको पूरे ब्रह्माण्ड के लिए दया का रूप बना कर भेजा है। आपको ये भी बताया जायेगा कि इस्लाम का अर्थ शांति है। अल्लाह, पैग़म्बर मोहम्मद (सल्लल्लाहो अलैहे वसल्लम) और इस्लाम सभी शांति, करुणा व दया के लिए है। इसमें कोई शक नहीं है कि पाकिस्तान के पंजाब प्रांत के गवर्नर सलमान तासीर का हत्यारा मुमताज़ क़ादरी ख़ुद को एक पवित्र मुसलमान मानता होगा। इसमें कोई शक नहीं है कि बिस्मिल्ला हिर्रहमा निर्रहीम पढ़ने के बाद ही उसने जिस व्यक्ति को गोली मारी, आवश्यकता पड़ने पर उसके लिए अपनी जान जोखिम में डालकर उसकी रक्षा करने के लिए प्रशिक्षित किया गया था, और उसने रक्षा करने के लिए शपथ ली थी। इसमें भी कोई शक नहीं कि उसने अल्लाह के नाम पर हत्या की जो बड़ा रहम करने वाला और अत्यन्त दयालु है, और उस धर्म की रक्षा लिए हत्या की जिसका अर्थ शांति है, और पैगम्बर मोहम्मद (सल्लल्लाहो अलैहे वसल्लम) के सम्मान के लिए हत्या की जिन्हें अल्लाह ने पूरी मानवता के लिए दया का रूप बना कर भेजा है। शांति के लिए हत्या? मेरी समझ में ये बात नहीं आती । http://www.newageislam.com/hindi-section/शांति-बहाली-के-लिए-हत्या-क्यों?/d/5193

Islamic Culture

06 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Positive Pakistanis: Ageless charity

By Saulat Pervez July 31, 2011 At an age where most people depend on others for help, Major Muhammad Abbas only thought of helping the helpless. “The rich pay Zakat on their wealth but I pay Zakat on my health as well.” This was one of Muhammad Abbas Ali’s favourite sayings. A philanthropist and a retired major of the Pakistan army, he meant every word he said. In 1987, when he was 66 years old, he walked 2,500 km across the burning heat of the Arabian Peninsula in order to perform Hajj and to collect funds for a charitable hospital in Karachi. At 77 he sky dived from a height of 10’500 ft to raise funds for the ‘Support a Child, Save the Nation’ project, aimed at eradicating child labour in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. When he was almost 82, he walked 100 km in Canada from Whitby to Mississauga … all to procure funds for a Seniors’ Home. No wonder then that he earned the sobriquet of the “Volunteer Charity Walker from Pakistan.” http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/positive-pakistanis--ageless-charity/d/5197

Radical Islamism & Jihad

10 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

No Shame for Religious Killings in Indonesian Town

By Niniek Karmini August 10, 2011 CIKEUSIK, Indonesia— When Dani bin Misra was released from prison last week after serving just three months for smashing in the skull of a member of a Muslim sect, this conservative Indonesian town let out a triumphant cry. "He's a hero!" Rasna bin Wildan said of the teenage killer. The ferociousness of the attack, captured on video and circulated widely on the Internet, guaranteed no one from the Ahmadiyah group would dare set foot in Cikeusik again, the 38-year-old farmer said as others nodded in agreement. Their reaction is part of a wider wave of intolerance against religious minorities that is challenging Indonesia's image as a beacon of how Islam and liberalism can coexist. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/positive-pakistanis--ageless-charity/d/5197

Muslims and Islamophobia

08 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Any lessons from Norway on Internal threat from Hindutva?

Hindutva Poisoning Young Minds Globally By John Dayal July 31, 2011 ‎"The primary threat to democracy in Europe is not "Islamo-fascism" -- that clunking, thuggish phrase that keeps lashing out in the hope that it will one day strike a meaning -- but plain old fascism. The kind whereby mostly white Europeans take to the streets to terrorize minorities in the name of racial, cultural or religious superiority,” Prof Dilip Simeon wrote to me in a message on my Facebook profile. This was after I wrote that zealots and terrorists of all sorts live in a zone where it becomes difficult to tell them apart. Dilip is a younger contemporary from our days at St Stephen’s college. He faced a murderous assault in Ramjas College, Delhi, where he taught, and emerged as a major human rights voice after the anti Sikh violence in Delhi in 1984. The Norway massacre of July 2011 is indeed Fascism with thick overlays of Racism and Xenophobia. http://www.newageislam.com/muslims-and-islamophobia/any-lessons-from-norway-on-internal-threat-from-hindutva?/d/5207

Urdu Section

09 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Pakistan: KARBALA or MADINA?

By Samiullah Malik How to celebrate Independence Day? It was Lal Masjid and Jamia Hifsa bathed in blood, yesterday. Soil of the grave of deceased hasn’t dried yet. We celebrate Independence Day. Minarets of Lal Masjid are quiet and people are depressed, and yet you can’t see the tears? These minarets look at us strangely. Bruised with bullets and bathed in blood and fire, the soul of the Lal Masjid is crying. Innocent boys, who were offering namaz, became victims of the blast. URL: http://www.newageislam.com/urdu-section/کربلا-یا-مدینہ/d/5216

Islamic Culture

09 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Taqwacore: Never Mind the Jihad, here's Islam's New Radicals

By Sanjiv Bhattacharya August 8, 2011 THERE was a time when the words ''Muslim radical'' painted a clear picture - a young man strapped with explosives, perhaps, or a bearded cleric calling for Shariah. But things have changed. The protesters of the Arab Spring are both Muslim and radical, as are the bungling Jihadis of Chris Morris's movie Four Lions. And now a new film, The Taqwacores, attempts to further stretch the definition. The film's set-up sounds familiar enough - a meek Muslim student named Yusef joins a hardcore Islamic commune and becomes radicalised. But this time, ''hardcore'' refers to punk rock. This is a commune where one Muslim, Jehangir, sports a red Mohawk and announces morning prayers with an electric guitar. Another is gay and wears a skirt and make-up. The bands that congregate there have names such as Osama's Tunnel Diggers and Boxcutter Surprise. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/taqwacore--never-mind-the-jihad,-here-s-islam-s-new-radicals-/d/5210

Islam and the West

06 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Time for Europe to Embrace Diversity

By AMANDA PAUL The recent tragic events in Norway have acted as a powerful reminder that no country may claim to be safe from terror and will hopefully prompt an urgent debate on our common challenge: countering xenophobia, intolerance and violent extremism. All corners of Europe -- from Moscow to Paris -- need to face up to the fact that we have a serious problem on our hands and begin to take serious steps to tackle it. In many parts of Europe, including my own country, the UK, it has unfortunately become almost socially acceptable to be anti-Muslim, with Muslims usually being put into two categories: moderate or extremist. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/time-for-europe-to-embrace-diversity/d/5195

The War within Islam

05 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Saleem Shahzad’s Murder: Uniformed Killers Must Answer for Crimes

By Rahimullah Yusufzai The recent slaughter of defenceless civilians in Pakistan has prompted politicians to seek accountability from the military and security forces. SILENCED: The killing of investigative journalist Saleem Shahzad is the latest in a string of civilian murders Investigative journalist Saleem Shahzad's recent murder is the latest in a string of incidents in Pakistan in which defenceless civilians have been killed. In at least two instances in Karachi and Quetta, the security forces were directly involved in the killings and had to face unprecedented criticism. Some of these incidents have provided politicians with an opportunity to demand military accountability. The most vocal politician on this issue was Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He asked the military to change its 'mindset', accused the army of running a 'parallel government' and demanded an end to its dominance of Pakistan's foreign policy and greater civilian control to strengthen national security. http://www.newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/saleem-shahzad’s-murder--uniformed-killers-must-answer-for-crimes-/d/5191

Current affairs

04 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Stop all discrimination against Uyghurs in East Turkestan, demands World Uyghur Congress

By New Age Islam News Bureau The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has unequivocally condemned Chinese government policies that have caused another outbreak of violence in East Turkestan. Without a substantial change to policies that discriminate against Uyghurs economically, culturally and politically the prospect of stability in East Turkestan is remote. According to Chinese and overseas media reports, incidents of bloodshed on the streets of Kashgar occurred between July 30 and 31, 2011. The tragic events over the weekend in Kashgar took place less than two weeks after a day of violence in the southern city of Hotan. Due to the tight control of information and the imposition of a street curfew, the WUC is unable to confirm the accuracy of information from Chinese state media of events in Kashgar. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/stop-all-discrimination-against-uyghurs-in-east-turkestan,-demands-world-uyghur-congress/d/5179

Islam and Spiritualism

05 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Charity in Ramadan

By Khwaja Mohammad Zubair 3 August 2011 The joy of giving is overwhelming when one shares his wealth with the less fortunate during the holy month of Ramadan. And it is in this month that the act of charity in all its manifestation is seen most at every Muslim home. Charity towards man, in its widest sense, is laid down in the Holy Quran as the second great pillar on which the structure of Islam stands. Spending out of whatever has been given to man stands for charity in a broad sense, i.e., for acts of benevolence to humanity in general. For what God has given to man is not only the wealth which he possesses but all the faculties and power with which he has been gifted. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-spiritualism/charity-in-ramadan-/d/5188

Current affairs

05 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Time PM took a Call on Trip to Pakistan

By M. K. Bhadrakumar The ‘reset’ of the Russian- American relationship is a good starting point for a critique of the India- Pakistan dialogue process. The ‘reset’ is in the doldrums largely because it is at a standstill. A push by Washington to galvanise Russia’s membership of the World Trade Organisation; a gesture to relegate to history the cold- war relic known as Jackson- Vanik Amendment of 1974, which imposed trade embargo on USSR; a visit by President Barack Obama to Moscow before the campaigns for the presidential elections in Russia (March 2012) and the US (November 2012) get under way — any of these would keep the ‘reset’ rolling. The dynamics won’t be lost on an uncertain journey through uncharted waters. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/time-pm-took-a-call-on-trip-to-pakistan/d/5189

Radical Islamism & Jihad

02 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Schools and Madrasas in Pakistan Training Afghan Youths to Act as Suicide Bombers

By Arash Kabuli The Institute for War & Peace Reporting Aug. 01, 2011 KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan parents who have sent their sons to schools in Pakistan say they're becoming increasing alarmed about the type of education their children are receiving. Rather than serve as centers of learning, many fear that these schools and Madrasas are designed primarily to turn out a never-ending supply of suicide bombers. One father in Kapisa province, who asked that his name not be used because he was concerned about security, described the dramatic change his 18-year-old son had undergone after one year at a school in Pakistan. "My son is vehemently opposed to the government. He says suicide attacks are considered a superior form of martyrdom and courage in Islam, and that Muslims must wage a jihad against the Jews and their friends," he said. http://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-and-jihad/schools-and-madrasas-in-pakistan-training-afghan-youths-to-act-as-suicide-bombers/d/5163

Urdu Section

28 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

The ouster of Maulana Vastanvi: A Good Man Put Down

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed Vastanvi's ouster isn't good for the reputation of India's Muslims and Darul Uloom Deoband. It's sad that Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi has become a victim of shoora (governing council). The seminary has lost a progressive cleric who wanted to reform Madrasa education in India. Text of the original article in English: http://www.newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/maulana-vastanvi--a-good-man-put-down/d/5127 URL of this page: http://www.newageislam.com/urdu-section/ایک-اچھے-آدمی-کو-نیچا-دکھایا-گیا/d/5133

Islam and Pluralism

06 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Death on the Silk Route: Violence in Xinjiang

By Michael Dillon Kashgar and Hotan, historic centres of Uighur and Islamic culture in the south of China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, have been the scene of recent bloodshed. The reasons behind the violence in these two cities, which lie 520km (323 miles) apart on the southern fringes of the Taklamakan Desert, are confused and disputed but some of the essential facts are clear. On 18 July a group of Uighurs armed with knives and explosive devices attacked a police station in Hotan and took hostages. During a rescue operation, at least one police officer, two of the hostages and some of the attackers were killed. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/death-on-the-silk-route--violence-in-xinjiang/d/5194

Radical Islamism & Jihad

03 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Pakistan-China: Cracks on the Wall

By Brahma Chellaney August 02, 2011 Pakistan may be blamed by China for the growing unrest in Xinjiang. But the danger Beijing faces is the result of how it has treated its ethnic minorities, writes Brahma Chellaney In the face of a spreading Uighur rebellion, China's love-fest with its 'all-weather ally', Pakistan, may have started to turn a bit sour, with Xinjiang authorities charging that a prominent Uighur separatist they captured had received terrorist training in Pakistan. No less embarrassing for Pakistan, the charge came on a day when its spy agency chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, was holding talks in Beijing, after having just visited Xinjiang. http://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-and-jihad/pakistan-china--cracks-on-the-wall/d/5172

Current affairs

30 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

‘Whole Women’ in Tune with Men, in Peace with Own Nature

By Giovanni Comparini 07/07/2011 Nowadays it is usual to read articles written by women that strive for better conditions and equal rights. In developing countries they demand a more secure and fair life, while in Western and more developed countries they aspire to a major role in working activities and politics, considered at the base of social well-being and power. Mostly these articles blame the male chauvinist, despotic character still standing out in our society worldwide. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/‘whole-women’-in-tune-with-men,-in-peace-with-own-nature/d/5150

Current affairs

02 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Deoband’s Maulana Vastanvi: Our Make-believe Reformist

By Zia Haq July 31, 2011 In reporting the recent events at India's best-known Muslim seminary, the English-language press — from the New York Times to Indian dailies — pro-Ved its proclivity for misrepresenting Muslims yet again. Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi — the Darul Uloom's top administrator, sacked because he was quoted speaking favourably of a chief minister blamed for anti-Muslim riots — was made out to be all that Muslims are generally thought incapable of being: educated, liberal and "modernist". Vastanvi's portrayal had, what I call, the typical ‘zoo effect'. It's the wonder-struck effect overwhelming us at a circus. As the animals perform, we marvel at what the tamed beasts can accomplish. Vastanvi's views about Muslims doing fine in Gujarat, where eight years ago they faced a pogrom, were more about the community's resilience rather than unabashed praise of the state's demagogic chief minister, Narendra Modi. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/deoband’s-maulana-vastanvi--our-make-believe-reformist/d/5170

Current affairs

02 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Deoband’s Maulana Vastanvi: Our Make-believe Reformist

By Zia Haq July 31, 2011 In reporting the recent events at India's best-known Muslim seminary, the English-language press — from the New York Times to Indian dailies — pro-Ved its proclivity for misrepresenting Muslims yet again. Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi — the Darul Uloom's top administrator, sacked because he was quoted speaking favourably of a chief minister blamed for anti-Muslim riots — was made out to be all that Muslims are generally thought incapable of being: educated, liberal and "modernist". Vastanvi's portrayal had, what I call, the typical ‘zoo effect'. It's the wonder-struck effect overwhelming us at a circus. As the animals perform, we marvel at what the tamed beasts can accomplish. Vastanvi's views about Muslims doing fine in Gujarat, where eight years ago they faced a pogrom, were more about the community's resilience rather than unabashed praise of the state's demagogic chief minister, Narendra Modi. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/deoband’s-maulana-vastanvi--our-make-believe-reformist/d/5170

Islam and the West

02 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Pakistan Army: Shelve the Old Music Please

By Marvi Sirmed Pursuance of national interest by every state goes much beyond religious or ideological considerations in the real world. A normal state would not say no to economic ties with any viable country just based on their religious preferences. When your favourite songs are labelled under ‘old music’, it reminds one of changing times and trends. From the vintage black telephone sets transfigured into sleek smart phones, to big noisy typewriters metamorphosed into iPods, everything has changed. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/pakistan-army--shelve-the-old-music-please-/d/5167

Islamic Society

03 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

The Holy Month of Fasting

By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan According to Islamic teachings, Ramadan, the ninth month of the Hijra calendar, is the month of fasting. Fasting is a universal practice. The Quran mentions that fasting was a common practice in all religions: Believers, fasting has been prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil (2:183). The Arabic equivalent of fasting is called saum. It means abstinence, which is the spirit of Islamic fasting. In the month of Ramadan, believers abstain from food and drink for a limited period each day, that is, from dawn till sunset. They eat and drink during the night. This practice continues for a month. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/the-holy-month-of-fasting-/d/5174

Muslims and Islamophobia

02 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Norway Killer Breivik, a Great Admirer of Rightwing Hindus

By Suhail Haleem Translated from Urdu by Arman Neyazi, NewAgeIslam.com The killer of more than 70 people in Norway is a great admirer of Hindu fundamentalists. He has described them in his manifesto on more than one place. Irish Anders Behring Breivik considers them an ally in overturning democratically elected governments all over the world and promises them help in ousting Muslims from India. In this 1500 pages manifesto Breivik says how he wished to start a war against multiculturalism which beginning from his terror activities would take the form of a world war. http://www.newageislam.com/muslims-and-islamophobia/norway-killer-breivik,-a-great-admirer-of-rightwing-hindus-/d/5168

Muslims and Islamophobia

03 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Norway: Faith-driven Violence is a Result of Greater Tolerance in Society for Hate Politics

Mad Men’s Banquet By Nadeem F. Paracha The devastating terrorist attack in Norway by a demented Christian fanatic on the 23rd of July this year sent a wave of shock and surprise across the western world. That’s understandable, because after all, nations and governments, both western and otherwise, had been nervously looking out for modern terrorism’s best friends of the past decade, the Islamic extremists. Thus, a shocking act of carnage in Norway undertaken by an extremist from some other creed stunned a number of people. http://www.newageislam.com/muslims-and-islamophobia/norway--faith-driven-violence-is-a-result-of-greater-tolerance-in-society-for-hate-politics/d/5175

Islam and the West

05 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Developers of Islamic Center Try a New Strategy

By Anne Barnard A year after controversy engulfed plans to build a Muslim community center and mosque in Lower Manhattan, the project’s developers are quietly moving ahead: In recent months they have hired a paid staff, started fund-raising drives and continued holding prayers and cultural events in their existing building two blocks from ground zero. But they have also embraced what they call a slower, more deliberate and more realistic approach to the project, acknowledging it will take years of hard work to determine what kind of facilities Muslim and non-Muslim visitors want and need, to raise money, and to build public support. That means it could be five years before they even try to begin any physical transformation of the property, now a bare-bones building that once housed a Burlington Coat Factory store. And the Muslim center might never become the 15-storey, $100 million edifice that the developers had once envisioned, and that some opponents had labelled a “mega mosque.” http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/developers-of-islamic-center-try-a-new-strategy/d/5190

Books and Documents

01 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Dispassionate Take on Radical Islam

By Omar Shariff In his meticulously researched book Jihad's New Heartlands: How the West Has Failed to Contain Islamic Fundamentalism, Gabriel G. Tabarani provides a historical narrative of the global Islamist movement leading to the events of 1979 and culminating in the death of Bin Laden. Jihad’s New Heartlands: How the West Has Failed to Contain Islamic Fundamentalism By Gabriel G. Tabarani, AuthorHouse, 476 pages, £19.99 July 8, 2011 The Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, which toppled the Shah's dictatorship, was followed by another seminal event that same year — the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to prop up the country's communist government. The Mujahideen's nine-year guerrilla war which followed — backed ardently by the United States, of course — led to the humiliating withdrawal and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. But it also bred the first generation of Islamist radicals, many of whom returned to their respective countries as hardened combatants. One such individual was Osama Bin Laden. http://www.newageislam.com/books-and-documents/dispassionate-take-on-radical-islam/d/5160

Islamic Culture

04 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

The Joys and Sorrows of Ramadan

By Hesham A. Hassaballa CHICAGO — Ramadan has just begun, and I must admit that it starts with no small amount of dread for me. Fasting, an essential pillar of ritual in Islam consists of abstaining from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from dawn (before sunrise) until dusk. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar one, Ramadan travels backward along the solar calendar, and this means that for the next 10 years it will fall during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. That will mean very hot and very long days, and distressingly short nights. I remember Ramadan being in June when I was about 12 years old, and it was hard then. I have since become much older, and thus, fasting during the summer has become much more difficult for me. Last year, when only a part of Ramadan was in August, I had a tough time. This year, all of August is Ramadan, and therefore — although I hate to say it — I am scared. Of course, if fasting poses bodily harm to a person, he or she should not fast, and can feed the poor instead. In addition, pregnant and nursing mothers, people with chronic illnesses, and those who are travelling do not have to fast. Indeed, I could contemplate travelling the entire month of Ramadan, but I would likely not have a job waiting for me when I came back. And I would have to make up the days I missed. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/the-joys-and-sorrows-of-ramadan/d/5182

Books and Documents

01 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

(Un)veiled: Muslim Women Talk About Hijab

By Claire Panetta Young Fashion and Hijab “(Un)veiled: Muslim Women Talk About Hijab,” by filmmaker Ines Hofmann Kanna, is a 36-minute documentary comprised of interviews with young Muslim women living in Dubai, along with excerpts from a lecture led by an American professor, Dr. Laureen Hamdan, at the University of Sharjah. The film focuses on the role of the Hijab in the lives of women and in Islam. Over the course, we see a range of perspectives in the practice of veiling, challenging the media stereotype of the monolithic Muslim woman. In the interviews, we meet a group of women from different cultural, ethnic, and even religious backgrounds. All of the interviewees live in Dubai, but few were born or raised in the UAE. In fact, only one participant, Badriah, identifies herself as Emirati. The women, who all speak fluent English, share their experiences growing up in various countries in the ‘East,’ such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as in countries in the ‘West,’ such as Switzerland and Canada. http://www.newageislam.com/books-and-documents/(un)veiled--muslim-women-talk-about-hijab/d/5158

Islam and Politics

03 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Indian Muslims Need Quotas More than Dalits

By Kancha Ilaiah Aug 03, 2011 A debate is likely to be triggered by Union minister for minority affairs Salman Khurshid’s proposal for reservations for Muslims in Central institutions of education and employment. Though the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission and the Minority Commission in their reports recommended 10 per cent reservations for Muslims based on their social and educational backwardness, so far the Indian state has not taken any steps in that direction. In this context, we must appreciate the minister for taking the initiative. Though certain sections would say that this proposal is being made keeping the Uttar Pradesh elections in mind, it is still an issue that needs to be dealt with. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-politics/indian-muslims-need-quotas-more-than-dalits/d/5177

Islam and the West

01 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

The American-Saudi Relationship: An Old Friendship Starts to Crumble

By Rudolph Chimelli Saudi Arabia openly endorses a Palestinian state, shows understanding for Iran and no longer only buys arms "made in USA": despite a weapons deal worth over 60 billion dollars, cracks are beginning to appear in what was once an unquestioned partnership with the USA. By Rudolph Chimelli He calls himself a "private individual", listing on his business card as sole official post that of chairman of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. As the 65-year-old Prince Turki al-Faisal is a nephew of King Abdullah, however, anyone keen to find out what's happening in the Middle East hang on his every word. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/the-american-saudi-relationship--an-old-friendship-starts-to-crumble/d/5156

Current affairs

01 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Spy Wars in South Asia

By Ravi Shankar 29 Jul 2011 Days before the pulchritudinous Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, was to meet Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik in Lahore on July 25, Indian intelligence knew. Especially after last year’s curfew-ridden months and violence, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI) were working overtime in Kashmir. They passed on information to New Delhi that Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were preparing to leave for New Delhi on the eve of the Pakistan foreign minister’s visit. The mandarins of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that also included officers from Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and IB met. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/spy-wars-in-south-asia/d/5157

Islamic Society

29 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Rabbani is an Exception to Womenfolk of Khar Family'

By Omer Farooq Khan Jul 29, 2011 The visit of most Pakistani leaders to shrines has customary significance which continues unabated despite Saudi Arabia's investment in propagating their strict version of Wahhabi Islam across the country. The construction of mosques and recruiting their preachers as "Imams" in these mosques on handsome salaries, the Saudis have so far not succeeded to overpower the traditional followers of Sufism which emerged in the seventh century as a reactionary force against the worldliness of the early Ummayad Caliphs. http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/rabbani-is-an-exception-to-womenfolk-of-khar-family-/d/5141

Muslims and Islamophobia

01 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

In the wake of Norway, Ttime for Western Muslims to stand up, says Tariq Ramadan

By Tariq Ramadan 30 July 2011 A young Norwegian has killed dozens of innocent people. Many thought at first—quite naturally these days—that we had witnessed a new Muslim terrorist attack. We had not. Muslims everywhere breathed a sigh of relief. But in Norway, the massacre came as both a shock and a wake-up call. A fundamentalist Christian had murdered his fellow citizens because he believed Norway’s political parties (as well as its self-styled centrist politicians) were betraying the country’s values and culture. By accepting new immigrants and allowing Muslims to settle in Norway, he claimed, they were—as in so many European countries—destroying Europe’s Christian roots. So he acted to raise awareness, to try to halt the silent "colonization" of the West. One day before the attack, he had posted on the Internet a Manifesto filled with Canadian, American, British and French references to the new threats called “immigration,” “Islam,” “the other,” and non-Westerners in general. http://www.newageislam.com/muslims-and-islamophobia/in-the-wake-of-norway,-ttime-for-western-muslims-to-stand-up,-says-tariq-ramadan/d/5161

Current affairs

30 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Terrorism Has No Religion

By: Ranjona Banerji 2011-07-29 Soon after news that a bomb had gone off near government buildings in Oslo, Indian and international news channels started speculating on which Islamic group could have been responsible. Experts -- if that is what one can call them -- even tried to name groups from the trickle of information coming out of Norway. The only responsible players in this were the Norwegians themselves who largely refused to speculate as they grappled with the fact their largely peaceful country had been targeted. But a few hours later, when tragedy was compounded by news of the shootings at Utoya Island and the fact that the shooter was 'Nordic' looking, the 'experts' vanished. What is evident is that intolerance -- whether it is saffron, green or any other colour -- is a killer http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/terrorism-has-no-religion/d/5153

Islam and the West

03 Aug 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

The War on Libya: Divisions within The Transitional Council and Rebel Forces

By Michel Chossudovsky and Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya The death of General Abdel Fattah Al-Younes, Commander in Chief of Rebel Forces was announced on July 28. Younes was Colonel Qaddafi’s former interior minister who defected to the rebels. Younes was also key leader of the Transitional Council based in Benghazi. His death has created a vacuum in the military command structure, which will inevitably contribute in the short-run to weakening the military capabilities of the insurgency. It will also have repercussions on the timing of NATO operations. http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-the-west/the-war-on-libya--divisions-within-the-transitional-council-and-rebel-forces-/d/5173

Current affairs

30 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

‘Whole Women’ in Tune with Men, in Peace with Own Nature

By Giovanni Comparini 07/07/2011 Nowadays it is usual to read articles written by women that strive for better conditions and equal rights. In developing countries they demand a more secure and fair life, while in Western and more developed countries they aspire to a major role in working activities and politics, considered at the base of social well-being and power. Mostly these articles blame the male chauvinist, despotic character still standing out in our society worldwide. On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, celebrated for the 100th time on March 8, 2011, The Jakarta Post of March 4 inserted a supplement of the Hong Kong journal China Daily. Miss Claire Chiang, former member of Singaporean Parliament, drew my attention by the statement that her wish for women is “…to find a way to peace and to be a whole woman. But how we do it, and how we define ‘being whole’ is the critical question”. http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/‘whole-women’-in-tune-with-men,-in-peace-with-own-nature/d/5150

Urdu Section

30 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Are Muslim women inferior to men in Quran and Hadith?

By Dr. Kausar Fatima When I completed my Maulvi Degree, I had a book ‘Quran e Rejali Tafawwuq” which stated that in fact this world is created for the men and us women had a marginal role here. (Nauzo Billah). Litaskunu Alaiha. Had my education stopped there, for the rest of my life I would have taken Quran as a charter of patriarchal society. When I made ‘Muslim Women’ my topic of research at Aligarh Muslim University in Ph. D, I got an opportunity of research and detailed study of all the Aayats (Quranic verses) and Rewayaats (traditions, Hadith) connected to women. http://www.newageislam.com/urdu-section/مسلم-خواتین--شریعت-اور-روایت-کے-مابین/d/5152

The War within Islam

30 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Does Arab Spring Herald a More Fragmented Mideast?

By Arieh O’Sullivan Jul 20 2011 The Middle East and North Africa are undergoing a historic change as the Arab Spring empowers the street, forcing long-standing leaders out of office and forcing others to undertake reforms. But some observers say the upheavals raging across the region aren’t the ones that protestors, policy makers or experts are focusing on. Rather than leading the Middle East to democracy or Islamism, the Arab Spring may be splitting the region’s traditional array of nation-states into smaller entities, divided by tribe, religion or ethnicity. http://www.newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/does-arab-spring-herald-a-more-fragmented-mideast?/d/5148