Questions over Sheikh Raed Salah's UK ban

Questions over Sheikh Raed Salah's UK ban

By John Ware BBC News

Sheikh Salah was arrested in London after earlier addressing a crowd in Leicester

Continue reading the main story

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• Probe into banned activist in UK

Sheikh Raed Salah, now in custody as he awaits deportation from the UK, is the latest of several clerics and preachers whom the home secretary has banned from entering the country.

The Israeli-Arab sheikh is the thrice-elected mayor of his hometown Um al-Faham, an Arab enclave within Israel, and is leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, which is opposed to the 1993 Oslo peace accords advocating a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Although the Islamic Movement is not banned in Israel, it is closely aligned to Hamas, which is designated in the UK and mainland Europe as a terrorist organisation.

However, that would not have been sufficient for Home Secretary Theresa May to ban the sheikh. Some of those due to host him at his various speaking engagements are themselves open supporters of Hamas.

The Home Office has refused to elaborate on exactly why Sheikh Salah's presence has been judged "not conducive to the public good".

However, before becoming prime minister, David Cameron stressed that it was important to challenge the "extremist mindset" and that he thought a lack of understanding about its make up was "more widespread".

Supporters of the sheikh insist he is opposed to all forms of racism.

Sheikh Salah's Islamic Movement is reported to have mourned the death of Osama Bin Laden, calling him a "martyr" and his killers "Satanic".

While British law entitles such a view to be expressed, it could weigh as a factor in denying entry to a non-British citizen.

Conspiracy theory

Another consideration may have been an article that Sheikh Salah wrote three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, in which he said that unlike Muslim workers in the World Trade Center, Jewish workers had been absent on 9/11.

"Were 4,000 Jewish clerks absent by chance, or was there another reason?" he asked, alluding to a conspiracy theory that is still advanced by some extreme groups that the Israeli secret service Mossad - not al-Qaeda - was behind the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Although similar 9/11 conspiracy theories have been found to be not uncommon within some Islamist groups in Britain, this could also have counted against Sheikh Salah.

He is also reported to have made a speech in February 2007 during a protest in East Jerusalem in which he accused Jews of using children's blood to bake bread.

The Israeli paper Haaretz said that while addressing a 1,000-strong crowd and assembled press, Sheikh Salah said: "We have never allowed ourselves to knead [the dough for] the bread that breaks the fast in the holy month of Ramadan with children's blood.

"Whoever wants a more thorough explanation, let him ask what used to happen to some children in Europe, whose blood was mixed in with the dough of the [Jewish] holy bread."

'Blood libel'

The "blood libel" that Jews murder children to use their blood during religious rituals has been a recurring theme of extremist rhetoric in the Middle East.

Sheikh Salah has been acquitted of charges in connection with rioting that followed the speech. However, sources say charges relating to incitement to racism are still outstanding and are due to be heard next spring.

One of his UK hosts, the London-based Middle East Monitor - a pro-Hamas publication - says he "refutes" this. It says Sheikh Salah has told them that no charges were brought against him "in this regard".

Another of Sheikh Salah's supporters in Britain is the radical Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which has promoted an annual march attended by supporters of the Iranian Hezbollah group and Hamas and which has also given a platform to the extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir group.

The PSC's director Sarah Colbourne says Sheikh Salah is "opposed to all forms of racism", including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

The sheikh had been due to attend a House of Commons meeting on Wednesday evening along with Labour MPs including Jeremy Corbyn, Richard Burden and Yasmin Qureshi.

Jobs:DDG Community Safety Trainee - Somaliland

Jobs:DDG Community Safety Trainee - Somaliland

Written by DDG   

Deadline: 22 July 2011

Job type: Contract     Salary:

Location: Somaliland

Organisation: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) - Denmark

Background
Danish Demining Group (DDG) is a part of Danish Refugee Council (DRC). DDG has operated in Somaliland since 1999 and in South Central Somalia since 2007 clearing mines and other explosive remnants of war. Recognising the widespread proliferation of uncontrolled Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Somalia, DDG expanded its approach to also address the threat from SALW. Respecting the basic need of individuals and communities to maintain ownership and control of their firearms for protection reasons, DDG is expanding Mine Action programme and its Community Safety (CS) Program. DDG's community safety approach encompasses the following elements:

• Strengthening local institutions and enhancing local capacity for addressing safety needs 
• Addressing immediate threats to life and limbs by explosive remnants of war 
• Addressing small arms as a tool of violence 
• Building capacity for conflict management and peace
• Strengthening relationships between security providers and communities

The program is rooted in a participatory process, where DDG assists target communities to assess their safety and security situation, define and prioritize their safety and security needs and identify resources to address these needs. 

Responsibilities
Working closely with the Community Safety Manager, the Trainee will learn the overall function of Community Safety Manager to the point where he/she can take over this role.  This will include advising on all technical aspects of the programme; identifying gaps or areas for development in the programme and proposing effective solutions; and maintaining management oversight on the programme.

The technical and development aspects will cover the Community Liaison and M&E sections of the Community Safety Programme, while the management oversight will cover the whole Community Safety Programme (Community Liaison, Education, Safe Gun Device Installation and M&E). 

It is important that the Trainee does not take over the tasks and responsibilities of the national staff or the National Coordinators, but rather monitors and ensures that their tasks and responsibilities are carried out correctly, effectively and efficiently.

Responsibilities and Tasks
To achieve the position's objectives the Trainee will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

Operations
The Trainee will learn to monitor, support and advise on all operational aspects related to the activities in the sections assigned to him/her.

Programme Development
The Trainee is responsible for assisting the Community Safety Manager, the Programme Manager and/or National Coordinators in continuous development of the programme.

Stakeholder relations
The Trainee is responsible for liaison with local authorities, external partners, etc. within his/her assigned areas of responsibility and as coordinated with the Programme Manager and National Coordinators.

Reporting
a. The Trainee is responsible for assisting the National Coordinators within his/her assigned sections in the timely and quality compilation of required reports for their specific sections. 
b. The Trainee is responsible for making regular Field Monitoring visits and reporting on the same.

Admin/HR 
The Trainee is responsible for monitoring various Admin/HR aspects of his/her assigned sections.

Finance 
The Trainee is responsible for monitoring of the financial aspects of the activities in his/her assigned sections.

Other 
Additional tasks as given by the Programme Manager.

Qualifications
• University Degree in Social Sciences, Law, International Development, International Relations or related area
• Minimum 1 year working experience at an international level with humanitarian international NGOs or operational UN agencies 
• Preferably of field experience in conflict affected areas, preferably in Africa in general or Somalia in particular
• Proven experience in project development and management, including budget expenditure, staff management and monitoring and evaluation
• Preferably experience in the area of small arms and/or community based safety programming
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• High degree of computer literacy

Personal competencies
• Leadership skills, including ability to build and motivate a team as well as willingness to deal with conflicts up front
• Political and cultural sensitivity, including ability to adapt well to local cultures
• Proven ability to function well in a volatile and very restricted environment
• Strong liaison and communication skills 
• Ability to resist external pressures 
• Innovative and creative thinking 
• Strong analytical and reporting skills

Conditions
Start date: 1. September 2011 or soon hereafter.

Duty station: Hargeysa, Somaliland with occasional travel to other areas in Somaliland. This is a 'non-family duty station' and the person must be prepared to live and work in an isolated and unstable security environment with limited recreational and social facilities. Accommodation is provided.

Contract: 12 months - with possibilities for extension, subject to funding.

The intention with the trainee position is to build capacity in order to take a role as Community Safety Manager in a DDG programme.

Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council's Terms of Employment for Expatriates, please refer towww.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position is not salaried, but offers Per Diem, inconvenience allowance, and an R&R benefit.

Further information
You are welcome to contact DDG's Regional Director for Horn of Africa Mr Klaus Ljoerring Pedersen on email: klpc@drc.dk for additional information about the vacancy. Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr. Pedersen.

For information about our work and organisation, please visit our website www.danishdemininggroup.dk
 
Application and CV
Only motivated applications in English that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications sent together with a CV will be considered.

CV-only applications will not be considered.

We only accept applications sent via our online recruitment system on www.drc.dk under Vacancies/Current vacancies/DDG Community Safety Trainee – Somalia. Applications sent directly to Mr. Pedersen will not be considered.

Please forward application in English marked "Trainee Community Safety - DDG" no later than Friday 22. July 2011.

Please contact Anne Oxholm, job@drc.dk , if you have questions to the application process or experience problems with your on-line application.

MEANING OF BASMALA

SERENITY FOUNTAIN (HUZUR PINARI)

www.serenityfountain.org For your questions about Islamic knowledge: serenity.fountain@gmail.com 28 June 2011 / 26 Rajab 1432 MEANING OF BASMALA     Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) has declared, "When the teacher says Basmala [1] to the child and the child repeats it, Allahu ta'ala has a voucher written down lest the child and his parents and his teacher go to Hell. " Abdullah ibni Mas'ud (radi-Allahu 'anh) says, "He who wants to escape from the 19 angels who will torment him in the next world, should say the Basmala. " The Basmala consists of 19 letters.     It is the Basmala that was written first in the Lawh-i mahfuz [2]. It is the Basmala that descended to Hadrat [3] Adam first. Muslims will pass the Sirat with the help of the Basmala. The Basmala is the signature on the invitation to Paradise. Here the meaning of the Basmala is "I am able to write this book with the aid of Allahu ta'ala who has done favours to every being by creating it, by keeping it in existence and by protecting it against annihilation. The 'arifs knew Him as the ilah. Beings found food through His mercy. Sinners are saved from Hell through His pitying. "     Allahu ta'ala has begun the Qur'an al-Karim with these three names of His because man has three states, namely his state in the world, in the grave, and in the Hereafter. If man worships Allahu ta'ala, He facilitates his works in the world, pities him in the grave, and forgives his sins in the Hereafter. GLOSSARY [1] Basmala: the phrase "Bismi'illahi 'r-rahmani 'r-rahim" (In the Name of Allahu ta'ala the Compassionate, the Merciful). [2] Lawh-i Mahfuz In pre-eternity, Allahu ta'ala knew everything that would happen in the world. He explains His knowledge of eternity and His eternal Word to angels at a place called Lawh-i mahfuz. Angels do what they learn from the Lawh-i mahfuz. [3] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars. A person with equal earnings on two [successive] days has suffered a loss. A Muslim must make progress every day. Hadith-i-sharif 'One should carefully choose whom to love, and share the love accordingly' 'What is important is whom you are with, not who you are.' 'Kalam-i kibar, kibar-i kalamast.' (The words of the superiors are the superior words.) www.serenityfountain.org www.huzurpinari.com www.cocukpinari.com www.islamvetoplum.com (Our websites are updated daily.)

Democracy Compatible With Islam: Qaradawi

Democracy Compatible With Islam: Qaradawi

By Hamam Abdelmaboud, IOL 

CAIRO, June 6 (IslamOnline.net) – Democracy is compatible with the spirit and teachings of Islam which opposes autocracy and tyranny, prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi averred.

He repudiated claims propagated by some that democracy is incompatible with Islam or that it is an act of kufr (disbelief).

"If democracy is synonymous with the rule of people, it is thus running counter to the rule of one man not the rule of God," Qaradawi told worshippers in a Doha mosque on Friday, June 4. 

"Islam does not accept the rule of despots." 

He also criticized the distorted form of democracy applied in some countries where the ruler would get 99.99% in elections. 

"What kind of democracy is this?" asked Qaradawi. 

He added that Islam is not against the election system adopted by western democracies. 

"Islam does not prevent taking from others what could be of benefit to us. Islam wants the ruler to be liked and chosen by his people." 

The veteran scholar recalled that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had carried out a majority vote on one of the issues related to the Battle of Uhud. 

"Voting is a deeply-rooted Islamic system."

Qaradawi reaffirmed in an earlier fatwa that shura [consultation] has always been good for the Muslim society, and autocracy has always been evil since the beginning of mankind history. 

He said that Islam should take the "good", and abandon the "bad" from western countries, giving the example of legalizing same-sex marriage in some European countries. 

He criticized Arab and Islamic republics where "sons inherit the presidency from their fathers," dismissing this as "Bid`ah [innovation in religion]." 

"This is not democracy. We want a true democracy based on transparency and openness where people are free [to choose]." 

Qaradawi asserted that "freedom should be the first demand for Arab and Muslim peoples, before calling for the application of Shari'ah." 

"Religious Duty" 

The veteran scholar told the attentive worshippers that reform has become a "religious duty" and a necessity dictated by reality, calling on Arab and Islamic countries to take the process in their own hands. 

"If Arab regimes are in dire need of reform, why should we postpone it? Why wait until others ask us?" 

"We want our countries to be liberated from the shackles of despots," Qaradawi said. 

"We want the peoples to able to say yes or no, … to breathe". 

Officials and scholars participating in an Istanbul-hosted conference on Islam and democracy maintained the two were compatible. 

"Shari'ah includes rights and foundations well-established enough to build a democratic society," said Imam Al-Dar Qutni, an Indonesian lawmaker. 

Lebanon will join oil and gas producing club

Siniora: Lebanon will join oil and gas producing club.

The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Lebanon will soon join the club of oil and gas producing countries thanks to the latest seismic 3D surveys off the Lebanese coast which proved the existence of a substantial amount of gas.

"The U.S. geological survey has estimated for the first time that the Levant basin province in the eastern Mediterranean region is comparable to some of the other large provinces around the world as it holds around 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 1.7 billion barrels of undiscovered, recoverable oil. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Lebanon falls entirely within the Levant basin. This will provide a great opportunity for Lebanon to diversify its sources of growth and empower its economy to make a sustainable leap into the range of high income countries," Siniora told an energy conference in Nicosia, Cyprus.

He added that in addition to enhancing sustainable growth, the possible discovery of oil or gas would help Lebanon achieve higher energy security.

"Unlike most countries in the region, Lebanon currently imports all petroleum products for the transportation sector, electricity generation, heating, industry and other sectors, and hence suffers from a high level of energy dependency," Siniora said.

He added that Lebanon is a country whose most valuable asset has always been its human capital rather than its natural resources, its free and open political and economic system and its knowledge-based economy rather than its export of physical products.

"Despite suffering from long years of war, and continuing domestic instability, Lebanon has nevertheless managed to achieve by today the highest GDP per capita among Arab countries outside the six oil exporting countries of the GCC. This is the most glaring witness to the strength as well as to the resilience of the Lebanese economy," Siniora said.

He stressed that the good prospects of significant oil or gas discoveries carry the potential of elevating the Lebanese economy to a qualitatively higher level of growth and regional development, besides contributing toward addressing the problems of the large deficit and the debt burden that has been accumulating over the past three decades.

"The possible discovery of oil or gas would have a positive effect on the government finances and on the economy. That could potentially be significant not only on the revenue side but also on the expenditure side, mainly by reducing the cost to be incurred by, and in turn the cash deficit of, the electricity company. Besides, it helps in reducing the cost of production for the various economic sectors of the country thus rendering Lebanon more competitive," Siniora argued.

He noted that 50 percent of the electricity generated in Lebanon is from the combined cycle gas turbines mostly running on gas oil rather than on natural gas, which results in a high cost for each kilowatt generated. Additionally, small single cycle power plants are still running on imported gas oil rather than on natural gas.

"A modest effort to reduce the cost of producing electricity in Lebanon has been achieved by my government that managed to secure the importation of natural gas from Egypt via the Arab pipeline passing through Jordan and Syria; still, the quantities of natural gas are not enough to run even one of the two 450 MW combined cycle power plants. In this regard, Lebanon has been exploring the possibility to cooperate with some neighboring countries, specifically Syria, Iraq and Turkey in order to agree on building the pipelines and ultimately make it possible to import additional quantities of Russian and Iraqi natural gas," Siniora said.

He emphasized that in case commercial gas discoveries are found offshore, at least two-thirds of the electricity currently generated in Lebanon will be based on natural gas, and, most definitely due to cost saving differentials, the other existing power plants will be gradually converted to natural gas as well. New power plants of at least 1,000 megawatts that will be built on that basis, since shortage in the electricity sector is estimated to be more than 1,500 megawatts.

 

Government At Fault For Lebanon Being Shortchanged in EEZ agreement

BEIRUT: The head of the Parliamentary committee for Public Works, Transport and Energy MP Mohammad Qabbani said Friday that the government is to be blamed for the mistake that occurred following the demarcation of the maritime Exclusive Economic Zone between Lebanon and Cyprus.

"Cyprus is not the one to be blamed in this matter," Qabbani told reporters after concluding a meeting of the parliamentary committee he heads.

He stressed that Lebanon's objection to the Cypriot-Israeli agreement on oil and water territorial borders demarcation was due to a mistake made by the Lebanese side.

Under the current agreement, Lebanon's share of the EEZ within the maritime territories would be less than what Beirut would legally get.

"The finalized point of intersection between the three is point 23 and not point one as was mentioned in the agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus," said Qabbani pointing to a map.

Earlier this week, the newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour called the agreement between Cyprus and Israel a "violation of Lebanon's sovereignty."

"This agreement is a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and economic rights and threatens peace and security in the area," Mansour said, following reports that Israel was conducting offshore drilling for oil and gas in the Mediterranean, some of which might fall in Lebanese territories.

Cyprus signed a memorandum of cooperation with Israel for surveying and mapping in joint research energy projects in December 2010.

Qabbani also said that the Lebanese government lacks the legal and scientific documents required in negotiations. "But we agreed on a roadmap to use in our negotiations with Cyprus," said Qabbani adding that the committee also agreed on establishing a team of legal, diplomatic and engineering experts to be part of the bilateral talks.

"There is a huge misunderstanding and there should be a whole new study to clarify this matter related to the maritime borders," Qabbani told The Daily Star in a telephone call.

Sources close to the briefing of maritime borders told The Daily Star that an error on the part of the Foreign Affairs Ministry was the reason behind the selection of a wrong point for the Exclusive Economic Zone.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on June 25, 2011, on page 4.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Jun-25/Siniora-Lebanon-will-join-oil-and-gas-producing-club.ashx#ixzz1QLBt6D2u 
(The Daily Star) 

Religious titles in Islam and Christianity

Religious titles in Islam and Christianity
What is the difference between the titles "Sheik" and "Imam" ? What qualifications must one have in order to attain these titles?. 

Praise be to Allaah.

The religion which Allaah has chosen is the religion of Tawheed, Islam, for which He sent the Messengers and revealed the Books. It is by His grace towards His slaves that He has preserved this religion and decreed that it will survive and continue and its basic principles will be preserved through the sincere and devout scholars who are entrusted with the Revelation and who bear that trust and deliver it as enjoined by their Lord.  

Among previous nations in history there has been distortion and changing of the contents of the messages of the Prophets to a great extent, because most of their scholars betrayed the trust and sold the covenant of Allaah for a small price. They were misled by their whims and desires and by the shaytaan, and they introduced into the religion things for which Allaah gave no permission. One of the most serious ways in which they distorted the message of the Prophets was by introducing the principle of al-waasitah (mediation) between Allaah and His creation, between the almighty Lord and His slaves, thus aiming to protect the thrones of the tyrants who oppressed the people thereby and held their destiny in their hands, through the body that spoke in the name of “heaven”. They invented names and titles

for this organization and classified them in varying degrees and levels, where the clergyman could progress through the ranks that had been invented in the name of “the Lord” until he reached the position of acting as the deputy of “God” as the “high priest” or “pope”. 

The English historian Wills said in his book, Milestones of Human History (3/270):  

But even though the fully-developed Christianity of the fourth century preserved the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels as its foundation, it was in essence a sacerdotal religion of the type that had been familiar to people for thousands of years. The altar was the focus of its elaborate rituals and the essential act of worship was the sacrifice consecrated by the priest for the Mass, and it had a structure that quickly formed, composed of the deacons, priests and bishops. End quote. 

This body developed its authority and its method of organization from the political hierarchy of the Roman Empire as Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali said in his book al-‘Ulmaaniyyah (79): 

The presence of priests and monks within the Roman Empire helped to support their position and reinforce it, because they copied from the political system and hierarchy of the state the idea of creating a priestly system and hierarchy. Just as the state system resembled a pyramid with the emperor at the top and the troops at the bottom, the church system also resembled a pyramid, with the pope at the top and the priests at the bottom. As a result of the principle of separating church and state, the empire took care of sponsoring the church hierarchy, and did not find anything in it that contradicted or opposed the state hierarchy. Thus it was settled and became strong. End quote. 

But in the sharee’ah of Islam that was divinely protected, you do not find the kind of class system that could reinforce tyranny and oppression, and you can only find texts which speak of equality among all people and state that the best of them are those who are most pious and closest to Allaah and who follow His laws most closely. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, the most honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At‑Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqoon (the pious)]”

[al-Hujuraat 49:13] 

“And for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did, that He (Allaah) may recompense them in full for their deeds. And they will not be wronged”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:19] 

Hence the essence of Islamic sharee’ah is based on cancelling out the mediation of bandits who come between the people and Allaah in the name of “mediation” or “intercession”. Islam attributes this attitude to the mushrikeen whom fought the message of Tawheed, of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And they worship besides Allaah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allaah.’ Say: ‘Do you inform Allaah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?’ Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him)!”

[Yoonus 10:18] 

The guided French scholar Naasir al-Deen Dinet said: 

The issue of mediation was one of the major issues in which Islam superseded all other religions, because there is no intermediary between Allaah and His slave. There are no priests or monks in Islam; these intermediaries are the cause of all evil in other religions and that is indeed the case no matter what their beliefs and no matter how sincere they are and how good their intentions. The Messiah himself understood that. Did he not drive the sellers out of the temple? But his followers do not act as he did, and today if Jesus were to return how many like the sellers in the temple would he drive out?  End quote from al-‘Ulmaaniyyah (p. 81). 

As for the status of the fuqaha’ and scholars in Islam, it is purely academic, i.e., whether a person has enough knowledge to qualify him to talk about religion is based on his studies and academic qualifications and what he has learned from universities, study circles and books. It has nothing to do with any religious hierarchical body or priestly rituals that give them authority in the name of the Lord. Rather it is a level of specialized knowledge – as in any other field of knowledge studied by specialists. They may be correct or incorrect, and they are subject to criticism on the basis of evidence. None of them has any authority or power to declare things halaal or haraam, or to issue commands and prohibitions, except the Lord of the Worlds. They are no more than conveyors of His laws, and teachers who tell the people of what was revealed from the Lord of the Worlds. Moreover, as we have pointed out, they are not infallible in their understanding of the message brought by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or in the way they preserve it and convey it. Rather the infallible ruling, which Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (cf. Fussilat 41:42), and which is to be referred to in the case of a dispute, is the Revelation of Allaah, may He be exalted: His Holy Book and what is narrated in saheeh reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then that on which there is consensus among the ummah, for his ummah cannot agree on misguidance. 

The titles and names that the scholars bestow on some of them, or that the people bestow on them, are only referring to the level of knowledge that a person acquires of the rulings of sharee’ah. There may also be a kind of distinguishing the type of knowledge in which a person has specialized, such as faqeeh and mufti for those who have specialized in fiqh and issuing fatwas, respectively, or mufassir for the one who has specialized in tafseer or commentary on the Book of Allaah, or muhaddith and hafiz for those who have specialized in the study of hadeeth. 

The scholar may also be given titles of praise for his vast knowledge and learning, such as Shaykh al-Islam or ‘Allaamah or Imam and other such titles which ascribe knowledge and learning to those who are entitled to them. In no way are they meant as indicators of priestly status that has been earned in a gradual manner through stages of devotion and monasticism.  

Even describing the academic level by using these titles is not something precise, such that the one who reaches a certain level will be called by a different name than someone who has reached a lower level. Rather they are relative descriptions and do not refer to precise distinctions between one level and another, and they are not indicative of different levels of knowledge, rather they point to general praise or particular specializations. 

There is no precise difference between the titles of imam, ‘aalim and Shaykh and it is not permissible for anyone to understand their usage in books or by scholars in terms of the innovations of other nations with regard to clergymen and priests. 

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q &A

ISLAMIC RELIGION COMMANDS JUSTICE

ISLAMIC RELIGION COMMANDS JUSTICE`

    History reveals to us the cruelties and evil ways of kings and the dictators who attacked Islam in order to conceal their massacres and perfidy, and who wanted to deceive everyone for the sake of their own comfort and pleasure. Cruel enemy commanders and bigoted armies of the crusaders were always thwarted by Muslim Turkish heroes. Being unable to pass over the iman-filled (faith) chests of our ancestors, they fled, leaving their weapons and their dead behind.

    History shows again that Islam has been the inspiration for developing more intellectual and more courageous people, who in turn develop superior, more up-to-date, and more scientific means of war and other civilized apparatuses. The irreligious have always been left behind in knowledge, in science, in arms and in courage. Every Islamic army succeeded when the Shari’at (commands and prohibitions of the religion) was followed in every respect, but a relative decrease in success was witnessed in the soldiers and the commanders of the same army when they deviated from religion. The establishment, the improvement, the decline and fall of every Muslim State has always been closely related to their adherence to the religion.

    Irreligious dictators have bloodstained their hands and dominated lands, and by oppressing the people with cruelty and instigation and by employing them like animals, they have established heavy industries of war, tremendous factories, made superior weapons and threatened the world. Yet, in the course of history, they all quickly fell and have always been remembered with curses. Their traps, hastily set like a spider’s web, were blown away by even the slightest power, like the fresh morning breeze. They left behind nothing for humanity. And now, however great and powerful the states which are based on irreligiousness might seem, they will certainly fall; cruelty won’t endure.

    Such disbelievers are like a match, which will flare up suddenly and set fire to light things such as straw and sawdust. It may burn the hand and probably destroy houses, yet it will soon go out and perish itself. As for those administrations based on Islam; they are like the radiators of a central heating unit. The radiator does not burn anything. By heating the rooms, it gives comfort to people. Its heat is not excessive or harmful, yet it possesses a source of heat and energy. Likewise, Islam is like a useful source of energy. It nourishes and strengthens individuals, families and societies clinging to it.

Analysis: Hezbollah may fight Israel to re... JPost - Middle East

Analysis: Hezbollah may fight Israel to re... JPost - Middle East: "BEIRUT - Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group is preparing for a possible war with Israel to relieve perceived Western pressure to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its guardian ally, sources close to the movement say.

The radical Shi'ite group, which has a powerful militia armed by Damascus and Iran, is watching the unrest in neighboring Syria with alarm and is determined to prevent the West from exploiting popular protests to bring down Assad."

Egypt's Brotherhood, 17 Parties Establish Election Platform

Egypt's Brotherhood, 17 Parties Establish Election Platform

VOA News

Photo: AP

Egyptian Muslim brotherhood Shura council members gather to be photographed

 outside the new Muslim brotherhood headquarters in Cairo, April 30, 2011(file)

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has joined with 17 political parties to establish what they call a pro-democracy platform for parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

In a statement, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the other factions say they approved the document Tuesday. The coalition pledges to push for equality and democratic freedoms. 

The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood is one of Egypt's most organized political movements.

It plans to compete for up to half of the seats in the parliamentary vote, the first to be called since a popular uprising ended the near 30-year rule of  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February. 

But the Brotherhood has said it will not field a candidate for a presidential election to be held later in the year.

The Brotherhood said Tuesday it had expelled member Abdel Moneim Futuh for declaring that he will run for the presidency as an independent. 

In another sign of divisions within the movement, a group of Brotherhood youths announced they have broken off to form their own political party. 

The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed under Mubarak's rule, but it became the biggest opposition bloc in parliament after a 2005 election in which its members ran as independents.

The movement boycotted the next election under Mubarak in November 2010.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

Brussels: Police claim they are forced to fast on Ramadan

Brussels: Police claim they are forced to fast on Ramadan Via HLN (h/t Philosemitism): Police agents in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek have to take part in the Ramadan: they may not eat or drink during the day and may not give tickets, internal police sources told Het Laatste Nieuws. This was confirmed by the NSPV police union. A spokesperson for the municipality denies the claims. Bart Velle, head of NSPV for the Brussels municipalities, says that he's gotten multiple complaints on this issue, for several years now. There is no official memo on the topic. "I get complaints from colleagues about it, and I believe those people. But there's nothing on paper. I have no proof," says Velle. Velle says he gets such complaints only from Molenbeek, not from other police zones. The measures serves not to stir up emotions during Ramadan, he says. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, this is a direct order from mayor Philippe Moureaux. Moureaux told that paper that he did not give such orders. The Molenbeek police had nobody available for comment, but a municipality spokesperson denies the allegations. "It's not true. there's no order to take part in the Ramadan. Agents may not eat or smoke in the street. But that's never permissible." She also denied that there's a ban on giving tickets. "It's wrong to say that [the police] are more tolerant during this period. The agents must give tickets as usual." The spokesperson says that these claims are repeated every year, and that the municipality has to constantly correct the misunderstanding.

 

Oxford: Faith groups unite for peace walk

Oxford: Faith groups unite for peace walk Via the BBC: More than 700 people from 15 different faith groups have walked through the centre of Oxford to demonstrate their desire for peace and respect. The walk took place on Tuesday evening, starting at the synagogue on Richmond Road in Jericho, passing the University Church and finishing at the mosque in Manzil Way. Reverend Charlotte Bannister-Parker started the inter-faith walk seven years ago during the Iraq War.

 

MPAC upset over BBC Mecca joke

UK: MPAC upset over BBC Mecca joke   Via Asian News: A campaign group is urging members of the Muslim community to lobby the BBC over a comment made on the channel. The remark was made on the 'Have I got News For You' show last Friday when host Sharon Horgan said: 'The Independent described the Dostoevsky metro station… as the Mecca for suicides. Not to be confused with the Mecca of suicide bombers – which is Mecca.' Campaign group The Muslim Public Affairs Committee said: "This offhand comment does nothing except reinforce the message that Islam has something within its fundamental beliefs that makes it a threat to civil society Allowing this comment to go unchecked justifies the statement and condones such demonisation, as the comment implicitly implies that all Muslims are terrorists and all terrorists are Muslims.' The group is urging readers of it's website to complain to the BBC over the remark. However, Sharon Horgan has apologised for any offence caused and said she was not prejudice in any way.

 

Latvia: Koran translated into Latvian

Latvia: Koran translated into Latvian Via the Baltic Times: Popular Latvian composer and politician Imants Kalnins has published the first Latvian translation of the Koran. Kalnins had been working on translating the Koran from Arabic for many years. The first Latvian-language version of the book was officially launched on May 31. (source) Latvija Avize interviewed famous Latvian composer Imants Kalnins, who recently translated Koran into the Latvian language. Mr. Kalnins believes that Latvians should familiarize themselves with the Koran in order to form their own opinion. (source)

 

Close Mubarak associate held in Spain

Authorities in Spain have arrested a close associate of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, wanted on charges of bribery and squandering public funds. Hussein Salam, one of Egypt's most secretive businessmen, was detained in his home in Mallorca on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol. He had left Egypt a week before Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11 after 18-days of protests against his rule. Brigadier-General Magdy el-Shafei, the head of Egypt's Interpol branch, told the state's Middle East News Agency on Thursday that authorities were preparing the necessary documents to bring Salam back to Egypt. Since Mubarak's ouster, protesters have continued to press for the prosecution of Mubarak and his associates for what they say were years of abuse and corruption. Salam was charged last month along with Mubarak and the ex-president's two sons. Their trial is scheduled for August. He is said to have won lucrative land and other deals, including exporting gas to Israel, because of his connection to Mubarak.

Sweden: Forced marriage to be banned?

Sweden: Forced marriage to be banned? Via SR: The government appointed investigator looking into forced marriage here in Sweden says he is considering proposing legislation to make it illegal. Yesterday, the Swedish government renewed guidelines for embassies abroad, making sure they pay special attention if they get calls for help from children who have been taken abroad to be married against their will. A recent survey suggests that over eight thousand children and teens here fear they may be at risk. (source)

 

Netherlands: Jews, Muslims appeal ritual slaughter plan

Netherlands: Jews, Muslims appeal ritual slaughter plan Via AFP: Jewish and Muslim representatives Thursday appealed to Dutch lawmakers not to enforce plans requiring animals to be stunned before halaal and kosher slaughtering rituals. "We are against any form of stunning because it's against our religion," Yusuf Altuntas, president of the CMO -- an organisation that links the Muslim community with the Dutch government -- told a parliamentary commission. (source)

 

Belgium: Teacher suspended for headscarf comments

Belgium: Teacher suspended for headscarf comments Via Knack (Dutch): An Islam teacher at the Royal Atheneum in Verviers was given a four month suspension for saying that girl who do not wear a headscarf live in sin. The teacher made his comments during an RTBF broadcast on the place of Islam in school. After consulting the Muslim Executive, the French Community decided to suspend the teacher.

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Is it permissible to pray in a mosque that has a graveyard in front of its qiblah?

Is it permissible to pray in a mosque that has a graveyard in front of its qiblah?

We work in a company in the desert, and the closest city to us is 3 km away; in that city there is one mosque; in front of its qiblah, behind a wall, there are some graves. 
Is it permissible to pray in it or not?.

Praise be to Allaah.

If the mosque was built because of those graves, then it is not acceptable to pray in it; this is like what the Jews and Christians did who used to venerate graves and build places of worship over them. 

If that is not the case and the mosque was not built because of those graves, then it is acceptable to pray in it, but some scholars stipulate that between the wall of the mosque and the graves there should be some empty space or a distance separating them from one another. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Al-Aamidi and others said: it is not permissible to pray in it – i.e., a mosque whose qiblah faces towards graves – unless there is between the wall and the graveyard another barrier. And some of them mentioned that this was stated by Ahmad. 

Al-Mustadrak 'ala Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 3/75 

In al-Durar al-Saniyyah fil Ajwabah al-Najdiyyah (4/265) it says: 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Shaykh 'Abd al-Lateef ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan and Shaykh Sulaymaan ibn Sahmaan said: With regard to the mosque of al-Taa'if, on the northern side of which there is the grave of Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), it is permissible to pray in the mosque, if a high wall has been placed between the grave and the mosque, which means that the grave is outside of the mosque boundary. So it is not makrooh to pray there. End quote. 

Others stipulated that the wall of the mosque should be high so that the graves cannot be seen by the worshippers. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

If a person prays in a mosque in front of which is a graveyard, if there is a street – for example – or a full wall, so that the worshippers cannot see the graves, there is nothing wrong with that. But if it is close and directly next to the mosque, and there is no wall, or there is a wall but it is low and the worshippers can see these graves, then it is not permissible, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not pray towards graves and do not sit on them." Narrated by Muslim 

Liqa' al-baab al-Maftooh, 137; first question 

It does not seem that what is mentioned above – about the wall being high and there being empty space in between – is binding, but if that is done then it is better and doing it is on the safe side. Rather it is sufficient if the mosque and the graves are separated by a wall which shows that the mosque is separate from the graves. One of the signs of them being completely separate is that each of them – the graveyard and the mosque – was built on its own land, and that the mosque was not built because of the graves. If that is the case, then it is permissible to pray in the mosque. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: 

Some mosques and places where the Eid prayers and prayers for rain (istisqa') are offered are built near graveyards in such a way that the graveyard is in the qiblah of the mosque and is separated from it by only a few metres. Some of the mosques are right next to the graveyards, and places where the Eid prayers and prayers for rain (istisqa') are offered are surrounded with a wall that separates them from the graveyard, whilst some others do not have a wall separating them from the graveyard. What is the ruling? 

They replied 

If these mosques and places where the Eid prayers and prayers for rain (istisqa') are offered were not built near the graveyards because of the graveyards or to honour those who were buried in them or to seek more reward for praying in them because they are close to the graveyards, then building them for praying and drawing closer to Allah in them is permissible, praying in them is acceptable and frequenting them for the purpose of prayer and other acts of worship that may be done there is something that is encouraged in Islam. If the graveyards are surrounded with walls that separate them from the mosques, that is sufficient. With regard to those that are not surrounded with walls, walls should be built to separate them from the mosques and places where the Eid prayers and prayers for rain (istisqa') are offered. If it is possible to leave empty space between the walls of the mosques and places where the Eid prayers and prayers for rain (istisqa') are offered, and the walls of the graveyards, that is more on the safe side. But if the mosques were built around the graveyards in order to venerate the graves, it is not permissible to pray in them and they should be demolished, because building them in the manner mentioned is one of the things that lead to shirk, i.e., associating the occupants of the grave with Allah. And it is narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not pray towards graves or sit on them." It is also narrated from him in a saheeh report that he said: "Those who came before you used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous men as places of worship; do not take graves as places of worship for I forbid you to do that." Both hadeeths were narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh; the hadeeths concerning this matter are well known. 

Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi, Shaykh 'Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh 'Abd-Allah ibn Qa'ood 

Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah, 15/78, 79 

See also the answer to question no. 13490 

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

‘MADE IN GAZA’: UN SCHOOL STUDENTS MAKE FORMULA 1-TYPE CAR TO RACE IN EUROPE

'MADE IN GAZA': UN SCHOOL STUDENTS MAKE FORMULA 1-TYPE CAR TO RACE IN EUROPE
New York, Jun 15 2011  1:10PM
A Formula 1-style car built by students in a United Nations-run school in Gaza from mainly recycled parts is getting ready to enter the Formula Student auto race in the United Kingdom in a demonstration of determination and creativity in one of the world's most disadvantaged places.

After weeks of moulding, sanding, and painting, a group of students in the Khan Younis Training Centre (KYTC), run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and their teacher ran an official test drive of their car today.

They hope to travel to the Silverstone circuit in the UK next month to participate in this year's Formula Student contest, which challenges youngsters from around the world to design, build and race a single-seater racing car from scratch.

The contest, to be held from 14-17 July, serves as a talent-nurturing and recruitment event for companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Shell.

The team is urgently seeking funding to ship their car and travel to the UK.

With financial support from Bank of Palestine, Pal Tel Group Foundation and Al Quds (Jerusalem) Bank, the Khan Younis team have been working round the clock in preparation for the competition, according to the supervisor, Ghassan Abu Orf.

"They have taken no rest – we don't have that much time," said Dr. Abu Orf. "We have to stick to the deadline, and have to be in the UK on time for the competition."

In the week in which Israel's blockade of Gaza entered its fifth year, the team's test run gave an insight into the challenges that confront the young and talented in the Strip.

As a result of the blockade, most of the parts for the car had to be manufactured at the centre's workshop. For the engine, the team had to buy an old motorcycle to use its engine. The car now boasts an engine originally intended for a motorcycle. A small number of parts ordered from Italy have still not been delivered because of the blockade. Gaza's engineering sector has virtually ground to a halt because of the closure.

"It really is inspirational to see a team working so hard with the odds stacked against them like this. Formula Student is a massive challenge in its own right, but to be working with almost entirely recycled parts in one of the most deprived areas in the world is absolutely remarkable," said Colin Brown, Director of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Osama Al Othmani, the students' team leader, said: "We are challenging all the pressures here, and the blockade. We want to prove to the world that even if we are living on nothing, we can still create something from it! The last thing we will do is to stick on the label. It will say 'made in Gaza'."

Kuwait: Political activist suggests using Russian POWs as sex-slaves

 

Kuwait: Political activist suggests using Russian POWs as sex-slaves Imagine the outrageous outrage if anybody in a Western country suggested using Muslim POWs as sex-slaves. Via MemriTV (clip here): There are countries like Chechnya, which are at war with another country. In such a case, there must be POWs, so why not go and buy those prisoners? Is it better for them to be slaughtered over there? Go and buy them, and sell them to traders here in Kuwait.

 

Sofia: Mosque guard attacked by masked men

Sofia: Mosque guard attacked by masked men Via the Sofia Echo: Sofia's Muslim community again came under attack on June 12 2011 in an incident at the historic Banya Bashi mosque in the centre of the Bulgarian capital city. Masked individuals stormed inside the mosque and viciously assaulted the guard of the mosque. Leaving him in a pool of blood, they then vandalised the security box, then venturing inside the house of worship. This latest act of desecration has escalated tensions after a previous attack on the mosque on May 20. (source)

 

Sweden: Parental benefits 'trap' immigrant women at home

Sweden: Parental benefits 'trap' immigrant women at home Via the Local: Less parental leave for those who have just arrived in Sweden with kids will help getting immigrant women out on the labour market, according to two Swedish experts. "This report points to a very real problem and may offer part of an explanation of why it takes so long to get out on the labour market," Minister for Integration, Erik Ullenhaag said to daily Dagens Nyheter (DN). According to statistics, 'women born outside of Sweden' is the group that is finding it the most difficult to establish themselves on the labour market. In a report to the ministry of finance, scientists Åsa Olli Segendorf and Tommi Teljosuo argue that parental leave traps immigrant women in poverty and is often used as a social benefit for several years, keeping women in the home. (...) Today, anyone who arrives in Sweden are entitled to 16 months of parental benefit (föräldrapenning) for their child, even if the child is four or five when he or she arrives in Sweden. The basic level of parental leave is 5,400 kronor ($857) tax-free per child per month. (source)

 

Another grave damaged at High Wycombe cemetery

Bucks Free Press cover the story ofanother case of vandalism at the Hampden Road cemetery, where 20 Muslim gravestones were desecrated in an attack two months ago.  From the paper: "Mr Chandler said: "We're absolutely gutted, fuming in fact. We came up here on Monday and we've been trying to put it back together ever since. "Three of the vases have been broken, so has the windmills, and some of the butterflies are missing. "The artificial flowers have gone and they couldn't have blown away because they were dug about six inches into the ground – it is sentimental stuff. "It's a mess and we don't know why anyone would do it – my wife hasn't taken it well and nor have the kids, they keep crying and shouting Olivia's name. "There's no security here and that has to change. I've been speaking to some of the guys who work here and they said they've been asking for years but no-one has done anything about it – it's terrible." Mr Chandler is due to raise the issue with Wycombe District Council next week – but he hailed Cllrs Julia Wassell and Matt Knight, who raised £120 towards the grave refurbishment. He said: "They've been great – we couldn't afford it otherwise". WDC told the Bucks Free Press it would review security at the cemetery – a step in the right direction for the families after previously stating CCTV and other measures "would not be viable". Catherine Spalton, spokesman for WDC, said: "We appreciate how deeply distressing it is for friends and family when the grave of a loved one is damaged, disturbed or even vandalised. "We are sympathetic about the situation and will be reviewing site security, but at this point in time we can't give any guarantees about any future changes." Deputy Area Commander Ch Insp Colin Seaton, said the police do not believe this "mindless act of vandalism" is linked to April's attack on the Muslim graves." We would urge Muslim families in the area to join Mr Chandler in his approach to Wycombe District Council for CCTV and other security measures to be employed at the cemetery. http://www.iengage.org.uk/home/1-news/1392-another-grave-damaged-at-high-wycombe-cemetery