http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
[Serenity Fountain] TO FEEL SAFE AT DREADFUL PLACES
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
[Serenity Fountain] THE SWEETEST BLESSING
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Dr. Ali Zeki Osmanagaoglu
Yavuz Selim Cad.No:30
Fatih/ISTANBUL/TURKIYE
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Monday, July 22, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
البرادعي يطالب بمادة في الدستور تسمح للجيش بالانقلاب على الشرعية خوفاً ...
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
Muslim Brotherhood Rejects Censorship on Creativity, Has Clear Vision on Art and Politics
Muslim Brotherhood Rejects Censorship on Creativity, Has Clear Vision on Art and Politics
Heated confrontation at Dar El-Hilal (publishing house) symposium on Culture and Art in Muslim Brotherhood Thought, as Islamist and leftist intellectuals debate the Brotherhood’s cultural vision.
El-Hilal magazine organized a symposium on culture and the arts in Muslim Brotherhood thought, on Sunday (August 26), moderated by Mohamed El-Shafei, the magazine’s editor-in- chief.
Participants included Dr. Khaled Fahmi, Faculty of Arts professor - University of Menoufia; Dr. Mahmoud Khalil; Asem Shalaby, Chairman of the Egyptian Publishers Association (EPA); and Khaled Bannoura, member of the Shura Council (Egypt’s upper house of parliament).
On the opposite side, attendees included writer Salah Issa, Farida Al-Naqqash, Shaaban Youssef, film director Magdy Ahmed Ali, leftist writer Ahmed Abdel-Hafeez, and Dr. Tariq Noamani, Faculty of Arts professor – Cairo University.
The symposium kicked off with Salah Issa claiming that for the Brotherhood, the question of cultural identity is vague and unclear.
In response, Khaled Fahmi countered that the question of identity is crystal clear for the Brotherhood, adding that the group accepts the Egyptian cultural identity as summed up by the late Dr. Zaki Naguib Mahmoud who said that “Egyptians boast two basic traits: they are religious and inventive”.
Meanwhile, leftist writer Ahmed Abdel-Hafeez charged that the Brotherhood never reviewed its ideas over the past eighty years.
In reply, Dr. Fahmi explained that the Brotherhood has clear and well-documented thought reviews in which the group transcended Hassan Al-Banna’s past statements, e.g. its opinion regarding multiplicity of political parties – where Al-Banna’s original opinion was that such multiplicity would tear the nation apart – an opinion that has been reviewed and abandoned. The Brotherhood did publish a document in which it stressed its full acceptance of partisan pluralism, which ultimately led to the founding of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).
Another example of a ‘thought review’, Dr. Fahmi added, is that originally the Muslim Brotherhood did not accept women's participation in political life, a Salafist influence now fading, even altogether absent within the Brotherhood.
He said that in 1994, the Brotherhood affirmed permissibility of women's participation in all political activities.
Dr. Fahmi further assured that his statements were not theoretical, aimed at silencing certain opposing voices: they were based on true faith and clear cultural and political views and vision.
Film director Magdy Ahmed Ali accused the Brotherhood of living a Salafist phase even now. He described Brotherhood performance and ideas on art and creativity as rigid, prejudiced and intolerant.
Dr. Khaled Fahmi replied, citing the example of Fatima Abdul-Hadi, wife of a leading Brotherhood member, who said in her memoirs that she had established a theater group in which Brotherhood girls acted in plays presented to the public in Egypt.
According to her memoirs, no Brotherhood leader, Imam or Elder censured Fatima Abdul-Hadi for allowing the Sisters to act in the presence of an audience of men. Indeed, Fatima Abdul-Hadi affirmed that senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders, such as Sheikh Sayed Sabiq and others, did attend these plays.
Dr. Fahmi affirmed that the Muslim Brotherhood has always had – throughout their organizational phases – cultural programs, with poets and other artists participating in all Brotherhood activities. Indeed, Fahmi continued, the group always invites non-Brotherhood poets to take part in and contribute to its events and activities.
In response to writer Farida Al-Naqqash’s accusation that the Muslim Brothers are no reformers, Fahmi countered that they most certainly are: “The Muslim Brothers have always been reformers. They learn and teach their members history, and they build on it”.
Fahmi cited Talaat Harb’s response to Qasim Amin in one of his books, in which he said that: "The Muslim Brothers are only human. However, their cultural contribution is beyond the 60% barrier. We can focus on the cultural common denominator".
Fahmi further added that Al-Banna always exhorted the Muslim Brothers to work and sacrifice for the Egyptian homeland’s progress.
Fahmi pointed to Rached Ghannouchi’s reviews and statements in which he said that a woman can be the embodiment of human perfection.
He also noted that when Coptic thinker Milad Hanna wrote his book "Seven Pillars of Egyptian Identity", the Muslim Brotherhood accepted his ideas and never rejected any of them.
For his part, publisher Asem Shalaby said that the Brotherhood did affirm, in its party's platform, its refusal of any prior censorship on creativity, and suggested that the idea should be integrated into the country’s Constitution as a fundamental principle, adding that any control or censorship of artists and intellectuals should be by artists themselves – through their own charter or code of honor.
Meanwhile, Shalaby blamed intellectuals for their condescending approach towards the Muslim Brotherhood’s calls for dialogue, adding that it is not right for intellectuals to put all Islamists in one basket, “They should not equate between the Brotherhood project and other projects”.
Furthermore, Dr. Tariq Noamani accused the Brotherhood of having cave-mentality and ‘underground’ thought. But Shalaby said: “When Egypt’s Creativity Front was being founded, I contacted Dr. Imad Abu-Ghazi – Minister of Culture, at the time – seeking to join in as a member, to work within its framework, according to its mechanisms and methodology. Abu-Ghazi then told me that there is no point in joining: if a Muslim Brother came up with any enlightened production, his affiliation with the Brotherhood would be ignored and denied”.
Shalaby also affirmed that within each intellectual or political faction, there are variations, and hence intellectuals must always work to develop the positive side, rather than throwing it together with the negative side into the same basket.
He pointed to what the author Sana Albissi wrote, about two months earlier, documenting the artistic side of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Shalaby pointed out that, back in 1934 – and six years after its founding – the Brotherhood had a theater group presenting eight plays, in which well-known artists and actors, e.g. George Abyad, participated, and which introduced between 30 and 40 artists.
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Kolo: What Ramadan means to me
Kolo: What Ramadan means to me
Like millions of Muslims around the world, Liverpool's Kolo Toure is currently observing the Holy Month of Ramadan.
A period of self-control and discipline, Ramadan involves 30 days of fasting, from dawn until sunset - but how does the lack of food and drink affect the preparations of professional athletes like Toure?
Earlier this week, Liverpoolfc.com dropped by Melwood to speak to the Ivorian defender about Ramadan and what it means to him.
Kolo: What Ramadan means to me
For our fans who don't observe Ramadan, please can you explain what Ramadan is and what is involved?
Ramadan is part of the Muslim religion. You have to go for 30 days without eating or drinking at a certain time of the day. From three o'clock in the morning until nearly 10 o'clock at night. During this time, you can't eat or drink - but as soon as the sun goes down, you can start eating. The next day you start again.
Do you think footballers face an additional physical challenge during Ramadan?
Yes. I've been observing Ramadan during all the years I've been in football. It's been tough, but at the same time I feel like I am much stronger, because my mental condition takes over. It's definitely hard, but when you believe in God, nothing in impossible.
Do you create a meal plan during Ramadan to ensure your body is receiving the correct foods during pre-season training?
Yes. It's very important that you eat well. It's important that you eat the right food because you can gain weight or you can have less food in your body. That's why you need to drink very well. You also need to be aware of what you are doing, because your body is missing things. With the doctor and all the people at the club, we try to work on that. They give me things that I can take to help me feel better.
Do you find that the self-discipline involved in being a footballer helps you during Ramadan?
Yes. You definitely need discipline. For me, the first five days are difficult but after that, the body just starts to [adapt] and you feel really happy. You clean your body as well and you feel even stronger after Ramadan. I recently watched a programme on BBC about Demba Ba - and he scored a lot of goals after Ramadan because he was much fitter. I think it's amazing how Ramadan can make you really strong.
Do you have to train at different times during Ramadan?
For me, it doesn't matter because mentally I'm ready for it and I go for every challenge. I give 110 per cent in training - it will never be a case of me saying: "No, I don't want to train as hard." I want to train just as hard and I want to win every single game. For me, Ramadan is not an easy time because it's a time when I need to work much harder, because I need to help my teammates. That's the way I see things.
The festival of the Breaking of the Feast is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, how will you celebrate this festival?
I will celebrate like every Muslim - with my family, my wife and my kids. Maybe they will be here [in Liverpool]. The celebration is big - everybody is very happy because it has normally been a tough month. Ramadan is an important part of Islam, and when you are observing it, God is happy with you and you have to have a big celebration. We eat, we have a party and we give praise. We enjoy the day as much as we can.
As Ramadan is based on a lunar calendar, and therefore changes every year, will it be more difficult to observe during the football season?
I have done Ramadan during a season. And for me, it was alright. It depends on the age of players. I'm different; I do my own thing.
Is the club supportive of your decision to observe Ramadan?
Massively -[the club] have been unbelievable. Fantastic. Everybody around me has tried to help me; the physios, the doctor and the coaches. They have a room for us to pray here at Melwood. It's not only for Muslims, but for Christians as well, which is amazing. That shows the football club is supporting people like us, who want to pray. It's not easy because we have different lifestyles, but by being Muslim or a religious person, you have to do certain things. It's fantastic of the club to support people who trust in God.
Finally, do you have a message for all our Muslim fans around the world?
Assalamalykum to all the Muslims that are fasting - Ramdan Kareem and I pray that God eases all our suffering and helps those in need.
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
Like millions of Muslims around the world, Liverpool's Kolo Toure is currently observing the Holy Month of Ramadan.
A period of self-control and discipline, Ramadan involves 30 days of fasting, from dawn until sunset - but how does the lack of food and drink affect the preparations of professional athletes like Toure?
Earlier this week, Liverpoolfc.com dropped by Melwood to speak to the Ivorian defender about Ramadan and what it means to him.
Kolo: What Ramadan means to me
For our fans who don't observe Ramadan, please can you explain what Ramadan is and what is involved?
Ramadan is part of the Muslim religion. You have to go for 30 days without eating or drinking at a certain time of the day. From three o'clock in the morning until nearly 10 o'clock at night. During this time, you can't eat or drink - but as soon as the sun goes down, you can start eating. The next day you start again.
Do you think footballers face an additional physical challenge during Ramadan?
Yes. I've been observing Ramadan during all the years I've been in football. It's been tough, but at the same time I feel like I am much stronger, because my mental condition takes over. It's definitely hard, but when you believe in God, nothing in impossible.
Do you create a meal plan during Ramadan to ensure your body is receiving the correct foods during pre-season training?
Yes. It's very important that you eat well. It's important that you eat the right food because you can gain weight or you can have less food in your body. That's why you need to drink very well. You also need to be aware of what you are doing, because your body is missing things. With the doctor and all the people at the club, we try to work on that. They give me things that I can take to help me feel better.
Do you find that the self-discipline involved in being a footballer helps you during Ramadan?
Yes. You definitely need discipline. For me, the first five days are difficult but after that, the body just starts to [adapt] and you feel really happy. You clean your body as well and you feel even stronger after Ramadan. I recently watched a programme on BBC about Demba Ba - and he scored a lot of goals after Ramadan because he was much fitter. I think it's amazing how Ramadan can make you really strong.
Do you have to train at different times during Ramadan?
For me, it doesn't matter because mentally I'm ready for it and I go for every challenge. I give 110 per cent in training - it will never be a case of me saying: "No, I don't want to train as hard." I want to train just as hard and I want to win every single game. For me, Ramadan is not an easy time because it's a time when I need to work much harder, because I need to help my teammates. That's the way I see things.
The festival of the Breaking of the Feast is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, how will you celebrate this festival?
I will celebrate like every Muslim - with my family, my wife and my kids. Maybe they will be here [in Liverpool]. The celebration is big - everybody is very happy because it has normally been a tough month. Ramadan is an important part of Islam, and when you are observing it, God is happy with you and you have to have a big celebration. We eat, we have a party and we give praise. We enjoy the day as much as we can.
As Ramadan is based on a lunar calendar, and therefore changes every year, will it be more difficult to observe during the football season?
I have done Ramadan during a season. And for me, it was alright. It depends on the age of players. I'm different; I do my own thing.
Is the club supportive of your decision to observe Ramadan?
Massively -[the club] have been unbelievable. Fantastic. Everybody around me has tried to help me; the physios, the doctor and the coaches. They have a room for us to pray here at Melwood. It's not only for Muslims, but for Christians as well, which is amazing. That shows the football club is supporting people like us, who want to pray. It's not easy because we have different lifestyles, but by being Muslim or a religious person, you have to do certain things. It's fantastic of the club to support people who trust in God.
Finally, do you have a message for all our Muslim fans around the world?
Assalamalykum to all the Muslims that are fasting - Ramdan Kareem and I pray that God eases all our suffering and helps those in need.
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
A Hindu woman’s journey to Islam
A Hindu woman’s journey to Islam
A Hindu woman, Saumya, describes how she converted to Islam. Here is her story.
When the truth is revealed to you and you stand face to face with it, how long can you refuse to accept it? How long would you run away denying it?
There comes a point in your life when you have to break free from all the chains that hold you back from answering the True Call.
It is a moment where nothing else seems significant and equivalent to the call of the Almighty God and His path of freedom, bliss and satisfaction.
All the lies with which you have been living with start fading and your beliefs as a disbeliever fall like a pack of cards. And what you witness is an Eureka moment, a moment when you realize the truth, when you realize the beauty of Islam.
I remember the day when I stood in front of the mirror in my room, looking vaguely, trying to search for something but failing to find an answer. In retrospect, I was never an atheist.
I always believed that God existed and being a Hindu it existed for me in thousand forms: From a stone to a tree, from a tree to a river, from a river to a well (funny but true). All were objects of worship for me as I was told by my family and other traditions.
I took pride in being a polytheist, considering that all objects made by God are worth worshipping and that there exists a part of God in them, in every single being; so all are worthy of worship. It could be a cow, a tree, a river (as I said also a well), idols and even human beings themselves.
I detested Islam for being so rigid and stubborn on this. I found the Muslims static, living in the past, while the world is moving far ahead of them. For me all their beliefs were unreasonable (may be because I never looked for reason), impractical, cruel and outdated.
Probably, it was not my fault; I was made to look at them this way. It was a pre-conceived notion, which I inherited from this society which has often kept a negative image of Islam in majority of its opinions.
My first encounter with Islam was in high school where the majority of my classmates were Muslims and during free classes we used to have discussions on Islam (largely because of the anti-Islam propaganda by the Hindu Organizations post 9/11 and the Gujarat riots).
During these talks they tried to clear various misconceptions that I carried regarding monotheism, rights of women, their status, and other popular myths which have become clichéd more or less.
Yet, it was not convincing for me, I still kept those beliefs and my pride in being polytheist. Though I was not anymore an anti-Muslim, I was moved by the sufferings of the people who were one of us, simply dying because they practiced a different faith. I became more secular in my outlook.
I give the major credit of becoming a monotheist to Arya Samaj, a Hindu organization that believes that Hinduism preaches monotheism and not rituals and idol worshiping. After coming under its influence I stopped worshiping idols, performing any sort of rituals and going to temples.
These are what I call the steps I was taking to finally reach my destination that is Islam.
Reading Vedas, Manu Smriti, and other scriptures only confused me. It was all philosophical, nothing material which could help you precisely find an answer for your daily life queries.
While in college studying law, it was the first time when the clarity of Islam dawned over me. It was nothing but a small course of family law — Hindu law and Islamic law regarding marriages, divorce, succession, etc.
While Hindu law was riddled with various technicalities, confusions, differences of opinions and lack of stability, Islamic law on the other hand was clear, precise and certain.
My opinion here changed overnight. What I used to find static, appeared stable to me. This made me curious to read more in this regard; I spent hours online talking to friends who used to tell me about Islam. I read various links and participated in forum discussions. My outlook toward Islam started changing which was reflected when I spoke with my friends or discussed things with them.
Of course this change was not appreciated by them, they warned me against the so-called ‘brain washers’ whose sole aim is to divert Hindus to Islam. All this used to bother me, I felt scared of their disagreement. I felt as though I were cheating my friends and family by doing what they sternly disagreed of. But, as I said earlier, how long can you run away from the truth? You cannot live with a lie and accepting the truth needs courage. And as the Holy Qur’an says:
“Believers, uphold justice. Always bear true witness, even if it be against yourself, your parents, or your relatives; and regardless of whether the person against whom you are speaking is rich or poor. God is close to people regardless of their material circumstances. Do not be led by emotion, as this may cause you to swerve from the truth. If you distort your testimony, or refuse to testify, remember that God is aware of all your actions.” (Qur’an 4:135)
And that day all the fears just drifted away, because if I wouldn’t have converted then I guess I would never had. I would have stayed stuck in the complexities of the material world where false emotions stop us from doing the right thing.
Though my friends and family members are yet unaware of it, but certainly I will tell them sooner or later and I hope Insha’Allah (God-willing) that they will respect my decision.
Alhamdullilah, I’m a Muslim today, trying to learn more and more about the Holy Qur’an and the guidelines of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him. Insha’Allah, I will walk on his path in a better way.
With the help of a few friends and an organization, I’ve learned to pray; I’m praying 5 times daily Alhamdulillah. I pray to God to give me more strength so that I could always stand firm on my decision.
n Courtesy of www.islamreligion.com
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
A Hindu woman, Saumya, describes how she converted to Islam. Here is her story.
When the truth is revealed to you and you stand face to face with it, how long can you refuse to accept it? How long would you run away denying it?
There comes a point in your life when you have to break free from all the chains that hold you back from answering the True Call.
It is a moment where nothing else seems significant and equivalent to the call of the Almighty God and His path of freedom, bliss and satisfaction.
All the lies with which you have been living with start fading and your beliefs as a disbeliever fall like a pack of cards. And what you witness is an Eureka moment, a moment when you realize the truth, when you realize the beauty of Islam.
I remember the day when I stood in front of the mirror in my room, looking vaguely, trying to search for something but failing to find an answer. In retrospect, I was never an atheist.
I always believed that God existed and being a Hindu it existed for me in thousand forms: From a stone to a tree, from a tree to a river, from a river to a well (funny but true). All were objects of worship for me as I was told by my family and other traditions.
I took pride in being a polytheist, considering that all objects made by God are worth worshipping and that there exists a part of God in them, in every single being; so all are worthy of worship. It could be a cow, a tree, a river (as I said also a well), idols and even human beings themselves.
I detested Islam for being so rigid and stubborn on this. I found the Muslims static, living in the past, while the world is moving far ahead of them. For me all their beliefs were unreasonable (may be because I never looked for reason), impractical, cruel and outdated.
Probably, it was not my fault; I was made to look at them this way. It was a pre-conceived notion, which I inherited from this society which has often kept a negative image of Islam in majority of its opinions.
My first encounter with Islam was in high school where the majority of my classmates were Muslims and during free classes we used to have discussions on Islam (largely because of the anti-Islam propaganda by the Hindu Organizations post 9/11 and the Gujarat riots).
During these talks they tried to clear various misconceptions that I carried regarding monotheism, rights of women, their status, and other popular myths which have become clichéd more or less.
Yet, it was not convincing for me, I still kept those beliefs and my pride in being polytheist. Though I was not anymore an anti-Muslim, I was moved by the sufferings of the people who were one of us, simply dying because they practiced a different faith. I became more secular in my outlook.
I give the major credit of becoming a monotheist to Arya Samaj, a Hindu organization that believes that Hinduism preaches monotheism and not rituals and idol worshiping. After coming under its influence I stopped worshiping idols, performing any sort of rituals and going to temples.
These are what I call the steps I was taking to finally reach my destination that is Islam.
Reading Vedas, Manu Smriti, and other scriptures only confused me. It was all philosophical, nothing material which could help you precisely find an answer for your daily life queries.
While in college studying law, it was the first time when the clarity of Islam dawned over me. It was nothing but a small course of family law — Hindu law and Islamic law regarding marriages, divorce, succession, etc.
While Hindu law was riddled with various technicalities, confusions, differences of opinions and lack of stability, Islamic law on the other hand was clear, precise and certain.
My opinion here changed overnight. What I used to find static, appeared stable to me. This made me curious to read more in this regard; I spent hours online talking to friends who used to tell me about Islam. I read various links and participated in forum discussions. My outlook toward Islam started changing which was reflected when I spoke with my friends or discussed things with them.
Of course this change was not appreciated by them, they warned me against the so-called ‘brain washers’ whose sole aim is to divert Hindus to Islam. All this used to bother me, I felt scared of their disagreement. I felt as though I were cheating my friends and family by doing what they sternly disagreed of. But, as I said earlier, how long can you run away from the truth? You cannot live with a lie and accepting the truth needs courage. And as the Holy Qur’an says:
“Believers, uphold justice. Always bear true witness, even if it be against yourself, your parents, or your relatives; and regardless of whether the person against whom you are speaking is rich or poor. God is close to people regardless of their material circumstances. Do not be led by emotion, as this may cause you to swerve from the truth. If you distort your testimony, or refuse to testify, remember that God is aware of all your actions.” (Qur’an 4:135)
And that day all the fears just drifted away, because if I wouldn’t have converted then I guess I would never had. I would have stayed stuck in the complexities of the material world where false emotions stop us from doing the right thing.
Though my friends and family members are yet unaware of it, but certainly I will tell them sooner or later and I hope Insha’Allah (God-willing) that they will respect my decision.
Alhamdullilah, I’m a Muslim today, trying to learn more and more about the Holy Qur’an and the guidelines of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him. Insha’Allah, I will walk on his path in a better way.
With the help of a few friends and an organization, I’ve learned to pray; I’m praying 5 times daily Alhamdulillah. I pray to God to give me more strength so that I could always stand firm on my decision.
n Courtesy of www.islamreligion.com
http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/
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