tagged w/ religion of peace
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CAIRO, EGYPT (Catholic Online) - Hundreds of Egyptian Christians marched in protest over a recent attack on a church. Their march began as a peaceful demonstration following the destruction of the Christian church upon orders of a regional governor on October 1.
As the protesters were marching, witnesses say a group of plainclothes counter-protesters assaulted them. Witnesses say pellets were fired at the Christians. It's believed that some of the people may have snatched weapons from soldiers, and turned them on the military. Rocks and bottles were thrown indiscriminately at the protesters.
The resulting violence led to the deaths of 24 people, according to an Egyptian health Ministry official. The military deployed more than 1,000 troops and several armored vehicles along the Nile river where the fighting began. Because protests continued late into the night, the military imposed a curfew until 7 AM local time, in the city of Cairo.
Several military vehicles were set ablaze, as troops fired into the air to disperse the Christians.
Protesters were demanding that the governor of the Aswan province be removed and for their church to be rebuilt. All accounts agree that the demonstration started peacefully with a march and a sit in at the state television building in Cairo. However when the protesters were attacked the situation quickly turned violent.
Security forces also used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Additional protests broke out in four other provinces in Egypt according to local television sources.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf appeared on television to denounce the clashes as "unjustified violence." He further said that the recent riots also, "raised fear and concerns about the future of this homeland" and that the country's transition to democracy was in jeopardy.
Coptic Christians are the most significant religious minority in the Middle East and account for about 9 percent of Egypt's population.
Discrimination against Christians had long been encouraged by the government of Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak's regime often refused to prosecute people accused of crimes against Christians, and actively worked to discriminate against them.
Still, government leaders are not framing the recent conflict as a Christian versus militant fight. Rather, they claim the protests have been sparked by political agitators. Government officials have asked the people not to join in the protests.
Dissatisfaction with Egyptian government is growing as the transition to democracy is taking much longer than most people would like. Some accuse the government of being a military dictatorship that is moving only glacially to implement democratic reforms.
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=43174CAIRO, EGYPT (Catholic Online) - Hundreds of Egyptian Christians marched in protest... more
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CAIRO - Thirteen Egyptians were killed in violence between Christians and Muslims as sectarian tensions resurfaced in Cairo and a new government met for the first time on Wednesday, discussing how to restore law and order.
The Health Ministry said the 13 people were killed and 140 wounded in violence on Tuesday night ignited by tensions built up since an arson attack on a church south of Cairo on Saturday.
The protests spread elsewhere in the capital and hundreds of people faced off in the violence, hurling petrol bombs and rocks, witnesses said.
The injuries included head wounds, bruises, bullet wounds and broken limbs, the state news agency quoted a senior health ministry official as saying. At least one of the dead, an 18-year-old Christian, had been shot in the back.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=211399CAIRO - Thirteen Egyptians were killed in violence between Christians and Muslims as... more
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Laws and practices under Sharia
Marriage laws
The Muslim man who is not currently a fornicator can only marry a Muslim woman who is not currently a fornicatress or a chaste woman from the people of the book.
The Muslim fornicator can only marry Muslim fornicatress.
The number of wives is limited to four, – Mohammed married 15 women and consummated his marriages with 13. (al-Tabari vol.9 p.126-127)
The Muslim woman who is not currently a fornicatress can only marry a Muslim man who is not currently a fornicator.
The Muslim fornicatress can only marry a Muslim fornicator.
The woman cannot marry without the consent of her guardian. If she marries, her husband becomes her new guardian.
The guardian may choose to marry the virgin without asking her consent, however she can oppose the marriage and then it is cancelled.
The guardian cannot marry the divorced woman or the widow if she didn't ask to be married.
The number of husbands is limited to one, the Muslim mistress cannot have sex with her slaves.
Islamic law on marriage differs from one school of thought to another.[6]
Divorce laws
A husband may divorce his wife whenever he wants. If the marriage has been consummated, the divorced woman must remain at her ex-husband's house for three months before she is allowed to leave. The man has the ability to retract the divorce by having sex with the woman within those three months.
A woman who wishes to be divorced needs the consent of her husband. If he consents she has to pay back the dowry. Under certain circumstances (abuse, for instance), the wife may ask a judge to separate the couple.
If a man divorces his wife three times, he can no longer marry her again unless she marries another man and then divorces him. These are guidelines; Islamic law on divorce is different depending on the school of thought.[7]
The penalty for theft
In accordance with the Qur'an and several hadith, theft is punished by imprisonment or amputation of hands or feet, depending on the number of times it was committed.[2][3]
The penalty for adultery
Main article: Stoning to Death in Islam
In accordance with hadith, stoning to death is the penalty for married men and women who commit adultery.[4] For unmarried men and women, the punishment prescribed in the Qur'an and hadith is 100 lashes.[5]
Dietary laws
Main article: Islamic dietary laws
Sharia dictates that Muslims may only eat from meat that has been slaughtered in the name of God and meets stringent dietary requirements. Such meat is called halal, or "lawful". Islamic law prohibits a Muslim from eating pork, and most juridical opinions also hold monkey, dog, cat, carnivores and several other types of animal as haram (prohibited). For the meat of an animal to be halal it must be one of the declared halal species, and the animal may not be killed by excessively cruel or painful means. The traditional means of slaughter is by slicing open the jugular veins at the neck, resulting in quick blood loss; a state of shock and unconsciousness is induced, and death soon follows through cardiac arrest.
According to the Qur'an, the animal does not have to be slaughtered by a Muslim, but may be slaughtered by a Jew or a Christian (People of the Book) as long as it meets their strict dietary laws. This does not normally apply in modern times as animals are normally not slaughtered by Christians in the name of God. The majority of Christians no longer have rituals associated with slaughter, nor do they ask for God's permission before the kill. The method of slaughter used by most Christian butchers is also considered inappropriate by many Muslims. (Al-Ma'ida 5: "The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you.")- this is only provided it is killed in accordance with God's Law, and in His name. Most Muslims will accept kosher meat as halal. (Qur'an 2:173, 6:121)
The role of women under Sharia
Main article: women in Islam
Islam does not prohibit women from working, but emphasizes the importance of housekeeping and caring for the families of both parents. In theory, Sunni Islamic law allows husbands to divorce their wives at will, by clearly saying talaq ("I divorce you"). The divorce becomes permanent if the couple has been divorced three times. Women do not have the same right to divorce. In Shi'a Islam, divorce is more involved than this and state proceedings vary. In 2003, for example, a Malaysian court ruled that, under Sharia law, a man may divorce his wife via text messaging as long as the message was clear and unequivocal. [8] Such a divorce, known as the "triple talaq" is not allowed in most Muslim states. The divorced wife always keeps her dowry from when she was married, and is given child support until the age of weaning, at which point the child may be returned to its father if it is deemed to be best.
Islam has no clergy, but women may become religious scholars. In practice, it is much more common for men to be scholars than women. Many interpretations of Islamic law hold that women may not have prominent jobs, and thus are forbidden from working in the government. This has been a mainstream view in many Muslim nations in the last century, despite the example of Muhammad's wife Aisha, who both took part in politics[citation needed] and was a major authority on hadith.
A Muslim may not marry or remain married to an unbeliever of either sex (2:221, 60:10). A Muslim man may marry a woman of the People of the Book (5:5); traditionally, however, Islamic law forbids a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim man unless he converts to Islam.Laws and practices under Sharia
Marriage laws
The Muslim man who is not currently... more
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A man walking from Texas to his hometown in Washington state has had a cross to bear for months. James Strickland says he's been dragging a 12-foot cross from Longview, Texas, to his Aberdeen home since May.
The 39-year-old says he was praying about his troubled past when he received a message to start walking on a journey of renewal. He took along the cross, which rolls on wheels with his belongings tied near the bottom.
He expects to reach home Tuesday or Wednesday. Strickland says the trek has taken him through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
He says he hopes to reconcile with the mother of his two children.
Aberdeen police Capt. John Green told KXRO-AM that Strickland also has several misdemeanor warrants to clear up...A man walking from Texas to his hometown in Washington state has had a cross to bear... more
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Terrorism is a tactic, not an agenda. The agenda is reconquest of Israel, followed by regional and world conquest. Jihad is Jihad, whether conducted by massed armies or small bands of terrorists. In either case, innocent people are dispossessed, displaced, killed or enslaved. ...Terrorism is a tactic, not an agenda. The agenda is reconquest of Israel, followed by... more
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Late on Tuesday night, I spoke to Raja Petra Kamarudin. We were supposed to meet face-to-face earlier in the day, but Malaysia's most vociferous anti-government campaigner could not make it. He was in hiding.
Three days later, he was detained.
The ostensible reason for the blogger's arrest was that he published a blasphemous article about Islam on his website, Malaysia Today. In the predominantly Muslim country, such an offence can carry a jail sentence.
But several weeks ago, the campaigner had also made allegations against one of Malaysia's most powerful men, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Mr Petra suggested the minister may have been involved in the 2007 murder of a Mongolian model. Mr Najib denied any involvement.
Shortly afterwards, the government ordered internet service providers to block access to Malaysia Today. The ban was lifted the day before Mr Petra was arrested.
Internet crackdown?
As Malaysia strives to keep pace with Asia's fastest-growing economies, the internet is flourishing: Kuala Lumpur offers citywide wireless access and high-speed connections are being rolled out across the country.
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The influence of online news sites and bloggers - who are often critical of the government - is growing exponentially.
Anwar Ibrahim - the charismatic opposition leader being touted as a future prime minister despite being mired in decade-old sodomy allegations - has detailed every stage of his political rehabilitation on his own website: anwaribrahimblog.com.
Although there is tight regulation of traditional media in Malaysia, with newspapers requiring an annual licence from the government to publish, there have been no such restrictions online. So far.
But Mr Petra's arrest is being seen by some as evidence that the online free-for-all is about to end. Within hours of his detention, an ethnic Chinese journalist was reportedly arrested. A wider crackdown is feared.
Racial harmony
During our interview on Tuesday, Mr Petra told me he wanted "to be available to help in the dissemination of information that is going to be greatly required" for the next 10 days.
The period he was referring to is crucial for the government: Malaysia's resurgent opposition has promised to bring down the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by 16 September - the date of Malaysia's anniversary.
It is an ambitious, and perhaps overly-optimistic, pledge. But the opposition has been gathering momentum since it made historic gains in March's general election.
The government, meanwhile, is embroiled in internal fighting, some of which is due to the growing influence of independent websites like Malaysia Today.
The government remains adamant there is no crackdown. Just days before Mr Petra's arrest, Home Minister Syed Hamid told me the temporary closure of Malaysia Today was merely a "cautious" step.
He emphasised the government had to maintain stability and peace among the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities that make up modern day Malaysia.
But fears are growing among some that there is going to be a repeat of a famous clampdown the government ordered 20 years ago.
Two further arrests have been made overnight. An opposition politician and a journalist who works for a Chinese language newspaper have both been detained under the internal security act.
Late on Tuesday night, I spoke to Raja Petra Kamarudin. We were supposed to meet... more
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The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia has said it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV channels which broadcast immoral programmes.
Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan said some "evil" entertainment programmes aired by the channels promoted debauchery.
Dozens of satellite television channels broadcast across the Middle East, where they are watched by millions of Arabs every day.
The judge made the comments on a state radio programme.
He was speaking in response to a listener who asked his opinion on the airing of programmes featuring scantily-dressed women during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"There is no doubt that these programmes are a great evil, and the owners of these channels are as guilty as those who watch them," said the sheikh.
"It is legitimate to kill those who call for corruption if their evil can not be stopped by other penalties."
Royal dilemma
Given his position as the country's most senior judge, the sheikh's views can not be easily dismissed, says BBC Arab affairs analyst, Magdi Abdelhadi.
Clerics like Sheikh al-Luhaydan represent a huge dilemma for the Saudi royal family, our correspondent adds.
On the one hand, Saudi rulers need their support to claim that they rule in the name of Islam.
But on the other hand, fighting militant Islam can be difficult when the country's top judge calls for the beheading of those he views as immoral broadcasters. The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia has said it is permissible to kill the owners of... more
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More awesomeness from the religion of Peace.
Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-'Arifi Explains Wife Beating in Islam to Young Muslims in a Ramadhan ShowMore awesomeness from the religion of Peace.
Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-'Arifi... more
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BEIJING, China — An Islamic group that has threatened to attack the Summer Games released a new video claiming the communist regime's alleged mistreatment of Muslims justifies holy war, a U.S. group that monitors militant communications said Thursday.
In the video, a representative of the Turkistan Islamic Party accuses China of forcing Muslims into atheism and destroying Islamic schools, according to the SITE Institute. SITE says the group issued the video on Wednesday.
• Click here to view photos.
The representative says China's birth control program has forced abortions upon Muslim women. He also reiterated threats against the Olympics made in a previous video last month and urged Muslims to stay away from the games.
News of the video came just hours after U.S. President George W. Bush landed in Beijing for a three day visit to attend the games opening ceremony and some sports events.
The video was in the Turkic language of the Uighurs, a largely Muslim minority in western China with a long history of tense relations with the government.
The Turkistan Islamic Party is believed to be based across the border in Pakistan, where security experts say it has received training from Al Qaeda.
Last month, the group issued videotaped threats and claimed responsibility for a series of recent bus bombings in China. The latest video, which was apparently produced on Aug. 1, features graphics similar to ones used earlier: "a burning Olympics logo and an explosion imposed over one of the venues," said the Washington-based IntelCenter, another extremist monitoring group.
Ben Venzke of IntelCenter said his group expected the Turkistan Islamic Party to release another message, and he thought the group would continue making threats after the games begin.
"I think what they're doing is they're trying to capitalize on the buildup to the games," he said.
Terrorism analysts and Chinese authorities have said that with more than 100,000 soldiers and police guarding Beijing and other Olympic co-host cities, terrorists were more likely to attack less-protected areas.
On Monday, assailants killed 16 border police and wounded 16 others in the Xinjiang city of Kashgar when they rammed a stolen truck into the group before tossing homemade bombs and stabbing them.
BEIJING, China — An Islamic group that has threatened to attack the Summer... more
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