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Yusuf Islam wins damages for ‘veiled women’ slur -
Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, on Friday accepted libel damages and an apology from a news agency which reported he refused to talk to women at an awards ceremony who were not wearing a veil.
The artist, who changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, will donate the "substantial" payout to Small Kindness, a UN-linked charity which he chairs.
Adam Tudor, the singer's solicitor, told London's High Court that the story behind the legal action was published by World Entertainment News Network and was used on Contactmusic.com, a Web site said to have 2.2 million page views a month.
The article appeared in March 2007 and suggested that the singer was "so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil," Tudor said.
"It went on to suggest that Mr. Islam's manager had stated 'Mr. Islam doesn't speak with women except his wife. Least of all if they don't wear a headscarf. Things like that only happen via an intermediary."'
Tudor said the article had embarrassed the singer, creating a false impression of his attitude to women and also casting serious aspersions on his religious faith.
World Entertainment News Network issued an apology, saying:
"We now accept that these allegations ... are entirely without foundation, and that Mr. Islam has never had any difficulties working with women, whether for religious or for any other reason."
Islam, 59, is still best known for his hits as Cat Stevens, including "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken" and "Moonshadow."
He sold an estimated 60 million albums as Stevens, but retired from showbusiness in 1978 after converting to Islam. He released his first mainstream pop album since then in 2006.
I love his version of peace train from the 70's. What are your thoughts? Comment below. Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, on Friday accepted libel damages and an apology from a news agency which reported he refused to tal... more -
Honor Killing Again. Very Honorable.
Henrietta Muslim knifing called 'honor attack'
Michael Zeigler
Staff writer
Infuriated because his younger sister was going to clubs, wearing immodest clothing and planning to leave her family for a new life in New York City, Waheed Allah Mohammad stabbed her outside their Henrietta home, prosecutors allege.
Afterward, he told Monroe County sheriff's investigators that he attacked his sister because she had disgraced their family and was a "bad Muslim girl," according to court documents.
Henrietta Muslim knifing called 'honor attack' Michael Zeigler Staff writer ... more -
UK government funds Islamic 'thinkers' to stem extremism
The British government has announced that it will fund a "board" of Muslim theologians in an attempt to "sideline violent extremists".
As part of the initiative, Oxford and Cambridge will host a group of scholars who will "lead debate" on issues such as the role of women, and "loyalty to the UK".
However, this move has angered some Muslim "hardline activists", who are accusing ministers of trying to create "state-sponsored Islam."
The British government has announced that it will fund a "board" of Muslim theologians in an attempt to "sideline violent extremists".... more -
Morocco: sending moderate preaches to fight extremism in Europe
Morocco's King Muhammed VI is to send moderate Muslim preachers in European countries to help the fight against extremism during the Holy month of Ramadan to address Mosques when they will be packed.
Morocco's religious affairs ministry has instructed preachers to:
"answer the religious needs of the Moroccan community abroad, to protect it from any speeches of extremism or irregular nature, and to shelter it from extremism and fanaticism"
Morocco held its annual sacred music festival this year with people from all faiths singing sacred music, and one with Islamic & Christian choir performing at the same time.
Morocco's King Muhammed VI is to send moderate Muslim preachers in European countries to help the fight against extremism during the H... more -
Mosque feeds 1, 000 needy Singaporians
Muslims worked together this weekend to provide Sunday lunch for people of races & religions at the Al-Iman Mosque in Bukit Panjang.
BLESSING TO ALL COMMITTEE
Soon after the Tsunami in 2004 Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and mosque heads set up a Blessings to All committee to help in humanitarian efforts. To date, it has raised $1.3 million for disaster victims in South Asia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sichuan, China.
Yesterday the committee presented a $129,000 cheque to Mercy Relief for survivors of this year's cyclone in Myanmar and earthquake in China.
The committee encourages Mosques to make a difference in neighborhoods. Some Mosques now projects like running soup kitchens & beach clean ups.
RESPONSES
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said:
'Keep up the good work, to be good Muslims, good citizens, good neighbours!' he wrote in a note at the mosque, alongside comments from other well-wishers, who included representatives of major religions in Singapore.
Said Mr R. Bawajee of the Hindu Advisory Board: 'The promotion of sharing among communities facilitates inter-faith harmony.'
Muslims worked together this weekend to provide Sunday lunch for people of races & religions at the Al-Iman Mosque in Bukit Panjan... more -
Obama says New Yorker insulted Muslim Americans
CHICAGO (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday that the New Yorker magazine's satirical cover depicting him and his wife as flag-burning, fist-bumping radicals doesn't bother him but that it was an insult to Muslim Americans.
"You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things," the presidential candidate told CNN's Larry King. "And for this to be used as sort of an insult, or to raise suspicions about me, I think is unfortunate. And it's not what America's all about."
Obama blamed himself for not being forceful enough in challenging some of the rumors about him, including that he is Muslim. Obama is Christian.
The son of a Kenyan father, Obama lived in the largely Muslim nation of Indonesia as a child. He dealt with similar questions in February after a photo surfaced of him wearing traditional Kenyan clothing during a visit to Africa in 2006.
The cover of the magazine, which hit newsstands Monday, depicts Obama in traditional Muslim clothing — sandals, robe and turban — while his wife, Michelle, has an assault rifle slung over one shoulder and is dressed in camouflage and combat boots with her hair in an Afro. A flag burns in a fireplace behind them as they bump fists, and a portrait of Osama bin Laden hangs above the mantel.
New Yorker Editor David Remnick told the Huffington Post Web site the cover was chosen because it had something to say.
When first asked about it on Sunday, Obama declined comment. His spokesman, Bill Burton, said it was "tasteless and offensive."
Obama said he's developed "a pretty thick skin" running for president and has "seen and heard worse."
"I do think that, you know, in attempting to satirize something, they probably fueled some misconceptions about me instead," he said. "But, you know, that was their editorial judgment. And as I said, ultimately, it's a cartoon, it's not where the American people are spending a lot of their time thinking about." CHICAGO (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday that the New Yorker magazine's satirical cover depicting him and his wife as flag-bu... more -
Canadian teenager cries in Guantanamo interrogation video
A sobbing Canadian teenager begs for help as he is interrogated at the US "war on terror" camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the very first video glimpse of any such questioning showed on Tuesday.
The video was released by attorneys for terror suspect Omar Khadr, who is shown being questioned at the prison by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agents in February, 2003.
Khadr is the youngest detainee at Guantanamo, accused of killing a US soldier in a firefight in Afghanistan.
He has been held at the US facility naval since his arrest in 2002, when he was 15 years old, and faces an upcoming US military commission on terrorism charges.
"Help me, help me, help me," Khadr says in the video, weeping, holding his head in his hands.
The footage covers seven and a half hours of questioning over three days. It depicts a dejected young man, tense from the pang of injuries suffered in a brush with US soldiers six months earlier.
In one excerpt, Khadr tugs at his hair, and pulls his orange prisoner suit over his head to show his interrogator his battle scars.
"I lost my eyes. I lost my feet. Everything," he says.
"You look like you're doing well to me," the interrogator replies, his face blurred in the images. "I'm not a doctor but I think you're getting good medical care."
"You say this is healthy?" Khadr asks. "I can't move my arm."
"No, you still have your eyes, and your feet are still at the ends of your legs," his interrogator replies, urging him to cooperate.
"You don't care about me," Khadr tells the interrogator. "Nobody cares about me."
In the video, apparently shot through the flaps of a ventilation shaft, Khadr is asked what he knows about Al-Qaeda and questioned about his Islamic faith.
At one point, an interrogator tries to calm Khadr, who is clearly distraught, saying he needs to get a "bite to eat" and adding: "I understand this is stressful."
When Khadr complains his compatriots have not helped his case, the interrogator replies: "We can't do anything for you."
The video shows no beating or physical abuse of Khadr.
According to files from the Foreign Intelligence Division of Canada's Foreign Affairs department, Khadr was forcibly sleep deprived and placed in isolation for three weeks before being interviewed again.
Human rights groups have also demanded Khadr be released from Guantanamo, saying his age at the time of capture precludes any war crime proceeding.
The US government alleges Khadr was the lone survivor of a four-hour US bombardment of an Al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan in 2002, who rose from the rubble and killed a US sergeant with a grenade.
Khadr's US lawyer Lieutenant-Commander Bill Kuebler instead described him to a Canadian Commons committee as a "frightened, wounded, 15-year-old boy, a boy like other children wrongfully involved in armed conflict who had no business being there, who sat slumped against a bush while a battle raged around him."
Khadr was then shot at least twice in the back by US soldiers and was about to be executed when another soldier intervened, Kuebler said.
Khadr is said to have no vision in one eye, and sight in the other is deteriorating because of shrapnel embedded in the eye membrane.
There are no words. What are our so-called 'civilised' countries doing?
A sobbing Canadian teenager begs for help as he is interrogated at the US "war on terror" camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the very first... more -
Enabling Tyranny
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, an assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury during the Reagan Administration, is a former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal and coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, an assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury during the Reagan Administration, is a former associate editor of ... more
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Christians outraged over Koran delivery in Houston
A Christian community in Houston is outraged by the delivery of English translations of the Koran being delivered to people's doors. The Korans were delivered along with a flyer that read, “Please accept this gift from your Muslim neighbors.”
While I'm not a fan of proselytizing in any religion, I find it particularly sad that none of the people quoted seemed to recognize that Christian evangelism can be equally offensive to those of other faiths. A Christian community in Houston is outraged by the delivery of English translations of the Koran being delivered to people's doors. T... more -
71% of Americans say U.S. gov't shouldn't take sides in Mideast conflict
Overall, I agree that we the American government should not be involved in the conflict, but since we are actively funding the Israeli occupation, we do bear some responsibility.
"A public opinion poll released by a research institute at the University of Maryland shows that 71 percent of Americans believe that the United States government should not take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The survey, which measured attitudes of nearly 19,000 respondents in countries around the world, found that in 14 of the 18 nations studied, a large majority favored an even-handed approach to the conflict.
Only in three countries, Egypt, Iran and Turkey, did the weight of responses favor taking the side of the Palestinians, with 86 percent of Egyptian and 63 percent of the Iranian respondents taking that position. In Turkey, 42 percent said their government should take the Palestinians' side, versus 38 percent who said that Turkey should be even-handed, and only 4 percent who said it should take Israel's side.
In none of the countries did a majority support taking Israel's side. Of American respondents, 21 percent said the United States should take Israel's side, and only 3 percent, the Palestinians. "
Cont.
Overall, I agree that we the American government should not be involved in the conflict, but since we are actively funding the Israeli... more -
Muslim woman refused French citizenship for her 'submissive' views
France has refused to grant citizenship to a burqa-wearing Moroccan woman on the grounds that her "radical" interpretation of Islam is incompatible with its values.
The legal ruling, which has just been published, is the first time a Muslim applicant had been rejected by France due to their religious practices.
The unnamed 32-year-old woman is married to a French national. She arrived in the country in 2000, speaks good French and her three children were born in the country.
She wears a black burqa that covers all her body except her eyes, which are visible through a narrow slit, and lives in "total submission" to her husband and male relatives, according to reports by social services.
The case will reignite debate about how to reconcile freedom of religion, which is guaranteed by the French constitution, and other fundamental rights which many in France feel are being challenged by the way of life of some Muslims.
"She has adopted a radical practice of her religion, incompatible with essential values of the French community, particularly the principle of equality of the sexes," said a ruling by the Council of State seen by Le Monde newspaper.
The Council of State is a judicial body which has the final say on disputes between individuals and the public administration.
The woman's application for French nationality was rejected in 2005 on grounds of "insufficient assimilation". She appealed to the Council of State, which last month approved the rejection.
In the past, nationality was denied to Muslims who were known to have links with extremist circles or who had publicly advocated radicalism, which is not the case in this instance.
The ruling comes weeks after a heated debate over whether traditional Muslim views were creeping into French law, prompted by a court's annulment of the marriage of two Muslims because the husband said the wife was not a virgin as she had claimed to be.
In the case of the Moroccan woman, Le Monde suggested the Council of State had gone to the opposite extreme by rejecting the woman's beliefs and way of life rather than accommodating them.
Emmanuelle Prada-Bordenave, the legal expert who provided a report on the case to the Council of State, wrote that the woman's interviews with social services revealed that "she lives almost as a recluse, isolated from French society".
"She has no idea about the secular state or the right to vote. She lives in total submission to her male relatives. She seems to find this normal and the idea of challenging it has never crossed her mind," she wrote. France has refused to grant citizenship to a burqa-wearing Moroccan woman on the grounds that her "radical" interpretation of Islam is... more -
Kathy Lee Gifford bashes pagans on The Today Show!
On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on The Today Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously referred to pagans as "nasty, bad Pagans." Ms Gifford's hate speech has done harm to American pagans' ability to live in peace with our neighbors of other faiths. By allowing her hate speech to be broadcast, her direct employer The Today Show, and their network, NBC, participate in that hate speech.
This is a petition calling for, at the very least, an on-air apology. A Today Show program devoted to dispelling misconceptions about pagans and paganism would go a long way toward undoing the damage.
Signers of this petition are also putting the sponsor of that Today Show segment, Samsung, on notice that we are conducting a boycott against them until such time as we receive justice.
Sign Petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/quotnasty-bad-pagansqu... On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on The Today Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously referred... more -
France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam
France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her "radical" practice of Islam is incompatible with basic French values such as equality of the sexes, reports the Guardian.
"She has adopted a radical practice of her religion, incompatible with essential values of the French community, particularly the principle of equality of the sexes," said the Council of State, France's highest administrative body.
The woman, known as Faiza M, is 32, married to a French national and lives east of Paris. She has lived in France since 2000, speaks good French and has three children born in France. Social services reports said she lived in "total submission" to her husband. Her application for French nationality was rejected in 2005 on the grounds of "insufficient assimilation" into France. She appealed, invoking the French constitutional right to religious freedom and saying that she had never sought to challenge the fundamental values of France. But last month the Council of State upheld the ruling.
The legal expert who reported to the Council of State said the woman's interviews with social services revealed that "she lives almost as a recluse, isolated from French society".
The report said: "She has no idea about the secular state or the right to vote. She lives in total submission to her male relatives. She seems to find this normal and the idea of challenging it has never crossed her mind."
The woman had said she was not veiled when she lived in Morocco and had worn the burqa since arriving in France at the request of her husband. She said she wore it more from habit than conviction.
"Is the burqa incompatible with French citizenship?" asked Le Monde, which broke the story.
Is this a victory for French women, now that equality of the sexes is not only protected in law but a recognised quality of French-ness? Or is this simply a way of attacking the ways that more extreme, submissive Muslim women live? What about the man she is subjugated to? Will he be rejected from citizenship too?
I can think of many British-born men, young and old, who thoroughly embrace horribly old-fashioned sexism (employing certain women because they're pretty and unthreatening, for example), and their status isn't questioned. Surely their insidious sexism and perpetuation of inequality is more dangerous to society than the odd submissive Muslim woman? Or should everyone's behaviour around equality be subject to scrutiny?
France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her "radical" practice of Islam is incompatibl... more -
Phone wedding: Muslim couple marry by telephone
A young Indian Muslim couple exchanged wedding vows by telephone. The groom, who lives abroad, did not have the money to return home to get married.
The 18-year-old bride had only seen the groom once, when he was home for holidays. "I have never spoken to him but now I speak to him daily," she told reporters. She is about to meet her new husband in October this year, when he comes home for the holidays. A young Indian Muslim couple exchanged wedding vows by telephone. The groom, who lives abroad, did not have the money to return home t... more -
Switzerland to ban minarets?
Switzerland is to vote on banning Mosque minarets as there has been over 100,000 signitaures asking for a ban nation-wide against Mosque minarets led by Swiss People's party.
Earlier this week a channel 4 documentary "It Shouldn't Happen to a Muslim" showed how many press reports have reported false reports on Muslims & Islam and how many Muslims are living in fear in the UK with some even go as far as buying homes in places like Muslim-Turkey incase things get worse.
The documentary was hosted by a Peter Oborne a devout-Christian who was shocked to find what was happening. Switzerland is to vote on banning Mosque minarets as there has been over 100,000 signitaures asking for a ban nation-wide against Mosq... more -
Muslim couple get married over the telephone
A Indian couple exchanged vows over the telephone because the groom could not return home from Kuwait (where he works) for the wedding.
The whole of the village in India's state of West Bengal watched as the Muslim clerics put the phone on speaker mode to hear the wedding vows.
The Islamic cleric who organised the modern marriage ceremony said: "They said qubul (I do) thrice and the marriage was complete" A Indian couple exchanged vows over the telephone because the groom could not return home from Kuwait (where he works) for the wedding... more -
Iran test-fires missiles for second day
Iran today test-fired missiles in the Gulf for a second consecutive day, Iranian state media reported.
The tests are likely to infuriate Israel and the US, who called on Iran to refrain from further tests after yesterday's war games.
"Deep in the Persian Gulf waters, the launch of different types of ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface, sea-to-air and the powerful launch of the Hout missile successfully took place," state radio said without giving further details of the missiles.
An Iranian satellite channel, Press TV, said Hout was a torpedo, according to Reuters.
Reports from Tehran say yesterday's tests included that of a new long-range missile that could easily reach Israel. Iran made clear that the operation was designed to show its capability to deliver a "crushing response" if attacked by the US or Israel.
Israel is today expected to showcase an advanced spy plane. The plane was first unveiled a year ago but Israel's Army Radio reported that it was to be shown now in response to Iran's missile tests.
State-run Israel Aerospace Industries planned an in-house exhibit of its Eitam airplane, which is equipped with sophisticated intelligence-gathering systems.
Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat. An exercise by the Israeli military last month was considered to be a rehearsal for a potential strike against Iran's nuclear programme, which Tehran insists is peaceful and purely designed for power generation.
The US confirmed yesterday that it would continue to pursue a diplomatic solution to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear programme - which it fears is geared towards the production of weapons – but would not rule out a military option.
Iran today test-fired missiles in the Gulf for a second consecutive day, Iranian state media reported. ... more -
Muslim women rappers face threats and intimidation
Muslim rap is developing a large following in the US and UK, yet female artists trying to break into the scene are often intimidated, or even threatened, reports the New Statesman today.
Women rappers like Neelo fer Mir, Lady Dizzla, Lyrical Lailah and Deeyah have all had success in the increasingly popular Islamic hip-hop scene, but its been tempered by criticism of their 'un-Islamic' ways, discouragement from all and sundry that they should express themselves through music, alienation from the Muslim community, misunderstanding of women's reasons for getting involved in music (like accusations of using it simply to have access to sex and alcohol), criticism of their immodest clothes, death threats, and even violent attacks on stage.
Can artistic creativity in the modern world exist happily alongside the traditional responsibilities of devout Muslim life? Would male Muslim hip hop artists get the same hassle? How do you find some common ground between your modern life and your traditional, maybe even conservative, heritage?
Muslim rap is developing a large following in the US and UK, yet female artists trying to break into the scene are often intimidated, ... more -
Attack outside US consulate in Istanbul, 6 dead
Three unidentified gunmen and three Turkish policemen were killed Wednesday in an attack on a checkpoint outside the well-fortified US consulate in Istanbul that officials labelled a "terrorist" act.
The assailants "directly" targetted the police post outside the high-walled US consulate in the upscale district of Istinye, Istanbul province Governor Muammer Guler said.
Interior Minister Besir Atalay called the gunmen "terrorists" and the investigation was handed to prosecutors specialising in terrorism cases.
The three assailants jumped from a car and opened fire at the police checkpoint around 11:00am (0800 GMT), a witness told NTV television, adding that they also fired shots at the building.
The security forces returned fire, killing all three gunmen.
One policeman died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital, Guler said.
Two other people -- a policeman and the civilian driver of a police truck -- were injured, he said.
No consulate personnel were injured, the spokeswoman of the US embassy in Ankara, Kathy Schallow, told AFP.
Guns and rifles were seized at the scene after the shootout, which lasted about eight minutes.
The police post was situated outside a gate for visa applicants from where steep steps lead up to the fortified consulate building.
The consulate was moved to its current high-security location in 2003 as foreign missions across the world stepped up security measures following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.
Television footage showed a bloodied body, covered with newspaper, lying in the street as emergency services rushed the wounded to hospital.
The car, described either as white or grey, was driven by a fourth accomplice who drove off after the attack.
The security forces launched a major hunt for the vehicle and a police helicopter was overflying the area.
The car had waited a while at a nearby car-wash before driving down towards the consulate, a witness said.
Investigators were trying to determine the identities of the assailants, who were aged between 25 and 30, Istanbul's chief prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin told reporters.
"We consider the incident a terrorist act," he said.
Two of the dead gunmen were Turkish nationals, while the police were still trying to establish the identity of the third, NTV quoted officials as saying.
The most recent attack on a foreign mission in Turkey was in 2003 when Al-Qaeda militants detonated a car bomb at the British consulate in central Istanbul, and simultaneously attacked the British HSBC bank.
The British consul was killed in the attacks, which followed the bombings five days earlier of two synagogues in Istanbul. About 60 people were killed in the four blasts, the deadliest terrorist attacks in Turkey.
Three unidentified gunmen and three Turkish policemen were killed Wednesday in an attack on a checkpoint outside the well-fortified US... more -
Dad charged with murder in bride's 'honor killing'
A Pakistani man is charged with killing his 25-year-old daughter in Georgia because she wanted out of an arranged marriage, police said.
Chaudhry Rashid is accused of killing his daughter because she wanted to end an arranged marriage.
Somber and tearful, Chaudhry Rashid, 54, of Jonesboro, an Atlanta suburb, made his first court appearance Tuesday in connection with the death of Sandeela Kanwal.
He was advised through an Urdu interpreter of the murder charge, and of his legal rights. Court records indicate that a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 24.
He was arrested early Sunday, after his wife called police at about 2 a.m. She reported that she had been awakened by screaming but couldn't understand the language, a Clayton County police report said. She said she was afraid and left the house to call police.
Officers found Kanwal dead in an upstairs bedroom of the home, according to the police report.
Rashid's wife told authorities Kanwal recently had been married in Pakistan -- an arranged marriage, she said. The young woman's husband was living in Chicago, Illinois, police said, but Kanwal remained at her father's home and worked at a metro Atlanta Wal-Mart for a brief time.
"The victim was not interested in marrying, nor remaining married to her husband," the police report said, citing information authorities received from Rashid's wife. "This was causing a great deal of friction between the victim and her father," so much so that the two had not spoken in two months, the report said.
Police found Rashid sitting behind a vehicle in the driveway, and he seemed "distraught and possibly mournful," the report said. He told police, "My daughter is dead." But when asked how she died, Rashid did not answer -- "he just dropped his head." A Pakistani man is charged with killing his 25-year-old daughter in Georgia because she wanted out of an arranged marriage, police sai... more
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