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China destroys Mosque for not supporting the Olympics
A Mosque in the prodominantly Muslim Xinjiang province in China has been destroyed for not putting a sign up to support the olympics.
The Mosque was accused of "illegally" renovating the structure (the renovation took place in 1998), carrying out "illegal" religious activities aswell as storing "illegal" copies of the Holy Quran- which have also been seized alongside many people being detained.
On March 29 this year more than 50 Christians were arrested with their Bibles, books etc being confiscated for a "illegal" gathering in the Sichuan Province. A Mosque in the prodominantly Muslim Xinjiang province in China has been destroyed for not putting a sign up to support the olympics. ... more -
Mosque steps in to help raided church
A theif who strolled into St Alban's church (ilford) and stole charity money raised for Christian Aid has been replaced this week by Muslim worshippers from the nearby Ilford Mosque.
Ghazanfer Ali- Chairman of the Mosque says:
"We have a very good relationship with the church and we were all sad to hear the news. It's an absolute tragedy...We are friends and neighbours and we look after each another...There are people out and about who commit these awful crimes," he added.
Mr Ali meets with Father David Milnes on Redbridge Three Faiths Forum. A grateful Mr Milnes thanked members of the mosque.
He said: "It is a lovely gesture, I am really pleased".
Liberal Democrat Cllr Ralph Scott said:
"I'm delighted to be given this news of a practical example where one faith is being assisted by another, at a time of crisis.
"The mosque has always been an outward looking group, and shows Redbridge has reached maturity in building good community relations."
The theif is white, in his early 20's, has short hair & has a tatoo on his right arm.
A theif who strolled into St Alban's church (ilford) and stole charity money raised for Christian Aid has been replaced this week by M... more -
Italy's Muslim community lead fight against drugs.
A mosque on the northern outskirts of the Italian city of Milan is taking the lead in a new initiative to fight drugs.
On Friday a seminar entitled 'Together with young people against drugs', in collaboration with the region's United Nations office and the local council. The conference is aimed at volunteers from local Islamic communities and others who follow issues affecting young people in other Italian cities, particularly those with high immigration.
The speakers are international experts on the prevention and fight against drugs.
"This initiative is related to the social activities that the Islamic centre organises and is not only directed at Muslims but everyone," event organiser, Ibrahim Chabani, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
"We have seized this opportunity to hold this course with experts that are cultural mediators that have settled in well in our community."
The mayor of Sesto San Giovanni, Giorgio Oldrini, Milan's deputy police commissioner Paola Morsiani and Dubai police chief Mansoor Y. Al Gargawi will take part in the event.
A mosque on the northern outskirts of the Italian city of Milan is taking the lead in a new initiative to fight drugs. ... more -
Group puts faith in dialogue
Visitors were invited to a Heckmondwike mosque to learn about the links between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Members of the Kirklees Discussion Group were shown around the prayer hall at the Jamia Mosque on Jeremy Lane, before a question and answer session.
Masoud Razaq, of the mosque said:
"The purpose of the visit was to explore the common similarities between the three great Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
"We made it clear to our guests to be open and frank with and ask any questions they had in mind.
"An interesting discussion took place and we could have gone on talking for hours, about the five pillars, the role of women in Islam, the Koran, as well as looking at extremism in all different faith communities."
President of the mosque, Haji Aurangzeb Khan said the mosque was committed to community cohesion.
"We shall try to do everything in our power to make sure people from different racial, ethnic or faith groups can live together in peace and not be influenced by a tiny minority of far-right racists and extremists," he added.
Visitors were invited to a Heckmondwike mosque to learn about the links between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. ... more -
Iran mosque blast plotters admit Israeli, U.S. links: report
"Iran's chief prosecutor said bombers who caused a deadly blast at a mosque in Shiraz had confessed of links to Israel and the United States, the ISNA student news agency reported on Friday.
"Those responsible for the attack against the Shiraz mosque have confessed to having links to worldwide oppression, in particular the United States and Israel," Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi was quoted by the agency as saying".
"Iran's chief prosecutor said bombers who caused a deadly blast at a mosque in Shiraz had confessed of links to Israel and the United ... more -
Miami's Catholics & Muslims come together to aid cyclone Nargis victims
Catholics and Muslims united to help Buddhists on Wednesday, as South Florida religious leaders announced a joint collection to benefit cyclone victims in Myanmar which is a mainly Bhuddhist nation.
The collection was set to start last weekend beggining at 18 mosques in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, plus the 120 parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Miami.
"This is not a Muslim or Catholic or Buddhist disaster; it's a human disaster," said Khalid M. Mirza, president of the Miami Gardens Mosque, site of a news conference announcing the campaign Wednesday. "Humans helping humans is a teaching of all religions."
The plan calls for the donations to be sent to the archdiocesan Catholic Charities, which will forward them to Caritas Internationalis, a Catholic relief agency. The Rev. Roger Holoubek, representing Archbishop John Favalora at the news conference, agreed with Mirza on the need for the faiths to cooperate on disaster relief.
"In Christianity, we are told to remove our shoes on holy ground, and I feel this is holy ground," said Holoubek, pastor of St. Maurice Catholic Church in Dania Beach. "It's holy ground when we work with Muslim sisters and brothers in helping victims of catastrophe."
Giving to Charity is a important part of both faiths, charity is also one of the 5 pillars of Islam.
Catholics and Muslims united to help Buddhists on Wednesday, as South Florida religious leaders announced a joint collection to benefi... more -
Kenyan Muslims launch food fund to save community
Some Muslim scholars have launched a fund to save the minority Boni community in Lamu from starvation. And the scholars have set off the Save the Boni Community Initiative by donating food worth more than Sh2.5 million.
National Muslim Council of Scholars executive director, Dr Mohammed Osman, said they were touched by an exclusive story in The Saturday Standard last month, that 350 members of the Boni had suffered food poisoning after feeding on sorghum seeds meant for planting.
The scholars yesterday flagged off three truckloads of food to Kiunga division where the Boni live. The consignment included maize meal flour, beans, powder milk, sugar, cooking oil and salt. He said the more than 40 tonnes of food was a small contribution to a community facing extinction due to serious historical injustices.
Osman appealed to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to donate some of the money raised for displaced persons to the Boni. He said the Boni have been IDPs since independence and their plight has never been addressed.
"The Boni have been living in Kenya as permanent IDPs, and it is sad that no one talks about them. Today they face extinction," said Athman.
Local District Commissioner, Mr Mumo Muathe, said more than half of 80,000 residents in the area face starvation.
Some Muslim scholars have launched a fund to save the minority Boni community in Lamu from starvation. And the scholars have set off t... more -
Jaipur's Muslim's: this is not jihad
JAIPUR: On Friday, the first jume ki namaz after Tuesday’s blasts tore the city apart, Johari Bazaar’s Jama Masjid echoed with the chants.
Along with Imam Syed Mufti Amjad Ali, worshippers prayed for peace to the departed souls, solace and strength to the injured and the affected families and reason in the minds of the terrorists.
“Let us pray to Allah to guide to perverted souls so that they start loving the human race and stop killing them without reason. Let us pray for those who were killed in the blasts and for those who sustained injuries. God may give strength to the families to bear the shock,” said the Imam. The devotees bowed in response.
“Jihad means saving people and guarding one’s religion. In India people from all religions live together peacefully and there is no threat to anyone so who is fighting with whom and for what? It cannot be termed ‘jehad’ in any sense,” the Imam later told DNA.
“Tamaam Muslim jammat ayesi vardaaton ki mukhalfat karti hai” (The whole Muslim community condemns such a ghastly act), he reiterated, adding people from all religions were affected by the blasts.
Tuesday’s blasts included 12 Muslims among the dead and 30 in the list of injured, a spokesperson of the Rajasthan Muslim Forum said. He said businesses of several traders from the community were also hit. “Terrorists don’t have any religion and they just want to disturb communal harmony in otherwise peaceful nations like India. At least 20% of the Muslim community suffered due to the blasts. Where is the jehad?” he wondered.
JAIPUR: On Friday, the first jume ki namaz after Tuesday’s blasts tore the city apart, Johari Bazaar’s Jama Masjid echoed with the ch... more -
Friday namaz for Jaipur blast victims
JAIPUR: It was a prayer with a difference. On 16th May on Friday, thousands of Muslims, who congregated at the Jama Masjid at Johri Bazar, offered "special namaz" in memory of serial blast victims.
The chief Imam (Syed Amzad Ali) led the devotees in grieving over the tragedy and in condemning the terror attack. He said "Killing an innocent person is like killing the entire humanity and saving an innocent is considered saving the entire humanity," while reciting the holy Quran sermons. He strongly condemned the blasts that claimed 63 lives and left over 250 injured.
Imams at other mosques in the city also talked peace. Soon after the prayers, a meeting was called by Muslim clerics to discuss the situation arising out of the blasts. At the meeting also, special prayers were held.
There were condemnations all around. Sahnawaz Khan of Lohari mosque ghat gate said the perpetrators of terror have nothing to do with any religion. "There motive was to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims," he said and added their purpose won't be served.
This Friday's prayers were held amid high security. Police teams were seen frisking devotees before they entered the mosque. Volunteers also kept a strict vigil on the prayer venue. JAIPUR: It was a prayer with a difference. On 16th May on Friday, thousands of Muslims, who congregated at the Jama Masjid at Johri Ba... more -
New York imam forges close ties with city's Jews
The largest Mosque in NY, the ICC, is getting applause from the city's influential Jewish community. Mohammad Shamsi Ali is the Mosque's Indonesian born-imam.
Rabbis who've spoken there call it an open and welcoming community. The Jewish Theological Seminary and the ICC are planning a joint soup kitchen for the homeless. The mosque is organizing an inter-religious studies program for teenagers.
"What I heard Shamsi Ali preach was as fine a sermon on brotherhood as has ever been preached," said Visotzky, professor of midrash (scriptural interpretation) and inter-faith studies across town at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Marc Schneier spoke at the ICC last year and invited the imam to speak in his Synagogue last month:
"It was impressive when he spoke to the congregation about Israel's territorial integrity and how suicide bombings are a perversion of the Koran and Islam."
The imam has taken part in the prayer at an inter-faith memorial service in Yankee Stadium two weeks after the September 11 attacks. Ali has also been active in larger inter-faith initiatives such as the National Dialogue of Muslims and Catholics and Imams and Rabbis conferences in the United States and abroad. The largest Mosque in NY, the ICC, is getting applause from the city's influential Jewish community. Mohammad Shamsi Ali is the Mosque... more -
Jews of Iran are not celebrating Israel's anniversary
Iranian Jews are not celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary. Why?...
because as a Iranian Jewish leader Morsadegh put it, it was in protest of Israel's responsibility for the "murder of totally innocent Palestinian civilians." and also said Israel's policies toward Palestinians, particularly Gazans, demonstrated "anti-human behavior ... they kill innocent people."
Iran has the largest Jewish community in the M.E. outside of Israel where relations between Muslims and Jews is generally peaceful despite what most in the West think and it even has a Jewish member in the Iranian parliament! Iran even has its own Jewish charity hospital where Muslims and Jews work together.
The Jewish leader then went on to say that Jews enjoy freedom of religion in Iran as demonstrated in Austraila's SBS current affairs show "Dateline" on 'The Jews of Iran'
Iranian Jews are not celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary. Why?... ... more -
Little Mosque sitcom gives CBC highest ratings in over a decade!
A Canadian channel (CBC) gained its highest for a decade with 2.1 million viewers for the first episode of the rib tickling Muslim sitcom, in a country where 1 million viewers is a hit!
This is a fantastic opportunity for removing stereotypes through humour!
A Canadian channel (CBC) gained its highest for a decade with 2.1 million viewers for the first episode of the rib tickling Muslim sit... more -
Deadly blast strikes Iran mosque
A police official said a home-made bomb had been planted in the mosque, Fars reported.
The agency said the explosion occurred at around 2100 (1630 GMT) and could be heard a mile (1.5km) away. The Irna news agency said it broke the windows of many nearby houses.
The last major bombing, in the south-eastern city of Zahedan in February last year, is believed to have been carried out by the Sunni Baluchi militant group, Jundallah. A police official said a home-made bomb had been planted in the mosque, Fars reported. ... more -
Qatar, the least corrupt Middle Eastern nation?
I travelled to Qatar in the middle East to work alongside other documentary film makers and explore Transparency International's claim that Qatar is the least corrupt of all Arab nations. What does this mean? what is life like for residents? The Amir now allows parliamentary elections but why is his power unaffected by these supposedly democratic processes? these questions are all explored as well as the issue of where power lies in the nation and what may be in store for it's future. I travelled to Qatar in the middle East to work alongside other documentary film makers and explore Transparency International's claim... more
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Midwest Muslim
VC² producer Brock Williams explores a Muslim mosque in Missouri and finds out what it's like being a Muslim in the Midwest and what stereotypes have to be overcome. VC² producer Brock Williams explores a Muslim mosque in Missouri and finds out what it's like being a Muslim in the Midwest and what s... more
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I Am Ahmed Ahmed
Since moving to Los Angeles seventeen years ago, comedian Ahmed Ahmed has
been challenging stereotypes and using humor to take on religious and political sacred cows. As an Arab- and Muslim-American, Ahmed is able to comment on post-9/11 tensions in ways that most comics cant. In the tradition of great minority comics, Ahmed toys with audience expectations and breaks down walls of misunderstanding. Since moving to Los Angeles seventeen years ago, comedian Ahmed Ahmed has ... more
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