Islami News: Sep 13, 2009

UK Muslims Against "Stop Islamization of Europe"

Fact

- Islam is the second religion in the UK with about 2.5 million Muslims

- The Muslim population of the UK has grown 30-fold since the beginning of the 1980s

- The name Mohammed is the second most common name in England and Wales and by far the most popular in both London and the West Midlands

UK’s laws on incitement to religious hatred are currently far weaker than the corresponding ones on inciting racial hatred and it is precisely this loophole that the far right have been exploiting to foment hatred of Muslims.

The Communities Secretary in the UK government, John Denham MP, has forcefully spoken out against and condemned right-wing groups for deliberately trying to provoke violence on the streets by inciting hatred against British Muslims.

Denham was speaking after events this Friday – the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks– outside Harrow Mosque in North West London where the English Defense League (EDL) and the Stop Islamization of Europe (SIOE) group had tried to organize a planned demonstration.

The EDL deny that they are anti-Muslim and say that they are merely protesting against what they describe as ‘militant Islam’. However, their supporters at previously organized demonstrations in Luton and Birmingham have been photographed openly holding up provocative banners saying 'No More Mosques' and chanting racist slogans such as "I hate Pakis more than you" – protests which had then quickly descended into violence.

The Anti-Fascist Presence

On Friday, however, there was a very strong anti-fascist presence organized by local Muslims and the Unite Against Fascism organization while the EDL supporters were heavily outnumbered. There were very regrettably also a number of clashes with the police reported.

The BBC reported Mr. Denham as saying that right-wing protesters were trying to provoke an "overreaction" from young British Muslims.

"Then people blame the people who overreact and the situation gets out of control. We know from the recent past that provocation can lead to community division and overreaction unless we nip it in the bud very quickly," he said.

The minister singled out the EDL in particular, "If you look at the types of demonstrations they have organized, the language used and the targets chosen, it looks pretty clear that it's a tactic designed to provoke, to get a response and create violence. It's important that we, right across government, make sure this does not happen. We need to make sure people realize we are going to deal with this and that people recognize there is not a need to tackle this through counter confrontation."

Denham was also quoted in the Guardian newspaper as saying, "The tactic of trying to provoke a response in the hope of causing wider violence and mayhem is long established on the far-right and among extremist groups. You could go back to the 1930s if you wanted to — Cable Street."

"A Very Welcome" Intervention

Denham was referring to the famous 1936 confrontation sparked by the British fascist and pro-Nazi leader Oswald Mosley's decision to march through the then-heavily Jewish East End of London. Mosley's followers were confronted at Cable Street by Jews, communists and anarchists, and a pitched battle ensued.

Denham's intervention will be viewed as a very welcome one by UK Muslims given the increasing boldness of the far right in openly targeting Muslims in recent months. There have been a number of arson attacks by suspected far right activists on mosques reported in recent months including in Luton, Bishop’s Stratford and Woolwich.

The EDL website says that they are planning additional rallies in the coming weeks in Manchester and Leeds, including one later today to coincide with the annual al-Quds Day demonstration.

Luton's Old Carpenter

The self-proclaimed leader of the EDL is a 28-year old carpenter from Luton who goes under the pseudonym Tommy Robinson. He says that he decided to set up the EDL after a small group of Muslim extremists from the al-Muhajiroun group in Luton held a widely publicized protest at the homecoming parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment in March this year where they held up placards which read "Butchers of Basra" and "Anglian soldiers go to hell”. The al-Muhajiroun protestors were vigorously denounced by mainstream Muslim organizations as being known troublemakers who were clearly intent on polarizing relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The Muslim Council of Britain – the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella body – has issued a statement urging British Muslims to "be vigilant and exercise caution in the face of growing provocation."

It is worth noting that the MCB did not appear to give backing to the anti-fascist groups who did so much to raise awareness of the EDL’s inflammatory antics and helped ensure that there was a large turnout on Friday to thwart the ambitions of the EDL and SIOE in Harrow.

Indeed, the MCB went out of its way in its press release to commend those who had "caution[ed] young Muslims against joining [the] counter-protests."

The MCB's Take

The MCB appears to be understandably concerned that some young British Muslims may allow themselves to be provoked into committing unlawful actions against the EDL and/or the police which will then in turn play into the hands of the far right.

However, whether the MCB’s aim of trying to dissuade Muslims from attending counter-protests rather than encouraging them to hold peaceful protests while ensuring better and more disciplined stewarding will succeed in the coming weeks is a moot point.

The "War on Terror" Generation

A younger generation of Muslims has now grown up with the so-called "war on terror", it has witnessed the relentless vilification, denigration and attacks on their community and faith, the state-sponsored promotion and funding of docile non-entities such as the Quilliam Foundation as a means of trying to marginalize more established and representative Muslim organizations and instead of being cowed or intimidated, they appear to be more than ready to stand up in defense of their rights as British citizens.

Denham’s strong denunciation of the far right’s tactics should be seen as a necessary first step. However, it is to be borne in mind that the UK’s laws on incitement to religious hatred are currently far weaker than the corresponding ones on inciting racial hatred and it is precisely this loophole that the far right have been exploiting to foment hatred of Muslims. It is to be hoped that the government will now look at this area afresh.

Inayat Bunglawala is an Advisor on Policy and Research at ENGAGE. He is also a spokesperson at the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). He also writes a regular blog column for the Guardian's popular Comment is Free website. Bunglawala has been active in UK Islamic organizations since he joined The Young Muslims UK in 1987. He has written pieces about Islam and current affairs over the past few years for The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Express, The Observer and The Sun. In August 2005, he was appointed by the Home Office as the Convener of a working group on Tackling Extremism.

British Science Festival: Knowledge For All

The British Science Festival is an annual event bringing together some of the best of what Britain has to offer, this year the festival was hosted by the University of Surrey and took place during the time from 5 to 10 September. Addressing numerous fields of study, the event is driven by the British Science Association, a registered charity whose objective is to introduce individuals from all walks of life to science.

Being the UK's largest science festival, approximately 80,000 individuals attended the many workshops, lectures, talks, debates, exhibitions and field trips.

Beginning with an association with the International Year of Astronomy, the University of Surrey held a star gazing event entitled "The Great Look Up" which brought astronomers and members of the public together to view the stars. Through binoculars and in some cases very large telescopes I managed to see craters on the moon, not to mention watch one of the moons of Jupiter slowly escape behind it!

As the festival scaled up, the market town of Guildford flooded with localized events. From a hands-on Zoo lab where children were introduced to the stages of growth of various small animals, to a hands-on experience with an electron microscope where every hour 5 individuals could have their hair placed into the microscope to see whether it was clean and healthy. In my case, I'm glad I had washed my hair that morning, but more so, took comfort in knowing that it is 60 microns wide, suggesting that I have thick healthy hair!

Due to space limitations, a number of events were held at nearby universities, such as a workshop on "Painting with Nanotechnology". My favorite for that day was an event held at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory which included amongst other things, a panel style competition where various PhD students introduced their research. This included a demonstration in which gummy bears at the end of kebab sticks were used to illustrate wave motion, to more fun applications such as the use of dry ice to create volcanoes and ice cream!

Sunday brought about a rather unique field trip, the opportunity to explore England's prehistoric southeast. While visiting archaeological and fossil sites at Boxgrove, which was home to the earliest European settlers, many were surprised to learn of human activity dating back over half a million years.

Muslims in Science

Science being an inclusive medium independent of faith, a number of talks were held on the contribution of Muslim scientists. One talk entitled "Copernicus and the Astronomy of Medieval Islam" illustrated that his heliocentric model of our solar system would not have been made possible without much earlier work conducted by Muslim scholars – such as Ibn al-Shathir - something which was illustrated in his own writings and diagrams.

Another entitled "Celebrating Muslim Heritage in Our World" included a string of evidences and facts, referencing the works of scholars such as Ibn al-Haitham who, besides his many achievements, is also acknowledged for explaining the phenomenon of rainbows.

What I found interesting was the acknowledgement that – for whatever reason – there existed a culture in Muslim countries not to acknowledge the efforts and contribution of womankind. For example, every illustration of the famous House of Wisdom in Baghdad, although attended by women as well, shows only men. It seems that history chooses to brush over their contributions, such as the works of Ijliya al-Astrulabi who contributed to the field of astronomy or even Fatima al-Fihri who constructed the first university in 859 AD in Fez, Morocco.

One interesting trinket of information was to learn that in a culture where everyone would rise when a king would enter a court, King Roger of Sicily would actually rise when the Muslim scholar al-Idrisi walked into the room, a sign showing there were moments in the past where knowledge was held in the highest regard.

Starting with the Babylonions, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians, to the Greeks, Romans, and various Muslim civilizations, and finally to the Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, and modern day civilization, it was refreshing to see the Festival accurately acknowledge the timeline of knowledge.

One of the most interesting features of the event was how it brought together some of our future scientists. One piece of research which stood out was entitled "Mirrors in the Mind" which demonstrated how a person seeing someone else experience an activity, such as a surfing on a wave, while not directly experiencing the same sensations the surfer may be feeling such as the wind and the texture of water, still uses the parts of the mind that experience these same sensations. Among the implications of this research is the understanding of concepts such as empathy.

No Shortage of Entertainment

While much of this event sounds serious, there was no shortage of entertainment coupled to science. The interactive Honesty Lab allowed participants to first understand the concept of theft, then illustrated how we as humans vary our interpretation of justice and accountability on the different levels of knowledge surrounding the act of theft.

For example, our interpretation of theft varies for someone who steals medicine from a pharmacy for money versus someone who steals medicine from a pharmacy to treat a sibling whose NHS trust has not given him that medicine, while the neighboring NHS trust would have if he lived in their catchment area. This particular event was an extremely enjoyable interactive demonstration of the letter and spirit of the law.

Other practical, but disturbing, concepts included the collection of carbon dioxide from power stations, compressing it, and then pumping it into the porous rocks underneath the depleted gas fields off the coast of the UK. Practical in that the UK could generate up to £10 billion a year from this business, but disturbing in that rather than developing non-polluting technologies we are looking at ways to manage technologies that continue to pollute.

Being a man, however, I found one of the most interesting talks was the one on the science of attraction. From visual stimuli such as how the symmetry of individual's faces contribute to attraction, to the chemistry of sweat and how individual's natural scents – pungent or otherwise – contribute to forms of attraction.

One of the scientists took the liberty of introducing a chemical created in her lab that mimics this natural attraction. Sadly, while this may be the same substance which draws attraction, the effect of the substance varies depending on who inhales it. While one member of the audience smelled toes another smelled flowers, in my case, I couldn't smell a thing; what this signifies I leave you the reader to guess!

There are simply far too many activities to mention. Next year, the festival will be held at the University of Birmingham. If it is anything like this year's events, I would strongly encourage you to attend, as, without a doubt, young or old, there will be something for everyone.

Farrukh I. Younus holds a master's degree in international business management and works in the emerging telecommunication industry across Europe and Asia. Dedicated to understanding and delivering solutions based on new technology, Younus has spoken on the subject to the European Parliament in Brussels, and regularly attends industry-leading conferences worldwide. His cross-cultural knowledgebase is strengthened with extensive international travel that includes visiting China on more than 25 occasions. He resides in Surrey, UK. You can contact him by sending an e-mail to HealthAndScienceATiolteamDOTcom.

Would Swine Flu Spoil Your Hajj?

By IOL Health & Science Staff

Would news on the infection of two Iranians that had recently returned from Umra (small pilgrimage) to Makkah with the H1N1 virus has brought back fears of the possible spread of swine flu during the Hajj season among Hajj pilgrims and hence the increased global spread of the illness.

Saudi health official are now recommending that anyone travelling to Makkah or Madinah should receive a seasonal flu vaccine at least two weeks prior. They are also recommending that pregnant women, children and chronically ill elderly persons should refrain from attending this year's Hajj.

With rates of infection in the Middle East being relatively low when compared to worldwide infection rates, the main concern comes from countries such as the US and the UK, both of which have large Muslim populations as well as high infection rates. The concerns are compounded by the high numbers of pilgrims travelling from these countries. Nearly 25,000 British Muslims are reported to attend the Hajj each year and presently the UK has had more than 9000 reported swine flu cases. About two million pilgrims are expected to perform the Hajj this November.

Several countries have issued advice to residents planning on attending this year's Hajj. Quarantine facilities have also been set up at Saudi airports to facilitate the isolation of any pilgrims suspected to have been infected with the virus.

Swat Taliban Leader Reportedly Surrenders

ISLAMABAD -- Maulvi Fazlullah, the local leader of Taliban in the restive Swat valley, has surrendered following a tacit agreement with the army under which his wife and three daughters have been released, according to well-placed army sources.

“He has surrendered in Manglore area of Swat on Thursday,” a senior intelligence official told IslamOnline.net, requesting anonymity for not being authorized to break the news.

“His arrest will soon be shown.”

Maulvi Fazlullah, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat (TTS) leader, has been in hiding since the army unleashed a massive military operation in the troubled valley in May.

His wife and three daughters, besides the family of Maulana Sufi Mohammad, his father-in-law, have been detained by security forces to force him to surrender.

The intelligence official says Fazlullah is being questioned by the army to hunt down the leftovers of his network.

“He is injured, but not badly. His surrender is not being shown because he is being grilled by the army officials so that his entire network can be crushed.”

Maulana Fazlullah, locally known as Maulana Radio because of his FM radio station, has been leading a two-year uprising that has devastated the Swat valley.

His TTS is a break-away faction of the non-violent Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shari’ah Mohammadi (TNSM) led by Maulana Sufi Mohammad.

The Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations, Major General Ather Abbas, denied the arrest.

“That is not correct,” General Abbass told IOL.

“Operations are being conducted to arrest all the terrorists including him."

The army announced last week the arrest of five top TTS leaders, including its chief spokesman Muslim Khan and senior commander Mahmood Khan, in Mingora, the capital of Swat.

Deal

The intelligence official said Maulvi Fazlullah had sent a message to senior army commanders in Swat that he is ready to surrender if his family was released.

“And he did that after his family was released.”

The official insisted there was no other condition except the release of Fazlullah’s family in the surrender deal.

“He will be dealt as per the law. No guarantee whatsoever was given for his surrender.”

Maulana Gayasuddin, a cousin of Sufi Mohammad and a close relative of Fazlullah, confirmed the release of their family members, but not the surrender.

“I don’t know about this. This is a mountaineer region, (where Fazlullah was hiding) and we have not been in contact with him,” he told IOL by telephone from Dir, an adjoining district of Swat, and the hometown of Sufi Mohammad.

But a senior journalist from Swat confirmed the news.

“He is very much with them (security forces),” he told IOL, requesting not to be named.

“The release of Maulvi Fazlullah’s family is the outcome of his surrender.”

Kashida for Bangladesh Suhur

DHAKA — Every night during Ramadan, Mohammad Yasin Islam Babu roams the alleyways of Madartek, in eastern Dhaka, a few hours before dawn to wake people up for their last meal before another day of fasting.

"Oh believers, rise up and eat your seheri [suhur] to start the fasting. Rise up to pray," chants Mohammad, 17, with a chorus of 8-10 young boys.

They also join voices in singing traditional religious songs, known as kashida.

Mohammad first organized his group three years ago and since then, they have become the Ramadan night-singers of their neighborhood.

Across Dhaka, hundreds of young Bangladeshis are engaged in the same old tradition of waking people up and take the pre-dawn suhur meal.

"We sing kashida songs that emphasize the importance of fasting and prayers," says Monjur Alam, another kashida singer in Dhaka.

During Ramadan, which is dedicated to spiritual growth, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

"Waking Muslims from sleeping to pray and have seheri is a divine duty," believes 60-year-old Alam, who has been a kashida singer for over 40 years.

The tradition began more than 150 years ago, when an Urdu-speaking young Muslim started the service in his neighborhood.

Later on, a young Bengali-speaking Muslim joined the initiative with Bengali songs.

Today, the Ramadan kashida are written by noted Muslim poets in Bangladesh, the world's third largest Muslim majority country.

Challenges

Struggling with changing times, the iconic feature of Bangladesh Ramadan is in danger of vanishing.

However, the iconic feature of Bangladesh Ramadan is in danger of vanishing.

"Over the past 15 years, young Muslims have been doing this service in every area of Dhaka," notes Alam, the kashida singer.

"Now the trend is dying out."

The tradition is struggling with changing times.

Alam recalls how the first half of the twentieth century was the golden time of kashida for seheri.

During that time, there was no microphones used in mosques, so Kashida singers where essential to wake Muslims up from their sleep during Ramadan nights to eat and pray.

Now, the service faces fierce competition from the fast technological advances in the Southeast Asian country, just like any where else in the world.

Many maintain that the tradition should be saved from extinction.

"Kashida for seheri is a service-oriented folklore," says A.H. M. Nurul Huda, a retired government official.

He believes that the tradition needs patronization from the government, Kashida poets and culture activists to adapt with modern times.

Hasan Alim, a noted Dhaka poet, agrees.

He also suggests that Muslim groups and mosques could help out by encouraging young Muslims to take part in the tradition.

"Kashida for seheri has been a cherished tradition for so long. It must be maintained as an Islamic and cultural heritage of Bangladesh."

Brooklyn’s Ramadan Drummer

CAIRO — A few hours before the break of dawn, Mohammad Boota leaps out of his bed, wears his traditional outfit, takes his drum and heads to the streets of in the New York’s borough of Brooklyn to wake Muslims for their last meal before another day of Ramadan fasting.

“They’re waiting for me,” Boota, a Pakistan immigrant, told the New York Times on Sunday, September 13.

During the holy fasting month, Boota turns at night from a limousine driver to the traditional Ramadan drummer who wakes Muslims for suhur, the pre-dawn meal.

Every night, while his wife, Mumtaz, prepares their family’s suhur, Boota dons a billowy red Pakistani shalwar kameez and a matching red turban and drives his car along the short stretch of Coney Island Avenue where he lives.

His first stop is usually in front of Bismillah Food, a small Pakistani grocery store.

After greeting everyone he meets, Boota stands in the sidewalk penumbra of the shop’s fluorescent light and begins to play on his drum.

“He’s a very popular man here,” one of the men said.

Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, started in North America on Saturday, August 22.

In Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

Most dedicate their time during the holy month to become closer to Allah through self-restraint, good deeds and prayer.

Just Pakistanis

For Boota, who immigrated to the US in 1992, drumming during the nights of the holy month is not only a Ramadan tradition, but also a family tradition.

He is a seventh-generation ceremonial drummer and is now training his 20-year-old son, Sher.

Boota, who began waking Brooklynites in 2002, says not everyone is thrilled with his drumroll wakeup call.

“Everywhere they complain,” he said.

“People go, like, ‘What the hell? What you doing, man?’ They never know it’s Ramadan.”

People would throw open their windows and yell at him, or call the police.

As the years went by, he and his barrel drum were effectively banned from one neighborhood after another.

Eventually, Boota now restricts himself to the Muslim-majority Coney Island Avenue, where many Pakistanis live.

To avoid bothering some non-Muslims in the neighborhood, he has even modified his approach, playing at well below his customary volume, for only about 15 to 20 seconds in each location.

“I don’t want people unhappy,” Boota asserts.

“I don’t want to bother other communities’ people. Just the Pakistani people.”

US Fund Cuts Ties with Settlement Financier

CAIRO — Under pressure from rights activists and investors, the US Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF) divested from an Israeli company involved in settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian land.

"TIAA-CREF no longer owns shares in Africa-Israel Investments Ltd," the fund said in statement cited by the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot on Sunday, September 13.

"While a small number of shares of Africa-Israel Investments Ltd. were held in the CREF Stock Account, since June 30, 2009 they are no longer held in the Account following their removal from an emerging markets index that the Account tracks."

The New York-based Adalah Coalition for Justice in Middle East has sent a letter to TIAA-CREF, signed by 60 of its shareholders, urging the giant US pension fund to divest from the Israeli company.

It accused Africa Israel of violating human rights and international laws by supporting settlements activities on occupied Palestinian lands.

The Africa-Israel Investments Ltd is owned by Israeli billionaire and diamond magnate Lev Leviev, know by his support for settlement expansions.

Through it subsidiary, Danya Cebus, Africa-Israel subcontracted the building of a Jewish settlement on the land of the Palestinian village of Bil'in.

It is also building housing units in other settlements, cutting the holy city of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) from the rest of the occupied West Bank.

Leviev, who has served in the Israeli army, is a major contributor to the Land Redemption Fund, a Jewish group accused of intimidation and strong-arms tactics to secure Palestinian lands for settlement construction.

Campaign

Adalah regretted that the multi-billion dollar financial services and retirement firm still invests in other Israeli companies participating in settlement activities.

"Despite the recent divestment from Africa-Israel, the new June 30th TIAA-CREF report indicates that the fund continues to invest clients' money in a number of companies supporting Israeli settlement activity including Israel Discount Bank, Cellcom Israel, Bezeq Israeli Telecommunications Corp, Bank Leumi, and Motorola, among others."

TIAA-CREF, a Fortune 500 company, holds $400 billion in assets and has 3.6 million investors across 15,000 academic institutions in the US.

There are more than 164 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, eating up more than 40 percent of the occupied territory.

The international community considers all Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land illegal.

Adalah-NY is championing a campaign against Africa-Israel Investments for human-rights violations.

In May, eleven organizations called on the Norwegian Government Pension Fund, reportedly the fifth-largest shareholder, to divest from Africa-Israel.

The investment giant BlackRock, Africa-Israel’s seventh largest investor, has already had divested from the company.

Swedish activists have informed Adalah-NY that the Swedish pension fund AP1, reportedly the tenth largest investor in Africa-Israel, had also divested from the company.

Aussie Muslims Want `Eid Day Off

SYDNEY — Australian Muslims called Saturday, September 12, for the government to recognize their religious holidays, following a proposal allowing Christian employees to observer their religious holidays.

"There are only two Muslim public holidays, so it is not a lot to ask," Keysar Trad, president of the Muslim Friendship Association, told the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

He was referring to `Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and `Eid Al-Adha, which marks the end of hajj.

Trad’s call came a day after the New South Wales government has introduced a bill allowing employees to refuse to work on Christian-oriented holidays.

"It's about allowing workers to spend time with their families," said a spokesman for New South Wales Minister for Industrial Relations John Hatzistergos.

The bill, introduced to the parliament on Friday, bans shops from opening at Christmas, Easter, Boxing Day and Good Friday to give retail staffs more time to spend with family.

Any business owner who wants to work in these days should prove compelling demand from the local community.

"It's not about enshrining something for religious reasons, it's about protecting workers rights," said the spokesman.

Discrimination

Trad, the Muslim leader, said Muslims and workers of other faiths are also entitled to a break.

"I know Muslim workers face problems asking for their public holidays off work at the moment."

He said that Australian Muslims feel being discriminated against by ignoring their religious holidays.

"It does give the impression that we are a solely Christian nation.

"It raises the issue of other religions too, whether you are Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim.”

Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.5 percent of its 20-million population.

A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.

Trad said that recognizing the Muslim religious holidays will help promote society cohesion.

"Celebrating other faith's public holidays, actually, is excellent for community relations."

CAIR Applauds Decision to Allow Hijab in Georgia Courts

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/24/09) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today applauded a decision by the Judicial Council of Georgia to allow religious attire such as Islamic headscarves, or hijab, in that state’s courtrooms.

SEE: Muslim Headscarves to be Allowed in Georgia Courtrooms (Atlanta Journal)

In a press release issued today, the Judicial Council of Georgia said in part:

“The measure stems from the December 2008 arrest of Lisa Valentine after she refused to remove her hijab, the head scarf worn by Muslim women. She said to do so would violate her faith. But Judge Keith Rollins of the Douglasville Municipal Court found her in contempt of court and ordered her to serve 10 days in jail.

“The incident prompted a formal complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Anti-Defamation League, Council on American-Islamic Relations and American Civil Liberties Union also lodged complaints.

SEE: Muslim’s Scarf Leads to Arrest at Courthouse (Atlanta Journal)

The new policy states:

“’Head coverings are prohibited from the courtroom except in cases where the covering is worn for medical or religious reasons. To the extent security requires a search of a person wearing a head covering for medical or religious reasons, the individual has the option of having the inspection performed by a same-sex officer in a private area. The individual is allowed to put his or her own head covering back on after the inspection is complete.’”

“We applaud the decision of the Judicial Council of Georgia to uphold freedom of religion and unencumbered access to the legal system for Georgians of all faiths,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “This decision once again demonstrates that America is a diverse and inclusive nation.”

Hooper said CAIR recently expressed concerns about a proposed Oregon law that would reinforce an existing ban on religious attire for teachers in that state.

SEE: Oregon Bill Reinforces Ban on Muslim Teachers

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

Saderat 4th Islamic Bank

Asia Banker Institute has introduced Iran's bank Saderat as the fourth biggest bank in Muslim World with capital of $39.319 billion.

According to the public relations office of Saderat Bank , the institute also announced that 40 percent of the total assets of 100 great international Islamic banks are being held by Iranian banks.

Bank Saderat was founded in 1952. Currently, it is considered the biggest Iranian private bank with 3,300 panches inside and 21 panches outside the country.

It leads the banking system in terms of applying modern technology and practices.

Iranian banks account for about 40 percent of total assets of the world's top 100 Islamic banks, with Bank Melli Iran (BMI) showing as the largest in the list.

The world's top 100 Islamic banks managed to increase their assets by 66 percent last year to more than $580 billion as against $350 billion in 2007, while their rivals were trying to deal with the global financial downturn, an analysis by Asian Banker has found.

BMI , with assets of $45.5 billion, was standing at the top of the 100-bank's list in terms of assets, while Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank came in second, the research said.

Other Iranian banks, Bank Mellat with $39.7 billion and Bank Saderat Iran with $39.3 billion come next in the list as Kuwait Finance House with $38.2 billion stands in the fifth rank.

"Iranian banks are still the predominant Islamic banking players, holding seven out of the top 10 ranks and 12 of the 100," The Asian Banker said in its research.

Islamic banks in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait together carve out nearly another 40 percent of total assets, at a time when their conventional rivals were struggling to deal with the global financial crisis, the report said.

Meanwhile, The Asian Banker believes that BMI may not stay at the top of the list for much longer as its assets did not increase last year.

"This may be due to the European Union freezing the bank's assets, which has shrunk the bank's lead over Al Rajhi Bank to just 4 percent from 40 percent the previous year," it said.

The Absence Of Zakat's Impact On Yemen's Economy

Zakat, alms Muslims are required to give to the poor, provide the government with a significant amount of revenue, but the funds are often mishandled despite a 1999 law intended to regulate and streamline the practice, according to academics and officials.

"Unfortunately, local councils, which now are authorized to collect zakat duties do not distribute revenues to the poor and the needy," said Dr. Mohammed Jupan, professor of economics at Sana'a University. "Most of zakat revenues that local councils collect are spent as rewards and travel expenses for councils' members."

Zakat makes up less than .18 percent of Yemen's GDp, according to an online study by Studies and Economic Media Center this year.

"In general, zakat has a big role in any society, but in Yemen, its role is scattered and unclear in terms of its impact on Yemen's economy," said Jupan.

Although there is an administration for zakat duties in Yemen which collects the duties and submits revenues to the government, Jupan thinks that the role of zakat in Yemen's economy is still absent.

"We notice that the amount that the General Administration of Zakat Duties gathers is very little and does not exceed 10 percent of duty amounts that should be collected," pointed out Jupan.

According to information from the General Administration for Zakat Duties in Sana'a, the government spends more than twice as much providing for poor families than it collects in zakat revenue.

The total 2008 zakat revenue in Yemen was YR 8 billion (USD 40 million) and the Social Welfare Fund alone spends around YR 20 billion (USD 100 million) on poor families in the country.

"Collecting zakat duties is also done by individual efforts from some charitable organizations that distribute it as aid to needy families," said the professor. "But the distribution is done inaccurately, which leads some families to get aid from more than one organization, whereas other poor and needy families receive nothing."

Charitable organizations also collect zakat duties in Yemen because the law allows merchants retain 25 percent of the money they are required to pay, in order to personally distribute it to the poor.

Jupan suggested establishing a specialized corporation that is authorized to collect and distribute revenues to avoid duplication in distribution.

The professor said this measure would reduce poverty. According to 2008 UN statistics, 45 percent of the people in Yemen live on less than USD 2 a day. Extra zakat revenues can then be used to he lp unemployed young people that lack direction.

Additionally, Jupan said that if zakat revenues were distributed efficiently, there would be income redistribution flowing money from rich to poor. Zakat will activate the economy because poor families will spend more money.

"The current authority of zakat duties does not do the task properly as evidenced by the fact that there is no tangible impact of zakat on Yemen's economy," said the professor.

"If zakat duties were collected correctly, zakat revenues would have reached around YR 100 billion (USD 500 million)" said Jupan.

A study by the Studies and Economic Media Center about the reality of zakat authorities in Islamic countries also pointed to failings within collection systems.

All Islamic countries have weak collecting systems, including Yemen, it says. The study attributes the weaknesses to bad performance of officials and flimsy legislative structures.

Mohammed Kawkaban, the general manager of the General Administration for Zakat Duties in Sana'a, admitted that challenges deter the improvement of collection performance.

"performance of any foundation is connected with the level of awareness and efficiency of its employees," he said. "Frankly, the employees of the General Administration for Zakat Duties in Sana'a and its panches are still not qualified."

"We need to organize specialized training courses for our employees in zakat accountancy, how to deal with zakat payers and training courses for all employees including managers in Islamic law of zakat," said Kawkaban.

He recommended building a network to facilitate counting the zakat revenue. The total amount collected in Yemen has not been accurately counted for seven years, he added.

He suggested awareness campaigns because many people are ignorant of zakat issues and some of them think that people only one have to pay one duty and the end of Ramadan, and are not aware of other kinds of zakat, such as commercial item zakat and income zakat.

According to Kawkaban, the total revenue from zakat in Sana'a is increasing since in 2008 reached over YR 5 billion (USD 25 million) whereas in the first half of 2009 alone reached over YR four billion (USD 20 million).

Zakat Al-Fitr

Zakat al-fitr is required at the end of Ramadan from every Muslim who has the sufficient food, according to the Yemeni law.

According to Islamic literature, companion to proph et Mohammad Ibn Umar said, "The prophet (pBUH), imposed a payment of one sa'a [2.5 kilograms] of dates or one sa'a of barley or one sa'a of wheat as zakat al- fitr from every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave."

The purpose of zakat al-fitr is to purify Muslims from indecent acts or speech they may have committed while fasting, as well as to help the poor.

According to Islam, it is important that this zakat is paid before the Eid Al-Fitr prayers take place at the end of Ramadan. Some Islamic schools say it must be paid in foodstuff. However, Yemeni law allows people to give money instead of the required amounts of food, as long as the value is equal.

Some religious scholars also say that Zakat Al-Fitr can be given as money equal to quantity of foodstuff. That means if you are the head of a family of seven, you have to give eight sa'as of wheat, or the most served food in the country, or the value of this quantity.

Muslims all over the world are obliged to pay this kind of zakat. In some Arab and Islamic countries, it is the responsibility of the government to collect this zakat and in other countries non-governmental charitable organizations do this job.

In Yemen, it is the government that does this task through the General Administration for Zakat Duties.

Zakat al-fitr revenues increase yearly because, unlike other zakats, every Muslim who is not poor is required to contribute, and the Yemeni population is growing rapidly.

In 2008, zakat al-fitr in Sana'a revenues were about YR 272 million (USD 1.3 million) compared to about YR 187 million (USD 935,000) the year before according to Kawkaban, general manager of the administration.

Zakat on commercial items

Another kind of Zakat required by Islam applies to wealthy Muslim merchants. Traders are obliged to pay charity out of their commercial revenues, and in Sana'a, most zakat revenue is commercial.

Merchants are obliged to pay 2.5 percent of the value of commercial items they own for a full year. For instance, if he or she has commercial items worth YR 600,000 (USD 3,000), and one year of ownership passes and he or she still owns the property, YR 15,000 (USD 75) must be paid.

Zakat of livestock

In Islam, farmers are required to give animals that can be utilized, including camels, cows and sheep.

The animals have to have a minimum value, owned for one year for the farmer to be required to pay. The animals also must be grazing, as apposed to doing work such as plowing, watering, and carrying weights or riding.

Zakat of sheep

Far mers who own 40 to120 heads of sheep for the entire year, which are grazing, are required to give one sheep as zakat. Farmers that own 121 to 200 have to give two sheep. If they own more, they have to give one more sheep for every hundred that they own.

Zakat of camels

people that have five camels or more are required to and if he or she does have less than that, no charity is imposed.

If a Muslim farmer owns five camels for the entire year, he or she is required to give one sheep for every five camels- up 25 camels. Farmers that own 25 camels must give bint mukhadh (a 1-year-old female camel). And if it was reached 36 camels he or she must give bint laboon (a 2-year-old camel). The required donation continues to increase, with the amount of camel's owned by the farmer.

Zakat of cows

A farmer that has 30 or more cows and is also required to contribute livestock.

If the Muslim farmer owns 30 to 39 cows, he or she must give one, 1-year-old calf. If he or she owns 40 to 59, the duty is a cow that is two years old.If he or she owns 60 to 69, the duty is two calves.

However, this kind of zakat in Yemen can be paid with money that has the same value as the animals.

Who is entitled to be given the zakat?

Yemeni law says the that zakat revenue must be distributed to the poor, the needy, those employed to administer zakat, recent converts to Islam, to free the captives and slaves, debtors, in the cause of Allah, and to travelers.

Special administration against those who refuse to pay

In the General Administration for Zakat Duties, there is a special administration for those who underpay or refuse to pay zakat duties, according to Kawkaban.

"This administration sends a letter notifying him to pay the duty and gives him one month as an extension," explained Kawkaban

"If he or she, after this extension, does not pay, the administration again gives him extra month but if he refuses to respond, the administration refers him to prosecution," added Kawkaban.

"Many cases have been referred to prosecution," said the manager.

By Ali Saeed

Malaysia Biggest Issuer of Sukuk

S&P report: It accounts for 45% of US$9.3b new issuances

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is the biggest issuer of sukuk in the first seven months of the year, comprising 45% of US$9.3bil worth of new issuances, according to a recent report by Standard & Poor’s Rating Direct (S&P).

Saudi Arabia contributed 22% of sukuk issued for the same period. The total issuance, nonetheless, reflects a 20% drop compared with US$11.1bil issued in the corresponding period in 2008 due partly to the challenging market conditions and drying up of liquidity, as well as less supportive economic environment in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

S&P expects growth in the UAE to be flat or slightly negative in 2009, down from more than 7% in 2008, mainly because of the country’s economic slowdown and the steep fall in oil prices. In the first seven months, the government of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah issued the only sukuk in the UAE, for US$400mil.

Asia, meanwhile, has taken the lead in driving the expansion of the sukuk market with over 60% of issuance coming from this region.

The first seven months of the year saw similar number of sukuk coming onstream versus a year ago, of about 70 issuances. Saudi Electric Co was the largest sukuk issuer of US$1.8bil.

US dollar-denominated sukuk rose to 20% of total issuance, an improvement from only 10% of issuance in 2008, indicating the progressive return of the greenback as one of the main currencies for sukuk issuance.

Sovereign-related sukuk still dominates the market, accounting for three quarters of new issuances in the first seven months.

“Sovereign issuance will continue to drive market growth for the remaining months of the year because investors are shying away from corporate issuance in these turbulent times,” S&P said.

Another major development this year is the default of several sukuks, including Kuwait-based The Investment Dar Co KSCC due to a general debt-restructuring programme, and Saudi Arabia-based Saad Group, which defaulted on some of its debts.

The foreign research house said these episodes reminded investors that default could happen in the sukuk market.

“The default of several sukuks was possibly partly responsible for the slowdown in issuance. On the upside, these defaults should provide the market with useful information on how sukuk will behave following default,” it added.

S&P still views the pipeline for sukuk issuance as healthy as the market continues to attract interest from an increasing number of issuers in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

It noted that several stakeholders were trying to reduce some of the hurdles that still impeded the market development of sukuk, like the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions’ intention to screen products and services for syariah compliance and Malaysia giving legal status to the National Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara as the final arbiter.

“These steps could increase investors’ confidence in the syariah-compliant aspect of the products and services,” the foreign research house said, adding that the creation of the Saudi sukuk and bond market under the Tadawul (the Saudi stock exchange) was another positive development.