Muslims, Eids, and Having Fun

There indeed is a lot of misunderstanding prevailing among Muslims, as well as non-Muslims, about the Islamic point of view of celebration. There are Muslims who imagine that any kind of celebration is out of place, since this world is ephemeral and is meant as a testing ground for humans.

From their point of view, what matters is the Hereafter, and so anyone who finds any occasion in this life as worthy of marking as joyful is terribly wrong. This view is the result of a gross misunderstanding about the life of this world as envisioned in Islam.

Indeed, God Almighty has designed this world as a testing ground for all of us. And the test consists of the manner in which we use the blessings the Creator has bestowed upon us. Isn't it natural and necessary on our part to be thankful to the All-Merciful by being happy in receiving the blessings He has showered upon us?

If so, isn't it expected of us to express that happiness in an appropriate fashion? By celebrating the gifts of God, we express our gratitude to Him; and in this way, we demonstrate that we are utterly dependent on God and that we are totally helpless without His guidance and mercy.

The prominent Muslim scholar, Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, writes:

Laughter or joy is part of the instinctive feelings created in humans, and Islam, being a religion that calls man to the natural phenomenon of monotheism, is not expected to forbid humanity from expressing such natural feelings. On the contrary, it welcomes pleasure. A Muslim should develop a positive and optimistic personality, and not a gloomy and pessimistic one that is negative towards life. One must try to follow the good example set by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on this aspect. Despite his enormous responsibilities, he always had time for jokes; however, he never lied when joking. On many occasions the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) shared in the good cheer of his Companions; he’d joke with them and have fun. But as he shared in their joy, he shared in their sorrow. (Al-Qaradawi)

We should never lose sight of the fact that Islam is a complete way of life, as it covers every aspect of our lives. It is most important to show the world that Islam brings great happiness to our lives.

In fact, Islam brings us total hope in the bounty and mercy of the Almighty. And as for the trials and tribulations of this life, God has equipped us with whatever we need to cope with them.

We should remember that Islam is beautiful and we need to show the whole world this fact by our speech, actions, and manners. At the same time, we should take care not to exceed the limits set by Allah Almighty and His Prophet.

And so, fun and enjoyment in Islam does not mean unbridled festivities, or indulgence in celebration that go beyond all barriers of commonsense and decorum. We have to confine our celebration within the bounds of the permissible (halal), and not to overstep them into the doing of the forbidden (haram) things.

In Islam, celebration itself is a form of worship, as it is organized quite in accordance with the guidance of Allah and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And for the same reason, formal worship does not cease even during the middle of celebration.

A believer should be careful to observe the five daily Prayers as well as to observe all other religious duties incumbent upon him or her. Every aspect of a Muslim's life, including the occasions of festivities, is devoted to Allah Almighty. There is no way a Muslim can ignore the limits of religion to let oneself go and have a "spree" as it were.

There is never a moment when Muslims can "forget" their God or themselves. At the same time, they can enjoy all the blessings Allah has bestowed upon them, carefully observing the limits Allah has set. That is to say, while using God's blessings in this world, they should direct their efforts in such a way that they will ultimately take them to the home of the Hereafter Allah has prepared for His righteous servants.

Allah Almighty commands us in the Quran:

[But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the home of the Hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this world: but do thou good, as Allah has been good to thee, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief.] (Al-Qasas 28:77)

This means that celebration, as well as all other engagements of ours, should be undertaken with responsibility. Celebration taken in this manner is quite amazing even in the eyes of the non-Muslims around us.

The foregoing means that a Muslim should not try to imitate other communities in the matter of having fun. The very word "fun" has an unseemly connotation in today's parlance. But the fun a Muslim can enjoy is pure and innocent.

It is basically different from, for instance, the kind of "fun" provided by the casinos and the night clubs of many a modern city. To Muslims, it is Islam that brings joy and happiness, and they are perfectly happy with the kind of joy and celebration Islam provides for. And so a Muslim is always at home with the natural simplicity of the Islamic way of life.

As occasions for celebration, Islam has decreed two festivals for the believers: they are the Eid al-Fitr and the Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, which is the lunar month following Ramadan. Immediately after the rigors of the month-long fasting, Muslims are permitted to enjoy a well-deserved day of celebration.

The feast after the fast is doubly enjoyable. It is a time for Muslim families and friends to share their happiness together. And so Muslims around the world celebrate the occasion with lights and decorations.

During the celebration, people dress in their finest clothes, give treats to the children, and visit friends and relatives. Eid al-Fitr is an occasion for the expression of gratitude to God Almighty, and so the celebration of the day begins with Prayer.

Muslims gather in the mosques and grounds to offer the congregational Eid Prayer. After the Prayer, they embrace and shake hands with one another in an overflowing spirit of brotherhood and solidarity.

Charity and the doing of good deeds, which formed the core of Ramadan, continue on Eid day as well. Muslims take care to see that on the Eid day, there is occasion for all — including the poor and the unfortunate — to celebrate. All the activities of the Eid day are designed to foster feelings of unity and mutual love.

Eid al-Adha is as simple as the other aspects of the Islamic faith. It is celebrated in connection with the hajj pilgrimage. It is an opportunity to worship Allah and to offer Him a sacrifice.

It is also an opportunity to emulate the actions of the common father of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths: Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).

It is the strength of a human being's faith that we commemorate during our celebrations on Eid al-Adha, as exemplified by Prophet Abraham's sacrifice. Symbolizing this monumental event in Prophet Abraham's life, Muslims offer an animal in sacrifice. The meat of the animal is distributed among friends, relatives, as well as among the poor.

Both the Eid days are occasions for togetherness and celebration as well as spiritual uplift and complete submission to the will of the Almighty.

Work cited:

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, "Does Islam Go Against Laughter?" 4 April 2004. Accessed 13 Sept. 2009.

Professor Shahul Hameed is a consultant to the Reading Islam Website. He also held the position of the President of the Kerala Islamic Mission, Calicut, India. He is the author of three books on Islam published in the Malayalam language. His books are on comparative religion, the status of women, and science and human values.

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Afghanistan Prepares for Election Run-off

KABUL — With more evidence emerging on massive fraud during last month’s presidential elections, Afghanistan is preparing for a potential run-off between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah. "If a run-off takes place, we will be ready," an official at the Independent Election Commission (IEC) told Agence France Presse (AFP) on Friday, September 18.

"We cannot wait, we have started getting ready."

Election officials have prepared new election papers in London to avoid any new fraud claims.

"Our colleagues are now in London, where they have designed and prepared the ballot papers to be printed for the run-off," the official said.

"We are printing the ballot papers in London for safety reasons, we could print them in Afghanistan but we decided not to do so to avoid fraud that could just undermine the run-off process."

The IEC released preliminary results of August 20 election this week giving Karzai a majority of 54.6 percent and former foreign minister Abdullah 27.8 percent.

Fraud has become the watchword of the Afghan polls, with allegations swirling about massive fraud in Karzai's favor.

The UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) ordered recounts at more than 2,500 polling stations, around 10 percent of the total, after it found "clear and convincing evidence of fraud".

EU observers also identified 1.5 million votes that could be fraudulent -- nearly a quarter of the total valid votes, and 1.1 of them cast for Karzai.

Abdullah has also shown no sign of conceding the vote, alleging state-engineered fraud and urging a run-off.

Defiant Karzai

However, President Karzai remained defiant, ruling out a second round over fraud allegations.

"Taking it to a second round or a runoff by engineering it in that direction, that is itself fraud and not the right thing to do," Karzai told CNN.

"It's against Afghan constitution."

Karzai said any fraud during last month’s elections was minimal and normal.

"It's unfortunately mainly in the international community that these allegations are coming," he said.

"I can assure you, the vote was true and fair. We cannot claim a wrong and then commit another wrong in order to make a right."

Under Afghan electoral law, a run-off should take place within two weeks of the final results being announced.

One Western official working with electoral authorities said Friday that mid-October seemed most likely.

Any later than early November and the weather would be too severe in mountainous regions, and a run-off would have to wait until early next year.

Karzai, however, did not rule out inviting Abdullah into a coalition government.

He said he would only do so to unite the country, not to respond to fraud allegations, which he insisted were false.

Karzai, first installed in the wake of the US-led military operation that ousted the Taliban in 2001, enjoyed a warm relationship with former president George W. Bush but Obama has distanced himself from the Afghan leader.

Senior US officials acknowledged they were in a bind over how to handle the election.

"I would tell you that there is no question that the nature of the election in Afghanistan has complicated the picture," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

Vice President Joe Biden said that if Afghans doubted the legitimacy of Karzai's government in a second term, it "makes everything considerably more difficult."

"That's why we have to follow the process to the end here," Biden, who as a senator once reportedly stormed out of a dinner with Karzai, told CNN.

"But to be honest to you, it would make this very hard to have a sustainable policy if the government with whom we're cooperating is viewed as illegitimate by the people -- in this case, the people of Afghanistan. But that's not determined yet."

Source: IslamOnline

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Bangladesh’s `Eid Gifts Shopping Spree

CAIRO — With preparations are in full swing to welcome `Eid Al-Fitr, Bangladeshi Muslims are shopping for gifts to offer for their beloved during the Muslim festival. "People are now coming in to buy presents for others as most are done with the preliminary shopping of clothes," Tipu Rahman, manager of a gifts shop at the city's Hatirpool area, told Bangladesh's first and leading online newspaper bdnews24.com Friday, September 18.

`Eid Al-Fitr is expected to start in Bangladesh on Monday according to astronomical calculations.

Ahead of the Muslim festival, thousands of Bangladeshis flock to the streets to buy new clothes and toys for children.

They are also buying traditional sweets in celebration of the feast.

`Eid greeting cards are also topping the list of `Eid gifts.

"Price of our greeting cards range from Tk 10 ($0.15) to Tk 1,000 ($14.52)" said Mahbub Zaman, a salesperson at the local paper product company.

Expensive `Eid greeting cards are also available.

A Hallmark shop at the upscale Kemal Ataturk Avenue has greeting cards costing up to Tk 6,000 ($87.11) per one.

`Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, is one of the two main Islamic religious festivals, together with `Eid Al-Adha.

After special prayers to mark the day, festivities and merriment start.

During `Eid days, families and friends exchange visits to express well wishes and children, wearing new clothes bought especially for `Eid, enjoy going out in parks and open fields.

Season

The `Eid shopping spree is a booming season for gifts sellers.

"When you open this card, it plays music,” Azmal Khan, who runs a gifts shop, says, as he shows his gifts to the shoppers.

“We also have some cards which has three to four parts of folding with hard cover envelopes and ribbons."

Showpieces are also among the best-selling of `Eid gifts.

"It seems people are finding showpieces as a nice thing for an `Eid present," said cashier Anwarul Huq.

Leather goods like wallets and card holders are also carving out a place in the `Eid presents market.

"A lot of customers are pouring in to buy moneybags and card holders,” said Alam, whose tiny shop at Elephant Road deals with leather goods.

“There are even ladies buying these men's item, definitely as presents."

Pre-`Eid sales account for nearly 70 percent of the shop owners’ yearly turnover, according to shop owners.

"This is the only time of the year when most people come in and buy gifts, otherwise sales is not that much," shop owner Mizanur Rahman said.

Source: IslamOnline

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33 Killed In Pak Suicide Attack

PESHAWAR: A suicide car bomb tore through a Pakistani market, killing 33 people and trapping victims under smashed shops on Friday, police said.

The explosion flung body parts across the bazaar and gutted shops in Ustarzai, a small town that lies between the garrison city of Kohat and Hangu, and has a history of sectarian unrest.

A spokesman for the little known Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi militant group claimed the attack.

The area was packed with shoppers buying food and delicacies for the weekend and Eid Al-Fitr holidays, which Pakistanis expect to start on Monday with the sighting of the new moon.

Bodies lay on the road and casualties were trapped under the debris from shops that caved in after the blast when the bomber rammed a jeep packed with 150 kilograms of explosives into another vehicle, police said.

Sohail Ahmad, a shopkeeper in the market whose left leg was broken in the attack, told AFP that he blacked out.

“I was standing in front of my shop when all of a sudden, a car blew up outside a restaurant. I went unconscious. I don’t remember anything else. When I came round, I was in hospital,” Ahmad said from his hospital bed.

Police spokesman Fazal Naeem in nearby Kohat said 33 people were killed and 56 others were wounded.

“There are 33 dead and more than 50 injured. Twenty-five have been identified while the rest are in a very bad condition. The bodies have been completely damaged,” said a North West Frontier Province police spokesman.

Police said the bomber came from the nearby Orakzai, the tribal district home of Pakistan’s new Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud who has vowed to avenge the death of his predecessor Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike.

“We cannot rule out the possibility that this was a sectarian-motivated attack,” said police officer Ali Hasan.

Source: Arab News

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Israel Bars Muslim Worshippers From Reaching Al-Aqsa

RAMALLAH: The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine Sheikh Mohammed Hussein said the general closure Israel imposed on the West Bank prevents thousands of Palestinian worshipers from attended the last Friday prayers of the Muslim month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (known by Muslims as Al-Quds).

The Israeli security establishment was on high alert Friday, the eve of Jewish New Year. The West Bank was put under a general closure at Thursday midnight, which will be lifted until after Monday.

At the same time, security activity in crowded areas, shopping centers, hitchhikers’ stations and trains has been increased. Particularly busy areas will be deemed “security territory” where temporary police stations will be set up for the public’s safety.

Police volunteers will secure many synagogues. In addition, security checks at international border crossings will be boosted and activity against illegal residents will continue.

Hussein told Arab News that nearly 150,000 Palestinian worshipers have reached Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest mosque after the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Since the early hours of Friday morning, thousands of Palestinian from across the northern West Bank cities Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin gathered at the Qalandiah crossing, north of Jerusalem, Al Aizariyah crossing to the east of Jerusalem, waiting in long-crowded rows to be allowed entry.

The Israeli security forces have allowed Palestinian married men aged 50 and over and women aged 45 and over to enter Jerusalem.

“Whereas Muslims from all around the world are holding the International Day of Al-Quds, the Israeli suppressive measures have prevented Palestinian worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa,” said Sheikh Hussein.

Al Quds Day is held each year on the last Friday of Ramadan. Rallies in support of Palestine are held in every capital of the world.

Source: Arab News

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World Commemorating International Quds Day

To commemorate the International Quds Day, people across the world are preparing to hold rallies in support of Palestinians.

Quds Day, designated by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is observed on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Mass rallies are held in different parts of the world on the occasion every year in solidarity with Palestinians and in condemnation of the occupation of Jerusalem (al-Quds).

Meanwhile millions of Iranians took to the streets in different cities to mark the annual Quds Day march in solidarity with Palestinians.

At the end of the rallies in Tehran, a statement was issued in support of Palestinians.

The statement said that the Iranians "support Palestinian resistance", adding that "Israel must avoid any new adventurism " in the region.

Participation in Quds day is not limited to Muslims. Muslims and non-Muslims in huge numbers all over the world, including Jews, demonstrate to renew their dedication to support the Palestinians and to condemn the Israeli occupation.

Source: Press TV

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A Palestinian State in 2 Years: Institutions for Economic Revival

A Palestinian State in 2 Years: Institutions for Economic Revival Date : 18/9/2009 Time : 16:23

WASHINGTON, September 18, 2009 (WAFA)- On August 25, 2009, the Palestinian Authority (PA) presented a program entitled 'Palestine: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State' (hereafter referred to as Program), which envisions the establishment of an independent state within two years. The following report from the World Bank Group analyzes some of the economic and development conditions necessary for achievement of this goal.

The Program accords high priority to institution-building. Substantial efforts are still required to remedy institutional weaknesses in two crucial sectors – the judiciary, where the institutional setup lacks a clear legal structure and mutually accepted competencies, and land management, where there are significant strategic and operational bottlenecks to expanded and expedited land registration. In addition, reform of the public finance management system is not yet complete. However, PA institution-building performance is generally satisfactory and it has demonstrated competence in the provision of basic services. Therefore, provided Gaza and the West Bank are reintegrated, the PA is well positioned to establish the institutional basis for Palestinian statehood in the near future.

Achievement of another central goal of the Program -- 'economic independence and national prosperity' -- requires more than well-functioning institutions, however. The Israeli closure regime, significantly tightened since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, has stymied Palestinian private sector growth. This growth is a key condition for the sustainable economic development required for fiscal independence.

Since the beginning of 2009, the Government of Israel (GoI) has taken significant steps to ease movement restrictions in the West Bank and to allow greater access to West Bank markets for Arab citizens of Israel. At the same time, the security environment in the West Bank has improved dramatically. Together these developments have led to increased investor confidence and more economic activity.

Access to markets outside the West Bank -- in Gaza, in Israel, and elsewhere in the world -- is still severely limited, however. In addition, much of the administrative system that undermines investor confidence and restricts access to natural resources, such as Area C land (which constitutes some 60 percent of the West Bank), water, and telecommunications frequencies, remains in place.

Therefore, even if the continued economic stagnation of Gaza is not included in the analysis, it is too early to conclude that the signs of new growth in the West Bank – though they may lead for the first time in years to positive Palestinian per capita GDP growth in 2009 -- represent a trend towards sustainable economic growth . Much of the growth appears to have been generated by donor spending, which rose significantly in response to Israel's recent military operation in Gaza, and may not be sustainable.

Indeed, the PA's fiscal position remains precarious and it is currently facing a $400 million financing gap for 2009. While PA performance in wage bill control has improved dramatically, overall expenditure control requires improvement -- total expenditures in the first half of the year were 12 percent higher than the budget target. No amount of restraint will, however, be sufficient to address the unsustainable deficits generated by revenue shortfalls. For the PA to approach its deficit target, revenues must substantially increase in the second half of 2009.

Net revenues, however, were more than 15 percent below budget target in the first half of 2009 and around 13 percent lower than the same period of the previous year. Therefore, unless further major steps are taken to enable sustainable private sector growth -- particularly by improving access to Israeli markets and to international ones, via either Israel, Jordan, or Egypt -- the PA will continue to require large amounts of donor aid for the foreseeable future.

Source: AJP

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President Abbas Receives Mitchell

President Abbas Receives Mitchell Date : 18/9/2009 Time : 16:01

RAMALLAH, September 18, 2009 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas received Friday at the Presidential HQ in Ramallah the U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Senator George Mitchell.

Following the meeting, the Head of the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department, Dr. Saeb Erakat, told reporters that Mitchell informed us that he did not reach yet an agreement with the Israelis, but the talks with them will continue.

Dr. Erakat said President Abbass , stressed that there would no compromise regarding halting the settlement activities.

Source: AJP

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Citibank Bahrain Enhances Islamic Banking Services

Manama- Citibank Bahrain and the Citi Islamic Investment Bank today unveiled a further enhancement to Citi's Islamic banking offering by launching the Shari'a-compliant Corporate Current Account.

The new account is targeted at corporate clients providing them with all the convenience and flexibility of a current account supported with a world class service experience. The account has been certified as Shari'a-compliant by the Shari'a Advisory Board of Citi Islamic Investment Bank comprising of eminent Shari'a scholars Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, Dr. Nazih Hammad and Dr. Mohammed Ali Elgari.

Furthermore, Citibank offers a range of Islamic investment options for corporate clients who wish to invest in Shari'a-compliant vehicles and maximize returns. These range from Sukuks (Islamic Bonds), Islamic mutual funds and customized structured notes.

Citibank Bahrain CEO, Mayank Malik, said: "Islamic banking is the fastest growing segment within Commercial Banking today, and the newly launched Shari'a-compliant current account for companies is part of our strategy to serve the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment. This is in line with our efforts to meet the needs of SMEs who form the backbone of any economy and are significant contributors to business activities in Bahrain."

Samad Sirohey, CEO of Citi Islamic Investment Bank and Head Global Islamic Banking, added: "Citi Islamic Investment Bank continues to innovate and support Citi's Global Banking platform and the roll out of the Islamic Current Account in Bahrain is another milestone in providing the full range of Sharia'a compliant banking products to Citi's customers."

Citi has been in the Middle East for nearly 50 years and currently offers consumer-banking services in Bahrain, UAE and Egypt. In the Kingdom of Bahrain alone, Citibank, the consumer banking arm of Citi, has had a presence for the past 20 years, and is expanding its major operations within the country.

Citibank Bahrain is a top provider of Wealth Management solutions and has a comprehensive suite of products & services that include innovative Structured Notes, Mutual Funds, Islamic investment options, Hedge Funds, Multi-Manager funds, Unit Linked Insurance plans and CitiBest Current Account that pays market leading interest rates.

Since inception, Citi Islamic Investment Bank has played a pioneering and leading role in the development of Islamic Finance globally, having successfully arranged several billion dollars of Islamic transactions for issuers in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America. This includes the origination, structuring and distribution of numerous landmark Sukuks, syndications, project financings, Islamic advisory and investment products. Today, the bank is ranked as the leading bookrunner of international Islamic Finance transactions.

Source: Zawya

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Takaful Takes Off In The UK

Principle Insurance, the UK's first fully Shariah compliant car and home insurance provider, has been instrumental in taking the Islamic principle of Takaful insurance to pitain.& In doing so, the company has changed the competitive landscape of the UK insurance market over the last 14 months.

The company, which has major investors throughout the GCC region, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE as well as Malaysia, trades under the pand name Salaam Halal insurance.

Despite London being hailed at the emerging global 'hub' for Islamic Finance* it was severely lacking in one aspect of Shariah compliant financial services - a dedicated Takaful provider.

Even though the UK insurance market has more than 167 insurance companies** actively writing motor and home insurance, there had never been a real choice for Muslims who wanted the option of buying a product that was aligned with their faith, until now.

After many months of planning, the UK's first independent Islamic insurance company, principle Insurance, was granted FSA approval in April 2008.& At the end of July 2008, it launched its first product, motor insurance, under the Salaam Halal insurance pand. A Shariah compliant home insurance product followed in April 2009.

For the first time, pitain's 2.4 million Muslims are now able to purchase motor and home insurance from Salaam Halal insurance, which offers them all the benefits of conventional insurance, without compromising their religious beliefs. Non-Muslims are also attracted by the ethical nature of the Salaam products and their competitive price.

Key facts about the company:

-&&&&&&&&& Salaam Halal insurance has provided two million motor quotes since launch and conversion rates via the call centre are in excess of 20% and 5% on the web.&

-&&&&&&&&& There is a 40% prompted pand awareness of Salaam Halal insurance amongst its target audience - higher than many mainstream insurance providers in the UK.

-&&&&&&&&& The company's objective is to be competitive for the vast majority of its customers.&

-&&&&&&&&& The company's UK Call Centres are able to converse with customers in English, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati or Urdu.

-&&&&&&&&& principle Insurance has been shortlisted for the category 'Insurance Innovation of the year' for the Insurance Times magazine Awards 2009.

principle Insurance adopted elements of a classic direct response advertising campaign to promote the Salaam Halal products and adapted it to work for an ethnic audience, using TV, press, direct mail, inserts and online activity.& All the advertising directs consumers to a UK-based call centre, or to the website www.salaaminsurance.com where they can get a quote and buy online.

In addition, principle also embarked on a community awareness and outreach programme with mosques, Imams and community leaders across the UK, as well as organisations such as the Muslim Council of pitain, to raise awareness of its products.

In January 2009, Salaam Halal insurance launched exclusively on Moneysupermarket.com (the UK's leading price comparison website) giving both Muslims and non-Muslims the opportunity to compare prices of Shariah compliant insurance with conventional motor insurance for the first time.

padley pandon Cross, Chief Executive of principle Insurance Holdings Limited, said: "Salaam Halal insurance has had a huge impact on the UK insurance market over the last 14 months and we have been very encouraged by the level of interest and take up by UK Muslims and non-Muslims alike.&& Building on the success of the car insurance product, we recently launched the Salaam Halal home insurance product and are now in the process of consolidating our successes to date and looking at the next stage of our development. Further products, including Family Takaful; commercial insurance products for Muslim businesses; and car and home insurance specifically targeted at non-Muslims are all being planned."

Full details of the Salaam Halal insurance products are available at www.salaaminsurance.com

-Ends-&

Notes to Editors

*Source: Financial Services Authority http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/islamic_finance.pdf

**Source: ABI, 2007 figures

About principle insurance Holdings Limited

principle Insurance Holdings Limited is the first dedicated Takaful insurance provider in the UK.

principle Insurance Holdings Limited (www.principleholdings.com) is a private limited UK company that has developed and launched Halal insurance products, based on the underlying Islamic principle of Takaful. It is estimated that there are at least 2.4 million Muslims in the UK who could benefit from Halal insurance products.

The company received FSA authorisation in April 2008, and has raised in excess of £60 million of capital. The shareholders are institutional and private investors predominantly from GCC countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Malaysia.

Salaam Halal insurance is the trading name of principle Marketing Services Limited.& Insurance arranged by Salaam Halal insurance and Salaam insurance is underwritten by principle Insurance Company Limited, and the contracts based on the Islamic principles of Takaful have been approved by the Shariah Supervisory Committee.

For further information please contact:

pee Sims / Connie Jackman

FD Consumer Dynamics

Tel: 020 7269 7173

Salaam@fd.com

© press Release 2009

Source: Zawya

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‘Open-Ended Ordeal’ for Filipino Muslims

DATU PIANG, Philippines — While millions of Muslims worldwide are preparing to welcome `Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, thousands of displaced Muslims in southern Philippines are still struggling to lead a decent life.

"This has been one year of hell for us," Rakhma Colot, a 31-year-old Muslim, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday, September 18.

Colot is among 250,000 displaced people still living in shelter camps after being displaced by the fighting between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’s biggest Muslim group.

For the pregnant mother of four, life is a daily struggle to feed her children.

Her husband earns about two dollars on a good day driving people around the centre in his tricycle.

But there have been many times when their children went to sleep hungry.

Most of the displaced people in the camps are living a miserable life in the shelter camps.

Surrounding fields are overrun by weeds and littered with debris.

There are no jobs and almost everyone relies on government or charity handouts that are becoming more scarce every day.

Though some semblance of order has been established with the help of aid agencies, scenes of destruction and tense security remain bitter reminders for the desperate villagers.

Military roadblocks check vehicles passing through, while armored personnel vehicles constantly prowl, adding to the garrison atmosphere.

Colot said her family has had to use muddy water to wash clothes and bathe. Their toilet is a hole shielded by grain sacks tied to sticks.

"We just pretend no one is watching," she said.

Mindanao, the birthplace of Islam in the Philippines, is home to more than 5 million Muslims.

The MILF has been struggling for an independent state in the mineral-rich southern region for some three decades now.

More than 120,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in the late 1960s.

Mindanao, the birthplace of Islam in the Philippines, is home to more than 5 million Muslims.

* Ordeal

Salik Usman is living the same ordeal.

The 47-year-old Muslim barely escaped with his wife and 11 children a hail of rocket-propelled grenades that rocked the southern Mindanao island.

"It was early in the morning when the explosions began,” said Usman, who looks older than his 47 years.

“We ran and ran, leaving behind everything until we reached this place," he said, looking around the muddy evacuation centre where about 3,000 people live in rundown shelters cobbled together from scrap metal, diand cardboard.

"The last thing I saw was my house being hit, and burning, and my carabao (farm buffalo) scampering away. The fighting has robbed me of everything."

His youngest son, only a year old, died at the evacuation centre about a month into the ordeal. He simply refused to eat, and withered away.

"He was war-shocked," said Usman.

Though they welcome news of a possible resumption of peace talks between the government and MILF, many displaced Muslims still doubt whether they will be able to lead a decent life again.

"But can they assure us that the guns will stop?" Colot asks.

"And our house is gone. While we want to return to our farm, what will we use to start over again?"

Source: IslamOnline

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Obama Scraps Bush Missile Defense Plan

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Thursday abandoned plans for a large missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, promising instead a stronger, swifter defense system to protect US allies against any threat from Iran.

In a move that may ease tensions with Moscow but spur regional fears of resurgent Kremlin influence, Obama said he had approved recommendations from US military leaders to shift focus to defending against Iran’s short and medium-term missile capabilities.

“This new approach will provide capabilities sooner, build on proven systems and offer greater defenses against the threat of missile attack,” Obama said in a brief statement on scrapping plans for ground-based interceptors in Poland and a related radar site in the Czech Republic.

Moscow said it would welcome the decision to drop the program, which had complicated US efforts to enlist Russian support over Afghanistan, Iran and nuclear arms control.

But critics accused the White House of going soft on defense by dropping the project, which had raised hopes of huge contracts among US defense giants.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate who lost to Obama in 2008, blasted the move as “seriously misguided” and former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, once a leading hawk under the Bush administration, was scathing.

“It’s just unambiguously bad decision,” he said. “Russia and Iran are the big winners. I just think it’s a bad day for American national security.”

The Bush administration had proposed the system amid concerns Iran was trying to develop nuclear warheads it could mount on long-range missiles.

The shield was intended to defend against any long-range missile launches from “rogue” states such as Iran and North Korea. Russia saw it as a threat to its missile defenses and its overall security.

Outlining the new approach, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday the United States would deploy Aegis ships equipped with interceptors to defend European allies and US forces against any threats.

Gates said land-based defense systems would be fielded in a second phase starting in about 2015.

“We have now the opportunity to deploy new sensors and interceptors in northern and southern Europe that can provide missile defense coverage against more immediate threats from Iran or others,” he said.

It was unclear, however, if the renewed promises of US support would ease fears in Eastern Europe states, many of which had seen the large-scale missile plan as a symbol of US commitment to the defense against any encroachment by its former Soviet rulers.

Obama informed the Czech and Polish governments of his decision just hours before the announcement, officials said. Some European analysts said the US move could help the traditionally pro-American region to build a more pragmatic relationship with both Washington and Moscow.

“I think we have to approach this decision with calm. The US president has changed and so has US foreign policy. I don’t think the enemy is just outside our gate,” said Iwona Jakubowska-Branicka of Warsaw University.

Pentagon officials said the decision to move away from the shield was based on intelligence indicating Iran is focused on developing short- and medium-range missiles rather than the long-range intercontinental missiles originally feared.

A senior Iranian official said the decision could signal a move away from what he called “threats and confrontation” over Iran’s nuclear program.

Source: Arab News

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