Philippine massacre suspect surrenders

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines: The Philippine politician accused of masterminding an election-linked massacre that left 57 people dead surrendered to authorities on Thursday but insisted he was innocent.

Amid rising criticism about the perceived slow response to Monday’s slaughter in the troubled south of the country, authorities finally took Andal Ampatuan Jr into custody while implementing sweeping security measures.

The police immediately filed murder charges against Ampatuan as authorities moved to dismantle his clan’s control over the region.

Ampatuan Jr, a local mayor in Maguindanao province, was flown out from Maguindanao province to Manila by an army helicopter after he was handed over by his brother to a senior government official and a top regional army general.

“The charges are baseless,” Ampatuan told reporters at the airport in General Santos. “They are not true. My conscience is clear.”

Authorities said Ampatuan would be held in a prison in Manila while undergoing investigation by state prosecutors in advance of the complaint going before a local court.

Ampatuan insisted he did not orchestrate the horrifying killings in his home province of Maguindanao, where his family has been a dominant political force for decades.

It was his first public comment since the massacre and came after he peacefully surrendered at his Maguindanao mansion.

Philippine government officials had been negotiating since Tuesday with Ampatuan’s family for him to submit to questioning.

The massacre occurred after about 100 Ampatuan gunmen allegedly abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, plus a group of journalists.

The victims were snatched as they were traveling in a six-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for provincial governor in next year’s national elections.

They were shot a short time later and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan name.

Fifty-seven bodies have been recovered so far, nearly half of them believed to be those of reporters, making it the deadliest attack ever on journalists.

Ampatuan Jr is the son of Maguindanao’s governor, a Muslim clan chief of the same name who until this week was a close ally of President Gloria Arroyo’s ruling coalition.

Maguindanao is part of the lawless Mindanao island, where Muslim clans rule vast areas backed by their own private armies, often out of the national government’s control.

Ampatuan Sr had been grooming his son, currently a local mayor, to take over as governor of Maguindanao. The victims’ relatives alleged the Ampatuans organized the murders so that Mangudadatu would not run for that post.

Highlighting the extensive reach of the Ampatuans throughout the power structure of Maguindanao, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Thursday more than 300 policemen or government militiamen there had been taken into custody.

Puno said he had also recommended to Arroyo that all provincial officials, including Ampatuan Sr, be suspended and that the father be investigated for any links to the murders.

He said the national authorities had not been able to act as quickly as many wanted because local police and soldiers were suspected of being loyal to the Ampatuans.

“It was very difficult for us to rely on the local military and police forces to carry out the directives of the central headquarters on both the armed forces and police side,” Puno added.

National police chief Jesus Verzosa told reporters he would ask the national government to be allowed to replace the entire police force of Maguindanao.
Source: Arab News

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Pilgrims in Mina for hajj start

CAIRO— Nearly three million pilgrims flocked to the arid valley of Mina early on Wednesday, November 25, for the start of the soul-searching journey of hajj.

"Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik" ("Here I am, my Lord, here I am"), chanted the faithful walking or boarding buses to Mina, five kilometers east of the holy city of Makkah.

Pilgrims started hajj rites early Wednesday with the tawaf, the circling seven times of the cubic Kaaba in the centre of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The faithful will spend the day, known as "Yawm at-Tarwiya," in prayers and meditation, sleeping the night in fire-proof tents.

At dawn on Thursday, November 26, the sea of white-clad pilgrims will begin moving towards Mount `Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago.

Standing on Mount `Arafat, about 15 km east of Makkah, before sunset marks the climax of hajj and pilgrims who fail to make it on time must repeat their pilgrimage in future.

They will then return to Mina a day later for the animal sacrifice ritual, marking the start of the four-day `Eid Al-Adha.

The pilgrims will also start as of Friday, November 27, the stone-throwing ritual.

Pilgrims hurl seven pebbles from behind a fence or from the overhead Jamarat Bridge every day for three days at each of the three 18-meter-high concrete pillars symbolizing the devil.
Satan appeared on the same site to Prophet Abraham, son Isma`il and wife Hagar, who each threw seven stones at him.

Around three million pilgrims from over 160 countries are performing hajj this year.

Every able-bodied adult Muslim -- who can financially afford the trip -- must perform hajj once in their lifetime.

* Safe

Saudi authorities promised a safe hajj.

"We will not allow any surprise attacks to occur because we have security plans devised on the basis of past experiences in serving pilgrims," said Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al-Turki.

More than 100,000 security personnel have been deployed to secure the pilgrims in Makkah and Medina, in addition to 20,000 medical staff.

The Jamarat Bridge is also being monitoring by 600 CCTV cameras, while the Grand Mosque and its surroundings are watched by 1,852 cameras.

"More than 20,000 security men have been sent to Jamrat Bridge to control crowding and thus ensure safety of pilgrims," Al-Turki said.

The authorities have banned the use of small vehicles in the holy sites.

"The decision to ban small vehicles carrying less than 25 passengers is being implemented after studying it over the past two years," said the spokesman.

"With the speed train project for the holy sites reaching its final stage of completion authorities have found that it is time to implement the ban on small vehicles."

The Health Ministry has also confirmed taking necessary measures to ensure pilgrims' safety and avoid the spread of the swine flu virus.

"There is no fear of a swine flu outbreak in hajj largely because of the early precautionary measures being taken to deal with a breakout," said spokesman Khaled Al-Mirghalani.

All hospitals and medical centers in Makkah and the holy sites are fully prepared to receive flu cases.

There are also well-laid plans to counter natural calamities such as heavy rains and floods, said Khaled Al-Habshi from the Red Crescent.
Source: IslamOnline

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World's 500 Most Influential Muslims

WASHINGTON – The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Jordan and Georgetown University have just released a book featuring the world's 500 most influential Muslims, saying the aim is to help people understand the different ways Islam and Muslims impact the world today. "A group of researchers investigated who are the most visibly influential Muslims out there," Dr. John Esposito, professor of religion and Islamic studies at Georgetown University and co-author of the book, told IslamOnline.

"The issue is not how orthodox they are. The criterion is how influential these people are in their particular area."

The book, "The 500 Most Influential Muslims – 2009", starts with an overall top 50 influential Muslims list, and then surveys the remaining 450 most prominent Muslims in 15 categories, from politics to religion, media, arts, science and development, but without ranking.

The top ten spots are all occupied with political and religious leaders.

Topping the list as the most influential Muslim in the world is Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz, the custodian of the two Holy Mosques.

Click to read the book

He is followed by Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam sheikh Mohammad Sayyed Tantawi, Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, and Egyptian Mufti Ali Goma’a also made it to the top 10 ranks.

Each name in the list comes with a short biography.

"This book is not only for Muslims but for non-Muslims who do not know much about Islam and the Muslim world and how diverse it is," explains Esposito.

The book has been released by Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in concert with Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.

It was co-edited by Professor Esposito and Professor Ibrahim Kalin of Georgetown University.

Authors expect criticism because the word influence is a tricky concept.

"When I mentioned this list to people I know, many told me that no matter what you do, there are going to be critics," says professor Esposito.

"We have received positive reactions, but there are also others who expressed concerns on why so and so were left out," he admitted.

"There may be cases also that some say a certain person is not influential."

Esposito said those who disagree that the Saudi king is the most influential Muslim must look at the kingdom's weight not only as the birthplace of Islam and home to its two most holy shrines but also as an economic player on the world stage.

"Whoever is king of Saudi Arabia, he is influential because the country is influential."

He also defended the fact that the list is full of heads of states and governments.

"It is natural because some of those people are influential because they are corporate leaders."

Esposito also expects the names of Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, his right-hand man, to raise eyebrows.

"It is not about whether you like these people or not. It is about their influence, even if it is a bad one."

Al-Qaeda duo came under a section of the book called Radicals.

Women had their own category in the book.

It features 43 names, a number some might consider a tiny percentage in a 500-name list.

"We will have to revisit that number in the coming versions," says Esposito, asserting that the list is the first in an annual survey of top Muslim personalities around the world.

He urged readers to send in suggestions for next year’s list.

"This is a new initiative, one that will be reviewed and redone every year.

"I think in the following versions there are names going to be added or missed. These things are subject to change definitely."
Source: IslamOnline

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Eid in Swat...Testing Time

MINGORA -- Sulieman Khan used to sacrifice two animals in `Eid Al-Adha thanks to booming business at his café in the main bazaar of Mingora, the capital of the tourist valley of Swat. But business has been hard-hit by a full-scale military operation against local militants in the scenic valley, which used to be known as Switzerland of Pakistan because of its breathtaking scenes, emerald lakes and snow-capped mountains.

"This is for the first time in my life when I am not in a position to follow the Sunnah of Ibrahim (be peace upon him)," Sulieman, a middle-aged father of three, told IslamOnline bitterly.

He used to earn from Rs 35000-40,000 (425-500 dollars) per month till a year back.

Now, he would be lucky if his cafe makes merely Rs 12,000-15000 (150-185 dollars) a month.

"Although my business has picked up during the past three months, it is not even close to what it was in the past."

So this `Eid Sulieman will not be able to make a sacrifice and would instead wait for others to give him a share of their Udhiyah.

All About Udhiyah: Rulings and Conditions

"One of my neighbors has bought a goat and I hope he will send some meat to us on `Eid." A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or a cow as an act of worship during `Eid Al-Adha. The well-off and those who have the Nisab (payable amount) of Zakah should offer a sacrifice. The time for offering a sacrifice begins after the `Eid Al-Adha prayer.

The ritual commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to Allah as an act of obedience and submission.

Hard Times

Although a huge traditional goat market has been set up in Mingora like every year, the number of buyers is scanty. "I used to visit the goat market every year with my kids to select and buy the sacrificial animals," Sulieman said.

"But this year, I will simply buy them new clothes and shoes. This is a testing time for us and we will face that with vigor and resolve Inshaullah."

A goat is being sold at Rs 8000-12000 (100-150 dollars) while a cow is available against Rs 25000-35000 (300-425 dollars).

According to livestock market sources, there is a 60 percent decrease in buying sacrificial animals compared to the previous year due to poor economic conditions.

"This is for the first time when we are waiting for customers," Zaman Khan, a live stock dealer, told IOL.

"Earlier, we did not have time even for lunch."

Swatis were considered the riches people in the region because of their once booming tourism, hotel and fruit industry.

But economic activities tumbled after clashes between the army and local militants almost ruined the economic and development infrastructure, which experts say would talk years to restore.

"We had had a roaring business till last year," Khan recalls bitterly.

"Hundreds of Swatis would perform additional sacrifices in low income areas of Malakund division till last year, but this year, they are not in a position to even buy a single animal."

Asghar Ysufzai, a fish seller, is one of them.

"I have not been doing a good business for the past several months," he told IOL, sitting in his fish shop in Mingora Bazaar.

Ysufzai says the number of customers has gone down by half and merely earned Rs 6000-7000 (75-90 dollars) this month, four times less than before the offensive.

"Now, you tell me should I go for sacrifice or buy bread and butter for my children with this meager amount?

"Not I, but every Muslim wishes to offer sacrifice on `Eid al-Adha in line with the Sunnah of noble Prophet Ibrahim but unfortunately I am not in a position to do that this year."

However, a pious Sulieman does not think the rewards for making the sacrifice would be lost even if they can not afford to do the ritual.

"Allah knows our intent. He doesn’t need the skin and bones of the sacrificial animals, but our intent which is clear."

Source: IslamOnline

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Pilgrims Ready for Devil Stoning

MUZDALIFA, Saudi Arabia — Having stood on Mount `Arafat in the climax of hajj, nearly three million pilgrims moved Thursday, November 26, to the arid valley of Mina to prepare for the symbolic stoning of the devil. Chanting "Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (Here I am answering Your call, O God)," the faithful descended from Mount `Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago.

They moved on foot and in buses and vehicles to the valley of Muzdalifah, a few kilometers away, where they performed shortened Maghrib and `Isha’ prayers.

They will collect pebbles for the symbolic devil stoning.

Early Friday, November 27, pilgrims will move back to Mina and sacrifice an animal, usually a sheep, to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's order.

This ceremony marks the start of the four-day `Eid Al-Adha, which marks the end of hajj.

Pilgrims will spend another two days in Mina for the stoning of Satan.

Pilgrims hurl seven pebbles from behind a fence or from an overhead bridge every day for three days at each of the three 18-meter (58-foot) high concrete pillars symbolizing the devil.

Satan appeared on the same site to Prophet Abraham, son Isma`il and wife Hagar, who each threw seven stones at the devil.

Saudi Arabia has completed a five-storey hi-tech Jamarat Bridge to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims during the ritual.

The hi-tech bridge has 10 entrances and 12 exits over its four levels to allow the flow of 300,000 pilgrims per hour.

It is also equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help authorities intervene in case of any deadly stampedes.

Climax

The pilgrims spent Thursday on `Arafat supplicating to Allah to forgive their sins and praying for Muslim unity and world peace.

"We are now going to pray to beg for God's forgiveness and mercy, for the good of our children and of all Muslims," said Nasser Abu Ahmed, an Egyptian pilgrim, told Reuters.

Nigerian businessman Mustafa Abu Bakr agrees.

"We will pray for world peace."

Standing on Mount `Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mountain of Mercy), is the climax of hajj.

Pilgrims who fail to make it on time must repeat their hajj in future.

Their ascending comes after spending a day of meditation and introspection in the tent city of Mina, marking the start of hajj, world's largest regular religious gathering.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is an obligation for all able-bodied, financially capable Muslims at least once in a lifetime.

Muslims who perform hajj properly return to their homes having all their sins washed way as promised by Prophet Muhammad.

Source: IslamOnline

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Pilgrims mount Arafat

MOUNT `ARAFAT – A sea of nearly three million white-clad pilgrims flocked on Thursday, November 26, to Mount `Arafat, east of the holy city of Makkah, at the climax of hajj.

"We are now going to pray to beg for God's forgiveness and mercy, for the good of our children and of all Muslims," Nasser Abu Ahmed, an Egyptian pilgrim, told Reuters.

“Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (Here I am answering Your call, O God)" chanted the faithful as they started moving at the dawn to `Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago.

Their ascending comes after spending a day of meditation and introspection in the tent city of Mina, marking the start of hajj.

The pilgrims will spend the whole day on `Arafat supplicating to Allah to forgive their sins and praying for Muslim unity and world peace.

Nigerian businessman Mustafa Abu Bakr said Muslims from different parts of the world and of differents walks of life renew their allegiance to God in Arafat.

"We will pray for world peace," he said.

Standing on Mount `Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mountain of Mercy), is the climax of hajj.

Pilgrims who fail to make it on time must repeat their hajj in future.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is an obligation for all able-bodied, financially capable Muslims at least once in a lifetime.

Muslims who perform hajj properly return to their homes having all their sins washed away as promised by Prophet Muhammad.
Source: IslamOnline

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