Islami News: Dec 15, 2009

Maiden flight for Boeing Dreamliner

After two years of delays Boeing's new lightweight 787 Dreamliner passenger jet has flown its first test flight.

Thousands of employees and spectators witnessed the flight near the company's factory in the US state of Washington.

Tuesday's test flight lasted about three hours, having been cut short by an hour by bad weather.

"The airplane responded just as we expected," said Randy Neville, one of the two pilots.

"It was a joy to fly."

Over the next nine months, six 787s will be used in a flight certification programme, subjecting the aircraft to conditions well beyond those found in normal service.

About half the Dreamliner is made from lightweight composite materials such as carbon fibre, which Boeing says that will save airlines millions of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs.

In comparison only about 12 per cent of the 777 is made from composite materials.

Lower emissions

The Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer says the Dreamliner will be quieter, produce lower emissions and use 20 per cent less fuel than comparable planes.

For passengers, Boeing says the 787 will have a more comfortable cabin with better air quality and larger windows.

The company says it has orders for 840 of the jets and plans to make the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways late next year.

The debut of the 787 comes at a difficult time for the airline industry.

On Tuesday, the same day as the Dreamliner's test flight, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) warned that global airlines stand to lose $5.6bn next year.

The industry group said rising oil prices and competition with low fare carriers would continue to squeeze airlines which are already estimated to lose more than $9bn in 2009.

According to Iata passenger traffic fell 4.1 per cent in 2009, from the already-low levels they reached in 2008 when financial markets collapsed, and premium fares fell the hardest.

Boeing's Dreamliner also faces stiff competition from European manufacturer Airbus, which is working on its A350 jet as a direct competitor to the 787.

Like the Dreamliner, the Airbus jet also features composite materials, including in the fuselage and wings.

According to its website, Airbus has received 505 orders for the A350 from 32 customers as of November.

The A350 is expected to fly in mid-2013.
Source: Agencies

US jail to hold Guantanamo inmates

A number of inmates from the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba are set to be transferred to a jail in the US state of Illinois.

Barack Obama, the US president, ordered the acquisition of the currently near-empty high security facility in the rural town of Thomson on Tuesday.

The prison is expected to hold up to 100 Guantanamo inmates as well as other federal prisoners.

The Thomson Correctional Centre will also act as a venue for trials of some of the detainees before a military commission, while some other detainees will go before civilian courts.

Announcing the decision the Obama administration sought to assure Americans that none of the detainees previously held at Guantanamo would be released into the US, even after the conclusion of any trials.

"The president has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States," a letter signed by senior US national security aides, including Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said.

But Republicans were quick to criticise the plan as a security risk, while others have questioned the legal authority for holding prisoners indefinitely without trial on US soil.

Safety fears

Mitch McConnell, a US Republican senator, said Americans and Congress had "already rejected bringing terrorists to US soil for long-term detention, and current law prohibits it."

"The administration has failed to explain how transferring terrorists to Gitmo North will make Americans safer than keeping these terrorists off of our shores in the secure facility in Cuba," he said.

Congress enacted a law barring Guantanamo detainees from being brought onto US soil except if they were going to be prosecuted.

But Democrats, who control both houses of Congress, have indicated they are willing to lift that restriction if the administration comes up with an acceptable plan for dealing with the prisoners.

Other critics said that the move would make it more difficult to secure convictions for the suspects.

Lamar Smith, who is part of the US house of representatives judiciary committee as well as a republican ranking member of Texas, said the move would give "terrorist enemy combatants access to the same rights as US citizens."

"Once on US soil, whether detained in a prison or awaiting trial, Gitmo terrorists can argue for additional rights under the constitution that may make it harder for prosecutors to obtain a conviction," Smith said in a statement.

'Supermax' security

The defence department will operate part of the prison, according to the announcement on Tuesday and security will be increased across the facility.

The Thomson Correctional Centre was built in 2001 to maximum-security specifications, and after acquisition it will exceed standards at the country's only "supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack, it said.

The letter from the Obama administration addressed to the governor of Illinois said that the decision would help solve the country's prison shortage problem as well as the problem of what to do about the controversial Guantanamo facility.

"Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation's federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention centre at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner," it said.

But Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer for several detainees held in Guantanamo and at Bagram in Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera the transfer made little real legal difference.

"The Obama administration has simply decided to move a lot of what was wrong with Guantanamo to this facility in Illinois," he said.

He said Guantanamo detainees were already subject to US legal jurisdiction following a supreme court ruling of June 2008.

"But the issue really then becomes - is it appropriate, given candidate Obama's promises, to have moved the military commission and to have moved this notion of indefinte detention to a new place."

Obama ordered the Guantanamo Bay facility, which currently holds about 210 inmates, to be closed by January 22, but has admitted that the deadline will slip because of problems in deciding what to do with the prisoners.

In a joint statement Pat Quinn, the Illinois governor, and Dick Durbin, the Illinois senator, said that the prison had been sitting empty for eight years and the government acquisition would create 3,000 jobs.

"This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois," they said.

Illinois officials and legislators had lobbied hard to bring the Guantanamo detainees to the state.
Source: Agencies

Blast Rocks Kabul, Many Killed

KABUL – A powerful bombing rocked an upmarket district in the Afghan capital Kabul Tuesday, December 15, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, as the US warned that the Taliban has become harder to defeat.

"Eight people were killed. Four are women. Four others are male,” interior ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashary told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“And 40 other people have been wounded.”

The blast rocked outside the Heetal Hotel in the Wazir Akbar Khan area, sending thick black smoke into the sky.

“It was a suicide bombing," said Bashary.

The house of former vice-president Ahmed Zai Massoud, brother of late anti-Soviet guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, was heavily damaged.

A police source said the former vice president may have been the intended target.

Massoud’s secretary was reportedly killed in the bombing, according to the Doha-based Al-Jazeera television.

"There was an explosion in Wazir Akbar Khan near a foreign guest house, which was also close to my former first vice president's house,” a government official said.

“Two of his bodyguards have been martyred."

The fortified Heetal was also damaged, but not as heavily as nearby houses in the district, which is home to government officials, international organisations and diplomatic residences.

Windows were blown out of many houses and parts of a roof of one house had collapsed.

The blast took place as President Hamid Karzai was expected to attend an anti-corruption conference elsewhere in the Afghan capital.

Tough Taliban

The bombing came shortly after the top US military officer warned that the Taliban has become harder to defeat.

“I remain deeply concerned by the growing level of collusion between the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups taking refuge across the border in Pakistan," chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said at the start of his visit to Afghanistan Monday.

"Getting at this network, which is now more entrenched, will be a far more difficult task than it was just one year ago.”

The Taliban was ousted by the US invasion in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks.

Since then, the Afghan group has launched a guerrilla warfare against the US-led foreign troops in the country.

Mullen, who is scheduled to visit Pakistan, said he was concerned with the resurgence of militants in the region.

"As part of this trip, I intend to discuss with Afghan and Pakistani leaders the extent to which we all can better cooperate and coordinate our activities to eliminate the safe havens from which these groups plan and operate."

Police Reaches Out to Victoria Muslims

CAIRO – Muslims in Victoria, the second most populous state in Australia, are delighted by police efforts to reach out to the community, including a milestone mosque visit by the police chief.

"We appreciate the effort Victoria Police force has gone to work with us over the years," Newport Islamic Society spokesperson Mohamad El Hawli told Hobsons Bay Leader newspaper on Tuesday, December 15.

"They have worked with Newport mosque so that unfortunate events which have occurred locally and internationally won’t have a negative effect on our community."

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Aussie Govt Celebrates Muslim Contributions

Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland paid a milestone visit to the mosque on Friday, December 11, promising to learn more about Islam.

Imam Abdul Razak Bakroo offered the visiting guest an English translation of the Quran and prayer beads.

Islam is Australia's second largest religion after Christianity.

Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.7 percent of its 20-million population.

The government recently issued an 88-page book that tells the success stories of more than 40 Muslims over the past three centuries.

Bridging Gaps

The mosque visit was seen as important for cross-cultural education.

"It is a big step to building a bridge to understanding and the working relationship between Victoria Police and the Muslim community here in Newport," says Sam Afra, chairman of Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.

"It is not just about Newport, but the Muslim community in Victoria."

Commander Trevor Carter also praised the visit.

"What I’ve seen here is one of the strongest relationships between community and the police force," he told Star newspaper.

"It wasn’t overnight. The relationship with the Muslim community has been built up over 10 years."

But Commissioner Overland admitted that more work was still needed.

"Let’s not pretend there aren’t challenges," he said.

"The challenge for us is to rise above that and always come back to that starting point of respect."
IslamOnline

S. Africa Gets Halal Hotel

CAPE TOWN -- With a few months remaining to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Dubai-based Coral Hotels & Resorts opens on Tuesday, December 15, the first halal hotel in Cape Town. "We are proud to say Coral International Cape Town will be open as planned well in advance of 2010 FIFA World Cup," Hamza Farooqui, Group CEO for Cii Holdings, a leading South African business house, told IslamOnline.

The hotel is located on the edge of the historic Bo-Kaap which is a recognized heritage site on the slopes of Signal Hill in Cape Town.

It has a breathtaking view of the Table Mountain, one of Cape Town's most attractive views.

The hotel features 140 rooms with top-end amenities such as high-speed wireless broadband connectivity, plasma screen televisions and luxurious linens.

Muslims of South Africa (Special Page)

"Managed by Coral Hotels & Resorts, it has been designed to offer the ultimate comforts and facilities," says Farooqui. The construction of the hotel started in the first quarter of 2007 and has cost $30 million.

It aims to draw thousands of international soccer fans who are expected to travel to South Africa to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be played between June 11 and July 11.

This will be the first time the world’s premier football tournament would be hosted by Africa.

Muslims make up to 1.5% of South Africa's 44-million population. Cape Town alone is home to nearly half a million Muslims of diverse Asian origins.

Halal Industry

"Our hotel will certainly make history as the first halal hotel in Cape Town," Cindy Valentine, the hotel’s Public Relations Officer, told IOL.

She said their "dry hotel" targets corporate markets and Middle Eastern visitors, offering them luxurious rooms, conferencing and prayer facilities.

The hotel also has three halal restaurants offering a range of cuisines from modern European to Arabic and African dishes.

But no alcohol is served on the hotel premises.

The Dubai-based Coral Hotels & Resorts was the first hotel management company in the Middle East to offer an alcohol-free environment in all its hotels.

"Our philosophy is to ensure a safer surrounding for our clients and as we continue to break through new markets, we stay committed to our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for local culture and people," said Valentine.

"We ensure the highest standards of Arabic hospitality and world-class services."

The halal industry is steadily growing in South Africa where Muslims make up some 1.5 percent of the country’s 49 million-strong population.

Muslims have halal bodies that certify almost every product manufactured in the country. This has enabled Muslims to consume halal products.

Some of the country’s major banks offer Muslims Shari`ah-complaint banking facilities.

Muslims have also established their own Islamic banks and insurance companies.
Source: IslamOnline

Qaradawi Wins Malaysia's Hijra Award

DOHA – Prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), has won Malaysia’s prestigious "Hijra of the Prophet" award. Qaradawi will be given the award by Malaysian King Mizan Zainal Abidin in a ceremony on the first day of the new hijri year which falls on Friday, December 18.

He will deliver a speech during the event, to be attended by ministers, statesmen and public figures, on the mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

The prominent scholar will also deliver a series of lectures and meet with members of the National Council of Muftis as well as Malaysian intellectuals.

The award comes in recognition of Qaradawi's extensive knowledge and selfless contribution to serve Islam and Muslims, the development of Islamic culture for the benefit of the Ummah.

The "Hijra of the Prophet" award was initiated by the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development in 1987.

It is granted to Muslim figures on the first day of the hijri year in recognition of their contributions to serve Islam.

Leading among previous winners were Egyptian scholar Sheikh Mohamed Idris Al-Marbouy, Indonesian scholar and former religious affairs minister Haj Manour Shazali and Syrian scholar Wahba Al-Zuheili.

Prominent Qaradawi

The Malaysian award is the eighth international prize given to Sheikh Qaradawi for his scholarly contributions.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani awarded Qaradawi the prize for achievements in the field of Islamic studies two months ago.

He was also the fourth Islamic figure chosen by Dubai International Holy Quran Award as the Islamic Personality of the Muslim nine years ago.

Qaradawi was born in the Egyptian governorate of Al-Gharbiya, west of Cairo, on September 9, 1926.

Following his father's death, the two-year old Qaradawi was raised by his uncle.

The young Qaradawi learnt the Noble Qur'an by heart at the very young age of ten.

He studied at Al-Azhar and graduated at the top of his class in the Faculty of Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence in 1953.

In 1963, he was appointed at the Ministry of Awkaf (religious endowments) and was shortly dispatched to Qatar, where he decided to spend the rest of his life.

In 1977, Qaradawi established the Faculty of Shari`ah and Islamic Studies at Qatar University.

The prominent scholar has published dozens of books, chiefly The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam.

He is known for his moderate views and considered to be one of the most influential scholars in the Muslim world.

He is the cofounder and president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and the European Council for Fatwa and Research.

Source: IslamOnline