US pastor 'suspends' Quran burning

US pastor 'suspends' Quran burning

Jones rethinking decision to cancel event, accusing Muslim leader of being "lied to" as thousands protest against plan.

A Christian pastor in the US state of Florida has called off - and then threatened to reconsider - plans to burn copies of the Quran, in the face of condemnation by the US government and international outrage.

Although Terry Jones had initially announced that the bookburning was cancelled, he later said the plan was only suspended because he was "lied to" over a deal to call off the event in exchange for a promise to move a planned Islamic centre away from New York's Ground Zero.

Thousands of Afghans gathered to protest against the possible Quran burning at a Nato-run base in a remote northeastern town on Friday. It was the largest demonstration since the plan was announced.

Reuters news agency reported that one man was shot dead when the crowd of around 10,000 protesters attacked the base in Badakhshan province, hurling stones at the German forces posted there.

Demonstrations have also been staged in several Pakistani cities, as well as the capital Islamabad and other Muslim countries against the proposed burning.

Interpol, the Pentagon and others have warned that by burning Islam's holy book, the act would provoke violent acts around the world by outraged Muslims.

Jones, the leader of a congregation of about 50, had planned to incinerate copies of the Muslim holy book in a bonfire on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, DC.

No promises

However, during a televised news conference on Thursday, Jones called on others not to burn copies of the Quran. He said instead, he would fly to New York to speak with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the head of the planned New York Islamic centre, about moving the project.

Jones' announcement came after the pastor spoke in private with a local imam, Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida.

But Musri told Al Jazeera later in the day that there was no actual promise to abandon the planned New York cultural centre, just an agreement from the New York imam to talk to Jones about it.

"[Jones] and I know that part of the deal can not be completed unless Imam Rauf signs this and there are no promises more than my full commitment to work towards that end," Musri said.

Event 'suspended'

Upon hearing the news, Jones said he had been lied to and he threatened to reconsider the decision to cancel the event.

"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."

Jones did not say whether the Quran burning could still be held Saturday, but he said he expected Musri to keep his word and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men".

Jones had never invoked the New York Islamic centre controversy as a reason for his planned protest. But he said on Thursday afternoon that he prayed about the decision and concluded that if the centre was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Quran burning.

International criticism

The Quran burning event had been criticised by Barack Obama, the US president, the senior US general in Afghanistan, the United Nations and several Christian leaders.

"This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities," Obama said in an ABC television interview on Thursday, calling the burning a stunt.

"You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan ... This is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda," he said.

The plan sparked earlier protests in Afghanistan and Indonesia.

General David Petraeus, the US and Nato commander in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by the Taliban in Afghanistan, to inflame public opinion and incite violence".

Meanwhile Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, phoned Jones on Thursday, warning him that the event could put the lives of US soldiers at risk, the Pentagon said.

The Vatican also denounced the planned Quran burning as "outrageous and grave".

Jones' actions likely would be protected by the US constitution's right to free speech.

The US Supreme Court has made clear that speech deemed offensive to many people, even the majority of people, cannot be suppressed by the government unless it is clearly directed to intimidate someone or amounts to an incitement to violence, legal experts have said.

Source:Al Jazeera and agencies

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Ramadan 2010 begins

Ramadan 2010 begins today and will be strictly observed by millions of Muslims around the world.

By Heidi Blake
Published: 9:09AM BST 11 Aug 2010

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims pray around the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque during Ramadan in Mecca Photo: REUTERS

In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which the first verses of the Qur'an are said to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, participating Muslims refrain from drinking, eating and sexual activities from dawn until sunset.

Fasting is intended to teach Muslims the virtues of patience, humility and spirituality, and is carried out as an offering to God.

In the Qu'ran, Allah proclaims that "fasting has been written down upon you, as it was upon those before you".

Participants rise in the darkness to eat a pre-dawn meal called “sahur”. They must stop eating and drinking before the dawn call to prayer, and must not break their fast until the fourth call to prayer at dusk.

Muslims are expected to start observing the fasting ritual once they reach puberty, as long as they are healthy.

The elderly, the chronically ill and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups are expected to try to feed the poor instead.

People who are travelling long distances do not have to fast – nor do pregnant or breastfeeding women and those who are menstruating.

During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance on new problems, and ask for help in refraining from everyday “evils”.

They are expected to perform their religious duties with greater diligence than usual and to reflect on the teachings of Islam.

Participating Muslims are encouraged to try to read the entire Qur’an during the month of Ramadan. They must strive to maintain pure thoughts and avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds.

The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, which is called called Shawwal.

When fasting is over, celebrations are held and Muslims go to their mosques in their best clothes to say the first Eid prayer.

Later, they give out presents to children and greet their friends and families. Food is donated to the poor and a feast is held in the evening.

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'Facebook for Muslims' launched in Pakistan after real thing is blocked over 'blasphemous' Prophet images !

Last updated at 8:32 PM on 29th May 2010

Resourceful IT experts in Pakistan have launched their own version of the social networking site Facebook after the real thing was blocked for showing 'blasphemous' images of the Prophet Mohammed.

MillatFacebook, meaning Nation Facebook in Urdu, was launched on Wednesday and has already attracted some 8,000 users.

Omar Zaheer Meer, one of the six web developers, said their aim was to offer an alternative to Facebook which condemned the contest encouraging users to submit images of the Prophet Mohammed.

Millat Facebook also promises stronger privacy settings than its US counterpart.

Pakistani IT professionals Omer Zaheerand Arslan Chaudhry browse their newly created networking site in Lahore

'We are saying that we are technologically independent and that you can't make money from us and then not respect our views' said Mr Meer.

'Millatfacebook is Pakistan's very own, first social networking site. A site for Muslims by Muslims where sweet people of other religions are also welcome,' the website tells people interested in signing up.

The Facebook page 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!' encouraged users to submit images of the prophet on May 20.

Muslims argue that any representations of the Prophet are blasphemous. A series of cartoons of the prophet published in a Danish newspaper in 2005 sparked violent protests and death threats against the cartoonists.

Pakistani Muslims shout slogans and wave placards as they protest against Facebook in Lahore

Over the past ten days, access to Facebook, Youtube, encyclopaedia site Wikipedia and photo-sharing site Flickr has been temporarily blocked in Pakistan.

'The (Pakistani) government action against both Facebook and YouTube after it failed to persuade the websites to remove the 'derogatory material,' the regulatory body said in a statement.

It welcomed representatives from the two websites to contact the Pakistani government to resolve the dispute in a way that 'ensures religious harmony and respect'.

While thousands took to the streets to protest against the 'blasphemous' contest, other internet users simply switched to micro-blogging site Twitter to broadcast their protests against the crackdown to the world, which consequently surged with Pakistani traffic.

When a Facebook user decided to organise an 'Everyone Draw Mohammed Day' competition to promote "freedom of expression', it sparked a major backlash among Islamic activists

'Sad and embarrassing day in the history of Pakistan. Tough times to be a Pakistani. Questionable decisions in a so-called "democracy,"' one user tweeted.

'What's common to Facebook and Lashkar-e-Taiba?' one user on Twitter wrote, referring to a Pakistani militant group that is believed to have carried out the terrorist atrocities in Mumbai.

'They are both banned in Pakistan, but Pakistanis can still find them if they want to.'

Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have all been at the forefront of anti-government protests in the last few years, most notably during last year's Iranian elections.'.

It remains to be seen how successful the government will be at keeping Pakistan's nearly 20 million Internet users from accessing the blocked sites.

Other countries, such as China, permanently ban Facebook and YouTube. But citizens often have little trouble working their way around the ban using proxy servers and other means.

Pakistani Muslims burn the effigy of Molly Norris, the American cartoonist who declared May 20th 'Everyone draw Mohammed day' on facebook.

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Palestinians mark Nakba !

Palestinians mark Nakba !



Palestinians across the world are marking on Saturday the 62nd anniversary of Nakba, which means catastrophe.

In 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced and many became refugees due to the formation of the state of Israel.

Mass gatherings commemorating the day of "catastrophe" in the West Bank and Gaza displayed a rare instance of unity between various political factions.

Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh reports from Beit Jala, a town in the West Bank.



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Conflicts over Mosques in Europe,by Stefano Allievi !

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Defining the Mosque in Europe *

Defining the Mosque in Europe *

By Prof. Stefano Allievi

The prayer room is numerically by far the most significant category of mosque in all European countries.
The first problem that arises is defining what we mean by a mosque. We do not expect to find an exhaustive and universally shared definition: put simply, ashared definition does not exist, certainly not in non-Islamic countries, the focus of our research. Here we will use an extensive and commonsense criterion: all places open to the faithful, in which Muslims gather together to pray on a regular basis, will be considered to be mosques. We are aware that this definition contains an inevitable margin of error, but at the same time it is more meaningful and more comprehensive of the dimensions and dynamics of the phenomenon we are discussing. It appeals to the principal function – prayer – and its collective and public aspect.[1]

Within the category of mosque, a number of differences are discernible. Employing a scale of decreasing importance, the first element is that of ‘Islamic centre’. By an Islamic centre we mean a centre of significant size, which has, in addition to the function of prayer and worship, a number of social and cultural functions through various forms of gathering (a Koranic school; courses and meeting opportunities for adults, women and converts; conferences and other educational and cultural activities),[2] usually conducted in separate rooms from the prayer hall itself. Such a centre also carries out the activities of institutional and symbolic representation of Muslims. Islamic centres are a small but important part of what we call mosques. Only in major cities might there be more than one, and often there are none at all. Not infrequently they perform a centralizing function of representation at a provincial or regional level. Usually, they also organize special meetings, for example those relating to Islamic holidays.

One category that we often encounter, especially given its significance in relation to conflicts surrounding places of worship, is that of ad hoc, or purpose-built, mosque, usually with visible signs of a dome and one or more minarets (the real masgids).[3] These may overlap, and are often the same as Islamic centres,but there are cases of ad hoc mosques that are not organized and structured Islamic centres, as such centres are not infrequently located in converted buildings that do not have the visible form of a mosque and where signs of recognition and external visible clues are limited to a sign or a plaque.

A third category – numerically by far the most significant in all European countries – is the Islamic musalla, or prayer room. Musallas may be located in industrial buildings, warehouses, former shops and apartments.[4] They may only serve to host the activity of prayer, but more often other activities are also performed there (eg Koranic schools and other educational events). Within this category we also find ‘ethnic’ musallas, which are attended only by members of one ethnic group, usually on the grounds of language (non-Arabophone ethnic groups, for example). Special mention should be made of the prayer halls or Sufi zawiyas, ie those belonging to mystical brotherhoods; these sometimes have an ethnic-linguistic specificity (such as Senegalese murids and certain brotherhoods with an Indo‑Pakistani origin), but some – especially those attended mostly by converts –may have a strong inter-ethnic character. There are also prayer halls belonging to minority Muslim groups (Shiites, Ahmadiyya, etc), when they have the resources to build their own structures. These three categories of prayer hall have the prerogative to be semi-closed: that is, in principle they are open to any Muslim, but in fact they are frequented only by those belonging to a specific group. This is particularly true of Sufi groups in which – albeit with significant exceptions, notably in the English speaking world – there can be no external sign of recognition, and they have no desire to open themselves up to the ordinary Muslim in the area who is simply looking for a place to pray, because the moments of the meeting may be different from the usual canonical ones, using particular liturgies and dhikr.

Some musallas are temporary for various reasons. This may be because they share premises with other activities (this may occur, for instance, in universities, hospitals, football stadiums and accommodation centres for immigrants), so they serve as prayer halls only at certain times or in certain periods of the year. Such is the case with mosques that are situated in temporary gathering places (for instance, holiday destinations that attract Muslim workers only at certain times of the year, or rural mosques where seasonal workers are employed in agriculture). Many isolated rural mosques, which are often outside the scope of the federations and relatively unknown, are nevertheless stable, although economically weaker at certain times of the year.

While it is relatively easy to calculate the number of Islamic centres, mosques built ad hoc and major prayer halls, the calculation of ‘hidden’ and temporary mosques is inevitably more complicated and often not very accurate. However, in this paper, when we talk of mosques in general, the term is meant to include all types of mosques and prayer halls within a country.

Most mosques play complex and varied roles: religious, social, cultural, political and economic, for instance. Other activities of interest and gatherings often take place around a mosque: halal butchers, ethnic shops, phone centres, import–export activities, ethnic-religious libraries (Islamic, but also often places where one can find books, videos, CDs and DVDs of the main ethnic and linguistic community in the area). In neighbourhoods with a strong ethnic character or a strong immigrant presence, a mosque will take its place quite naturally in the area. Furthermore, at a local level, mosques are also community centres and represent an interface with various networks – ethnic, national (linked to the countries of origin) and transnational (religious and political).[5]

* This text is republished with the permission ofAlliance Publishing Trust. “Defining the Mosque in Europe” is part of the reportConflicts Over Mosques in Europe: Policy Issues and Trends – NEF Initiative on Religion and Democracy inEurope© 2009 Network of European Foundations.

Stefano Allievi is Professor of Sociology at the University of Padua. His special interests include migration issues, sociology of religion and cultural change; he has particularly focused his studies on the presence of Islam in Europe, a subject on which he has published extensively.

[1] This is what usually causes a problem for the opponents of mosques. They never say that they are against the fact that Muslims pray – ‘they should do it at home’ was heard repeatedly by representatives of the anti-Islamic movement; rather, they are against the fact that they do it together in places open to the public. As they put it, they are not against Islam, they are against mosques.

[2] For a description of an important example, see Amiraux 2009. In this sense they are also places where Islamic knowledge is produced, especially in what is still the most widespread and pervasive form – oral (on this see Van Bruinessen and Allievi 2009).

[3] It is not very useful, however, in Europe to apply the distinction between masgid and jami, or between a ‘weekday’ mosque and the traditional congregational mosque where the community is found on Friday. In fact, almost all mosques in Europe fulfil both functions.

[4] In the literature these are variously called basement mosques, mosquées hangars, house mosques, hinterhofmoschee, backyard mosques, mescit, mescid, prayer halls, etc.
[5] On the functions of mosques, see Waardenburg 1988; on social practices in Europe, see Dassetto 1996; on transnational networks, see Allievi and Nielsen 2003.

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Niqab-wearer blocked again from class !

Niqab-wearer blocked again from class !

Last Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 | 9:35 PM ET

Naïma Atef Amed says she wears the niqab for religious reasons. The niqab is a style of headwear that covers the whole body, leaving only the eyes exposed. (CBC)The Quebec government has intervened again in the case of a Muslim woman who refused to remove her niqab veil during a French-language class.

Last week, Naïma Atef Amed filed a complaint with the province’s human rights commission after she was kicked out of a government-funded language class for new immigrants at the CÉGEP de Saint-Laurent in Montreal. The school had demanded that Amed take off her niqab veil, which covers her head and face and leaves only her eyes exposed, for part of the class.

Premier Jean Charest defended the school's decision, saying that people who expect to receive public services must show their face.

On Tuesday, the province's Immigration Ministry said it was informed last week that Amed, who is of Egyptian origin, had enrolled in another French class at a different publicly funded centre in Montreal that permitted her to wear the niqab.

"As we did last time, we told her that we have pedagogical objectives to meet in our French immersion courses, that they have to be taken with her face exposed," said Luc Fortin, a spokesman for the province's Immigration Minister.

"She refused to take off her niqab and she left the course."

The government is not prepared to compromise, said Immigration Minister Yolande James Tuesday.

"It is a question of common sense," said James.Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James says those who want to receive public services must show their face. (CBC)

Potential Quebec immigrants are asked to sign a contract in which they are asked to make a moral commitment to Quebec's values, including secularism, gender equality and respect for the francophone majority, the minister said.

"You make the choice to come to Quebec — you are welcome," said James. "Immigration is a plus for society — but values must be respected, and I remind you that the majority supports these values."

In an interview with CBC News, Amed had said she wears the veil for religious reasons and feels she has been treated unfairly.

Several commentators as well as certain Muslim groups expressed support for the Quebec's government's position last week.

They argued Amed had been unreasonable in her demands, which reportedly included giving oral presentations with her back facing the co-ed class.

The province has said it will take further steps to avoid similar situations in the future but did not specify what these would be.

Recent polls have suggested a majority of Quebecers feel the government has done too much to accommodate minorities.

With files from The Canadian Press

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