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Priest Attack in Florida Worries Muslim Leaders | Not in Our Town

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Not In Our Town - By Suefish - Nov. 13 (News Report) - Muslim leaders in Tampa, Fla., are concerned they might be seeing a backlash from last week’s attacks at Fort Hood. On Nov. 9, a Marine reservist attacked a Greek Orthodox priest who was visiting Tampa from Crete because he thought the clergyman was a Muslim “terrorist.” According to the police report, the priest followed the reservist into a parking garage to ask for directions. The reservist hit the priest with a tire iron, and called 911 to report a “terrorist” had attacked him after shouting “Allahu Akhbar,” "God is great" in Arabic. The priest does not speak Arabic. The reservist’s attorney countered that the priest had followed his client into the garage to sexually assault him. Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy disputed that, telling reporters that Bruce did not mention a sexual attack when he called 911, and later changed his story several times.

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Teran again sees protests and violence

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

GlobalPost - By Iason Athanasiadis - Nov. 04 (News Report) - Iran’s opposition movement showed it may have staying power Wednesday as thousands of opposition protesters took to the streets alongside a regime-backed demonstration marking the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

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New Iraqi Shiite Coalition coming together

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Informed Comment - By Juan Cole - Aug. 09 (News Report) - Ahead of January?s parliamentary elections, Jalal al-Din al-Saghir, a leader of the Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq (ISCI) announced that the United Iraqi Alliance will announce five coalition partners next week. They include the Sadr Movement of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Islah Party of former Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, the Badr Organization (the political wing of the Badr Corps paramilitary attached to ISCI), section of the Da`wa Party- Iraq Organization, and ISCI itself. These are all fundamentalist Shiite parties. ISCI continues to reject the demand of the Islamic Da`wa Party of current prime minister Nuri al-Maliki for more seats in parliament within the UIA coalition, and for a lock on the prime ministership. The significance of the report ...

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Christian Pakistanis, Called "America's Dogs," Have Long History Of Persecution In Punjab

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Huffington Post - By Naveen Naqvi - Aug. 06 (News Report) - After eight people were burnt alive, over 50 houses destroyed and a church desecrated in the village of Gojra, Pakistani Christians have expressed their rage and frustration. There have been nationwide protests, and Christian schools across Pakistan were closed for three days from the 3rd of August.

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Pakistan: Condemning Gojra Riots

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Sana Saleem - Aug. 05 (News Analysis) - Last Saturday riots broke out in the Gojra town of Pakistan over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and houses of the local Christian community were set on fire leaving 7 burnt alive and 18 severely injured. The widespread communal violence has been condemned severely by the Pakistani blogosphere.

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Gojra

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Roznamcha – Bach - By Saesneg - Aug. 04 (News Analysis) - In the aftermath two long-running Pakistani discourses emerge – militancy and Pakistan’s Islamized criminal code. On Monday “sources” told Dawn that a mob went on rampage after “youths delivered provocative speeches and set on fire houses and places of worship”. The government believed the incidents were “planned to trigger riots between Christians and Muslims and the government was not ruling out involvement of an external hand”. Fingers were pointed at the Sipah-e-Sahaba, the Guardian reported, which the South Asia Terrorism Portal claims receives significant funding from Saudi interests and is known for violence against Shia’s.

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Pakistani Taliban behind Gojra carnage, says Punjab governor

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) - Aug. 04 (News Report) - Speaking to the media here, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said: We strongly condemn Gojra carnage. Such heinous acts of violence and brutality are not an enriching sign for any one. If the number of police (personnel) deployed now could have been

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Pakistani president vows to restore Gojra

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

CCTV - Aug. 03 (News Report) - Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari has ordered authorities to ensure the restoration of law and order in the eastern city of Gojra, after riots broke out there last week. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, on the directions of President Asif Ali Zardari, ordered a paramilitary force to head to Gojra. Zardari's spokesperson conveyed the president's "grave concern" over the incident, in which seven innocent people were burnt to death. Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti says 40 Christian homes were torched on Saturday in rioting led by the banned terrorist group Sipah-e-Sahaba. He said there was no truth to allegations that a Quran had been defiled. Officials say the riots, which began on Thursday but had calmed before flaring again on Saturday, had been instigated by members of a banned extremist Muslim organization. Hundreds of Muslims burned and looted Christian homes in the city in a rampage sparked by allegations that a Quran had been defaced. Shooting broke out, and six people were killed, including a child and four women. Two men wounded by gunfire died in hospital overnight. Christians make up a tiny minority of Pakistan's predominantly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.

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Christian Houses burnt by Muslims in Gojra, Pakistan (raw footage)

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Peace In Asia - Aug. 02 (Breaking News) - More than 60 poor Christians houses set to burn and demolish by a mob of thousands of Muslims in Chak 362 Korianwala, Tehisl Gojra, District, Toba Tek Singh. Some Muslims suspected that Quranic have been desecrated by Christians. Muslim clerics formed a mob and attacked Christian houses.

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Sarkozy Hiding Behind the Burqa

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Huffington Post - By Jamal Dajani - Jul. 10 (News Report) - PARIS- It's been almost three weeks since French President Nicolas Sarkozy said burqas imprison women and would not be tolerated in France. In a speech at the Palace of Versailles, Mr. Sarkozy said that the head-to-toe Islamic garment for women, the burqa, "is not a sign of religion", but rather "a sign of subservience."

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Iran: Protesters break a taboo and defy Khamenei

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Hamid Tehrani - Jun. 20 (Special Report) - One day after Islamic Republic Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced protests and warned reformist leaders against taking to the streets, thousands of people demonstrated in Tehran. They were joined by others in several cities across Iran in ignoring Khamenei's order and voicing their anger against the June 12 presidential election results. They clashed with Iranian police who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

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Ayatollahs Protest Election Fraud

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tehran Bureau - By Muhammad Sahimi - Jun. 14 (News Report) - The Association of Combatant Clerics, which consists of moderate and leftist clerics and includes such important figures as former president Mohammad Khatami, Ayatollah Mohammad Mousavi Khoiniha, and Grand Ayatollah Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardabili, issued a strongly-worded statement, calling the results of the election invalid.

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Iran votes in record-breaking numbers

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

GlobalPost - By Cameron Abadi - Jun. 12 (Special Report) - ord-breaking numbers of Iranians going to the polls Friday, this year’s presidential election has already earned a chapter in the story of the Islamic Republic. What remains to be seen is in which direction the voters will have steered the plot.

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Cairo University Preps for Obama

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Link TV - Jun. 04 (News Analysis) - Cairo University is prepping for President Barack Obama's historic visit. Old and cracked roads are being repaved and workers have been busy mowing the lawns and planting new shrubs and flowers. Initially, Obama was scheduled to speak at the world's oldest university, Al Azhar, built almost a thousand years ago. However, for security reasons, Cairo University was chosen.

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Professor Juan Cole and Cairo-Based Analyst Issandr El Amrani on Obama's Historic Address

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzales - Jun. 04 (News Analysis) - I was out earlier, saw part of the speech at a local cafe. And people are moderately excited, but really, at the end, curious about what he was going to say. From the reactions I’ve seen, they’re not overwhelmed. There were happy about some of the religious—the message of religious reconciliation that he gave. And I think, you know, we’re still going to have to wait to see what the speech is followed by in terms of concrete action.

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In Cairo Speech, Obama Calls for "New Beginning" Between US and Muslims Worldwide

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzales - Jun. 04 (News Report) - President Obama delivered a highly anticipated speech in Cairo, Egypt, today, aimed at Muslims across the world. Among several points, Obama defended his decision to escalate the occupation of Afghanistan and refused to apologize for the invasion of Iraq that has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. On the Israel-Palestine conflict, Obama refused to call for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Territories but likened the Palestinian struggle to the US civil rights movement and said Israeli settlement building should stop. And he acknowledged the US role in the 1953 overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government.

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Egyptians set the stage for Obama address

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

GlobalPost - By Theodore May - Jun. 02 (Special Report) - Obama has decided to fly into the region at a time of deep crisis. Gaza lies in ruins, the Pakistani government remains unstable, Hezbollah appears set to win elections in Lebanon and Iran continues to rattle the saber. Terrorist threats abound and Obama is banking on the fact that words still count.

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No sporting chance for Saudi women

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

GlobalPost - By Caryle Murphy - May. 14 (News Report) - Government officials have begun notifying female-only sports clubs that they must shut down because they don’t have licenses, according to Saudi press reports. And they don’t have licenses because ... ? That’s right! No government department is authorized to issue licenses for female-only sports clubs. The catch-22 situation is another illustration of the barriers placed in the way of Saudi women who want to exercise and participate in sports.

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Pakistan: Women vs. Taliban

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Link TV - By Evelyn Messinger - May. 11 (News Analysis) - Women across Pakistan are galvanized to act by the threat of harsh Taliban-stye Islamic law, recently instituted in parts of northwest Pakistan. Yet even among women in the region, the Taliban have defenders: for some it's just political expediency; for others, it's a path to justice in a corrupt court system.

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Sharia and Militancy

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Council on Foreign Relations - By Toni Johnson - Apr. 23 (News Analysis) - A growing number of countries are struggling to find a balance between secular law and sharia. And sharia has become a rallying cry for Islamic militant movements seeking to show religious authenticity.

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Karzai Ruling Faces World Criticism

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Quqnoos - Apr. 06 (News Report) - The law which has not yet come into force, critics say the women can only seek work, education or doctor's appointments with their husband's permission. "The wife does not have the right to the provision of maintenance by the husband unless she agrees to have intercourse with him and he gets an opportunity for doing so," an article of the law says.

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Engaging the Muslim world

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Salon - By Juan Cole - Mar. 17 (Special Report) - Despite their political support for Hizbullah, Lebanese Shiites should not be assumed to share its puritanical attitudes. Many Shiite young women are every bit as chic and oriented toward Paris fashion as their Maronite Catholic peers, and cosmopolitan Shiite families often have outposts in Brazil or West Africa. One of the more scandalous video music stars in Beirut, known for her baby face and steamy dance moves, is Haifa Wahbi, whose father is a Shiite. In December 2007, I flew to Lebanon to give a talk at the American University of Beirut. On my trip I had a conversation with a Shiite graduate student from the village of Qana in the south, who was studying comparative literature at Lebanese American University and enjoying Arundhati Roy's "God of Small Things" -- an Indian novel about a star-crossed romance that transgresses caste taboos.

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Thailand: The war you've never heard of

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

GlobalPost - By Patrick Winn - Mar. 13 (Special Report) - Each week in Thailand’s deep south, new blood is spilled in the name of a forgotten Muslim sultanate. This guerilla war seems worlds away from Bangkok and Thailand’s neon-soaked coastal playgrounds. But it has ground Thailand’s military to a halt.

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Orchard Park businessman charged in beheading of wife

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Buffalo News - By Fred O. Williams, Gene Warner - Feb. 14 (Breaking News) - Friends expressed shock on Friday that the founder of a Muslim TV channel — which he launched in order to counter violent images of Muslims — has been arrested in his wife’s brutal slaying. Detectives have charged Muzzammil Hassan, 44, with second-degree murder after his wife was found beheaded Thursday at the offices of the cable channel, Bridges TV, in the Village of Orchard Park. The victim was identified as Aasiya Z. Hassan, 37. Police said they continued to search for the murder weapon on Friday and refused to discuss further details of the killing. “I am totally stunned,” said Samira Khatib, a friend of the couple, who lives in Hamburg. “They were really more than married — they encouraged each other in everything.”

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Gaza in the Time of Ashura

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Informed Comment - By Juan Cole - Jan. 06 (Special Report) - The Gaza War is coming at a poignant time for the Shiite world, since the opening 10 days of the first month of the Muslim year, Muharram, are a time of mourning for the martyred grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Husayn b. Ali. The tenth of the month, called Ashura, is especially sacred. Some Shiites hold public processions and beat, whip or cut themselves in grief that Husayn was struck down by forces of evil. It is therefore a season of heightened emotionalism, in which the focus is on grieving for the weak, cut down by powerful forces of oppression.

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