China: Muslims Waiting for Olympics to End So They Can Travel Again

Travel Restrictions for China Muslims

(IslamOnline.net & News Agencies)

Many cannot get on flights. Even train travel is restricted and full of hurdles for Muslim minorities. The situation is expected to last at least until the Olympics are over.

… In one case, a young Uighur woman was forced by authorities to undergo a strip search before boarding a train in Kashgar, a historic Silk Road oasis city near the Pakistan border.

A Uighur woman in her 20s in Kashgar said she had twice been denied a train ticket to Urumqi to start training for a new job.

Her passport had been confiscated by police for “safe-keeping”.

“Many of us are now just forgetting any plans we had and waiting for all of this to end….”

Yemen: Sheik Abdul-Rahman Marwani versus the Extremists

… A Sufi, [Sheik Abdul-Rahman] Marwani uses the messages of Islamic mysticism to convince militants that Islam preaches peace. … Recently, he confronted a firebrand preacher who had exhorted Muslims to kill Christians. “Do you believe Allah is wise and that all things come from Allah?” Marwani asked. The preacher did. “Even that Mercedes you drive?” the sheik pressed on. “Because if you kill all the Christians, there won’t be any of them left to build Mercedeses.”

Hmmmm…. I guess some extremists are responsive to “practical” concerns, such whether or not they can still get a Benz or find a Cadbury bar if all of “Christiandom” is wiped out.

‘If You Kill All the Christians …’

CARLA POWER (Time Magazine)

USA, MD: Shelter Our Sisters (SOS) Conference & Fund-raising Banquet

A Sister sends the following “heads up” on an upcoming community forum and banquet about domestic violence and what can be done to change community attitudes..

Muslimat Al-Nisaa

Inshallah on August 2nd & 3rd, at the University of Maryland, College Park, Marriott Inn & Conference Center, Muslimat Al-Nisaa organization will provide a conference, forum and fund-raising banquet whereby community beliefs and attitudes that support domestic violence will be changed and the entire Muslim community will see themselves as part of the solution. Muslimat Al-Nisaa seeks to continue the work of our pioneers (now deceased) Sister Sharifa Alkhateeb, and Dr Maryam Funches by playing a leadership role in effecting social change, by educating the community, by establishing associations with masjids and other social service groups and by seeking financial support for not just a shelter but also a comprehensive self-sufficiency program for homeless Muslim women and children.
The organization is currently seeking funding for the Dr Maryam Funches Shelter for Muslim Women Victims of Domestic Violence.
Donate to
Muslimat Al-Nisaa at http://www.mnisaa.org or
Mail: 5115 Liberty Heights Ave,
Baltimore, MD 21207
(410) 466-8686

USA: Judge Rejects Michael Savage Lawsuit Against CAIR

Suit brought by ‘Savage Nation’ radio host tossed

Bob Egelko (San Francisco Chronicle)

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage against a Muslim rights group that reprinted his attacks against Islam and called for an advertising boycott….

CAIR’s boycott campaign against Savage was a success that cost his show around $1MM. In retaliation, Savage filed suit against CAIR alleging copyright infringement and accusing CAIR of racketeering and support of terrorism. The judge was unimpressed, but noted that Savage is free to re-file his complaint after he removes the flawed elements. He’ll lose that one, too, since the judge has already noted that

… anyone who listens to a public broadcast is entitled to take excerpts and use them for purposes of comment and criticism.

So, we will see what round two of this legal battle brings.

Here is CAIR’s call to boycott Savage’s show, with excerpts from his broadcast.

India: Tossing Babies From Buildings — Video

Some Indian Muslims (and some Hindus) participate in these baby throwing rites. Supposedly the intent is to ensure good health and good fortune for these infants (if they survive).

It’s hard to watch this video. It is utterly beyond me how people can subject a baby to this.

Indian Baby Dropping Ritual

(Reuters)

France: Muslim Women in a Secular Society

As this article makes clear, Muslim women are integrated into French society, and their customs and beliefs are influenced are influenced by modern needs and situations.

Muslim Women Resist Stereotyping
In France, Many Try to Balance Their Faith’s Traditions With Secular Society

Elizabeth Bryant (Religion News Service)

Egypt: New Film Gets Muslims and Christians Talking

Egyptian film laughs at prejudice

Yolande Knell (BBC News, Cairo)

A new comedy which opened in cinemas in Egypt this month has achieved what intellectuals and human rights activists have failed to do.

It has got Egyptians talking about tensions between the country’s majority Muslim population and its Christian minority…

One sad result of the religious tensions in Egypt is that immigrants to the US bring the same prejudices with them. Our new next door neighbors are Copts. The lady of the house has instructed her children not to speak to us. If the kids are playing outside and we smile and say hello to them, they run inside the house and tell their mother that we spoke to them. The woman is a hater and she’s raising her kids to be haters.

A few years ago when a Coptic family was murdered in Jersey City, suspicion immediately turned to area Egyptian Muslims. Part of the reason was that one of the murder victims was active on message boards and posted a lot of anti-Islam rants. As it turned out, the murderers were neither Egyptian nor Muslim. The incident exposed the rift among Christian and Muslim Egyptians here. Kids in school were harassed, threats were made, and even during the funeral service some people were barely able to comport themselves in a civil manner.

Bosnia: 13 Year Anniversary of the Slaughter at Srebrenica

Srebrenica: Worst European atrocity since WWII

Graham Jones (CNN)

France: Woman Denied Citizenship Over Niqab is Interviewed

Although a French social agency claimed that this woman lived as a recluse because of her religion (a report that influenced the denial of her citizenship application), the reality is that she does go out to run errands, she drives and even has a male (gasp) gynecologist.

A Muslim woman too orthodox for France

Katrin Bennhold (International Herald Tribune)

Darfur: Putting People First — Not Cartoons

China, Muslims and the Genocide

Nicholas D. Kristof

… a few days ago, I scolded the international Muslim community for standing behind Bashir, rather than his victims. I asked why the Islamic world can’t muster a tiny fraction of the outrage for mass murder that it generates for a few Danish cartoons…

Many Muslims have asked the same question, and Muslim organizations are actively working to halt the slaughter in Darfur. Still, it is not enough. Muslims should not be complacent about this ongoing persecution. If some ill-thought cartoons are offensive to the memory of our Prophet, then surely the slaughter and rape of Muslims at the hand of other Muslims is even more offensive.

… Well, isn’t it?

SaveDarfur.org

Egypt: Survey on Sexual Harassment

Women in Egypt, including those who cover, report a high incidence of sexual harassment from local. Of the men surveyed, many also admitted to the behavior. Despite this, the culture still blames women for the transgressions of those doing the harassing.

Almost half of Egyptian women harassed daily: poll

(Agence France Presse)

Almost half of Egyptian women are sexually harassed on a daily basis with more than half of Egyptian men admitting lewd behaviour, the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights said on Thursday….

… Abul Qomsan said that almost two-thirds of Egyptian men — 62 percent — admitted harassing women, including those wearing Islamic headscarves.

“This shows that the belief that harassment is linked to women who wear indecent clothing is false,” she said, condemning the fact that in the deeply religious country women often feel responsible despite being victims….

USA: Interfaith Council of Washington

Janice Tufte of the Interfaith Council of Washington is a busy woman.

She writes:

In the Greater Seattle area I have been fortunate with the Graces from Allah(SWT) to have founded and started numerous successful projects in last 4 years. The Muslim Emergency Resource Guide is ongoing and is distributed throughout our region, offering resources to many Muslims with Islamic organizations listed, Mosques, as well as cooperative agencies in the greater Puget Sound. I would be glad to mail to you. The Warm for Winter Project offers the ability for participants to be involved directly through making handmade hats and scarves for the local homeless individuals as well as becoming more educated about the issues and best practices surrounding helping one without a home. ( 5,000 handmade hats and scarves were delivered 07-08 season) The islamic Civic Engagement Coalition with 4 Islamic sponsors/ partners was started in ‘08, (co-founded with CAIR-seattle president) where we as an Islamic coalition delivered 621 signed issue papers to Olympia WA Capitol on Martin Luther King day to 57 offices in 19 districts. Thankyou for your site, your work in bringing about opportunities for all Muslimahs

Visit, volunteer and donate here.

Jordan: Oprah.com Presents Interview with Queen Rania

An interview with Queen Rania of Jordan.

What Queen Rania wants for the world

(Oprah.com // via CNN)

… In the future, Rania says she hopes for a more open and secure world. “We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think, ‘Well, that’s their problem.’ But it’s not,” she says. “When you solve somebody else’s problem, you’re solving a problem for yourself because our world today is so interconnected…”

USA: Interview with Ingrid Mattson, President of ISNA

Breaking down stereotypes
Islamic society president has become the face of American Muslim women

Barbara Karkabi (Houston Chronicle )

Islam: Positive Effects of Hajj Documented, Including Increased Tolerance and Concern for Womens Welfare

A period of enforced religious rites, physical hardship, patience and exposure to Muslims from all around the world leads to noticeable attitude changes for many who complete the Hajj.

When Orthodoxy Is Good for You: Making Sense of the “Hajj Effect”

(Andrea Useem) Religion Writer