Police chiefs ‘waste’ £100,000 on new zip-up shirts for force facing cuts A police force has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ money after spending £100,000 revamping its officers’ shirts. At a time when public services face deep cuts, West Midlands Police is issuing around 6,900 black and blue shirts because officers found the traditional white ones ‘too restrictive’. It is kitting out all its policemen with black zip-up shirts, while community support officers will wear dark blue versions. What’s all this then? The new blue and black shirts for West Midlands Police officers on patrol – black for police, blue … Continue reading West Midlands Police decide to go on a spending spree – so who would like to question them?

by Joy Victory Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, I’ve spent the past few months trying to wrap my head around the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent massive oil spill that is now ruining the coastline from Louisiana to Florida. At times, I have to turn off the news, as the images of … Continue reading Support the First Amendment with 1 for All

Burke’s Peerage: Queen Elizabeth II Descended from the Prophet Muhammad Posted on by Juan I was surprised that the writers of comments over at Salon.com did not know the below. It is common knowledge to anyone interested in genealogy. I know that it is hard for people invested in a hard East/ West dichotomy to imagine that the icon of Western civilization, the British royal family, has Arab Muslim antecedents (along with a host of other nationalities of course.) But it does. The Greater Mediterranean got all mixed up over millennia. Most Sicilians (i.e. most Italian-Americans) also have Arab Muslim … Continue reading HM The Queen Descended from the Last Prophet PBUH

How Ritz ‘seller’ tricked top investors out of £1m bbc.co.uk By Marie Jackson BBC News The Ritz, open since 1906, is renowned for its grandeur and opulenceThe scam to sell one of the world’s most famous hotels appeared to be textbook – it was simple, well-targeted and ambitious, said prosecutors. It took one cash-strapped man, bravado and a lot of greed. Anthony Lee chose his targets well. He knew that in the competitive world of secretive multimillion pound deals, people are prepared to take breathtaking risks. The opportunity he presented – a bargain price for London’s five-star Ritz hotel and … Continue reading The Ritz – want to buy?

The Organization of the Islamic Conference Author: Toni Johnson, Staff Writer for CFR.org Introduction The Purpose of the OIC Organization and Influence within the OIC OIC Controversies Islam and U.S. Policy Introduction Comprised of fifty-seven nations spread over four continents, the forty-year-old Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest international body after the UN, and is aimed at protecting Muslim interests worldwide. Some experts say the organization has been ineffectual, but they also note its tremendous potential for addressing the issues facing Muslims. Advocates of reaching out to Muslims see the OIC as an important venue for … Continue reading Organization of the Islamic Conference

Either an idiot or… New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in his unendingly offensive series of “Letters from Istanbul,” offers up reasons to “wonder” about Turkey, only to indulge us in his propagandistic and arrogant attempt to smear it. By Haroon Moghul, (from altmuslim) Oh Turkey, you amuse me New York, New York In this his second letter from Istanbul, New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman attempts to paint Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a radical, Turkey as an undemocratic Chavezista hotbed and the flotilla incident as something other than what most of the rest of … Continue reading Thomas Friedman – Twitologist!

Star Wars: An Islamic perspective The way “jedis” are taught to respect a greater power, fight for the defense of the innocent and bring peace and justice to their society, is also what Islam teaches all Muslims to strive for. By Irfan Rydhan, (from (altmuslim.com) Luke bin Anakin? As most “Star Wars” fans know, director George Lucas took spiritual elements, which are common in most major world religions to create his epic saga of good vs. evil. As a Muslim, I always thought of the “Jedi” as what a true follower of Islam should be like. Never mind the fact … Continue reading Star Wars: Is about Islam?

Muslim parents, have a little faith in music Saudi and Salafi-influenced parents who withdraw children from music lessons should value the unifying power of a good song Inayat Bunglawala guardian.co.uk, Friday 2 July 2010 10.00 BST Article history I adored my first hand-held transistor radio. It was 1981 and the regular Radio 1 playlist at the time included, from memory, Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Happy Birthday by Altered Images (featuring the very lovely Clare Grogan) and, erm, Wired for Sound by Cliff Richard. On Tuesdays at lunchtime, together with some school friends, we would listen to the countdown by … Continue reading Most Muslim parents like others just want to listen to Music

The Importance of Surah al-Ikhlas (Qur’an: ch. 112) Sheikh Salman al-Oadah The 112th chapter of the Qur’an is called al-Ikhlās, which literally means “sincerity” or “purity”. It is given this name since it affirms the purity of faith, uncorrupted by polytheism, and sincerity of worship to Allah alone without partner. It affirms in the most emphatic terms that Allah is One (al-Ahad), the only true God. It affirms that He is wholly Self-Subsisting (al-Samad), and negates any claim that He was born of another or that He has a child. It then concludes by affirming His absolute uniqueness. Allah’s names … Continue reading Surah al-Ikhlas

The Aetiology of American Islamophobia Afpakwar | By Arshad Zaman E PLURIBUS UNUM – The Motto Carried by the American Eagle. America subscribes to the ‘melting pot’ rather than the ‘mosaic’ model of unity—seeking unity from diversity (E pluribus unum: Out of many, one), rather than unity in diversity. Confronted by the ‘Other’ the American way is to absorb or to eliminate; living with diversity is not an option. Historically, race (Native, and African Americans) and ideology (communism) have raised the most profound anxieties among Americans. Muslims have come to be seen as being burdened by both. Until the October … Continue reading American Islamophobia