Mohammed Al-Eissa told reporters on Saturday the bill will be issued in the coming days as part of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s “plan to develop the justice system.” The law would mark a major step for female lawyers in the Kingdom. Currently, women law graduates can work in government offices and in court offices, but cannot argue cases before court. Under the new law, women would be allowed to argue cases on child custody, divorce and other family-related issues. The proposed new law to be issued by the Ministry of Justice would also allow Saudi women … Continue reading New law will end male dominance in Saudi courts

If India is to take up the mantle of global leader status, it must remain open and welcoming, not closed and driven by fear and prejudice, writes Aijaz Zaka Syed* Just when you think the likes of the Shiv Sena Party couldn’t get any more disingenuous and meaner, they get worse. After all, for nearly five decades Sena has done nothing but spew sweetness and light and you would think it had squeezed the last drops of political mileage out of spreading all round cheer and goodness. This time around though, it seems Sena and its rabble- rousing chief, Bal Thackeray, … Continue reading India’s path to global power or Hindu Mullahs?

NEW YORK – Isn’t it clear by now that the U.S. and its allies are not likely to be able to wipe out Al Qaeda or ensure that we are not attacked again domestically? As the British acknowledged in July, the London attacks were just a matter of when, not if. To be sure, the terrorists can’t win this war, but neither can we. The most serious risk is that Al Qaeda will sooner or later be able to attack us with a biological or nuclear weapon, not merely the conventional bombs used in London and Madrid or the suicide … Continue reading Is Al Qaeda asking to negotiate?

NEW YORK: Sana Rahim was born in the cowboy country of southeastern Wyoming to Pakistani parents who had emigrated so her father could earn a doctorate. She speaks Urdu with her family, but cannot read or write the language. She recites prayers in Arabic, but does not know exactly what each word means. Now a 20-year-old junior at Northwestern University, she, like many other American-born Muslims, is most comfortable with sermons and lectures in English, although they cannot always find US mosques that offer them. “I don’t really get the time to study Arabic,” Rahim said. “With all the different … Continue reading Debate over English emerges in US mosques

NEW DELHI: Ajit Singh knows about the lies people tell. He has followed them through the littered, mildewed mazes of New Delhi’s middle class neighbourhoods. He has photographed them as they leave their lovers’ apartments. He hears them exaggerate their salaries and hide their illnesses. A thin man in an ill-fitting suit, Singh works out of a crowded office around the corner from a muffler shop. An incense stick burns behind his desk. A sign in slightly fractured English warns the staff: “Walls Has Ears And Eyes Too. BE ALERT.” Singh has spent years honing his skills: disguise, surveillance, misdirection. … Continue reading ‘Wedding detectives’ booming and snooping in India

By Nadeem Haque and Zeshan Shahbaz People of earth, your attention, please,”… This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council,”…”As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your earth minutes. Thank you.” (From Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams) In academic circles, when the captivating question of the possible existence of intelligent extraterrestrial … Continue reading Extraterrestrials in Islam

Azeem Ibrahim Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s International Security Program On paper, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab — the twenty-three year-old who tried to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas day with 80g of PETN crystals in his trousers — had everything to live for. He was the son of a wealthy Nigerian financier, he had a good education, studying mechanical engineering at the University College London and living in a luxury apartment. His religious observance — he was the chairman of the university’s Islamic Society — could also have been a source of inspiration and stability to him, … Continue reading A Successful Way to Prevent Future Terrorist Attacks?

Nick Spencer Received wisdom over recent years has seen the Iraq war as having irreparably damaged relations between the Labour government and British Muslims. The way in which Tony Bair worked so closely with George Bush’s Republican administration, coupled with his government’s relentless focus on security, which many feel has helped create an atmosphere of Islamophobia, is supposed to have alienated many British Muslims. By way of response, Labour’s attempt to pass legislation outlawing religious hate speech was seen by some commentators as merely a desperate sop offered to their disenchanted Muslim supporters. The received wisdom, then, seems sound. Yet … Continue reading Is New Labour the natural home for British Muslims?

My generation need to be heroes Those of us reaching adulthood in the 21st century are more conventional than our parents – and we have a serious job to do Laurie Penny guardian.co.uk Today’s young people are, apparently, uniquely godless. Studies released this week by the Pew Forum have revealed that 25% of young Americans born after 1980 self-define as “atheist”, “agnostic” or “nothing in particular”, as opposed to 19% of the previous cohort. A similar decline is taking place in Britain, with the British Humanist Association reporting a 10% decline in religious faith among young people in less than … Continue reading This generation needs to be the heroes!

The three virtues we need Courage, modesty and intellectual curiosity can go a long way in cultivating delight in daily life, and protecting our liberties Philip Pullman guardian.co.uk At first sight, of course, vice is more attractive. She is sexier, she promises to be better company than her plain sister virtue. Every novelist, and every reader too, has more fun with the villains than with the good guys. Goodness is staunch and patient, but wickedness is vivid and dynamic; we admire the first, but we thrill to the second. Nevertheless, I want to say a word in praise of virtue: … Continue reading Virtues of Courage, Modesty and Intellectual curiosity will bring us closer together