ROVER’S DIARY: Politics of floods and meeting the challenge —Babar Ayaz Two major reasons for the lack of trust in the government in developing economic polities are: the level of corruption is higher than the developed countries, and there is a demand and supply gap when it comes to the people’s aspiration level and what a government can deliver Unfortunately the Phoenix does not rise from the ashes in the real world, although all major mythologies — Greek, Persian, Arabian, Chinese and Egyptian — claim so. And sadly I do not see the Pakistani nation rising from the flood-submerged plains … Continue reading Unfortunately the Phoenix does not rise from the ashes in the real world

VIEW: Accepting foreign help —Ishtiaq Ahmed In an editorial dated August 15, 2010, a leading Urdu daily warned Pakistan not to accept India’s offer of $ 5 million for the flood victims. According to it, India released excess water into the Sutlej and Beas rivers that caused the floods In an interview given to Lyse Doucet of the BBC and shown on August 16, 2010, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi pleaded passionately for help from the international community for the unprecedented monsoon floods that are wreaking havoc in Pakistan. He made a strong political point as well: if international support … Continue reading It is time to speak the truth.

American Muslim & Jewish Leaders Visit Concentration Camps to Counteract Holocaust Denial IslamToday / Agencies 22 August 2010 A delegation of prominent US Muslim and Jewish leaders have recently completed a tour of Nazi concentration camps in Dachauin, Germany and Auschwitz, Poland. The eight Muslim participants – including TV personality Sheikh Yasir Qadhi and Laila Mohammed, daughter of the late Imam W.D. Muhammad – represented America’s diverse community including Arab, South Asian, African-American, Caucasian, Sunni and Shiite. Never before has such an interfaith effort been documented, some called these events historic, while participants simply called it “transformative.” The special delegation … Continue reading Muslims & Jews Counteract Holocaust Denial Together

Some Manifestations of Allah’s Kindness Sheikh Salman al-Oadah Allah is kind to us in ways that we cannot even imagine. His kindness is manifested to us from before we are born into our infancy and adulthood, in every aspect of our lives. It is from Allah’s kindness that He creates the fetus in its mother’s womb, and that the womb does not reject it even though it is a foreign body. Allah makes the womb ready to welcome it. Allah thus enfolds the fetus in three protective coverings, that of the placenta, that of the womb, and that of the … Continue reading Allah’s Kindness

Fasting for Someone Intending Travel Sheikh Salman al-Oadah It is established and agreed upon in Islamic law that a person who is on a journey in the month of Ramadan is exempted from fasting and has to make up the missed days later. This is because Allah says in the Qur’an: “But if anyone is ill or on a journey, then (let him fast the same) number of other days.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 185] However, what about a person who starts the day in Ramadan at home, but then starts on a journey during the day? Should that person fast for … Continue reading Fasting and Travelling

Pride and prejudice (altmuslim.com) Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf’s project to build bridges with America has inadvertently become a lightning rod for hatred. If he succeeds in building his center, it will be a triumph for America and its values. But American Muslims will have to pay a big price for it. By Muqtedar Khan, August 23, 2010 Brooklyn’s too close also Newark, Delaware The Park51 controversy has brought many dark elements to the fore. To my mind the foremost danger is the mainstreaming of a pernicious partnership between prejudice and politics. Come December, the politicians will abandon the issue and … Continue reading Its OK to Persecute Muslims in the US – US Government?

Does the American standard consist of freedom of religion, that fundamental right to which we thought ourselves entitled in this nation? Or has the new American standard become the method by which to deny American Muslims their rights? By Sara Haji, Now comes the hard part New York, New York About six months ago, I became an American citizen. They gave me a nifty handbook called “The Citizen’s Almanac: Fundamental Documents, Symbols, and Anthems of the United States,” replete with quotes: Franklin Roosevelt, James Madison, Woodrow Wilson, Supreme Court decisions, Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg (“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this … Continue reading American Freedom For All – Except Muslims ?

The campaign for school holidays for Muslim students in New York City may actually be detrimental to religious freedom by creating an all or nothing conflict – either recognize all holidays or none – that is most likely to result in the recognition of none. By Asma Uddin Pushing too far? Washington, DC This Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, two major debates around Muslims rights are taking place in New York City. One about the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque”, the other over whether to include Muslim holidays, including the post-Ramadan celebration, Eid-ul-Fitr, in the public school calendar. Last September, … Continue reading The other Islam controversy in NYC