C L O S E R April 2006 Archives - C L O S E R

Aljazeera.Net – Morocco introduces women preachers

Posted on April 28th, 2006 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, Islamnews.

Aljazeera.Net – Morocco introduces women preachers
Morocco introduces women preachers

Friday 28 April 2006, 11:50 Makka Time, 8:50 GMT

The idea took off after the May, 2003 attacks in Casablanca

Morocco has just graduated its first team of women preachers to be deployed as a vanguard in its fight against any slide towards Islamic extremism.

“This is a rare experiment in the Muslim world,” proudly stated Muhammad Mahfudh, director of the centre attached to the Islamic affairs ministry that trained this first class of 50 women.

Ministry spokesman Hamid Rono said it was the “first (of its kind) in the Islamic world”.

This pioneer group of Murshidat, or guides, who finished a 12-month course in early April, were trained to “accompany and orient” Muslim faithful, notably in prisons, hospitals and schools, said Mahfudh.

They will earn a salary of 5,000 dirhams ($560) a month.

Samira Marzouk, in her 30s like most of the others, exclaims how “proud” she is to be part of this first group.

She sees their mission as one to “fill in the gaps that prevent a solid framework for religion”. (more…)

Protected: [MoslimMedia] BelgiÃ« / Waarom dachten wij dat het Marokkanen waren?

Posted on April 28th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

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De dodenherdenking & bevrijdingsdag 2006

Posted on April 28th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

De Unie van Marokkaanse MoskeeÃ«n Amsterdam en Omstreken (UMMAO) roept ook dit jaar alle moskeebesturen, imams en moslims op om stil te staan en aandacht te schenken aan de dodenherdenking en de viering van de bevrijdingsdag. Vrijheid en verscheidenheid zijn waarden die voor ons allen een groot goed is en moet blijven.
Op 4 mei herdenken wij op verschillende plaatsen in Amsterdam, en in heel Nederland, de slachtoffers van de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Nederland en de rest van de wereld. De Islam beschouwt waarden als vrijheid, verscheidenheid, vrijheid van meningsuiting, rechtvaardigheid, vrijheid van godsdienst als een van haar belangrijkste fundamenten.
In deze periode staan wij stil bij de gebeurtenissen en herdenken wij de strijders die om zijn gekomen voor deze waarden, die hedendaags veelal als vanzelfsprekend worden beschouwd.
Wij verzoeken alle Amsterdammers, moslims en niet-moslims, om in deze periode bij de dodenherdenking stil te staan en extra aandacht te besteden aan het belang van vrijheid en verscheidenheid binnen onze samenleving.
Met deze gebeurtenissen in ons achterhoofd en een positieve instelling kunnen we er samen voor zorgen dat deze strijd niet voor niets is geweest.

De dodenherdenking & bevrijdingsdag 2006

Posted on April 28th, 2006 by .
Categories: Misc. News.

De Unie van Marokkaanse MoskeeÃ«n Amsterdam en Omstreken (UMMAO) roept ook dit jaar alle moskeebesturen, imams en moslims op om stil te staan en aandacht te schenken aan de dodenherdenking en de viering van de bevrijdingsdag. Vrijheid en verscheidenheid zijn waarden die voor ons allen een groot goed is en moet blijven.
Op 4 mei herdenken wij op verschillende plaatsen in Amsterdam, en in heel Nederland, de slachtoffers van de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Nederland en de rest van de wereld. De Islam beschouwt waarden als vrijheid, verscheidenheid, vrijheid van meningsuiting, rechtvaardigheid, vrijheid van godsdienst als een van haar belangrijkste fundamenten.
In deze periode staan wij stil bij de gebeurtenissen en herdenken wij de strijders die om zijn gekomen voor deze waarden, die hedendaags veelal als vanzelfsprekend worden beschouwd.
Wij verzoeken alle Amsterdammers, moslims en niet-moslims, om in deze periode bij de dodenherdenking stil te staan en extra aandacht te besteden aan het belang van vrijheid en verscheidenheid binnen onze samenleving.
Met deze gebeurtenissen in ons achterhoofd en een positieve instelling kunnen we er samen voor zorgen dat deze strijd niet voor niets is geweest.

Protected: AD.nl – Zucht, alweer een negatief rapport over jongeren in Gouda…

Posted on April 27th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Gouda Issues.

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Amsterdam.nl – Amsterdamlezing door Ahmed Aboutaleb

Posted on April 27th, 2006 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, Islam in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam.nl – Amsterdamlezing, 25 april 2006
Amsterdamlezing, 25 april 2006
26 april 2006
–
Herbert Raat

Lezing uitgesproken door Ahmed Aboutaleb op 25 april 2006 in het kader van de reeks Amsterdamlezingen 2005-2006: de seculiere stad.

Is er een plek voor de islam in Amsterdam?

Asharq Al-Awsat Interviews Sudanese Islamist leader Dr. Hassan Turabi

Posted on April 27th, 2006 by .
Categories: Internal Debates.

Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)
Still not very much attention is being paid to Turabi’s recent fatwa’s. So therefore, here the whole Asharq Al-Awsat Interview with Sudanese Islamist leader Dr. Hassan Turabi.

24/04/2006

By Imam Mohamed Imam
London, Asharq Al-Awsat- The following is the full text of the controversial interview that Asharq al-Awsat conducted with Sudanese Islamist leader Dr. Hassan Turabi, which resulted in him being branded an apostate by Sudan’s Muslim scholars:

Q) Fatwas that you have issued, regarding the permissibility of marriage between a Muslim woman and a man of the Christian or Jewish persuasion, have been the subject of much controversy. Do you mean that married women who converted to Islam can remain married to a non-Muslim husband, or that a Muslim woman can marry a non-Muslim man?

A) First, we have to look at the context of this matter particularly from the framework of Ijtihad when it comes to the general issues of women in Islam. The modern and contemporary Islamic discourse on women lags far behind the authentic Islamic rules and principles as contemporary Muslims do not think deeply about these principles when it comes to the marriage of their daughters.

The fatwa was a response to issues in the Muslim community in the United States. There was an incident in which an American woman went to one of the Islamic centers to convert; however, she wanted to remain married to her non-Muslim husband after she converted. The center’s officials told her that if she was sincere in her desire to become a Muslim that she would begin divorce procedures, despite the huge costs and even if this meant that she would lose custody of her children. They did not consider that this was too much to ask from someone who was still taking their first steps towards Islam. Such an attitude in fact causes many women to be reluctant to convert.

Of course, before issuing the edict, I had to undertake a lot of research concerning Islamic law, particularly by reading books on Islamic jurisprudence that were written at certain historical intervals. All the past fatwas that prohibited the marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslim men were issued during periods in which political disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims were taking place. On the other hand, I could not find a single word that prohibited such marriage in either the Quran or the Sunnah.

In the particular case of the woman who wanted to convert in the United States, my opinion was that she should have remained married to the non-Muslim man. She may have been the reason that her non-Muslim husband converted. Perhaps even other families of female American converts would have followed the same path. Many people were perplexed by what I said and attacked me for it. Some even decided that I was now an infidel! They depicted the whole issue as if it was a matter of honor. However, if you look at it objectively, the conversion and Islamic conduct of the wife may have positively influenced the husband, an influence that the Muslims of the West need.

We should let the Muslim minorities, who live amongst the ‘People of the Book’ in the west, evaluate this issue and decide what is appropriate for them, as they are the first group affected. They would conclude that they should allow their daughters to marry Jews and Christians because perhaps these marriages will bring the husbands to Islam or else the women may remain a Muslim. In the West, the individual freedoms are generally wider and the Western Muslims to decide when it comes to this issue especially.

Q) So are you saying that women who converted to Islam can remain married to their non-Muslim husbands, but that a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim man is forbidden?

A) No, I had spoken previously about this type of marriage and I believe that marriage between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man is valid since nothing in the Quran or Sunnah dictates otherwise. The decision should also be based on the individuality of each case therefore; I cannot say this type of marriage is prohibited based on the accumulated teachings of past scholars.

These teachings for example tell us that Ijmaa (consensus) is the consensus of jurists at any given age but the Quran says is different. The same accumulated sayings of scholars also recommended that we should obey the ruler even if he seized power by force. The Quran does not approve of this. We should always refer to the origins that are Quran and Sunnah.

Q) You once stated that the Hijab did not specify a woman covering her head, which was also considered controversial?

A) These are lies spread by some journalists who never attended the lecture in which I spoke about issues relating to the Muslim woman. Some journalists find attributing false statements to me entertaining. In that particular lecture, I did not discuss a particular dogma or edict, but I did discuss Quranic philology and the fact that many are unclear about it.

When the Quran addressed the issue of Hijab, it was within the context of addressing the room in which the Prophet (PBUH) used to meet his guests. It meant that the Prophets wives could not be in the same room when many people, for many different reasons, visited the Prophet.

Therefore, it stated that wives of the Prophet should be behind a curtain and that if people wanted to ask them anything, they should reply from behind that curtain. Therefore, Hijab here meant a curtain or divider and not a dress code. The use of the word Hijab could be employed in many ways, for example, the Quran was described as a Hijab between its reader and the wrong path.

At that particular lecture, I told the audience to use the word Khimar when referring to the dress code. I was speaking from a philological perspective. I told them that alcoholic beverages were called Khamr because they obscured the brain and engulfed it. Similarly, Khimar (as headscarf) covers the head and body of women. Those who stated that Al Turabi denies the wearing of the Islamic veil by woman either did not understand what I said or were not present at the lecture.

Q) So you do not object to Muslim women covering their hair as part of Hijab?

A) Firstly, I do not call it Hijab but rather Khimar because the latter is a Quranic word. Hijab means curtain like the one you may have at home, so what we have here is a linguistic dispute.

When I spoke about certain Islamic laws in the past, I managed to irritate many men, for example, when I addressed the subject of punishing ones wife, the Quran does not say a husband can beat his wife, it is the judge that passes judgment, not the husband.

Q) The cause of more controversy has been your declaration that the testimony of a man is equal to that of a woman, which defies the Quran, which says “a man or two women from whom you accept as witnesses, lest that one forgets, so she could be reminded by the other.”

A) My dear brother, do not judge me before I clarify my position. The verse to which you referred guides us in the issue of writing debts. It ordered that there should be a writer and that there should be witnesses to testify the debt contract. Allah (SWT) said “lest one of the women forgets.” He did not say that she would surely forget. In another verse of the Quran, Allah asked for two “just” witnesses to attest the death of someone who was on the verge of passing away. Here he did not specify gender. In fact, female members of the family are more likely to be present at somebody’s death. In this case, the same rules of testimony apply to both sexes.

Many people are ignorant of Islamic judicial procedures. There are several ways of testimony, like the authentication of contracts or testifying in front of a judge or an attorney. Nowadays we have women who are professional lawyers and businesswoman, and many men are not able to compete with them.

Q) Can we incorporate the Islamic dogma of one man’s testimony equaling that of two women to business and debt related matters?

A) The Quran did not say that the woman would surely forget, but that she may forget. Back then, women were largely inexperienced in business and trade and Allah had ordered men to be the provider. Now it is up to the judge to decide who is more qualified to testify.

Q) Did you issue a fatwa that permits woman to lead men in communal prayers?

A) Who prohibited that in the first place? It was your customs and traditions and not Quran or Sunnah and your customs that preferred her prayers at home and not in the mosque. There was a female companion of the Prophet who led men in prayer. When there is a pious woman, she should lead the prayers and whoever is distracted by her beauty should be deemed sick. We do not look at an Imam’s white beard or ugly face but we listen to the content of what he says. The case should be same with scholarly pious women.

Q) Sayings of the Prophet (Hadith) refer to the return of Jesus, something that you dispute, on what is your belief based?

A) Hadith does not abrogate the Quran. The Quran clearly speaks of Jesus when it referred to him addressing the coming of another prophet after him named Ahmad. He did not say while I was alive, but said “after me.” Furthermore, the Quran told us that the Prophet was the last of the Prophets. This idea came into Islam because of desperate Muslims looking for a savior, as well as due to Christian influences.

Q) You also dispute Hadith about the awaited arrival of the Mahdi.

A) There are a number of Hadith about that, however, I urge Muslims not to idly await his arrival, which promises to bring justice to the world. Muslims do not galvanize themselves to achieve this justice. They are like the followers of the Prophet Moses when they told him go and fight with your God, but we will stay here. I say to Muslims, you are all Mahdis, God willing.

Q) Let us move on with a question concerning the deadlock between the Sudanese government and the Sudanese Liberation Movement regarding whether Khartoum should be subjected to Islamic law?

A) This is an example of scholars issuing an appropriate albeit illegal fatwa to please their rulers. When Allah says in the Quran, that whoever rules with a law other than what Allah revealed are infidels, he did not only mean the rulers but also the scholars that validate such behavior for them through false religious reasoning. The Nifasha agreement eliminated Shariaa from the federal system but the anger of those who previously called for Shariaa was never expressed. The constitution we have now has no place for Shariaa even in the other northern regions, so how can we find room for Shariaa in Khartoum?

Q) You believe that apostasy should not be punishable by death. There has been a recent case of an Afghan who was about to be killed for apostasy but was saved under the pretense of mental illness. The case was recognized internationally as Italy wants to grant him asylum.

A) There are too many Quranic verses to recite (regarding this). We are ordered to debate with Christians and Jews except those who are unjust. We believe in their prophets who are our prophets too. We believe in their books even if some distortion took place. We are ordered to treat them cordially.

Q) You have mentioned more than once that the problem of Darfur could be resolved in one session.

A) I do not have weapons with which to attack the Darfur rebels and I do not have the financial resources of the government but I can speak about the issues. As a political party, we have papers in Arabic and English on all the thorny issues of Darfur that I can sum up for you.

-They are Arabs and Muslims so despite the similarity of their case with the south, they would not have the same demands.

-There should be better coordination between the states so that central government cannot divide them nor surpass them.

-The old roads used for camel trade with Egypt should be restored.

-Their elected local councils should be restored. Right now, they are appointed and not elected.

– They should also be given slightly more than their usual share of public finance because historically, they have been subjected to more losses from the British, as they fought against them and for the Ottoman side. As a punishment, the British deprived them from education and paved roads. The same treatment ironically, continued at the hands of their compatriots after independence.

Give them all of the above and for an interim period allow them to rule themselves through freely elected councils and through their own political parties. This is all that it takes and this is not difficult.

Today there are two million Sudanese refugees. The whole of Sudan, government and people, do not pay give them any money. The western organizations and the United Nations play the role that the state should play. The African peacekeeping forces only stay in cities and they do not intervene in the atrocities that take place in the countryside. Armed robbery has not become the practice of the Janjaweed and the Sudanese official armed forces only, but also amongst the people of Darfur themselves. Armed robbery has become a way of life for many. Everyday, people are dying as we consider whether the local councils of Darfur represent the people or not. The government states it is against foreign intervention, but are the African forces not foreign too?

Q) What do you think about most recent events in Chad?

A) Chad was invaded by armies. Did they fall out of the sky or were they sent? What is the country East of Chad? How did Idriss Deby re-enter Chad? Who was behind him pushing and supporting him? The answers to all these questions are obvious and cannot be denied. The documents are available. The issue of Darfur has surpassed Sudan and even Africa and we must resolve it as quickly as possible.

Maurits Berger: Sharia – Islam tussen recht en politiek

Posted on April 27th, 2006 by .
Categories: Important Publications.

Maurits Berger: Sharia – Islam tussen recht en politiek
Sharia
Islam tussen recht en politiek

Inhoud
De Sharia (het islamitisch recht) is geen kant-en-klaar wetboek. Maar wat is het dan wel? Veel moslims beschouwen de Sharia als goed en rechtvaardig. Anderen vinden het verwerpelijk.

In dit boek analyseert de auteur deze ogenschijnlijke tegenstelling door te beschrijven hoe het oude systeem van de Sharia functioneert, hoe het in praktijk wordt toegepast, maar vooral ook hoe het door moslims vandaag de dag wordt beleefd.

Klassieke onderwerpen uit de Sharia – zoals straf- en familierecht – worden behandeld naast moderne vraagstukken als de islamitische staat, islamitisch bankieren, terrorisme, democratie en mensenrechten. In de laatste hoofdstukken maakt de auteur een kritische analyse van de Sharia in Europa. De Sharia blijkt meer te zijn dan alleen een wet: het is tegelijkertijd een revolutionaire slogan, een gedragscode, een utopie en een ideologie.

In dit boek wordt een unieke poging ondernomen om naast juridische aspecten ook de politieke en religieuze dimensies van de Sharia te belichten. De veelheid aan informatie wordt op leesbare wijze gepresenteerd, zodat dit boek geschikt is voor studenten, journalisten, politici en iedereen die meer wil weten van het onderwerp.

Auteur
Maurits Berger.

Protected: telegraaf.nl Ebru Omar

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

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Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims | TPMCafe

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: International Terrorism.

According to Jentleson, Bin Laden in his attempt to be the Che Guevara of the Muslim world, actually supports the genocide against Muslims such as in Darfur.

Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims | TPMCafe
Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims

By Bruce W. Jentleson
Thatâ€™s what this morningâ€™s headline should have been, instead of â€œBin Laden Says West is Waging War Against Islam, and Urges Supporters to Go to Sudanâ€ (New York Times) and â€œBin Laden Warns of Long War, Accuses West of Acting as â€˜Crusaderâ€™â€ (Washington Post). Itâ€™s a given that the Bush administration will replay its tape about Bin Laden being â€œon the runâ€ and that weâ€™re â€œon the advanceâ€. And that John Kerry will again wind through the chutes and ladders of Tora Bora. But our major newspapers also sticking to the same script? Itâ€™s not surprising but it is disappointing. How about some outrage from the progressive community?

Genocide is being committed against Sudanese Muslims, and Bin Laden is calling for jihadists to go to Sudan to fight any effort the West might make to stop this mass killing of Muslims. If a UN multilateral peacekeeping force ever does get sent, while some NATO and U.S. forces also may be involved, itâ€™s likely based on other UN peace operations that most of the troops will be from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Jordan. So Bin Ladenâ€™s defense of the Muslim world amounts to killing Muslim peacekeepers seeking to protect Muslim people whoâ€™ve already suffered over 400,000 deaths, with over 2 million left as refugees and thousands raped, largely because they are Muslims. The â€œlogicâ€ is breathtaking.

Iâ€™m on record on America Abroad and elsewhere about the counterproductivity of the Bush global war on terrorism strategy. But its failures, excesses, outrages and the like donâ€™t negate the fact that Bin Laden is a totalitarian. He needs to be called as such. And action needs to be taken in Darfur. This is an issue which makes John Ikenberryâ€™s point in his recent post about the challenges being more than just about what the Bush administration has and hasnâ€™t done. Enough of these genocide â€œyet againsâ€ — weâ€™ll never have much claim to being any sort of genuine international community if we donâ€™t get to â€œnever againâ€.

Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims | TPMCafe

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by .
Categories: International Terrorism.

According to Jentleson, Bin Laden in his attempt to be the Che Guevara of the Muslim world, actually supports the genocide against Muslims such as in Darfur.

Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims | TPMCafe
Bin Laden Supports Genocide Against Muslims

By Bruce W. Jentleson
Thatâ€™s what this morningâ€™s headline should have been, instead of â€œBin Laden Says West is Waging War Against Islam, and Urges Supporters to Go to Sudanâ€ (New York Times) and â€œBin Laden Warns of Long War, Accuses West of Acting as â€˜Crusaderâ€™â€ (Washington Post). Itâ€™s a given that the Bush administration will replay its tape about Bin Laden being â€œon the runâ€ and that weâ€™re â€œon the advanceâ€. And that John Kerry will again wind through the chutes and ladders of Tora Bora. But our major newspapers also sticking to the same script? Itâ€™s not surprising but it is disappointing. How about some outrage from the progressive community?

Genocide is being committed against Sudanese Muslims, and Bin Laden is calling for jihadists to go to Sudan to fight any effort the West might make to stop this mass killing of Muslims. If a UN multilateral peacekeeping force ever does get sent, while some NATO and U.S. forces also may be involved, itâ€™s likely based on other UN peace operations that most of the troops will be from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Jordan. So Bin Ladenâ€™s defense of the Muslim world amounts to killing Muslim peacekeepers seeking to protect Muslim people whoâ€™ve already suffered over 400,000 deaths, with over 2 million left as refugees and thousands raped, largely because they are Muslims. The â€œlogicâ€ is breathtaking.

Iâ€™m on record on America Abroad and elsewhere about the counterproductivity of the Bush global war on terrorism strategy. But its failures, excesses, outrages and the like donâ€™t negate the fact that Bin Laden is a totalitarian. He needs to be called as such. And action needs to be taken in Darfur. This is an issue which makes John Ikenberryâ€™s point in his recent post about the challenges being more than just about what the Bush administration has and hasnâ€™t done. Enough of these genocide â€œyet againsâ€ — weâ€™ll never have much claim to being any sort of genuine international community if we donâ€™t get to â€œnever againâ€.

Top-x.nl :: Laat je stem horen!

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by .
Categories: Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Wat het waard is? Weet ik niet. De vraag is wat mensen onder vrijheid verstaan. Daar lijkt dit onderzoek meer informatie over te geven, dan over de vraag of mensen zich vrij voelen.

Top-x.nl :: Laat je stem horen!
Uitslag: Vrijheid
25 april 2006

Hoe vrij voelen jullie je? Op straat voelt bijna de helft van jullie zich niet vrij om te zeggen wat je wilt. Mogen ouders bepalen met wie je omgaat? Nee, dat mag niet, zegt 61 procent. Mag je oerwoudgeluiden maken in het stadion? Ja, de helft zegt dat dat mag. Bekijk ook de andere uitslagen van de enquÃªte over vrijheid, ingevuld door ruim 4200 panelleden.

‘Vrij zijn, ik wil alleen maar vrij zijn…’
Meer dan 16 procent van jullie voelt zich niet of nooit vrij in ons land. Onder moslimjongeren is dat 27 procent. Niet iedereen is altijd overal vrij om te zeggen wat je denkt. Op school kan 67 procent van de leerlingen dat en op straat geldt de vrijheid van meningsuiting maar voor 47 procent van de ondervraagden. Van de moslimjongeren vindt 89 procent vrijheid van godsdienst belangrijker dan vrijheid van meningsuiting. Van alle anderen is 22 procent het daarmee eens.
Ik mag toch alles zeggen?
Je mag anderen niet beledigen zegt 72 procent. Op de vraag of je mag zeggen dat de islam een achterlijke godsdienst is, zegt 35 procent ja en 61 procent nee. Mag je zeggen dat homoseksualiteit gewoon een ziekte is? Ja, vindt 25 procent en nee zegt 71 procent. Oerwoudegeluiden maken i het stadion mag wel vinden de meeste, 51 procent. Bekijk hier de uitslagen!
‘Die komt er bij ons thuis niet in!!’
Jongens zijn stelliger in hun uitspraken dan meiden. Ze vinden het belangrijker om te kunnen zeggen wat zij willen. En ze zijn volgzamer dan de jongens. Mogen ouders jou verbieden een relatie te hebben met iemand die zij niet zien zitten? Dat mogen ouders, zegt 32 procent van de jongens tegen 24 procent van de meisjes. Van de jongens vindt 31 procent dat de leraar het dragen van hoofddoekjes mag verbieden tegen 18 procent van de meisjes.

Alle uitslagen op de website van Top-x.nl

Expatica's Belgian news in English: Judiciary 'regrets' blaming North Africans

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

Expatica’s Belgian news in English: Judiciary ‘regrets’ blaming North Africans
Judiciary ‘regrets’ blaming North Africans

25 April 2006

BRUSSEL â€” Federal police and the Brussels public prosecution office regret that in the aftermath of the murder of teen Joe Van Holsbeeck an accusing finger was initially pointed at the North African community in Belgium.

However, the judicial director of the federal police, Glenn Audenaert, congratulated police on Tuesday for the results thus far from the investigation into the Brussels Central station murder.

“We think it is very regrettable that shortly after the murder the North African community was immediately accused, certainly now that it appears the culprits were not from that community,” Audenaert said.

“I must point out though that the federal police never said
that the suspects were definitely North Africansâ€.

That terminology was used by the Brussels public prosecution office. Spokesman Jos Colpin apologised and said the suspects were publicly identified by the prosecution as North Africans based on the first witness statements.

“Nearly every statement talked about North Africans or culprits of North African origin,” Coplin said.

But both the prosecution and federal police spokesmen agreed that police services had performed commendable work.

Audenaert said railway police sat through more than 200 hours of security camera footage to find usable images of the suspects, local police from the six Brussels zones deployed extra officers and federal officers also performed well.

The judicial director also thanked school teaching staff in the Francophone education system for displaying responsibility and assisting police inquiries.

“It is partly thanks to them that we have found the culprits. We also thank everyone who gave us useful information. A lot of people know what civil responsibility is,” Audenaert said.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Expatica’s Belgian news in English: Judiciary ‘regrets’ blaming North Africans

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by .
Categories: Misc. News.

Expatica’s Belgian news in English: Judiciary ‘regrets’ blaming North Africans
Judiciary ‘regrets’ blaming North Africans

25 April 2006

BRUSSEL â€” Federal police and the Brussels public prosecution office regret that in the aftermath of the murder of teen Joe Van Holsbeeck an accusing finger was initially pointed at the North African community in Belgium.

However, the judicial director of the federal police, Glenn Audenaert, congratulated police on Tuesday for the results thus far from the investigation into the Brussels Central station murder.

“We think it is very regrettable that shortly after the murder the North African community was immediately accused, certainly now that it appears the culprits were not from that community,” Audenaert said.

“I must point out though that the federal police never said
that the suspects were definitely North Africansâ€.

That terminology was used by the Brussels public prosecution office. Spokesman Jos Colpin apologised and said the suspects were publicly identified by the prosecution as North Africans based on the first witness statements.

“Nearly every statement talked about North Africans or culprits of North African origin,” Coplin said.

But both the prosecution and federal police spokesmen agreed that police services had performed commendable work.

Audenaert said railway police sat through more than 200 hours of security camera footage to find usable images of the suspects, local police from the six Brussels zones deployed extra officers and federal officers also performed well.

The judicial director also thanked school teaching staff in the Francophone education system for displaying responsibility and assisting police inquiries.

“It is partly thanks to them that we have found the culprits. We also thank everyone who gave us useful information. A lot of people know what civil responsibility is,” Audenaert said.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Reuters AlertNet – Bin Laden words raise Saudi reform debate tensions

Posted on April 25th, 2006 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, International Terrorism, Religious and Political Radicalization.

Reuters AlertNet – Bin Laden words raise Saudi reform debate tensions
Bin Laden words raise Saudi reform debate tensions
24 Apr 2006 16:47:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Andrew Hammond

RIYADH, April 24 (Reuters) – An unprecedented verbal attack by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Saudi liberals will raise the temperature in a tense debate over reforms in his native Saudi Arabia, analysts and activists said on Monday.

Bin Laden said some Arab intellectuals were “scorning religion” and singled out Saudi Labour Minister Ghazi Algosaibi by name, according to the Web site of Al Jazeera television.

The attack is seen as a new tactic for the militant whose followers have waged a violent campaign against the Saudi government since 2003.

Al Qaeda analyst Faris bin Houzam said the comments by bin Laden, who has been in hiding since the September 11 attacks on U.S. cities in 2001, could lead to attacks on liberal writers.

“This is a sign to his supporters to target these people, and thus we could enter a new wave for al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Al Jazeera television, which aired parts of an audio tape by the Saudi-born militant on Sunday, published more of his remarks on its Web site www.AlJazeera.net.

“Bin Laden attacked ministers including Saudi Labour Minister Ghazi Algosaibi, writers and journalists in Saudi Arabia and some (other) Gulf countries, accusing some of them of being unbelievers and apostates…,” the site said.

It quoted the al Qaeda leader as saying: “The heretics among us are mocking our religion and our Prophet, therefore be fearful of God, satisfy Him and do not seek opinions about killing these heretics.”

TAPPING ANTI-WEST SENTIMENT

The reference to Algosaibi echoed an Internet article by a Saudi Islamist activist — Mohsen al-Awajy — in March, which accused a clique of liberal advisers, including the minister, of influencing King Abdullah.

Awajy, who was detained by police for more than a week over the article, said bin Laden wanted to tap into widespread anger at secular reformers who are seen as pro-Western at a time when anti-West sentiment is strong over the U.S. invasion of Iraq and support for Israel.

“It is a fertile period for anyone to talk about this agenda. Anyone who attacks liberals and secularists is a hero. I think bin Laden picked up on this and waved his wand to mobilise more sympathisers,” he told Reuters.

Turki al-Hamad, a liberal writer attacked on one Internet forum on Monday as a “heretic”, said bin Laden was worried about the advance of reforms since the king came to power last year.

Women are an increasing presence in public life, senior officials have expressed hope women may be allowed to drive cars, and the authorities are trying to soften Saudi’s hardline version of Islam in education, media and mosques.

“For bin Laden to throw himself into the current struggle in Saudi Arabia is serious. But it is a recognition that they (liberals) are having an influence and that there are changes in Saudi Arabia,” al-Hamad said.

He said it was too early to say whether the diatribe against reformers would put their lives in danger. “We need time to absorb what he said.”

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Protected: Trouw, hetNieuws| nederland – Homoseksualiteit / Kritiek op Hirsi Ali werkt als boemerang

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C L O S E R – Al Turabi on 'unquestionable issues in Islam'

Posted on April 24th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, Internal Debates, Public Islam, Religious and Political Radicalization.

On Freedom for Egyptians an interesting article about the quite spectacular statements of the Sudanese Muslim Leader Dr. Hassan Al Turabi, still ignored by mainstream press. Thanks to my ISIM colleague Robbert for alerting me already two weeks ago:

Freedom for Egyptians Ø§Ù„ØØ±ÙŠØ© Ù„Ù„Ù…ØµØ±ÙŠÙŠÙ†
Sudanese Islamic Leader Dr. Hassan Al Turabi gave new statements and released some new fatwas (religious opinions/edicts) that blew up many of what is believed to be basics or unquestionable issues in Islam, many related to the usurped righted of women.

In Islam, Muslim women are not allowed but to marry a Muslim man or a man who has converted to Islam. On the other hand, Muslim men are allowed to marry any woman from any faith with no restrictions.

Dr. Al Turabi, a party leader, said that a Muslim woman is allowed to marry a Christian or a Jew and not necessarily a Muslim. He asserted that forbidding her from marrying a man from another faith is aimed at dragging women backward. He added that Islamic Shariaa (Islamic jurisdiction) does not provide any restrictions for women to marry any man from another faith. He said that it was forbidden during war when Muslims were fighting with other armies. He said that when the reason is gone, the restriction is lifted.

Dr. Al Turabi, 74, in a seminar at the headquarters of the opposition Al Umma party said that women have the right to lead prayers. Current Muslim clerics forbid women from leading the prayers. Al Turabi said, if she has more knowledge, she has the right to lead the prayers. The criterion is the knowledge and not the gender.

He said that Prophet Muhammed permitted one of his followers who was a knowledgeable Muslim woman to lead the prayers at her home that included all men. He also cited the wife of the prophet, Aisha, as a model.

Al Turabi, PhD, said in this seminar entitled â€œThe Role of Women in Establishing Good Governanceâ€ that womenâ€™s testimony at courts is equal to men. In Islam, one manâ€™s testimony is equal to two women. Al Turabi denied this and said this is meant to go back to the dark ages and has nothing to do with Islam. He challenged anyone who could bring evidence that this is true.

He also refuted the idea of the Hijab, headscarves. He said that the Hijab is applied against the misinterpretation of some Quran verses and cannot be generalized on all the generations. He said that headscarves were made for the wives of prophet Muhammed not for all women.

Al Turabi called upon all women to invade politics, innovative, intellectual and sports domains and get all her rights and be an active participant in drawing strategies and stipulating legislations. He also attacked the Sudanese government and said the current regime does not enjoy any governance that is based on freedom, transparency and accountability and democratic participation.

Al Turabi said we living in Sudan in an age of corruption and there is a need for family and society reform and womenâ€™s inclusion. He emphasized the need for an election law that provides the participation of women so that they can play a role in political parties, elections and leadership positions.

Al Turabi also said that alcohol is not forbidden by Islam as agreed by most of Islamic clerics. He said that alcohol is only forbidden when drinking becomes an aggression. Practicing Muslims do not drink alchohol. Al Turabi’s article in Arabic.

On Memritv.org you can read the transcript and view the interview on Al-Arabiya TV: (more…)

C L O S E R – Al Turabi on ‘unquestionable issues in Islam’

Posted on April 24th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, Internal Debates, Public Islam, Religious and Political Radicalization.

On Freedom for Egyptians an interesting article about the quite spectacular statements of the Sudanese Muslim Leader Dr. Hassan Al Turabi, still ignored by mainstream press. Thanks to my ISIM colleague Robbert for alerting me already two weeks ago:

Freedom for Egyptians Ø§Ù„ØØ±ÙŠØ© Ù„Ù„Ù…ØµØ±ÙŠÙŠÙ†
Sudanese Islamic Leader Dr. Hassan Al Turabi gave new statements and released some new fatwas (religious opinions/edicts) that blew up many of what is believed to be basics or unquestionable issues in Islam, many related to the usurped righted of women.

In Islam, Muslim women are not allowed but to marry a Muslim man or a man who has converted to Islam. On the other hand, Muslim men are allowed to marry any woman from any faith with no restrictions.

Dr. Al Turabi, a party leader, said that a Muslim woman is allowed to marry a Christian or a Jew and not necessarily a Muslim. He asserted that forbidding her from marrying a man from another faith is aimed at dragging women backward. He added that Islamic Shariaa (Islamic jurisdiction) does not provide any restrictions for women to marry any man from another faith. He said that it was forbidden during war when Muslims were fighting with other armies. He said that when the reason is gone, the restriction is lifted.

Dr. Al Turabi, 74, in a seminar at the headquarters of the opposition Al Umma party said that women have the right to lead prayers. Current Muslim clerics forbid women from leading the prayers. Al Turabi said, if she has more knowledge, she has the right to lead the prayers. The criterion is the knowledge and not the gender.

He said that Prophet Muhammed permitted one of his followers who was a knowledgeable Muslim woman to lead the prayers at her home that included all men. He also cited the wife of the prophet, Aisha, as a model.

Al Turabi, PhD, said in this seminar entitled â€œThe Role of Women in Establishing Good Governanceâ€ that womenâ€™s testimony at courts is equal to men. In Islam, one manâ€™s testimony is equal to two women. Al Turabi denied this and said this is meant to go back to the dark ages and has nothing to do with Islam. He challenged anyone who could bring evidence that this is true.

He also refuted the idea of the Hijab, headscarves. He said that the Hijab is applied against the misinterpretation of some Quran verses and cannot be generalized on all the generations. He said that headscarves were made for the wives of prophet Muhammed not for all women.

Al Turabi called upon all women to invade politics, innovative, intellectual and sports domains and get all her rights and be an active participant in drawing strategies and stipulating legislations. He also attacked the Sudanese government and said the current regime does not enjoy any governance that is based on freedom, transparency and accountability and democratic participation.

Al Turabi said we living in Sudan in an age of corruption and there is a need for family and society reform and womenâ€™s inclusion. He emphasized the need for an election law that provides the participation of women so that they can play a role in political parties, elections and leadership positions.

Al Turabi also said that alcohol is not forbidden by Islam as agreed by most of Islamic clerics. He said that alcohol is only forbidden when drinking becomes an aggression. Practicing Muslims do not drink alchohol. Al Turabi’s article in Arabic.

On Memritv.org you can read the transcript and view the interview on Al-Arabiya TV: (more…)

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Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Arts & culture, Islam in the Netherlands.

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Belgium-Muslim s-Crime /WRD Brussels Imam denounce killing of Belgian youth – Irna

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Belgium-Muslim s-Crime /WRD Brussels Imam denounce killing of Belgian youth – Irna

Brussels, April 21, IRNA

The Imam (prayer leader) at Brussels Islamic Centre Friday condemned as a ‘heinous crime’ the killing of a Belgian youth by killers believed to be of North African descent.

Addressing the large gathering of worshipers, the Imam in his Friday sermon said robbery and murder were grave sins in Islam and noted that it was the religious duty of Muslims to contribute to maintain peace and security in the country in which they live.

17-year-old Joe Van Holsbeeck was stabbed to death in the Brussels Central Railway Station last week, for refusing to hand in an mp3 player.

The killing at one of Brussels busiest train station and at day time has shocked the Belgian society.

The Imam urged Muslim families to pay careful attention to the upbringing of their children in accordance with the true teachings of Islam.

“The people who know who the killers are, should not remain silent and reveal their identity,” Nordine Taouil of the Antwerp Mosque was quoted saying by the local media.

Brussels police have released video images of the killers.

The Saudi-funded Islamic Centre of Brussels is the biggest mosque in Belgium and the only Muslim worship house to be recognized officially by the state.

An estimated 400,000 Muslims, a majority of them from North African states like Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, live in Belgium.

Gay policy sparks Muslim council dispute- from Pink News

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: Misc. News.

Gay policy sparks Muslim council dispute- from Pink News- all the latest gay news from the gay community – Pink News
Gay policy sparks Muslim council dispute

PinkNews.co.uk last week revealed informal MCB talks regarding gay rights in reaction to Sir Iqbal Sacranie’s Radio 4 comments
23-Apr-2006
Marc Shoffman

PinkNews.co.uk Exclusive Investigation
A dispute appears to be emerging within the board of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and its advisors in regards to their policy on gay issues.

Last week PinkNews.co.uk revealed an informal 5 year MCB plan to combat homophobia amongst Muslims and Islamophobia in the gay community, after talking to the groupâ€™s policy consultant, Muhammed Aziz.

The story, seen as a landmark move in the organisation, was picked up by several news media including the Islam Channel, but when they spoke to the MCB media secretary, Inayat Bunglawala, he denied all knowledge of any work.

He insisted that Mr Aziz does not represent the MCB and told the Islam Channel, “There is no truth in these quotes, our position is very clear, our Secretary General (Sir Iqbal Sacranie) was nearly prosecuted for this because we maintain that homosexual relationships are sinful in Islam.â€

â€œWe do not believe that it is in any way equal with marriage between man and wife, we do not accept the idea of gay adoption, we believe it is completely wrong.”

Mr Bunglawala claimed that he spoke to Mr Aziz who refuted the comments. PinkNews.co.uk spoke to Mr Aziz for a second time, he confirmed that he his not an official policy advisor to the MCB, but he just gives them advice and sits on equality forums for them.

Mr Aziz reiterated that there are plans with gay groups, but nothing as formal as a five year plan.

He told PinkNews.co.uk he would seek to clarify his exact role with the MCB.

Mr Bunglawalaâ€™s insistence that Mr Aziz does not represent the organisation is contradicted by his participation on the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, where he is listed as an â€œadvisorâ€ to the MCB.

In the minutes of the 18th January 2006 meeting of the EDF he speaks on their behalf and suggests talks with the gay charity, Stonewall.

The notes, in the any other business section, said: â€œMohammed Aziz addressed the subject of remarks made by Sir Iqbal Sacranie in an interview on Radio 4. Part of what was said related to a real issue about the theological position of sexuality in Islam and this needs to be engaged with and a solution sought. Two comments were made that were particularly regrettable, about damage to society and about a possible danger to public health.

â€œWhile he cannot apologise for Sir Iqbal Sacranieâ€™s comments, Mohammed would like to apologise on a personal level for the pain and hurt that they caused â€“ he knows the pain and hurt that he would feel if such comments were made about Muslims.â€

He then is reported to be speaking as an â€œadvisor to the MCB.â€ The document said, â€œThis affair has been a wake-up call. Up until now, the strategy of Mohammed and others who were asked to be MCB advisors around 2002-2003 was to steer the MCB away from the topic of homosexuality.

â€œTo some extent this strategy succeeded, for example in relation to Section 28 and civil partnership. But this controversy has shown that that approach isnâ€™t enough. So at a personal level and with the support of colleagues Mohammed plans to take this problem forward in three ways: 1) on 31st January at the APPG on conflict of rights to put some thoughts forward on how to deal with issues about theology and conflict with other rights; 2) to engage some Islamic scholars with a human rights background to address this problem; and 3) to develop a project of engagement between the communities involved, which he has already discussed with Stonewall.â€

Alan Wardle, Stonewallâ€™s director of Parliamentary and Public Affairs, was also at the meeting, he confirmed there has been some contact with the MCB but said any specific projects are in the early stages, he said â€œIt is something we may look into for the future.â€

A DTI spokesman also told PinkNews.co.uk that talks had taken place.

The document concluded, â€œThe EDF Chair will write to the MCB setting out EDFâ€™s position on homophobia and Islamophobia, welcoming the discourse that is going to take place and offering to contribute to taking this dialogue forward.â€

But in his interview with the Islam Channel, Mr Bunglawala expressed shock that the station was covering this story and insisted, â€œThere are no talks with any gay groups anywhere.â€

He added: â€œIslam has a clear moral position which is that it does not regard homosexual relationships as acceptable.â€

The MCBâ€™s legal affairs chair, Khalid Sofi, last week told PinkNews.co.uk that Mr Aziz does work with them on issues relating to equality, discrimination and sexual orientation.

Mr Bunglawa told Pinknews.co.uk, â€œI will always be too busy,â€ when asked to comment.

If Mr Aziz is not a representative of MCB then this raises the question of who speaks for them on equality committees such as the EDF and CHR, as no one else is listed from the organisation on their websites or in their minutes.

Aljazeera.Net – Bin Laden: West waging a crusade

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: International Terrorism.

Aljazeera.Net – Bin Laden: West waging a crusade
Bin Laden: West waging a crusade

Sunday 23 April 2006, 19:36 Makka Time, 16:36 GMT

The tape is the first bin Laden message heard since January
Aljazeera has aired an audiotape attributed to Osama bin Laden in which he attacks the West for boycotting Hamas and accuses Western governments of waging a “crusader war” against Islam.In the recording, aired on Sunday, the al-Qaeda leader said the isolation and cutting off of aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government reaffirmed that the West was at war with the Islamic nation.

“The blockade which the West is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist crusaders war on Islam,” he said.

The tape has not been independently verified, although the voice sounds similar to that on previous tapes from the al-Qaeda leader.

It is also not clear when the recording was made.

During the recording bin Laden also said the Western public shared responsibility for the actions of their governments, particularly for what he called their attacks on Islam.

“The war is a responsibility shared between the people and the governments,” he said. “The war goes on and the people are renewing their allegiance to its rulers and masters.”

“They send their sons to armies to fight us and they continue their financial and moral support while our countries are burned and our houses are bombed and our people are killed.”

The comments appeared to be an effort to justify attacks on cvilians in the West.

‘Long war’

At other points in the message, Bin Laden also spoke about the conflict in Iraq and, for the first time, the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Bin Laden called on supporters to fight in Darfur

He urged Muslim supporters to go to Sudan to foil what he called Western, especially American, efforts to divide the country.

“I call on mujahidin [fighters] and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arab peninsula, to prepare for long war against the crusader plunderers in Western Sudan.

“Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government but to defend Islam, its land and its people,” he added.
He also denounced the January 2005 north-south peace accord, saying to “[Sudanese President] Omar Al-Bashir and Bush that this agreement is not worth the ink it was written with and does not bind us.”

Southern Sudan, he said, had to stay part of the Islamic lands.”

More than three years of conflict between tribal rebels and government-backed militias in Darfur has left about 300,000 people dead and forced more than two million people from their homes.

Commenting on the message, Dhia Rashwan, an expert on Islamic groups at the Al Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies in Cairo, told Al Jazeera the tape showed bin Laden returning as leader after a long absence and calling on his soldiers to go to the battlefield.

Cartoons

The al-Qaeda leader also called on Muslims to expand the boycott resulting from the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers.

“They send their sons to armies to fight us and they continue their financial and moral support while our countries are burned and our houses are bombed and our people are killed”

Osama bin Laden
He said action should be taken against the United States and other European countries that have sided with Denmark on the issue.

Those that have wronged the prophet should be handed over to al-Qaeda for judgment, he said.

Earlier this year, the cartoons, including one showing the prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, sparked violent protests by Muslims worldwide. Muslims consider any image of the prophet to be blasphemous.

In other parts of the tape:

* Bin Laden criticised the United Nations as a puppet of the West and a “heretic” organisation. The Security Council, he said, excluded Islamic nations and gave the right of veto to “the crusaders of the world and the Buddhist pagans”.
* He condemned Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah for what he said was the king’s rejection of the idea of a clash of civlisations. In truth, he said, the West had launched an assault against the Islamic civilisation.

The last recorded message from bin Laden, was aired by Aljazeera on January 19.

In that message he threatened new attacks against the United States, but also offered the American people a conditional “truce”.

The last time the al-Qaeda leader was seen on camera was in a videotaped message released just prior to the US presidential elections in late 2004.

WUSA9.com – Bin Laden Tape: West At War With Islam

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: International Terrorism.

WUSA9.com – Bin Laden Tape: West At War With Islam
Bin Laden Tape: West At War With Islam

Tapes alledgedly from Bin Laden:
– April 23, 2006: In audiotape excerpts, bin Laden accuses the United States and Europe of supporting a “Zionist” war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. He also urges followers to go to Sudan, his former base, to fight a proposed U.N. peacekeeping force.

– Jan. 19, 2006: In audiotape excerpts, bin Laden says al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States and offers a truce on “fair” but undefined conditions.

– Dec. 27, 2004: In an audiotape, the al-Qaida leader calls on Iraqis to boycott Jan. 30, 2005, elections and names as his Iraq deputy Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian blamed for major terrorist attacks in Iraq.

– Dec. 16, 2004: In an audiotape posted on an Islamic Web site, bin Laden exonerates Islamic militants of responsibility for violence in Saudi Arabia and calls on militants to stop the flow of oil to the West.

– Oct. 29, 2004: In a videotape broadcast by Al-Jazeera, bin Laden says the United States can avoid another attack like those of Sept. 11, 2001, if it stops threatening the security of Muslims.

– May 6, 2004: In an online audiotape released on Islamic forums, bin Laden offers rewards of gold for the killings of U.S. and U.N. officials.

– April 15, 2004: Bin Laden offers a “truce” to European countries that do not attack Muslims. He vows revenge against the United States for the Israeli assassination of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin.

– Jan. 4, 2004: Bin Laden says on an audiotape that the U.S.-led war in Iraq is the beginning of the “occupation” of Persian Gulf states for their oil. He calls on Muslims to keep fighting a holy war in the Middle East.

– Sept. 10, 2003: In the first video image of bin Laden in nearly two years, he is shown walking through rocky terrain with his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. Two taped messages accompanied the video. In one, a voice purporting to be bin Laden’s praises the “great damage to the enemy” on Sept. 11 and mentions five hijackers by name. In the other, a voice said to be that of al-Zawahri threatens more attacks on Americans.

– April 7, 2003: In an audiotape, bin Laden exhorts Muslims to rise up against Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other governments it claims are “agents of America,” and calls for suicide attacks against U.S. and British interests.

– Feb. 13, 2003: An audiotape of bin Laden reading a poetic last will and testament is aired on the British-based Islamic Al-Ansaar news agency. Bin Laden says he wants to die a martyr in a new attack against the United States.

– Feb. 11, 2003: Bin Laden calls on Iraqis to carry out suicide attacks against Americans and defend themselves against a U.S. attack in a tape broadcast on Al-Jazeera.

– November 2002: Al-Jazeera broadcasts an audiotape in which bin Laden says the “youths of God” are planning more attacks against the United States.

– Dec. 13, 2001: U.S. Defense Department releases a videotape of bin Laden in Afghanistan on Nov. 9, 2001, saying the destruction of the Sept. 11 attacks exceeded even his “optimistic” calculations.

Associated Press reporters Katherine Shrader in Washington and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Dutch MP condemns Islam's homophobia- from Pink News

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Islam in the Netherlands, Multiculti Issues.

Dutch MP condemns Islam’s homophobia- from Pink News- all the latest gay news from the gay community – Pink News
Dutch MP condemns Islam’s homophobia

Ayaan Hirsi Ali condemed Islam’s attitudes towards homosexuality
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Gay policy sparks Muslim council dispute

23-April-2006
Benjamin Cohen

A Dutch Muslim-born politician has condemned Islam’s attitudes towards homosexuality and claims that the Netherlands have not done enough to protect gay asylum seekers who face death in their country of origin.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, first gained international attention with a film documenting voilence against women within Islamic societies. Her new film claims that Islam is responsible for a great deal of homophobia.

“By that I do not mean that people of other religions do not persecute homosexuals … but coming from that background that is what I have witnessed and I think that it is my responsibility not to remain quiet,” said Ms Ali who has faced death threats since her 2004 film on the role of women.

She also stressed the Dutch government and other European governments had not done enough to protect those trying to flee such persecution.

Ms Hirsi Ali claimed that the Dutch government have not protected the human rights of gay asylum seekers. This claim follows the comments made by Dutch immigration minister Rita Verdonk who claimed that gays did not face persecution in Iran as long as they were discreet.

“My government has not taken this as seriously as I would have liked,” Ms Hirsi Ali told reporters after she opened an exhibition documenting the persecution of gay people during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

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