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Protected: Trouw, De 10 Geboden – Theo Maassen

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.

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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 group’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.”

“We 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 Bunglawala’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 “advisor” 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: “Mohammed 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.

“While he cannot apologise for Sir Iqbal Sacranie’s comments, Mohammed would like to apologise on a personal level for the pain and hurt that they caused – he knows the pain and hurt that he would feel if such comments were made about Muslims.”

He then is reported to be speaking as an “advisor to the MCB.” The document said, “This 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.

“To some extent this strategy succeeded, for example in relation to Section 28 and civil partnership. But this controversy has shown that that approach isn’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.”

Alan Wardle, Stonewall’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 “It is something we may look into for the future.”

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

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

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

He added: “Islam has a clear moral position which is that it does not regard homosexual relationships as acceptable.”

The MCB’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, “I will always be too busy,” 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.

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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.

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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.

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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
Related Articles
Muslim group reveals plan for gay consensus

Muslim Council gay rights u-turn “welcomed”

Gay clique runs Southwark- Muslim councillor claims

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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Dutch MP condemns Islam’s homophobia- from Pink News

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
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
Related Articles
Muslim group reveals plan for gay consensus

Muslim Council gay rights u-turn “welcomed”

Gay clique runs Southwark- Muslim councillor claims

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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Malaysia's Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval | Christianpost.com

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Islamnews.

Malaysia’s Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval | Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News
Malaysia’s Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval
Friday, Apr. 21, 2006 Posted: 9:35:22AM EST

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Malaysia’s highest court has agreed to decide whether the country’s Islamic court has the exclusive right to deal with Muslims who renounce their faith.

The Federal Court ruling, which could take months, is a rare step into the highly sensitive area of conversions – and a test of religious freedom in this majority Muslim country.

The Federal Court’s April 13 announcement came in the case of Lina Joy, who converted from Islam to Christianity in 1998. She applied to the National Registration Department to change her Muslim name, Azlina Jailani, on her government identity card, which also identifies the cardholder’s religion. The agency agreed to change her name, but would not remove “Islam” as the religion, saying it needed permission from a Shariah court, which handles Islamic issues.

Muslims, who comprise 60 percent of Malaysia’s population of 26 million, are governed by Shariah courts on civil and family matters. Chinese and Indian minorities are under civil court.

But there are no clear jurisdiction guidelines about which court should handle a case like Joy’s.

Joy’s lawyer, Benjamin Dawson, contends Malaysia’s Constitution does not require Shariah court approval to convert out of Islam. It would violate her religious freedom to deny the conversion, he said.

“She wants to get married to a non-Muslim, but cannot because the civil registry only marries non-Muslims, which she officially isn’t right now,” he said.

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Malaysia’s Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval | Christianpost.com

Posted on April 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: Islamnews.

Malaysia’s Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval | Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News
Malaysia’s Top Court to Decide If Muslims Can Leave Islam without Shariah Approval
Friday, Apr. 21, 2006 Posted: 9:35:22AM EST

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Malaysia’s highest court has agreed to decide whether the country’s Islamic court has the exclusive right to deal with Muslims who renounce their faith.

The Federal Court ruling, which could take months, is a rare step into the highly sensitive area of conversions – and a test of religious freedom in this majority Muslim country.

The Federal Court’s April 13 announcement came in the case of Lina Joy, who converted from Islam to Christianity in 1998. She applied to the National Registration Department to change her Muslim name, Azlina Jailani, on her government identity card, which also identifies the cardholder’s religion. The agency agreed to change her name, but would not remove “Islam” as the religion, saying it needed permission from a Shariah court, which handles Islamic issues.

Muslims, who comprise 60 percent of Malaysia’s population of 26 million, are governed by Shariah courts on civil and family matters. Chinese and Indian minorities are under civil court.

But there are no clear jurisdiction guidelines about which court should handle a case like Joy’s.

Joy’s lawyer, Benjamin Dawson, contends Malaysia’s Constitution does not require Shariah court approval to convert out of Islam. It would violate her religious freedom to deny the conversion, he said.

“She wants to get married to a non-Muslim, but cannot because the civil registry only marries non-Muslims, which she officially isn’t right now,” he said.

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