January,28,2009
FROM GAZA WRITES A CHILD TO HIS ISRAELI FRIEND
*****************************************************
I write with a painful heart,Oh my dear friend!,
I have been wrecked before we could meet;
Your forces brought an unprecedented havoc,
Now I am unable even to walk on my feet.
Since the time, we became friends on the net,
'To work for mutual love', were our dreams;
Your bombs have deprived me of everything,
Our hopes are shattered by wails and screams.
Today I came from the hospital without my legs,
To see the debris of my house and parents dead;
Staying under the sky, with none of mine left,
What to say? how to pick up the life's thread.?
But in your countless mails about my welfare,
I still find some traces of humanity in your land;
They give me delight,when you prayed for me,
" May God save you from Israel's brutal hand";
Your solemn words revived my zest and zeal,
With faith in the Divne, and strength of arm;
I shall make ceaseless efforts till my last breath,
For my country to regain its glory and charm.
*************************************
Dr.Mustafa Kamal Sherwani
All India Muslim Forum
Lucknow, U.P.India
Email:sherwanimk@yahoo.com
Friday, 30 January 2009
Islam not against yoga
‘Islam not against yoga’Hindustan Times, January 27, 2009
Going against Indonesia’s ban on Muslims practicing yoga, India’s well-known Islamic seminary says there is nothing wrong with any exercise done for health reasons.
Clerics at the highly revered seminary in Deoband town in Uttar Pradesh said that yoga was fine as long as no non-Islamic religious rituals were involved.
“Islam does not prohibit anyone from practicing yoga or any other kind of physical exercise. Only thing is that with what belief you are doing it... If you are doing it for health reasons, there is absolutely no problem in practicing yoga or any other exercise,” said Qari Usman, an expert on Hadith at Darul Uloom.
“In fact the Prophet had laid stress on people leading a healthy life. Historically there have been traditions of different kinds of exercises in Muslim civilizations,” added Usman, also a former pro-vice chancellor of the seminary that attracts thousands of students mainly from India.
Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has suggested that non-Hindus can chant Allah in place of Om while doing yoga.
Qari Usman reacted to this: “Exercises are done for physical fitness, why include religious mantras?”
India is home to about 140 million Muslims — the third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan.
Indonesia’s Ulema Council also known as MUI met on Saturday and issued a 'fatwa' asking Muslims to stop practising yoga saying it included chanting of Hindu mantras.
The Indonesian fatwa follows a similar ban imposed by Malaysia’s top Islamic body in November.
The ban, which follows a similar edict in Malaysia, was passed after investigators visited private yoga classes across the country.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-India&id=a31a101e-5de6-4424-a923-4e9360223ae1&&Headline=%e2%80%98Islam+not+against+EMyoga%2fEM%e2%80%99
Going against Indonesia’s ban on Muslims practicing yoga, India’s well-known Islamic seminary says there is nothing wrong with any exercise done for health reasons.
Clerics at the highly revered seminary in Deoband town in Uttar Pradesh said that yoga was fine as long as no non-Islamic religious rituals were involved.
“Islam does not prohibit anyone from practicing yoga or any other kind of physical exercise. Only thing is that with what belief you are doing it... If you are doing it for health reasons, there is absolutely no problem in practicing yoga or any other exercise,” said Qari Usman, an expert on Hadith at Darul Uloom.
“In fact the Prophet had laid stress on people leading a healthy life. Historically there have been traditions of different kinds of exercises in Muslim civilizations,” added Usman, also a former pro-vice chancellor of the seminary that attracts thousands of students mainly from India.
Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has suggested that non-Hindus can chant Allah in place of Om while doing yoga.
Qari Usman reacted to this: “Exercises are done for physical fitness, why include religious mantras?”
India is home to about 140 million Muslims — the third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan.
Indonesia’s Ulema Council also known as MUI met on Saturday and issued a 'fatwa' asking Muslims to stop practising yoga saying it included chanting of Hindu mantras.
The Indonesian fatwa follows a similar ban imposed by Malaysia’s top Islamic body in November.
The ban, which follows a similar edict in Malaysia, was passed after investigators visited private yoga classes across the country.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-India&id=a31a101e-5de6-4424-a923-4e9360223ae1&&Headline=%e2%80%98Islam+not+against+EMyoga%2fEM%e2%80%99
Muslim leaders find hope in Obama ?
Islamic Group's President Finds Hope With Obama
By ELIZABETH HAMILTON The Hartford Courant January 25, 2009
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-secondlook0125.artjan25,0,7221903.story
For Ingrid Mattson, the defining moment of President Barack Obama's inauguration came during one declarative line, in the middle of his speech.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers," Obama said.
And in that moment Mattson, who was one of the lucky few to be sitting in the presidential box at the Capitol as the new president spoke, was nearly moved to tears.
"It felt very liberating and empowering for a community that has felt in many ways marginalized, under suspicion and out of place over the last few years," said Mattson, who is president of the Islamic Society of North America and director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary.
Mattson knows of what she speaks.
As has happened during past public appearances, Mattson's inclusion in the Obama inauguration — she was one of a dozen or so clergy invited to participate in Wednesday's National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral — recently sparked some intense public criticism.
In this case, the criticism was related to a federal prosecutor's decision to list the Islamic Society of North America as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a plot to fund the terrorist group Hamas. The designation was included in the government's terrorism case against the Holy Land Foundation, which was convicted last November of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas.
The Islamic Society of North America has denied any connection to Hamas and is seeking to have its name removed from the government's list. Also named in the federal case were two other prominent Islamic organizations in America — the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the North American Islamic Trust.
Although much of the past criticism of Mattson has been relegated to blogs, the high-profile nature of the inaugural celebration coupled with the seriousness of the government's accusation led this time to a whole new level of scrutiny.
The Associated Press put out a story, which was then picked up by some major news organizations, last weekend, that detailed Mattson's connection to the group and its inclusion in the Holy Land case.
The publicity didn't derail Mattson's participation in the prayer service — a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee instead defended Mattson's "stellar reputation in the faith community" — but it did serve as a reminder of the criticism she so frequently faces.
Hartford Seminary issued a statement of support for Mattson on Tuesday, saying that she has worked consistently to promote interfaith dialogue and "prepare peacemakers." The seminary also said Mattson has repeatedly denounced terrorism.
"I have to say that every time this happens I feel disheartened for a little while until all the expressions of support come in," Mattson said Wednesday shortly after her participation in the prayer service. "It's an opportunity for growth, and to have more empathy for others and experience the true grace of friendship."
Mattson said the Islamic Society is fighting both the substance of the government's claim against it, as well as the legal designation of "unindicted co-conspirator" — because it allows the government to levy the accusation without publicly disclosing its proof.
"There's also no forum to publicly defend ourselves against any charge," Mattson said.
According to news reports last July, federal prosecutors said they had a "wide array" of evidence linking the groups to Hamas. But the picture the government painted of Mattson's organization also detailed its collaborative work with the Bush administration.
Mattson said members of the organization have received awards from the federal government for their work.
"There's this really bizarre quality to the whole thing because, on the one hand, many people in government value our work, ask for our advice and support and have even honored us," Mattson said. "On the other hand, because of this one federal prosecutor's decision to put us in this category for the trial, we have this legal stigma around our neck."
Mattson said she believes the criticism of her comes from two distinct groups: those who "don't like Muslims to be involved in or recognized in society in any way" and those who "oppose anyone in academia or the clergy who advocates in any way for Palestinians."
Her position, and the position of the society, rubs the wrong way anyone who sees the Israel-Palestinian conflict as a "zero-sum game," she said.
"We believe the pro-peace position is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine," Mattson said. "We advocate that American Muslim and Jewish communities should understand each other and communicate with each other."
Mattson, 44, has been president of the Islamic Society since 2006, which is when the public criticism of her really heated up, according to David Barrett, spokesman for Hartford Seminary.
Tuesday's statement of support for Mattson is "unfortunately not the first time" the seminary has had to publicly defend the scholar — and by extension itself — against accusations of being sympathetic to terrorists, he said.
"There's been criticism of the seminary for the same reason there's been criticism of Ingrid Mattson, which is 'You're supposed to be a Christian seminary. What are you doing getting into bed with Islam?'" Barrett said. "Our answer is that we think this is important and we will continue to teach about the three Abrahamic faiths because people will understand their own faith better if we do that."
Mattson, who is from Canada, converted to Islam as a young woman. She has been a professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary since 1998, Barrett said.
Wednesday, as President Obama, his wife and other high-ranking officials lined the front pews of the National Cathedral, Mattson stepped to the front of the altar in a row of other interfaith clergy and recited her brief prayer:
"On this day of new beginning, with hearts lifted high in hope, may we be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations."
Afterward, she reflected on how the new president has been a source of comfort and inspiration to her.
"Having seen him go through his campaign and face all the attacks and insinuations he faced with such dignity was a good example for me," Mattson said.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-secondlook0125.artjan25,0,7221903.story
By ELIZABETH HAMILTON The Hartford Courant January 25, 2009
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-secondlook0125.artjan25,0,7221903.story
For Ingrid Mattson, the defining moment of President Barack Obama's inauguration came during one declarative line, in the middle of his speech.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers," Obama said.
And in that moment Mattson, who was one of the lucky few to be sitting in the presidential box at the Capitol as the new president spoke, was nearly moved to tears.
"It felt very liberating and empowering for a community that has felt in many ways marginalized, under suspicion and out of place over the last few years," said Mattson, who is president of the Islamic Society of North America and director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary.
Mattson knows of what she speaks.
As has happened during past public appearances, Mattson's inclusion in the Obama inauguration — she was one of a dozen or so clergy invited to participate in Wednesday's National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral — recently sparked some intense public criticism.
In this case, the criticism was related to a federal prosecutor's decision to list the Islamic Society of North America as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a plot to fund the terrorist group Hamas. The designation was included in the government's terrorism case against the Holy Land Foundation, which was convicted last November of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas.
The Islamic Society of North America has denied any connection to Hamas and is seeking to have its name removed from the government's list. Also named in the federal case were two other prominent Islamic organizations in America — the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the North American Islamic Trust.
Although much of the past criticism of Mattson has been relegated to blogs, the high-profile nature of the inaugural celebration coupled with the seriousness of the government's accusation led this time to a whole new level of scrutiny.
The Associated Press put out a story, which was then picked up by some major news organizations, last weekend, that detailed Mattson's connection to the group and its inclusion in the Holy Land case.
The publicity didn't derail Mattson's participation in the prayer service — a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee instead defended Mattson's "stellar reputation in the faith community" — but it did serve as a reminder of the criticism she so frequently faces.
Hartford Seminary issued a statement of support for Mattson on Tuesday, saying that she has worked consistently to promote interfaith dialogue and "prepare peacemakers." The seminary also said Mattson has repeatedly denounced terrorism.
"I have to say that every time this happens I feel disheartened for a little while until all the expressions of support come in," Mattson said Wednesday shortly after her participation in the prayer service. "It's an opportunity for growth, and to have more empathy for others and experience the true grace of friendship."
Mattson said the Islamic Society is fighting both the substance of the government's claim against it, as well as the legal designation of "unindicted co-conspirator" — because it allows the government to levy the accusation without publicly disclosing its proof.
"There's also no forum to publicly defend ourselves against any charge," Mattson said.
According to news reports last July, federal prosecutors said they had a "wide array" of evidence linking the groups to Hamas. But the picture the government painted of Mattson's organization also detailed its collaborative work with the Bush administration.
Mattson said members of the organization have received awards from the federal government for their work.
"There's this really bizarre quality to the whole thing because, on the one hand, many people in government value our work, ask for our advice and support and have even honored us," Mattson said. "On the other hand, because of this one federal prosecutor's decision to put us in this category for the trial, we have this legal stigma around our neck."
Mattson said she believes the criticism of her comes from two distinct groups: those who "don't like Muslims to be involved in or recognized in society in any way" and those who "oppose anyone in academia or the clergy who advocates in any way for Palestinians."
Her position, and the position of the society, rubs the wrong way anyone who sees the Israel-Palestinian conflict as a "zero-sum game," she said.
"We believe the pro-peace position is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine," Mattson said. "We advocate that American Muslim and Jewish communities should understand each other and communicate with each other."
Mattson, 44, has been president of the Islamic Society since 2006, which is when the public criticism of her really heated up, according to David Barrett, spokesman for Hartford Seminary.
Tuesday's statement of support for Mattson is "unfortunately not the first time" the seminary has had to publicly defend the scholar — and by extension itself — against accusations of being sympathetic to terrorists, he said.
"There's been criticism of the seminary for the same reason there's been criticism of Ingrid Mattson, which is 'You're supposed to be a Christian seminary. What are you doing getting into bed with Islam?'" Barrett said. "Our answer is that we think this is important and we will continue to teach about the three Abrahamic faiths because people will understand their own faith better if we do that."
Mattson, who is from Canada, converted to Islam as a young woman. She has been a professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary since 1998, Barrett said.
Wednesday, as President Obama, his wife and other high-ranking officials lined the front pews of the National Cathedral, Mattson stepped to the front of the altar in a row of other interfaith clergy and recited her brief prayer:
"On this day of new beginning, with hearts lifted high in hope, may we be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations."
Afterward, she reflected on how the new president has been a source of comfort and inspiration to her.
"Having seen him go through his campaign and face all the attacks and insinuations he faced with such dignity was a good example for me," Mattson said.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-secondlook0125.artjan25,0,7221903.story
Obama and Iran
Revealed: the letter Obama team hope will heal Iran rift
Symbolic gesture gives assurances that US does not want to topple Islamic regime
One draft urges Iranians to consider the bene? ts of losing their pariah status in the west. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP
Robert Tait and Ewen MacAskill in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 29 January 2009 01.44 GMT
Article history
Officials of Barack Obama's administration have drafted a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing US-Iranian relations and opening the way for face-to-face talks, the Guardian has learned.
The US state department has been working on drafts of the letter since Obama was elected on 4 November last year. It is in reply to a lengthy letter of congratulations sent by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on 6 November.
Diplomats said Obama's letter would be a symbolic gesture to mark a change in tone from the hostile one adopted by the Bush administration, which portrayed Iran as part of an "axis of evil".
It would be intended to allay the suspicions of Iran's leaders and pave the way for Obama to engage them directly, a break with past policy.
State department officials have composed at least three drafts of the letter, which gives assurances that Washington does not want to overthrow the Islamic regime, but merely seeks a change in its behaviour. The letter would be addressed to the Iranian people and sent directly to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or released as an open letter.
One draft proposal suggests that Iran should compare its relatively low standard of living with that of some of its more prosperous neighbours, and contemplate the benefits of losing its pariah status in the west. Although the tone is conciliatory, it also calls on Iran to end what the US calls state sponsorship of terrorism.
The letter is being considered by the new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, as part of a sweeping review of US policy on Iran. A decision on sending it is not expected until the review is complete.
In an interview on Monday with the al-Arabiya television network, Obama hinted at a more friendly approach towards the Islamic Republic.
Ahmadinejad said yesterday that he was waiting patiently to see what the Obama administration would come up with. "We will listen to the statements closely, we will carefully study their actions, and, if there are real changes, we will welcome it," he said.
Ahmadinejad, who confirmed that he would stand for election again in June, said it was unclear whether the Obama administration was intent on just a shift in tactics or was seeking fundamental change. He called on Washington to apologise for its actions against Iran over the past 60 years, including US support for a 1953 coup that ousted the democratically elected government, and the US shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane in 1988.
The state department refused to comment yesterday on the draft letters.
US concern about Iran mainly centres on its uranium enrichment programme, which Washington claims is intended to provide the country with a nuclear weapons capability. Iran claims the programme is for civilian purposes.
The diplomatic moves are given increased urgency by fears that Israel might take unilateral action to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
The scale of the problem facing the new American president was reinforced yesterday when a senior aide to Ahmadinejad, Aliakbar Javanfekr, said that, despite the calls from the US, Iran had no intention of stopping its nuclear activities. When asked about a UN resolution calling for the suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment, Javanfekr, the presidential adviser for press affairs, replied: "We are past that stage."
One of the chief Iranian concerns revolves around suspicion that the US is engaged in covert action aimed at regime change, including support for separatist groups in areas such as Kurdistan, Sistan-Baluchestan and Khuzestan.
The state department has repeatedly denied that there is any American support for such groups.
In its dying days, the Bush administration was planning to open a US interests section in the Iranian capital Tehran, one step down from an embassy. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said that never happened because attention was diverted by the Russian invasion of Georgia. Others say that rightwingers in the Bush administration mounted a rearguard action to block it.
The idea has resurfaced, but if there are direct talks with Iran, it may be decided that a diplomatic presence would obviate the need for a diplomatic mission there, at least in the short term.
While Obama is taking the lead on policy towards Iran, the administration will soon announce that Dennis Ross will become a special envoy to the country, following the appointments last week of George Mitchell, the veteran US mediator, as special envoy to the Middle East, and Richard Holbrooke, who helped to broker the Bosnia peace agreement, as special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ross, who took a leading role in the Middle East peace talks in Bill Clinton's administration, will be responsible on a day-to-day basis for implementing policy towards Iran.
In a graphic sign of Iranian mistrust, the hardline newspaper Kayhan, which is considered close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has denounced Ross as a "Zionist lobbyist".
Saeed Leylaz, a Tehran-based analyst, said a US letter would have to be accompanied by security guarantees and an agreement to drop economic sanctions. "If they send such a letter it will be a very significant step towards better ties, but they should be careful in not thinking Tehran will respond immediately," he said.
"There will be disputes inside the system about such a letter. There are lot of radicals who don't want to see ordinary relations between Tehran and Washington. To convince Iran, they should send a very clear message that they are not going to try to destroy the regime."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)