Around the Muslim World

Transcription

Letter From the Editor
‘Best successor to a great predecessor’
United voice against terror
A new era dawned in Saudi Arabia under the leadership
of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin
Abdul Aziz as citizens across the country expressed their
confidence in the King’s ability to take the Kingdom to
new heights of progress and prosperity.
Thousands of tearful mourners descended on Al-Yamamah Palace to offer condolences to Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Salman following the death of
King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.
World Leaders including United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to King Abdullah’s
efforts to address regional and international challenges
at a time of turmoil and rapid changes.
Ban also praised him for being the driving force behind the Arab Peace Initiative (API) in 2002 and for
leaving a “tangible legacy that can still point the way
toward peace in the Middle East.”
Islamic scholars, tribal chiefs and officials also
pledged allegiance to King Salman in the ceremony seen
as a public endorsement of the new king.
After pledging his allegiance, Grand Mufti Sheikh
Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh said: “On this blessed day, we
pledge allegiance to King Salman as the legitimate king,
Prince Muqrin as crown prince, Prince Mohammad bin
Naif as deputy crown prince.”
The passing of King Abdullah is marked by great
shock and sadness, not simply here in the Kingdom, but
around the world, where his wisdom and his philanthropy have done so much to advance the cause of peace and
justice, particularly in the Islamic world.
Though his rein began in 2005, as crown prince he had
been the country’s effective ruler since 1995, after King
Fahd suffered a serious stroke. Having become Crown
Prince in 1982, he therefore came to the throne with extensive experience of government and, indeed, had been
the commander of the National Guard since 1962.
The Muslim world shall remember him for his historic
expansions of the Two Holy Mosques and his directives
toward great Islamic projects in Makkah and Madinah
and the holy sites that have clearly contributed to facilitate the performance of Hajj and Umrah.
Several leaders and officials from within the Kingdom
and abroad congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman on his ascendance to the throne
and said they wished the King would continue taking
Kingdom to new heights of growth and development and
further consolidate the “strong” foundations a of security
and stability laid by his late predecessor King Abdullah.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman,
who took charge as the seventh king of Saudi Arabia, is a
man for difficult missions with distinguished leadership
qualities. He has established strong relations with world
leaders and worked closely with all previous kings.
Today, the Muslim nation is facing major challenges
targeting its religion, distorting its civilization and counteracting its true law. This is not new to the Ummah. Recent and ancient history tells us about a lot of malice, and
slander leveled at Islam. The intent is to harm it, and cut
off any connection leading to its guidance. This unjustifiable effort will never stop as long as the succession of
night and the day.
A major international conference, which will be held
at the Muslim World League (MWL) headquarters in
Makkah during 22-24 February 2015, will discuss solutions to tackle the issue of terrorism.
“The conference will try to counteract erroneous perceptions among Muslim youth by providing them with
proper guidance,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary
General of the MWL.
Makkah Governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal will launch
the three-day conference, entitled “The Global Islamic
Conference: Counter Terrorism” on behalf of Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ibn Abdul Aziz.
“The conference will enlighten the Muslim nation on
the need to take more care of its youth and protect them
from foreign deviant thoughts and ideologies,” the MWL
Secretary General said.
He said the conference would have a big global impact, with the participation of nearly 1,500 delegates.
Dr. Al-Turki said the conference would also contribute
to strengthening Muslim unity, which is essential for the
success of the Ummah.
l Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
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No.5
l
55
King Abdullah’s Reign (2005-2015):
Decade of Development & Reform
Jumad al-Ula 1436/March. 2015
Dr. Abdul Rahman A. Al-Zaid
Assistant Secretary
King Salman’s vision:
Stability, unity
l
Journal
The Muslim World League
Secretary-General
Dr. Abdullah A. Mohsin Al-Turki
CON
Supervisor General
Media & Culture and
Chief Editor
Dr. Hassan Al-Ahdal
Director
Culture & Media Dept.
Abdullah Ali Al-Nemary
Editor
Mohammad Zakir Hossain
The Muslim World League Journal
P.O. Box: 537
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tel/ Fax: 00966 (012) 5600923
2 E-mail:
[email protected]
www.themwl.org
Vol.43
Graphic Designer
Khaled Awad Al-Muazzin
Letter from the Editor
‘Best successor to a great predecessor’...............................................1
Guidance from Qur’an and Sunnah.................................................4
‘Best successor to a great predecessor’.............................................7
United voice against terrorism
MWLJ Desk Report............................................................................16
Scholars call for clear strategy to fight extremism
Talib Bin Mahfouz...................................................................................20
Fighting global terrorism together....................................................21
WAMY urges proper guidance of youth
MWLJ Desk Report............................................................................22
Turkish PM: Israeli provocations radicalizing Muslim world
..................................................................................................................24
TENTS
The Global Islamic Conference:
Counter Terrorism
13
22
Post-Election Afghanistan:
Challenges and Prospects
34
39
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Gitmo: A wound that continues to fester
Harun Yahya.............................................................................................26
MWLJ Desk Report.................................................................................28
Some Progress at Last
Dr. Mohammad Manjoor Alam................................................................40
New Media in the Muslim world:
Dr. Hamdy Hassan Aboelen.....................................................................44
Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) Conference, 2014, in Toronto
Dr. Mozammel Haque..............................................................................53
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait:An icon of humanitarian work
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi....................................................................................58
Rabita Roundup
Mohammad Zakir Hossain....................................................................60
Views expressed in The Muslim
World League Journal do not necessarily represent those of the Muslim
World League. Articles published
may, however, be reproduced with
acknowledgement.
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Guidance from
Q u r’ a n and S u n n a h
The Quran
It has been called ummul-amradh, or the root of all sicknesses of the heart. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
warned that a person having even an iota of it in his heart will never enter paradise. This deadliest of all sins is kibr, or
arrogance.
“...Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful; Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other
men and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounties.” (Qur’an, 4:36-37)
“And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth nor can
you attain a stature like the mountains in height.” (Qur’an, 17:37)
“ And do not turn your face away from men with arrogance, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah does
not like each arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the
harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.” (Qur’an, 31:16-19)
“Of what benefit to you were your great numbers (and hoards of wealth), and your arrogance against Faith?” (Qur’an,
7:48)
“Enter the gates of Hell to abide therein, and (indeed) what an evil abode of the arrogant!” (Qur’an, Ghafar, 76)
“I shall turn away from my ayat (verses of the Qur’an) those who behave arrogantly on the earth, in a wrongful manner.” (Qur’an, Al-A’raaf:146)
“Verily! Those who disdain My worship (because of arrogance), they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” (Qur’an,
Ghafer: 60)
Hadith
Once a man asked the Prophet, “O
Messenger of Allah, advise me.
The Prophet said, ‘Avoid lengthening the dress (below the ankles),
for this practice is from arrogance.
Verily, Allah does not like arrogance’.’’
The Prophet said, “Paradise and
Hell quarreled in the presence of
their Lord. Paradise said, ‘O Lord!
What is wrong with me that only
the poor and humble people enter
me?’ Hell said, ‘I have been favored with the arrogant people.’
So Allah said to Paradise, ‘You are
My Mercy,’ and said to Hell, ‘You
are My Punishment which I inflict
upon whom I wish, and I shall fill
both of you.” (Bukhari)
“Arrogance is to knowingly
reject Truth and to belittle other
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people.” (Hadith)
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said, “One will not enter Paradise, if one has an atom’s weight of
arrogance in his/her heart.” (Muslim, At-Tirmithi)
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) defined it for us in an authentic hadith reported by “One will
not enter Paradise, if one has an
atom’s weight of arrogance in his/
her heart.” a man then asked, “One
may love his clothes to look good
and his shoes to look good?!” The
prophet replied, “Allah is beautiful
and loves beauty, arrogance is: rejecting the truth and looking down
on people.” (Muslim, At-Tirmithi)
“Dignity is my lower garment,
and arrogance is my covering. If
anyone competes with Me in eil Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
ther of these two, surely I torture
him.” Qudsi Hadith, reported by
Imam Muslim.
“While a man was showing off
in his garment, he looked proudly
to himself, all of a sudden, Allah
immediately crumbled the earth
underneath him, and he is still dropping with struggle through it till
the Day of Judgment.” (Bukhari,
Muslim)
“Whosoever drags his clothes
out of arrogance, Allah will not
look at him on the Day of Judgment.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Abu Bakr said: “O Messenger
of Allah: My garment slips (slightly off his waist) to the ground but I
lift it!?” The prophet replied, “You
are not among those who do it out
of arrogance.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
King Salman’s Vision:
Stability, Unity
Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman took
charge as the new ruler of Saudi
Arabia in a smooth transition following the death of King Abdul-
lah and pledged to continue the
current government policies to
ensure stability and unity in the
country. Addressing the nation, King
Salman also urged the citizens to
pledge their allegiance to Crown
Prince Muqrin and Deputy Crown
Prince and Interior Minister Muhammad bin Naif. 5
“We will continue by the grace
of Allah and His strength to follow the right path … and will
never deviate from it. Our constitution is the Book of Allah and the
Sunnah of His Prophet, peace be
upon him,” the king said.
King Salman said all existing
ministers would continue in their
positions without change. He appointed Prince Mohammed bin Salman as defence minister and head of the royal court and
the king’s private secretary. Hamad Al-Suwailem was appointed head of the crown prince’s
court with the rank of a minister
while Gen. Hamad Al-Ouhali was
named commander of the royal
guards.
He commended the services
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extended by King Abdullah for the
nation, the wider Muslim community and the Arab world. He also asked Allah to help
him to carry out his duties in the
best manner.
Quoting from the Qur’an to
highlight the transience of life,
the king said that everyone on
earth would die and have to face
their Creator. “With a heart filled
with grief and sadness,” he extended condolences to the “loyal
Saudi people and the Arab and Islamic nation” on King Abdullah’s
death.
He said King Abdullah
had dedicated his entire life to
strengthen his religion, his nation
and people, defending the causes
of the Arab and Islamic worlds.
“Indeed we belong to Allah, and
indeed to Him we will return,” he
said stressing the reality of death.
King Salman also urged Arabs
and Muslims to seek solidarity in
the face of challenges currently
confronting them. He said this
would be the policy of Saudi Arabia as it moves to tackle obstacles
facing it.
“We will continue in this country, which Allah has honoured by
choosing it as the platform for
His message and the Qibla (direction to which Muslims turn while
praying), to boost unity and defend our nation’s causes.” He said
the Kingdom would be guided by
the teachings of Islam, which is
a religion of “peace, mercy and
moderation.” The king added: “I ask Allah to
guide me to serve our dear people, realize their hopes, preserve
our country and nation’s security
and stability, and to protect it from
evil. He is able to do that and there
is no strength except with the support of Allah.”
Meanwhile, King Salman,
Crown Prince Muqrin, deputy
premier, and Deputy Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Naif, interior minister and second deputy
premier, received at Al-Hukm
Palace a group of citizens including princes and the grand mufti,
who came to take their oath of
allegiance on the basis of Qur’an
and Sunnah.
In a statement, Prince Muqrin
commended King Abdullah’s
great services to the nation. He
wished every success for King
Salman to carry out his duties in
the service of the nation and the
Arab and Islamic Ummah, adding
that the king’s wisdom and expertise are required to overcome the
present challenges.
Best successor to a great predecessor
Several leaders and officials from within the Kingdom and abroad congratulated Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques King Salman on his ascendance to the
throne and said they wished the King would continue taking the Kingdom to new heights of growth and
development and further consolidate the “strong”
foundations of security and stability laid by his late
predecessor King Abdullah.
Congratulating King Salman, Oman’s Sultan
Qaboos wished him good health to discharge his responsibilities.
He also prayed to Allah to enable the new Saudi
leadership to achieve more progress and prosperity.
King Abdullah II of Jordan described King Sal-
man, Crown Prince Muqrin and Deputy Crown
Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, second deputy premier
and interior minister, as “the best successors to a
great predecessor”.
He voiced confidence that King Salman would
continue to serve his country and people and stand
by the Arab and Islamic nations at all times, a Royal
Court statement said.
Highlighting his strong ties with the Saudi leader,
the Jordanian monarch said King Salman had supported Jordan at all times and recalled his historical and honourable pro-Jordan stance that helped his
country to address challenges.
The king said that the cooperation and strategic
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partnership between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which
have developed “tremendously” over the years, had
set a model for deep inter-Arab relations.
The monarch said King Abdullah was dedicated
to serving the issues of the Arab and Muslim nations.
He said: “We in Jordan, as well as the Arab and
Islamic nations, have lost a great and outstanding
leader known for his wisdom and far sightedness.
“He had dedicated his life to serving his country
and people as well as the people of other Arab and
Muslim countries and their just causes.”
He added that Jordan had lost a “dear father and
brother whose memory will live on in our consciousness and will remain a source of pride and high esteem.”
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also expressed
condolences on the death of King Abdullah.
In a cable sent to King Salman, Rouhani appealed
to Allah to bestow His mercy on King Abdullah and
help the Saudi Royal Family, government and people to be patient over this great loss.
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry expressed in a statement “deep sorrow” over the loss of one of the Arab
and Islamic nations’ “most sincere leaders who dedicated his life to serving his people and the nation.”
The ministry statement said the King was a good
supporter of Yemen.
The Board of Senior Scholars lauded King Salman’s decision to continue the policies of King Abdullah and his predecessors to ensure the Kingdom’s
stability and unity.
Fahd Al-Majed, Secretary-General of the board,
said the speech of the King emphasized his determination that the country’s policies would continue to
be formulated on the basis of the Holy Qur’an and
prophetic teachings as well as the policies of King
Abdulaziz and his successors.
Minister of Social Service Abdurahman Al-Barak
said the vast experience, comprehensive vision and
remarkable achievements of King Salman as emir of
Riyadh and crown prince would help him to take the
country to “new heights of progress and prosperity
as well as to a glorious future with more achievements.” Deputy Minister of Education Noura Al-Faiz
said King Salman’s ascension to the throne would
further boost the cohesive and harmonious relations
between the government and people.
While paying tribute to King Abdullah, she said
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the King was a great reformer and visionary leader
whose main concern was ensuring the security and
stability of the Kingdom, the Arab region and the entire world, as well as to enable people to enjoy the
“fruits of development and growth.”
Several women members of the Shoura Council
offered their condolences on the death of King Abdullah.
Wafa Tayyiba said King Abdullah’s reign was
an era of progress and prosperity during which the
Kingdom enacted numerous reforms including the
empowerment of women, development of human resources, judicial reforms, and expansion of the Two
Holy Mosques.
Hanan Al-Ahmadi said the people of Saudi Arabia as well as other Arab and Muslim countries have
lost an “icon whose contributions have benefited the
entire world.”
She said: “King Abdullah will find a place in history as a great visionary leader and engineer of transformation.”
On her part, Fadwa Abu Mureef, another member, said King Abdullah provided strong leadership
for the Kingdom to achieve remarkable and comprehensive growth and development in all spheres of
life.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the
Muslim World League, said the death of King Abdullah left a great void in the Islamic world. In a
condolence message, he drew attention to the outstanding contributions rendered by the late King to
the Islamic world in general and Saudi Arabia in particular.
Dr. Abdullah al-Turki said Saudi Arabia witnessed launching of giant development projects and
establishment of several universities and centers of
higher education to develop the human resources.
“King Abdullah had ordered the largest ever
expansion in the history of the Grand Mosque in
Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, in
addition to making giant leaps in improving the facilities for pilgrims. The King contributed immensely to promote world peace and harmony through
launching interfaith dialogue and bringing closer
among Sunnis and Shiites and Palestinian factions,”
he said, while commending the King’s historic role
in rooting out terrorism from the Kingdom’s soil and
concerted efforts to stamp it out from the world as a
whole.
--SG
OBITUARY
King Abdullah’s Reign (2005-2015):
Decade of Development & Reform
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Advisor
Islamic Cultural Centre, London
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud died on Thursday, 22 January 2015, royal officials have announced. Abdullah, who had ruled since 2005
and was said to be aged about 90, had been suffering from a lung infection.
His 79-year-old brother, Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been confirmed as the
new king. King Salman vowed to maintain the same policies as his predecessors.
“We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment,” he said in a speech broadcast on state television.
9
Council’ has been set up.
3) National Dialogue
King Abdullah launched National
Dialogue mechanism and allows
Saudi citizens to engage each other in addressing issues that concerned society. This is not an idle
exercise in a country where civil
society is non-existent. The fact
that these dialogues are not only
occurring but truly significant.
King Abdullah’s Vision and
Leadership
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz became
King of Saudi Arabia on 1st August, 2005, following the death of
his brother King Fahd. King Abdullah’s reign has been characterized
by a number of important reforms
and achievements, which have elevated the Kingdom to an advanced
rank among the world’s countries.
Since King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz’s ascension to the throne
in 2005, a date which has been
followed by a period of remarkable changes sparked by major
social, education, health and infrastructure projects across the
Kingdom. The Kingdom’s leadership has introduced policies
for education development in the
Kingdom through the expansion
of university education and opening of more universities.
Ten-year rule of King Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi
Arabia brought many revolutionary changes in development and
reform. It can rightly be described
as a decade of development and
reform. King Abdullah will be
remembered in golden letters in
world history, particularly in the
history of Saudi Arabia for his re-
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form, achievements and initiatives
in the field of national dialogue,
independence of judiciary, educational development, expansion
of Haramain domestically and interfaith dialogue and Middle East
Peace Initiative internationally.
He was a bold leader loved both
at home by his own people and
abroad by friends and allies.
King Abdullah’s Reforms
1) Independence of Judiciary
During the reign of King Abdullah, a number of important and
noteworthy reform steps were
taken in Saudi Arabia. Since assuming the throne, king Abdullah made a number of key reform
steps in the kingdom. One of the
most important achievements was
the king’s landmark reform of the
judicial system and the consequent
creation of specialised courts.
2) Allegiance –Baya - Loyalty
King Abdullah also set up “the Allegiance Commission” or Hay’at
al-Bay‘ah, which is a codification
of the unwritten rules that have
governed the selection of Saudi rulers since the passing of King Abdul
Aziz in 1953.Also during the reign
of King Abdullah, ‘the Allegiance
4) King Abdullah’s Education
programme
King Abdullah lived up to his reputation as a bold leader. He made
decisions that hold a lot of promise for generations to come: his
interfaith initiative, his decision to
allow women to participate in the
upcoming municipal elections, his
decision to focus on young Saudis,
his decision to spend heavily on the
education sector, his decision to
institute hundreds and thousands
of scholarships in some of the best
institutions in the world all these
decisions indicated his love for his
country and his religion.
a) King Abdullah’s Scholarship programme: King Abdullah
established the visionary scholarship programme for the young
generation to study abroad. Education was at the heart of reform
King Abdullah promoted since
taking office in 2005 with the
launching of a $2.4 billion education programme in the same year.
King Abdullah gave top priority
to education and training of young
Saudi men and women and allocated more than 25 percent of the
national budget for the purpose.
During his rule, the number of
government universities jumped
from eight to 24, giving students
in all parts of the country access
to higher education. More than
80,000 Saudis are now pursuing
their higher education in reputed
international universities. There
are more than 33,000 schools in
the Kingdom with more than five
million students representing a
third of the nation’s population
and nearly 500,000 male and female teachers.
b) King Abdullah University for Science and Technology
(KAUST): King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST). KAUST is one of
the major achievements of King
Abdullah. The most notable aspect of King Abdullah’s accomplishments in the advancement of
education in September 2009 was
the launch of the King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology – KAUST – in Thuwal. On
September 23, 2009 when King
Abdullah inaugurated a worldclass University for Science and
Technology in 80 km north of
Jeddah, he was not only realizing a dream that was living in his
heart for 25 years but was driving
home a strong point that the Muslim world has to achieve scientific
and technological progress in order to join the League of developed countries.
c) Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University for Women:
The year 2007 saw the opening of
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman
University for women with its 32
colleges across the Riyadh region.
This is the first women’s university in Saudi Arabia and largest
women-only University in the
world. It has a new library capable
of holding 4.5 million volumes.
d) King Abdullah’s Scholarship Programme: King Abdullah’s Foreign Scholarship Programme is the largest scholarship
programme in the history of the
Kingdom. Currently more than
130,000 Saudi students are pursuing different fields of study in
some of the best universities in
the world.
King Abdullah’s scholarship
programme was established in
2005 to sponsor highly qualified
Saudi students to continue their
studies in different universities
across the globe. Since the inauguration of the scholarship programme as many as 62,000 Saudi
students have been sent to various
colleges and universities around
the world. The programme is an
integral aspect of the Kingdom’s
comprehensive education plans.
5) Empowerment of Women
a) Woman education minister;
member shoura council and foreign ambassadors: King Abdullah appointed a woman as Deputy
Education Minister and Saud alFaisal as Foreign Minister declared appointment of several
women as ambassadors in the
councils and embassies overseas.
Innumerable additions and alterations of reforms natures in such
areas as human rights, particularly
women rights.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde
paid tribute to the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, saying he
was a strong believer in pushing
forward women’s rights. Women
not only constitute half of Saudi
society but they are also the driving force behind the Kingdom’s
future development as a 21st-century society.
b) Saudi Women in Shoura
Council: King Abdullah appointed
30 highly educated Saudi women
to the Shoura Council (consultative assembly) and to ensure
women make up at least 20 percent of the Council in the future is
a key turning point in the history
of the Kingdom. The historic decision by King Abdullah to appoint
women, for the first time, to the
Shoura Council is a major initiative to reform the existing political system.
6) Expansion of the Two Holy
Mosques
a) King Abdullah’s Haram Expansion Project: King Abdullah
ordered additional expansions
to the Grand Mosque. Described
as the largest in Muslim history,
the project will create additional
prayer space for more than a million worshippers. King Abdullah
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officially launched on Friday, 19th of August, 2011,
the largest expansion of the Grand Mosque in history,
which will increase the Mosque’s capacity to more
than 2.5 million worshippers and cost 80 billion Saudi Riyals. The new project will comprise three parts:
construction of a new building; expansion and development of courtyards around the mosque, including walkways, tunnels and toilets; and development
of service facilities for air-conditioning, electricity
and drinking water.
b) Expansion of Masa’a : The project also include
plans to expand the mataf (the circumambulation areas around the Holy Ka’aba) and provide air-conditioning for all parts of the Grand Mosque. Masaa, the
area between Safa and Marwa, which is located inside the mosque, has been expanded to help pilgrims
perform the sa’ie ritual more easily and comfortably.
King Abdullah took expansion projects of Masa’a.
c) Makkah Tower Clock: King Abdullah also officially inaugurated the Makkah Tower Clock, considered the largest in the world; the Makkah Time,
the newly expanded masaa (the running course between Safa and Marwa); the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Towers; the Jamarat Bridge complex in
Mina; and the Mashair Railway linking the holy
sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa as well as the
sunshades around the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah
by pressing buttons.
d) Jamarat Bridge Project : The Jamarat Bridge
is 950 meters long and 80 meters wide. Each floor
is 12 meters high. The entire project is designed to
hold 12 stories and as many as five million pilgrims
in the future if the need arises. The project is now
complete and ready for pilgrims. The completion of
the Jamarat project allows for the throwing of pebbles from all five levels of the bridge.
e) Makkah Metro Monorail Project : The 20 km
Makkah Metro monorail project, costing USS1.8 billion, was launched in 2010 to link the Grand Mosque
with Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa, to ease pilgrim
transport. It includes the construction of nine railway stations in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah, each
300 meters long. The metro railway is designed to
operate 17 trains with 12 coaches in each train.
f) Haramain Railway Project: Another project,
the high-speed Haramain Railway, costing SR37.5
billion will link the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah to the Red Sea port of Jeddah, an entry point for
millions of pilgrims to relieve road congestion.
g) King Abdul Aziz Street Project: Another huge
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project to ease traffic flow in roads close to the Grand
Mosque is the new SR12 billion King Abdul Aziz
Street project in Makkah. The project, which covers
1.2 million square meters, is scheduled to complete
in 2012. It represents a third of development projects
and basic infrastructure schemes in Makkah. The
road, which runs from Jeddah to Makkah’s entrance,
will make entry and exit to and from the Grand
Mosque very easy. The 60-meter-wide road would
incorporate the Haramain rail tracks.
7) International Interfaith Dialogue
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he
admired King Abdullah greatly. “Despite the turmoil
of events in the region around him, he remained a
stable and sound ally, was a patient and skilful moderniser of his country leading it step by step into the
future,” Mr Blair said. He paid tribute to the monarch’s advocacy of “inter-faith relations”, his embracing of education for women, and his investment
in renewable energy.
King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue in 2005 in the Holy City of Makkah,
when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to
meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of
extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The
King travelled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict in
2007 offering him peace and friendship on behalf of
the Muslim world. The following year, in June 2008,
King Abdullah hosted a first historic Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Makkah al-Mukarramah where
more than 500 Muslim religious scholars and leaders
attended. It was followed by a multi-religious conference in Madrid in July 2008, which was hosted by
King Abdullah along with King Juan Carlos of Spain
and attended by more than 300 representatives from
Vatican, Anglican Church, Judaism, Hinduism and
other faiths. Then King Abdullah took the interfaith
dialogue to the global centre-stage at the UN.
The Inauguration Ceremony of King Abdullah
International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue (KAICIID) took place on 26th of November 2012 at the
Hofburg Vienna.
8) Middle East Peace Initiative
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “And of
course he launched the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002
which has stood the test of time as a potential basis
for a solution to the Israeli Palestine issue,” the exPM added.
The Global Islamic Conference:
Counter Terrorism
MWLJ Desk Report
Today, the Muslim nation is facing major challenges targeting its religion, distorting its civilization and counteracting its true law. This is
not new to the Ummah. Recent and ancient
history tells us about a lot of malice, and slander levelled at Islam. The intent is to harm it,
and cut off any connection leading to its guidance. This unjustifiable effort will never stop
as long as the succession of night and the day.
However, the new twist in our actual reality
is astonishing. Our own children are serving
the interests of those who seek to undermine
Islam by setting the worst examples. These
have been condemning Islam of the vilest
charges without any evidence to their claim.
These juveniles and fool dreamers provided the slanderers with what they have
been dreaming of. With their reckless actions
and careless daring to spill innocent people’s
blood, they gave their enemies more than they
have hoped to get. They have horrified honest
people and terrorized Muslims and others. All
their vile acts have been perpetrated under a
banner adorned, falsely, by the testimony of
monotheism (word of tawhid). Accompanying
their hypocritical claim, they shout there is no
god but Allah, and Allah is great. These cry do
not go beyond their throats.
This great dishonesty and false pretence
are happening in the name of Islam. The faith
is innocent of which they claim. However,
supporters of Islam and its future are extremely serious and eager to redress this distorted
campaign that has committed horrible sins under the cover Islam and its banners. The time
has come for scholars, preachers and people
of conscience to have a continuous outreach to
warn people against this scourge, and disavow
13
it. Effective solutions to rid the nation’s youth
from its clutches must be developed. This will
be achieved through uncovering its flaws, and
false claims. The true Islamic concept must
be clarified about what is being said here and
there. These sayings and actions are no longer
hidden from any observer.
A major international conference, which
will be held at the Muslim World League
(MWL) headquarters in Makkah during 22-24
February 2015, will discuss solutions to tackle
the issue of growing extremism among Muslim youth. The conference will also confront
the challenges posed by terrorism.
“The conference will try to counteract erroneous perceptions among Muslim youth by
providing them with proper guidance,” said
Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary General of
the MWL.
Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal
will launch the three-day conference, entitled
“The Global Islamic Conference: Counter
Terrorism” on behalf of Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
“The main reason for the increase in extremism and terrorism among some Muslim
groups is their ignorance of the true teachings
of Islam,” Dr, Abdullah Al-Turki told.
He said it was the joint responsibility of
governments, Islamic scholars and the media
to fight extremism in Muslim communities.
The conference will discuss recent call
urging the Islamic scholars to stand up to terrorism and extremism, he pointed out.
He said the conference would bring together a large number of prominent Islamic scholars from the Kingdom and other parts of the
Muslim world.
“The conference will enlighten the Muslim nation on the need to take more care of its
youth and protect them from foreign deviant
thoughts and ideologies,” the MWL Secretary
14
General said.
He said the conference would have a big
global impact, with the participation of nearly
1,000 delegates, Al-Turki said the conference
would also contribute to strengthening Muslim unity, which is essential for the success of
the Ummah.
Research papers will be presented on terrorism and extremism; division, conflict, and
intolerance; ignorance and backwardness, and
absence of Islamic reference and unity of the
Muslim nation.
Having sensed the extent of this threat, the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, issued his
directives to hold this important conference
on “terrorism” under his patronage. He has
charged the Muslim World League to mobilize the efforts of scholars, preachers and
those concerned with Muslim affairs around
the world. He requested them to address the
risk of this alien phenomenon. It must be
aborted in its early stages. The aim is also to
contain its spread reaching additional Muslim
countries.
The Muslim World League expresses its
thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for patronizing the conference,
and for his support of the Rabita’s programs.
The MWL also thanks the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Muqren Bin
Abdulaziz Al-Saud; the Second Deputy Prime
Minister, Interior Minister, HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
They extend their thanks as well to the Governor of Makkah Region, HRH Prince Khalid
Bin Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud; for their
efforts in serving Islam and Muslims.
The MWL expressed thanks to His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah AlSheikh, the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti, and
President of the Supreme Council of the Rabita, to the scholars, researchers, media and
conference participants for their cooperation
with the Muslim World League.
Topics of Counter-Terrorism Conference
Topic 1- The Concept 1. The definition of Terrorism through the
Shari’ah point of view.
2. The Definition of Terrorism from the International Perspective.
3. The use of religion as a pretext for terrorism (models of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
Topic 2- Religious reasons for terrorism
1. Ignorance of the Purposes of Shari’ah
and its Provisions.
2. Fanaticism and Sectarian Partisanship.
3. Erroneous Interpretation of Islamic
Concepts of (Jihad, Loyalty and Abjuration,
Atonement, Indoctrination and Revelation.).
4. Non-application of Islamic law.
5. Weakness of Da’wah Institutions.
6. The Reality of Religious Discourse.
Topic 3- Social and economic reasons
1. Social Problems: Unemployment, Poverty, Deprivation, Lack of Equal Opportunities.
2. Weak Legislation and Laws to Deal with
new Developments, particularly Issues regarding Human Rights.
3. The family’s Inefficiency in Proper Socialization.
4. Weakness of civil Society’s Institutions.
5. Financial and Administrative Corruption.
Topic 4- educational, cultural and
media reasons
1. Flaws of the Curriculum in Providing a
Balanced Culture.
2. Weakness of the Media in Raising the
Levels of Awareness and Education.
3. Secular and Liberal Extremism.
4. Weakness of the Culture of Dialogue
and its Paradigm, and the Lack of Instilling
the Culture Difference.
Topic 5- terrorism and regional and
global interests
1. Unfair Bias towards Muslim Issues.
2. Provocation of sectarian strife and sedition among countries and societies of the Muslim world.
3. Use of terrorism for regional, global and
sectarian Interests.
Topic 6- effects of terrorism
1. Tarnishing the Image of Islam and Muslims in the Education Curricula and the Media.
2. Frequent Sedition and Shedding of Innocent People’s Blood. 3. Lack of Interest in Islamic Nation’s Issues.
4. Increase in Global Tension.
Workshops
1. The Application of Islamic Shari’ah and
sensible Islamic governance.
2. Contemporary Islamic Vision of an Islamic State.
3. The concept of Jihad in Islamic Law
(controls, provisions, etiquette).
4. The Best Means to Deal with Terrorism
(practical programs to combat it).
5. Counter-terrorism Experience (Saudi
Arabia’s efforts as model).
6- Role of the Media in Combating Terrorism.
15
United voice against terrorism
MWLJ Desk Report
“Distinguished Brothers, we - under the framework
of the fierce war waged against Islam and the Muslim Ummah by the misled and unjust group – aim
at putting an end to terrorism. Furthermore, we always strive to do whatever raises high the banner
of Islam but away from extremism, militancy and
bloodliness.”
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
“Terrorism has become a phenomenon with an unknown target. Unfortunately, it is wrongly linked to
Islam which has nothing to do with it. Praise be to
Allah who secured the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
with leadership and officials; with competence and
advanced technology that invalidate any terrorist
act in any manner.”
Crown Prince, Deputy Premier
His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud
16
“Terrorism constitutes a dangerous phenomenon
for the security and safety of all human societies;
and is seen as international calamity that belongs
to no religion or nationality. It represents a threat
that destabilizes world peace and security and even
pose a threat to undermine international peace and
security. Therefore, we should bravely face this malicious calamity wherever it is located so as to destroy it and save mankind from its evils.”
King Salman bin Abdul Aziz
“At its various sectors and in compliance with direction and support of the Monarch, the Saudi Ministry of the Interior has adopted every possible means
that can promote the security performance so as to
cope with stability requirements for this dear country and to the residents and visitors as well as preserve the unique security, development and success
achieved for this blessed country.”
Deputy Crown, Second Deputy Premier
and Minister of the Interior
His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad
bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz
17
“The steps achieved by the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia in confronting terrorism and measures currently taken by many countries remain in dire need
of parallel regional and international efforts that
muster together on dismantling the networks and
cells of terrorism through vigorous implementation
of the provisions of relevant international law and
resolutions that ban the commitment , financing,
instigation or involvement of terrorists acts; or protections of those who commit them.”
Foreign Minister
His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has warned against
this terrorism, sedition (Fitnah) and drew the attention to the fact that terrorism is extremely dangerous because it causes division in Muslim communities leads to sectarian and emotional differences
and makes Muslims bloodshed permissible. In fact
there is nothing more dangerous for the body of the
Muslim Ummah than this sedition.”
Governor of Makkah Region
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal
18
“Those who promote acts of terrorism in the name
of Islam are far away from it. For, Islam is a religion of forgiveness , tolerance and goodness; and
who ever says otherwise is against the truth and is
at variance with Muslim straight path. The Muslim
soul, which Allah made prohibited, should not be
killed for sheer satisfaction of the whims of a misled group that made it permissible for itself to shed
blood of Muslims without due right.”
Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and President of the Supreme
Council of the Muslim World League
His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al- Sheikh
“The Muslim World League makes continuous efforts in the combat of terrorism through the cultural
and Islamic centers it runs and supervises all over
the world. The Muslim World League has always
confirmed at various occasions, conferences and
symposiums that terrorism and branding people infidels are prohibited acts and their doers must be
incriminated. Muslim World League makes every
possible effort in the enlightenment and guidance
of people towards cooperation for uprooting and
fighting of terrorism with all possible means.”
Secretary General of the M W L
Prof. Dr. Abdulllah Abdulmohsin Al Turki
19
Scholars call for clear
strategy to fight extremism
Talib Bin Mahfouz
A number of religious scholars have asked
Minister of Islamic Affairs of Saudi Arabia
Sheikh Saleh Al-Asheikh to lay down a clear
and unified strategy for combating extremism and terrorist activities in the Kingdom.
The scholars also requested they be given
guidelines and practical tips on incorporating anti-extremism and anti-terrorism sermons in mosques to raise awareness among
the youth.
Secretary-General of the International
Qur’an Memorization Organization Sheikh
Abdullah Basfar said sheikhs and religious
scholars need to attend workshops and training courses on how to give effective sermons
and speak to the general public in regard to
such sensitive issues.
“The ministry needs to continuously
invest in religious scholars and imams, especially the ones giving sermons and participating in guidance campaigns. There is a
need for a number of reforms such as the endowments system but we also need to attend
to more pressing matters,” said Basfar.
Sheikh Asad Al-Shahrani said the Kingdom’s youth are at a sensitive age and they
need to receive transparent and accurate information. “We need to protect them from
extremist ideologies and terrorist campaigns.
With the right strategic program for tackling
20
extremism and terrorism among the youth,
we can have tangible effects in protecting
the youth from malicious people in society,”
said Al-Shahrani.
He also stressed the importance of cooperating with private sector organizations
with the same purpose and vision.
“By unifying our efforts, we will leave
no room for doubts or grievances among the
youth. This would also enable us to detect
extremists who infiltrate our campaigns and
organizations to preach their ideologies. Sermon givers and the call and guidance campaign participants must not only be carefully
trained but also meticulously chosen and
screened,” said Al-Shahrani.
King Abdulaziz Mosque Imam Sheikh
Mohammad Bin Husain Al-Hudairy agreed
that the ministry needs to create a strategic
program to combat terrorism and extremism.
“I think we need to first raise awareness
among religious scholars and the general
public of the influential role mosques play
in guiding society. Only when we have our
youth recognize the intention and direction
of our efforts, will we get their attention so
we can begin guiding them,” said Al-Hudairy.
Fighting global terrorism together
An investigation is still under way to determine the group(s)
behind the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month, but
there are credible indications about its perpetrators’ links
to transnational terror outfits, especially Al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has claimed responsibility.
If those links are proven, they should give a greater
impetus for greater international cooperation to combat
terrorism, more than what we have now. For example, it
appears that the United States had knowledge of ties between Paris perpetrators and AQAP and that they were on
US no-fly lists. Other countries have also claimed that they
had warned of the attacks. If such claims are accurate, they
indicate less than complete cooperation between security
agencies, and sharp differences in their risk assessments.
The Yemen links are especially alarming, because terrorism is on the rise there since Houthi militias’ expansion.
They have provoked a backlash from Sunni tribes, providing an opening for the AQAP to ally with those tribes.
Saudi Arabia has warned repeatedly of the globalization
of terrorism. When Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah addressed newly accredited ambassadors to
Saudi Arabia last August, he forcefully called for greater
international action against terrorism in the region. Without it, he said, terrorism would quickly spread to Europe,
the US and elsewhere. The US-born terrorist leader, Anwar
Al-Awlaqi, posthumously implicated in the Paris attacks, is
a case in point for globalized terrorism; he was one of the
terrorist leaders most attractive to western recruits, including the brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, who appeared to
have had links with Al-Awlaqi and AQAP in Yemen.
Al-Awlaqi was born in 1971 in New Mexico and left
with his family to Yemen in 1978. His return to the US
in 1990 coincided with first Iraq war, which polarized the
Arab immigrant community in the US. Initially enrolled
to study engineering in Colorado, Al-Awlaqi later joined
Islamic radicals in the US. He had links with some of the
9/11 perpetrators, but authorities found no evidence of his
direct involvement in the attacks. Al-Awlaqi left the US in
2002 for London, a hub of radical groups. Two years later,
he left for Yemen where he joined AQAP and called for
violence against the US and other countries he considered
to be hostile to Islam. Al-Awlaqi was in charge of AQAP’s
external relations, where he established links with Muslim
communities living in the West, harping on the alienation
some of them felt, managing to attract members of those
communities, as well as recent converts. Al-Awlaqi came
to the world’s attention when it became known that he had
some influence over the Muslim-American psychiatrist
Maj. Nidal Hassan, who gunned down 13 people in Fort
Hood, Texas, military base in November 2009. After that
incident, Al-Awlaqi attracted more followers, who flocked
to his website and Facebook page and eventually to Yemen
to meet him. One of those young followers is believed to
be Said Kouachi, according to US authorities who were
keeping close watch over Al-Awlaqi until he was killed in
an air raid in Yemen in 2011. His younger brother, Cherif
Kouachi, has also claimed ties to Yemen and Al-Awlaqi.
Similar to Al-Awlaqi’s experience in the US, the
Kouachi brothers were born in France, but later became
alienated and angry. Al-Awlaqi and his followers provided
readymade solutions for young people such as the Kouachi
brothers, by pushing them to commit violence against what
they saw as transgressions against Muslims. The Paris incidents also demonstrated the dangers of instability in Yemen, which has become fertile ground for terrorist activities, spilling over to neighboring countries and beyond. It
is especially alarming that terrorism in Yemen is growing
after a brief period when it appeared to be on the defensive.
In 2012, after President Ali Abdullah Saleh had agreed
to leave office, combating terrorism became a priority for
the transitional government. It was able, with help from its
allies, to weaken AQAP and expel it from several strongholds. However, those successes are being reversed after
Houthi militias managed to extend their control over large
swathes of territory in Yemen. They have imposed their
monolithic religious views on Zaidi-majority territories
and are now threatening Sunni-majority areas. AQAP took
advantage of those transgressions and presented itself as a
potential ally of the Sunni tribes. AQAP is repeating what
the so-called Islamic State (Daesh) did in Iraq, when Shiite
militias overran Sunni-majority areas and Daesh came to
the rescue.
Perhaps after the Paris incidents and links to AQAP,
there would be greater attention to combating terrorism in
Yemen, in both its AQAP and Houthi versions. Houthi violent actions have prevented Yemen from restoring its stability and security. Last year, just as Yemeni factions concluded their National Dialogue Conference and reached
historical compromises, Houthis resorted to violence to
impose their own views of what Yemen should look like.
They overran several regions, including the capital Sanaa,
routing Yemeni security forces in the process. They have
assassinated their opponents and destroyed their homes
and offices. They have also attacked government officials
who stood in the way. The latest incident was the brazen
kidnapping on Jan. 17 of President Hadi’s Chief of Staff,
Dr. Ahmed Awadh Bin Mubarak, in an attempt to derail
discussions to finalize the Constitution draft. Abdel Malik
Al-Houthi has proudly taken responsibility for the kidnapping, despite Mubarak’s perceived sympathy for the
Houthis.
--AN
21
WAMY urges proper guidance of youth
MWLJ Desk Report
The general assembly of the
Riyadh-based World Assembly
of Muslim Youth (WAMY) has
elected its new board of trustees
as part of the 12th international
conference which concluded in
Marrakesh. The new elected board of trustees is composed of 23 members
representing Muslim communities from all over the world. The
board is dominated by Saudis as
11 of those members (48 percent)
are from the Kingdom, including
its secretary-general, Dr. Saleh
Al-Wohaiby who was re-elected. “This election was an important component of the conference
as the new board of trusties will
set the general goals, policies,
strategies that will determine the
course of WAMY for the next four
years both in the Kingdom and the
world,” Al-Wohaiby told.
More than 700 Muslim scholars and heads of 450 youth organizations from all parts of the world
who participated in the historic
Moroccan city expressed their
profound gratitude for King Mohammed VI of Morocco and his
government, and people for hosting the conference and extending
all the facilities for its success.
The conference expressed its
deep sorrow over the death of
King Abdullah who was a prominent supporter of Islamic causes
all over the world as well as a pioneer global advocate for interfaith
dialogue. It wished all success to
22
his successor, Custodian of the
Tow Holy Mosques King Salman
bin Abdul Aziz.
The conference condemned
deliberate media insults in different parts of the world to Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him),
his companions and Islam. “This
practice will widen the gulf and
will not serve the efforts being
(Jerusalem), tightening a siege on
Palestinians and exposing them to
famine and depriving them of their
rights, and urged Muslim nations,
governments and free nations to
support the just Palestinian cause.
The conference called on government, educational institutions
and families in Muslim countries
to pay greater attention to youth
made for building bridges of understanding and cooperation between countries and nations,” the
conference said.
The conference expressed sorrow over the ongoing bloody conflicts in many Muslim countries,
calling on their political leaders,
intellectuals and reformers to promote national reconciliation.
It said it is observing the tragic
situation in occupied Palestine,
particularly the Zionist actions to
Judaize the holy city of Al-Quds
issues and problems.
It called for involving youth in
decision-making processes, proper training and job creation. The
youth should be taught concepts
of freedom, tolerance and dialogue
and encouraged to practice these
concepts and show their creativity
and talents within the frameworks
of the teachings of Islam.
Al-Wohaiby told that these recommendations were formulated
after careful study and discussion
over three days on Muslim youth,
current problems in the world and
potential solutions that were presented in over 40 research papers.
In his address at the opening
of the three-day event, WAMY
Secretary-General Saleh Al-Wohaiby said that since its establishment four decades ago, WAMY’s
humanitarian, developmental and
propagation activities, programs,
and conferences all over the globe
have always been the focus of attention and support of the Kingdom’s leaders.
Abdul Rahman Al-Dahab,
former president of Sudan and
chairman of board of trustees of
world through organizations like
WAMY.
The leaders expressed deep
sorrow over the demise of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah who was a prominent supporter of Islamic causes
all over the world as well as a pioneer global advocate for interfaith
dialogue.
The leaders highly praised the
Moroccan government and people
for hosting this important event.
“This is not unusual for Morocco,
which is one of the champions of
Islam, besides being one of the
closest cultural bridges between
Islamic Call Organization in Sudan, strongly commended the role
of the Kingdom in helping world
Muslims, noting in particular the
support extended by the late King
Faisal to WAMY as one of the
Muslim charity work vehicles in
the world.
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manie,
adviser at the Saudi Royal court
and head of Shari’ah Council of
WAMY, lauded the role of the
Kingdom in supporting Muslims
and helping youth all over the
the Islamic world and the West in
the modern world,” Al-Wohaiby
said.
Al-Wohaiby mentioned that
this conference of WAMY focused
on youth as was the case in all its
past 11 conferences. “This is because WAMY is an organization
for youth and the Muslim world
has a 50 percent youth population.”
“The conference comes amid
the political turmoil in the region
coupled with massive media freel Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
dom that the people enjoy via satellite TV channels and social networks that has caused enormous
change in the behavioral patterns
of Muslim youth,” he said.
“The change, along with poverty, political instability and social
injustices in many Muslim countries, has caused many problems
for the Muslim youth, with some
of them taking extreme viewpoints, abandoning moderate Islam and resorting to violent acts.
Consequently, this shift has led
to counter actions in some Western countries that led to insulting
the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and harassing Muslim communities there, he added.
“We don’t claim that we have
clear-cut solutions to these problems but from this conference
we hope to find some solutions,
which will be through scientific
research papers presented by over
120 scholars,” he added.
Saudi Ambassador to Morocco
Abdularahman Al-Judaiee told
reporters on the sidelines of the
event that organizing such a conference by a Saudi-based international Muslim organization gives
a boost to the Kingdom’s call for
interfaith dialogue globally.
He mentioned that the Kingdom has become an outstanding
leader in the world in this kind of
dialogue.
The WAMY conference is being attended by over 700 participants from 95 countries. Forty research papers out of 100 received
have been chosen for presentation.
They relate to the future of world
Muslim youth in the changing era
of globalization that is witnessing
a continuous change in all aspects
of life.
23
Turkish PM: Israeli ‘provocations’
radicalizing Muslim world
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused
his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu of terrorism and said Israeli “provocations” such as the
bombardment of Gaza were contributing to radicalization in the Muslim world.
In an interview, Davutoglu said peace in the
Middle East and the eradication of extremist groups
would be virtually impossible without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
He also warned the international community
against focusing solely on fighting the self-proclaimed Islamic State group in its efforts to end the
conflict in Syria, saying the “brutality” of President
Bashar Al-Assad was the root cause of the problem.
Turkey, an EU candidate nation and member of
the NATO military alliance, is a key Western ally in
24
the fight against Islamic jihadists. But its leaders have
become increasingly concerned about what they see
as rising Islamophobia in Europe and increasingly
outspoken in their criticism of Israel.
“(Netanyahu) himself killed, his army killed children in the playground. They killed our citizens and
an American citizen in international waters. This is
terrorism,” Davutoglu said, referring to a 2010 Israeli assault on a Turkish boat attempting to break
Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
“Nobody can argue about Israeli aggression in Jerusalem in the Al-Aqsa mosque,” he added. “These
provocations create frustration in the Muslim world
and are becoming one of the reasons why these radical trends are emerging,” he said.
“If we want to establish peace and order in the
Middle East, eliminating all the extremist forces, we
have to solve the Palestinian question.”
Davutoglu compared Netanyahu to the militants
who killed 17 people in Paris, saying both had committed crimes against humanity. Netanyahu has
called for an international condemnation of Davutoglu’s remarks and those of President Tayyip Erdogan, after he criticized the Israeli prime minister’s
attendance with other world leaders at a solidarity
march in Paris.
Once-good relations between Israel and Turkey
have declined markedly over the past five years, with
US-efforts to revive the soured ties failing to make
headway. There was no immediate reaction in Israel
to Davutoglu’s latest comments.
Davutoglu said Turkey, which has faced criticism
for failing to stop thousands of foreign fighters crossing into Syria, would do everything it could to stem
the flow, describing the conflict in its southern neighbor as a major national security threat. But he said a coherent strategy was needed for
Syria before Turkey would consider a greater frontline role in the US-led coalition against IS, including
an internationally policed no-fly zone to protect the
northern city of Aleppo from Assad’s forces. “The source of the problem is the Assad regime’s
brutality. Without solving that source, that reason,
dealing only with (IS) or other bi-products of this
crisis will not be solving the problem altogether,”
Davutoglu said.
“(We want a) no-fly zone ... so that Aleppo will
be protected at least against the air bombardment and
there will be no new refugees coming to Turkey,” he
said, warning of a potential new influx of millions if
the city was not defended.
He said Turkey may extend a series of existing
militarized zones along its border with Syria to try to
stop the passage of foreign fighters without closing
the frontier to refugees.
“On the border, up to now, there are refugee
camps, there are certain places where there is much
more strict control ... These military zones might be
enlarged,” he said, adding Turkey had so far been
reluctant to do so, so as not to deter refugees.
The Turkish authorities had banned some 8,000
foreigners from entering the country over the past
year alone because of security concerns and had
further improved coordination with European intelligence agencies, Davutoglu said.
On the domestic political front, Davutoglu said he
expected a request to be made to the US authorities
for the extradition of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen,
accused by Erdogan and the government of leading a
plot to seize power.
A Turkish court issued an arrest warrant in December for Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Asked if an extradition request would now follow, Davutoglu said:
“Yes, of course, if needed yes. It is not our choice,
it is the decision of the court, not the decision of the
government. The government will do whatever is
needed,” he said.
Such a move would take Erdogan’s campaign to
root out Gulen supporters, including purges of the
judiciary and police, to the international arena and
potentially test strained relations with Washington.
Turkey and the United States have a treaty that
allows extraditions in certain instances, and requires
that there is enough evidence to charge the same defendant with a crime under both Turkish and US law.
The treaty also allows the United States to refuse an
extradition request if it deems it political in nature.
A spokesman for the US Justice Department, which
would handle the request, declined comment.
Alp Aslandogan, a Turkish-American academic
close to Gulen, said Davutoglu’s comments were
“another politically motivated attempt to persecute
law-abiding citiizens for engaging in democratic
dissent and carry no credibility.” He said he had not
been informed of formal charges against Gulen.
Gulen was a close ally of Erdogan in the early
years after his ruling AK Party took power in 2002
but has been in open conflict with him since a graft
investigation emerged just over a year ago targeting
the then-prime minister’s inner circle.
Erdogan and Davutoglu portray the investigation
as part of a coup attempt and have described Gulen’s
followers as traitors — charges that Gulen, who runs
a vast network of schools and business enterprises in
Turkey and abroad, denies.
25
Gitmo: A wound that
continues to fester
Harun Yahya
Experiences from history are in fact
road maps guiding our plans for the
future. We can see what has been
tried, what is successful and what
is feeble and useless. Maybe what
make democracies strong are the
tragedies inflicted by communist or
fascist dictators; maybe the Republic of Turkey survived because it did
not repeat the errors of the Ottoman
Empire; maybe history has seen such
insanity that nobody now chooses to
invade anyone else’s land.
Although history is so full of lessons, it is sometimes hard to learn
from failures. Plans left over from
the World War I, industries needing
to keep working, secret state apparatuses, promises and secret threats
all enter the equation. The huge mistakes of today are the result of lessons from history that have still not
been learned.
The invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 produced the Taleban. That
was a mistake of the United States.
The tumor that resulted did not just
infect Afghanistan, but spread to
Pakistan. The US wanted to solve
the problem from the outside, using
drones, but left behind it thousands
26
of dead civilians. The US could
not win there, but just created and
strengthened the Taleban.
Somalia’s oil and uranium beds
could not be shared by Europe in
the West and China in the East.
The country was afflicted by artificial turmoil and fell apart. Djibouti
emerged, and western powers built
bases in the tiny nation. That conflict gave birth to Al-Shabab. Their
writ runs just about on every inch of
Somalia.
The same tactic was tried in underground resource-rich Nigeria.
And Boko Haram, which is so evil
as to raid villages and slaughter
2,000 innocent souls without batting an eyelid, was born. Iraq was
occupied. And that just guaranteed
Al-Qaeda’s strength. Syria was broken up, and an increasingly powerful ISIL, which was actually born in
Iraq, emerged from the ruins.
The domestic turmoil in Africa
alone last year resulted in the deaths
of 6,347 civilians in Nigeria, 2,116
in the Central African Republic,
1,817 in South Sudan, and 4,425 in
Somalia. The toll reaches horrifying
proportions when the numbers of
dead fighters are also added.
History has shown time and time
again that trying to deal with people
through violence, turmoil, division
and enmity just ends in tragedy. Yet
longstanding plans, industries such
as the arms sector, secret state apparatuses and powerful threats keep
compelling some people to repeat
this terrible mistake.
Guantanamo was the work of
just that perspective. Immediately
after his election in 2009 President
Obama gave the good word: “We
will close the camp down.” That
promise, which has not been made
good in the following six years, was
again on the agenda in Obama’s
recent State of the Union address.
The president reiterated that promise, and added, “It makes no sense
to spend $3 million per prisoner to
keep open a prison that the world
condemns and terrorists use to recruit.”
It is of course good to hear such
determination. But these promises
do not change the fact that there
are detainees in Guantanamo who
have not been brought before the
courts for 13 years and who are sys-
tematically tortured. Readers will
remember that documents leaked
by WikiLeaks in 2011 revealed
that there were 780 detainees when
Guantanamo was opened, of whom
220 were branded as dangerous terrorists, 380 had gone to Afghanistan
and had committed trivial crimes and
150 were found to be completely innocent. Although the number of detainees declined by half in Obama’s
time, bureaucratic obstacles in the
US administration are not permitting that disgrace to be rectified.
Another problem is that the US is
unwilling either to release detainees
to other countries or to have them
on its own soil. Even if detainees
win the right to a release, they will
still be condemned to remain behind
the same bars as long as there is no
country willing to admit them.
These words by Moazzam Begg,
who spent three years imprisoned in
Guantanamo, are highly significant:
“I was imprisoned with numerous
people on terrorism charges,” he
says, “And most of these people
were not politicized before they
went to Syria, they really went to
help the Syrians. Now they’re po-
liticized. Now, they hate the government.”
These words summarize the terrible outcomes of a policy of torture,
rage and war. It is terrifying that a
new generation living with and born
out of hatred is emerging. The factors exacerbating that accumulated
hatred are still continuing.
Not only does this policy worsen
hatred, it is also a disaster for the
world in material terms. At a time
of vast levels of poverty, hunger
and disease, almost all investment is
made in the arms industry. The US
is spending $755 million in 6 hours
in its attacks on ISIL, and F22s use
$60,000-worth of fuel in a single
sortie. On each occasion, American
jets launch missiles costing a total
of $74 million, Tomahawk missiles
costing $1.45 million each. The bill
for the war is expected to reach $10
billion. The Obama administration is
clearly trying to heal the wounds inflicted during the Bush period and to
put an end to fighting. But it is also a
fact that it is facing obstacles. There
is known to be a mindset within the
global secret state apparatus that
learns nothing from the past when
it comes to war and hatred and that
foolishly regards the tragedies of the
present day as a success. This is the
same mindset that not only targets
the Middle East or Africa, but has
also set fire to Ukraine, frozen relations with Russia and triggered tensions from Brazil to Thailand.
Communities ready to crush one
another with the sparks of that mentality are no less guilty. The world
therefore needs a change of mentality. We must mobilize to expose
ideological errors and to show that
the world was created for togetherness and friendship, not for war. We
cannot achieve any success by sitting and waiting and saying “what
concern is that of mine?” The solution to war can only come from
correcting the false ideas that cause
wars and educating those heedless
societies that go along with that error. Let us not forget; no rockets and
no Guantanamo have been able to
prevent this tragedy. Nor ever will.
(The writer has authored more
than 300 books translated into 73
languages on politics, religion and
science. He tweets @harun_yahya)
27
MWLJ Desk Report
UN Chief urges Yemeni parties to return to dialogue
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the political
parties in Yemen to return to dialogue under the auspices of
UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar, SABA news agency
reported.
Benomar has been “working very hard in Yemen, facilitating a way out of the current political crisis and a return to
the path of the peaceful political transition,” Ban Ki-moon
told reporters after talks with Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman in Riyadh.
“This situation in Yemen has been the major topic which
we addressed,” said Ban, who arrived in the Kingdom to
pay his respects after the death of King Abdullah.
The UN chief said that he briefed King Salman on the
efforts of Benomar, noting that the talks dealt with the latest developments in Yemen that led to a power vacuum and
possible ways to avoid any obstacles may hinder the transitional phase.
Ban expressed his appreciation of the effective participation of Saudi Arabia as a member of the Friends of
Yemen Group.
Coins dating back to reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab found in Turkey
A Turkish citizen, named Jorlar Youghal, from Selim, a town of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia
region of Turkey, has found 7 pieces of ancient silver coins with Arabic inscriptions, dating back to the
reign of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Turkey’s Ikhlas News Agency reported that
Youghal, 53, who works as a shepherd, said he discovered the coins, which date back to the reign of
Umar ibn Al-Khattab while he was collecting stones
to build a cattle ranch. Youghal traveled from the city
of Kars to Istanbul to hand over the coins to the Ar-
28
chaeological Museum, located near Gulhane Park.
“I have found the coins hidden between stones
while grazing cattle on the area,” Youghal said. He
believed that they date back to the Caliphate of Umar
ibn Al-Khattab, and that they were the first currency
in the Islamic State.
Youghal pointed out that these rare coins are very
valuable, adding: “Although it was reported that each
piece is worth up to £ 900,000, I have favored to deliver them to the museum because they represent an
important historical value to the Muslim world”.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress invites other parties
to join joint administration in the East
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) called on all
political parties representing the Eastern Provincial
Council to join in the formation of a joint administration in the Council, Colombo Sri Lanka news
reported.
Addressing an media conference held at SLMC
headquarters at Daarusalam in Colombo, SLMC
Leader and Urban Development Minister Rauf Hakeem said the party is ready to give ministerial portfolios in the Eastern Provincial Council to all parties
representing the council including the United People
Freedom Alliance (UPFA), United National Party
(UNP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
He noted that it will be similar to the current situation in the central government. Hakeem said the
SLMC had already held discussions with these parties and was willing to engage in further dialogue
with them.
SLMC Leader also expressed his sincere thanks
to President Maithripala Sirisena for respecting
the agreement reached between the UPFA and the
SLMC to appoint the Chief Minister from SLMC for
the remaining two and half years in the Eastern Provincial Council.
Best Mayor in the world is Canadian Muslim
Known for his integrity, honesty and generosity, Naheed Nenshi who is a Canadian Muslim
and currently mayor of Calgary, Alberta was
voted best mayor of the world 2014 by the International Foundation City Mayor.
The prize was awarded on Monday 2 February on a list of 933 Mayors severed by the
public.
Nenshi with this election is the first Muslim
to become mayor of a Canadian city of over a
million inhabitants. Elected in October 2010,
He was born to parents of Indian origin Tanzania immigrants.
Despite the intense global competition
however, the International Foundation for the
mayors of the world have voted in favor for
Nanshi.
Those responsible for this global institution
described him as a beloved man by all Canadians, who spends all his time at work and does
not hesitate to any task, even though it was a
difficult or boring, in addition to that he is addicted user to social networking sites.
“Mayor Nenshi is a great communicator
and is endowed with listening donations, he is
sincere when he discusses everyday problems
with citizens and captivates the audience when
he speaks of the future of Calgary “, Tann vom
Hove, Senior Fellow of the City Mayors Foundation, said in a statement.
29
Malawi Muslims expand message of Islam to
Southern African neighbours
In an attempt to take Islamic knowledge to all nations, the Muslim community in Malawi through
Islamic Information Bureau (IIB), has extended its
operations to its Southern African neighbors, Zimbabwe and Zambia, Onislam news reported.
“The growth of Islam in Zimbabwe and Zambia
has not been as a robust as it’s been here in Malawi,” Sheikh Dinala Chabulika, IIB National Coordinator, told OnIslam.net.
“It’s for this reason that we have been compelled
to open branches there, so that, we should be able to
educate Muslim converts on salient issues about Islam and enlighten other faith groups on what Islam
is and is not,” he added.
Through these offices, Chabulika said, Muslims
in the remotest parts of the two countries were able
to access knowledge on Islam.
“Knowledge is very vital in the propagation of
Islam. People should fully understand what Islam
is, before they make a decision to embrace it,” he
said.
“It is part of our mission to take Islamic knowledge to all nations. We would like therefore through
this initiative to enable our brothers and sisters in
the two countries to appreciate the beauty of em-
30
bracing Islam. If we make the knowledge available
to people, we will have so many of them embracing
our religion.”
“And as long as there is adequate knowledge,
people of other faith groups will be able to know
what Islam is and is not. In that way, we will avoid
cases where Islam is put in very bad light,” he added.
Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are Christian nations. Only 2% of Zimbabwe’s 15 million population are Muslims, while in Zambia, a country with
13.1 million, only 1% of population are Muslims.
“In most parts of Zambia, Islam was almost nonexistent, but since the bureau was introduced here,
we have witnessed many people embracing Islam,”
Suzgo Zimba, President of the Islamic Supreme
Council of Zambia, told OnIslam.net.
“After reading and understanding what Islam is
all about, many people have been converted to Islam. This is one of the success stories of the bureau
herein Zambia.”
“If the bureau was here before, the population of
Muslims here could have been far greater than it is
today. However, I’m very optimistic that with passage of time, the population will grow,” he said.
Islamic bond sales projected 59% surge in 2015
Global Islamic bond (sukuk) sales are expected a
surge to $ 175 billion during 2015, a record increase
of 59 percent, compared to 2014, during which they
stood at $ 110 billion. In the meantime, the Islamic
finance assets jumped to more than $ 778 billion
over the last year, according to the latest report on
Islamic banking sector.
The report showed that the Islamic finance assets had achieved a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 16 percent during the period from 2006
to 2012.
The report pointed out that the growth rate of Islamic finance assets has slowed in 2013, as it declined from 20.7 percent in 2012 to 8.7 percent in
2013, although the Islamic banking industry had
achieved a total annual growth rate during 2012 and
2013, amounted to $ 1.2 trillion and $ 1.3 trillion
respectively (i.e. a growth rate of 8.7 percent), based
on disclosed assets by the Islamic finance institutions.
The breakdown by category included $ 958 billion for commercial banking, $ 251 billion for the
sukuks, $ 44 billion for Islamic funds, $ 26 billion
for Takaful and $ 21 billion for other segments.
The assets of Islamic finance and banking industry as a whole are projected to exceed the amount of
$ 2 trillion in 2015, which represents a small portion
of the global financial system. The report attributed
the record growth of the Islamic banking industry to
the increased clout of member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), three of which are
also members of the influential Group of 20 (G20) as
well as the IDB’s highest global rating since a decade ago, and the continuous interest in this industry
by the circles that report on financial system.
The report stated that there had been international
tendencies to reconsider the traditional financial system since 2008, the beginning of the global financial
crisis. This represented an unprecedented opportunity for the Islamic banking sector to prove its effectiveness.
The report noted that the world is currently looking for how to take advantage of the Islamic finance
industry, which includes savings and wealth management, support of economic growth, in addition to
the exercise of additional influence in global forums
and decision-making agencies.
The report also pointed to transforming Islamic
economy to a focus of attention towards the east and
the Member States of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), which account for the largest
share, exceeding 95 percent of the total Islamic financial assets in the world.
The report said that the Islamic financial institutions, such as IDB and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), can consider a targeted strategy
to work with the three G20 Muslim member countries (Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Turkey) in order
to promote the strong presence of Islamic finance in
the world.
Islamic finance has tangible benefits in terms
of financial inclusion and sustainability, as well as
maintaining steady growth (at an average annual
projected growth of about 20 percent) amid the global financial crises.
The OIC seeks in its second 10-year plan
(2015-2025) to urge member countries to develop a
sound and well-regulated financial system in order
to attract domestic savings and foreign investments,
and to facilitate the flows of financial resources and
foreign direct investments among the OIC countries.
The plan also aims to develop and promote the
Islamic financial products and strengthen the financial infrastructure as well as the standards and regulations applicable in the financial sectors (banking,
insurance and capital). Moreover, it aims to enhance
the development of national legislative and regulatory frameworks for the promotion of Islamic financial products across the member countries and the
world.
31
Western media fuel Islamophobia: Report
European campaigners say Muslims
are suffering a backlash of violent
abuse amid rising Islamophobic sentiments following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Press TV reported siting
Tehran Time news.
The online news reported Tuesday
that there has been a significant rise in
incidents of hate and violence against
Muslims in Europe.
Analysts blame mainstream western media for its grossly disproportionate representation of the facts of
terrorism and its causes whilst ignoring the vast majority of Muslims who
are trying to teach people about the
truth of their religion.
Many Muslims and non-Muslims
say that Muslims are suffering from
persecution, terrorism and Islamophobia, yet many western government
and media outlets treat Muslims as the
32
problem.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned
against the escalation of “the quite unsettling and pervasive manifestations
of Islamophobia” in the aftermath of
the January 7 attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released recently,
Zarif said Muslims across the world
condemned in clear and unequivocal terms the unjustifiable killings by
members of an infamous, violent and
extremist group.
He added that such senseless resorts to violence has no place in Islam
and its exalted teachings and are not
acceptable to Muslims, but that the
perpetrators who seek to spread Islamophobia are trying to portray a different image of the religion.
Islamic centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee hosts
‘Meet Your Muslim Neighbour’ event
The Islamic Society of Greater Chattanooga in Tennessee (I.S.G.C) held “Meet Your Muslim Neighbour,” an
open house for members of all faiths to learn about the
religion over coffee and snacks, at the I.S.G.C. Center
on Gunbarrel Road, Times Free Press reported.
Dozens of people were spaced throughout the
center’s large gymnasium, talking and mingling, while
members of the community handed out translated copies of the Qur’an, a slim book on the 50 most-asked
questions about Islam, and cards with illustrations explaining Islamic prayer rituals.
Several “Discover Islam” placards lined the walls,
offering answers to such questions as “What is Islam
and who are Muslims?” and “How does Islam guarantee human rights”.
The center’s Imam, Abdul Baasit explained some
of the basic beliefs of Islam, including Muslims who
twist the religion to their own ends a thinly veiled allusion to extremists around the world.
“Many Muslims misunderstand Islam itself,” Baa-
sit said. “It’s almost more important for Muslims to
understand Islam than non-Muslims. If you misunderstand your religion, then you won’t get what you need
from God. God said, “Let there be no compulsion in
religion.’”
The many visitors who attended came from varying
backgrounds but for similar reasons. Tricia Dillon Thomas, director of spirituality and hospitality at Presbyterian Campus Ministries at the University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga, was there because a Muslim student
asked her to attend. She said she hoped to meet the
imam and work on building interfaith connections.
Saturday’s open house was the second such event
since the center opened in August 2011, and AbdulHafiz Eletr, an I.S.G.C. board member, said that the
“Meet Your Muslim Neighbor” idea is a theme that’s
being adopted by many Muslim centers around the
country.
33
Post-Election Afghanistan:
Challenges and Prospects
Musa Sarkar
After the election in 2014 there is a new elected government in Afghanistan. Under the new situation, the government and people of the
country will naturally face so many issues, challenges and concerns.
It may be domestic, running the country, the governance and the other
external, how the external forces, both near and distance, such as regional forces and international forces will look at it and what are their
inputs into it. Besides these two, internal and external forces and challenges, there is another angle to look into the post-election Afghanistan
and that is how the media, intellectual and interested people look at it.
34
So there are three issues and I
would like to see first what are
the challenges and prospects
Afghanistan has. For this I
would prefer to see through the
newly elected President of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf Ghani, who
came to the United Kingdom
and attended at a discussion
event at Chatham House on 4
December, 2014 on the topic
Fixing Failed States: From
Theory to Practice. This event
was chaired by Michael Keating, Senior Consulting Fellow,
Asia Programme and a co-director of a two year project, on
‘Opportunity in Crisis’.
The format of the event was
that the President was in conversation with Mr. Michael
Keating, rather than giving a
prepared statement, and then
took questions.
Republic of Afghanistan, Dr.
Ashraf Ghani said, “Afghanistan has an immense potential.
75 per cent of Kabul’s residents
are estimated to have informal
property rights rather than full
property rights. In 1978, probably not more than 5 per cent
was informal.”
ties. We’ve moved from theory
to practice. Central Asia/South
Asia 1000 (CASA-1000): it’s
a project that takes electricity
from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan
to Afghanistan to Pakistan. It’s
been signed into law and into
an agreement, and $1.2 billion
of financing is already there.
We are moving to turn our first
Afghanistan location its as- major river into a source of
sets:
generation of electricity and
The second element, Dr. Ghani creating the connectivities,”
said, “is to look at Afghanistan’s said President Ghani.
assets. At first blush, everybody
wants to talk about our miner- Afghanistan second asset –
als. I want to reverse the pro- water:
cess. We want to first talk about Our second asset is water. Presour location. For 200 years, our ident Ghani said, “We have five
location has been a disadvan- river basins. Except for China,
tage. In the next 20 years, it’s we provide water to every one
going to become solid gold. of our neighbours, yet we only
All roads between South Asia use 10 per cent of our water
and Central Asia can only lead in modern [indiscernible]. We
through us. We can become the lose 800 million to 1.5 billion
transfer point with East Asia.” to floods and then another one
Immense potentiality of Af“So we are beginning with to droughts. Managing our waghanistan
the first national infrastructure ter is critical now. So 20 dams,
In conversation with Mr. Keat- programme, to connectivity. all from internal rivers, that
ing, the President of the Islamic This will generate the capabili- have not been completed; will
35
be the driver of this.”
Afghanistan’s third asset –
money:
Mr. President said the third asset is: we have money. He mentioned, “Our budget is 40 per
cent of our GDP but it has not
been used to generate economic
activities because it’s been an
abstract relationship between
supply and demand. It’s these
sets of connectivities.”
Dissolution of Soviet Union
and reconnecting to past
36
The second is, President Ghani
mentioned, “the dissolution of
the Soviet Union, the take-off of
Central Asia now, is opening up
a set of possibilities regarding
resources that previously were
not there. We are reconnecting
to our remote past. There’s a
fantastic book by Fred Starr, let
me plug it: it’s called Lost Enlightenment. It’s about Central
Asia from the 3rd century BCE
to the 12th century. It shows
how connected the area was,
how the connectivities culturally and economically – that
culture and the economy interplayed. So we have very deep
structures and [indiscernible]
that allow us now to resume.”
Importance attached to China
In conversation with Mr. Keating a question was raised on the
importance attached to China,
President Ghani said, “Afghanistan is at the confluence of five
intersecting circles: neighbours;
the Islamic world; the west,
Australia, Japan; Asia; international organizations and inter-
national firms. China sits in two
of those. China and India are an
unprecedented story in human
annals of history. Hundreds of
millions of people have been
lifted out of poverty. There’s
a 400-million Chinese middle
class. There’s a 90-million Indian middle class. We are in the
middle of 3 billion people. Afghanistan’s economic growth
must, by any way, be oriented
towards this market. So it just
makes immense sense.”
President of Afghanistan
continued, “Two, the Silk Belt
project of President Xi Jinping,
with whom I had the pleasure
of detailed discussion, opens up
the neighbourhood to the Chinese growth. When you look
south, none of the countries of
South Asia have come out of
factory-driven growth. Growth
is divided in three phases: factory-driven, efficiency driven,
innovation-driven. None of the
countries, including India, have
come out to efficiency-driven.
China is efficiency-driven, Singapore is innovation-driven.
This allows us the diversification, because the value chains
in our mining world, in our
agriculture and other resources
that we do, China is a factor
in.”
“Second, China is an immediate neighbour,” President
Ghani said.
Mr. Keating urged, “Don’t
ruin the Wakhan Corridor, Mr
President, please.” Dr. Ghani
replied, “Don’t ruin my economic future. Look, people
like you – I apologize for the
expression, ‘people like you’ –
are so good about preaching to
us but destroying your own environment. Please stop polluting the world and then tell me
to preserve the Wakhan Corridor. The deal I propose to you:
buy some of our sun and give
us some of your rain.”
Preserving the Wakhan corridor
President Ghani then explained,
“No, I mean, we will preserve,
rightly. Of course we are absolutely keen on preserving the
Wakhan Corridor. But the connectivity is important. We need
to be able. The pipelines from
Turkmenistan and ultimately
the Caspian to China are a fundamental story and we are positioning ourselves in that regard.
China also has immense experience in infrastructure. The way,
if you look at infrastructure in
the next 20 years, $36 to 70
trillion are going to be invested in infrastructure globally. A
significant part of this is going
to be spent in Asia. We want to
get our national infrastructure
right and the Chinese are going to come and help. Then our
mineral wealth requires both,
because the transport corridors
need to work.”
Mr. Keating: Some would
argue that the experience of
Chinese investment in Africa,
for example, has not been as
advantageous as it could have
been in terms of strengthening
human capital. Sometimes it’s
even marginalized it.
President Ghani mentioned,
“I’m looking at China’s investment in Latin America and it’s
very productive. We’re not going to be an African country because we are going to determine
our fate. We don’t give anyone
the right to determine our economic fate. We determine it.
It’s a partnership. Mining companies in the west did horrors
everywhere in the world and
we are learning from those.
Look at some of the same companies, now they talk of corporate responsibility, but their
histories are written in blood
and toil. We want to avoid all
of this, because our key goal is
the citizens. So it’s not which
companies come from where,
it’s under which discipline they
will work with us. We are keen
to develop those.”
Moral courage and determination
President Dr. Ashraf Ghani also
said, “The first thing you need
a moral compass in order to
put the country above yourself.
That means you have to generate political capital, not political
division. The act that my colleague and friend Dr Abdullah,
our VPs, our old friends, were
able to take in Afghanistan required both moral courage and
determination and a sense that
divisive politics would lead to
denial of opportunities to the
absolute majority of the people.
Hence, that’s the first point.”
My masters are the citizens
“The second is, creating political will? The first basis of
37
having political will is to have
political capital,” said the President and added, “The purpose
of the state – if you still speak
in that kind of moral language
– is to serve the citizens. I’m a
servant, and as servant, I know
who my masters are. My masters are the citizens of Afghanistan. So we need to be able to
generate the decisions that allow this dynamic. We have
taken hard decisions. It has resulted in temporary depletion
of our political capital, but because they were based on wellthought-through actions, the
capital got enhanced.”
Opium biggest supplier to the
world
“You are the biggest supplier
to the world. How are you going control it?” questions came
at the Q & A session. Answering to the Questions, President
Ghani said, “Narcotics has
38
three components: consumers,
transiters and producers, and
processers. Yes, we acknowledge we are the largest producer
and processer. Who in the room
will raise their hand as to where
the largest consumers are? The
price of an ounce is $1.10 in
Afghanistan, $1.15 in Iran, $42
in London, $46 (around that) in
Amsterdam. These are global
chains. Let us deal with the issue together. We need an alliance without blame games.”
“If there is a will in the consumer countries to legalize
drugs, we have no comparative
advantage. Any hothouse will
grow it. If there is not that political will, then let us come to
solve the problems together,”
said President Ghani and raised
the question, “Where is the solution? The key to the solution
is transformation of Afghanistan’s agriculture. Drug dealers pay $17 a day for labour,
unskilled labour. The largest
public programme pays $2 a
day. Where do you think unemployed people make their
choice? In theory we have access to the markets of advanced
industrial countries. In practice,
we don’t, because we don’t have
the knowledge, the value chain.
Who can help us most? Tesco,
Wal-Mart, the consortium of
supermarket chains; that know
how to organize supply and demand,” President Ghani mentioned.
He also said, “The other is we
are looking very much forward
to persuading Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates and others to link their food security
with long-term investment in
our agriculture, because that
transformation is fundamental.
Without this – and the history
of drug eradication in Thailand
and others should be an example.”
Traditional policy of neutrality of Afghanistan
Replying to another question
on the traditional policy of neutrality of Afghanistan, President Ghani said, “We’re an
intersecting point. We want to
make sure we’re not a battlefield, and we’re not indifferent:
we are dying on a daily basis.
You think that is from neutrality? We need to make sure that
the world becomes whole. Our
interconnected world is not
into spheres of neutral or left
or right, or red or green. It is
an integrated approach that is
required to our interconnected
world. We are very strong advocates of a regional compact on
peace, on stability and prosperity. Our position as the intersection point of Asia forces us to
think through. The intersection
of the negative side, that soft
belly of globalization, again
forces us to have alliances, to
protect our people and to protect your people in the world.”
Afghan President also maintained, “So it’s a new context,
and in this context we want to
make sure, one, that our territory is not used against any of
our neighbours. And I can assure you that it is not. But second, we are not going to permit
anybody to use our territories
as a ground for proxy battles.
We are not the playing field of
anyone. We have earned the
right to peace and we are going
to ensure that no one looks at
us as a playing field for any of
their ideas, negative ideas. Positively, we are ground for coop-
eration and that, I think, we will
Afghan President emphaensure.”
sized, “But what is really fundamental is economic empowPakistan in the future political erment of the women. Here,
and economic development
my request to all the internaIn reply to another question on tional community: please stop
how great of barrier or facilita- their training courses. What I
tor Pakistan in the future politi- asked the French foreign mincal and economic development ister yesterday I’m extending to
of Afghanistan, Afghan Presiall of you: if you really want to
dent said, “Pakistan and Afhelp our women, get the designghanistan are facing an historic
ers in London, Frankfurt, Paris,
choice together. Do we become
New York and Tokyo together
the cul de sac that stops Asia’s
economic integration, or do we to design a ‘made by Afghan
become the lynchpin of this women’ label. Open up your deeconomic integration? We are partment stores to our women’s
vital to each other. The dialogue products. Give us real credit,
we have started is promising. not micro-credit, for women’s
We are cautiously optimistic. It entrepreneurship. Let’s think
is essential both to our mutual grand-scale. The west loves to
security, to Asia’s future and to talk about the rights of women
global security that we share a – could you match it, please,
common understanding of the with some practice with us? We
problem and reach common so- are willing – will you partner
lutions.”
so that we get real empowerment of women? The image of
Future emancipation of
the empowered woman is that
women
of my grandmother. She had six
In reply to another question sons and none of them dared
on the future emancipation of cull the couple of thousand
women in Afghanistan, Afghan acres of land that she had in her
President said, “Women absoown right and from her huslutely central.” In terms of legal
band ever. She has been dead
issues – “We want to make sure
for 40 years, they are still not
legal personality is established
because this is the base of legal dividing it, still [indiscernible]
rights,” said President Ghani estate. The reason was twofold.
and added, “Second is that the One, she was educated. She had
court system… –Rule of law been educated in exile, in India,
is the fundamental part of em- and then returned. Two, she had
powerment of the women, so property. Without the economic
the rights that they have, both basis, the legal rights do not
under Shari’a and under civil translate. It is fundamentally
law and criminal law, are ac- important to get that part.”
corded to them.”
39
Some Progress at Last
Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam
After years of effort the struggle for having a full-fledged
Islamic banking system in India met with a moderate measure of success when the State Bank of India announced
last week that it would launch a Shariah-compliant mutual
fund in December.
40
It is for the first time that a
state-owned bank is to start an
Islamic financial instrument in
India. The SBI has got both the
Reserve Bank of India’s and the
government’s permission for it.
Happily, Muslim leaders have
already welcomed it.
Although Shariah-compliant
investments are already doing
well in India, SBI’s move is
the first such step coming from
a state-owned bank. In 2013,
the Bombay Stock Exchange
launched its first Shariah Index,
but IOS had launched possibly
the first Shariah-compliant Index in 2008 in collaboration
with financial consultants Eastwind.
This is not enough for proper
Islamic banking in India, but
an inclusionary move for noninterest financial operations. Islam does not approve of interest
taking or paying. Scholars associated with IOS have written
hundreds of well-researched articles and dozens of books arguing for interest-free banking and
financial operations.
The IOS, in collaboration
with Indo-Arab Economic Cooperation Forum, organised a
two-day conference at Vigyan
Bhavan, New Delhi, where
leading bankers and fund managers from other countries came
together. Besides, Indian and
foreign government leaders interacted. Then Prime Minister
of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh,
visited to chat with the guests.
At the two-day international
conference on “Indo-Arab Relations: Partnership in Development” these issues were part of
the agenda. The then Finance
Minister of India, P. Chidambram, and senior government
officials participated in the proceedings.
At the IOS-organised twoday international conference on
“Participatory Banking for All:
A Business Proposition” stalwarts like Vice-President Hamid
Ansari; then Deputy Chairman
Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan;
former Chief Justice of India
AM Ahmadi; former Malaysian
Deputy Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim; MBN Rao, Chairman
Indian Banks Association, and
other dignitaries and bankers
from India and abroad participated. The conference was inaugurated by the Union Finance
Minsiter P. Chidambram.
Similar conferences were organised over the years in New
Delhi on June 14, 2008 (“Move
Towards Ethical Investment in
India”) jointly by IOS and IndoArab Economic Cooperation
Forum; in New Delhi again, on
February 3-4, 2010 (“Beyond
the Meltdown: Search for Options”) jointly by IOS and IndoArab Economic Cooperation Forum, and in Kashmir University,
41
Srinagar (“Interest-Free Institutional Mechanism [Banking,
Finance and Insurace] for Promoting Investment”) organised
jointly by IOS and Department
of Business and Finance Studies, Kashmir University from
June 3 to 5, 2011.
The goal has not been
achieved fully, but only in part.
There is more struggle ahead.
Light at end of tunnel, finally
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam
on the new development towards Islamic banking in India
The Reserve Bank Governor
Mr D. Subba Rao’s recent announcement constitutes a significant advance in the field of
Islamic banking and finance in
India, which has been a cherished goal for all of us, and for
the attainment of which the Institute of Objective Studies has
worked tirelessly over the last
quarter century.
Although in Islamic finance
we have already made substantial advance in India in terms of
growing acceptance of Shariahcompliant investments and other Shariah-compliant financial
services and products. The IOS,
with the collaboration of financial consultants Estwind, developed a Shariah index of thousands of companies in India,
which has helped pious Muslim
investors to invest safely.
A high level Indo-Arab delegation visited to Hon’ble Dr
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on November
13, 2006 Dr M. Manzoor Alam,
42
President Indo-Arab Co-operation Forum and Chairman
Institute of Objective Studies
presents a memento to Hon’ble
Prime Minister of India
However, Islamic banking itself has been a far more tougher
nut to crack. Finally, it has begun to crack and we hope to
have a proper Islamic banking
system in India, which so far
had no such institution.
Despite a huge body of research carried out by the IOS,
and a large number of books
published by us, introducing
a large number of issues of Islamic economics to the wider
society, the scene did not seem
to change even a wee bit.
After writing hundreds of
articles by scholars associated
with the IOS, long debates, including an hour-long discussion
on India’s premier TV network
on prime time by Prof. Omar
Chapra, Prof. Ausaf Ahmad and
me on the advantages of interest-free banking and financial
mechanisms nothing seemed to
have changed. This programme
was organized by IOS with great
effort.
A view of Two-day International Conference on Participatory Banking for All: A Business Proposition at Parliament
House Annexe, New Delhi on
August 31 & September 1, 2007
Organised by Institute of Objective Studies and Indo-Arab Economic Co-operation Forum
Dr M. Manzoor Alam, President Indo-Arab Co-operetion
Forum and Chairman IOS;
Hon’ble Justice A.M. Ahmadi,
Former Chief Justice of India;
Hon’ble Dr. Anwar Ibrahim,
Former Deputy Prime Minister
of Malaysia; Mr Sulaiman A.
Al-Qimlas, Chairman Bayat alMal Investment Organisation of
Kuwait
After years of long consultations with financial experts,
seminars by erudite scholars,
highest officials of Reserve
Bank of India, Securities and
Exchange Board of India, besides government secretaries in
the ministries of finance, trade
and commerce, and law we
could come to the conclusion
that unless India’s banking laws
are suitably amended the Reserve Bank of India cannot allow Islamic banking operations
in India.
For the last eight to ten years,
the IOS, often with Indo-Arab
Economic Co-operation Forum,
has run a massive campaign of
public awareness of the nonexploitative and stable nature of
Islamic banking and finance as
well as lobbying with the political elite to convince them about
the desirability of introducing
Islamic banking in India.
Our deliberations over the
issues have been graced by the
Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Home Minister and eight to
ten ministers of the Union Cabinet, besides Chief Ministers of
Delhi state and other states at a
time. At one of these conferences, the Prime Minister met Arab
delegates and also invited them
for a longer talk over tea to his
residence in the evening.
After all these years of struggle and relentless toil, the Governor of Reserve Bank of India,
announced late last week that he
had formally written to the Government of India to restructure
or amend the laws to allow Islamic banking in India.
A view of Two-day International Conference on “Beyond
the Meltdown: Search for Options” on February 3-4, 2010 at
India Islamic Cultural Centre,
New Delhi, Organised by IndoArab Economic Co-operation
Forum, New Delhi & Institute of
Objective Studies, New Delhi
He said: “Islamic banking
is allowed in many parts of the
world, but the Banking Regulation Act of India does not conform to Islamic banking because
it allows banks to borrow from
and deposit money with the RBI
on interest. But we are in correspondence with the government
on how our laws can be restructured or amended so that they
are in conformity with Islamic
banking”.
As far as the change in the
law is concerned, I have met Mr
Salman Khurshid, India’s Law
Minister, several times in last
few weeks to impress upon him
the need to initiate the necessary
measures.
He has written to the Planning Commission of India and
RBI as well as consulted with
the top level of the federal government on the issue. Being
among the four most powerful
ministers in the cabinet of federal government, he has assured
me of help, and has worked on
that assurance.
A view of Three-Day International Conference on “Interest-Free Institutional Mechanism (Banking, Finance and
Insurance) for Promoting Investment” on June 3-5, 2011 at
Kashmir University Organised
by Institute of Objective Studies
& Department of Business and
Finance Studies, University of
Kashmir
The political establishment
is today convinced that Islamic
banking will allow inflow of
billions of dollars into India and
strengthen it. This will also help
the country’s struggle to create
a non-exploitative and equitable
financial system in India.
God must be thanked and the
struggle continued. It is a long
story headed for a happy end.
43
Dr. Hamdy Hassan Aboelenen
New Media in the Muslim world:
Complexity of culture, technology and utilization
Dr. Hamdy Hassan Aboelen
The old and new media in the Muslim world
are in the forefront of general cultural scene
as well as different institutions which affect the
cultural formation of new generations. This is
not due to the power possessed especially by
media in this vast geographic length, but because of general conditions prevailing in most
44
countries of the Muslim world. Perhaps the
decline in the role of other institutions which
are supposed to contribute immensely in the
cultural formation of these generations such
as educational, religious, cultural and political
institutions represents one of the key features of
these conditions.
When information media became
popular and widespread in the
first half of the last century, it was
generally believed that information media is working in integrity
with these institutions and others.
The messages broadcast through
the information media were produced in an area that had vast
space between information media
and these institutions. Therefore,
weak effects of these institutions
also gave the information media
more influence in guiding the
general thinking in the society.
Hence, the social and intellectual
cohesion, for instance, protects
the public from becoming a prey
to the effects of local information media or those coming from
abroad. When this cohesion is
somehow disintegrated, the public faces the media individually
suffering some isolation and then
its influence on them increases.
(1)
The technological evolution
represents the essence of media
evolution as well as the essence
of resulting diverse cultural, political and social influences. The
history of mass media indicates
that it depended on the evolution
of communication technology
from the era of printing where
the first forms of old media were
born to the age of digital communication, when the new information media emerged. The impact
of technological evolution was
not confined to mere providing
new channels or facilitating the
access of media content to larger
sectors of the public. The truth is
that technology in all stages of
its evolution was influencing the
content of information media and
levels of its potentials to influence its audience.
In the work areas of old media,
it was the development of communication technology besides
other factors that made it a mass
media and also made the process
of receiving its content a collective process under which a large
number of people are exposed to
a media content that is homogeneous to some extent. This collective reception imposed the public
standards and prevailing social
values as well as expression of
the mainstream in the society. In
the performance of these tasks,
it was necessary for information
media to integrate with other institutions in the society, regardless
of the limits of this integration.
Also, information media was and
still working in a virtual situation
that allows interaction between
different groups which make up
the society. When new means of
communication emerged, they
due to their technological nature
became individual and interactive
working in a virtual situation, far
away from the influence of other
institutions, even in the form of
advice, guidance or correction.
What combines the old and
new media is that they together
were the product of evolution of
communication technology which
exercised influence not only in
providing channels but also in the
nature of media content itself. It
is known that technology is not
something of free value and that
the import of technology does not
mean only the import of equipment and tools, but also the import of cultural patterns emerged
in the environment of their production. When it comes to the
technology of communication,
the influence of cultural patterns
that came with the new technoll Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
ogy is certain to increase.
Media in Muslim countries:
The problem of evolution
The real problem of media
in Muslim countries as well as
in other developing countries is
that its development as a whole is
due to the external technological
and non-technological factors,
not in response to the local needs
whereas development comes due
to the internal as well as external
factors. The Arab world knew
of the press when it served the
French purpose during its attack on Egypt at the end of 18th
century. These preliminary forms
of the press left with the French
campaign in the beginning of
19th century. In other parts of the
Muslim world, the colonial campaigns were behind the emergence
of first forms of newspapers, as is
case in Indonesia, when it knew
of the first forms of press through
the Dutch-East India Company in
the 17th century.(2)
The information media since
then is dependent on external factors at least from professional and
technological aspects. In larger
parts of the Muslim world, the
professional standards of news
media are measured by its closeness or distance from the Western
standards (values of the news,
arts of the media work, the concept of freedom, etc). Its technological advancement is measured
with the level of its use of latest
technology produced in the West,
not with the level of its capability
to meet the local needs. Even the
Western classification of media
systems in the world countries in
terms of freedom is the authorized
classification in larger parts of the
Muslim world such as the classifi-
45
cation of the US “Freedom House
and classification of the French
“Reporters without Frontiers”,
in spite of the flaws that these
classifications have, even by the
Western standards and according to the Westerners’ concept of
freedom.(3) The truth is that the
spread of Western concept of the
press freedom has caused a lot of
disturbance in the Third World’s
media environment.
The last three decades have
witnessed tremendous developments in the media industry
which left a great impact on the
media in larger parts of the Muslim world. In the late eighties,
Muslims showed their concerns
about the technology of Direct
Broadcast Service (DBS). Their
main concern at that time was
about the impact of incoming
broadcast on faith and morals in
the Muslim countries. But the
past two decades have shown that
real danger to faith and morals did
not come this time from the external sources but from the internal sources of the Muslim world
countries themselves. What we
are witnessing in the Arab world
- where more than seven hundred
TV channels are working on regular basis - indicates that we have
decided to entertain ourselves
until death, as said by one of the
American researchers.
However, this change in the
performance of Arab media is
not due to a completely domestic condition, but rather an echo
of changes in the global media
industry. In the wake of globalizing the media activity, the major
Western powers exerted pressures
to liberate the media from restrictions and restructure its means as
well as subject them to the mar-
46
ket mechanism for political and
economic reasons so knowledge
turned from a service to a commodity to be manufactured according to wishes of the public
and not according to their needs.
(4)
Any attempt to merely control
the media performance is considered an assault on freedom and a
breach of the principles of free
trade as well as an attempt of exercising the political pressure. As
a result, the governments in most
of the Muslim countries have consented to retain only the political
control of media performance as
much as they can, leaving the rest
to the market mechanism which
made the media content falling
down to the lowest.
New media and media reality in
the Muslim world
The Muslim world witnessed
successive waves of communication technology which in the end
created so-called new media to
distinguish it from the traditional
media such as newspapers and
local TV channels, etc. Digital
technology of communication
is considered to be the decisive
factor in the emergence of new
media and in the change of traditional media landscape. It is
now responsible for the current
abundance of information, due to
the provision of more multimedia
and possibility of dealing easily
with written texts and transmitted
images.
It is a reality that technology of digital communication
has brought the new information
media which surprised the traditional media in the Muslim world
from two angles:
First: The conditions of tradil Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
tional media were not stabilized
yet, when the technology of digital communication reached with
its new means and methods. The
traditional media had not taken
its place right between the main
forces affecting the formation of
social and political culture, and
this exposed it to many upheavals
and changes. That traditional media had not crystallized the philosophy of its work in the societies in which it operates and has
not yet completed its financing
structure. It could not so far develop the professional standards
that match the prevailing social
and cultural reality and also could
not cope with change in the needs
of the public by the change of
media environment.
Therefore, the media systems
in countries of the Muslim world
are a mixture of the systems which
are different and even contradictory, as some of these systems
are authoritarian, while others
are socialistic, and some others
are semi liberal. Rather, the information system in one state is
exposed to change according to
the prevailing political conditions
and at frequent intervals. Instead
of the old media leading the incoming new media, the opposite
has happened. This means that
new media forced the old media
to change in an unorganized way.
Similarly, the new media
came with individual interactive
character at a time when many
countries of the Muslim world
were not able through traditional
media of the collective nature to
crystallize the national identity
and realize the social cohesion
as well as to achieve the general
feeling of national unity. At the
national level, the massive and
diverse means of communication
provided by new media is not always a healthy phenomenon, as it
leads to the fragmentation of public interests and breaks the bonds
of relationship established by the
systems of social, educational
and cultural relations between the
citizens of each state in a way that
generates more feeling of alienation and more distrust of governments and other institutions
that need the necessary consensus
to be more efficient.
I do not argue the fact that diversity of opinions carried by the
media is a necessity for all societies. However, when these societies lack a minimum consensus
on a system of values, concepts
and issues, and when the concept
of citizenship becomes absent in
some of its aspects or immature
enough, then this diversity will
never be a healthy phenomenon
in all its aspects.
Second: New media came
with a huge flood of information
and a free flow of information
became one of the key features
of new global information system, at a time when freedom of
expression constitutes one of the
consequences which are believed
to have resulted from the free
flow of information. Fifty years
ago, said Karl Deutche, “Knowledge is power and the advanced
sources of information must be
available globally, if we want the
democratic societies to survive
and continue.
However, the problem will
become more complicated when
growing flood of information
would lead us to the final limits of
our capability to pursue this flood
of information. The solution lies
in taking advantage of informa-
tion technology in a manner that
allows effective access to information that we need to utilize it
as individuals and members of a
democratic society.(5)
Technological and cultural reality of information in the Muslim world
The free flow of information in large parts of the Muslim
world - Like many other societies
- is today a technological reality
rather than a cultural reality. Today, there are problems that obstruct free flow of information to
become a cultural reality capable
of developing their societies. Perhaps the most prominent of these
problems is how to access information. The real significance of
information flow is not in its flow,
but in its access. Hence, the expected effect of information flow
is to widen the gap between economic classes in the society.
Robert Reich, an economist
says: “Americans no longer ascend or descend together as if
they were together in a big boat.
With the new communication
technology, Americans have become as if they are in many small
boats. If this trend continued to
the next generation, the top 20%
of those with incomes in the
United States will get 60% of the
general income, while the bottom
20% will get only 2%. The factor
that separates between economic
classes in the United States is the
access to information and its control. (6)
There is another problem and
that is how to use the available
information. Neil Postman says,
“The problem is not that we do
not have much information. The
problem which lies in something
else is that people really do not
know what to do with this information as they do not have a
principle that regulates their use
of this information.” (7)
Some people think that with
a shift to the electronic transmission of information, the task of
media will become much easier
and there will be a more knowledge-based generation than the
generation of traditional media
but the truth is that the information age has brought a generation
that is less interested and less
familiar, as Times-Mirror Group
report says. (8)
Flow of information in the
Muslim world is suffering from
two problems together. Access
to new information channels is
economically costly, and level
of education as well as political
and cultural climate are not so capable to provide a framework for
investment of this information if
it was obtained.
Wherever there is illiteracy
and lack of psychological climate,
this climate supports the prevailing trend in the Arab world and
through out the world from within and outside the media industry
towards trivialization of information and entertainment, and pushing the public deep in a flood of
entertainment items which sometimes take the form of information.
This phenomenon has a political dimension in the Muslim
world, like other third world
countries where intensive recreational use of information media
leads either to numb the sense of
reality, instead of trying to understand it or to fall prey to the society’s radical forces which lead it
wherever they want.
l Dhul-Qadah-Dhul-Hijjah
l Jumad al-Ula 1436/March
1435/Sept.-Oct.
2015 l2014 l
47
Subjection of culture to technology
There are many signs to point out
to the fact that technology is today
one of the key factors in changing
the social reality whereas technology is associated fully with
the social patterns. The technological closeness created by the
world powers aimed basically at
achieving a cultural convergence
giving triumph at the end to the
Western culture as the culture of
dominant forces.
The new information media
provides its users with many cultures that work side by side with
its original national culture. W
ً ith
this media, the capacity of individuals has increased to include
other cultures through the Internet-based social media interaction. This suggests that many social interactions take place in the
cultural contexts rather than in
the context of original culture.
Some studies indicate that
individual’s ability of cultural
interaction steadily increases as
much as his culture spreads and
becomes more diversified. This
shows that a large proportion of
social interactions that take place
on the Internet occur in the contexts of cultures rather than their
happening in the context of original cultures.
Wendy Griswold suggests that
individuals of different indigenous cultures produce meanings
through exchange of symbols in
interactive contexts that work in
the context of cultures of each of
them, and that these are the cultures that enable them to reach
points of agreement among themselves, resulting in a behavioral
effect on the indigenous culture
and achieving a change in the
socio-cultural situation.(9)
The information revolution
with its tools and methods known
today to be the new media is another example of the Muslims’
cultural subordination to modern
communication technology. This
technology has become one of the
driving forces in shaping the contemporary culture for the generations of young Muslims throughout the Muslim world. It is well
known that technology itself have
a strong impact, regardless of its
content. This is echoed by Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian communication scholar in the sixties,
when he said, “The medium is the
message.”
Like others in all parts of the
world, we are fascinated by the
revolution of communication. We
talk about it with great admiration, and did not yet know how
to get to the final end of benefiting from it. We have allowed it to
change many things in our life.
But this admiration should not
hide from us the reality of problems that accompany it. It is true
that these problems will not stop
its spread and reduce its use. But
its knowledge has become a necessity.
Modern communication technology hides under its bright cover problems that do appear only
when its means become a part of
the daily social and cultural reality. The man who invented technology may become its captive,
as it is influencing the pattern of
his life and styles of his living,
even his general culture and his
view of the world around him.
Regardless of the controversy
about relationship between culture and technology, and whichever has more influence over the
48
1435/Sept.-Oct.
2015 l2014 l
other, there is some phenomena
which indicate that communication technology has become an
effective factor in the prevailing
culture, if not a deciding factor in
some cases.
Perhaps the language is the
first victim of new communication technology. The language
used by youth today through the
Internet and mobile messages has
come up, due to the impact of
means they use to convey messages. In other words, it is a technological product imposed by the
means of electronic communication, and it did not show the result
of factors that led to the evolution
of language itself in earlier eras.
The electronic communications in the long run threaten many
creative operations that prevailed
in the previous times of communication, including the creative
writing. With the abridgment of
language and its dependence on
potentials of new means of communication, the language would
lose some of its functions and
many of the literary arts which
depend on it would disappear.
Therefore, the language would
become a product of technology
rather than a human creativity belonging to various groups which
enrich the human life with their
diversity.
It is not ruled out that communication technology will impose
the limits of language and number
of its words and will specify the
implications of its words. Three
decades ago, the number of vocabulary used in telephone calls according to the Western Studies
– used to be around 5000 words.
The figure fell to about 1800 in
the messages of electronic communication. The average number
of vocabulary used in the writing of novels fell from 10,000 to
about 3500 words in the literary
works published electronically.
(10)
Electronic Citizenship
In the sixties of the last century,
Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian
scholar, let out his well-known
cry about the global village. He
predicted that developments in
the communication technology
will transform the whole world
into a small village where information will circulate in its various
parts at a time. But the new reality
though it realized that prediction,
however, it was disappointing all
the hopes that came with the slogan of global village.
The last 20 years confirm that
communication technology did
not make the world one village
but re-divided it into hundreds
of isolated villages. Not only has
communication technology divided the world, but also it has
divided one state into a set of
isolated villages. The role which
was carried out by the information media earlier to determine
the priorities of interest and assemble the people around similar
aims and objectives as well as to
achieve a consensus of the nation
has become doubtful today.
This new division which was
brought out by the communication revolution is not based on
the geographical, religious, regional or even ethnic foundations
of traditional citizenship. But it is
based on a new basis which has
significance in the human life.
The division today is based on
the desires of individual human
being and his personal interests.
The new information has divided
the people on the basis of what
they want to view or follow, regardless of their culture or whereabouts.
This phenomenon is more obvious now in areas of sports, music and entertainment. The European sports clubs have fans in all
over the world who are obsessed
with the players of these clubs
more than their interest in the
players of their local clubs. This
phenomenon has prompted some
communication experts to talk
about a new kind of citizenship
that is the television citizenship
or electronic citizenship. This is
a prediction that may prove to be
correct or not at the same degree,
due to the prevalence of cultural
traditions rather than scientific
theories in interpretation of relationship between culture and
technology.
However, there are phenomena that deserve to be taken into
consideration. When an individual spends an average five or six
hours a day, shifting between the
various internet sites and watching the different satellite channels,
his perceptions of the world will
become identical with others who
move around the same websites
and watch the same TV channels
whom he watches. These websites
and TV channels become sources
capable of forming a culture for
those who are exposed to them,
regardless of the state or culture
which actually, he lives in.
At the same time, they become
capable of creating some sort of
knowledge and cultural homogeneity among their viewers for
example in Argentina, Russia, the
United States, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Finland and Nigeria, when
they take their viewers from their
local culture and put them into the
culture that they spread, and their
cultural ties among themselves
are stronger than those ties which
bind them to the local culture.
Perhaps some see in these statements a kind of exaggeration but
the fact is that there are evidences
on this phenomenon, although
the age of the Internet and satellite channels is very short and it
is still difficult to determine their
cultural impacts specifically.
In China and Japan, for example disappeared many traditional
national cultural values of those
who rely for their knowledge and
entertainment more on the Western TV channels at a time when
these values are still strong among
those who depend more on the local channels. Rather, their perceptions of the world are less similar
to the perceptions of their compatriots and more similar to the perceptions of viewers of those TV
channels in other countries which
are culturally different.
1435/Sept.-Oct.
2015 l2014 l
49
People and new media: Uses
and gratifications
The search began to know the motives of exposure to the Internet
and the effects of such exposure,
when the Internet shifted from a
“semantic web” aimed automatically at getting information from
different sources and enabling the
information search capabilities to
deal with information at a large
scale in order to make the new
formats of human knowledge
to a “pragmatic web” aimed at
achieving the human objectives
of the Internet use.
This is based on the consideration that human being is the
main element in this system so he
is enabled to interact socially and
share information. This shift to
mean that human being is the basis of the pragmatic web contributed to change the whole concept
of the web, as it made the human
being a constructive element in
the network, instead of continuing as a mere consumer or beneficiary of its services. (11)
Youth constitute the main audience of new information media
which depends in its spread and
effect on four basic factors:
First: These new technologies are now available to a large
segment of the population especially the youth who have developed their abilities of using these
technologies at a time when the
communication infrastructure has
been modernized in many countries of the Muslim world.
Second: Prospects provided by the International Information Network (Internet) with
all its capabilities of social networking, as well as information
and news communication.
Third: The existence of real
needs to use these new technologies, as it is an important factor in
determining the quality and content of its use.
Fourth: Integration with traditional media which enables the
new media to disseminate some
of its messages to larger segments
of direct users of the traditional
media, which ultimately leads to
increase the number of new media users.
The Muslim world represents
a unique case of relationship between ratios of the spread of new
media as well as the quality and
effects of its use. The following
table shows the rates of prevailing
use of the Internet in the largest
10 Muslim countries compared to
50
the world’s largest internet user
countries.
Iran represents a special case
in the countries of the Muslim
world, as the Iranian revolution
in 1979 provided a unique environment for studying the impact of audio cassettes that were
considered at that time an early
outcome of the new media age.
These cassettes broke the government restrictions on the traditional media and reported the speeches of Khomeini from the place of
his exile to the Iranian people. In
2009 Iran came back to offer new
evidences on the impact of new
media in the death of Nada Agha
Sultan during the demonstrations
which erupted in the protest of
Ahmadinejad’s election as President of the Republic. (12)
The social and political reality in large areas of the Muslim
world provides different interpretations of new media impact on
the Muslim masses. Several studies indicate that numerous means
brought about by digital communication technology talking to
each other, cannot cause a social
or political change. (13)
But when the quality of life
becomes bad and social and political tension spreads, and when
the forces of change become willing and capable of using the prospects provided by the new media
in order to stimulate change in the
current social and political conditions, then only these new tools
can exercise their influence in the
general discourse. In addition,
there is external intervention for
geopolitical reasons associated
with some regions of the Muslim
world.
The fast spread of new information media represents a source
of its strength, hence within a
few years, the number of its users
jumped to a large section of the
population and the future is still
open for it, as no means of communication could achieve this
speed earlier. Within ten years,
the proliferation rate of the Internet has reached more than 40% of
the total population in each of Malaysia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia
and Morocco. The new media age
with this speed represents the key
of its unique strength.
It must be recognized that
rapid development of this new
kind of the media has surprised
the media experts who could not
yet developed new theories to
explain this unprecedented media phenomenon in the history of
media in terms of proliferation or
influence. The most common theory in studying this phenomenon
which itself represents a new era
of media is indeed an old theory
which was used with traditional
means of media and it is a theory that explains the differences
between the public in using the
information media to satisfy the
psychological and social needs in
order to achieve their goals. (14)
The new media studies from
this perspective point out that
with enormous diversity in the
use of old and new media, many
questions about the causes of individual choices for this means
will remain without definite answer. (15)
The studies which started in
the past mid-century on the uses
and satisfactions indicate that
motives of exposure to the media
as well as satisfactions resulting
from such exposure have evolved
over the time. In general, the motives of exposure to traditional
media were concentrated on escape from the problems of reality and venting of emotions and
social use of information which
they receive from the media in
conversations with others, and
avoidance of isolation whereas
media provides an alternative
company, entertainment, selfassertiveness and control of surrounding environment.
With the advent of new media especially what transpires
through the Internet, there appeared new motives and different satisfactions, due to unprecedented characteristics of the new
media. Studies which were conducted in nineties and later came
out through the so-called “cyber
communities” which, according
to Coley (2006) are divided into
three categories: (16)
First: Social networking sites
such as Facebook and Myspace,
where young people publish their
personal information in order to
get new friends and maintain existing friendships.
Second: Chat systems, through
which the instant messages are
exchanged.
Third: Blogs which are the
personal websites to present personal views, news, comments
proposed links.
The new media studies focused on research into reasons
behind the widespread use of different applications of the Internet
which today is the basis of new
media. Apart from many assumptions in this regard, most of these
studies see in the social interaction a basic function of these applications with diversity in objectives of this social interaction.
These studies combine the attention to social support through
working for the need for social
and psychological support to
strengthen capacity to cope with
problems, whether backed by
professional experience where
the user resorts to a source of
reference that provides him with
know-how in the face of problems
or a support based on exchange of
experiments and advices. (17)
The fact which can be drawn
from the researches of new media uses and satisfactions is that
priorities of using the new information media cannot be generalized globally or at the level of
one nation-state for long periods
of time. The social, political and
cultural circumstances have their
strong impact on public in the
use of these new tools. Intensive
political use of new information
media in some countries of the
Muslim world is a natural outcome of instability experienced
by these countries.
At the level of Arab or Muslim
world, the political use of information media cannot be generalized as the degree of political
stability varies from country to
country. But the fact is that these
methods with all their potentials
are ready for this type of use at
any time when political stability
is exposed to tension, especially
as everybody now stores the recent experiences and knows how
to benefit from them and add on
them.
Recommendations:
1. It is necessary that countries of the Muslim world pay attention to the issue of handling information including development
of skills in new generations for
use of information and training
how best to benefit from availl Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
able information so as to bring
back the real benefit to these
generations. In this regard, it is
necessary that curriculum at preparatory and secondary levels includes subjects that contribute to
the development of search skills
for information, verification and
utilization.
2. All political, religious and
cultural institutions in countries
of the Muslim world must realize
the importance of new information media and start their actual
presence on the social networks
in a way that ensures their active
interaction with the users of these
networks and provide incentives
to encourage youth to visit these
sites and take advantage of information that is available there and
contribute to rationalize and correct many ideas which people exchange through new information
media.
3. The creation of continuous awareness among youth
would make them take the best
advantage of these new tools and
develop their skills to use them
especially with regard to verification of available information and
immunize them against the negative aspects of addiction to these
media tools.
4.The role of institutions concerned with the function of culture in the society is to be activated in a way that they are able
to respond to the needs of individuals and express them as well
as strengthen their presence in
the living situation, including the
restructuring of these institutions
so that they are more able to carry
out their functions efficiently in
their societies.
5. Traditional information
media should integrate with these
51
media tools and should not consider them as remote, isolated
islands in order to achieve the
necessary degree of interaction
with them and secure consensus
among members of the society, a
consensus needed to ensure that
various institutions play their
role.
6. A standard is developed
for media freedom that reflects
the Islamic concept of press freedom in the face of Western standards of press freedom. In this
regard, it is recommended to hold
a workshop for representatives
of various media institutions in
countries of the Muslim world to
improve standard and publish it
in an annual report on the status
of press freedom from the Islamic
perspective.
7. Work on creating awareness among social institutions
especially families by following
up the use of these media tools by
children and adolescents in order
to rationalize this use.
References
1. Impact of Information Media: Hamdy Hassan (1992), Communication and Impact Research,
Cairo, Dar-al-Fikr al-Arabi, Cairo.
2. Indonesia knew of first
forms of Press through a newsletter that was addressed to East India
Company Staff in 1616 and was
called Memorie de Nouvelles
Refer for this: John C. Merrill
(1989) Global Journalism: A Survey of the World’s Mass Media
(New York, Longman).
3. For criticism of Western
classification of the press freedom:
-Hamdy Hassan (2006) “Structures of Property and Its Impact on
Press Freedom”, a paper presented to Arabic Regional Workshop
on Impact of Property Structures
and Circulation of Information
52
with Freedom of Press in the Arab
World, Egypt.
-Hamdy Hassan (2008) “Difficulties in Development of a Global
Standard to Measure the Press
Freedom”, a paper presented to the
Second Arab Regional Workshop
on Press Freedom in the World
Arab, Cairo, Egypt.
4. For Impact of Globalization on Media Activity in the Arab
World:
-Hamdy Hassan (1999) “Arab
Media: Opportunities and Challenges in New World Media Order”, a paper presented to the First
Conference of Arab Media, League
of Arab States, Cairo.
-Hamdy Hassan (2003-2004),
“Globalization of Media Activities: Issues and Views, Annals of
the Faculty of Arts, Scientific Publication Council, University of Kuwait.
5. Karl Deutche (1963), The
Nerves of Government (New York:
Free Press of Geloncoe).
6. Robert Reich (1991), The
Work of Nations (New York: Alfred A. Knopf) p.302.
7. Neil Postman, Technology: The surrender of Culture to
Technology, op., p.25.
8. “The Age of Difference
News: A Study of Young Americans and How they view the Time
-Mirror Center for the People
and the Press, Washington D. C.,
1990, P.3
9. Wendy Griswold (2008),
Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, (Sage: Pine forge
Press) pp. 60-64.
10. Severin, Werner J. and
Tankard, James W. (2001) Communication Theories: Origins,
Methods and Uses in Mass Media, Addison Wesley Longman,
Inc.
11. See a detailed explanation
in this regard:
-Ahmed Samir Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, “Arab Virtual Communities on the Internet: An Analytil Jumad al-Ula 1436/March 2015 l
cal Study on Dimensions of Arab
Social Contact over the Web”, a
research presented for degree of
PhD in media, Department of Journalism and Media, Faculty of Arabic language, Al-Azhar University,
2010.
12. A passer-by using a mobile
phone camera shot the death of an
Iranian girl during the
demonstration of Green Movement as blood coming from her
head and nose while she was staring with her eyes at camera. This
scene was downloaded on the Internet and soon the bloody scene
was broadcast through global television networks.
13. Marwan M. Kraidy and
Sara Mourad, Hypermedia Space
and Global Communication
Studies: Lessons from the Middle East, Global Media Journal
Volume 9, Issue 16, Spring 2010.
14. Katz, E. (1959), Mass
Communication Research and
Study of Popular Culture: An editorial note on a possible future
for this journal, Studies in Public
Communication, 2.1 to 6.
15. Flanagin, A.J. Metzger,
M.J. (2001), Internet Use in Contemporary Media Environment,
Human Communication Research,
27, 153-181.
16. Refer for more classifications:
-Gary p. Schneider, Jessica
Evans, and Katherine T. Pinard
(2008), The Internet: Illustrated.
(Boston: Cingage Learning, 5th
edition)
-Ahmed Samir Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, “ Arab Virtual Communities on the Internet: An Analytical Study on Dimensions of Arab
Social Contact over the Web” op.,
p.170-210
17. Gustavo S. Mesh (2007)
Online Communities, in Ram A.
Cnnan, Carl Milofsky (Editors)
Handbook of Community
Movements and Local Organizations (Springer) pp.232-233.
Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS)
Conference, 2014, in Toronto
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Media Advisor
Islamic Cultural Centre, London
The second largest Islamic organisation of the North American Continent,
i.e. Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) Convention 2014 has brought together
thousands of Muslims from around the globe, which begun in the last weekend of 2014 from/on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 26, 27 and 28 December at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre in Toronto Canada. Toronto
was the venue of North America’s second largest Islamic Convention, and
the most well-behaved gathering of more than 20,000 participants.
53
Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention 2014
The Toronto convention is titled as Reviving the
Islamic Spirit (RIS). This year the theme was ‘He
Came to Teach You Your Religion: Prophetic Answers to Angelic Questions’, drawn from the famous Hadith i Jibril, narrated by Hazrat Umar(r).
Twenty-four renowned scholars from Canada, the
US, Britain, South Africa and Mauretania addressed
the congregation on 26 issues/subjects/problems –
all concerning purity of Islam, life today and the
role of Muslim youth. It was galaxy of scholars
denoting that the west is now self-sufficient in this
area – scholars whose parents migrated from Asian
and African countries, or indigenous men who embraced Islam and attained remarkable proficiency in
Islamic sciences.
Among the speakers there were Sheikh Abdullah
bin Bayyah from Mauritania, from USA Huseyin
Nasr, Malcolm X’s daughter Shabazz, Muhammed
Ninowy, Munir El-Kasim, Hamza Yusuf and Zahir
Mahmoud from the UK, as well as well known artists, including Sami Yusuf who gave a concert on
the last day.
For the prayer needs, the Masjid was available,
and since the first day thousands came together
to pray the Friday congregational prayer. There is
also an open market in the exhibition space, selling
books, decorations, and Islamic wedding organisers
take their places in stands. RIS 2014 is also taking
advantage of further visitors who are on holidays
for Christmas.
About the Conference
On the eve of the Conference, Conference organizer
Summayah Poonah said she was not afraid to tackle
tough subjects. “Radicalization would certainly be
a hot topic within the community and drives a lot
of the discourse that happening, whether it be what
happened with the fallen soldiers in Quebec or Ottawa,” she told CBC News.
“I think it’s our duty and our obligation as a community to really tackle these issues head on and in
a real way, discussing them overtly.” The Convention, themed ‘He Came to Teach You Your Religion
– Prophetic Answers to Angelic Questions’, is set to
conclude on Sunday evening.
British musician Sami Yusuf and U.S spoken
word artist Amir Suleiman were among the per-
54
formers scheduled for the entertainment segment
on Saturday night.
Programme of the Conference
Friday 26 December 2014
Mr. Muhammad Tariq Ghazi, former Managing
Editor of the Jeddah-based English daily, Saudi
Gazette, attended the conference as Silent Observer and emailed me the detailed programme of the
three-day conference as follows:
* Holding up the House of Islam: The Five Pillars
(Sr Aisha Adawiyya/Sh. Abdullah Idris). * Loving
the Beloved (on the Seerah) (Sh. Muhammad Ninowy) * Prayer, women and servants – Last words
of Our Prophet (Sh. Mokhtar Maghraoui). * Don’t
Know How Much of Theology: Why Atheism is
spreading and Religion Merely Surviving in the
Modern World (Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr). * When
Life Becomes Strife: Staying Calm in an Age of Fitnah (Sh. Siraj Wahhaj). * When Zealots Rule: Doing the Devil’s Work in the Name of Islam (ref. to
deviant outfits like ISIS and the ilk) (Mufti Mustafa
Ceric). * Give up the News to Treat the Blues (on
media spreading falsehood and sowing confusion)
(Sr Salma Yaqoob). * Doomsday ETA: Instructions
from Revealed GPS – God’s Pardoning System (Sh.
Hamza Yusuf).
Saturday 27 December 2014
The Prophetic Practice of Prayer and Patience:
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Start Praying (Sh. Muhammad Ninowy/Dr Yassir Fazaga).
* Code Red: Taking Islamophobia Seriously (Dr
Hatem Bazian/Mufti Mustafa Ceric/Sh. Muhammad Majid). * The Limits of Growth: The End is in
Sight When the Insightful Go Unheeded (Modern
society’s destruction of global environment and Islamic remedy) (Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr). * Fiqh
of Reality: When Fiqh Means Fact, Do We Act?
(Sh. Abdullah Bin Bayyah/Tr. Sh. Hamza Yusuf).
* Cling Together to the Rope of Allah: Holding to
the Qur’an in These Latter Days (Ud. Nouman Ali
Khan). * Making Sacred Space in a Third Place
(life in western societies) (Ambassador Shabazz). *
The Wheel Spins, While Man Sins – (wheel of fortune - progress is always degenerative) (Sh. Hamza
Yusuf). * Topsy-Turvy: When Bad Becomes Good
and Sinners Become Saints (Sh. Sulaiman Mulla/
Sh. Zaid Shakir).
Sunday 28 December 2014
Sound Mind in a Sound Body: The Sunnah of Exercise (Sh. Zaid Shakir/Sr Mubarakah Ibrahim). *
Transform the Home, Transform the World: Is Your
House Dar al-Islam? (Dr Munir Kassem/Shaykha
Muslema Purmul). * We Are All Palestinians Now:
Welcome to the New World Disorder (Sh. Omar
Suleiman). * Realizing Sacred States When Residing in Secular States (Sh. Mokhtar Maghraoui). *
Un-Friend Facebook: The Anti-Social Nature of
Social Media (Dr Yassir Fazaga). * Where the Answers Are: The Lost Legacy of Islamic Scholarship
(Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad). * The Smiling Prophet:
Joyful Despite Tribulations (Sh. Sulaiman Mulla).
* Not Just Why, But Why Not? Making Religion
Relevant (Sh. Khalid Latif/Sh. Zaid Shakir).
Closing session addressed by * Mufti Mustafa Ceric
* Sh. Abdullah Idris. * Dr Munir Kassem * Sr Aisha
Adawiyya * Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad * Sh. Zaid
Shakir * Sh. Mokhtar Maghraoui * Sh. Muhammad
Ninowy * Sr Salma Yaqoob * Sr Mubarakah Ibrahim * Sh. Khalid Latif * Sh. Muhammad Majid *
Maulana Sulaiman Mulla who also conducted the
concluding Dua.
Gathering of Future Leaders
Mr. Ghazi described the gathering of the conference
as follows: “More than 20,000 people, a vast majority of 80 percent-plus of them being teenagers or in
early twenties, drawn from high schools and universities in a western country, gathered in a sprawling hall packed wall to wall. If your experience of
the young generation is any guide, how should they
behave? In Toronto last week they listened in rapt
attention to speeches – from 10 am until 11 pm –
whether delivered by a six-feet+ tall oldish Shaykh
Zaid Shakir, principal of California’s Zaytuna College, or a diminutive five-feet-tall youngish Khalid
Latif, Imam of the New York Police Dept (NYPD)
Masjid and a uniformed police-officer consultant
for Muslim inmates.”
At the prayer time, a crowd of more or less
17,000 young boys and girls went for prayer. Mr.
Ghazi painted the picture of the gathering for prayer
as follows: “Unbelievable for a crowd of more or
less 17,000 young boys and girls, who stayed glued
to their seats for hours, except during the prayers
breaks when the hall would suddenly become empty, filling an equally sprawling four-hall complex
half of which was converted into the Masjid. During prayer breaks the Masjid would be so full that
if late for a few second they would have difficulty
in finding a place for the Jama’at. But the Masjid
area by the side of the Bazaar and Food Court was
so spacious that it would accommodate everyone.
Again, a massive majority of them being those teenish-twenty-ish girls and boys found completely immersed in the Presence of Allah.”
Mr. Ghazi continued: “It was indeed an experience
of lifetime. This behavior of the youth was rightly
recognised and commended by no less a person
than Shaykh Zaid Shakir in the last session between
9-11:15 pm on Sunday 28 December when every
guest speaker was given 5-10 minutes to give a
farewell message. He said, he had attended many
largely attended conferences but the discipline and
order demonstrated by the youth of Toronto (and
those visiting from several other North American
cities) was unique. Shaykh Zaid Shakir noted: ‘This
is the first convention where the audience is so well
behaved. In every other conference that I have attended there is always some problem.’
Other Features of the Conference
Describing other features of the conference, Mr.
Tariq Ghazi wrote: “Some other notable features of
the RIS were that, first, it was visualized and the vision implemented by youth from second and third
generation Torontonians 13 years ago. Secondly, of
course they sought guidance from elderly teachers
and scholars, but since 2003 the convention is organized by youth only. Thirdly, the organizers are
so modest, rather shy, that they would not introduce
themselves or engage in self praise or brag about
past achievements. Most of the people do not know
them, or do not recognise them by faces. Fourthly,
every session was conducted by a new program
manager who would not introduce himself or herself. All of them appeared to be school-university
students. Fifthly, lady-speakers like social activist Aisha Adawiyya, businesswoman Mubarakah
Ibrahim, and political leader Salma Yaqoob would
55
quote The Qur’an and Hadith verbatim. They were
not ‘accredited scholars’, yet knowledgeable.
Sixthly, an impressive army of about 1,000 volunteers was ready to help the attendees in every possible manner. These volunteers were under great
stress though: remaining standing and pacing up
and down the designated aisles for more than 13
hours every day was not an easy task.”
State, with expertise in Tazkiya and Fiqh. * Ustadh
Nouman Ali Khan, born in Berlin, Germany, an expert in Qur’anic studies, from Dallas, Texas, US. *
Sr Mubarakah Ibrahim, an African-American lady
who runs a physical fitness center in New Haven,
Connecticut, US, is well-versed in Islamics as well
and has been on Oprah Winfrey show and a guest of
President Barrack Obama in the White House.
Galaxy of Scholars
This year’s most scholarly teacher was Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, former vice president of Mauretania. Others in the list were luminaries. * Shaykh
Hamza Yusuf Hanson, a male-nurse turned into the
symbol of Islamic spirit, globally known scholar of
this era, a cofounder of Zaytuna College. He is the
best critic of the west’s morally and materially degenerating society because he suffered that civilization and desires to clean it. * Shaykh Zaid Shakir,
born Ricky Mitchell, of African-American descent,
is a co-founder and chairman of the board of Zaytuna College and Imam of the college Masjid. Another
great scholar of Islam. * Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr,
world-renowned professor of Islamics originally
from Iran, the only Muslim scholar who is waging
a jihad for clean global environment. * Maulana
Shaykh Sulaiman Mulla, a great orator alim from
South Africa and popular among the youth for his
erudition. * Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad, born
Timothy John Winter, a British Islamic philosopher,
academic and spiritual guide of renown and author
of several books in English and Turkish.
* Shaykha Muslema Purmul, originally from Afghanistan, she is a US-based Islamic scholar who
studied in Cairo. * Dr Hatem Bazian, a co-founder
of Zaytuna College, co-founder and co-editor of the
Islamophobia Studies Journal, California, teaches
at Berkeley University. * Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy, a Syrian- American born of Iraqi ethnicity, he
is Imam of Masjid al-Madinah in Atlanta, Georgia,
US, and a professor of anatomy and physiology at
University of Georgia. * Sr Salma Yaqoob, a British political leader, former president of the Respect
Party and a Birmingham city councilor. * Ambassador Shabazz, daughter of Malcom X. * Shaykh
Muhammad Majid, associated with Al- Madina Institute, New York State. * Shaykh Omar Suleiman,
from New Orleans, Louisiana, US, he specializes in
Tazkiya and Da’wah.
* Sr Aisha al-Adawiyya from the US who is founder
of Women In Islam Inc, an organization of Muslim
women which focuses on human rights and social
justice. *Shaykh Siraj Wahhaj, Imam of the Taqwa
Masjid in Brooklyn, New York, was born as Jeffrey
Kearse in an African family. He is a reformer who
tuned New York’s Harlem/Brooklyn region from
being crime-infested to one of the safest localities
in America. He was the first Muslim who inaugurated the US Congress session with recitation of the
Qur’an in 1991. * Dr Mustafa Ceric (Jerich), GrandMufti of Bosnia. * Dr Yassir Fazaga, marriage and
psychological counselor from Orange County,
California, US. * Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui
(Maghrawi) originally an Algerian, from New York
56
Speakers quote and Issues
Issues discussed at the convention focused on the
Deen in pristine purity and current issues that Muslims youth, particularly in the west, are facing.
A major highlight of the second day’s programme
was an address by Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah on
the topic, ‘Fiqh of Reality: When Fiqh Meets Fact,
How Do We Act?’ “In our approaches to removing injustices, we should not create further injustices,” said Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah. “To the
Youth- learn your religion because sometimes you
think you are doing good but then you end up doing
harm.”
Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah is one of Islam’s
greatest living jurists. A well-known and well-respected scholar, he is considered a “scholars’ scholar” since many of his students are considered Ulama
in their own right. “I want to see young people flourishing, and on a path of benefit, rather than a path of
destruction and despair,” noted Shaykh Abdallah bin
came to me to help carry my grocery to the car and
said, ‘Sir, we don’t blame Muslims for what some
misguided men did in New York’.
Seyyed Hossein .Nasr: Atheism is not a new phenomenon. The difference is that in the premodern
world atheists were persecuted ... while today, the
atheists are stridently speaking out on national television.
Sr Mubarakah Ibrahim: Four of the Five Pillars
of Islam require physical activity. Sound prayers
need a sound body. The Prophet had never developed a paunch, but maintained a flat stomach.
RIS 2014 Quotes
Mr. Ghazi has emailed me the following quotations Muslema Purmul: How do we insulate our homes
from ... negative and unhealthy influences, espefrom the speakers:
Ayesha Adawiyya: As an African-American I am cially when their delivery systems are television,
interested in my history. That gives me strength and tablets, cell phones, magazines and mail? ... (Think)
tells me who I am. In the Saudi kingdom they are de- if the Prophet came as a guest to our house, is there
stroying Islam’s history. The United Nations should anything in it that would trouble him?
Dr Yassir Fazaga: (The) ‘social’ media often breed
come forward to protect those historical sites.
Abdullah Idris: If only the Gulf Arab states pay antisocial behavior. Trolls roam the Internet makjust their zakat properly not a single person in the ing mischief. ... The medium itself (is) generating
the dysfunctional behavior of its users. Is it time to
whole world will go hungry.
Zaid Shakir: The Prophet never asked ‘why?’ rethink technology and what it is doing to us, or do
about the world’s condition; rather he challenged we simply carry on as a species increasingly online
us to see another world that is possible and asked, but off kilter
‘Why not?’
Khalid Latif: Regular simple greetings to other- Background of RIS
wise nondescript fellow citizens make you loveable The Islamic Spirit convention was first launched in
2003 by Muslim Youth to tackle the backlash on Isand respectable in society.
Mufti Mustapha Ceric: The pharaoh saw a dream lam and Muslims after the 9/11 and to build a bridge
of seven fat cows and seven lean cows and seven of understanding with non-Muslims.
Event director Sumayyahh Poonah said that RIS
green spikes of grain and seven dry spikes. Hazrat Yusuf interpreted the dream that there would be started for the first time after the September 11 atseven years of good harvest followed by seven years tacks with a group of young students and has said
of famine. Now, first seven centuries of Islamic his- that it has grown significantly in the past 13 years,
tory were green spikes and fat cows of civilization and that “Last year we had 20,000 visitors and we
and culture, followed by seven centuries of decline do not expect that number to be any less this year”.
and degeneration. Those last seven centuries are Themed, “He Came to Teach you your Religion”,
ending. A new era of Islamic resurgence of good- Poonah said, “Throughout RIS, thousands of guests
and visitors from North America and the Middle
ness and civilization is round the corner.
Hamza Yusuf Hanson: Progress is a modern myth East will read and learn of this message”.
The convention took a break from lectures in the
that sees life in a linear progression, dismisses the
past, denies link with history. Islam looks at society early evening with performances by two leading
artists in the Muslim world, Sami Yusuf and Isam
moving in cycles of rise, decline and fall.
Mokhtar Maghraoui: Immediately after 9/11, Bachiri, to the delight of the packed auditorium.
I decided to maintain my Muslim look by way of The hall was transformed into a see of lights as auwearing a cap. At the grocery store, a frail old lady dience members waved their phones to the popular
nasheeds of Sami Yusuf.
Bayyah.
Ambassador Shabazz, eldest daughter of the late
Malcolm X Shabazz, commended the Youths who
started the convention 12 years ago and for providing an open platform and space for all peoples.
“This is a family reunion,” observed Ambassador
Shabazz. “We are united by the spirit of Islam; we
are threaded by the words of Allah.” “We cannot
think of uniting with others until we have united
amongst ourselves,” she advised.
57
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait:
An icon of humanitarian work
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi
It was a great loss for the field of
humanitarian work when the renowned Kuwaiti Islamic preacher Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait,
died, aged 66, on Aug.15 after
a prolonged illness. Al-Sumait
was a role model for all humanitarian workers and philanthropists around the world. He was
widely known for his extensive
philanthropic work in several
African countries benefiting millions of people in several ways.
Born and raised in a well-
58
known family in Kuwait, AlSumait was a qualified doctor who specialized in internal
diseases and gastroenterology
before becoming involved in
charity work. After receiving his
primary education in Kuwait,
he moved to Iraq and graduated
from the University of Baghdad
with a BS in medicine and surgery, and then traveled overseas
for higher studies. After returning to Kuwait, he
started his practice in a major
hospital and became well known
for his special care for patients.
He used to visit patients in the
hospital even after his duty time
was over and began to inquire
about the condition of patients
and about the financial position
and social status of their families. He also inquired about the
care and services rendered to
them by the nursing staff and
was keen to address any shortcomings or negligence in this
regard. He did this in a friendly
and cordial way.
Al-Sumait became engaged in
humanitarian and philanthropic
work during his school days. As
a secondary school student in Kuwait, he witnessed a scene outside
his school that sparked his interest
in helping the less fortunate, and
that changed his life forever. He
observed poor workers waiting for
transportation to their work places
standing in the scorching sun on
a daily basis. He and some classmates decided to save their pocket
money in order to purchase a small
car, and from that day onwards, he
drove these workers for free. This
was the beginning of his dedicated
work for the poor and the underprivileged which was done with
the sole desire of winning the pleasure of God.
Al-Sumait moved to the African
continent when he was entrusted by
a rich Kuwaiti woman to construct
a mosque in Malawi where most
mosques were thatched buildings.
He saw people in that impoverished country living in squalid and
destitute conditions. Al-Sumait also realized the significance of turning the world’s
attention to the continent where a
large number of people were living in abject poverty and ignorance
and were suffering from various
diseases. He did not turn to rich
people to ask for their donations
in order to carry out charity work
because he knew that most of them
do not offer donations unless they
receive material and moral benefits. Al-Sumait instead relied on
common people who came forward
with donations as they knew about
his true intentions as a preacher and
because of their trust in him as an
honest man who was transparent in
financial matters. Al-Sumait started his charity
work in Malawi and this later was
expanded to around 40 African
countries. He founded the Africa
Muslim Agency that was later renamed the Direct Aid society.
Al-Sumait provided treatment
for patients, food for those who
were hungry, and clothes for those
who did not have them, irrespective of whether they were Muslims
or non-Muslims. Unlike Christian
missionaries, who most often extended assistance with the direct
or indirect condition of embracing
Christianity, he helped everyone
who needed assistance without
asking about the person’s religion
or race. As a very simple and humble man, Al-Sumait was keen to
deliver assistance to those who deserved it without any showing off
or publicity.
He extended support for setting up small development projects
that enabled the poor to make ends
meet. These projects included fish
farms or small commercial outlets
and tailor shops. He also helped the
poor to dig wells.
This enabled a large number of
people who were until then recipients of Zakat to become those who
give Zakat. The exemplary example of Al-Sumait attracted millions
of people who came in battalions
to the fold of Islam, thanks to his
commendable efforts. Al-Sumait abandoned all the
luxuries of life and moved to Africa not to live in five star hotels
or luxurious villas but to live with
the poor and the underprivileged
in their huts and small houses. His
wife joined him in humanitarian
work and the propagation of Islam.
Al-Sumait moved from place to
place across Africa and played an
active role in establishing a number of charity societies and organizations.
Apart from heading the Direct
Aid society, he served as founding
member of several other charity
and humanitarian organizations,
such as the Malawi Muslims Committee, and Kuwait-based bodies,
such as the Kuwaiti Relief Committee, International Islamic Charity Authority, International Islamic
Council for Call and Relief, and
Charity Rescue Society. He also
worked as a member of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society, and
editor-in-chief of Al-Kauthar magazine. He served as a member of a
number of other charity societies in
Africa.
Direct Aid, the largest charity
society in Africa, was instrumental in establishing a large number
of schools and universities where
hundreds of thousands of students
study, in addition to orphanages,
shelters for the elderly and the
poor, and hospitals.
Al-Sumait always avoided media publicity and lived a life away
from the limelight. He used to say:
“I don’t want any reward or gratitude from anyone except Almighty
Allah. I always ask for a reward
and forgiveness from Allah in the
life after death.” The very name
of Al-Sumait symbolizes charity
work in Africa. He won the praise
and affection of the people in Africa and that was awarded several
medals and prizes, the most important of which was the King Faisal
International Prize for Service to
Islam. He donated the prize money
amounting to SR750,000 for charity work in Africa. May Allah forgive this great philanthropist and
accommodate him in His Paradise.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former
Saudi diplomat who specializes in
Southeast Asian affairs. He can be
reached at [email protected]
59
Rabita Roundup
MWL condemns killing
of Jordanian pilot al-Kasasbeh by IS
The Muslim World League (MWL)
expressed its strong condemnation
of the heinous crime of burning the
Jordanian Pilot Moath Al-Kasasbeh
alive by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki offered his condo-
60
lences to the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, its leadership and people and
the family of Al-Kasasbeh.
Al-Turki praised the government of
King Salman for its efforts in the fight
against terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations.
MWL Secretary General Receives
Tunisian Religious Affairs Minister
Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah bin
Abdulmohsen Al-Turki received here at his office the Tunisian Minister
of Religious Affairs Sheikh Mounir Bin Mokhtar Tlili, who came to visit
to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between
the League and the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Tunisia, for the good
of Islam and Muslims, especially in call to Allah Almighty, educational
and cultural Islamic areas.
For his part, Sheikh Tlili praised the mega Islamic efforts provided by
the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman
bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for the Muslims of the world and the people of
Tunisia, highlighting the Islamic work provided by the League in call to
Allah Almighty, educational and cultural Islamic fields.
61
MWL Secretary General receives Indian Consul General
The Secretary General of Muslim
World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki
received here at his office Indian
Consul General in Jeddah Bawa
Syed Mubarak.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the two sides for the interest
of Islam and Muslims, especially
in educational and cultural fields.
MWL Secretary General receives Comoros’ Diplomat
The Secretary General of Muslim
World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki received here at his office the Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy
of United Republic of Comoros
Islands Yusuf Madhouma.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the two sides for the interest
of Islam and Muslims, especially
in educational and cultural fields.
62
MWL Secretary General Receives
Ambassador of Sri Lanka
The Secretary General of Muslim World League (MWL), Dr. Abdullah
bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki received here at his office, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Hussein.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between
the League and the official Islamic organizations in Sri Lanka for the
good of Islam and Muslims, especially in the fields of call to Allah Almighty (Da’wa), education and culture.
For his part, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka highlighted Islamic efforts
made by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for
the Muslims of the world, especially Muslim minorities and Sri Lankan
Muslims in particular, praising the leading role played by the MWL for
Muslims in the educational, cultural and Da’wa fields.
63
Muslim World League Chief Receives
Minnesota Al-Tawfiq Islamic Center Imam
Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah bin
Abdulmohsen Al-Turki received here at his office Imam of Al-Tawfiq Islamic Center in the American State of Minnesota, Sheikh Othman Abdulqader
Saeed, who came to visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the
League and the Center for the good of Islam and Muslims, especially in
Da’wa, awareness, educational and cultural fields.
Sheikh Othman expressed deepest condolences on the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
He also extended congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on assuming the reins of power of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
64

Around the Muslim World

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