Falling Muslim Fertility Rates Raise Grave Concerns By Saif Shahin

How would you imagine a typical Muslim family? A god-fearing husband,
an uneducated wife (or wives), and lots and lots of children breaking
out the door and spilling onto the streets? That, however, is not what
a typical Muslim family does or is going to look like in the years
ahead.
New research shows a historically unprecedented decline in fertility
rates or the number of births, among Muslim women worldwide. In
Muslim-majority countries, such as in the Middle East, the decline has
already brought them on par with the ageing West. Chances are that
fertility rates would fall further.
The trend has grave implications. One, the working age population in
Muslim societies is going to shrink as fewer children are born,
leaving them with a problem similar to that faced by the West. Two,
while the West has already achieved high levels of education,
development and family income, most Muslim countries in Asia and
Africa face demographic stagnation even as they remain largely
uneducated, underdeveloped and with extremely low family incomes.
Declining Births
In 2009, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life estimated the
global Muslim population at around 1.6 billion, or 23% of the global
population at that time. However, Muslims form […]

Dr Zakir Naik and the Facts of Life: Tasneem Faridi

June 15-21, 2012
Tasneem Faridi has been listening to the popular TV preacher Dr Zakir
Naik, who supports polygamy and seems to know a lot about women's
menstrual cycles…
Zakir Naik, a medical doctor by profession is renowned for his dynamic
oratory skills on Islamic teachings and Comparative Religion. He is
the president of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in Mumbai, which
serves the purpose of clarifying Islamic viewpoints and misconceptions
about Islam. The research team is a self-proclaimed user of the
Qur'an, authentic Hadith and other religious scriptures as a basis, in
conjunction with reason, logic and scientific facts, for a wide range
of commentaries.
In the last 15 years, Naik has delivered more than 1500 public talks
in the U.S.A., Canada, U.K., Italy, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, U.A.E.,
Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
Botswana, Malaysia and Singapore. These are in addition to his
numerous televised public talks in India. Naik is 46 years old and has
been popular for his critical analysis and convincing answers to
challenging questions posed by audiences at the ends of his public
talks. To his devoted fans, he is an epitome of Islamic knowledge;
others might know him as the Islamic scholar who makes […]

All Hail My Sectarian God

All Hail My Sectarian God
By Kiran Nazish
08 June, 2012
In Pakistan a mosque is not the house of God, but the house of a
sectarian God. Although Muslim sects across the world have their own
separate mosques for the reasons of Imamat, procedure and methodology
of prayers, no one is ever stopped from entering a place of worship or
called a Kafir inside one just because they do not come from the same
sect.
Recently, I was told by a non-Sunni friend how he was tormented by
fellow worshipers at a Sunni mosque during Friday prayers. He was on
the road and getting late for Jamaat (congregation), so he went for
the nearest mosque he could find – only to discover later that he was
a Kafir for doing so. He was identified as a Shia when he did not
raise his forefinger for Shahadat during the prayers.
We are led to believe that Pakistan is divided by its provincial
politics, and our biggest insecurities come from India and the US, but
some of the worst and the most real and physical crimes that people
commit against each other in this country are based on religion. It is
our pride in sectarian exclusivity […]

Democracy in the Arab world

Democracy in the Arab world
By Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh
Friday, 15 June 2012
Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh
Not long ago, many Arabs used to doubt that democracy was right for
the Arab world. Nowadays, they seem to doubt that anything other than
democracy is right for them.
The argument then, to which some still subscribe, was that the Arab
society is a society of consensus, not of lobbyists or majority votes.
There are no fundamental disagreements on issues, and when people
disagree, the differences are overcome through a process of
negotiations where those who hold minority opinions shift willingly to
the other side, rather than reach a middle ground compromise or a veto
in which the minority loses.
This does not seem to be the thinking anymore. And now that the masses
have rebelled against authoritarian regimes, or seeking further
reforms where some were already introduced but are insufficient, they
are looking to adopt a new model of governance.
The only practical, concrete model available is the West's, which
several eastern countries like Japan, South Korea, Turkey and others
adopted.
In our part of the world all seem to want this democratic model now —
both governments and the opposition, including the Islamists. The
crucial question, however, is if […]

OIC Chief speaks out on major Muslim issues

Jeddah, 26 Rajab/16 June (IINA) – With the violence continuing in
Syria, sectarian tension ever present in Iraq, Afghanistan still
struggling to establish security and Somalia trying to have some sort
of normalcy, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) certainly
has a lot on its plate to handle. As if that's not enough, there are
also issues of economic hardships, natural disasters and internal
strife afflicting some OIC member states from Africa toAsia. In an
interview with Arab News daily, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu touched on the recent developments in the Arab world and
spotlights some of the other issues, such as Muslim refugees,
Islamophobia, human rights and Muslim minorities, which people might
not be aware of as being also on the agenda of concern to the OIC.
The OIC has just organized with the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees the first international conference exclusively on
refugees in the Muslim world. What is the significance of this
conference and what are the key decisions that came out of it?
The International Ministerial Conference on Refugees in the Muslim
World held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan(May 11-12), was indeed a
significant step in the course of the OIC endeavors in the
humanitarian arena. It […]

Analysis: Al Qaeda down, but not out in PakistanBy Michael Georgy and
Saud Mehsud

ISLAMABAD/DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan | Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:56am EDT
(Reuters) – When al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi arrived in
northwest Pakistan several years ago, he commanded so much respect
that even some of the world's most dangerous militants held him in
awe.
Already a legend in the shadowy world of jihad for breaking out of a
high security U.S. prison in neighboring Afghanistan in 2005, he
seemed to promise endless funds, training and inspiration for men who
dreamed of unleashing carnage in New York or London.
By the time he was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, he was the
latest victim of a series of the unmanned aerial attacks that has
crushed al Qaeda's network along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan,
Pakistani intelligence officials and commanders of militant groups
said.
Its finances have dried up, and those who once idolized the group
wonder whether it can survive.
"Imagine. They used to travel in Land Cruisers and double-cabin pickup
trucks a few years ago," said a commander from the Pakistani Taliban,
which is close to al Qaeda. "Now, they are riding motorcycles due to
lack of resources."
The downfall of the network in the border area started with the
killing of Osama […]

Baitul Muqaddas: Why are we Muslims so obsessed with it as our
Qiibla-e-Awwal contrary to Qur'anic teachings?

From the Desk of Editor (09 Jun 2012 NewAgeIslam.Com)
Baitul Muqaddas: Why are we Muslims so obsessed with it as our
Qiibla-e-Awwal contrary to Qur'anic teachings?
We are reproducing in original Urdu and in English and Hindi
translations a widely syndicated article in India's Urdu Press by
Maulanama Nadeemul Wajidi of Deoband seminary detailing Muslims's love
for and claims to Haram Ash-Sharif Baitul Muqaddas and Masjid-e-Aqsa,
also known alternatively as Temple Mount and Solomon's Temple or First
Temple in Jerusalem. Muslim Press the world over is constantly full of
Muslim lamentation over the loss of full control over Baitul Muqaddas
and Masjid-e-Aqsa since Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. Fighting
an occupation is one thing. All Justice-loving people in the world are
with Palestinians on that issue. But world Muslim community making an
ideological claim over a building complex that God told us belongs to
our religious cousins, the Ahl-Kitab Jews and Christians, is something
quite another.
Muslims revere these structures as their first Qibla, as it was this
direction they faced in their prayers in the formative phase of Islam
when Prophet was still hoping for reconciliation with and
acceptability as a Biblical prophet by the Jews and Christians. Even
though the Prophet […]

Democratic Muslims? Why not?

By Haroon Siddiqui Editorial Page
The advent of democracy in the Arab Middle East has prompted heated
debates over the role of Islam in government, and over the rights of
women and non-Muslim minorities, especially in Egypt, the largest Arab
nation that also has the largest Christian community in the region.
The issues are fraught with misunderstandings, primarily because of
the antagonism between the West and Islam. Cultural stereotypes
distort the debate with improper or deliberately misleading language.
Islam, the faith, is not government.
Some governments may call themselves Islamic — as in Saudi Arabia and
Iran. But many Muslims routinely question the Islamic credentials of
those two governments. This tells us the obvious: There is no one,
monolithic Islam. There's great diversity of thought and
interpretation among Muslims, as in people of any faith.
In Muslim democracies — or, more precisely, Muslim-majority nations
that are democratic or becoming so — a government may be led by a
political party that calls itself Islamic. Or it does not but others
do, because it is "rooted" in Islam or "political Islam." Or its
leaders and/or rank-and-file are pious Muslims.
If we were to use such a template for, say, European Christian
Democrats, what would that tell us […]

Don't Panik! Islam and Europe's 'Hip Hop Wars' Hishaam Aidi

The debate over Islam and hip hop in Europe is heating up as
governments wade in.
Last Modified: 05 Jun 2012
New York, NY – Three months ago, just as the French presidential
campaign was heating up, the rapper Kery James uploaded a track titled
"Letter to the Republic" ("Lettre à la République") explaining what he
and youth in the banlieues thought of the republic's political class,
or as he described them, "Pillagers of wealth, murderers of Africans,
torturers of Algerians / The colonial past is yours, you chose to link
your history to ours."
The track promptly provoked public outrage; the far-right group, Le
Bloc Identitaire, tried to cancel James' concert tour, its
spokesperson calling on the rapper – a Guadeloupe-born convert – to
leave France and move to a "Muslim land".
Meanwhile, in Germany, state officials are trying to indict former
rapper Deso Dogg – another convert – for his lyrics which allegedly
inspired a 21-year old Kosovar to fire at a busload of American
servicemen in Frankfurt.
Kerry James – Lettre à la République
In Britain, the BBC is still addressing protests regarding decisions
made in 2011 by Radio 1 Xtra to tune out the words "Free Palestine" in
a track by […]

Distrust Fuels Anti-Muslim Violence in Myanmar: Lucile Andre

Distrust Fuels Anti-Muslim Violence in Myanmar
Lucile Andre | June 06, 2012
Sittwe, Myanmar. An eruption in religious tensions in Myanmar has
exposed the deep divisions between the majority Buddhists and the
country's Muslims, considered foreigners despite a decades-long
presence.
The violence threatens to overshadow reconciliation efforts in the
country formerly known as Burma, where there has been a series of
dramatic political reforms since almost half a century of military
rule ended last year.
The trigger for the latest surge in sectarian tensions was the rape
and murder of a woman in western Rakhine state, which borders
Bangladesh, for which three Muslim men have been detained, according
to state media.
On Sunday a mob of hundreds of people attacked a bus, believing the
perpetrators were on board, and beat 10 Muslims to death.
"These innocent people have been killed like animals," said Abu Tahay,
of the National Democratic Party for Development, which represents the
country's much-persecuted stateless Muslim Rohingya community.
"If the police cannot control the situation, maybe the [unrest] is
going to spread," he said, adding that the biggest fear was for
Rakhine state, where there is a large Muslim minority population
including the Rohingya.
In Myanmar's main city Yangon, dozens of Muslims protested on Tuesday, […]

Dawud Walid, the Quran and Jews "Did Muhammad order the killing of Jews?"

Posted By Daniel E. Rogell On June 5, 2012
Originally published by the Investigative Project on Terrorism
The Council of American Islamic Relations [CAIR] may tout itself as an
"organization that challenges stereotypes of Islam and Muslims," and
as group that was formed "to challenge anti-Muslim discrimination
nationwide." But in fighting the good fight against hate, at least one
of its regional leaders demonizes Jews as the source of Muslims'
problems.
"Who are those who incurred the wrath of Allah?" CAIR-Michigan
Executive Director Dawud Walid asked in a May 25 sermon at the Islamic
Organization of North America mosque in Warren, Mich. "They are the
Jews, they are the Jews," he answered himself in Arabic.
Audio 1
Aside from being one of CAIR's most visible spokesmen, Walid appears
frequently in the media and has traveled abroad at least twice on
trips paid by the State Department. During a 2010 trip to Mali, for
example, he criticized treatment of Muslim Americans after 9/11,
saying they "have been subjected to increased discrimination from
racial and religious profiling by law enforcement." And he cast the
2009 shooting death of a Detroit imam as unjust, even though the imam
refused orders to lay down his weapon and surrender, and […]

Muslim women demand platform

Posted by SHABIBAH NAKIRIGYA
Muslim women have urged government to provide them with a platform
where they can discuss issues that affect them.
The women, under the Uganda Muslim Network in conjunction with Islamic
Medical Association of Uganda (UMNET), said they face many challenges
due to lack of rights.
They made the remarks while celebrating the first National Muslims
Women's Conference under the theme 'unleashing the full potential of
the Muslim woman' in Kampala on Sunday.
The women cited poor education levels, poor health facilitation and
not participating in peace and conflict resolutions. The chairperson
of UMNET, Dr Zainab Akol, said they wanted Muslim women voices at
national and global stage.
For instance, Ms Akol said the selected team to sort out the
Kibuli–Old Kampala factions had no women. She also said Muslim women
cannot access micro finance opportunities because they have interest
rates which is not compatible with Islamic teaching.
The women also said money was collected from them across the country
with a promise to get them jobs but todate, they have not received any
feedback.
The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, advised Muslim women to
focus on taking their children to kindergartens and vocational
institutions in order to have a strong platform.
"Children should […]

Can Washington Ever Welcome a Nonviolent Muslim?

Michael Shank
CBS News' 60 Minutes recently produced a show about Turkish Muslim
scholar Fethullah Gulen, spurred by concern about the so-called Hizmet
movement's alleged connection to a growing network of high performing
and nationally ranked charter schools in the U.S. These schools rank
in Newsweek's top ten miracle schools in America and have a waiting
list of 30,000 students, a testament to their academic rigor and
reputation.
So what's wrong with these schools and what in the world would merit
investigative journalism on this topic? Could it be because Fethullah
Gulen is a Muslim scholar, the movement is historically comprised
largely of Muslims, and Turkish Muslims built and teach at the charter
schools in the U.S.? I'd say yes. CBS would likely say no, citing
public concern about potential for Islamic teaching in the classroom,
Turkish teachers taking American jobs, and a Muslim scholar who was
disinclined to be interviewed.
Despite CBS host Leslie Stahl's attempt to show both critique and
compliment — and in most cases, to her credit, she walked a fair and
balanced line — the script was loaded with innuendos, describing Gulen
as a "personality cult", "wizard of Oz" and "prophet."
Why is this troublesome? And why do I […]

Questions Facing the Muslim World

By: Harold Rhode
June 4th, 2012
Many parts of the world, such as Korea, China, and India – basically medieval kingdoms fifty or sixty years ago — are now among the pacesetters of the modern world, both producing, and improving on, existing inventions. The Muslim world, however, often better off than these countries just half a century ago, has remained as it was, or has even, in many instances, deteriorated. This inertia in the Islamic world seems to stem not from any genetic limitations, or even religious ones, but purely from Islamic culture.
Although one can gain some insight into Islamic culture from books and other written material, if one is to really understand the Muslim world, there is no substitute for sitting in coffee or tea houses, spending time with Muslims, and asking them questions in their own surroundings and in their own languages. A result of these approaches would seem to indicate, with respect, some of the factors citizens of the Arab and Muslim world might wish to consider to use their extraordinary talents even more fully:
The Ability to Question – Western culture is predicated on questioning: inquiring of authorities how they came to the conclusions they reached — a concept […]

Ahmadinejad warns of enemy plots to urge division among Muslim Ummah

Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, warned here on Monday against the enemy plots to encourage division among Muslim nations.
Ahmadinejad warns of enemy plots to urge division among Muslim Ummah
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – He made the remarks in a meeting with Egyptian journalists and political activists, who were here to attend the 23rd anniversary of demise of Islamic Republic Founder late Imam Khomeini which was observed on June 3.
"Iran is ready to confer with the Arabic nations as brother counties on various regional and international issues; Muslim nations of the region are rich enough and their cooperation will boost their independence; Tehran is ready to extend its experience in all fields to all Muslim countries, including Egypt."
"Imam Khomeini believed that betterment of world affairs would be possible in light of betternment of each country's problems and all nations can lead peaceful co-existence if their governments are changed positively."
"All people form any background or color or region or races are regarded the same in Islam and it is a religion for all mankind."
President underlined that Iran's view toward recent regional Islamic Awakening is optimistic because it believes that these developments are rooted in the nations' desires.
"Iranian and Egyptian nations should work actively […]

Latest Article

Do Mullahs Represent Islam? Farooq Ahmad Khan

June 3rd, 2012
Unfortunately, several miscreants among the Muslims are found among the Mullahs of Pakistan and perhaps the Islamic world at large. The problem at hand is that these Mullahs have swerved from the actual teachings of Islam and have blemished its image all over the world. And they are also found in various other countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia etc. Many a time, they are quoted in news related to extremism, sex scandals and militancy.
The sayings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) make prophecies regarding the Mullahs (many of them are also so-called Ulema) of today. For example, in one saying we find:
"There will come a time when there will be nothing left of knowledge. People will make the ignorant their leaders and will seek guidance from them in matters of religion. These leaders will issue fatwa's without any knowledge. They will themselves be misguided and will lead others astray." (Mishkat, Kitab ul-Ilm, Chapter 3, P. 38)
Another Hadith adds to this:
"Their mosques will apparently be full of people, but they will have no soul in them. Their Ulema will be the worst miscreants and they will be a safe haven for discord." (Kanzal Ummal, Chapter […]

War with Iran is Inevitable: Dr. Avi Perry

Either the U.S. or Israel will have to undertake military action to stop Iran before the mullahs reach a nuclear status because sanctions and negotiations will not come up to scratch.
In my latest talk show on the Paltalk News Network, I discussed Iran's quest for becoming a nuclear power.
I predicted that the Islamic fundamentalist regime will not yield to the world's demands, that Iran will keep its macho talk loud and condescending. I claimed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will not cave in to pressure no matter what sanctions the Americans or the EU impose on the Islamic republic.
I asserted that although macho talk in the Islamic Middle East was a standard adopted by all militant Islamic leaders, the Iranian government would be flexing its muscles, flaunting its sharp teeth. It believes that economic sanctions will hurt but not as much as caving in to American demands.
I explained that in a culture where false honor precedes anything that moves under the sun, where life without "honor" is far worse than death, where honor killing is a religious diktat, caving in to economic sanctions is equivalent to an unconditional surrender. And surrendering to the "Great Satan" merely because life is […]

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – A Model For Sufi Islam

By Asghar Ali Engineer
(Secular Perspective June 1-15, 2012)
Sufi Islam, as pointed out by us repeatedly is most tolerant Islam which is highly compatible with multi-culturalism and pluralism. It flourished in India precisely for this reason. Not only that it produced many great Sufis of indigenous origin but many great Sufis were attracted to India from Persia, Arabia and other countries, especially Central Asia. India has been pluralistic for centuries. It never witnessed any period which had only one religion, or one language or one culture. It was always multi-cultural and multi-religious.
Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti, who was from Seistan, Iran also migrated to India via Central Asia after seeing Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in dream who asked him to go to India and spread the message of Islam. Hadith literature also tells us that the Prophet (PBUH) had great attraction for India and in one of the hadith he is reported to have said that I am getting cold breeze from India.
This year is the 800th year of visal (death) of Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti as he died in 1212 AD. There was unprecedented gathering at Ajmer where he is buried. More than 30,000 people came on this occasion to pay their respects to […]

Fight Terrorism, Not Terrorists

Fight Terrorism, Not Terrorists
Saturday, 02 June 2012 03:57 Amil Imani
To my thinking, Islam is the problem because there are Muslims who take its holy book, the Quran, as gospel and carry out its divisive and deadly provisions. Without Muslims, Muhammad's Quran would be just another historic relic sitting on library shelves, next to Hitler's Mein Kampf, gathering dust and criminals of the world have to find other instruction manuals to guide their activities.
What good is it to burn the Quran or desecrate it? The fire from burning the Quran only energizes the already zany fanatical believers of Allah to further engage in their world-dismembering acts.
People who keep proclaiming that they have nothing against Islam, but their battle is with Muslim terrorists are an enigma. Perhaps these people are the politically correct; the delusional who rearrange reality to their fancy; or the naïve who are incapable of dealing with facts. These people are either incapable or do not want to see that it is the Muslims, the active jihadists as well as their masses of supporters who are and remain culprits committing much of what is repugnant and harmful to civilized humanity.
If the fight is with Islam and not with Muslims, […]

Arab Intellectuals and the West

Arab-Muslim intellectuals have a responsibility to seriously reevaluate our relationship with the West now that the Arab Spring has provided a rare opportunity for such a worthwhile undertaking, insists Fathi El-Shihibi.
Middle East Online
Even though many Arab intellectuals have expressed hope that the Arab Spring would significantly change the dynamics permeating the relationship between the Arab and the Western worlds, however based on the outcomes of revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya, popular attitudes remain similar if not identical to those that were prevalent following the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt in July of 1798 which brought Egypt and with it the Arab Muslim world face to face with the scientific and technologically superior Europe. As I elaborated in details in my book, Arab, Muslim Travelers and the West, Arab/Muslim, attitudes towards the West since then took four different yet interwoven directions that continue to dominate intellectual discourses on the subject in and outside of academia.
The first direction which is still popular among both Arab secularists and Islamists is a selective process by means of which the Arab/Muslim culture adopts from European culture particularly those elements that complement and conform to the Arab/Islamic values and traditions. This trend was initially adopted […]

All-American 45 American Men on Being Muslim

Islam , Keith Ellison , American Muslim Men , Congressman Ellison , I Speak For Myself , Islam In America , Religious Books , White Cloud Publishing , Religion News
"It's not what you call me, but what I answer to."
–African proverb
Although a decade has passed since Sept. 11, 2001, and the world has been abuzz about Islam and what it means since then, it is clear Muslim-Americans must tell their own stories.
Many have attempted to define Islam and the people who adhere to the faith. Islam in America is not something new. Islam has been practiced in America for 14 generations, but our beliefs, our practices and even our daily lives remain woefully misunderstood.
As a Member of the United States Congress I can assure you that I have been well treated, well received and well respected by my colleagues. But because I get to discuss policy matters and be part of the public conversation every day, I can admit that misconceptions still exist.
What is regrettable is that in the past decade American Muslims have been associated with individuals who claim to practice the faith but actually use it as a means to establish their identity. These individuals have been willing […]

Chicago Islamic leader uses education as weapon against terrorism and discrimination

by Nolan Peterson
May 30, 2012
Gain Peace websiteTribune blog post about billboard controversy
Education is the weapon of choice for an area Islamic leader in his fight against the radicalization of Islamic youth and the discrimination of American Muslims.
Dr. Sabeel Ahmed, 36, is the director of the Gain Peace project, an Islamic outreach program based in Chicago. Ahmed blames misinterpretations of the Quran and Islam for the dual extremes of Islamophobia and violent Islamist radicalism. He sees education as the way forward to both break down stereotypes and counter terrorist groups looking to recruit Muslim-Americans to commit acts of violence.
Ahmed's organization sparked controversy five years ago after erecting a billboard near O'Hare Airport that asked "Why Islam?" But the Indian-born medical doctor insists education and peace are his goals, not conversion.
Q: What was the inspiration for creating Gain Peace? What are your goals?
A: Gain Peace is a part of the Islamic Circle of North America, a national organization with 26 chapters created in 1971. Gain Peace is an outreach to make sure we educate fellow Americans about the faith of Islam to do away with misconceptions about the religion. We do many projects, including inviting fellow Americans into mosques, to fight the […]

It Is Allowed to Marry a Girl at the Age of One: Dr. Ahmad Al-Mub'i, a Saudi Marriage Officiant

Dr. Ahmad Al-Mub'i, a Saudi Marriage Officiant: It Is Allowed to Marry a Girl at the Age of One, If Sex Is Postponed. The Prophet Muhammad, Whose Model We Follow, Married 'Aisha When She Was Six and Had Sex with Her When She Was Nine
Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi, a Saudi marriage officiant, which aired on LBC TV on June 19, 2008:
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi: Marriage is actually two things: First we are talking about the marriage contract itself. This is one thing, while consummating the marriage – having sex with the wife for the first time – is another thing. There is no minimal age for entering marriage. You can have a marriage contract even with a one-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of nine, seven, or eight. This is merely a contract [indicating] consent. The guardian in such a case must be the father, because the father's opinion is obligatory. Thus, the girl becomes a wife… But is the girl ready for sex or not? What is the appropriate age for having sex for the first time? This varies according to environment and traditions. In Yemen, girls are married off at nine, […]

Islam Is a Religion, and Therefore Protected by the Constitution

By Wendy Kaminer
May 30 2012
Plaintiffs in a Tennessee lawsuit want to deny local Muslims the right to build a mosque. Why? They claim it's not a legitimate faith and shouldn't be allowed First Amendment rights.
mosque-body.jpgThe Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, under construction (Reuters)
It's unclear whether a procedural victory for opponents of a controversial Islamic center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will delay or permanently enjoin completion of a mosque, under construction since last September. Equally unclear, without detailed knowledge of the facts, are the merits of Chancellor Robert Corlew's ruling that the planning commission had not provided proper public notice of the construction before granting a permit. But if this ruling is not a victory for bigotry (Corlew explicitly acknowledged the Islamic congregation's rights under the First Amendment and a federal statute), it is a victory for the bigots who opposed the mosque out of antipathy toward Islam and the idiotic claim that it is not a religion.
Mosque opponents effectively "put Islam on trial," KATV reports. At 2010 hearings, "a string of witnesses questioned whether Islam is a legitimate religion and promoted a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law and the mosque was a part […]

Deoband / Barelwi Unity: Destroying the Wahabis

The same thing i posted on deoband.org & waiting for a reply.
As Salaam alaikum
In the Name of Allah The Most Gracious , The Most Mericiful
May Peace & Blessings be upon the leader of Mankind , The Best of Allah creation , Muhammad Sallalahu Alahi wa sallam and on his family & companions
I have come here with good intentions not to disturb the peace of people of this forum. I am a Hanafi from the sub continent and i am fed up with this Deobandi & barelwi bashing.
I expect good conversations with elders like Amir Ibrahim on this forum who i have talked before on Orkut.
1) whats up with this deobandi & barelwi bashing ?
2) Do you realise that between the war of deobandi & barelwi has given a 3rd Deviant group known as Najdi / ahle-khabees great advantage .
3) while you were still bashing each other the deviant group planted its seeds with in the sub continent in front of your eyes.
Note : For the sake of ALLAH swt and the love of Imam Abu Hanfia (ra) the madhab which you both follow , why can't you keep your differences aside .
Don't you see how much damage this Najdi has […]

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Asadullah Syed