Abu Dharr October 2008

Abu Dharr (Daily Terror) October 2008
Friday October 31 2008 Jack Straw makes clear Sharia principles subject to English law Richard Ford, Times Jack Straw last night made clear that Sharia principles will always be subject to English law. Sharia principles could be used to resolve family and other personal disputes but no English court would endorse any agreement which conflicted with English law. Mr Straw, the justice secretary, said in a speech in London: “I am firm in disagreeing with those who say that Sharia law should be made a separate system in the UK.” Muslim artist gets death threats BBC News Online A Muslim artist exhibiting her work at a west London gallery, has received death threats via email. Staff at SaLon gallery in Notting Hill said they had received violent emails about Ms Maple, 23, and her family. The glass front of the gallery has also been smashed with staff receiving abusive phone calls since the start of her exhibition on 16 October. Some sections of the Muslim community have criticised her in the past for her portrayal of her religion. One work showed... Towards a feminist view of Islam Asma Barlas, Guardian CiF The third International Congress on Islamic Feminism in Barcelona had some participants who were entirely secular, and others who would not call themselves feminists at all. It didn't even deal entirely with problems in Muslim countries. Yet it was worthwhile. Some of us think of ourselves as "believing women", and, among other things, we hold that as long as Muslims continue to read gender inequalities into the Qur'an, we will not be able to ensure gender equality in Muslim societies. In defence of Rashid Khalidi Michelle Goldberg, Guardian CiF In the waning days of the election, the McCain campaign has realised that its attempts to tie Barack Obama to "unrepentant domestic terrorist" Bill Ayers aren't having much effect. So it's trying a new tactic, blasting the candidate for consorting with unrepentant domestic Palestinian Rashid Khalidi. Now an eminent professor of Arab studies at Columbia, Khalidi, like Obama, formerly taught at the University of Chicago, where the two men were friends. Under suspicion from cradle to grave (Muslim News) Last word on the Brand/Sachs/Ross affair (5CC) New Institute Website (The Cutting Edge) Israel Builds Museum on Muslim Graves (IslamOnline) Trondheim: Koran read during church service (Islam in Europe) Joe Hussein the Plumber (Alt.Muslim) Wednesday October 29 2008 Preachers of pluralism David Edgar, The Guardian That narrative is powerfully countered in Race & Class, the journal of the Institute of Race Relations (on whose board I sit). Arun Kundnani's article starts from the identity crisis of second-generation Muslims - but takes it in a very different direction. He explains the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Sayyid Qutb, not in terms of his (undoubted) social fundamentalism, but of his insistence that it's up to individual Muslims how to interpret their religion. Time for change Salma Yaqoob, guardian.co.uk The tide has certainly turned. For decades, ideas that were once were a reference point for social progress have been derided and marginalised. Now the neo-liberal consensus, which was certain of its own invincibility, has been swept aside by what could well be the greatest financial crisis in history. Millions can now see with their own eyes that the emperor has no clothes. It is an opportunity, certainly, for the left to reassert a vision of a new world. Muslim drinking row led to murder, court told Press Association/The Guardian A Somali teenager was beaten to death by a gang of men because of a row over Muslims drinking alcohol, a court heard yesterday. Ahmed Ibrahim, 17, was beaten across the head with a samurai sword, baseball bat, machete and metal pole after being chased in Sefton Park, Liverpool, on March 10. He had accompanied his cousin Ahmed Mahamoud Ahmed, 16, who went to the spot for "a straightener" - a one-on-one fight - with alleged killer Ali Mohammed, 19. Muslim school run by 'theocrats' claims NSS (Islamophobia Watch) Two Muslim women accuse City firm of religious discrimination (Islamophobia Watch) Tuesday October 28 2008 Muslim doctor Muhammad Siddiq faces misconduct hearing over gay slurs David Rose, Times A prominent Muslim doctor has appeared before a misconduct hearing after declaring that society needs "protecting from the ravages" of homosexuality. Dr Muhammad Siddiq, 65, president of the Islamic Medical Association ... is currently suspended from practising, made the comments in a letter to Pulse, the medical magazine, which generated a stream of complaints when it was published last year. How these gibbering numbskulls came to dominate Washington George Monbiot, The Guardian In the most powerful nation on earth, one adult in five believes the sun revolves round the earth; only 26% accept that evolution takes place by means of natural selection; two-thirds of young adults are unable to find Iraq on a map; two-thirds of US voters cannot name the three branches of government; the maths skills of 15-year-olds in the US are ranked 24th out of the 29 countries of the OECD. But this merely extends the mystery.. (read the comments that follow this piece of vacuous shite). Smith strengthens rules on banning extremists Alan Travis, The Guardian Measures to ban foreign-born "preachers of hate" and other violent extremists from Britain are to be outlined by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, today. She is expected to strengthen the rules on excluding from Britain those who are "suspected of stirring up tensions". The move will cover anti-abortionists, animal rights extremists, neo-Nazis as well as extremist clerics. The burden of proof is to be placed on the individuals concerned by demanding that they refute accusations made against them... [The shame game - Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF] Monday October 27 2008 Controversial biopic of Muhammad set for remake Xan Brooks, Guardian It was one of the most controversial films of the 70s: an English-language biopic of the prophet Muhammad that was bankrolled by Gadafy and went on to trigger a fatal siege ahead of its US premiere. Now The Message could be set for a grand return to the fray courtesy of a 21st-century Hollywood remake. Producer Oscar Zoghbi, who worked on the original, today announced that the new version – entitled The Messenger of Peace – was currently being scripted by Ramzi Thomas... Police are warned of Ramadan tensions during Games Richard Kerbaj and Ruth Gledhill, Times Specialist advice is being given to Scotland Yard on how to reduce tensions between police and Muslims during the London Olympics because of growing concerns about the Games clashing with the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during the day, The Times has learnt. Experts will also warn the Metropolitan Police to ensure that the planned commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Games... Catholic bishops want practical results from Muslim dialogue (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld) Richard Dawkins rips into Harun Yahya and Muslim creationism (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld) Islamists stone Somali woman to death for adultery (Reuters) Sharia rulings 'can go to courts' BBC News Online Decisions made under Islamic sharia law can be accepted by English and Welsh family courts, a minister has confirmed. Sharia, a set of principles governing the way many Muslims believe they should live, is not legally binding. But rulings passed on separating couples by a sharia council can be "rubber stamped" by the courts, said justice minister Bridget Prentice. Conservatives argue that parallel legal systems have "no place" in the country. Muslim watershed Germany's biggest mosque opens Kate Connolly, The Guardian It has a 34-metre minaret and a dome-shaped ceiling handpainted with floral patterns and verses from the Qur'an. Its crowning glory is a golden chandelier engraved with 99 epithets for Allah, and there is seating for 2,000 worshippers. Germany's biggest mosque opens tomorrow in the Ruhr valley city of Duisburg in what leaders of Germany's 3 million Muslims have described as a watershed moment, bringing mosques out of the backyards and alleys and into the middle of urban life. Israel invites Cat Stevens then tells him 'stay away' Donald Macintyre, Independent The British Muslim singer Yusuf Islam has lost the chance to sing "Peace Train", the hit he made world-famous as Cat Stevens, in Israel after his planned visit to the country was cancelled by the hosts who originally invited him. Islam was to perform at the high-profile 10th anniversary celebrations in Tel Aviv of The Peres Centre for Peace, a leading organisation founded by Israel's present President, Shimon Peres, and devoted to improving Israeli-Palestinian relations. Sharia law incompatible with human rights legislation, Lords say Afua Hirsch, guardian.co.uk The House of Lords today drew stark attention to the conflict between sharia and UK law, calling the Islamic legal code "wholly incompatible" with human rights legislation. The remarks came as the Lords considered the case of a woman who, if she was sent back to Lebanon, would be obliged under sharia law to hand over custody of her 12-year-old son to a man who beat her, threw her off a balcony and, on one occasion, attempted to strangle her. It wasn't Trevor or Moira - I was the first black British TV presenter Barbara Blake Hannah The Guardian Your poster series last week described Trevor McDonald as becoming the "first black British newsreader" in 1973, and Moira Stuart as becoming "Britain's first black woman news presenter" in 1981 (The Black History Timeline, October 13-17). Not taking anything away from my excellent colleagues, I must put history right and state that in 1968 I made headlines in British newspapers when I was appointed one of three on-camera reporter/interviewers on Thames-TV's daily evening show... Could sharia car insurance save you a fortune? Miles Brignall, Guardian This week the snappily named Salaam Insurance announced it was taking its "halal car insurance" to a wider audience than Britain's 2 million Muslims. And with good reason - this sharia-compliant product is attractive enough to give many established insurers a run for their money. For years the UK has had sharia-compliant mortgages engineered so that borrowers pay for their loan without incurring interest charges - something outlawed by sharia rules. Sony delays PlayStation game over Qur'an lyrics Elizabeth Stewart and agencies, guardian.co.uk The release of a video game has been delayed amid fears that lyrics in a song for the background music could offend Muslims. Sony's LittleBigPlanet (LBP) was held back after it was discovered that one of the background music tracks to the game included expressions from the Qur'an. Sony is recalling all copies of LBP that had been sent to retailers and is manufacturing new discs of the PlayStation 3 blockbuster, removing the music track by the Mali-born singer Toumani Diabate. Nick Clegg attacks Policy Exchange for 'offensive' and 'underhand' briefing (Islamophobia Watch) Mirza Masroor shakes Nazir-Ali’s Hand (Suspect Paki) Belgium: First female imam in Europe (Islam in Europe) Senior Anglican boosts hysterical campaign against Newham 'mega-mosque' (Islamophobia Watch) Teenage bomb plot accused cleared (Islamophobia Watch) Not in my name [murder of Gayle Williams] (Ziauddin Sardar) Muslims for America [Colin Powell Speech] Wajahat Ali, Guardian CiF) Saturday October 18 2008 US academic first woman to lead Muslim prayers in UK Riazat Butt and Niki Nixon, The Guardian It was, said the organisers, as historic and radical an act as Emmeline Pankhurst chaining herself to railings outside the Houses of Parliament. But for others a Muslim service led by a woman was sacrilege. Amina Wadud, an American academic, yesterday became the first woman to lead British Muslims in mixed congregational prayers and deliver the Friday sermon. Wadud, who converted to Islam more than 30 years ago, addressed a group of about 15 men and women.... Creationist gets website blocked Robert Tait, The Guardian The website of Turkey's third largest-selling newspaper has been blocked after a complaint by an Islamic creationist. Turkish internet users are now denied access to the Vatan newspaper's website, gazetevatan.com, after a court decided it had insulted Adnan Oktar, a prolific Turkish writer who disputes the theory of evolution. It is believed to be the first major newspaper site to be blocked. About 850 sites are already filtered. Oktar, who last month successfully had the website of the British evolutionist Richard Dawkins blocked in Turkey... Wednesday October 15 2008 Evangelical leader urges Anglicans to break away Riazat Butt, The Guardian, English churches opposing the ordination of women and homosexuals are planning to defect from the Church of England to join the Global Anglican Future Conference, a breakaway movement launched earlier this year. Rod Thomas, chair of the conservative evangelical group Reform, warned that orthodox figures such as Michael Nazir-Ali, the bishop of Rochester, were increasingly sidelined in favour of liberals and called on congregations to support the development of a UK wing in Gafcon... Tuesday October 14 2008 Brown abandons 42-day detention after Lords defeat Nicholas Watt, Guardian Gordon Brown tonight abandoned his parliamentary battle to allow police to detain terror suspects without charge for up to 42 days, after the Lords overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by 191 votes. In an emergency statement to MPs tonight, Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, said that the counter-terrorism bill would continue its journey through parliament without the 42 day measure. But in a face saving gesture, the government will publish a bill containing the 42 day plan; this bill will be held in reserve to be introduced should there be a terrorist emergency. Shari'a law called 'racist, backward' at meeting of ex-Muslims (Islamophobia Watch) Looking for the red lines between Christianity and Islam (Tom Heneghan, Faith World) Letter of Complaint to the Moral Maze (Bradford Muslim) More white shite (Five Chinese Crackers) Secret papers show Bliar was corrupt! Bears shit in woods shocker! (Rebellion Sucks!) Open Source Research Tools (CLOSER) FAIR on Islamophobic "smearcasting" (Akram's Razor) Friday October 10 2008 Church of Scotland backs Islamic sharia law courts The Scotsman THE Church of Scotland last night welcomed the possibility of introducing sharia law courts in Scotland. Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Church and Society Council, said sharia courts had been unfairly portrayed following the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments in February that it "seems unavoidable" that parts of Islamic sharia law would be adopted in the UK. Yesterday, The Scotsman revealed the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire... Teenage Trotsky is Cabinet's new adviser on radical Islam Steve Doughty and Chris Brooke, Mail A teenage Muslim enlisted to advise ministers on combating extremism is herself a member of a Trotskyist revolutionary party. Sabiha Iqbal, 18, the privately educated daughter of a civil servant, belongs to the Socialist Workers Party, which is dedicated to the overthrow of parliament, the state and capitalism. The appointment of the law student from Bradford to the Young Muslim Advisory Group was greeted with incredulity by intelligence experts yesterday. Muslim gangs 'force inmates to convert' Jack Doyle, PA/Independent Muslim prison gangs are trying to force other inmates to sign up to Islamic radicalism, prison officers said. Extremists at high security HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire were pushing a "strict and extreme" interpretation of Islamic practice, inspectors were told. Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said: "There was a perception among officers that some Muslim prisoners operated as a gang and put pressures on non-Muslim prisoners to convert... “Religulous” — a film call to atheist arms (Ed Stoddard, FaithWorld) There’s something about Aishah (Marwa Elnaggar, Alt.Muslim) Wednesday October 08 2008 Novel about Mohammad’s wife published — what comes next? Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld The Jewel of Medina, a novel about the Prophet Mohammad’s child bride Aisha already linked to an arson attack in London, was rushed into U.S. bookstores on Monday in a bid to head off any other violence. Author Sherry Jones says it’s a respectful account of Aisha’s life but Random House baulked at publishing it after being warned it could offend Muslims and provoke violence from a “small, radical segment”. Publisher Eric Kampmann, president of the Beaufort Books company... In setback for Bush, judge orders release of Guantánamo detainees Reuters, Guardian A US federal judge yesterday ordered the release into the United States of 17 Chinese Muslims who have been held at the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, a ruling that dealt a setback to the Bush administration. District Judge Ricardo Urbina gave his ruling at a hearing to consider the appeals by members of the Uighur ethnic group, who are seeking their release from the military prison and asking to go to the US. Islamic artist's innovative graffiti Asian Image An innovative artist who fuses graffiti with Islamic script will paint his trademark spiritual murals on Burnley walls. Birmingham-based Mohammed Ali, who has just returned from working in Toronto, Canada, is spend-ing three days in Burnley as part of the Love and Etiquette Foundation's Jamaal project. The "urban spiritual art" will be used to cover up daubings on the walls of buildings, in an area where there is a problem with graffiti. Tuesday October 07 2008 Vicar could be disciplined for blog slurs against gays and Muslims Riazat Butt, guardian.co.uk A Church of England vicar could face disciplinary action for saying gay men should have "sodomy" warnings tattooed on their bodies. The Rev Peter Mullen, who is a parish priest and rector in the City of London, made the remarks on his blog, which has since been removed from the web under an agreement with diocesan officials. Mullen, 66, wrote it was time for religious believers to recommend the discouragement of homosexual practices in the style of cigarette packet warnings.
index

Abu Dharr (Daily Terror) October 2008

Friday October 31 2008
Jack Straw makes clear Sharia principles subject to English law
Richard Ford, Times
Jack Straw last night made clear that Sharia principles will always be subject to English law. Sharia principles could be used to resolve family and other personal disputes but no English court would endorse any agreement which conflicted with English law. Mr Straw, the justice secretary, said in a speech in London: “I am firm in disagreeing with those who say that Sharia law should be made a separate system in the UK.”

Muslim artist gets death threats
BBC News Online
A Muslim artist exhibiting her work at a west London gallery, has received death threats via email. Staff at SaLon gallery in Notting Hill said they had received violent emails about Ms Maple, 23, and her family. The glass front of the gallery has also been smashed with staff receiving abusive phone calls since the start of her exhibition on 16 October. Some sections of the Muslim community have criticised her in the past for her portrayal of her religion. One work showed...

Towards a feminist view of Islam
Asma Barlas, Guardian CiF
The third International Congress on Islamic Feminism in Barcelona had some participants who were entirely secular, and others who would not call themselves feminists at all. It didn't even deal entirely with problems in Muslim countries. Yet it was worthwhile. Some of us think of ourselves as "believing women", and, among other things, we hold that as long as Muslims continue to read gender inequalities into the Qur'an, we will not be able to ensure gender equality in Muslim societies.

In defence of Rashid Khalidi
Michelle Goldberg, Guardian CiF
In the waning days of the election, the McCain campaign has realised that its attempts to tie Barack Obama to "unrepentant domestic terrorist" Bill Ayers aren't having much effect. So it's trying a new tactic, blasting the candidate for consorting with unrepentant domestic Palestinian Rashid Khalidi. Now an eminent professor of Arab studies at Columbia, Khalidi, like Obama, formerly taught at the University of Chicago, where the two men were friends.

Under suspicion from cradle to grave (Muslim News)
Last word on the Brand/Sachs/Ross affair (5CC)
New Institute Website (The Cutting Edge)
Israel Builds Museum on Muslim Graves (IslamOnline)
Trondheim: Koran read during church service (Islam in Europe)
Joe Hussein the Plumber (Alt.Muslim)

Wednesday October 29 2008
Preachers of pluralism
David Edgar, The Guardian
That narrative is powerfully countered in Race & Class, the journal of the Institute of Race Relations (on whose board I sit). Arun Kundnani's article starts from the identity crisis of second-generation Muslims - but takes it in a very different direction. He explains the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Sayyid Qutb, not in terms of his (undoubted) social fundamentalism, but of his insistence that it's up to individual Muslims how to interpret their religion.

Time for change
Salma Yaqoob, guardian.co.uk
The tide has certainly turned. For decades, ideas that were once were a reference point for social progress have been derided and marginalised. Now the neo-liberal consensus, which was certain of its own invincibility, has been swept aside by what could well be the greatest financial crisis in history. Millions can now see with their own eyes that the emperor has no clothes. It is an opportunity, certainly, for the left to reassert a vision of a new world.

Muslim drinking row led to murder, court told
Press Association/The Guardian
A Somali teenager was beaten to death by a gang of men because of a row over Muslims drinking alcohol, a court heard yesterday. Ahmed Ibrahim, 17, was beaten across the head with a samurai sword, baseball bat, machete and metal pole after being chased in Sefton Park, Liverpool, on March 10. He had accompanied his cousin Ahmed Mahamoud Ahmed, 16, who went to the spot for "a straightener" - a one-on-one fight - with alleged killer Ali Mohammed, 19.

Muslim school run by 'theocrats' claims NSS (Islamophobia Watch)
Two Muslim women accuse City firm of religious discrimination (Islamophobia Watch)

Tuesday October 28 2008
Muslim doctor Muhammad Siddiq faces misconduct hearing over gay slurs
David Rose, Times
A prominent Muslim doctor has appeared before a misconduct hearing after declaring that society needs "protecting from the ravages" of homosexuality. Dr Muhammad Siddiq, 65, president of the Islamic Medical Association ... is currently suspended from practising, made the comments in a letter to Pulse, the medical magazine, which generated a stream of complaints when it was published last year.

How these gibbering numbskulls came to dominate Washington
George Monbiot, The Guardian
In the most powerful nation on earth, one adult in five believes the sun revolves round the earth; only 26% accept that evolution takes place by means of natural selection; two-thirds of young adults are unable to find Iraq on a map; two-thirds of US voters cannot name the three branches of government; the maths skills of 15-year-olds in the US are ranked 24th out of the 29 countries of the OECD. But this merely extends the mystery.. (read the comments that follow this piece of vacuous shite).

Smith strengthens rules on banning extremists
Alan Travis, The Guardian
Measures to ban foreign-born "preachers of hate" and other violent extremists from Britain are to be outlined by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, today. She is expected to strengthen the rules on excluding from Britain those who are "suspected of stirring up tensions". The move will cover anti-abortionists, animal rights extremists, neo-Nazis as well as extremist clerics. The burden of proof is to be placed on the individuals concerned by demanding that they refute accusations made against them...
[The shame game - Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF]

Monday October 27 2008
Controversial biopic of Muhammad set for remake
Xan Brooks, Guardian
It was one of the most controversial films of the 70s: an English-language biopic of the prophet Muhammad that was bankrolled by Gadafy and went on to trigger a fatal siege ahead of its US premiere. Now The Message could be set for a grand return to the fray courtesy of a 21st-century Hollywood remake. Producer Oscar Zoghbi, who worked on the original, today announced that the new version – entitled The Messenger of Peace – was currently being scripted by Ramzi Thomas...

Police are warned of Ramadan tensions during Games
Richard Kerbaj and Ruth Gledhill, Times
Specialist advice is being given to Scotland Yard on how to reduce tensions between police and Muslims during the London Olympics because of growing concerns about the Games clashing with the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during the day, The Times has learnt. Experts will also warn the Metropolitan Police to ensure that the planned commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Games...

Catholic bishops want practical results from Muslim dialogue (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld)
Richard Dawkins rips into Harun Yahya and Muslim creationism (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld)
Islamists stone Somali woman to death for adultery (Reuters)

Sharia rulings 'can go to courts'
BBC News Online
Decisions made under Islamic sharia law can be accepted by English and Welsh family courts, a minister has confirmed. Sharia, a set of principles governing the way many Muslims believe they should live, is not legally binding. But rulings passed on separating couples by a sharia council can be "rubber stamped" by the courts, said justice minister Bridget Prentice. Conservatives argue that parallel legal systems have "no place" in the country.

Muslim watershed Germany's biggest mosque opens
Kate Connolly, The Guardian
It has a 34-metre minaret and a dome-shaped ceiling handpainted with floral patterns and verses from the Qur'an. Its crowning glory is a golden chandelier engraved with 99 epithets for Allah, and there is seating for 2,000 worshippers. Germany's biggest mosque opens tomorrow in the Ruhr valley city of Duisburg in what leaders of Germany's 3 million Muslims have described as a watershed moment, bringing mosques out of the backyards and alleys and into the middle of urban life.

Israel invites Cat Stevens then tells him 'stay away'
Donald Macintyre, Independent
The British Muslim singer Yusuf Islam has lost the chance to sing "Peace Train", the hit he made world-famous as Cat Stevens, in Israel after his planned visit to the country was cancelled by the hosts who originally invited him. Islam was to perform at the high-profile 10th anniversary celebrations in Tel Aviv of The Peres Centre for Peace, a leading organisation founded by Israel's present President, Shimon Peres, and devoted to improving Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Sharia law incompatible with human rights legislation, Lords say
Afua Hirsch, guardian.co.uk
The House of Lords today drew stark attention to the conflict between sharia and UK law, calling the Islamic legal code "wholly incompatible" with human rights legislation. The remarks came as the Lords considered the case of a woman who, if she was sent back to Lebanon, would be obliged under sharia law to hand over custody of her 12-year-old son to a man who beat her, threw her off a balcony and, on one occasion, attempted to strangle her.

It wasn't Trevor or Moira - I was the first black British TV presenter
Barbara Blake Hannah The Guardian
Your poster series last week described Trevor McDonald as becoming the "first black British newsreader" in 1973, and Moira Stuart as becoming "Britain's first black woman news presenter" in 1981 (The Black History Timeline, October 13-17). Not taking anything away from my excellent colleagues, I must put history right and state that in 1968 I made headlines in British newspapers when I was appointed one of three on-camera reporter/interviewers on Thames-TV's daily evening show...

Could sharia car insurance save you a fortune?
Miles Brignall, Guardian
This week the snappily named Salaam Insurance announced it was taking its "halal car insurance" to a wider audience than Britain's 2 million Muslims. And with good reason - this sharia-compliant product is attractive enough to give many established insurers a run for their money. For years the UK has had sharia-compliant mortgages engineered so that borrowers pay for their loan without incurring interest charges - something outlawed by sharia rules.

Sony delays PlayStation game over Qur'an lyrics
Elizabeth Stewart and agencies, guardian.co.uk
The release of a video game has been delayed amid fears that lyrics in a song for the background music could offend Muslims. Sony's LittleBigPlanet (LBP) was held back after it was discovered that one of the background music tracks to the game included expressions from the Qur'an. Sony is recalling all copies of LBP that had been sent to retailers and is manufacturing new discs of the PlayStation 3 blockbuster, removing the music track by the Mali-born singer Toumani Diabate.

Nick Clegg attacks Policy Exchange for 'offensive' and 'underhand' briefing (Islamophobia Watch)
Mirza Masroor shakes Nazir-Ali’s Hand (Suspect Paki)
Belgium: First female imam in Europe (Islam in Europe)
Senior Anglican boosts hysterical campaign against Newham 'mega-mosque' (Islamophobia Watch)
Teenage bomb plot accused cleared (Islamophobia Watch)
Not in my name [murder of Gayle Williams] (Ziauddin Sardar)
Muslims for America [Colin Powell Speech] Wajahat Ali, Guardian CiF)

Saturday October 18 2008
US academic first woman to lead Muslim prayers in UK
Riazat Butt and Niki Nixon, The Guardian
It was, said the organisers, as historic and radical an act as Emmeline Pankhurst chaining herself to railings outside the Houses of Parliament. But for others a Muslim service led by a woman was sacrilege. Amina Wadud, an American academic, yesterday became the first woman to lead British Muslims in mixed congregational prayers and deliver the Friday sermon. Wadud, who converted to Islam more than 30 years ago, addressed a group of about 15 men and women....

Creationist gets website blocked
Robert Tait, The Guardian
The website of Turkey's third largest-selling newspaper has been blocked after a complaint by an Islamic creationist. Turkish internet users are now denied access to the Vatan newspaper's website, gazetevatan.com, after a court decided it had insulted Adnan Oktar, a prolific Turkish writer who disputes the theory of evolution. It is believed to be the first major newspaper site to be blocked. About 850 sites are already filtered. Oktar, who last month successfully had the website of the British evolutionist Richard Dawkins blocked in Turkey...

Wednesday October 15 2008
Evangelical leader urges Anglicans to break away
Riazat Butt, The Guardian,
English churches opposing the ordination of women and homosexuals are planning to defect from the Church of England to join the Global Anglican Future Conference, a breakaway movement launched earlier this year. Rod Thomas, chair of the conservative evangelical group Reform, warned that orthodox figures such as Michael Nazir-Ali, the bishop of Rochester, were increasingly sidelined in favour of liberals and called on congregations to support the development of a UK wing in Gafcon...

Tuesday October 14 2008
Brown abandons 42-day detention after Lords defeat
Nicholas Watt, Guardian
Gordon Brown tonight abandoned his parliamentary battle to allow police to detain terror suspects without charge for up to 42 days, after the Lords overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by 191 votes. In an emergency statement to MPs tonight, Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, said that the counter-terrorism bill would continue its journey through parliament without the 42 day measure. But in a face saving gesture, the government will publish a bill containing the 42 day plan; this bill will be held in reserve to be introduced should there be a terrorist emergency.

Shari'a law called 'racist, backward' at meeting of ex-Muslims (Islamophobia Watch)
Looking for the red lines between Christianity and Islam (Tom Heneghan, Faith World)
Letter of Complaint to the Moral Maze (Bradford Muslim)
More white shite (Five Chinese Crackers)
Secret papers show Bliar was corrupt! Bears shit in woods shocker! (Rebellion Sucks!)
Open Source Research Tools (CLOSER)
FAIR on Islamophobic "smearcasting" (Akram's Razor)

Friday October 10 2008
Church of Scotland backs Islamic sharia law courts
The Scotsman
THE Church of Scotland last night welcomed the possibility of introducing sharia law courts in Scotland. Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Church and Society Council, said sharia courts had been unfairly portrayed following the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments in February that it "seems unavoidable" that parts of Islamic sharia law would be adopted in the UK. Yesterday, The Scotsman revealed the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire...

Teenage Trotsky is Cabinet's new adviser on radical Islam
Steve Doughty and Chris Brooke, Mail
A teenage Muslim enlisted to advise ministers on combating extremism is herself a member of a Trotskyist revolutionary party. Sabiha Iqbal, 18, the privately educated daughter of a civil servant, belongs to the Socialist Workers Party, which is dedicated to the overthrow of parliament, the state and capitalism. The appointment of the law student from Bradford to the Young Muslim Advisory Group was greeted with incredulity by intelligence experts yesterday.

Muslim gangs 'force inmates to convert'
Jack Doyle, PA/Independent
Muslim prison gangs are trying to force other inmates to sign up to Islamic radicalism, prison officers said. Extremists at high security HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire were pushing a "strict and extreme" interpretation of Islamic practice, inspectors were told. Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said: "There was a perception among officers that some Muslim prisoners operated as a gang and put pressures on non-Muslim prisoners to convert...

“Religulous” — a film call to atheist arms (Ed Stoddard, FaithWorld)
There’s something about Aishah (Marwa Elnaggar, Alt.Muslim)

Wednesday October 08 2008
Novel about Mohammad’s wife published — what comes next?
Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld
The Jewel of Medina, a novel about the Prophet Mohammad’s child bride Aisha already linked to an arson attack in London, was rushed into U.S. bookstores on Monday in a bid to head off any other violence. Author Sherry Jones says it’s a respectful account of Aisha’s life but Random House baulked at publishing it after being warned it could offend Muslims and provoke violence from a “small, radical segment”. Publisher Eric Kampmann, president of the Beaufort Books company...

In setback for Bush, judge orders release of Guantánamo detainees
Reuters, Guardian
A US federal judge yesterday ordered the release into the United States of 17 Chinese Muslims who have been held at the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, a ruling that dealt a setback to the Bush administration. District Judge Ricardo Urbina gave his ruling at a hearing to consider the appeals by members of the Uighur ethnic group, who are seeking their release from the military prison and asking to go to the US.

Islamic artist's innovative graffiti
Asian Image
An innovative artist who fuses graffiti with Islamic script will paint his trademark spiritual murals on Burnley walls. Birmingham-based Mohammed Ali, who has just returned from working in Toronto, Canada, is spend-ing three days in Burnley as part of the Love and Etiquette Foundation's Jamaal project. The "urban spiritual art" will be used to cover up daubings on the walls of buildings, in an area where there is a problem with graffiti.

Tuesday October 07 2008
Vicar could be disciplined for blog slurs against gays and Muslims
Riazat Butt, guardian.co.uk
A Church of England vicar could face disciplinary action for saying gay men should have "sodomy" warnings tattooed on their bodies. The Rev Peter Mullen, who is a parish priest and rector in the City of London, made the remarks on his blog, which has since been removed from the web under an agreement with diocesan officials. Mullen, 66, wrote it was time for religious believers to recommend the discouragement of homosexual practices in the style of cigarette packet warnings.

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