Islam for Women

Ramadan Kareem

Time of reflection, prayer and fasting.

Please meet Karen Armstrong

A British original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world.  She has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events.

Video, Karen Armstrong makes her TED Prize wish: 

The Charter for Compassion

Another article worth reading about two American  convert clerics :   U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern Middle Ground by Jim Wilson/The New York Times

“.. They say that Islam must be rescued from extremists who selectively cite Islamic scripture to justify terrorism. Though Mr. Yusuf and Mr. Shakir do not denounce particular scholars or schools of thought, their students say the two are challenging the influence of Islam’s more reactionary sects, like Wahhabism and Salafism, which has been spread to American mosques and schools by clerics trained in Saudi Arabia. Where Wahhabism and Salafism are often intolerant of other religions — even of other streams within Islam — Mr. Yusuf and Mr. Shakir teach that Islam is open to a diversity of interpretations honed by centuries of scholars…”

“.. When it came time for questions, one young man stepped to the microphone and asked: “You said we have an obligation to humanity. Did you mean to Muslims, or to everyone?”

Mr. Shakir responded: “The obligation is to everyone. All of the people are the dependents of Allah.”“

Wishing you a peaceful and rewarding month of fasting, may God show us all His wisdom!

Mona

The Station Egypt – Peace Song

A picture of a church next to the mosque in Bakus; a very crowded popular area in Alexandria, Egypt. A common scene in the Egyptian streets. (Photo: Amr Fayez)

Egyptian church torched over mixed-religion romance

“The Associated Press, Date: Saturday Mar. 5, 2011 9:01 AM ET

CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian security officials say Christian and Muslim families have clashed south of Cairo in a dispute over a romance between children from the two families. The fathers from both families have been killed and a crowd of Muslims has torched a church.

Mixed relationships are taboo in Egypt, where the Muslim majority and sizable Christian minority are both largely conservative. Such relationships are often the source of deadly clashes between the faiths. Christians also complain that they face discrimination.”

An Egyptian Muslim man walks past a mosque located directly opposite the Saints Church, unseen, in Alexandria, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011

Unrest in Norfh Africa, uneasy calm in Egypt about the future after the collapse of the old regime.  The last thing the Egyptians need now is a family feud over two young lovers. The boy a Christian Copt,  and a Muslim girl.  Although such marriages are acceptable from the religious point  (in this case the boy should convert though, if the girl were Christian it would not be required ) the families do not always agree!  As parents often do not, but in the unstable political setting in Egypt right now it is dangerous.  Certain extremist forces are trying to stir unrest, as we saw fe. on New Year day when suicide bomber destroyed a Church (it was located directly opposite the Mosque in the picture above).

Arab press angered by Coptic church blast

“The Egyptian press has reacted angrily to the suicide bombing that targeted a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year’s Day, with several papers saying it was an attack on all Egyptians, not just Christians.

The state and opposition press called on their compatriots to unite in the face of terrorism but two papers suggested the underlying causes of sectarian tension should be tackled…”

BBC has quoted from 14 articles in the Arab press all condemning the attack in harsh words:

“This treacherous criminal act not only targeted Egypt’s Copts, but also its Muslims. It also targeted Egypt’s stability, unity, destination and future… We are all in the same boat and we should join hands to confront those lurking to target Egypt’s security.”

“The Egyptians’ commitment to national unity increased after the blast at Alexandria’s church… Feelings of anger were rampant and calls for unity and retribution grew, perhaps more from Muslims than Christians… this terrorist attack shocked the homeland and broke the hearts of all Egyptians.”

I cannot quote them all so please visit the above link for them.  It is clear that these actions are serving the interests of people who do not really want peace for Egypt but are trying to stir unrest in a wider scale in the region!

Pope Shenouda of Egypt leads the Middle East’s largest Christian minority

The head of Egypt’s Coptic Church has appealed for calm as protesters clashed with police for a third day after a New Year’s Day blast killed 23 churchgoers.

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt’s Coptic Pope Shenouda III appealed for calm on Monday as Christian protesters clashed with police for a third day in a row after a New Year’s Day bombing killed 21 churchgoers. The spiritual head of the Middle East’s largest Christian minority also called on the government to address his flock’s grievances. The unrest came as police went on high alert and tightened church security for Christmas, which Copts celebrate on Friday, as investigators hunted the perpetrators of the Alexandria church bombing…

Is revolution in Mid-East bad for women’s rights?

An article about women in Tunisia and Egypt after the fall of the regimes. In both countries they had already achieved significant progress but are now fearful of the possibility of conservative circles turning the tide backwards.

I am worried but optimistic; the Egyptians and Tunisians have now a great chance to work on democratic changes for a better future for all.

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting is almost over. May God accept our fasting and show us His Wisdom!

In the News: A pastor of a small Church in Florida is planning a Quran burning event and has caused an international and national outcry.

Pressure rises on pastor who wants to burn Quran

By MITCH STACY, Associated Press Writer – Tue Sep 7, 7:50 pm ET
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The government turned up the pressure Tuesday on the head of a small Florida church who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, warning him that doing so could endanger U.S. troops and Americans everywhere.
But the Rev. Terry Jones insisted he would go ahead with his plans, despite criticism from the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, the White House and the State Department, as well as a host of religious leaders.
Jones, who is known for posting signs proclaiming that Islam is the devil’s religion, says the Constitution gives him the right to publicly set fire to the book that Muslims consider the word of God……

Clinton condemns 9/11 Quran burning

Hillary Clinton has added her name to a long list of those who have condemned plans by a Florida church to burn copies of the Quran on September 11 as “a warning to radical Islam”. The burning is planned to take place at the Dove World Outreach Centre, a 50-member evangelical Christian church in Gainesville, Florida. Its pastor, Rev Terry Jones, told CNN that he is taking the widespread criticism “seriously”, but refused to say whether the event would be cancelled….

Needles to say what happens if the event will be allowed. This is same kind of provocation as we witnessed in the Danish Muhammad Cartoon episode. Before that the cartoons were published in Egypt and in Jordan a few months prior to it nobody bothering to protest or even take notice. Both countries are predominantly Muslim (for the reference). Only after the Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten (responsible for the cartoons is their culture editor Flemming Rose) started a worldwide campaign in prime time news the local media in Muslim countries had to join in reporting about the turmoil. I was witnessing the hype in disbelief .
Only after BBC and CNN etc. were full of protest and flag burning coverage the Arab media joined in reporting, they had no other choice. And so it snowballed, for a few stupid cartoons. TV cameras were on the spot in remote places (how did they know?) when Danish flags were burning and these unforgettable pictures are still haunting many Muslim minds.

But my Muslim readers:
The Books they are planning to burn are nothing more than Paper! The Holy Quran is a Message from God which cannot be burned.

If the Muslim world agrees to be a tool of this provocation the consequences can be unpredictable.

We should keep our cool and take it as it is: an action of a simple-minded, misinformed fanatic and disturbed mind. Head of a small community of 50 souls. But it has gained a wider audience and people are sending him copies  Qurans from all over the country now.

I’m trying to imagine how the media in the Christian world would react if Muslims would start burning Bibles in front of their Mosques. I can assure my to Non-Muslim readers that will not happen, well, perhaps as here  a 50 soul extremist community could try to do it, but it would Never be in a wider scale.  Jews and Christians are considered as the “People of the Book”, meaning they have received the same Message from God prior to Muslims.

I am missing Common Sense here. Wishing Peace of Mind to my readers, nevertheless
Happy Eid to All!

Mona