Women protest against proposed Iraq law that would allow marriage of nine-year-old girls

About two dozen Iraqi women demonstrated on Saturday in Baghdad against a draft law approved by the Iraqi cabinet that would permit the marriage of nine-year-old girls and automatically give child custody to fathers.

The group’s protest was on International Women’s Day and a week after the cabinet voted for the legislation, based on Shi’ite Islamic jurisprudence, allowing clergy to preside over marriages, divorces and inheritances. The draft now goes to parliament.

“On this day of women, women of Iraq are in mourning,” the protesters shouted. [Reuters] Read more

Hollywood blockbuster film ‘Noah’ faces ban in the Arab world

Three Arab countries have banned the Hollywood film “Noah” on religious grounds even before its worldwide premiere and several others are expected to follow suit, a representative of Paramount Pictures told Reuters on Saturday.

Islam frowns upon representing holy figures in art and depictions of the Prophet Mohammad in European and North American media have repeatedly sparked deadly protests in Islamic countries over the last decade, fanning cultural tensions with the West.

“Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries,” a representative of Paramount Pictures, which produced the $125 million film starring Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, told Reuters. [Reuters Blogs - FaithWorld] Read more

Islam needs its John Locke

.... However, there was also a less traveled, even less noticed, road as well: An Enlightenment of the Anglo-Saxon type, which does not attack religion, as done by its French counterpart, but reinterprets it within a new political framework that values liberty, tolerance and diversity.

Not the road of Luther or Voltaire, if you will, but the road of John Locke.

The British philosopher has long been in my heart and mind with regards to his approach to religion, but a fine book that I recently had a chance read made things even clearer: “Islam, Secularism and Liberal Democracy” by scholar Nader Hashemi (Oxford University Press, 2009). [Hürriyet Daily News] Read more

Islamic boys' school bars women from applying for job as science teacher

The job description – placed by outsourcing company Capita – referred to an Islamic school and specified a “male science teacher” for lessons until the end of the current academic year.

A woman science teacher seeking work spotted the advert and complained to the National Secular Society (NSS), the charity campaigner for separation of religion and state.

The Department for Education brought the issue to the attention of Leicester City Council and the advert for Madani Boys’ School in Evington, Leics, was axed. [Daily Express] Read more

Parents fury as pork sausages are banned from the school menu and replaced with halal meat

Parents have condemned a school's decision to ban all pork products from the menu and replace other meats with halal versions.

Pupils aged between three and 11 at Brinsworth Manor Infant and Junior Schools in Rotherham - which Ofsted identifies as having only a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups - will no longer be able to enjoy sausages, bacon or ham.

Parents at both schools, which share a site, were told of the decision in a letter from Rotherham Council’s principal catering officer Ron Parry, who wrote that there had been ‘minor adjustments’ to the lunch menu.

The move comes as Britain's vet John Blackwell called for Muslims and Jews to use more 'acceptable' methods of killing.

And parents have branded the decision 'a scandal' as only twenty per cent of the 600 pupils are Muslim and the decision to provide halal meat was up to individual schools in the town.

[A COMMENT] Yet again, the majority have to bow to the will of the chosen few, when will it end. [Daily Mail] Read more

Will debate over halal meat lead to a rise in Islamophobia?

Muslim people deserve to have halal meat available to them. This debate feels like double standards are being created, and they could fuel religious hatred and Islamophobia. There is so much confusion surrounding this issue, and people are quick to jump on the bandwagon.

[A COMMENT] YOU are the one jumping on the bandwagon Mr Malik - the bandwagon of hiding behind claims of racism in order to get your way. The issue here is animal welfare - if an animal is to be killed for food then that animal deserves a quick death with as little pain and distress as possible, not to slowly bleed to death in a blind panic. Double standards do indeed seem to be an issue here - religious beliefs driving a barbaric slaughter. Shocking. [The Bristol Post] Read more

Turkey PM says YouTube, Facebook could be banned

Turkey's embattled prime minister has warned that his government could ban social media networks YouTube and Facebook after a raft of online leaks added momentum to a spiralling corruption scandal.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already tightened his government's grip over the Internet, generating criticism at home and abroad about rights in the EU-hopeful country.

"There are new steps we will take in that sphere after March 30... including a ban (on YouTube, Facebook)," Erdogan told private ATV television in an interview late Thursday. [The News International] Read more

Animal Welfare MP, Joins In Condemnation Of Ritual Slaughter

An MP and animal welfare campaigner has joined the call for the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat to be banned in the UK.

Andrew Rosindell, the secretary of Parliament's animal welfare group, has joined the new leader of Britain's vets in demanding that Muslims and Jews stop the religious slaughter of more than half a million creatures a week.

"If you ask the average British citizen whether they agreed with this, they would say no. An animal has to be killed for food, but it needs to be done in a humane way," he said.

[A COMMENT] All done in the name of Medieval beliefs by people with minds still locked in that period in time. [The Huffington Post UK] Read more

Alleged plot to 'take over' and run schools on strict Islamic principles

.... A Birmingham city council spokesperson said: "We have received letters making allegations in relation to some schools in the Birmingham area. The city council is continuing to investigate these allegations and therefore cannot comment further."

The alleged plot was condemned by Inayat Bunglawala, chair of Muslims4UK, a group which aims to promote active Muslim engagement in British society. He said: "The contents of this document are very disturbing.

On the face of it this would appear to be part of a radical agenda by a tiny yet highly committed group of activists to impose their very conservative and bleak vision of Islamic teachings in our schools by fomenting division and distrust against the existing school leadership. It constitutes highly objectionable and unethical behaviour." [The Guardian] Read more

Iranian man sentenced to having his eyes gouged out, right ear and nose cut off after hurling acid in young girl's face

An Iranian man should be sentenced to having his eyes gouged out after pouring acid over a young girl's face leaving her blind, an Iranian court has ruled.

Opposition group, The National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the man could have his right ear and nose cut off as punishment for attacking the girl with acid, causing her to lose her eyesight and right ear.

The man was convicted last October of intentionally attacking the girl, haartez.com reported.

The national council said Iran's high court defended cutting off the body parts of those found guilty of a crime, and removing eyes, as part of the country's judicial system.

Last month, the state-run Mehr news agency, reported another Iranian man was sentenced to have one hand and one foot cut off as punishment for an unspecified crime. [Daily Mail] Read more

Afghanistan still one of the worst places to be a woman, says EU ambassador

President Hamid Karzai's government has let down Afghan women, according to the new EU ambassador to Kabul, who singled out the failure to end prosecution of rape victims and other abused women for "moral crimes" as a particular "disgrace".

Franz-Michael Mellbin said that despite huge practical improvements in areas from maternal mortality to the number of girls in schools, Afghanistan was still one of the worst places to be a woman and a frontline in the global battle for women's rights. [The Guardian] Read more

'Islamic takeover plot' in Birmingham schools investigated

An alleged plot to oust some Birmingham head teachers and make their schools adhere to more Islamic principles is being investigated, it has emerged.

A letter detailing the plan, known as "Operation Trojan Horse", claims responsibility for leadership changes at four schools.

These schools are Adderley Primary, Saltley School, Park View School and Regents Park Community Primary School.

Saltley's head teacher resigned last year after a critical Ofsted report.

Inspectors said there was a "dysfunctional" relationship between head teacher Balwant Bains and governors which was hindering the school. [BBC] Read more

Geert Wilders backs new anti-Islam party, the Australian Liberty Alliance

Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders will welcome a new anti-Islam political party, the Australian Liberty Alliance, in a pre-recorded message to a conference on “Islam and liberty” starting in Melbourne on Friday.

The conference, organised by the “Islam-critical” Q Society, will start on Friday morning at a secret location, and will feature two speakers who were last year barred entry into Britain.

“It’s a bringing together of many people who are concerned about the march of Islam into many western democracies, and how it changes the laws and values of western democracies,” Q Society’s spokesman, Andrew Horwood, said. [The Guardian] Read more

Sultan of Brunei hits back at foreign criticism of looming implementation of Sharia law that will introduce amputations and stonings as punishments

The sultan of Brunei has rejected foreign criticism of the countries impending introduction of a form of strict Islamic Sharia law, saying it is not a backwards step.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said all races should unite under Sharia law and that the new penal code was a 'great achievement' for the small Southeast Asian nation.

Starting in April, Brunei will begin implementing a version of Sharia that allows for penalties such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery. [Daily Mail] Read more

Stop slashing animals' throats in 'ritual' slaughters for halal and kosher meat, says new leader of Britain's vets

Halal and kosher slaughter of animals should be outlawed, Britain's leading vet said today.

John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association, has argued the ritual killing of poultry, sheep and cattle by cutting their throats causes unnecessary suffering to animals.

Traditionally, Jewish and Islamic slaughter practices involve animals having their throats slit and the blood drained because it is 'humane'

But Mr Blackwell, who has been accused of 'inflaming prejudice' by religious leaders, says animals must be stunned before the cut because some will be conscious for up to two minutes before death.

[A COMMENT] This ritual slaughter of meat is medieval, barbaric, cruel and totally unnecessary. It has absolutely no place in the civilised world and I am astonished at how widespread this has become. There is absolutely no justification for it whatsoever and it is about time practise was stopped. [Daily Mail] Read more

Islamic Jihad and the doctrine of abrogation

.... Moreover, going back to the doctrine of abrogation, Muslim scholars such as Ibn Salama (d. 1020) agree that Koran 9:5, known as ayat as-sayf or the sword verse, has abrogated some 124 of the more peaceful Meccan verses, including “every other verse in the Koran, which commands or implies anything less than a total offensive against the nonbelievers.”

In fact, all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence agree that “jihad is when Muslims wage war on infidels, after having called on them to embrace Islam or at least pay tribute [jizya] and live in submission, and the infidels refuse. [The Commentator] Read more

Britain's Top Vet, John Blackwell, Calls For End To Ritual Slaughter

The new leader of Britain's vets has called for the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat to be banned.

Religious customs associated with slaughtering animals should be adapted to take in more humane methods of killing, John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association has said.

The religious slaughter of poultry, sheep and cattle causes unnecessary suffering to animals, he said in an emotive appeal. [The Huffington Post UK/PA] Read more

Germany's New Islamophobia Boom

.... According to a study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, 56 percent of Germans consider Islam to be an "archaic religion, incapable of fitting into modern life" and many believe religious freedom for Muslims should be "substantially restricted."

There are several potential explanations for the rising skepticism of Islam in Germany. For one, many third-generation Muslim immigrants are living more strictly than their parents did, making them more conspicuous.

Also, in some neighborhoods in large German cities, Muslim girls are afraid of going outside without wearing a headscarf. There have also been several reports in the German media recently of ethnic-German men converting to Islam, radicalizing and going to Pakistan for terror training.

Just this past week, the Minister of the Interior warned that a total of 300 German Jihadists have left Germany to fight in Syria. [Spiegel Online] Read more

Sultan of Brunei Threatens Critics of Sharia Law

Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah warned online critics of the country’s Sharia Law that they could face prosecution once the new penal code takes effect next month:

They can no longer be given the liberty to continue with their mockery and if there is a basis for them to be brought to court, then therefore, the first phase of the Syariah (criminal) law this coming April will be relevant to them.

The Sultan issued this statement during the 30th National Day celebration after many Brunei netizens reacted negatively to the decision of the government to implement Sharia criminal laws.

Brunei is a Muslim-majority country. It is a monarchy where the Sultan is also the Prime Minister and wields absolute power in the government and in Brunei society. The Sultan is also one of the wealthiest people in the world. [Global Voices Advocacy] Read more

Tunisian blogger given 7 years for blasphemous cartoons has been released early

The lawyer for a Tunisian blogger sentenced to seven years in prison for posting cartoons deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad says her client was freed late Tuesday.

Lawyer Bochra Belhaj Hamida said Wednesday that Jaber Mejeri had left prison for his hometown of Mahdia 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of the capital and measures were being taken to ensure his safety. [THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] Read more

Muhammad's View of Women

Muslims often claim that Muhammad promoted women's rights. Islam's most trusted sources, however, tell a different story. According to the Qur'an, the testimony of a woman is only half as reliable as a man's testimony.

Muhammad explains why in the hadith, where he declares that women are less intelligent and more immoral than men. When we combine these teachings with other Qur'anic teachings (e.g., Allah allowing men to beat their wives into submission, to rape their female captives, and to have sex with prepubescent girls), Muhammad's view of women becomes perfectly clear. [Answering Muslims] Read more

The Ordeal of Muslim Women: No More Excuses

During the past decade, something insidious has happened to global feminism. White Western women are being punished, insulted and demonised for speaking out against the atrocities heaped on our sisters from Muslim cultures.

Despite the fact that the international women's liberation movement has helped bring about worldwide recognition of and action against the many forms of male violence and abuse of women and children, the new "cultural sensitivity" towards Islamic practices has resulted in a two-tiered system.

It is fine, for example, to be appalled at widespread child sexual abuse by the likes of Jimmy Savile, but "racist" to respond in the same way to forced marriage, gender segregation, or the requirement that girls and women are veiled from head to toe. [Standpoint] Read more

Mainstream charities have donated thousands to Islamic group fronted by terror suspect

A controversial Islamic rights group fronted by a man charged with attending a terror training camp in Syria is being bankrolled by two mainstream British charities, including a foundation set up in the name of Dame Anita Roddick.

CagePrisoners, an organisation founded by Moazzam Begg - who has just appeared in court on terror charges - has been given £120,000 by the Anita Roddick Foundation, which distributes part of the former Body Shop owner’s £100 million fortune.

A second charity, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker-run fund set up by the chocolate-maker and philanthropist a century ago, has also paid CagePrisoners £305,000 over six years. [The Telegraph] Read more

New Anti-Sharia Legislation Introduced in Several States

The 2014 legislative year has already seen legislation proposed that would ban the application of Sharia law in state courts. There are currently nine states that have introduced some variation of a bill aiming to block Islamic law. Most of the bills have carried over from 2013 with the exception of Vermont, which has introduced its first bill of this stature.

The bills are intended to combat the perceived threat that Muslims are undermining the United States Constitution and imposing Sharia law. Although almost none of the bills mention Sharia or other religious law specifically, instead opting for more neutral language, such as “foreign” and “international” law, their intent to vilify Muslims remains very much the same. [loonwatch.com] Read more

Muslims press council for free parking near mosque

MUSLIMS attending prayers at a city mosque say they should be able to park without having to worry about getting a ticket.

Ever since the Magdalen Road North controlled parking zone (CPZ) came into force in 2012, the Madina Mosque has faced problems.

It has previously asked Oxfordshire County Council to relax the controls in the evenings so worshippers can park nearer to the mosque on Stanley Road without being ticketed. [thisisoxfordshire] Read more