Ramadan in World Countries

CAIRO - While many Muslim countries and communities in the West will follow astronomical calculations, others will be sighting the new moon on Saturday, August 30, to decide on the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Muslims in Bosnia and Serbia will observe the first day of Ramadan on Monday, September 1, the Islamic Sheikhdom of Bosnia and Serbia said.
Croatian Muslims will also follow neighboring Bosnia in observing the beginning of the holy fasting month.
Turkey's Presidency of Religion Affairs, the country's highest religious institution, has also announced that Ramadan will fall on Monday, September 1.
Sight Ramadan Moon for IslamOnline Following Turkey, Muslims in Macedonia, Slovenia and Montenegro will observe the start of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month on Monday.
Russian Muslims will also start fasting on Monday, according to the Russian Council of Muftis.
The first day of Ramadan will fall in North America on September 1, according to astronomical calculations, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has announced.
Australian Muslims will also observe the start of Ramadan on Monday, according to the Islamic center in Canberra.
During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.
• Differences
Some countries will sight the Ramadan moon on Saturday, August 30, to decide the start of the holy fasting month.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Palestine, Libya and Mauritania will search the sky for the new moon on Saturday.
Muslims in Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda and Comoros will also look for the Ramadan moon on Saturday.
Sunni Muslims in Lebanon will sight the new crescent on Saturday.
On Sunday, August 31, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and Iraqi Sunnis will sight the Ramadan moon.
Algeria, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Kenya, Ukraine, South Africa and Iran will also sight the new moon on Sunday.
Indonesia's Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Muslim group, will sight the Ramadan moon on Sunday.
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest group, has already announced that Ramadan will start on Monday, September 1.
On Monday, Pakistan will sight the new Ramadan moon, according to the moon-sighting committee.
Indian Muslims will also sight the new crescent on Monday.
Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.
While one group of scholars sees that Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow the same moon sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.
A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.
This usually causes confusion among Muslims, particularly in the West, on observing the dawn-to-dusk fasting and celebrating the `Eid el-Fitr, which marks the end of fasting.
Source: IslamOnline

Awal Ramadan tahun ini mayoritas bersamaan, Jatuh Pada Tanggal 1 September 2008

Minggu, 31 Agu 08 15:47 WIB
Mayoritas Muslim di dunia akan menjalankan ibadah puasa bulan Ramadan pada hari Senin (1/9). Otoritas berwenang di negara-negara Arab dan Teluk, Amerika Utara dan Eropa memastikan tanggal 1 Ramadan jatuh pada hari Senin besok.
Dewan Hukum Arab Saudi dalam pernyataannya hari Sabtu kemarin mengatakan, tidak ada bukti ada orang yang melihat munculnya bulan baru pada hari Sabtu. Oleh sebab itu, hari Minggu (31/8) akan menjadi hari terakhir bulan Sha'ban dan Ramadan jatuh pada hari Senin tanggal 1 September.
Negara-negara lainnya seperti Uni Emirat Arab, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain dan Yaman juga sudah mengeluarkan pengumuman yang sama. Di Palestina, meski secara politik terbelah dua menjadi wilayah Jalur Ghaza dan Tepi Barat, otoritas keagamaan setempat menyatakan awal Ramadan untuk kedua wilayah itu sama, yaitu hari Senin (1/9).
Pengumuman bahwa tidak terlihat bulan pada hari Sabtu juga disampaikan oleh otoritas keagamaan di Irak, Libanon, Suriah, Mesir dan Djibouti dan memutuskan awal puasa jatuh pada hari Senin.
Negara-negara Eropa kebanyakan menetapkan awal Ramadan berdasarkan perhitungan astronomi. Dewan Muslim Prancis, Masjid Central London, Masyarakat Imam Muslim Belanda, Asosiasi Imam Belgia dan Islamic Center di Milan, memutuskan untuk mengikuti keputusan Dewan Fatwa dan Riset Eropa (ECFR) yang menetapkan awal Ramadan bertepatan dengan tanggal 1 September berdasarkan perhitungan astronomi.
Dewan Ulama Bosnia dan Serbia juga mengumumkan awal ibadah puasa di kedua wilayah itu jatuh pada hari Senin. Ketetapan tersebut diikuti oleh Muslim di negara tetangga mereka, Kroasia.
Di Turki, pengumuman bahwa awal Ramadan jatuh pada tanggal 1 September disampaikan oleh urusan keagamaan kepresidenan. Negara-negara lain yang mengikuti keputusan awal Ramadan Turki antara lain, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro dan Bulgaria.
Muslim di Jerman, Austria, Romania dan Ukraina akan menjalankan ibadah puasa hari Senin berdasarkan pengumuman organisai-organisasi Muslim di negara masing-masing. Otoritas keagamaan di Republik Slovakia dan Ceko mengikuti Arab Saudi dan Mesir dalam menentukan awal Ramadan.
Islamic Center di Canberra mengumumkan awal Ramadan bagi Muslim Australia jatuh pada hari Senin. Pengumuman serupa disampaikan Ketua Dewan Mufti Rusia dan Islamic Center di Saint Petersburg yang selalu mengikuti keputusan awal Ramadan di Turki. Dengan demikian, Muslim di Rusia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kirghizstan akan mulai berpuasa pada hari Senin. Begitu juga dengan Muslim di Filipina dan Amerika Utara yang menentukan awal Ramadan dengan perhitungan astronomi.
Libya, menjadi satu-satunya negara yang menetapkan awal Ramadan jatuh pada hari Minggu (31/8). Sementara negara-negara Afrika Utara seperti Tunisia, Aljazair dan Maroko baru akan melakukan pengamatan bulan pada hari Minggu, itu artinya awal Ramadan di negara itu bisa jatuh pada hari Senin atau Selasa. Hal yang sama akan dilakukan oleh otoritas berwenang di India, dan Bangladesh. Sedangkan di Pakistan akan melakukan pengamatan pada hari senin, kemungkinan mulai awal Ramadhan jatuh pada hari selasa atau rabu, seperti pada tahun-tahun sebelumnya, selalu mengalami keterlambatan di bandingkan dengan Negara-negara muslim lainnya.(ln/iol)

Why Musharraf Failed

www.time.com
"He may be an SOB," President Franklin D. Roosevelt said about then Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. "But he's our SOB." That lesser-evil outlook might just as easily have described the U.S. attitude toward Pakistan's General-turned-President Pervez Musharraf, who resigned on Aug. 18 in the face of looming impeachment. Nor was it only the West that saw Musharraf as preferable to the chaos and venality of the political system he overturned to seize power in 1999. He carried the support of the urban middle class, which was desperately looking for the stability and modernity that had eluded a political system dominated by competing feudal baronies.
It was not Musharraf's personality, however, that explained either his rise to power or his demise. His bloodless coup was not the product of some megalomaniac instinct on his own part; Musharraf was acting as the representative of a military institution whose leadership perceived itself to be under attack from a civilian government it viewed as corrupt and inept. That same institution had governed Pakistan for much of its history, and it was as head of that institution, and in consultation with its top echelon, that Musharraf ruled. It was only when the military leadership opted to retreat from running the government that he was forced to resign. Indeed, quite remarkably for a Pakistani leader of recent vintage, Musharraf departs from power with no serious allegations of personal corruption hanging over his head.
The military has opted to retreat from running the government in the face of overwhelming public opposition to Musharraf amid economic turbulence and mounting pressure from the West over Pakistan's role in enabling the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan. It leaves the job of governance to a cast of political leaders for whom the military brass holds a well-established contempt, but nobody doubts that if the military's red lines are crossed, it always has the option of installing a new man in khaki. The military may have already signaled the limits on acceptable civilian authority last month, when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was forced to hastily backpedal from a plan to put the controversial Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) organization under direct civilian oversight via the Interior Ministry.
Today's civilian leaders will also be mindful of the military's belief that then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif provoked his own ouster by moving, under U.S. pressure, to rein in the military after its offensive against Indian forces in the Kargil region of Kashmir had brought the two countries to the brink of war. Still, so dismal had Pakistan's outlook been after a decade of the self-serving political duopoly of Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, that many in the West and in Pakistan's urban middle classes saw Musharraf as a harbinger of stability and progress. But 9/11 and what followed ushered in a crisis from which the general never fully recovered.
The 9/11 attacks put the Pakistani military's long-standing role in Afghanistan into conflict with its most vital strategic alliance. Pakistan had used Afghan jihadists to wage proxy warfare against the Soviet Union on behalf of the U.S. And after the Red Army withdrew and the U.S. had no interest in the outcome of Afghanistan's civil war, Pakistani security services nurtured the Taliban and shoehorned it into power, ensuring that Afghanistan was ruled by a client of Islamabad. After al-Qaeda struck the U.S., Pakistan's key ally demanded support for a military campaign to oust the Taliban, the hosts of Osama bin Laden. Musharraf tried to bridge the gap by urging the Taliban to give up bin Laden and his organization. When that failed, Pakistan was forced to support the U.S. — or at least, not stand in the way of its assault on Afghanistan.
The urban middle class was happy to back Musharraf against domestic extremists, and they applauded his initiatives to challenge the influence of conservative Islam in education as well as the liberalization of the Pakistani media that had occurred on his watch. But the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan quickly became highly unpopular at home, and the buildup to the war in Iraq increased the alienation of broad sections of Pakistani society from Musharraf's alliance with Washington.
Musharraf found himself juggling political allies in search of a patina of legitimacy and manipulating elections as popular opinion turned against him, largely on the basis of his alliance with Washington. Moreover, the new reality in Afghanistan prompted the Pakistani security forces to begin playing what was essentially a double game. Despite its alliance with Washington, the Pakistani strategic establishment was not willing to accept the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, which was closely allied with India, as an established power in Kabul. So, despite professing support for the NATO effort in Afghanistan, Pakistan continued to serve as the Taliban's key sanctuary, and it is alleged by Washington that the ISI continues to directly aid its longtime Taliban proxy. While Pakistan arrested some of the most important al-Qaeda captives currently in U.S. hands, it is generally assumed that Pakistan's tribal wilds are where bin Laden and al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, continue to operate. Even if the Pakistani security forces were playing both sides, the NATO campaign next door rallied the tribesmen of the Pakistani west behind local jihadist radicals, who are a growing threat not only in their home provinces, but also in some of Pakistan's key cities.
As he confronted widening opposition at home, Musharraf faced a key challenge emanating from overseas when his term ended last November. Washington appeared to have negotiated a compromise political deal in which Musharraf would share power with Benazir Bhutto, in an alliance that the U.S. hoped would stave off domestic opposition and strengthen Musharraf's ability to confront radicalism. But the deal floundered even before Bhutto's assassination last December. The general, once a symbol of the power of the military, had begun to believe that he was indispensable, and had moved to ride roughshod over all constitutional and legal challenges by declaring a state of emergency and dismissing the supreme court. The middle class had also turned decisively against Musharraf. By declaring a state of emergency, he provoked a confrontation that he was never likely to win, and in February the electorate handed down a stunning rebuke by denying his party a parliamentary majority. Amid a mounting domestic crisis, the military could not afford to remain tied to a leadership as unpopular as Musharraf's had become.
Despite the cathartic effect of Musharraf's ouster, it's unlikely to bring progress on the issues that matter most to the West. A civilian President and government is unlikely to be any more effective than Musharraf in response to rising militancy or in curbing the Taliban — indeed, the government has made clear that it favors a less confrontational attitude to the Islamists than Musharraf had taken. And, as frustrating as Musharraf had been to the U.S. on issues ranging from jihadist militancy to nuclear proliferation by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan, as long as he was in power, there was a single address for complaints and demands. Musharraf leaves behind something of a power vacuum, in which authority is necessarily more diffuse. Indeed, General Pervez Musharraf's journey from military command to the presidency was a symptom of Pakistan's malaise, not its cause. He may depart from the scene, but the conflicts and contradictions that elevated him and then brought him down remain far from resolved.

Esposito Menjawab Rumsfeld

Pada Minggu malam 10 Agustus 2008, Jakarta kedatangan tamu istimewa. John Louis Esposito, salah seorang pakar Islamic Studies paling terkemuka di dunia, singgah di Indonesia dalam lawatannya ke Asia Tenggara. Bersama Dalia Mogahed, analis senior dan direktur eksekutif Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, Esposito menyajikan survei Gallup World Poll yang menggemparkan dalam buku Saatnya Muslim Bicara!
Esposito terkenal sebagai pengkaji Islam dari kubu objektif-simpatik. Ketika Samuel Huntington memunculkan tesisnya yang terkenal tentang Clash of Civilization (Benturan Antarperadaban)---yang menyatakan bahwa pasca Perang Dingin, Islam (dan Cina) akan muncul sebagai penantang Barat---Esposito menggugatnya lewat buku The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? (terjemahannya diterbitkan Mizan dengan judul Ancaman Islam: Mitos atau Realitas?). Setelah Peristiwa 11 September, banyak pengkaji Islam di Barat yang serta merta mengambil posisi bermusuhan dengan Islam. Tokoh paling menonjol dari kubu ini adalah Bernard Lewis yang menulis What's Wrong with Islam? Esposito tetap bergeming dalam sikap menyerukan dialog dan pengertian antara Barat dan Islam.
Esposito hadir di Jakarta dalam rangka diskusi sekaligus peluncuran edisi Indonesia buku terbarunya, Saatnya Muslim Bicara! Pada malam itu, Esposito mengungkapkan rasa bangganya bisa terlibat dalam proyek raksasa tersebut. Bahkan, ia menyatakan bahwa menurutnya, inilah karya terpenting dirinya hingga saat ini. Terlebih lagi, fakta-fakta yang terungkap dari jajak pendapat itu menguatkan keyakinannya selama ini. Terbukti bahwa mayoritas Muslim di dunia tidak memusuhi Islam. Hanya 7% Muslim yang menyetujui Serangan 11 September. Secara garis besar, riset Gallup ini membuahkan kesimpulan bahwa permasalahan yang ada sekarang bukanlah benturan antarperadaban atau antaragama. Problem yang ada sekarang adalah ketidakadilan yang berakar, terutama, pada kebijakan luar negeri AS yang menerapkan standar ganda dan disetir kepentingan dalam negeri tanpa mengindahkan bangsa lain.[]
Berawal dari Donald H. Rumsfeld
Tak lama setelah peristiwa serangan 9/11, dalam suatu konferensi pers di Washington, Donald Henry Rumsfeld, Menteri Pertahanan Amerika Serikat ketika itu, mendapat pertanyaan dari seorang reporter. Pertanyaan itu berbunyi demikian: Apakah umat Muslim dunia mendukung serangan ke menara kembar WTC. Sang Menteri pun menjawab dengan enteng, "Tak seorang pun tahu. Karena kita tak bisa melakukan Gallup Poll terhadap opini umat Muslim."
Jawaban Rumsfeld itu menggelisahkan CEO Gallup Organization, Jim Clifton. Bahwa "Bagaimana mungkin tak seorang pun di Washington yang tahu menahu apa yang dipikirkan 1,4 milyar Muslim di dunia ini, sedangkan setiap saat kita bekerja menyusun strategi-strategi rumit yang akan mengubah dunia. Kegelisahan itulah yang kemudian membuat Clifton memerintahkan perusahaannya melakukan sebuah megariset.
Akhirnya, kegelisahan Jim Clifton pun terobati dengan lahirnya sebuah buku yang menampung megariset Gallup Organization dengan responden yang mencakup 1,3 milyar Muslim dunia. Buku hasil kerja besar anak buah Jim Clifton itu kini sudah diterjemahkan dalam edisi bahasa Indonesia dan diberi judul Saatnya Muslim Bicara!: Opini Umat Muslim tentang Islam, Barat, Kekerasan, HAM, dan Isu-Isu Kontemporer Lainnya.
Apa keistimewaan buku ini? Lewat buku ini para pembaca akan mengetahui secara lebih jelas dan berdasar terkait dengan jawaban dari pelbagai pertanyaan berikut: (1) Apakah mayoritas Muslim menyetujui aksi terorisme atas nama Islam? (2) Apakah mayoritas Muslim membenci Barat? (3) Manakah yang dipilih oleh Muslim: demokrasi atau teokrasi? (4) Benarkah mayoritas Muslimah merasa tertindas? Dan (5) benarkah mayoritas Muslimah menginginkan kebebasan seperti wanita Barat?
Tentu saja, bukan hanya lima persoalan penting di atas yang dikandung oleh buku hasil riset Gallup Organization ini. Uskup Agung Desmond Tutu, penerima hadiah Nobel dalam bidang perdamaian, bahkan secara khusus memberikan pujian yang layak kita cermati: ”Buku Saatnya Muslim Bicara! meruntuhkan retorika-konflik para politisi dan komentator, dan menampilkan suara umat Muslim yang sering tak terdengar.”[]

A New American Quran?

www. usinfo.state.gov
Evangelical Christian group writes book challenging the Quran
During 2004 and 2005, allegations in several countries claimed that the United States was trying to impose a "new American Quran" on Muslims.
These claims are false. A small, private evangelical Christian group in the United States has written a book called The True Furqan, which seeks to convert Muslims to Christianity, but this group has no connection with the U.S. government. Furqan is another term for Quran.
The Allegations
Shaykh Ikrimah Sabri, the preacher of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, inaccurately claimed the United States is "forcing Muslims to renounce the Quran and adopt the book Al Furqan al-Haqq (The True Quran)," according to a July 2, 2004 Internet report by the Palestinian Information Center.
Mustafa Bakri, editor of Egypt's sensationalist, anti-U.S. Al-Usbu newspaper, made other false claims in the newspaper's December 6, 2004 edition:
• The first edition of The True Quran was published secretly in the United States and Israel.
• The True Quran was drafted with direct Israeli participation and with direct instructions from U.S. President George Bush.
• Twelve more books will be published as part of The True Quran series.
Bakri has a long history of making disinformation claims. Abbas al Janabi, who served as the personal secretary to Saddam's son Uday from the mid 1980s until 1998, said in 2003 that Bakri had long been on Saddam's payroll and was "very loyal to Saddam."
The Facts
• The True Furqan was published openly, not secretly, in the United States in 1999. It is available on the Internet.
• The True Furqan was not published in Israel, according to its translator, Dr. Anis Shorrosh.
• The True Furqan was written in Arabic and translated into English by evangelical Christian Arabs who have no connection with the U.S. government. The book contains both the Arabic and English texts.
• The True Furqan is a private attempt by evangelical Christian Arabs to convert Muslims to Christianity. Its translator, Dr. Anis Shorrosh, describes it as "a tool to evangelize Muslims."
• Dr. Shorrosh says the book is similar to the Quran "in style and substance ... but contains the gospel message."
• According to Dr. Shorrosh, there was no Israeli involvement in the preparation of the book.
• According to Dr. Shorrosh, The True Furqan is a stand-alone book, not part of a 12-book series.
The Quran is widely available for sale in the United States. In early January 2006, three large American booksellers, Borders, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble, each offered more than one dozen different English translations of the Quran on their Web sites.

For years they have been saying the U.S. was behind a "Fake Quran" and imposing
it on Muslims - NOT TRUE!
Get the Facts:
Anis Shorrosh (now in jail for arsen) A small, private evangelical Christian group in the United States has written a book called The True Furqan - They want to convert Muslims to their version of Christianity!
The U.S. Gov. website says - this group has no connection with . . .
. . the U.S. government - which has posted the whole story on the U.S. Government website
Fake Quran? Lies about U.S. Government's involvement? What's going on?
Who would do this? Remember Anish Shorrosh? The one who debated against Ahmad Deedat while wearing Muslim Arab clothes?
His name? - Anis Shorrosh, Christian Missionary and author of "Fake Quran"
Get the real facts about the "Real Quran" and the "Fake Furqan"
The Allegations
Some have inaccurately claimed the United States is "forcing Muslims to renounce the Quran and adopt the book Al Furqan al-Haqq (The True Quran)," according to a July 2, 2004 Internet report by the Palestinian Information Center
(Note: for some reason, their website stopped working(?) http://www.palestine-info.net/)
They claim:
• The first edition of The True Quran was published secretly in the United States and Israel.
• The True Quran was drafted with direct Israeli participation and with direct instructions from U.S. President George Bush.
• Twelve more books will be published as part of The True Quran series.
• All Lies!
True Facts
• Anis Shorrosh confesses - he is the source of this translated work in Arabic language. Shorrosh, who attempted to make a name for himself debating with the late Ahmed Deedat about the Bible and Quran now openly admits, he is the man behind this man-made fabrication that he calls "The True Furqan".
• "It was written in Arabic and translated into English by evangelical Christian Arabs" says Shorrosh. He also states, The True Furqan is an attempt by evangelical Christian Arabs to convert Muslims to Christianity, and he describes it as "a tool to evangelize Muslims."
• Shorrosh claimed the book is similar to the Quran "but contains the gospel message."
- (Also: see related story: Anis Shorrosh ARRESTED)
In another unrelated story, Shorrosh has been arrested for setting fire to his own home while claiming "Radical Muslims" are out to get him. More on this story - http://www.youtubeislam.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c30ed03e42ce2c069566
•
http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Apr/21-987519.html

Ramadan on September 1: ISNA

14/08/2008 10:02:55 AM GMT
CAIRO. —The first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan will fall in North America on September 1 according to astronomical calculations, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has announced on its website. "The Astronomical New Moon for Ramadan is on Saturday, August 30, 2008, at 19:58 Universal Time," said ISNA.

It added that the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, thus, will be Monday, September 1.

ISNA said the last day of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month will be on Tuesday, September 30.

`Eid Al-Fitr, one of the two main religious festivals on the Islamic calendar will be on Wednesday, October 1.

During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

While one group of scholars sees that Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow the same moon sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.

This usually causes confusion among Muslims, particularly in the West, on observing the dawn-to-dusk fasting and celebrating the `Eid el-Fitr, which marks the end of fasting.

Source: IslamOnline

Muslims want Obama to earn votes

26/07/2008 11:01:00 PM GMT
American Muslims are being urged to act to show Barack Obama that their votes will be crucial in the November election.

CHICAGO.— Disturbed by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's apathy to reach out to them, American Muslims are being urged to act to show the White House hopeful that their votes will be crucial in the November election.

"Muslims need to let Obama know that he has to earn their votes," Saaqib Rangoonwala, managing editor of Muslim magazine InFocus, told Reuters on Friday, July 25.

"American Muslim votes will be needed and it is time for Muslims to take a stand."

Obama has so far shied away from meeting Muslim imams publicly, unlike the rival candidates in the 2000 and 2004 elections.

He has yet to visit a mosque, despite his repeated visits to churches and synagogues.

Obama's campaign has also snubbed invitations from Muslim and Arab-American organizations to arrange a meeting with the Democratic nominee.

The Illinois Senator, who aspires to become the first black president in US history, has failed to send a surrogate to any Muslim event.

"Muslims are not less deserving of Obama's time than other groups that he has met with," said Rangoonwala.

America is home to between six to seven million Muslims making up less than three percent of the 300-million population.

More than two millions of them are registered voters.

Sixty-three percent of American Muslims are Democrats or leaning in that direction, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Politics.

Only 11 percent of US Muslims are Republican.

The latest Fox News poll showed Obama leading Republican rival John McCain 41 to 40 percent among registered voters.

* Excessive

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) regretted failure by the Democratic nominee to reach out to Muslim voters.

"Many in the Muslim community think he is being sheepish in reaching out to them," said CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab.

He noted that American Muslims are showing a high level of interest in the November election, with the main issues being civil rights, the economy, immigration, Islamophobia and peace in the Middle East.

A recent survey by Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum found that attitudes toward Muslims and Islam have grown more negative in recent years.

Many Muslims are also insulted by what they see as Obama's "excessive" attempts to deny that he was a Muslim.

Obama, who describes himself as a proud follower of the Trinity United Church of Christ, has been outspoken in refuting claims that he is a Muslim in disguise.

The Democratic nominee is the son of a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a white American mother that did not practice religion.

Abdulaziz Al-Salim, a 23-year-old Minnesota native, said he was sad that Obama acts as though "being associated with Muslims is a political liability."

Yet, he would vote for him "for the same reasons that everyone else is supporting him. He's a unifier, charismatic and represents change."

Source: IslamOnline

Economy Tops U.S. Muslims Election Priority

islamonline.com
WASHINGTON. Like every other cross section of society, American Muslims are weighting their best choice for the Oval Office, judging rivals Barak Obama and John McCain on a set of issues, mostly domestic.

"Right now I'm leaning towards Obama," says Taneeza Islam, a young American Muslim lawyer.

"Being an African-American male, he brings a perspective to politics that is inherently different from a Caucasian male perspective," she explains.

"His ideas of helping the poor, having some sort of universal health care, tax breaks for the middle class are very important to me."

Hussein Khatib, Director of Al-Aqsa Institute of Minnesota, has been voting in various elections for the past 20 years.

"I am planning to vote for Obama, just because he is the best among what is available," he said.

"I think that he is a fresh breath to the political process, and have a better understanding of the diversity of this world, which will enable him to work better with the diverse groups in the US and the world."

Barbar Khan, a Muslim cabbie in Miami who has been living in the States for the past 25 years, will also vote for Obama.

"Many Muslims will do the same," he said.

Khan believes McCain would be a bad choice for American Muslims.

"It will be the same Bush policies. We have had enough of that."

Asma Lori Saroya, a crime victim services coordinator, agrees.

"The Bush administration violated the very principles this nation was founded on and have created an America that is much different from the one I grew up in," she said.

"The new president will have to repair the damage."

America is home to between six to seven million Muslims making up less than three percent of the 300-million population.

More than two millions of them are registered voters.

Sixty-three percent of American Muslims are Democrats or leaning in that direction, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Politics.

Only 11 percent of US Muslims are Republican.

* American Issues

For most American Muslims, domestic issues top the election priority lists.

"I think our country needs to refocus on domestic issues because it is lacking," says Islam, the young Muslim lawyer.

"We are seeing states losing industries. In Michigan, where I am from, automobile industry has vanished in the last 5 years and people are suffering," she notes.

"I see those with no health care, no job and on welfare. These are real problems for this country and I want this country to do well because this is my home."

"Civil rights, economy and healthcare are priorities for US Muslims," asserted Mukhtar Thakur, radio and TV producer.

For Khatib, the Minnesota community activist, the economy and healthcare are high on the priority list.

"The economy is in shambles, especially the housing issue, and the failure of the most prominent of financial institutions such as Bear Sterns, Fanny May and Freddy Mac’s. The deficit is close to $500 billion and the auto industry is in jeopardy due to the slum in sales and the spike in oil prices," he said.

"Health, education and social services are suffering and facing challenges, and might not be able to meet the demands of the future."

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll last week showed that 48 percent of those surveyed said McCain and Obama's economic policies would be the most important issue when deciding whom to vote for.

But when it comes to who is the better choice to fix the economy, Obama is their pick by a 54 percent to 43 percent margin.

Obama is proposing to pump $75 billion into the economy via tax cuts and direct spending targeted to working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed.

* Islam

The stance of both Obama and McCain on Islam is also of major importance to many American Muslims.

"It is rather unfortunate the level of ignorance and animosity to Islam in this country, and that applies to most presidential and senate candidates," says Khatib, the Minnesota community activist.

"They claim to differentiate between extreme and moderate Muslims, but in reality Islam is under attack from politicians and the media due to the control of the neoconservatives and the pro-Israel lobby."

Still, he believes that Obama's background gives him a better understanding of Muslims' issues and might bring about a better atmosphere of harmony between the various racial, ethnic and religious groups.

Obama is the son of a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a white American mother that did not practice religion.

Born in Hawaii, he lived from ages 6 to 10 in Indonesia with his mother and Muslim stepfather.

Saroya, the crime victim services coordinator, argues that Obama’s record as Senator proves he is Muslim-friendly and practices what he preaches when it comes to unity and diversity.

"As Senator, he hired Muslim staff and he visited mosques."

Anwar Abdel-Karim, a Muslim professional living in Minneapolis, believes neither Obama no McCain will associate himself with Islam or accept anything from Muslim groups.

"As American Muslims, we all stand with the war on terror, but we need to agree on a definition for the word 'terror'."

Obama has so far shied away from meeting Muslim imams publicly, unlike the rival candidates in the 2000 and 2004 elections.

He has yet to visit a mosque, despite his repeated visits to churches and synagogues.

Obama's campaign has also snubbed invitations from Muslim and Arab-American organizations to arrange a meeting with the Democratic nominee.

The Illinois Senator, who aspires to become the first black president in US history, has failed to send a surrogate to any Muslim event.

"Muslims are weak, others are strong and for improving his chances to win it seems that it is unwise to align himself with any Muslim group or community," said Khatib.

Abia Ali, a financial worker who will not be voting in November because she is not a US citizen yet, is very critical of Obama.

"Obama is worse than McCain, because at least McCain is telling you up front his feeling against Islam and Muslims," she said.

"In order to please other majority of Americans, I am afraid Obama might harm Muslims and Muslim countries harder. Obama thinks that as long as he is pleasing the majority, he should not care about Muslim American nor Muslims around the world."

* Foreign Policy

Washington's foreign policy and its tarnished image, particularly in the Muslim world, is also of concern to many American Muslims.

"Foreign policy is probably a main factor that I base my vote on, although I believe that this is a very complex issue for any President to deal with considering the extend of the Zionist lobby’s power and control of American foreign policy, specifically when it has to do with the Middle East," said Khatib.

"I am just as angry and frustrated as any Muslim due to the bias and absurdity of Obama's alliance to the Zionist opinion regarding the Palestinian issue in specific and the general issues of the Muslims," he added.

"Peace in the Mideast will not happen without having the US as a full partner in the process. Leading the negotiation, giving assurances to both sides and acting in good faith, similar to what former President Carter did in 1980," believes Thakur, the radio and TV producer.

"Iran should be engaged diplomatically."

Islam, the young woman lawyer, also cares about the foreign policy agenda of the new president.

"I appreciate Obama's willingness to dialogue with all nations in the Middle East (like Iran) instead of just making threats (like current administration).

"I don't support McCain because I don't believe his strategy is right. And as you infer he is polarizing…more so than Obama."

She, however, puts her priorities in perspective.

"Bing a Muslim is just one part of me, though a very important part of me. But I'm also an American, woman and attorney," said Islam.

"It will take time and effort by Muslims to make a niche here and have our voices heard. I will not vote on Muslim issues only because there is a greater good that needs to be achieved here."

Source: IslamOnline

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Barak ready to pay high price for Shalit

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Israeli war minister Ehud Barak has declared readiness to pay high price in return for the freedom of Gilad Shalit who is held by Palestinian resistance factions.

The Hebrew radio quoted Barak as saying on Tuesday night that "important developments" would take place in the issue of Shalit, who has been held in the hands of the resistance factions in Gaza for more than two years.

Three former heads of the Israeli internal security had demanded the release of Palestinians, who are held for killing Israelis, in return for Shalit's release.

They were quoted by Ma'ariv Hebrew daily on Monday as saying that liberating Shalit was more important than liberating old Palestinian prisoners.

The resistance factions holding Shalit demand the release of Palestinian women and children prisoners along with the sick and those serving high terms.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces stormed the village of Yasuf east of Salfit at dawn Wednesday in 50 armored vehicles and broke into many homes.

The soldiers forcibly opened the door of one of those homes while its owner was opening it for them. The door was broken in the process and fell on Aziz Hassan, 60. Locals said that he was hospitalized.

In Nablus district, the IOF troops kidnapped a 16-year-old Palestinian boy at the Hawara roadblock for allegedly possessing a knife and two explosive devices.

The website of the Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot said that the soldiers closed the road barrier until further notice.

Indonesia, Negara Pertama yang Akan Dikunjungi Miss Universe

Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Hidayatullah.com—Pemenang Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza (22), dikabarkan akan segera mengunjungi Indonesia. Menurutnya, ini kunjungan pertamanya setelah menang.
"Dia direncanakan bertemu dengan Presiden RI dan beberapa menteri," kata Talent Development Director-Miss Universe Organization, Roston Ogata, kepada wartawan di New York. Tak jelas tanggal berapa ia ke Indonesia. Namun, pemenang kontes buka aurat ini dipastikan akan bertemu Presiden SBY.
Mendoza akan berada di Indonesia selama 10 hari dengan mengunjungi beberapa tempat. Antara lain; Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bali dan Bengkulu.
Diantaranya menghadiri malam Grand Final Pemilihan Puteri Indonesia tahun 2008, yang akan berlangsung di Jakarta pada 15 Agustus yang digelar oleh Yayasan Puteri Indonesia (YPI).
"Wah... saya sangat senang akan segera ke Indonesia. Indonesia memang negara pertama yang saya kunjungi setelah terpilih (sebagai Miss universe 2008)," ujarnya.
Menjelang keberangkatannya ke Jakarta, Mendoza, pada Senin menyempatkan diri bertandang ke Konsulat Jenderal RI di New York.
Di gedung Konjen RI-New York, Miss Universe kelahiran Caracas-Venezuela pada 1 Juni 1986 itu bertemu dengan Konjen RI Trie Edi Mulyani, isteri Duta Besar Indonesia untuk PBB Sranya Marty Natalegawa, isteri Wakil Tetap RI untuk PBB, Non Kleib, serta sejumlah anggota masyarakat Indonesia di New York.
Yang paling terlihat adalah berbagai fasilitas yang kini ia dapatkan setelah menang dalam kompetisi Miss Universe 2008.
Sudah Maju
Sebelum ini, dalam jumpa pers di Hotel Nikko, Jakarta Pusat, Selasa (5/8) salah satu peserta ajang Miss Universe 2008 asal Indonesia, Putri Raemawasti mengatakan pujian banyak orang atas keputusannya memakai bikini dalam ajang pamer aurat itu.
Menurutnya, apa yang ia lakukan itu tidak menjatuhkan mertabat, justru malah menjunjung martabat bangsa ini.
“Masalah two pieces itu tidak menjatuhkan martabat Indonesia, malah finalis-finalis lainnya bangga. Mereka bilang Indonesia sudah maju ya, sudah pakai bikini.”
"Memang di Indonesia sudah dibilang untuk pakai one piece, bukan two pieces, tapi adrenaline saya terpacu karena saya berada di medan persaingan. Saya ingin memberikan yang terbaik,” Ungkap mahasiswi Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) ini.
Sebagaimana diketahui bahwa kontes “pamer aurat” tahunan ini, seringkali menimbulkan polemik di kalangan masyarakat Indonesia, yang mayoritas beragama Islam. Namun dalam soal kasus seperti ini, pemerintahan Soeharto jauh lebih tegas.
Tahun 2007, Miss Universe asal jepang, Riyo Mori didapati stres dan terkena gangguan sakit maag akibat banyaknya demo menentang kehadirannya. Di Bandung, pemenang ratu “buka aurat” 1997 ini didemo 20 organisasi massa dan kemahasiswaan yang tergabung dalam Aliansi Umat Antipornografi dan Pornoaksi. [cha, berbagai sumber/www.hidayatullah.com]

Wanita Muslim Pertama di IOC

Hidayatullah.com--Nawal El Moutawakel terpilih menduduki dewan eksekutif Komite Olimpiade Internasional (IOC) tanpa penentangan dari pihak lain setelah dua saingannya mundur dalam pemilihan.
"Saya merasa sangat terhormat menjadi anggota keluarga besar ini," ujar Nawal.
Dewan eksekutif IOC yang terdiri 15 anggota bertanggung jawab untuk pembentukan agenda Olimpiade. Dewan ini bertemu empat kali dalam setahun dan dapat melarang para atlet mengikuti pertandingan karena terlibat doping.
Nawal mengisi jabatan tak resmi untuk anggota perempuan di dewan itu setelah Wakil Ketua IOC, Gunilla Lindberg dari Swedia meninggalkan dewan itu setelah masa jabatannya selama empat tahun berakhir.
IOC sudah membuat keputusan pada 1996 dengan melibatkan wanita hingga 20 persen dari keanggotaan. Hingga kini, hanya 16 dari 110 anggota yang merupakan wanita. Jadi masih kekurangan enam orang lagi agar bisa memenuhi target.
Nawal lahir pada April 1962. Ia membuat sejarah dalam Olimpiade 1984 setelah menjadi wanita Muslim pertama yang meraih medali emas untuk nomor rintangan 400 meter.
Untuk menghormati kemenangannya, Raja Maroko Mohamed VI menyatakan semua anak perempuan yang lahir pada hari kemenangan Nawal akan dinamai sesuai dengan nama atlet wanita ini. Pada 1995, ia menjadi anggota dewan Federasi Atletik Amatir Internasional (IAAF). Tiga tahun kemudian, lulusan Amerika ini menjadi anggota IOC.
Pada 2006, Nawal termasuk satu dari delapan pemegang bendera pada seremoni pembukaan2006 Opening Ceremony. Pada 2007, ia diangkat sebagai menteri olahraga di bawah Kerajaan Maroko. Nawal juga menjadi ketua komisi evaluasi untuk seleksi kota yang menjadi tuan rumah Olimpiade 2012 nanti. [iol/htb/www.hidayatullah.com]

Haaretz: Israel Akan Serahkan Tepi Barat Pada Palestina, Kecuali Kota Yerusalem

Selasa, 12 Agu 08 16:23 WIB. Eramuslim.com
Palestina membantah laporan yang dimuat surat kabar Israel Haaretz, yang menyebutkan bahwa Perdana Menteri Israel Ehud Olmert telah menawarkan perdamaian dengan memberikan 93 persen wilayah Tepi Barat yang saat ini diduduki Israel kepada Palestina.
Dalam laporan yang dimuat Haaretz edisi Selasa (12/8) juga disebutkan bahwa Presiden Palestina Mahmud Abbas bersedia menerima tawaran itu jika pasukannya berhasil merebut kembali Jalur Ghaza dari kekuasaan Hamas, yang mengambilalih wewenang di Jalur Ghaza pada bulan Juni 2007.
Laporan itu dibantah juru runding Palestina Saeb Erekat, yang menyebut laporan tersebut "tidak berdasar. "Ini adalah laporan yang tidak benar, yang digunakan Israel untuk membebankan kesalahan pada otoritas Palestina atas negosiasi-negosiasi yang selalu gagal, " tukas Erekat.
Menurut Haaretz, Israel melontarkan tawaran itu dalam konteks negoasiasi damai yang akan dilakukan kembali bulan November mendatang, dengan dukungan AS. Negosiasi itu bertujuan untuk mengakhiri konflik Israel-Palestina yang sudah berlangsung selama berpuluh-puluh tahun.
Namun, masih menurut Haaretz, tawaran Israel itu tidak menyentuh persoalan yang paling krusial bagi Palestina, yaitu tentang status Yerusalem. Palestina menginginkan Israel mengembalikan Yerusalem pada bangsa Palestina, karena kota ini akan dijadikan ibukota Palestina, jika terwujud negara Palestina merdeka.
Israel menganeksasi dan merebut Yerusalem pada Perang Enam Hari tahun 1967 dan menyatakan Yerusalem sebagai kota yang tidak bisa dibagi dengan pihak lain dan merupakan bagian dari wilayah Israel yang tak bisa dipisahkan. Klaim Israel ini tidak pernah diakui oleh dunia internasional.
Erekat menyatakan menolak kesepakatan yang isinya parsial. "Kami bukan pasar. Kami menginginkan Israel mundur sepenuhnya dari wilayah Palestina yang didudukinya sejak tahun 1967, termasuk mundur dari Yerusalem, " tukas Erekat.
Saat ini, Israel membangun malah sedang gencar-gencarnya membangun pemukiman-pemukiman baru di wilayah pendudukannya di Tepi Barat, termasuk Yerusalem. Pemukiman-pemukiman yang sudah ada, didiami oleh sekitar 250.000 warga Yahudi Israel.
Mark Regev, juru bicara Perdana Menteri Israel tidak mau berkomentar tentang laporan di Haaretz itu. Ia hanya mengatakan negosiasi dengan Palestina sudah mengalami kemajuan untuk beberapa persoalan, khususnya persoalan perbatasan. (ln/alarby)

Hijab Shines in Beijing Olympic

BEIJING. Many Muslim women athletes in the Beijing Olympic Games are breaking Western stereotypes, proving that donning the hijab is never an obstacle to excelling in life and sports. "The hijab has never been a problem for me," Bahraini sprinter Ruqaya Al-Ghasara, who made history for Muslim women athletes after winning a gold medal at the 2006 West Asian Games, told Reuters on Monday, August 11.
The Games, which opened on August 8, will see many Muslim women determined to stay devout to their religious dress code while pursuing the Olympic gold.
Half a dozen veiled Egyptians, three Iranians, an Afghan and a Yemeni are competing in sprinting, rowing, taekwondo and archery.
Hijab and Sports Sports in Islam Hijab, Why?
Al Ghasara and Iranian rower Homa Hosseini won the honor of being flag bearers for their countries at the opening ceremony.
Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.
The issue of hijab, which Islam sees as an obligatory code of dress not a religious symbol, in sports was thrust into the spotlight in the West recently.
Last January, an American high-school Muslim star runner was pulled out from a local competition for wearing hijab.
In March 2007, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game's ultimate regulators, said hijab is forbidden in soccer games.
The ruling came after a Canadian Muslim was expelled from a soccer game for donning a hijab.
An 11-year-old Canadian kid was also thrown out from a national Judo tournament last November for wearing hijab.
Empowering
Egyptian fencer Shaimaa El Gammal, a third-timer at the Olympics, is wearing hijab for the first time in the games.
"When I fence I'm proud that I'm a Muslim," the 28-year-old told Reuters.
"It's very symbolic for women in my country."
For El Gammal, wearing the hijab has given her inner strength.
"People see us wearing the scarf and think we ride camels. But Muslim women can do anything they want."
Women in Al Ghasara's home town in Bahrain are so proud of their pioneering Olympic sprinter.
Some of them got together to design and sew a set of tailor-made aerodynamic veils to help her perform better in the games.
"In Bahrain you grow up with it," said Al Ghasara, who usually wears a trademark red and white hijab resembling the colors of her country's flag.
"We have women who are ambassadors, doctors, pilots.
"For me it's liberating."
Source: IslamOnline

OIC Slams Germany Anti-Islam Meeting

CAIRO. — The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has deplored an anti-Islam conference to be held in Germany next month, urging all segments of the German society to take a firm stand against the proponents of hatred.
"The OIC expresses serious concern over reports of the holding of 'Anti Islamization Congress' in Cologne, Germany," the world's biggest Muslim body said in a statement on Saturday, August 10.
The so-called "Anti-Islamization Congress" is to take place on September 19-20 in Germany's fourth-largest city of Cologne.
The meeting is organized by Pro Koeln, a far-right organization which has held five seats in Cologne's city council since 2004, and the its political party Pro NRW.
It will bring together far-right political forces and some of the most inflammatory names in politics Europe-wide, including France's Jean- Marie Le Pen, Austria's Heinz-Christian Strache and Belgium's Filip Dewinter.
The pan-Muslim body warned that the conference was "intended to arouse anti-Muslim sentiments in Europe.
"Organizers of the proposed event were motivated by racial hatred and xenophobia."
Many of Pro Koeln members were associated with neo-Nazi parties or groupings.
Recently the group led a campaign against plans for a large mosque in Cologne, home to more than 120,000 Muslims.
Pro Koeln is under the microscope of Germany's domestic intelligence agency because its "generalizing and sweeping defamation of foreigners is suspected of violating human dignity."
Public stand
The OIC warned that the conference jeopardize the peaceful relations between religious groups in Germany, home to a 3.2-million-strong Muslim community.
"It would pose a threat to inter communal peace and harmony in the society."
The 57-nation body urged the German people to take a strong public stand against racism and hatred.
"The OIC hopes that all segments of the society in Germany and other parts of Europe will come out strongly against the holding of the 'Anti Islamization Congress' and reject the proponents of hatred and racism."
Last week, a well-known German Jewish writer spoke out against the scheduled anti-Islam conference.
Ralph Giordano refuted Pro Koeln claims of seeking democracy, slamming the meeting as xenophobic.
Various German groups have also condemned the anti-Islam congress.
A number of political groups and organizations have launched an online campaign http://www.hingesetzt.mobi/cms urging public boycott of Pro Koln's gathering to confront its right-wing propaganda against people of other ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Source: IslamOnline