Threats, Ashoura bring blue Christmas in Iraq, Islamic World News, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic World News

Threats, Ashoura bring blue Christmas in Iraq

Christians keep their celebrations under tighter wraps than usual, write Lara Jakes & Bushra Juhi

Christmas is bumping into Shiite Islam’s most mournful ceremony this year, forcing Iraqi Christians to keep their celebrations under tighter wraps than usual.

Midnight Mass will again be celebrated in daylight across Baghdad, and security around churches is heavier for a community that’s been threatened by sectarian violence since the 2003 US-led invasion.

A deadly Christmas eve ambush of a Christian bus driver and a bombing earlier this week targeting a 1,200-year-old church, both in Mosul, underscored their concerns.

But this year, Christians feeling an extra need for caution are toning down the Christmas glitz, and the plastic Santas aren’t selling as well as usual. At least one Catholic archbishop has discouraged Christmas decorations and public merrymaking out of respect for Ashoura, a period of Shiite mourning and self-flagellation.

“We used to put the Christmas tree with its bright lights close to the window in the entrance of our home,” said Mr Saad Matti, a 51-year-old surgeon and Basra city councilman.

“But this year, we put it away from the window as a kind of respect for the feelings of Shiite Muslims in our neighbourhood because of Ashoura,” he said.

Ashoura caps a 10-day period of self-flagellation and mourning for the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, killed in 680 AD during a battle that sealed the split between Shiites and Sunnis.

During the 10 days, throngs of Shiite pilgrims march to the holy Iraqi city of Karbala, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Baghdad.

http://newageislam.com/threats,-ashoura-bring-blue-christmas-in-iraq/islamic-world-news/d/2277

New Age Islam gives a completely different face to the Muslim faith: KUDOS and a big THANK YOU

Letter to the Editor

New Age Islam gives a completely different face to the Muslim faith: KUDOS and a big THANK YOU

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:58:11 -0800 [17/12/09 23:28:11 IST]

From: MARK CARPENTER

To: SULTAN SHAHIN Editor@NewAgeIslam.com

Subject: Kudos for New Age Islam!

Dear Mr. Sultan Shahin:

I'm a Lutheran Christian in the United States, and I just wanted to send you kudos and a big "THANK YOU" for your publication, "New Age Islam".

New Age Islam gives a completely different face to the Muslim faith, especially here in the United States where our conservative-dominated media portrays Islam as a medieval religion where its adherents go about blowing themselves up or beheading people willy-nilly.

New Age Islam is a badly-needed publication which shows the world that Muslims are reasonable, rational, intelligent people who would like to live in peace -- just as Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. by and large are reasonable, rational, intelligent people who would like to live in peace.

I don't think Christians would be happy to be associated with the ugliness which is a part of

Christian extremism such as in Uganda, or Westboro Baptist Church (Fred Phelps' church in Topeka, KS), or the xenophobic Christian Identity movement in the Western Hemisphere but many of us seem all-too-willing to overlook these groups as "aberrations" while using a very broad paintbrush to paint all Muslims as "terrorists" based on the actions of a few.

Thank you for this publication. It's one of the pieces of incoming email which I make a point of reading when I receive it.

http://newageislam.com/new-age-islam-gives-a-completely-different-face-to-the-muslim-faith--kudos-and-a-big-thank-you/letter-to-the-editor/d/2239

Is Love the new face of Jihad?, Muslims and Islamophobia, NewAgeIslam.com

Muslims and Islamophobia

Is Love the new face of Jihad?

Saffron and Christian outfits allege Muslim youth from agroup called Love Jihad are marrying non- Muslim girls to convert them. But aKerala Police inquiry rubbishes their claim

MARRIAGES, they say, are made in heaven. But some Muslim fundamentalists are using wedlock to wage jihad ( holy war) and clear their path to paradise, RSS- affiliated outfits and the church in Kerala have claimed.

An organisation called ‘Love Jihad’ or ‘Romeo Jihad’ has enlisted the services of young Muslims to court Hindu and Christian girls, force them into wedlock and convert them to Islam, saffron groups have alleged.

These youths are operating nationwide, receiving funds from abroad and are also linked to drug trafficking and terrorism. Thousands of girls have been converted thus in the past few years, allege outfits such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Sri Ram Sene.

But an investigation by Kerala’s director- general of police Jacob Punnose has failed to establish these claims. The DGP recently told the Kerala High Court he had no evidence to show an organisation named Love Jihad or Romeo Jihad had been created, albeit there could be a concerted attempt to force non- Muslim girls to convert after marrying Muslim boys.

Members of the Christian clergy have joined ranks with RSS organisations in warning women against Love Jihad.

They say Jihadi Romeos are also targeting Christian girls (although Islam does not require Christians or Jews to convert for marrying a Muslim). Even so, the church remains quiet about it’s own alleged efforts to force non- Christian girls to convert for marriage.

http://newageislam.com/is-love-the-new-face-of-jihad?/muslims-and-islamophobia/d/2001

SHARI’AH LAWS ARE PLAGIARIZED FROM THE BIBLE! -- Sheikh Sultan M. As-Salameh, Al-Azhar, Cairo, Islamic Ideology, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic Ideology

SHARI’AH LAWS ARE PLAGIARIZED FROM THE BIBLE! -- Sheikh Sultan M. As-Salameh, Al-Azhar, Cairo

Sheikh Sultan M. As-Salameh, Al-Azhar, Cairo

[This essay from the Sheikh is acknowledged with thanks. His use of the “Tolerance in Islam” seems to be a gentle sarcasm for the unaware Muslims and Christians]

The “Muslim Ummah” is practicing much of the Judeo-Christian beliefs largely from the Old Testament. The ‘religion’ considered and practiced as Islam today has degenerated from the time of Prophet Muhammad (S). In the beginning there was a very simple Deen, Al-Islam revealed to the Prophet (S), which was fully encapsulated in just one Book, Al-Qur’an.

For example, the covering of the head for women which has become a point of much discussion in the West, is actually not found in the Qur’an. Therefore, it is not a part of the original teachings of the Prophet. It has been taken from the Christian Bible and incorporated into Islam.

Similarly many of the beliefs that are considered Islamic are actually derived from the Jewish and Christian scriptures. The early converts from Judaism and Christianity gradually incorporated their old beliefs into Islam to such an extent that the ‘Islam’ of today is often a verbatim manifestation of the Bible. None of these Biblical teachings were known to the Prophet and they cannot be found in the Qur’an at all. But the ‘scholars’ of Islam are unanimous in accepting these beliefs as part of Islam today.

http://newageislam.com/shariah-laws-are-plagiarized-from-the-bible!----sheikh-sultan-m.-as-salameh,-al-azhar,-cairo--/islamic-ideology/d/1425

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, an American Muslim martyr honoured by General Powell

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, an American Muslim martyr honoured by General Powell

Obama “is a Christian,” Powell said. “He has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, ‘What if he is?’ Is there something wrong with being Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That is not America.” He added: “I am troubled that within the (Republican) Party we have these kinds of expressions” suggesting that Obama is a Muslim, and that if he is, he likely associates with terrorists.

http://www.newageislam.com/kareem-rashad-sultan-khan,-an-american-muslim-martyr-honoured-by-general-powell--/islamic-world-news/d/913

Remembering Gandhi on October 2: ‘Terrorists are victims who create more victims', says Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Remembering Gandhi on October 2: ‘Terrorists are victims who create more victims', says Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

By Thich Nhat Hanh

2 Oct 2008

''Man is made of non-me elements. I am made of so many non-me elements — my parents, the food I eat, the education I received, animals, vegetables. Take away all the 'non-me', and there is no 'me' left. Buddhism is made of non-Buddhist elements. A Christian is made of non-Christian elements and a Muslim is made of non-Muslim elements,'' said Thay. Once we realise that we are all interconnected, we will begin caring for all other things.

http://www.newageislam.com/remembering-gandhi-on-october-2--%E2%80%98terrorists-are-victims-who-create-more-victims-,-says-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-/islam-and-spiritualism/d/834

Islam and Hinduism: Don’t let extremists exploit religion

Islam and Hinduism: Don’t let extremists exploit religion

By Dr Khalid Hameed

Most societies have been suspicious and aggressive towards strangers. Strangers are non-kin, they come from beyond the tribe. And therefore can I, as a Muslim, recognise God’s image in a stranger who is not a fellow Muslim? That is, can I see God’s image in a Hindu, in a Sikh, or in a Christian, or a Jew? Islam tackles this confusion by saying to the Muslims in the Quran to respect all of God’s creations, regardless of their religion or method of worship. In Surah Kafirun, verse 109, the Quran says: "Tell the disbelievers I do not worship what you worship nor do you worship what I worship. I will not worship what you worship, nor will you worship what I worship. To you: your religion, and to me: mine".

http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-hinduism--don%E2%80%99t-let-extremists-exploit-religion/islam-and-pluralism/d/559