UK's PM Cameron says Pakistan must act tough on extremists

---

"I profoundly believe that a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest, just as a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Pakistan is in Afghanistan's interest."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Telegraph | UK
By Steven Swinford | June 30, 2013

David Cameron has urged Pakistan's new President to take "tough and uncompromising" action to tackle extremists who pose a security threat to Britain.

British Prime Minister David Cameron during a press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's house in Islamabad, Pakistan Photo: PA

Mr Cameron on Sunday became the first Western leader to meet Nawaz Sharif and said Pakistan and Britain must "stand together" in the fight against terrorism.

It comes amid growing concern among the intelligence services that many British extremists are turning to radicalism in Pakistan.

He also urged Pakistan to co-operate in creating a stable Afghanistan and pledged to go "further and faster" in boosting trade links between the two countries.

Speaking at the Pakistani Prime Minister's official residence, Mr Cameron said both countries had a shared interest in the "battle against terrorism".
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Live Into the Gospel - Stand Up Against Anti-Muslim Hatred

---

It was not so long ago in this country that Jewish and Catholic people of faith were attacked as a community for the crimes of an isolated individual. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now that it is happening to other groups.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post
By Rev. Emily C. Heath | April 19, 2013

Today I am praying for my Muslim friends and extended family. Because I know they are afraid.

We don't have any official confirmation yet whether or not the two brothers who Boston Marathon bombers are Muslim. There are many reports, though, and already anti-Muslim statements are being made.

It doesn't matter that the youngest son reportedly drank and smoked pot, hardly the signs of an observant Muslim and certainly not the mark of a radicalized Islamic terrorist. It doesn't matter that their uncle is standing on his lawn having to proclaim his love of this country because no one believes him. It doesn't matter that a cousin is an Army soldier. Some people have already decided that these actions are related to Islam.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Really? Taliban Named Best Place to Work 2013 | Andy Borowitz

---

“This is the first office we’ve ever opened, so naturally we wanted it to be nice and all. But to be named a better place to work than Apple and Google and the other amazing places on this list–whoa.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Humor
Source/Credit: The New Yorker
By The Borowitz Report | June 20, 2013

DOHA, QATAR (The Borowitz Report)—In the latest publicity coup for the Afghan insurgent group, the Taliban today finished first in a newly released survey of the “Best Places to Work 2013.”

For the Taliban, who had just opened their office in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, the honor was “totally unexpected and incredibly humbling,” a spokesman for the group said.

“This is the first office we’ve ever opened, so naturally we wanted it to be nice and all,” he said. “But to be named a better place to work than Apple and Google and the other amazing places on this list–whoa.”

Cited in the poll was the atmosphere at Taliban headquarters, which numerous employees described as “relaxed” and “fun.”

“People think that just because we observe Sharia law, we walk around with frowny faces all day,” the spokesman said. “The fact is, we have a lot of laughs here.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Opinion: A plea from an exhausted Muslim woman | CNN

---

I’m going to tell you what it feels like to be told that you can’t be a feminist and that so many of your gentlest brothers are misogynists, criminals or worse.

Photo: CNN/Getty Images

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: CNN Belief Blog
By Melody Moezzi | June 5, 2013

CNN Editor's note: Melody Moezzi is a writer, activist, attorney and award-winning author. Her book, "Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life," will be published in August.

(CNN) – I wasn’t surprised by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's recent statement about a “problem within Islam.”

It's not as though I've never heard anything like it before. I hear it all the time.

Still, his words – in response to a recent attack in London that left a British soldier dead – made me wonder: How might the public have reacted in a different context, had Blair replaced the word “Islam” with “Christianity” or “Judaism”?

I’m guessing not well.

But Muslims are used to having their faith openly denigrated by public officials.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Eye on science: Born This Way? Science may have bad news for gay rights

---

If homosexuality is truly biological, discrimination against gay people is bigotry, plain and simple. But if it’s a birth defect, as Blanchard’s work tacitly suggests, then being gay is something that can—and presumably should—be fixed.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Slate
By Mark Joseph Stern | June 28, 2013

Scientists may have found a biological basis for homosexuality. That could be bad news for gay rights.

“Baby, you were born this way.” As soon as Lady Gaga sang these words on her smash hit "Born This Way," they became a rallying cry for gay people around the world, an anthem for sexual minorities facing discrimination. The shiny, catchy song carries an empowering (if simple) message: Don’t be ashamed about being gay, or bi, or trans, or anything—that’s just how you were born. Gaga later named her anti-bullying charity after the same truism, and two filmmakers borrowed it for their documentary exposing homophobia in Africa. A popular "Born This Way" blog encourages users to submit reflections on “their innate LGBTQ selves.” Need a quick, pithy riposte against anti-gay bigotry? Baby, we were born this way.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

U.S. suspends trade benefits for Bangladesh over safety

---

"Countries that tolerate dangerous - and even deadly - working conditions and deny basic workers' rights, especially the right to freedom of association, will risk losing preferential access to the U.S. market."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Reuters
By Doug Palmer | June 27, 2013

WASHINGTON | (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday cut off longtime U.S. trade benefits for Bangladesh in a mostly symbolic response to dangerous conditions in that country's garment industry that have cost more than 1,200 lives in the past year.

"I have determined that it is appropriate to suspend Bangladesh ... because it is not taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker rights to workers in the country," Obama said in a statement.

The U.S. sanction does not directly affect Bangladesh's multi-billion-dollar clothing exports to the United States, which came under scrutiny after the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in April that killed 1,129 people and the Tazreen factory fire in November that killed 112.

But it could influence the European Union to take similar action, which would have a much bigger impact on Bangladesh and its garment sector.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Qadian, India: Partap Singh Bajwa seeks special package for industries, Beas-Qadian rail link

---

A few high-end projects such as the proposed Central University in Amritsar, rail component manufacturing unit and historical rail link between Beas and Qadian had failed to take off due to the alleged lack of interest shown by the SAD-BJP government.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Hundustan Times
By PTI | June 29, 2013

Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday appealed to the UPA government to announce a special package for the development of industries in the state and infrastructure in border districts. In a communication to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Bajwa said Punjab was a landlocked state and connectivity of border areas with main land routes and setting up of big industrial units would revive the economy of the state.

He said that a cancer hospital at the cost of R500 crore was approved for Sangrur district and a Central University was set up in Bathinda.

He said that a few high-end projects such as the proposed Central University in Amritsar, rail component manufacturing unit and historical rail link between Beas and Qadian had failed to take off due to the alleged lack of interest shown by the SAD-BJP government.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Pakistan: Rimsha Masih, family get asylum in Canada

---

The 14-year-old resident of Meherabadi in Islamabad was detained when a neighbour claimed she had burned pages of the holy Quran. She spent three weeks on remand in an adult prison.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Pakistan Today
By Asher John | June 29, 2013

LAHORE - Teenage blasphemy accused Rimsha Masih and her family have been granted religious asylum in Canada, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.

Rimsha's lawyer Tahir Naveed Chaudhry told Pakistan Today that the family comprising Rimsha, her three sisters and a brother, and parents had been moved to Canada two days before the dissolution of the National Assembly on March 16.

BACKGROUND

The 14-year-old resident of Meherabadi in Islamabad was detained when a neighbour claimed she had burned pages of the holy Quran. She spent three weeks on remand in an adult prison.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Idaho patriots tool up to battle Jihad with pork bullets

---

Earlier this year, Hill and his wife Julie were finally ready to counter this "great insult" by unleashing Jihawg Ammo "as a tongue-in-cheek way to stand up to radical Islamic terrorists".

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Register | UK
By  Lester Haines | June 28, 2013

Straight to Shaitan for Islamic fundamentalists hit by piggy projectile

US patriots concerned about "the ever growing threat of radical Islam and Sharia Law" can sleep sounder* in their beds thanks to an innovative range of pork-coated ammunition designed to dispatch jihadists directly to hell.

Jihawg Ammo's high-tech covering of ballistic paint, infused with "highest quality pork product made right here in America", will apparently "strike fear into the hearts of those bent upon hate, violence and murder".

The website elaborates:

Jihawg Ammo is certified "Haraam" or unclean. According to the belief system of the radical Islamist becoming "unclean" during Jihad will prevent their attaining entrance into heaven. Jihawg Ammo is a natural deterrent to radical and suicidal acts of violence.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Sect seeks tolerance, peace in roots of Islam

---

The event is expected to draw about 10,000 Ahmadiyya Muslims from North America and abroad, and about 1,000 non-Muslims.

File photo: 2012 Annaul Convention - Harrisburg, PA

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Lancaster Online
By Jon Rutter | Jun 29, 2013

Thousands of Ahmadiyya Muslims gather at national convention in Harrisburg

It's a long road from India's peace-preaching 1800s villager, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, to 9/11.

Reformist Ahmadiyya Muslim followers, gathering in Harrisburg this weekend for the fourth year in a row, say they want to get back to the tolerant roots of their religion.

"The word Islam means peace," said Dr. Mubashir Mumtaz, a Harrisburg heart surgeon publicizing the annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA meeting. "Islam does not teach the destruction of community or society."

The conference has been held for 65 years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Kababir, Home of Israel's Muslim Ahmadiyya

---

The motto of the Ahmadiyya Community is “Love for All, Hatred for None”. They first settled in Palestine in 1925 and became part of Israel in 1948.

Ahmadi families in Palestine - 1936 (AMC Photo)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: BubbleWS
By E Shugerman | June 28th, 2013

I immigrated to Haifa Israel six years ago from The United States. My greatest joy in living in this city is the peaceful coexistence of its citizens. The city is also beautiful. It is on the Mediterranean with a tiyelet or boardwalk and active commercial port.

Haifa is a city dotted with gardens. The most prominent is at the world center of the Baha’i religion, with the tombs of the Bab (Mirza Muhammad Ali) and Abbas Efendi, son and successor of the founder of the abor.faith, Bahá’u’lláh. The presence of the Baha’i, for so long persecuted in various Middle East countries, is evidence of the tolerant social fabric of this city. The greatest challenge facing this small and brave nation is to promote the values of peace in an area filled with strife and hatred. Haifa is the home of the Tomb of Elijah the Prophet, which is considered one of the holiest and most venerated shrines to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze alike.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Germany: World Muslim Leader Opens Annual Convention in Karlsruhe

---

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also informed that in both the United States and in Kababir the Annual Conventions of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were also taking place this weekend.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: AMJ - International | UK
By Press release | June 29, 2013

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad opens Annual Convention with Friday Sermon

The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and Fifth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad opened the three-day Jalsa Salana Germany with a faith inspiring Friday Sermon on 28 June 2013 in the city of Karlsruhe. During his address, His Holiness spoke about the true purpose and objectives of the Annual Convention.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also informed that in both the United States and in Kababir the Annual Conventions of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were also taking place this weekend.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Muslim peace conference draws 5,000+ on first of three days in Harrisburg

---

Mayor Linda Thompson and state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, are among local elected officials slated to attend this weekend's event, which features speeches, group prayer, readings and food.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Patriot News
By Emily Previti | June 28, 2013

HARRISBURG – More than 5,000 people attended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Friday, the first of three days of the nation’s longest running Muslim conference.

The community’s 65th annual Jalsa Salana peace conference is free and runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. until noon Sunday.

It is open to the public - and organizers encourage non-Muslims to attend.

 That's one of the main points of the event, said the community’s national vice-president Dr. Nasim Rehmatullahpoin and national spokesman Qasim Rashid.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Canada: New mosque in BC celebrates Canada Day

---

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of British Columbia will be holding a fun-filled day of celebrations in honor of Canada Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: South Delta Leader
By South Delta Leader | June 28, 2013

Delta’s newest mosque in Tilbury Industrial Park is inviting all British Columbians to join them for Canada Day.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of British Columbia will be holding a fun-filled day of celebrations in honor of Canada Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The opening program will begin at 2:30 p.m.  with a prayer, the singing of ‘O Canada’ and remarks by dignitaries.

The celebrations will continue with a flag raising ceremony and “special prayers for the safety and peace of this great nation.” The rest of the day will consist of various fun-filled programs for the entire family.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: Sunni vs Shia... in Gerrard's Cross | New mosque highlights growing tensions among British Muslims

---

“Sunnis and Shias remain united in the UK and have a long-established history of intra-faith co-operation. We are acutely aware that the complex situation in the Middle East and Muslim world has the possibility of threatening that tradition...”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Independent | UK
By Cahal Milmo } June 24, 2013

It might seem a world away from the fighting in Syria, but a new mosque near the Buckinghamshire town reflects the rise in Britain of tensions between the two factions of Islam

With its busy pub, carefully tended floral borders and farm shop selling eggs and hay, Fulmer is an unlikely epicentre for concerns that Britain’s Shia and Sunni Muslim populations are increasingly plagued by sectarian strife.

The pristine Buckinghamshire village close to Gerrards Cross, home to Britain’s most expensive property market, prides itself as a haven from the bustle of the wider world, with its film festival and parish council meetings where attendees are invited to “partake of a glass of wine and nibbles”.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Muslim group introduces Santa Clarita Valley residents to the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings

---

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an international organization based on the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a reformer who argued against militant Islam and claimed to be the messiah.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Signal
By Mallory Fencil | June 28, 2013

Members of a local chapter of a national Muslim community have held an informational seminar to educate Santa Clarita Valley residents on the peaceful nature of the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings.

The seminar, titled, “Muhammad, Messenger of Peace,” sought to illuminate the peaceful roots of the religion of Islam, said keynote speaker Amjad Khan, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s national director of public affairs.

“His heart was full of love for his fellow man and he had a special reverence for those had nothing and for those who have been forgotten or cast off by society,” Khan said of Muhammad, noting the word “Islam” means “peace” in Arabic.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: Ramifications of the Woolwich attack - Lord Tariq Ahmad warns about 'imported radicalisation"

---

"I would call this imported radicalisation into the British society and I have always said that the responsibility of growing radicalisation lies with us Muslims. We must introspect the reasons of us failing to integrate in to the British society." Lord Tariq Ahmad.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Asians |
By Adil Shahzab | June 14, 2013

On a cloudy May afternoon, terror struck in the UK. Justifying his barbaric act of murdering a British soldier, the British born Nigerian Michael Adebolajo, one of two men suspected of carrying out the attack, spat these words to an eyewitness filming on a mobile phone. "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth."

People from all walks of life belonging to every community were horrified by the killing of British soldier Lee Rigby on the streets of London. British Muslims in particular were left in shock as well as with growing fear of being attacked by anti Islam extremists groups. British Prime Minister David Cameron in his furious reaction said that it was an attack on entire Britain and the killers have betrayed the British Muslims and Islam. While condemning the killing of a soldier, Muslim community leaders, politicians and academics blatantly denounced the barbaric act but at the same time, strongly urged the community for introspection.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: Bradford Muslim community marks milestone with invitation to friends and neighbours

---

Since establishing itself in London in 1913, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has worked hard to encourage interfaith dialogue and do good works, a point made by David Cameron.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: Telegraph & Argus
By Jim Greenhalf | June 27, 2013

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community – motto Love For All Hatred For None – marks its British centenary this year with a series of peace symposiums, charitable events and dinners.

Tomorrow night the Bradford Ahmadiyya Muslim community has invited all members, neighbours and friends to a barbecue at the Al-Mahdi Mosque, Rees Way, off Otley Road. On Sunday, members will hold a charity walk to raise more than £200,000 for UK charities.

The organisation was founded in India in March 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in what followers believe was divine revelation, the equivalent of Christianity’s Second Coming.

This has been a cause of conflict with other Muslim groups.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

The Shias: Egypt's forgotten Muslim minority

---

"The current Muslim Brotherhood regime believes that fighting Shias is a way to come closer to God; this is extremely dangerous."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Ahram |
By Zeinab El-Gundy | Mar 18, 2013

Members of Egypt's Shia-Muslim community – whose numbers remain the source of debate – say they continue to face discrimination and persecution at the hands of their Sunni-Muslim brethren

Last July, a young Egyptian Shia-Muslim man, Mohamed Asfour, was sentenced to three years in jail for "insulting the Prophet Mohamed's companions," who are revered by Sunni Muslims. It was the first time in Egyptian history that a Shia Muslim was incarcerated on this charge.

Asfour, who was originally a Salafist teacher in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, maintained that his arrest came after a month-long campaign of abuse by village residents following his conversion to Shia Islam. His own parents-in-law reportedly forced his wife to divorce him over his change in faith.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Ireland: Ahmadi Muslims host exhibition on Muslim culture in Ballybane

---

The exhibition will focus on the Ahmadiyya culture in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. It'll also highlight the history and integration of the group in Ireland and its service to religion.

File photo: Ahmadiyya Muslim Qura'an Exhibition 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: Galway Bay FM
By Galway Bay | June 27, 2013

Galway Bay fm newsroom - An exhibition about the Muslim culture will go on display in the city next week.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Ireland is hosting the exhibition at Ballybane Library from next Tuesday, July 2nd.

The exhibition will focus on the Ahmadiyya culture in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

It'll also highlight the history and integration of the group in Ireland and its service to religion.

Another feature of the cultural and integration exhibition, will be the Galway Mosque as a 'symbol of peace'.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: USCIRF Chair to be Honored at Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Annual Convention

---

"We are proud to stand with the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and proclaim together that these and other freedoms are the birthright of humanity.” [Dr. Lantos Swett]

File photo: Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: USCIRF
By Press Release | June 27, 2013

On June 29, 2013, the Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, will be honored at the 65th Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) to be held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from June 28 – June 30.

Dr. Lantos Swett will be receiving the 2013 Ahmadiya Muslim Humanitarian Award for her “tireless commitment to religious freedom” and her “exceptional work on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.”  Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) also will be receiving this prestigious award.  The live stream address for Saturday's afternoon award session is: Live.alislam.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Opinion: Time to tear down the internet ‘walls’ - CNN

---

In Bangladesh, the government arrested Asif Mohiuddin and three other bloggers in April for “derogatory comments about Islam.”  They face harassment and threats of violence after being labeled “atheist” for questioning politicians from religious parties.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: CNN | Global Public Square Blog
By Katrina Lantos Swett | June 26, 2013

CNN Editor’s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The views expressed are the writer’s own.

Fifty years ago today, on June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy stood in West Berlin and condemned the newly erected Berlin Wall. Twenty-four years later, President Ronald Reagan traveled to West Berlin and challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”

In the decades between these speeches, human rights and religious freedom advocates behind the Iron Curtain defied the walls of tyranny by relying on the samizdat, a clandestine system to print and distribute government-suppressed material. Today, many use the internet in much the same way, raising both challenges and opportunities as the forces of repression and freedom clash in the virtual and physical worlds.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

U.S. officials question Obama’s decision to arm Syrian rebels

---

Sunni Muslim extremists have carried out actions such as slaughtering a 15-year-old boy for what they called blasphemy, burning down Shiite mosques and Christian churches, and massacring an entire village of Christians in al-Duvair.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Al Arabia
By Jordyn Grzelewski |  June 26, 2013

Some members of the U.S. Congress are calling into question President Barack Obama’s decision to arm the Syrian rebels in light of violence against religious minorities, both at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and members of the opposition.

“Money talks. The United States should be using assistance to ensure recipient countries and entities have a plan that is implemented to protect vulnerable religious minorities,” Republican Representative Christopher Smith said.

A State Department official, the leader of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and directors of three non-governmental organizations testified about violence against Syria’s religious minorities at a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing Tuesday, most agreeing that U.S. aid to the opposition should at least be conditioned on respect for the rights of minorities.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Egypt's Violent Sectarianism on Rise

---

The murder of four Egyptian Shiites, among them Sheikh Hassan Shehata, once again exposed the fate of Egypt’s Shiites, the discrimination and maltreatment that they suffer from, particularly after the January 25 Revolution.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: As-Safir / Al Monitor
By Ahmad Abdlefattah | June 25, 2013

Many are distancing themselves from Zawyat Abu Musalam and the events that occurred there Sunday [June 23]. They are washing their hands of the massacre that led to the deaths of four people, among them an Al-Azhar-trained cleric. They are viewing it as a transient event: condemning the perpetrators, yet, as the same time, insulting the victims. Few of them possess the audacity to disclose the identity of those responsible for this criminal turning point in Egypt’s modern history.

Zawyat Abu Musalam is no longer a mere village in Giza. It has become a tangible manifestation of the growing hysteria meant to curb the Egyptian people’s desire for a democratic pluralistic society, where all can enjoy unrestricted personal freedoms, at the core of which lies the freedom of religious belief.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Eye on Faith: Why Christians Were Denied Access to Their Bible for 1,000 Years

---

Ruling of the Council of Tarragona of 1234 C.E.: "No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days after promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned..."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post
By Bernard Starr | May 20, 2013

The Council of Nicaea called by the Emperor Constantine met in 325 C.E. to establish a unified Catholic Church. At that point no universally sanctioned Scriptures or Christian Bible existed. Various churches and officials adopted different texts and gospels. That's why the Council of Hippo sanctioned 27 books for the New Testament in 393 C.E. Four years later the Council of Cartage confirmed the same 27 books as the authoritative Scriptures of the Church.

Wouldn't you assume that the newly established Church would want its devotees to immerse themselves in the sanctioned New Testament, especially since the Church went to great lengths to eliminate competing Gospels? And wouldn't the best way of spreading the "good news" be to ensure that every Christian had direct access to the Bible?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Pakistan: Eight activists of Tableeghi Jama'at abducted in Awaran

---

According to eye witnesses, unidentified armed men surrounded the mosque and kidnapped eight persons who were on their mission of preaching Islamic values and teachings to the people of war-torn areas.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l desk
Source/Credit: Dunya New
By Dunya News | June 26, 2013

Law and order situation is going from bad to worse with the passage of time in Blochistan.

AWARAN (Dunya News):-Unknown armed men abducted eight workers of Tableeghi Jama’at (preaching party) in the area of Awaran on Wednesday.

The victims are said to hail from Peshawar and Bannun.

According to eye witnesses, unidentified armed men surrounded the mosque and kidnapped eight persons who were on their mission of preaching Islamic values and teachings to the people of war-torn areas.

Having information, security forces reached the site of incident and cordoned off the area; however, no culprit could be arrested uptill now.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Egypt slams 'Bible-burning' Islamist preacher with 11-year sentence

---

Abu Islam, who is the head of two Islamic satellite TV channels – the Umma and Mariya – has also been fined LE3000, but the verdict will be suspended pending appeal.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Ahram Online
By Ahram Online | June 16, 2013

Court rules on religion charges raised against Abu Islam following 2012 'Innocence of Muslims' demonstration during which Bibles were desecrated; son also punished

An Egyptian misdemeanors court has issued an 11 year prison sentence to Islamist preacher Ahmed Abdullah (AKA Abu Islam) on charges of insulting religion and burning the Bible.

Abu Islam, who is the head of two Islamic satellite TV channels – the Umma and Mariya – has also been fined LE3000, but the verdict will be suspended pending appeal.

The court also sentenced Islam, Abu-Islam's son, to eight years in prison and fined him LE 2000 for taking part in burning the Bible with his father. This sentence is also suspended pending appeal.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: Anti-Islam activists, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, barred from entering Britain to speak at an EDL rally

---

The decision follows pressure from anti-racist groups and chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz, who wrote to Ms May earlier this week asking her to consider a ban.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Independent | UK
By Kevin Rawlinson | June 26, 2013

Theresa May said activists' presence in the UK would 'not be conducive to the public good'

Two of the people behind a campaign against the building of the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York have been barred from entering Britain to speak at an English Defence League rally in London this weekend, it has been announced.

The Home Secretary Theresa May has told Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, both of the anti-Islamic group Stop Islamization of America, that their presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”. The decision, which they cannot appeal, will stand for between three and five years.

According to the Home Office, Mr Spencer and Ms Geller set up organisations “described as anti-Muslim hate groups” and, consequently, they have been told not to travel to Britain.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Perspective: Shias under attack across the globe

---

If it were not for the brave activist, Hazem Barakat, who tweeted the videos and his willingness to testify against those who orchestrated the lynching, the world would not have known of the brutality of these attacks.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Dawn | Pakistan
By Murtaza Haider | 2013-06-26

From Cairo to Peshawar, Shias are under attack by Sunni militants. The sectarian warfare targeting Shias has left thousands dead. The rest of the world watches silently as Muslims self-destruct in sectarian wars.

Earlier on Sunday, a lynch mob near Cairo (Zawyat Abu Musalam), Egypt, murdered four Shias who had taken refuge in a house. The mob dragged their corpses in the street as hundreds watched from the rooftops. In Iraq, a series of bombs continue to kill and maim Shias. In Pakistan, Sunni militants attacked a mosque killing 15 Shias on June 21. In Bahrain, the Saudi-backed regime continues to harass the Shia majority, which is demanding more political rights.

Across the globe, the Shia-Sunni schism has taken a turn for the worst. The Syrian conflict has pitched the Iran-backed Alawite regime against the Sunni majority, who is being supported by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and other Gulf states. What may have started as an internal conflict in Syria has transformed into a sectarian civil war, which threatens to plunge the billion-plus Muslims in a bloody sectarian warfare.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Egypt Arrests Eight Suspects for Shi'ites Killing

---

A mob of Salafis (ultraconservative Sunnis) raided a house where a gathering of Shi'ites was taking place late on Sunday and attacked it with rocks and Molotov cocktails, killing four and injuring others.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: All Africa
By  Aswat Masriya | June 25, 2013

A security source said on Tuesday that eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of four Shi'ites which took place in Abu Musallem Village on Sunday, reported the state news agency.

Efforts by the Giza's Criminal Investigation Department are ongoing to capture the remaining suspects, the source added.

A mob of Salafis (ultraconservative Sunnis) raided a house where a gathering of Shi'ites was taking place late on Sunday and attacked it with rocks and Molotov cocktails, killing four and injuring others.

During the attack, the perpetrators accused the victims, who included a leader of Egypt's Shi'ite minority known as Sheikh Hassan Shehata, of blasphemy and beat them to death.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Religious liberty in America: an enduring promise

---

One way of appreciating the rich tradition of religious liberty is to understand how religious communities enjoy religious freedom and why they feel called to protect it.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Common Ground News Service
By Holly Hollman and Hoda Elshishtawy | 25 June 2013

Washington, DC – Americans face many challenges that threaten to undermine their obligation to protect religious pluralism and the rights of fellow citizens. Earlier this month in Tennessee, for example, a program on public discourse designed to answer questions about Islam was continuously disrupted by protesters and hecklers, some of whom claimed that Islam is evil.

Yet we should not diminish what has been called “the most successful experiment in religious liberty the world has ever known” – the United States of America. Whatever challenges we face, the two of us, from a Baptist organisation and a Muslim organisation respectively, agree that protecting religious liberty is paramount. Protection of religious liberty requires careful attention to upholding the principles enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guard the right to practice one’s faith without government interference.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Ireland: Ahmadiyya Muslims to host intercultural exhibition in Galway

---

The day-long event will be attended by community members from across Ireland. It will officially begin with a flag hoisting ceremony in which the Irish Tricolor, the flags of the four provinces will be raised, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community flag will be raised.

File photo (AlIslam): Ireland Ahmadiyya Annual Convention - 2006 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: Galway Advertiser
By Kernan Andrews | June 27, 2013

An exhibition covering issues of religion, interculturalism, integration, and diversity, opens in the Ballybane Library on Tuesday.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Ireland will host this Cultural And Integration Exhibition, which will run for the month of July.

The exhibition will focus on the worldwide Ahmadiyya community in Africa, Asia, Europe and America; a history of the faith in Ireland; its place among the world religions; the humanitarian and charitable work of its members; the Khilafat, the spiritual leadership of the Ahmadiyya (equivalent to the Roman Catholic pope); and the Maryum Mosque which is being built in Ballybrit.

The exhibition launch will be attended by the Mayor of Galway Pádraig Conneely and all are welcome to visit the exhibition.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: St Matthew Catholic Church extends a hand of friendship to Muslim neighbors in Hallandale Beach

---

Miami had already hosted two very successful events in the month of March. It was befitting to hold the same at St Matthew as it offered a great opportunity to discuss contemporary issues relating to Islam and dispel the myths about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Photo: Mansura Minhas

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit:     Miami Islam Examiner
By Mansura Minhas | June 26, 2013

Father James Quinn of St Matthew Catholic Church in Hallandale Beach first met Missionary in charge Imam Muhammad Saeed Khalid and Mr. Munawar Chaudhry, President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community-Miami and at the National Day of Prayer Observance at the Hallandale Beach City Hall on May 2. During the course of the conversation, Father Quinn extended them an invitation to visit St Matthew.

Further communication and meetings panned out to an event at the Church premises. The goal was to inform the congregation about Islam and its basic tenants. Father Quinn extended a hand of friendship towards Ahmadiyya Muslim Community because he felt the urgency to bring the peaceful message of Islam to his congregation –and fill the information gap that exists. The need to foster understanding between Muslims and Christians was never greater. The world is riddled with chaos and turmoil and the responsibility lies upon religious leaders to work towards peace in the society. Filling the information void is integral to fostering harmony and building bridges between faiths.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Bangladesh: Islamists Demand Blasphemy Law

---

In February, a prominent Jamaat leader was sentenced to death. Since then, more than 70 people have been killed in violent protests. Human rights groups have accused the security forces of using excessive force to control the riots.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Qantara.de | Editor: Aingeal Flanagan
By Roma Rajpal and Rachel Yasmin Baig | June 25, 2013

Earlier this month, hundreds of extremely religious Muslims in Bangladesh took to the streets, calling for a new law that would include the death penalty for blasphemy. By Roma Rajpal und Rachel Yasmin Baig

"He is not safe anywhere," says Juela Zebunnessa Khan, sister of 29-year-old Asif Mohiuddin, one of the bloggers who has been imprisoned for the content of his blog. In 2012, Mohiuddin received the Deutsche Welle Blogger Award ("BOB") in the category "Best Social Activism Campaign". A self-proclaimed atheist, he is known for his criticism of religious fundamentalism. In January of this year, he was brutally attacked and stabbed, receiving life-threatening injuries in the process. Luckily, he underwent an operation that saved his life.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: Jewish Patrol Group Shomrim Offers Protection To Mosques Amid Rise In Hate Attacks

---

The offer of security help was the brainchild of local Lib Dem councillor and strictly Orthodox Jew Ian Sharer, who was one of the founders of the Muslim-Jewish forum.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post UK
By Jessica Elgot | June 24, 2013

A Jewish "police force" has offered protection to mosques in Hackney, following a spate of violent attacks on mosques.

Shomrim, a uniformed Jewish patrol in Stamford Hill who are trained by the Met, patrol the area regularly looking for anti-Semitic hate crimes, and general disorder in the neighbourhood.

The volunteer group, similar to a Neighbourhood Watch, are trained to safely track and detain suspects until police arrive, and run a 24-hour hotline for those in the area to report attacks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Pakistan: Christian lawyer threatened 'dire consequences' for assisting Christian women - rights group

---

In Pakistan, lives and properties of common citizens are not secure and citizens live in fear. Minorities are the most victimized by these violations. Christian people are facing many difficulties in Pakistan.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Asian Human Rights Commission
By: AHRC-STM-114-2013 | June 25, 2013

PAKISTAN: A Christian lawyer has been threatened with dire consequences for assisting three Christian women, who were stripped naked and paraded on the street

A Christian lawyer has been threatened with dire consequences if he continues to provide legal assistance to three Christian women who were stripped naked and paraded on the street by the henchmen of ruling party.  Mr. Mushtaq Gill, the director of LEAD (Legal Evangelical Association Development) organization, is getting death threats from militants. He is raising his voice for the Christian minority as militants often violate their rights. According to the Pakistan Christian Post, three armed militants allegedly threatened Mr. Mushtaq Gill on Sunday 23, June 2013, at around 2:30 p.m., when he was on his way home. He was on a motorbike with a friend when they were forcibly stopped at gunpoint on Multan road. These three people, who were unknown to him, started threatening him to kill and then shot into the air.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Point of view: Syria-The failure of the Muslim Ummah

---

...[T]he reason that I bring up Syria is that in Pakistan, I have seen people to be the first on the streets whenever anything goes wrong in any part of the Muslim world irrespective of conditions at home.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desl
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times
By Dur-e-Aden | June 25, 2013

For the past two weeks, a lot is being written and discussed about the condition in Syria in the international media. Though the conflict is now over two years old and Syria has been dominating the news for one reason after the other, mainly because of an escalating civil war inside its borders and the threat that it poses not only for regional but also international stability; the reason for a sudden refocus was the announcement by President Barack Obama that US has finally decided to provide military support to the rebels, especially after obtaining “evidence” that Assad has used chemical weapons against its own people.

 However, what I have noticed and what surprised me the most was the relative silence of the religious leaders and politicians, as well as the people in Pakistan regarding the condition in Syria. As a result of the conflict that started in the wake of Arab Spring in 2011, close to a 100,000 people are reported to have lost their lives and approximately 2.5 million are reported to have become refugees. (It is important to keep in mind however, that during such bloody conflicts, real numbers are always higher than the official figures since not every death gets reported nor every refugee gets registered). Moreover, some of the most beautiful and historical infrastructure which included mosques, churches, shrines and other religious places sacred to millions of people belonging to a multitude of faiths have been destroyed. In other words, Syria just unravelled into a catastrophe right in front of our eyes.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Paqkistan: Mob stones ‘blasphemer’, police

---

DPO Gohar Mushtaq Bhutta said the accused was being interrogated. He said the mother of the accused died three days ago and he appeared to be under huge mental stress because of the loss. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Pakistan Today
By Pakistan Today | June 25, 2013

Eight people were injured when a mob stoned police and a blasphemy accused in Talwandi Bhindran village in Niddoke police precincts on Monday.

Village residents besieged the house of Shahzad Ahmad (22), a resident of the same village, and tried to stone him to death for allegedly burning a copy of the Holy Quran.

Large contingents of police headed by the district police officer reached the village and arrested the accused. As police tried to take the accused to the police station, the mob outside his house tried to snatch him.

When police put up resistance, the mob stoned both the police and the accused. Eight people were injured in the ensuing struggle. Police had to resort to aerial firing to disperse the mob. The accused was finally shifted to an undisclosed location with the help of Elite Force.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: Islam’s True Face | American Muslims Have a Unique Duty

---

Jihad Of The Pen: American Muslims have the unique privilege and duty to condemn violent extremism and to show Islam’s true face of peace.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Santa Barbara Independent
By Osaama Saifi | June 25, 2013

It is difficult to believe that September 11, 2001 was some twelve years ago. It really did seem like another seemingly innocent day in September. A light blue sky conspicuously cloaked the horrors in a New York City skyline. I remember I was in sixth grade at May Grisham Elementary in Santa Maria. It was early in the morning and my classmates and I were waiting in line to enter class.

We were young and we did not have a clear idea of what was going on. We just knew that some accident occurred. I did not know that the people who claimed to be behind the terrorist acts were Muslim. I did not know that the ringleader of this terrorist gang was usurping the beauty of my first name.

When I first introduce myself to others, their interest piques when I tell them my name is Osaama. I think there is a natural assumption that growing up with such a name post-9/11 comes with its own unique set of challenges. I won’t deny that it does. But I can say that I am fortunate to have grown up in Santa Maria and in the larger Santa Barbara community. People seem to forget that besides being known for our pleasant weather and commitment to making the best tri-tip sandwiches, our community is also known for the warm, welcoming people who live here.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: American Ahmadiyya Muslim Conference Slated for Harrisburg

---

More than 10,000 attendees are expected at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA national conference, which will be held this weekend.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Newsworks | WHYY
By Kimberly Haas | June 25, 2013

Listen to Audio Report



For the fourth consecutive year, Harrisburg will host the nation's longest-running American Muslim Convention.

More than 10,000 attendees are expected at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA national conference, which will be held this weekend.

The group's national spokesperson, Qasim Rashid, spoke about the event with NewsWorks Tonight's Dave Heller.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

USA: McDonald's drops halal food from U.S. menu

---

The decision to discontinue the products after a 12-year run drew a mixed reaction in Dearborn: Some were disappointed, while others said it was a good move because McDonald's had problems before with selling halal food.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: NBC 11 Alive
By USA Today | June 24, 2013

DETROIT -- There have been only two McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. that have offered halal food. Both were in east Dearborn, Mich., which has a sizable population of Arab-American Muslims.

But after a contentious lawsuit that accused the restaurant chain of selling non-halal items advertised as halal, McDonald's has yanked its Halal Chicken McNuggets and Halal McChicken sandwiches off the menu. The move brings to an end a unique product that made the two McDonald's restaurants popular with Muslims.

"Those items have been discontinued as a result of our continued efforts to focus on our national core menu," a spokesman for McDonald's said Friday.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Egypt: 'You Can't Eat Sharia' - Mohamed Albaradei

---

You see people being lynched in public, while others take pictures of the scene. Mind you, this is the 21st century -- not the French Revolution!

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Foreign Policy
By Mohamed Albaradei | July-2013

Egypt is on the brink -- not of something better than the old Mubarak dictatorship, but of something even worse.

Two years after the revolution that toppled a dictator, Egypt is already a failed state. According to the Failed States Index, in the year before the uprising we ranked No. 45. After Hosni Mubarak fell, we worsened to 31st. I haven't checked recently -- I don't want to get more depressed. But the evidence is all around us.

Today you see an erosion of state authority in Egypt. The state is supposed to provide security and justice; that's the most basic form of statehood. But law and order is disintegrating. In 2012, murders were up 130 percent, robberies 350 percent, and kidnappings 145 percent, according to the Interior Ministry. You see people being lynched in public, while others take pictures of the scene. Mind you, this is the 21st century -- not the French Revolution!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Ghana: 32nd Ahmadiyya Women conference ends in Accra

---

The Acting Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Yussif Yawson who made the point emphasised the need for parents to complement each other's effort in the management of the home.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: My Ghana online
By Charles Amponsah | Jun 24, 2013

The 32nd Annual Conference of the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women, Association has ended with a call on Muslims to invest in the education of their children especially the girl-child to enable them to attain the highest level of education.

The Acting Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Yussif Yawson who made the point emphasised the need for parents to complement each other's effort in the management of the home.

GBC

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Chief Rabbi: atheism has failed. Only religion can defeat the new barbarians

---

The history of Europe since the 18th century has been the story of successive attempts to find alternatives to God as an object of worship, among them the nation state, race and the Communist Manifesto. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Spectator | Magazine
By Jonathan Sacks | June 15, 2013

The West is suffering for its loss of faith. Unless we rediscover religion, our civilisation is in peril

I love the remark made by one Oxford don about another: ‘On the surface, he’s profound, but deep down, he’s superficial.’ That sentence has more than once come to mind when reading the new atheists.

Future intellectual historians will look back with wonder at the strange phenomenon of seemingly intelligent secularists in the 21st century believing that if they could show that the first chapters of Genesis are not literally true, that the universe is more than 6,000 years old and there might be other explanations for rainbows than as a sign of God’s covenant after the flood, the whole of humanity’s religious beliefs would come tumbling down like a house of cards and we would be left with a serene world of rational non-believers getting on famously with one another.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Switzerland: First Swiss mosque celebrates its 50th anniversary in Zurich

---

The mosque was actually built at the instigation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose traditions go back to 1889 in India. It purports to revive Islam in its original peaceful form.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: Inside Zurich
By Inside Zurich | June 24, 2013

The Mahmood Mosque in the city's Forchstrasse is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week and on Saturday it opened its doors to the public with guided tours on offer. Indeed the mosque was the first ever to be built in Switzerland.

The mosque was actually built at the instigation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose traditions go back to 1889 in India. It purports to revive Islam in its original peaceful form.

The community has existed in Switzerland only since shortly after the Second World War and now numbers more than 800 members. Initially followers wanted to set up such a mosque in Germany but they failed to get the necessary permission. In 2005 a second place of worship serving the community, the Noor Mosque, was set up in Wigoltingen in the canton of Thurgau.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

UK: MP Sadiq Khan has unwittingly highlighted the problem of Islamic extremism

---

Bigotry against Ahmadiyaa Muslims was extended towards the Liberal Democrat candidate in Tooting. Indeed it was so strong that during the 2010 campaign it was reported that he was told not to come to an election hustings at Sadiq Khan’s own mosque – the Tooting Islamic Centre.

Sadiq Khan, MP (L) - Charles Moore, Saturday Telegraph

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Spectator
By Douglas Murray | 24 June 2013

Sadiq Khan MP had a piece in the Telegraph last week attacking an excellent piece by Charles Moore in the same paper the Saturday before. In his piece Sadiq makes a number of claims which are worth rebutting.

First is his question, ‘Would we accept the Jewish community being talked about the way the Muslim community are?’ Well, as I have written here before, that would depend, among other things, on whether or not in recent years a bunch of fundamentalist Jews had detonated bombs across the London transport system or beheaded a soldier on the streets of London. It would also depend on whether cells of Jewish extremists had been caught, tried and prosecuted on a fairly regular basis for trying to kill and maim numerous British people.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Pakistan: Role of Dr Salam-inspired International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics

---

The regular sponsors of the College include the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ASICTP), the US-National Science Foundation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Czech Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Physics and The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Photo: Paper Magazine | The Shunned Hero

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Nation | Pakistan
By Dr. Syed Javaid Khurshid | June 24, 2013

Lahore- International Nathiagali Summer Colleges (INSC) on Physics and Contemporary Needs have been organized every year since 1976. The idea of holding these Colleges came from the distinguished Nobel Laureate, Professor Abdus Salam who emphasized the vital need of communication, as well as for transferring and sharing scientific knowledge, among the scientific community of the Third World. The primary aim of the College is to break the isolation of the scientists in the developing countries by enabling them to interact with an international faculty and colleagues from the Third World.

Science indeed derives its intellectual vitality from interaction and exchange of ideas. Progress in any scientific field depends upon pooling the experience of scientists. For the growth and advancement of knowledge the importance of scientific seminars, meetings, conferences and colleges can hardly by overemphasized.
These help scientists to share knowledge and learn from each other’s experiences. Learning of science essentially requires communication of scientific activities. An opportunity, unique in the Third World, has thus been provided by this college (INSC) for establishing and renewing contacts with world renowned scientists as well as with the younger group of active scientists. The scientific activities of INSC aim at the broad coverage of topics at the frontiers of knowledge in Physics and allied sciences. Every year one or two subjects of current interest and their applications for technological development, with special reference to needs of the developing world, are highlighted.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

India: Khatam-e-Nabuwwat cleric wants Muslims to arm themselves, be ready for Jihad

---

The leaders of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Hind have been wielding a severe blow to the mischief of Qadianism for the last 80 years.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Sahafat, New Delhi
By The Urdu Daily Sahafat | May 21, 2013
English translation : New Age Islam

Maulana Habib ur Rehman Sani Ludhianvi says Muslim should always keep weapons with them according to Sunnah

Kairana: (Md Yousuf Tyagi): "The Ulema have put the importance of jihad in the present day behind them. The Ulema of Deoband have become cowards. Muslims should always keep weapons with them according to the Sunnah. They should keep a sword or a dagger even at the time of Namaz". These views were expressed by the national president of Majlis-e-Ahrar in India, Maulana Habib ur Rehman Sani Ludhianvi, here today.

Habib ur Rehman Sani was addressing a big audience at the Tahaffuz-e-Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Conference (Conference on the protection of finality of prophethood) at Eidgah Maidan here. He said to the audience, “Prepare your children to fight the enemies of Islam”. Attacking Sufism, the Maulana said, “Becoming Sufi will not do you any good. Sufism does not pose any threat to the British. If there is any threat to them it is from people like us.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More

Egypt: Sunni Muslims attack Shiites for 'spreading their faith'; 4 killed, scores seriously injured

---

The Shiites were performing religious rituals outside the house when they were attacked, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Angry Mob Beating A Shiite in Zawya Abu Muslam village
"Source:Hazem Barakat"

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Washington Post
By Associated Press | June 23, 2013

CAIRO — Sunni Muslim villagers killed four Shiite men on Sunday, accusing them of trying to spread their version of Islam, according to Egyptian security officials.

The four were beaten to death in Giza province, near the capital, Cairo, in one of the most serious sectarian incidents in Egypt in recent months.

The Health Ministry confirmed the death toll, adding that scores of Shiites were seriously injured in the attack.

About 3,000 angry villagers, including ultraconservative Salafis, surrounded the house of Shiite leader Hassan Shehata, threatening to set it on fire if 34 Shiites inside did not leave the village before the end of the day, according to the officials. When they refused, villagers attacked them, dragged them along the ground, and partially burned the house, the officials said.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Read more »

Read More