Prince Charles may carry message on Islam

I've been reading about this for a few days now. It seems to have pissed a LOT of Americans off. Like, "Who does this guy think he is, telling us what to do?"

Regardless of the unpopularity here in America, I'm really impressed that he's taken the time to study Islam and to reach out to Muslim leaders in Great Britain. That's not something you see everyday from a... well... not a "world leader" exactly, but... someone in a position of influence, I guess you could say. :)

http://tinyurl.com/8pgck

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The heir to the British throne may plan to discuss Islam with President Bush during his official visit this week.

Prince Charles and his new wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrive in New York Tuesday. The schedule for their weeklong visit includes lunch and dinner Wednesday at the White House and the prince plans to attend a seminar on religion Thursday at George Washington University.

The London newspaper The Telegraph reported that the prince is the first member of the royal family to study Islam seriously. He has also made an effort to reach out to Britain's large Muslim community, including a private meeting with leaders in November 2001, two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

While Charles has avoided public criticism of the invasion of Iraq, he has reportedly been critical of the United States' "confrontational" approach to the Muslim world.

Lailat ul Qadr (Night of Power/Destiny)

Tonight is Lailat ul Qadr. Or--at least when most people believe it is. It's midnight already. I'm going to make some extra prayers tonight, Insha Allah. Here's a nice translation (by Muhammad Asad) of the surah (chapter) from the Qur'an that talks about Lailat ul Qadr:

http://www.geocities.com/masad02/097.html

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE:

(1) BEHOLD, from on high have We bestowed this [divine writ] on Night of Destiny.
(2) And what could make thee conceive what it is, that Night of Destiny?
(3) The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months:
(4) in hosts descend in it the angels, bearing divine inspiration by their Sustainer's leave; from all [evil] that may happen
(5) does it make secure, until the rise of dawn.

Amina Wadud Leads Mixed Gender Friday Prayer in Barcelona

Click here to read the article.

I remember when Amina Wadud first led a mixed-gender public prayer. Man, did she piss a lot of people off! Every Islamic mailing list I belonged to sent emails about how wrong she was to do this. Fortunately, the email I received the most often regarding this subject is this one. One of the less offensive critiques out there, but still... I don't buy it. The author (a woman) doesn't give one line from the Qur'an or Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)) supporting her assertion that women should not lead prayer.

Realistically, women are generally marginalized in mosques. It's a total boy's club... Most of the time we can't even pray in the sam ROOM as the men... which is total BS because women and men prayed together in the same room in the time of Muhammad (PBUH).

Right or wrong, Dr. Wadud's actions are clearly that of taking a stand against the male-dominated establishment that treats women--fellow Muslims--like dirt. I find her to be very brave, and I think history will show her to be someone who chose to take all the crap so future generations of Muslim women (Insha Allah) don't have to. Good for her.

Dude... Halloween is about CANDY!

I thought this was well-put. I found this on http://thearabstreet.hanania.com/

"Although Halloween is a children's holiday -- not even an official American holiday -- many Muslim American organizations continue to distort it and spread the lie that Halloween is a Pagan Holiday where Americans worship Satan and drink the blood of slaughtered animals and babies. Muslims love to scream about discrimination against them, but they often are the worst discriminators against others."

Nobody Understands!!!!

Today I ran into this lady I work with and she asked me when my "diet" was over... I told her my FAST would be over in a few days (more or less).

A couple of weeks ago, the entire team had gone out to lunch to celebrate the retirement of someone on another team that I don't know well at all, and I opted not to go. I ran into her that day and asked her how it went, and she said I should've come b/c I could've just had water and not ordered any food. When I explained to her that Muslims don't drink water during the fast either, she was shocked. Clearly trying not to sound offensive (and failing), she said, "but.. that.. doesn't.. seem logical, you know what I mean?"

What do you say to something like that? She clearly has no point of reference when it comes to fasting and doesn't seem to "get it" that it's a spiritual exercise. I'm not even sure if she realizes that I'm not doing this to lose weight.

Anyway, it got me thinking. If someone really did want to know more about my faith, how could I present it to them? A lot of information out there is either WRONG or (if written by a Muslim) really self-righteous. But I DID find something about Ramadan that's AWESOME and would speak well to anyone unfamiliar with Islam and fasting. Click here.

Iraq's teenage prostitutes

Here is a really sad article about how Iraqi refugee women and KIDS have been forced into prostitution in order to survive as a result of the war, and how no one is doing anything about it, or even talking about it: click here

Despite Leader's Harsh Words, Iran Is No Danger to Israel

This is one of the few articles I've seen that explain the specific internal-to-Iran political reasons that Ahmadinejad made these extremely stupid remarks. This quote from the following article, I think, sums it up best:

Iran has little or no ability to affect the Israeli-Palestinian question directly. It is not going to attack Israel itself, for it would be destroyed by Israel's retaliation. It is also not likely to sway other states in the region to change their current policies of accommodating to the realities in the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

New America Media, Commentary, William O. Beeman, Oct 27, 2005

Editor's Note: The Iranian president's verbal attack on Israel, when put in context, differs from the grave threat portrayed by international media.

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has once again caused a planetary stir with rhetoric that has been reported as calling for Israel -- to be precise, Mr. Ahmadinejad used the words "Zionist regime" -- to be "wiped off the map" at a youth seminar in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad's pronouncement was both naive and unwise when measured in terms of international politics. However, it is something quite different than the credible threat it was portrayed to be in the international press. Moreover, the statement does nothing to increase any actual danger to Israel from Iran, despite the extreme reaction shown around the world.

click here for more

Beauty queen glad to honor her faith

I just love this...

By Pamela J. Podger

Roanoke's Anisah Rasheed represents North Carolina A&T State University.

Excited and jittery, Anisah Rasheed of Roanoke pondered a fashion dilemma that few beauty queens have faced before: Matching her coronation gown with her hajib, a headscarf worn by Muslim women.

Rasheed, 20, was crowned Miss A&T for 2005-06 on Thursday night in a sparkling fishtail gown -- with a tiara glittering over her golden hajib -- during homecoming ceremonies at North Carolina A&T State University.

University officials say Rasheed is the first Muslim selected as campus queen by the 11,000-student school. She'll be featured, along with others from black colleges and universities, in an upcoming issue of Ebony magazine.

click here to read more

Bush threatens sanctions, even force, against Syria

This scares the hell out of me... My in-laws live in Damascus, Syria. What will happen to them if Bush decides to attack their country too? My husband said a while ago that the language the White House had been using regarding how to deal with Syria was very similar to the language that was used prior to the invasion of Iraq. Looks like he's right.

Who made Bush the international police, anyway? He opposes an international court because he doesn't want OUR soldiers being put on trial. But as long as we're the world's biggest superpower we can punish anyone we want without a trial. The UN opposed the invasion of Iraq, so who is going to stop him if he decides to attack Syria too?

And I find it alarming that he talks about Syria destabilizing the Middle East. Who has destabilized it more than he? There was no Al-Qaida presence in Iraq before he invaded it, and now they're all over the place. Good job, dumbass!

Please, if you are reading this, pray for my in-laws. They are wonderful, wonderful people. The Syrian government sucks, and it may have assasinated Lebanon's prime minister, but please pray for the regular folks who are just trying to get by. It would be a tragedy for the people of Syria--in addition to having to live under their crappy government--to have to pay for the sins of that government.

http://tinyurl.com/as6lx

By Maggie Farley
Los Angeles Times

UNITED NATIONS - International pressure on Syria mounted Tuesday as the United States, France and Britain introduced a Security Council resolution threatening to consider sanctions if the country does not cooperate with a probe into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri.

President Bush said he had not ruled out military action if Syria does not comply.

Bush told Dubai-based television network Al-Arabiya that he preferred a diplomatic solution to what he views as Syria's persistent efforts to destabilize the Middle East, including possible involvement in Hariri's assassination.

But when asked what the United States would do if Syria did not change its policies, he said: ``We're going to use our military. It is the last, very last option. No commander in chief likes to commit the military, and I don't. But on the other hand, you know, I have worked hard for diplomacy and I will continue to work the diplomatic angle on this issue.''

Muslim Mirza caught up in cultural protest

Good thing the clerics are protecting us from this teenage girl who wears shorts in public instead of attacking more trivial problems like honor killings done in the name of our religion. *blah*

Oh, well. At least there are some Muslim leaders over there who recognize how silly this is.

I ran varsity cross-country when I was in high school. It was one of the best experiences of my life. It really pisses me off when some Muslims say that women can't do sports because a man might see them and, gosh, wouldn't that be immodest? ....but it's ok for men to compete and be seen by women. Grrr...

I hope she kicks ass.

http://tinyurl.com/78lja

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - After zooming from anonymity into the hearts of her nation in just 10 months, India's teenage tennis sensation Sania Mirza was caught up in a cultural protest for breaking the mold by being a Muslim athlete.

The 18-year-old Mirza has surmounted religious barriers to surge from 206th in the women's world rankings last December to 34th this week.

Her rise has not gone unnoticed by radical Islamic clerics in largely Hindu but officially secular India, home to some 130 million Muslims.

Mirza was given extra security last month after an Islamic cleric denounced her for wearing short skirts and sleeveless shirts on court and threatened to stop her playing in a WTA event in Kolkata.

Other Muslim groups denounced the edict, with a Madrassas (Islamic schools) board in an eastern Indian state even saying it planned to insert a chapter on Mirza into its school books.

*snip*

Women in more conservative Muslim nations usually face a daunting challenge in their quest for sporting glory.

They have to wear modest clothes to avoid offending religious and social mores and compete in front of crowds made up only of women and accompanied men.

*snip*

Mirza herself has remained untouched by the attention she has attracted, appearing in a T-shirt bearing the slogan: "I'm old enough to know better, but still too young to care."

*snip*

Pakistani tennis player Mariam Rahim remains frustrated by the dress code in her own country.

"We don't have any choice," she said. "I wear salwar kameez (loose-fitting long shirt and trousers). It is also a very difficult crowd here.

"If you want quality, then these things should change."

Dolly defends Yusuf Islam

I have always LOVED Dolly Parton (and Cher, but that's for another time...), and now I love her EVEN MORE!

http://tinyurl.com/8u4h6

Country superstar Dolly Parton was thrilled when Yusuf Islam agreed to collaborate with her on her new covers album because she wanted to show fans he's a "really sweet man."

Parton has been a longtime friend and fan of the folk icon, formerly Cat Stevens, and was horrified when she learned he had been refused entry to America last year.

Islam was turned back when his name appeared on a mysterious list of potential terrorist sympathisers. He has been fighting the humiliating immigration mess ever since. And, by including him on her new album, Those Were The Days, patriotic Parton felt she was doing him a great service because her fans would never expect her to collaborate with anyone who meant to harm Americans.

She says: "I had recorded a song on this CD, called Where The Children Play, and I thought it was worth a chance (to ask Islam to join her), so we sent an email… and he said: 'Sure, I'll play the guitar.'

"He's a precious man. He's got a lot of bad press lately but I think he's out to try to save the world, not destroy it."

An olive branch gets extended, embraced

I had a heck of a time finding a positive news story about Muslims today. How sad... But here's one, Alhamdulillah..

http://tinyurl.com/8cax3

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.

October 23, 2005

Seemi Ahmed had never before stood underneath a Sukkah, much less contemplated the centuries of Jewish history the wooden structure has come to represent.

But as the 43-year-old Muslim stepped toward the fragile archway festooned with branches, leaves, and fruit at Temple Beth El in Great Neck yesterday, she could almost imagine herself a woman of another faith.

"I remembered how the Jewish people used to take shelter when they were nomads," said Ahmed, of Searingtown. "I didn't know much about this.I wanted to sit and eat in there. It felt so nice."

For more than 50 Muslims and Jews who attended a unique ceremony at the temple last night, that was precisely the point - to share the traditions and rituals of a different faith.

The ceremony, the first of its kind on Long Island, was intended to honor a rare confluence of holidays: the Jewish fall harvest festival of Sukkot and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"It's a symbolic event to see the two groups here on Long Island, getting along fine, accepting each other, learning from each other, sharing the holidays and sharing ideas," said Dr. Faroque Khan, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island.

That sentiment was shared by about two dozen Jews in attendance.

"It's very important in terms of outreach," said Bobbie Rosenzweig, of Great Neck, one the event's coordinators. "Especially in this day and age when everybody hates everybody."

For practicing Jews, the weeklong Sukkot holiday began at sundown on Oct. 17. It is a time to remember the huts built by Jewish farmers during their yearly harvest and to commemorate the 40 years when their ancestors wandered the desert.

"It's supposed to be open to the elements to remind us how fragile life is," Judi Rosenzweig said. Rosenzweig was one of four speakers who talked about how Jews celebrate Sukkot.

Throughout Ramadan, which began on Oct. 4, Muslims are urged to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. The fasting is broken with an evening meal called the iftar.

During yesterday's event, more than a dozen Muslims stepped gingerly under the Sukkah and hung fruit from its vines. Representatives from each faith stood behind a microphone and spoke about the practices of their religion. Then, at sundown, the daily fast of Ramadan was broken as the crowd shared a meal of dates and water.

"I feel like I am pretty ignorant when it comes to other religions," Ahmed said. "[But] when you see the commonalities, it really is a special bond that is formed."

Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

'Get with it' says Muslim scholar

Yeah! What he said..

http://tinyurl.com/b23d4

By TARIQ KHONJI

MUSLIMS should stop taking the Quran too literally and instead try to interpret its meanings to suit modern times, a visiting Arab American scholar said yesterday.

Washington, DC-based Georgetown University chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi said although he does not want to see Islam or the Quran rewritten, a lot of the text was designed for different economic and social circumstances.

"People tend to be too literalist," he said. "Instead, they should try to get a sense of what the Quran is trying to say instead of taking it word for word.

"There is no need for a reformation of Islam, but there needs to be a reformation of the way it is applied to modern challenges."

Mr Hendi was in Bahrain for a two-day visit that ended yesterday to promote inter-faith dialogue.

He was here at the invitation of the US Embassy and the Islamic Affairs Ministry and gave lectures at Bahrain University and Beit Al Quran.

The lecture at Beit Al Quran was attended by Deputy Premier and Islamic Affairs Minister Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa.

Mr Hendi also had Iftar at US Ambassador William Monroe's home in Saar on Wednesday and at Shaikh Abdulla's home in Riffa yesterday.

Mr Hendi also spoke at a Quran recital competition organised by the ministry at the Al Fateh Islamic Centre (Grand Mosque), Juffair, last night.

He is on a peace mission to speak out against wars and conflicts and believes that while religion has been part of the problem for a long time, it can also be part of the solution.

"There needs to be inter-faith dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews for a positive relationship to become part of their culture," he said.

"There also needs to be dialogue within faiths. People should not think of themselves as being Shi'ite or Sunni. They should consider themselves to be Muslims."

Mr Hendi's visit coincided with an ongoing campaign for a new law to govern domestic disputes in Bahrain - such as child custody cases, divorces and inheritances.

The three-month campaign is being spearheaded by the Supreme Council for Women, which claims that Sharia judges are given too much power in such cases.

It says judges pass widely different judgments based on their personal prejudices and tend to be discriminatory against women - especially in cases involving inheritance, divorce and child custody.

However, Mr Hendi believes that Islam can be interpreted in ways that do not discriminate against women.

He also said Islam gave a lot to women 1,400 years ago because they did not have any rights at all at the time.

"They were given the right to inherit at a time when they themselves were inherited as property," he said.

"The women at the time were very pleased with what Islam gave them because they previously did not have anything. No one should undermine the role of women in public life. Islam allows them to become judges and even heads of state."

The idiocy of censorship -- Part 1 and Part 2

From the "I don't want my kid lernin' too much dept..."

Debate Ensues Over Teaching Islam In Schools
KGO By Lyanne Melendez

Oct. 19 - Does teaching about Islam violate a child's right to be free from religion in a public school? One Contra Costa family thinks so. They claim their daughter's school lesson on Islam went too far. Their case was heard today before the ninth U.S District Court of Appeals

*snip*

Debbie Bowersmith, parent: "With everything that is going on over there I don't think it's a good idea to be teaching our kids the different religions that are going on over there. I don't think they are benefiting from it."

-----

...and the Muslim Public Relations Dept.

Muslim anger at Danish cartoons

The ambassadors of 10 Muslim countries have complained to the Danish prime minister about a major newspaper's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

*snip*

On Thursday, the Jyllands-Posten reported that two illustrators who produced the cartoons had received death threats.

Israel's ties with Muslim nations on upswing

Cool...

http://tinyurl.com/akqho

BY DION NISSENBAUM
Knight Ridder Newspapers

JERUSALEM - When a devastating earthquake rattled Iran two years ago and killed tens of thousands of people, the Islamic nation welcomed aid offered by every country - even the United States - except Israel.

After another temblor decimated parts of Pakistan earlier this month, the second largest Muslim nation in the world agreed to accept help from the Jewish nation, setting the stage for boxes marked with the Star of David to begin heading east as soon as this week.

In a region where small gestures can mark the start of something much larger, Pakistan's decision to take Israel's aid is a political tremor that could shake up the Middle East landscape.

"I think more and more Muslim countries realize that Israel is no longer a pariah, and they have to grow up and accept the fact that it may be beneficial to have relations with Israel at various levels," said Efraim Inbar, the director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Israel.

In the weeks since Israel ended 38 years of military rule over the Gaza Strip by forcibly removing thousands of Jewish settlers who had lived amid 1.3 million Palestinians, it has racked up significant political rewards.

First came a long-planned public handshake in Istanbul, Turkey, between the foreign ministers of Israel and Pakistan, marking the first official contacts between the Jewish and Muslim nations. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom hailed the moment as the beginning of the end for the "iron wall" that's long separated Israel from most of its Arab neighbors.

"Israel has no conflict with the Arab and Muslim world," the Tunisian-born Shalom said in an interview. "Just the opposite is true. We share many common interests and values. ... I always believed that the Arab and Muslim world has a critical role to play in advancing peace and stability."

That worldview seems to be making inroads across the Middle East. While Israel has established informal relations with its neighbors, the Gaza Strip gambit has given Arab and Muslim nations an excuse to acknowledge those ties publicly.

Indonesia's foreign minister met with Shalom at the United Nations, and a prominent newspaper in the world's largest Muslim nation cautiously welcomed the talks by saying that "Israel, unlike what Arabs often said in the past, indeed cannot be `thrown into the sea.'" The Jakarta Post weighed in by suggesting that Indonesia "opening some form of relationship with Israel is a prerequisite" to playing a larger political role in the region. And Shalom himself published a landmark opinion piece in an Indonesian newspaper.

After Shalom met with his Pakistani counterpart, President Pervez Musharraf told the American Jewish Congress that he could envision a day when there were more formal ties between the nations.

"What better signal for peace could there be than opening embassies in Israel by Islamic countries like Pakistan?" he asked.

In Kuwait, a leading newspaper carried an opinion piece that encouraged Arab nations to follow Pakistan's lead.

"Israel is not a bogey, and the notion of a greater Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates is no more than a scarecrow that the Arabs have used to justify their despotism, domestic injustice, and political, financial, and administrative corruption," wrote Yusuf Nasir Al Suwaydan, a Saudi.

The thaw may be reaping benefits for Israel, but it's not without risks for the Arab and Muslim leaders who've been buffeted by criticism in their own countries. Hard-line Pakistani lawmakers walked out of a Parliament meeting to protest the meeting with Israel, a nation that Pakistan doesn't officially recognize.

When an Afghan newspaper recently reported that plans were under way for Afghanistan to officially recognize Israel, President Hamid Karzai's office quickly rebuffed the claim and said it would never do so until there was an independent Palestinian state.

The vehement opposition from the general public could make it difficult for leaders across the Middle East to go much farther in building ties with Israel until more progress is made with the Palestinians, said Mouin Rabbani, a Jordan-based senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

"At the end of the day, these states and governments in principle don't have any objection to going farther than they have already gone, but are being held back by their public opinion which is opposed to such relations," Rabbani said.

---

© 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

Jesus....

The phone rang in my office a few minutes ago. It said "ouside call" w/ no number on the caller ID. When I answered it, I heard a recording--it wasn't a credit card offer or anything like that. It was a guy who sounded much like George W Bush (although it wasn't him) talking about how he'd had substance abuse problems when he was young, and that he'd gotten into a fight in a bar where a guy cut him with a broken bottle. He said he was close to death... I knew where this was going. The guy in the ambulance told him he needed Jesus, yadda, yadda yadda...

I am definitely living in a red state now.

I wonder how they got my number. Was it random? Did someone from work hear that I was a Muslim and slip my number to some missionary organization? Or was it the new hairdresser I went to last evening, who wanted all my personal information?

Oh, well. Maybe it's a sign. That I need to become more invested in Ramadan before it ends... Then stuff like this won't freak me out very much. I'm not that freaked out by it, actually. Just a tiny, tiny bit uncomfortable.

Islam in Korea Marks Golden Anniversary

Muslims in Korea?? Who knew?

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=2522

Korea Middle East Association Hosts Reception
Foreign Minister Ban makes congratulatory remarks.

A reception to mark the golden anniversary of Islam in Korea was held at Hotel Lotte in downtown Seoul on Oct.12, 2005 with about 200 prominent figures from local and foreign communities attending.

Among them were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon, a dozen of of Korean National Assemblymen including Rep.Maeng-Hyung-kyu and Rep.Sohn Bong-sook.

Also on hand at the function hosted jointly by Korea Middle East Association and other Arab-related organizations in Korea were members of local Muslim society in Korea and foreign diplomatic corps from Islamic countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, not to mention Korean business leaders and professors who are associated with the Islamic world.

On behalf of diplomatic corps representing Muslim countries, Amb. Moosa Hamdan Al Taee of Oman made a welcoming address.

Amb. Reda El Taify of Egypt, Amb. Moncef Baati of Tunisia, Amb. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Ma'ainah of the United Arab Emirates and Amb. Ahmed S. Al-Midhadi of Qatar, who arrived here recently to assume their Seoul posts joined the reception along with Malaysian Amb. Dato' M. Santhananaban and Nigerian Amb. Abba Tijjani.

As a noted Muslim chaplain pointed out, both Muslims and non-Muslims harbor misperceptions of Islam.

The crisis is with the understanding of Islam. How often do non-Muslims, notably Americans try to understand Islam using the Islamic lens?

Another religious expert maintained that this misinterpretation fuels the "voices of extremism and exclusivity in the Muslim and Arab world." Extremism and violence often result when religion and politics intermingle, he said, citing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example of states manipulating religion for their own interests.

Since 9/11, headlines focussing on Islamic extremism have hidden the story of radical change and intense soul searching in many Muslim countries.

But now, in an epic journey, celebrated British Muslim writer Ziauddin Sardar travels to five leading Muslim countries to reveal how heads of government, intellectuals and opinion formers are seeking a new interpretation of Islam, BBS has reported.

Zia travels to Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco and Turkey to see how changes there are affecting the lives of ordinary Muslims.

Islam has had a presence in this country for a very long time. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Arab sailors and merchants frequented the coastal waters of South and East Asia. As early as 845 their books mentioned Korea and did so in the most flattering of terms: "Over the sea beyond China lies a mountainous country called `Silla,' rich in gold. Muslims who arrive there by accident are so attracted by its character that they stay there forever and do not want to leave."

The resurrection of Islam in the Korean Peninsula took place during the Korean War. The war was fought largely by U.S. forces but with support from other countries, among them Turkey, a close ally of Washington. The Turkish forces were among the most numerous, some 15,000 soldiers, and best trained non-American units to take part in the war.

The Turks brought Islam back to Korea. They proved to be not only good fighters but also successful missionaries. Their "tent mosques" which initially served the soldiers themselves, eventually became major centers of missionary activity.

The Turks allowed and encouraged Korean converts to take part in prayers and attend services, according to Sang-ki Paik, adviser for the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey.

The Turks were also engaged in large-scale humanitarian efforts, which left a favorable, lasting impression on the locals.

When the war finished and the Turkish units returned home, they left behind a small but active local Muslim community. The Korean Muslim Society was officially inaugurated in 1955.

This body, later re-named the Korean Islamic Foundation, became the major organization for believers here. The society sent members overseas for religious education and tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a permanent mosque with the help of a Malaysian government grant. Prayers were held in makeshift buildings, with minarets made of wooden planks and iron frames.

The 1960s brought a new impetus to Islam in this country. At that time a large number of Korean construction workers were dispatched to the Near East, where domestic companies were engaged in numerous projects. Some of these workers came back as converted Muslims and engaged in missionary activity among their fellows.

In the 1970s, the first permanent mosque was established in Itaewon, constructed with a grant provided by Saudi Arabia and opened in 1976. At that time it was one of the most remarkable buildings in the entire city, and is still impressive.

On the whole, Islam in Korea is not that prevalent, despite the efforts of Muslim preachers. It is considered to be an exotic phenomenon, although the number of Korean Muslims is much larger than the number of Orthodox Koreans. Nevertheless, Muslim society is growing and developing in Korea.

The number of Muslims here is estimated to be about 45,000 in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries. There are six permanent mosques around the country.

Muslim women in America re-discover their roots

http://tinyurl.com/73lbk

By Mary M. Byrne

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Sunday, October 16, 2005

ATLANTA -- Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur, a self-described "Jersey girl turned Georgia peach," likes to observe the month of Ramadan on her balcony, quiet and alone.

"I pray and break my fast and eat out here, and I think about Muslims around the world who are doing the same," she says. There is "the wonderful sense that you are connected to billions across the world, and yet I'm doing it right here in northwest Atlanta."

But Abdul-Ghafur is also an activist and editor of the new book "Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak" (Beacon Press, $15). That puts her on the vanguard of a new, lively movement to rethink what it is to be Muslim today.

As part of a global faith community that is diverse and evolving, Abdul-Ghafur and other American Muslims are organizing, writing and speaking on contentious issues they say Islam hasn't dealt with -- such as inequalities between men and women, the right to faithfully dissent and reinterpreting the sacred text of Islam, the Quran.

"We are not creating an American Islam or a reformed Islam," says Abdul-Ghafur, who was a chief executive with Azizah, a magazine for and about Muslim women. She is a board member of the Progressive Muslim Union and works with Hands On Atlanta.

"We are simply reclaiming what we believe to be Islam. And we have the right to do that because we're in America, and no one can corner the market on what Islam is or is not," said Abdul-Ghafur, who grew up in suburban New Jersey, graduated from Columbia University and went on a pilgrimage to Mecca with her parents in 1998.

Muslims have many ways of marking Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar-based calendar, the time Muslims believe Allah first revealed the Quran to the prophet Muhammad.

Most regard it as a time for reflection, prayer and study, and many will abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset. Each day, they will break their fast with iftar, a meal eaten soon after sunset. Ramadan began the first week of October and ends with feasting and prayers at Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast.

Because of her new book, Abdul-Ghafur's observance of Ramadan will take place partly on the road. Contributors to the book include former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani, who writes of working desperately to locate her friend and colleague, journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan.

The writers also include a lesbian Muslim, who remained anonymous for her safety; Asia Sharif-Clark, CEO of a consulting company who married a non-Muslim; and Mohja Kahf, poet and professor at the University of Arkansas, whose experiences working with battered women transformed her faith.

Reform movements are not new to Islam, says John Iskander, professor of religion at Georgia State University. But a new voice is emerging: Western-reared, yet dedicated to Islam.

The progressive movement, Abdul-Ghafur says, is largely led by Muslims in the West, who have grown up with an expectation of inalienable human and civil rights -- rights which, she argues, are in harmony with Islamic principles.

Stargazing bug seizes the imagination in Iran

By Christian Oliver

http://tinyurl.com/bmapq

People in the southern Iranian town of Saadat Shahr make sure not to miss Friday prayers.

How else will they get the imam's comprehensive update on which stars, nebulae and meteor showers will burn brightest in the following week's night sky?

Saadat Shahr, 390 miles south of Tehran, has gone stargazing-crazy, reflecting a national passion that has seen new members flocking to astronomy clubs across the Islamic Republic to devour information about what lies above.

Women in Saadat Shahr have even sold their jewelry to help science teacher Asghar Kabiri realize his dream of building an observatory.

"School janitors and teachers all paid a small share of their salaries to help build the observatory. Now it has become the pride of the town," Kabiri told Reuters by telephone.

"Astronomy is a divine science and is encouraged in Islam. So in a small, traditional community like Saadat Shahr, people contribute to our activities just as they would chip in to build a mosque," he added.

The Koran often cites natural and celestial phenomena as proofs for the existence of God. The imam in Saadat Shahr has tuned into the local obsession and uses the weekly prayers to talk about what's coming up in the skies during the days ahead.

"The townspeople even allow their daughters to stay out at night if they know they are going stargazing," Kabiri said.

In rural Iran, many people still respect the strict Islamic code which encourages segregation of the sexes and obliges women to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting dresses.

There is further proof of the extraordinary importance of stargazing in Saadat Shahr: If there is some important astronomy to be done, Kabiri just gets the authorities to cut the town's electricity -- all the better to see the skies.

ESCAPE TO THE STARS

Babak Tafreshi, editor of the Nojum astronomy magazine, has noticed subscriptions increasing and amateur clubs attracting more members. At the time of eclipses and shuttle launches, Nojum will run off 10,000 copies.

Tafreshi's television show has the highest viewer figures on Iran's Channel Four and he is sometimes approached by fans on the streets of Tehran.

"They say they like the show because it is not connected with any problems in society, politics or religion," he said.

Nojum was deluged with telephone calls last year when panicky Tehranis, observing the peculiar position of Venus, feared a flying saucer was prowling overhead.

U.S. amateur astronomer Mike Simmons, a regular visitor to Iran, said astronomy had a strong historical resonance for Iranians.

"They meet at historical sites. Iranians feel strongly connected to their past and I have noticed they sense that connection ... through astronomy," he said.

Tafreshi said there was a profound sense of this continuity among amateurs who meet at the observatory in northeastern Nishapur, home to the medieval poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam.

But despite this fascination with the past, most of Iran's astronomers are the faces of the future: They have an average age of 19 and are 60 percent female, Tafreshi said, adding that the mingling of young men and women on nocturnal outings was one of the few things that could get astronomy clubs into trouble.

"In the United States most astronomers are middle-aged and very few are women," Simmons said.

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT

Some 30 of Iran's enthusiastic young female astronomers gathered in the silver dome of the Zafaranieh Observatory in northern Tehran to identify lunar craters.

Fariba Yazdani, director of the observatory, said each week up to 280 young people would voluntarily come to observatory classes, both theoretical and practical.

"They tend to be very gifted children," she said. "The ones for whom books are not enough, the ones who need a glimpse of the infinite."

The girls noisily jostled for a look through the telescope. Much of their banter hinged on the double meaning of the Persian word "moon," which also poetically refers to a beautiful girl.

"I cannot see a thing. Where is the moon?" said one girl, squinting through the telescope.

"I think you will find she is right here," said another haughtily, unleashing a wave of titters.

Arezu Khani, 17, said she was addicted.

"It is about more than just observing. The more you learn about the theory just makes you even more curious."

(Additional reporting by Alireza Ronaghi)

Top 8 ways to boost your Ramadan spirit this year

I liked this article on Soundvision. It's a great reminder for Ramadan:

http://soundvision.com/info/ramadan/spirit.asp

1. Dua

Ask Allah to make this the most awesome, spiritually uplifting Ramadan you've ever had. Only He can make it happen and relying on Him completely is one step in boosting our spirits.

2. Quiet your mind, turn off the...

TV, internet, radio, cell phone, pager, iPod, etc. No, not all day, but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a quiet place, close your eyes and connect with God. At first, your mind will swirl with the useless and not-so-useless info in your head. But force it to think of three things in these few minutes:

1. Allah
2. your purpose in life
3. are you living your life on purpose?

Do this every day of Ramadan if you can. If that's not possible, try it at least three times a week.

3. Learn about great Muslims

Even if you've read it before, read or listen to Abdul Wahid Hamid's Companions of the Prophet again this Ramadan. Read about or listen to the story of a Companion daily. Well-written and short, this is a wonderful way to see how other Muslims retained their strength of faith against incredible odds. A sure-fire spirituality booster.

4. Connect to the Quran

The Quran is God's way of talking to us. It's one of the most important keys to spiritual upliftment. This Ramadan, connect to the Quran in a new way. If you already read Quran regularly, perhaps you can choose a new theme to focus on or select a Surah you haven't read in a while. If you don't read Quran regularly, maybe you can read just two minutes of Quran a day, reading only from the first page you encounter when you open up the Book.

In addition, try to keep a Quranic journal to record your reflections, questions, thoughts, etc. about what you've read.

5. Take care of others

Whether it's someone who's away from their family, a person who's having problems with a spouse or their kids or a fellow student struggling with their grades, make an extra effort this Ramadan to help others out. The spiritual boost you get in return is well worth it.

6. Feed the hungry

While your stomach shrieks in protest, give that panhandler some change, volunteer at a soup kitchen, get involved with your local food pantry or make a couple of bag lunches to give to the hungry you meet on your way to school or work. And don't forget the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, as well as those suffering from hunger in Niger and Mali.

7. Give up one lifelong bad habit

Ask yourself what some of your defining traits are. Then decide which is the worst of them. Is it a hot temper? Apathy? Laziness? Impatience? Whatever it is, use this Ramadan to put an end to it. Practice the opposite of your bad habit every day until the end of the month. By then Insha Allah, you'll look back and be amazed at what a change you've made for the better.

8. Use those Nights of Power

The last ten nights or Ramadan aren't called the Nights of Power for nothing. Use these precious times for deep, heartfelt Dua (supplication), self-analysis, reflection and serious thought.