Religion News Views and the World

Dominic Asquith, British Ambassador to Egypt The result of the Swiss referendum about whether those building mosques in Switzerland should be allowed to erect minarets has raised again the question in the minds of many whether this is "proof" of an inevitable conflict between the West and Islam. Those who want to emphasise the differences between Islam and western civilisation have jumped on the result to argue that there can be no coexistence. What has struck me, however, is how thoughtful, in many cases self-critical, the commentary has been in the media. This is important, because how Muslims react - whether in the West or in countries where there is a majority of Muslims - will influence the future relationship. Fawzia al Ashmawy, the head of the Egyptian community in Switzerland and of the Euro-Muslim Institute, was clear in her advice to governments and religious establishments. "Don't interfere or exaggerate," she said. Muslims in Switzerland enjoyed th

Fairy tale. The preachers who recount the Adam and Eve along with the serpent bible story when they were in the Garden are one of two things: Idiots and dummies or clever crooks who are deceiving the congregation in the church.

GENEVA – A Swiss ban on minarets could violate fundamental liberties, Europe's top human-rights watchdog said Monday in an indication that the heavily criticized vote could be overturned. The Council of Europe said banning "new minarets in Switzerland raises concerns as to whether fundamental rights of individuals, protected by international treaties, should be subject to popular votes." The statement by the 47-nation council's secretary-general, Thorbjorn Jagland, suggests a case may be made to seek a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights condemning Switzerland for violating freedom of expression, freedom of religion and prohibition of discrimination. Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the ban would come into force immediately, but also indicated that the court could strike down the Sunday vote, which incurred swift condemnation at home and abroad for banning the towers used to put out the Islamic call to prayer. "The ban contradicts the

People light candles at the Bundesplatz to protest the new law banning mosque minarets. Switzerland has about 350,000 Muslims; community leaders rejected the depiction of minarets as a symbol of Sharia law Minaret ban wins Swiss support About 400,000 Muslims live in Switzerland, most from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey [Reuters] Voters in Switzerland have approved a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques, official results show. Of those who cast votes in Sunday's poll, 57.5 per cent approved the ban, while only four cantons out of 26 rejected the proposals. The result paves the way for a constitutional amendment to be made. "The Federal Council [government] respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," the government, which had opposed the ban, said in a statement. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) had forced a referendum on the issue after it collected 100,000 signatures within 18 months from

The following list shows the count of the reported religious affiliation of the members of the United States Senate in the 111th Congress. [edit] More than ten percent Roman Catholic - 25 - Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pennsylvania), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska), Ted Kaufman (D-Delaware), John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Mel Martinez (R-Florida), Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), David Vitter (R-Louisiana), George Voinovich (R-Ohio) (17 Democrats, 9 Republicans). Presbyterian - 14 - Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Kit

Ohe U.S. government on Thursday moved to seize more than $500 million in assets from a New York-based foundation accused of being a front for the Iranian government, including a building that houses the Islamic Education Center of Houston. The news provoked confusion and anger among Houston's Shia Muslims, many of whom worship at the center's mosque or send their children to an Islamic school that occupies the same large white building at 2313 S. Voss. Faheem Kazimi, chairman of the board of directors, said IEC leases its building from the Alavi Foundation but no other connection exists. “The Islamic Education Center is a nonprofit, independent organization, not affiliated with any other organization,” Kazimi said. The 97-page civil forfeiture lawsuit filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan alleges that the Alavi Foundation, which files federal taxes as a charitable foundation, is illegally funneling money to the government of Iran. The U.S. government has accused Iran of fin

Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets. The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York. It is extremely rare for U.S. law enforcement authorities to seize a house of worship, a step fraught with questions about the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. The action against the Shiite Muslim mosques is sure to inflame relations between the U.S. government and American Muslims, many of whom are fearful of a backlash after la

Well, there is no such thing as unbiased. the best you can hope for is that the bias one has is biased toward your well being. If you leave you will NOT have nothing. That is part of the lie that is used to control you. If someone really loves you, they will love you if you do not share their beliefs. Being born into a group is the worst reason to maintain oneself in a religion. It has nothing to do with truth, just an accident of location of your birth. I am a Christian and I am fully convinced that the LDS is false, for many, many reasons: Archeology Failed prophecies Flora and fauna reported in the BoM Metallurgy reported in the BoM DNA evidence The Biblical evidence proving its authenticity in these areas. There are several groups of Christians who have come out of the LDS sect and these people are very helpful and they understand the rejection, disillusion and the feeling of betrayal you will go through. They will be glad to help you out, I wish you well That must be really hard.

One of the reasons Barack Obama winning the 2009 Noble Peace Prize his conciliatory approach to the Muslim world.

Report: Global Muslim population hits 1.57 billion Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks Print AP – HOLD FOR RELEASE 11 p.m. ET; graphic shows countries with the largest Muslim population By ERIC GORSKI, AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski, Ap Religion Writer – 1 hr 57 mins ago The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam, according to a report Wednesday billed as the most comprehensive of its kind. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life report provides a precise number for a population whose size has long has been subject to guesswork, with estimates ranging anywhere from 1 billion to 1.8 billion. The project, three years in the making, also presents a portrait of the Muslim world that might surprise some. For instance, Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon, China has more Muslims than Syria, Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined, and Ethiopia ha

A great manifestation of religious and ethnic love. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-rotterdam-mayor4-2009oct04,0,636055.story

No comment. http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.4945473/k.BE35/Home.htm

http://curiousphotos.blogspot.com/2009/07/50-most-beautiful-islamic-mosque.html

House Representatives Willing to Give Government Endorsement to Christianity but Not to Islam Jim House Republicans Tom Tancredo and Mike Pence were stupid enough to open their mouths and get sanctimonious about why they wouldn’t vote for H.Res. 635, a bill to give the stamp of government approval to Islam and the holiday of Ramadan. They had objections that were opposite in direction: Tancredo said it was fine for government to endorse religions, but he was upset and protesting because nobody would ever let that kind of bill be passed for Christianity and Christmas. Pence said that separation of church and state prohibited the endorsement of any religion. Both are hypocrites, because both voted in favor of H.Res. 579, a bill to give the stamp of government approval to Christianity and the holiday of Christmas. But the inanity surrounding this pair of bills (both of which passed the House, by the way) is not limited to Mike Pence or Tom Tancredo. The following are members of Congress w

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/09/24/50-000-muslims-to-pray-on-capitol-hill-guess-whos-not-happy/

Dutch Prosecutors Will Move Against Anti-Jewish Cartoon According to Dutch News yesterday, the Dutch public prosecution department has announced that it will file charges against the Arab European League for a cartoon it has posted on its website. The cartoon depicts two men in business suits discussing how to increase the numbers killed in the Holocaust. Prosecutors say the cartoon 'insults Jews because of their race and/or religion." It suggests that Jews themselves invented the idea that 6 million were killed during World War II. The cartoon was an old one that had been taken off the group's website three years ago. However it was posted again after Dutch prosecutors refused to prosecute the TV program Nova and Dutch politician Geert Wilders over republication of cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Prosecutors say those cartoons did not violate Dutch law because they targeted Muhammad, not Muslims in general. The Dutch Supreme Court drew this distinction in a case

In Ramadan, the best dates in Egypt are 'Obama'

Iftar dinner included: cabinet members, members of Congress, ambassadors from counties with significant Muslim populations (including Israel), members (including Jewish and Christian members) of the President’s Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and various Muslim notables.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which falls each year on different dates of the Western calendar, began on Aug. 21, just in time for another event in Europe with near religious significance: the kickoff of soccer season. But the timing has sparked controversy in Italy, where in the last four days both a prominent coach and a team owner in the top Serie A league have linked the rigors of Ramadan's sunrise-to-sunset fasting to Muslim players' poor performance on the pitch. Just 30 minutes into his team's disappointing 1-1 tie Sunday with Bari, Inter Milan's Portuguese-born coach Jose Mourinho pulled midfielder Sulley Muntari, a practicing Muslim, out of his home debut. "He was clearly struggling," Mourinho said of the 25-year-old Ghanian player during the post-game press conference. "It's the month of Ramadan and that's what affected his performance, which is why I took him out http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090827/wl_time/08599191910600

The idea that the Islamic inheritance laws as presented in Al-Quraan should be used to our times and for all Islamic societies and countries is absolutely false. In addition to some who may consider it dis favorable to females it does not represent the changes in Scotties and the role of man and woman io a family unit as an example. The thesis how it did exist in Al-Quraan as it is does not reflect that such bases don't exist now.

Jesus followers brag that he was pacifist. The question what this lead him? Getting killed on the cross for mysterious salvation? Muhammed was warrior who fought his enemies. He died in dignity at his home. So bragging about Jesus pacifism caused him his life. Is this something to brag about as a model. We never saw such pacifist model followed by his followers. It is not workable model but only good for bragging and converting Muslims to Christianity.

The one hundred prominent outlandish haters of Islam in America: C Christian J Jewish A Atheist E Evangelical AP Apostate PN Pentecostal AG Agnostic 1- John Aschcroft, PN ... Rounded and tortured thousands of Moslems after 9/11 2- Steve Emerson, J his life dedicated spreading hate and Islamphobia 3- Daniel Pipes, J his life dedicated spreading hate, fear against Islam, Moslems 4- Michael Savage, J Radio Host 5- Glenn Beck, C TV Host 6- Dennis Prager, J Radio Host 7- Michael Medved, J Radio Host 8- Franklin Graham, E Pastor 9- Laura Ingraham, C Radio Host 10- Clarence Thomas, C Radio Host 11- Ann Coulter, C 12- Wafa Sultan, AP, A 13- Nonie Darwish, AP, C 14- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, she does not accept any thing but the "total defeat of Islam", A 15- Ibn Waraaqa AP, A 16- Jerry Falwell E (dead) 17- Ray Rantel C Radio Host 18- Larry Elder C Radio Host 19- Sean Hannity C Radio Host 20- Rush Limbaugh C Radio Host 21- Pa

Egypt's Nagla al-Imam Case of Insanity and Hallucination

Christian group sues Dearborn over Arab festival access Dearborn -- A group that aims to convert Muslims to Christianity has sued the city of Dearborn and its Police Department, claiming the city is violating its free speech and religious rights by limiting its access to patrons at this weekend's 14th annual Dearborn Arab International Festival. The group, Arabic Christian Perspective, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleging its rights were violated when Dearborn police told the group its members would not be able to walk freely through the festival's four- to five-block area passing out literature promoting Christianity over Islam. Organizers want to confine the group to a designated area, the lawsuit said. The group, which conducts similar efforts nationwide, wants 90 volunteers to have unlimited access throughout the festival, which runs Friday through Sunday. Calls to the California-based Arabic Christian Perspective were not returned. But Richar

http://mnweekly.ru/national/20081024/55352662.html 24/10/2008 GROZNY (RIA Novosti) - One of the largest mosques in the world, named after Chechnya's first president, was inaugurated on Friday in the North Caucasus republic in a lavish ceremony attended by dignitaries from 28 countries. Ahmad Kadyrov Mosque, also known as the Heart of Chechnya, is part of a major Islamic center that includes a clerical administration, an Islamic institute, a religious library, a hotel and a students' dormitory. The center covers an area of 14 hectares in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Capture the Season's Best Memories Get a free Sony Cybershot 10MP camera and Sony 9" Digital Picture Frame! ElectronicsSource.us.com The ambitious project was the brainchild of the late president, Ahmad Kadyrov, whose son Ramzan, the current president, took part in Friday's ceremonies. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the mosque on Thursday. The mosque is Europe's largest, with minarets reaching

Biggest Mosque in Europe !Piazza de la Mosque st.

Uttar Pradesh Rampur 50% Moradabad 41% Saharanpur 39% Amroha 38% Bijnor 39% Meerut-Hapur 31% Kairana 30% Bareilly 29% Balrampur 29% Muzaffarnagar 28% Sambhal 28% Padrauna 28% Domariaganj 27% Bahraich 23% Kaisarganj 23% Lucknow 23% Shahjahanpur 21% Khalilabad 21% Khurja (SC) 21% Barabanki (SC) 21% West Bengal Jangipur 60% Murshidabad 59% Raiganj 56% Berhampore 44% Basirhat 44% Malda 41% Birbhum (SC) Krishnanagar 33% Diamond Harbor 33% Joynagar 30% Bollpur 25% Cooch-Behar 23% Ulberia 22% Katwa 21% Mathurapur 21% Jadavpur 20% Burdwan 20% Jammu &Kashmir Baramula 97% Anantnag 95.5% Srinagar 90% Ladakh 46% Udhampur 31% Jammu 28% Karnataka Gulbarga 20% Gujarat 226 Kutch 20% Jharkhand Godda 25% Rajmahal 25% Jamshedpur 20% Bihar Kishanganj 67% Katihar 38% Purnea 30% Araria 29% Madhubani 24% Darbhanga 22% Sitamarhi 21% W. Champaran 21% E. Champaran 20% Maharashtra Bhiwandi 40% Malegaon 30% Bombay (NW) >20% Bombay (S) >20% Aurangabad 20% Assam Dhubri 56% Karimganj45% Barp

http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Dec08/171208/nite24.htm

O Christian Martyr Who for Truth could die When all about thee Owned the hideous lie! The world, redeemed from superstition's sway, Is breathing freer for thy sake today. Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692 http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/