Islam in 60 Seconds, September 4, 2008 Issue

Middle East  Shia Prisoners Excluded From Amnesty August 04, 2008 Following protests involving human rights violations against Bahraini shias, 11 protesters were arrested. However, a recent royal pardon has failed to release 5 of those prisoners. The government claims that anyone guilty of undermining state authority are not eligible for release. Bahrain, a Sunni controlled country, has had a history of marginalizing its Shia citizens. For more information please click here. Saudi Arabia Prepares For Ramadan August 29, 2008 In preparation for the month of Ramadan, the Saudi Arabian Islamic Affairs Ministry has passed a new plan to keep all mosques open 24 hours a day. Care has been taken to also increase security at mosques around the country during the night. Government officials expect nearly 3 million visitors to the holy city of Mecca and have planned for that accordingly. For more information please click here. Americas and Europe  Largest European Mosque August 28, 2008 Chechnyan President, Ramzan Kadyrov, will inaugurate the largest mosque in Europe this October. The inauguration will coincide with the International Peacemakers conference in order to showcase Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance.  Additionally the mosque will be surrounded by an Islamic university, a school, and Chechnya's center of Islamic administration. For more information please click here. Nation Of Islam Leader Passes Away August 28, 2008 Herbert Mohammad, son of Nation Of Islam founder Elijah Mohammad, has passed away following heart surgery. He was prominent not only for his advancement of Nation Of Islam, but also as the manager of boxing great Mohammad Ali. Islamic funeral rites for Mohammad were held in Chicago early Friday morning. For more information please click here. Small Town Protests Al-Jazeera August 27, 2008 Golden, a small town in Colorado is where Al-Jazeera chose to cover the Democratic National Convention. However residents who feel the news channel is an outlet for terrorist propaganda, protested heavily. Al-Jazeera prides itself on delivering straight and unbiased news to its watchers, but the American crew of the news team is used to unwelcoming behavior. It's an indication that Islamophobia is a reality in small town America, as anything connected to the Middle East is automatically assumed to have terrorist ties. For more information please click here. Construction Started On Germany's Largest Mosque August 29, 2008 After nearly a year of negotiations, the go ahead has been given to start building the largest mosque in Germany. The mosque will accommodate up to 4,000 worshippers. Though there has been much opposition from right wing political groups, the majority of those voting feel this is a step forward for Germany. The mosque will not only be a gathering place for Muslims, but also a symbol of German peace and unity. For more information please click here. Asia  IIC Releases Special Report on Parachinar Conflict September 3, 2008 The Islamic Information Center release a special report on the Parachinar conflict on Wednesday. This report described some of the human rights violations occurring in the conflict, and security concerns for the United States if the Taliban are allowed to continue with their violent oppression of the natives of Parachinar. The report was distributed to nearly one hundred elected officials in the United States, and as media organizations across the country. The report is available for free download and distribution by clicking here. Muslim Olympics August 28, 2008 The summer Olympics gave out 958 medals and of those only 60 were awarded to citizens of Muslim nations. Though Muslims comprise nearly 22% of the world's population, they only walked away with 6% of the medals. The gap is due to a lack of encouragement of Muslim Athletes, something that all Islamic countries need to do. The Olympics are a wonderful platform for sharing culture, history and raising tolerance, and Muslims should be there representing Islam. For more information please click here. Africa  Alcohol Ban Lifted In Egyptian Hotel August 26, 2008 The five star Grand Hyatt in Cairo will once again serve alcohol following a ban imposed by its Muslim owner. The international Hyatt franchise and the hotel's owner came up with a compromise to allow alcohol to be served in one of the hotel's restaurants. In Egypt, an a few other Muslim countries, alcohol is served in hotels in order to satisfy tourist needs. For more information please click here. Hajj Organization of Ghana August 28, 2008 The Ghana National Hajj Council and the Interim Hajj Council, both appointed to oversee that Hajj this yea is carried out in an organized manner are they themselves facing disagreements. As a result the governments of other nations have not yet been able to figure out the plans for its citizens upon reaching Saudi Arabia for Hajj. All those involved are hoping for a speedy resolution to the problems between these two councils so pilgrims can accordingly plan their trips to Mecca. For more information please click here.

 

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