France’s top Muslim official says 5000 mosques are needed in that nation, and has suggested converting abandoned Catholic churches. Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grand Mosque in Paris and the president of the French Council of Muslim Faith, said: “It’s a delicate issue, but why not?” There are currently about 2500 mosques in France with Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Islam’
Vatican paper slams Texas event that depicted Mohammed
Friday, May 8th, 2015
The Vatican’s newspaper has criticised an event in Texas featuring caricatures of Islam’s prophet Mohammed, at which there was violence. On Sunday, two gunmen, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, allegedly shot and wounded a security guard near the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest at Garland, Texas. The two gunmen were subsequently killed by local police. Media Read more
Islamic school keeps watchful cyber eye on students
Tuesday, April 28th, 2015Teachers at New Zealand’s biggest Islamic school are monitoring students’ online activity in light of increasing international concerns over how extremist groups are using the internet to recruit members. Principal of Mangere’s Al-Madinah School, Asin Ali, told the Herald on Sunday that cyber-monitoring of his 550 students was being conducted, including scanning for extremist-related material. Read more
NZ’s largest Islamic centre to be built in Auckland
Tuesday, April 21st, 2015
The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) has obtained permission to build an Islamic Vocational Centre in Auckland. The purpose of the Centre is also to attract members of other communities to come and to get to know Islam better. It is hoped it will to promote friendship and understanding between the communities Read more
Islamic scholar receives major US peace award
Friday, April 17th, 2015Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has been presented with a prestigious peace award at the alma mater of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta honoured Gülen with its 2015 Gandhi King Ikeda Peace Award. The award was made in recognition of Gülen’s “life-long dedication to Read more
Muslims welcomed by Jews and Christians
Thursday, March 19th, 2015
Muslims will take up full representation at the Wellington Council of Christians and Jews, which will re-launch as the Wellington Abrahamic Council on 14 April at an event at Parliament hosted by the Attorney General, Hon Chris Finlayson. Jewish Co-chair Dave Moskovitz said that the Council had welcomed Muslims at all meetings since 2007, and Read more
New York archbishop says ISIS perverts religion as IRA did
Tuesday, March 10th, 2015
ISIS is no more Muslim than the Irish Republican Army was Catholic, the Archbishop of New York has said. During an interview on CNN, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said: “The IRA claimed to be Catholic. They were baptised. They had a Catholic identity.” But, he continued, “what they were doing was a perversion of everything the Read more
What Islamic State really wants
Friday, February 20th, 2015
What is the Islamic State? Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States Read more
Monis’ madness not of Islam
Friday, December 19th, 2014
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott refuses to link hostage taker Man Haron Monis with Islam. “We don’t blame the Pope for the IRA, and we don’t blame the Catholics living next door for the folly of some people, the folly and madness of some people who may claim a Christian motivation. And I think we Read more
Islam on the rise in PNG
Tuesday, December 16th, 2014
In recent years the number of Papua New Guinean Christians who have converted to Islam has been considerable. According to the recently released 2011 Census data, the Islamic population in rural areas of PNG has risen from about 300 in the year 2000 to 1352 in 2011. They are concentrated mainly in the Highlands, especially in Read more