Immediately after news of the bombing of government buildings in Norway’s capital Oslo, the Internet buzzed with speculation about who might have done it and why. Most speculation focused on so-called Islamist militancy and Muslims. The urge to speculate after grave events is understandable, but the focus of speculation, its amplification through social media, its Read more
Predominantly Muslim Malaysia and the Holy Seee have established diplomatic ties. The announcement came after talks between the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak and Pope Benedic XVI. “In the cordial conversations, the positive developments in bilateral relations were discussed, and an agreement was reached to establish diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See,” the Vatican Read more
Australian Muslims want interest-free loans for religious reasons, and recognition of sharia law as it applies to banking practices and family law. These are the main outcomes from a survey of Australia’s Muslim leaders and revealed by the Sun Herald newspaper. Imam Yusuf Parker, from the Alhidayah Centre in Perth, said Islam forbade the charging or Read more
The Consulate-General of Saudi Arabia has written to the New Zealand Government to complain after two incidents in which Saudi Arabian women were told by bus drivers that they couldn’t board a bus because of their Muslim veil. Dr Sameer Aljabri, the husband of one of the women, who works at the Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission in Auckland, said Read more
Sydney, Christians will have their core beliefs challenged by provocative advertisements which will appear on billboards and busses in June. The ads, paid for by an Islamic group called MyPeace, will carry slogans such as ”Jesus: a prophet of Islam”, ”Holy Quran: the final testament” and ”Muhammad: mercy to mankind”. The organiser of MyPeace, Diaa Read more
A Muslim group plans to turn the April 29 wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton into a “nightmare.” Police report Muslims Against the Crusades (MAS) applied for permission to protest outside Westminster Abbey on the day of the royal wedding. The police, who have the power to ban protests along the main route, have Read more
The bloodshed continues in Ivory Coast. Before the capture of Laurent Gbagbo, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan asked for prayers for his people. Thousands of Abidjan residents have been driven from their homes by bombing and artillery fire. Food, water, and electricity are hard to find, and a humanitarian disaster looms. In February, Caritas Internationalis Read more
The United States government should detain Terry Jones, the Pastor who oversaw Wayne Sapp burning the Qur’an in Florida, says the leader of the Catholic Church in Pakistan. “The US Government talks about religious freedom – but we call upon the US government to prevent such actions by extremists and other fundamentalist Christians.” Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha Read more
On a sunny afternoon in this quiet city in northern Iraq, a young veiled Muslim woman from Baghdad kneels to pray—at a Catholic church. The church keeper, a woman also from Baghdad, enters the sanctuary and welcomes the visitor. “Don’t worry, pray in your own way,” she tells the visitor. The Muslim woman removes her Read more
A group of Muslims in France have asked to gather in the unused Catholic churches for their Friday Prayer. Spokesman for “Banlieuses Respect” Hassan Ben M’Barek suggests it would mean, “Muslims don’t need to perform their prayers on public roads, which makes them “hostages of politics”. On Friday’s in France it is not uncommon for Muslims Read more