Peace TV finalizes plan to launch 24-hour Arabic channel

RIYADH: Internationally renowned scholar Dr. Zakir Naik, who is founder and president of the India-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), said in Riyadh yesterday that the IRF-owned Peace TV has finalized plans to launch a 24-hour Arabic-language Islamic channel.

“The Arabic channel, to air in mid-2013, will be dedicated especially for Arabic-speaking viewers around the world,” said Naik.

Peace TV is a major Islamic satellite television network with a record global viewership exceeding more than 100 million.

Naik, who has delivered more than 1,500 public lectures across the world, including some 220 in Saudi Arabia alone, on comparative religion, said Peace TV Arabic channel would not be just another Islamic channel.

“There are more than 60 Arabic channels today but the Peace TV channel will be unique in content and technology,” said the IRF chief.

Naik, who will inaugurate a branch and bookstore of Darussalam International Publications Company in Riyadh today, was felicitated at a dinner reception hosted in the capital on Wednesday night by Rashid Ali Sheikh, an Indian businessman and social worker.

Another reception in honor of this Islamic scholar, to be attended by a large number of diplomats, businessmen and Saudi as well as non-Saudi officials and guests, will be hosted by Abdul Malik Mujahid, Darussalam managing director, in the capital tomorrow.

Naik said he was happy to attend the opening ceremony of Darussalam branch in Riyadh. “Darussalam is probably the biggest publisher of Islamic books in the world,” he added.

Entry to Darussalam's inaugural program at the Riyadh Avenue Mall (Lulu Hypermarket) is open to all. A raffle draw will be organized on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, said Mustafa Habib Siddiqui, Darussalam media manager.

Asked about the uniqueness of the proposed Peace TV's Arabic channel, the IRF chief added: “It will be far superior to existing channels.”

The new channel will have access to the world's 300 million native Arabic speakers, he added. He said the new channel would be a respected global media outlet presenting Islam and removing misconceptions about Muslims and the Islamic world.

Asked about the popularity of the Peace TV programs, he said viewership is growing and his presence on the channels was about 17 to 18 percent in terms of airspace. He pointed out that Peace TV has had a large number of speakers and presenters, including many from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Sheikh Asim Al-Hakeem and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saifuddin, who have been associated with the channel for the last several years, are some of them.

Naik said he had no plans to deliver public lectures during this trip to the Kingdom. The Islamic scholar in his interview also spoke about the lawsuit he had filed against the UK government after it imposed an exclusion order on his visa/entry into the UK a couple of years ago. He also explained how his statements were often construed without any substance to be in favor of social persecution and for political action abroad.

Naik made it clear that he does not support any act of terrorism, but his Islamic speeches, especially when he criticizes Western powers for their interventions in the affairs of the Muslim countries, are often taken out of context to blame him as a supporter of “terrorism and extremism.”

On the ban imposed by the UK since June 2010, he said the term “exclusion” means authorities will not grant him a visa to travel to the country. “But my books and reading materials are freely available in the UK,” he added.

Naik, who earlier challenged his exclusion in a UK court, has approached the France-based European Court of Human Rights, which will now decide whether he will be allowed into the UK or not. Naik said he has never been prevented from entering any country in the past.

Naik’s popularity can be gauged from the fact that “The Indian Express”, one of India’s top daily newspapers, listed him recently as the country's 89th most powerful person, ahead of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen and eminent lawyer and former attorney general Soli Sorabjee.

The Islamic scholar said the IRF had planned to open two world-class international Islamic schools in Riyadh and Jeddah. These schools will be run based on the model of his Mumbai-based school, he noted.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article585180.ece

Son of God was born on 25th December?

When you are wishing someone 'Merry Christmas', without you realize, you are agreeing that God has a son and he (the Son of God) was born on 25th December. Astagfirullah Al Azim..

Saying God has children is a Shirk (the greatest sin in Islam), as Allah says in the Qur'an: "Allah begets not, nor was He begotten" [Quran, 112: 3]

Transitional Leader Calls for Sharia Law as Country Celebrates

TRIPOLI, Libya –  The transitional government leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil called on Libyans to show "patience, honesty and tolerance" and eschew hatred as they embark on rebuilding the country at the end of an 8-month civil war.

Abdul-Jalil set out a vision for the post-Qaddafi future with an Islamist tint, saying that Islamic Sharia law would be the "basic source" of legislation in the country and that existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified. 

In a gesture that showed his own piety, he urged Libyans not to express their joy by firing in the air, but rather to chant "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great. He then stepped aside and knelt to offer a brief prayer of thanks.

"This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he told the crowd at the declaration ceremony in the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising against Qaddafi began. He thanked those who fell in the fight against Qaddafi's forces. "This revolution began peacefully to demand the minimum of legitimate rights, but it was met by excessive violence."

Tens of thousands gathered in the eastern city of Benghazi Sunday as Libya's transitional leader declared his country's liberation, three days after ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi was captured and killed.

President Obama congratulated Libya on their declaration of liberation.

"After four decades of brutal dictatorship and eight months of deadly conflict, the Libyan people can now celebrate their freedom and the beginning of a new era of promise," Obama said in a statement.

"We look forward to working with the NTC and an empowered transitional government as they prepare for the country's first free and fair elections," Obama said.

The liberation celebration was clouded, however, by mounting calls for an investigation into whether Qaddafi was executed while in custody.

An autopsy confirmed that Qaddafi died from a gunshot to the head, Libya's chief pathologist, Dr. Othman al-Zintani, said hours before the liberation declaration was to start the clock on a transition to democracy.

However, the pathologist said he would not disclose further details or elaborate on Qaddafi's final moments, saying he would first deliver a full report to the attorney general. Libya's acting prime minister said he would not oppose an investigation, but cited an official reporting saying a wounded Qaddafi was killed in cross-fire following his capture.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Britain's new defense secretary, Philip Hammond, said a full investigation is necessary.

The Libyan revolutionaries' image had been "a little bit stained" by Qaddafi's death, Hammond said Sunday, adding that the new government "will want to get to the bottom of it in a way that rebuilds and cleanses that reputation."

"It's certainly not the way we do things," Hammond told BBC television. "We would have liked to see Col. Qaddafi going on trial to answer for his misdeeds."

Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press" that she backs a proposal that the United Nations investigate Qaddafi's death and that Libya's National Transitional Council look into the circumstances, too.

The 69-year-old Qaddafi was captured wounded, but alive Thursday in his hometown of Sirte, the last city to fall to revolutionary forces. Bloody images of Qaddafi being taunted and beaten by his captors have raised questions about whether he was killed in crossfire as suggested by government officials or deliberately executed.

Qaddafi's body has been on public display in a commercial freezer in a shopping center in the port city of Misrata, which suffered from a bloody siege by regime forces that instilled a virulent hatred for the dictator in Misrata's residents. People have lined up for days to view the body, which was laid out on a mattress on the freezer floor. The bodies of Qaddafi's son Muatassim and his ex-defense minister Abu Bakr Younis also were put on display, and people wearing surgical masks have filed past, snapping photos of the bodies.

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch, which viewed the bodies, said video footage, photos and other information it obtained "indicate that they might have been executed after being detained."

"Finding out how they died matters," said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch. "It will set the tone for whether the new Libya will be ruled by law or by summary violence."

The Syrian-based Al-Rai TV station, which has served as a mouthpiece for the Qaddafi clan, said the dictator's wife, Safiya, also demanded an investigation.

"I am proud of the bravery of my husband, Muammar Qaddafi, the holy warrior, and my sons who confronted the aggression of 40 countries over the past six months," the station quoted the widow as saying in a statement.

Jibril, the acting Libyan prime minister, said he would not oppose an inquiry into Qaddafi's death, but that there is "no reason" to doubt the credibility of an official report that the ousted leader died in cross-fire.

"Have you seen a video of somebody killing him? I haven't seen any video tape or mobile film that shows somebody is killing Qaddafi," Jibril told reporters in Jordan where he was attending an international economic conference.

"What I told the press several times ... (is) that coroner says in the medical report that he (Qaddafi) was already wounded, taken out, put in that truck and on the way to the field hospital there was cross-fire from both sides," Jibril said. Jibril said it's unclear whether the fatal bullet was fired by loyalists or revolutionary forces.

The vast majority of Libyans seemed unconcerned about the circumstances of the hated leader's death, but rather was relieved the country's ruler of 42 years was gone, clearing the way for a new beginning.

"If he (Qaddafi) was taken to court, this would create more chaos, and would encourage his supporters," said Salah Zlitni, 31, who owns a pizza parlor in downtown Tripoli. "Now it's over."

The long-awaited declaration of liberation starts the clock on Libya's transition to democracy. The transitional leadership has said it would declare a new interim government within a month of liberation and elections for a constitutional assembly within eight months, to be followed by votes for a parliament and president within a year.

At the ceremony in Benghazi, Abdul-Jalil outlined several changes to align with Islamic law.

"This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he said.

Abdul-Jalil said new banks would be set up to follow the Islamic banking system, which bans charging interest as a practice deemed usury. For the time being, he said interest would be canceled from any personal loans already taken out and less than $7,500.

He also announced the annulment of an existing family law that limits the number of wives Libyan can take, contradicting the provision in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, that allows men up to four wives.

And he urged Libyans to hand back money or property taken during the civil war.

Abdul-Jalil thanked those who fought and fell in the fight against Qaddafi's forces.

"They are somewhere better than here, with God," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/23/calls-for-investigation-as-autopsy-reveals-qaddafi-died-from-gunshot-to-head/

1,000-liter ‘teapot’ for Haj use

By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS

MAKKAH: An engineer working for the Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims has developed an electric heater that can boil up to 1,000 liters of water to make tea and other hot drinks.

While commending the efforts of Abdul Aziz Mahboub, electrical engineer at the Tawafa’s field office No. 23, chairman of the Tawafa establishment Adnan Katib called on other field offices to benefit from the equipment, which fulfills hygienic and security specifications.

Mahboub told Arab News that his new system would make available tea and coffee to pilgrims in crowded tents at any time, day or night, without the assistance of tea boys.

The number of pilgrims in a normal pilgrim tent reaches up to 5,000 and a number of tea boys are required to serve them. He said the 1,000-liter tank will have to be heated initially for two hours and a continuous water supply could be ensured with a buoy-like device.

The equipment is priced approximately at SR15,000, including installation costs, and will have a 10-year operating life.

The external wall of the tank is heat-insulated with a fiberglass cover to protect users. The tank has nine outlets and can serve 6,000 paper cups. An inbuilt stainless steel boiler enables the preparation of tea.

Head of the field office Talal Mahboub has personally funded the development and installation of the system, the engineer said.

He added that the device was ideal for pilgrim camps and other large gatherings because of its safety and hygiene levels.

By installing the system, which minimizes the risk of fires in pilgrim camps, Tawafa establishments can save on wages of tea makers and suppliers, Mahboub said. The equipment can be operated anywhere and can easily be transported from one location to another, he added.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article517640.ece

Learning about Islam in the Maldives

By Idris Tawfiq - The Egyptian Gazette Monday, October 17, 2011 08:08:23 PM With an average land height of just one and a half metres above sea level, the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean is the lowest country in the world.  It is also, probably the most beautiful place on earth I have ever visited. The highest point on any of the country's nearly one thousand idyllic islands is just 2.3 metres above sea level. Little wonder, then, that Climate Change and Global Warming are a cause for real concern, since it would take only a very small rise in sea level to make the islands disappear altogether.
Whilst the government of the Maldives is doing everything possible to make the world aware of their plight, there is another consideration which puts all of this into its true perspective. For Muslims, all things come from Allah. In everything they do they declare, "inshallah." Even the sun coming up in the morning depends on His will.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) urged his followers to "tie your camel, then trust in Allah." In other words, Muslims should do everything they possibly can, and then when they have done everything they put their trust and their faith in the One who controls all things.         On approaching Male, the capital of the Maldives, from the air, the most immediate impression is how beautiful the islands are. Upon arrival at the airport, visitors are reminded of this in a peculiar way. In most of the world's airports, travelers are asked to declare if they are bringing drugs or alcohol into the country. In the Maldives, they are not only asked this, but also if they are carrying idols of worship, which, being anathema to Muslims, are similarly banned.           Islam came to the Maldive islands in the twelfth century. It was another of those countries never approached by Muslim armies, but by traders from the Arab world. Their example eventually led the whole population to embrace Islam. In a country which rejoices in being one hundred per cent Muslim, one of the first things visitors see as they travel by boat to the nation's capital is the splendid golden dome of the Sultan Mosque.         Egypt’s Al-Azhar has always played a central role in leading and guiding the Muslim world. The Islamic Centre in Male, which is a truly impressive building and which incorporates the country's largest Mosque, was built with the help of many Arab and Muslim nations.          This is a visible sign of the unity and brotherhood which exists among Muslims. The Opening Ceremony was attended by the late Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Jadul-Haqq, who traveled to the Maldives in November 1984 especially for this. Even today there is an Al-Azhar school in Male.         There is only one Islam. The beauty of Islam, though, is that it has so many beautiful faces throughout the world. These faces don't change Islam, since Islam is at home in every country and in every culture, but they do show its colours and its diversity. In fact, they show how practical and sensible Islam has been throughout the centuries in making its message relevant to all people on the face of this earth. The Maldivian people have their own very beautiful portrayal of Islam.          In fact, no matter how beautiful the sea or how white the sand, or even how peaceful the atmosphere, the real treasure of the Maldive islands is the friendliness and simplicity of its people. As Muslims we should never forget the real treasure of ordinary Muslims that is always in our midst.         The Maldives, like every country, has its own particular problems. Sometimes, as Muslims, we get distracted by our own national situation and forget to look at the bigger picture. The bigger picture shows us that Islam is alive and well and that Muslims are thriving. Perhaps this is why Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the West.         In a sense, the people of the Maldives can cling so closely to Islam because of their very way of life. This way of life has something to teach us all. Many of its people are fishermen, at one with the sea and its seasons, and they are in tune with their Creator. It is when we become so sophisticated and so caught up with the affairs of this world that we begin to lose something of Islam's simplicity.       Islam is indeed simple, but we have managed to make it seem so complicated. Anyone staying in the Maldives for even a short time is reminded just by being there that we need to remain focused on Allah, not on the things of this world. When we do remain focused on Allah, all things fall quite naturally into perspective and we see that all things come to us from the hand of Allah. With such an attitude, there is nothing that can overcome us – not even Climate Change and Global Warming!   The author of eight books about Islam, British Muslim writer, IdrisTawfiq, divides his time between Egypt and the UK  as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com   http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.php?action=news&id=21706&title=Culture:%20Learning%20about%20Islam%20in%20the%20Maldives

Why democracy is so good

Since 1973, approximately 50 million babies have been slaughtered in the United States before they were even born.

It is estimated that 500,000 babies that will be born this year will be sexually abused before they turn 18.

Law enforcement officials estimate that about 600,000 Americans and about 65,000 Canadians are trading dirty child pictures online.

More pornography is created in the United States than anywhere else on the entire globe. 89 percent is made in the U.S.A. and only 11 percent is made in the rest of the world.

The United States has more people on pharmaceutical drugs than any other country on the planet.

The United States has the highest divorce rate on the globe by a wide margin.

There are more than 3 million reports of child abuse in the United States every single year.

In the United States today, it is estimated that one out of every four girls is sexually abused before they become adults.

Maldivians voice against US Green Card Gambling

A group of about 100 Maldivians have petitioned Islamic Ministry to prevent the activities carried out in Maldives by US Embassy officials to recruit Maldivians to the Green Card Lottery programme. 

A petition signed by 107 people described the activities carried out by officials of the US Embassy in Colombo as “an addition to the different efforts by non-Muslims to introduce poker to the Maldives”. US Embassy officials held public presentations in Addu City on Saturday and in Male last evening to provide information about the Green Card Lottery programme.

US Embassy’s Visa Section head William Dova told an audience of about 50 last evening that winners of the lottery should pay visa fees despite the registration being open for free. The Green Card winners are eligible to apply for US citizenship after five years of residence in the country, he added. Registration for the Green Card Lottery programme will open on October 4 and will continue until November 5. 

The lottery is gambling, which is haraam. Allah, may He be exalted, says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al‑Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols etc), and Al‑Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. 91. Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As‑Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [al-Maa’idah 5:60-61].

Maldivians in Kochi under scanner

KOCHI: City has been becoming a home to lot of people from various parts of the country. But the presence of many Maldivians in the city has forced the Special Branch to conduct a thorough checking of the various pockets in the city where Maldivians have been found camping.

Though the city police have not come across any incidents of smuggling or anti-national activities involving Maldivians, they have launched the drive as part of a precautionary measure.

"We don't know why there has been a surge in the arrival of people from Maldives to the city.

The special branch wing has been able to identify an area near Karugapilly in the city where large number of Maldivians has been staying," said M N Ramesh, city special branch assistant commissioner.

The official said the police had conducted a preliminary enquiry to identify the reasons for the rise in arrival of Maldivians and it had been ascertained that these people were gradually moving out of Thiruvananthapuram,where they usually camp, due to various reasons.

Ramesh said that most of Maldivians staying in the city have been making use of a loop hole in the visa rules to stay permanently in the city.

"According to the rules, people from Maldives can stay in India continuously for 90 days without visa. What they usually do is to leave India on the 89th day and return the next day.

They keep on doing this to stay permanently in India," the official said."Most of them come to Kochi for business purpose. We intercepted a couple of Maldivians on suspicion and found that they were carrying large quantity of spare parts of various vehicles.

They brought the spare parts from various shops in Kochi," said the sources in the state police.

The sources added that they would be coordinating with the immigration wing of airports in the state, mainly Thiruvananthapuram, to ascertain the exact number of Maldivians landing in the state. 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Maldivians-in-Kochi-under-scanner/articleshow/9829007.cms

Woman disables anti-Islam websites

DAMMAM: An Alkhobar woman studying in the United States is taking credit for destroying 23 Danish websites that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Thursday.

Nouf Rashid told the Arabic newspaper she was hacking into Danish websites having references to cartoons of the Prophet along with other sites that had questionable content in her view.

She said she had also destroyed a number of pornographic sites and hacked into the computer systems of young men who had tried to blackmail girls by threatening to publish their private photos. She gained expertise in the field out of a desire to learn new things in the IT field.

Nouf said she entered the hacking world to save a girl who was being blackmailed by a young man who wanted to marry her and had obtained a private photo of her. The victim’s friend had requested Nouf to look for a hacker in the US to save her from the man.

“In fact, I contacted some of my hacker friends at university and I learned from them the art of hacking,” she said.

“After this, I took the opportunity to save many women from youths who tried to blackmail them using their pictures. By the grace of God I was able to hack into their systems and erase most of their photos.”

Nouf said she had hacked into some of the Danish websites that denigrated the Prophet and shut them down. “I also sent messages and articles about Islam and the Prophet to those who managed those sites,” she pointed out.

Nouf urged girls to be cautious when using the Internet and not to open any suspicious e-mails. “We should take adequate protective measures. When doing computer maintenance, we should approach companies and individuals whom they can trust, because some workers in maintenance centers plant viruses that can spy on their clients,” she said.

According to Western media sources, more than 900 Danish websites have been hacked by groups in many countries along with individual hackers recently.

The BBC reported that the attacks typically replace home pages with pro-Islam messages and condemn the publication of the blasphemous images of the Prophet.

“We have never seen so many defacements that are politically targeted in such a short time,” Roberto Preatoni of the Internet monitoring group Zone H told BBC. He noted that most of the interference involves defacement of the website although some of the hackers have threatened the Danish people with revenge.

Like the United States, Saudi Arabia also maintains tough hacking laws with penalties up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $1.8 million.

Preatoni told BBC that most of the sites targeted were run by small organizations and companies that do not have dedicated security workers and cannot keep up with the latest alerts and patches for vulnerabilities. However, he noted that many of the sites had been restored within 24 hours.

Source: Arabnews

King Abdullah to lay foundation stone to Makkah Haram expansion works

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone to the Makkah Haram expansion works in a few days. The project is called the King Abdullah Expansion of the Makkah Haram.

The king will also open a number of other development projects that aim to improve the safety and comfort of pilgrims at the two holy mosques and holy sites.

The projects currently underway at the Haram include the expansion of the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque, the Masaa (the running course between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah,) the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, the King Abdul Aziz Road, the Mashair Railway connecting Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, the Haramain Railway to link the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the Central Zone Development project and new circular roads in addition to flood drainage projects in the holy sites and the Al-Jamarat complex, Al-Riyadh daily reported on Thursday.

The project at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah include the expansion of the courtyards around the mosque in all directions so that its capacity climbs to 350,000 people.

The huge projects implemented at the orders of the king include the development of the Al-Jamarat Bridge with the aim of increasing its capacity to 5 million pilgrims and the Mashair Railway that is scheduled to become fully operational before the beginning of the upcoming Haj in November. The metro service will operate 17 trains with 12 coaches in each train. A train will carry 3,000 pilgrims.

The development of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment project comprises six residential towers and a five-star hotel. The frontal towers of the towers are 28 stories high while the rear towers are 35 stories. Its side towers are 45 stories high while the hotel tower is 60 stories. The entire complex with 11,000 rooms and suites will accommodate 35,000 pilgrims.

The water management project in the holy sites includes construction of several feeder canals to gather floodwater from nearby mountains and a number of check dams and subterranean ducts.

The canals will start from the foot of the Eastern Ras Al-Shoayb mountain and will extend to the border of Mina at the King Fahd Tunnel.

The project also includes three concrete check dams on the basin of the flood course to the north of Mina and at the western side of the Al-Shoayb mountain and at the north of the King Khaled Road near the Square 28 and the Magar Kabsh area.

Another tunnel will be built to channel the floodwater collected on the other side of the Magar Kabsh dam to the western side of the Al-Shoayb mountain. Tunnels will also be built to carry the water to Al-Moaysim side.

arabnews