Muslim Issues

THE POVERTY OF FANATICISM ‘Blood is no argument’, as Shakespeare observed. Sadly, Muslim ranks are today swollen with those who disagree. The World Trade Centre, yesterday’s symbol of global finance, has today become a monument to the failure of global Islam to control those who believe that the West can be bullied into changing its wayward ways towards the East. …

At a White House press conference on 18 May 2009, US President Barack Obama expressed “deepening concern” about “the potential pursuit of a nuclear weapon by Iran.” He continued: “Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would not only be a threat to Israel and a threat to the United States, but would be profoundly destabilizing in the international community as a …

The statement of Nicholas Sarcozy that Burqa is not welcome in France, that it is a symbol of oppression and not of religion has raised serious debate all over. It is France again where five years ago the display of religious markers, head scarf, Sikh turban, and Jewish skull cap in schools was banned. Public servants cannot use the same …

Since the very beginning of Buddhism over 2500 years ago, Buddhist monks and nuns have depended on alms food. They were, and still are, prohibited from growing their own food, storing their own provisions or cooking their own meals. Instead, every morning they would make their day’s meal out of whatever was freely given to them by lay supporters. Whether …

Warning about the pitfalls of operating in a secular imposed order, ZAfAR BANGASH, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought , argues that the Islamic movement must be clear about its goals as well as methods in bringing about change in Muslim societies. Muslim scholars, Islamic movement activists and even ordinary Muslims agree that the only natural habitat for …

Close on the heels of the government crushing the world’s deadliest terrorist organization, the LTTE , its now flushing out Jihad militants operating in the East. Intelligence sources reveal that there are an estimated 500 Jihadi militants in the East. They allege that Batticaloa itself houses about 250 of them. Sources said that although earlier accusing fingers were pointed at …