Nazarbayev: Muslim world should defend Islam’s image

ASTANA – The Muslim world must launch a media campaign to create a more positive image of Islam, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev told participants at the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum June 8, according to Novosti-Kazakhstan.

The Islamic world needs to reinforce the image of Islam as a religion of peace, kindness, tolerance and justice, he said, adding that the Islamic world is itself a target of terrorism.

Terrorism is linked not only to trans-national crime but to geo-political sources too, he said.

Nazarbayev also called for the Islamic world’s 10 largest economies to form a group for dialogue, akin to the Western world’s G8. The Islamic world has the resources to back substantial investment in its own countries, he said. 

Prince Naif opens Haj research forum in Makkah

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Jun 15, 2011 01:03 Updated: Jun 15, 2011 02:01

MAKKAH: On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, inaugurated a scientific forum for Haj research, which is attended by nearly 1,000 speakers, experts and delegates.

Prince Naif commended the efforts of King Abdullah to improve Haj services. "King Abdullah's support for this forum is a good example for that." He wished every success for the forum and hoped it would contribute to further improving services to the guests of God.

"Toward Realizing the Vision" is the title of the forum, which is organized by the Haj Research Institute of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah. Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja, who is acting higher education minister, attended the opening session.

Bakri Assas, president of the university, commended the government's efforts to manage the annual pilgrimage, the largest congregation of Muslims in the world. He also noted the institute's efforts to improve Haj and Umrah services by carrying out scientific studies.

Abdul Aziz Soroji, dean of the institute and chairman of the organizing committee, said his institute has been organizing this annual forum for the past 10 years to review the latest research works and exchange expertise on improving Haj and Umrah services. He said the forum would discuss 50 research papers.

Later, a documentary was screened highlighting the institute's achievements over the past years.

The event will be organized by the Haj research institute at Umm Al-Qura University in the holy city.

Jakarta to Host International Islamic Information Conference June 14, 2011

The Indonesian government in cooperation with the Rabithah Alam al Islami, a non-governmental Islamic organization based in Mecca, plans to hold an International Islamic Information Conference in Jakarta in September.

The secretary general of the ministry of religious affairs, Bahrul Hayat, made the announcement to newsmen here on Monday after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Rabithah Alam al Islami (the Muslim World League).

He said the role of the media was very important in the current globalization era, especially for the Muslim world. "The media has given its contribution to development in the Muslim world," he said.

He said the conference would be about media and information technology in the Islamic world and finding solutions for Islamic countries to deal with the fast development of information and communication technology.

"The theme, however, still has yet to be finalized with the Rabithah," he said.

He said he hoped the media could help with information development in poor Islamic countries. "How should the poor Islamic countries deal with information and communication technology development," he asked.

He said he hoped the conference could later be carried out periodically.

"Perhaps once a year or once in two years," he said.

He said that through the event Indonesia would ask the world to see media constellation in the Islamic countries and prove that Indonesia could become one of the world`s Islamic civilization centers.

The president director of media and relations of the Rabithah Alam al Islami, Hassan Al Ahdal, meanwhile said that Indonesia could play a strategic role in the world especially in showing the true face of Islam to the world, as the country has the world`s biggest Muslim population.

"Indonesia and the Muslim World League are committed to campaigning that Islam is a religion of peace," he said.

Clerics protest against pictorial representation of Prophet Mohammad

By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,

Lucknow: Infuriated over pictorial representation of Prophet Mohammad in a text book, the Muslim clerics demanded action against the publisher and action against the concerned authorities on Tuesday. Letters have been faxed to National Commission for Minorities (NCM) for taking cognizance of the incident.

The alleged picture has appeared in a text book of Class IV titled ‘Moral Education Ethics’ published by Active Mind Publications, Allahabad. The book is written by Chandra Prakash and is approved by ICSE boards and is in circulation across the country including several schools in Lucknow. Muslims have objections over the depiction of Prophet through a caricature in Chapter-6, Being Good and Gentle, on page no.35

"We are living in a secular country where hurting religious sentiments is an offence. This act has been done deliberately by the publishers and ICSE board. Islam does not allow any pictorial representation of Holy Prophet and we demand its withdrawal," said Maulana Hashmi Miyana Kichauchvi on Tuesday.

The clerics also lashed out at the Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibbal for not reacting to such an act. "The ICSE board is under the control of HRD ministry. The school education is also under Sibbal's ministry. If he is so busy to overlook such matters, he should relinquish the ministry," he said.

Responding to a query, the cleric stated that indecent pictorial representation of Hindu deities by MF Hussain was also not justified and due to this Indian soil eluded Hussain even after his death.

"Indian government very well knows the after effects of such an act. It has been done in European countries but we will not tolerate it anymore. It is not our weakness and if the NCM fails to act and the controversial books are not withdrawn, the Muslims will not hesitate to take the issue to street," he said.

Meanwhile, members of Sunni Markaz which is spearheading the agitation stated that they had contacted the publisher of the book at Allahabad. The publishers Sheetla Singh stated that nearly eight lakhs such books have been printed which are in circulation in nearly 800 schools of the country. "We also appeal to the schools to shun such books which can hurt other's sentiments," he said.