A third of all charitable work takes place in Ramadan
By ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: Over a third of charity activities in the Kingdom take place during the blessed month of Ramadan, a recent study said. Saudis make 34.5 percent of their total annual cash donations in the month of Ramadan, said a study on the charity habits of people in […]
Jordan, Turkey renew call for ending Syria violence
ISTANBUL (Agencies) – Jordan Times. Jordan and Turkey on Wednesday called for an end to the violence in Syria and urged Damascus to implement reforms, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The call was made during a press conference following talks between Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and his Turkish counterpart […]
5 Months After Meltdown, Fukushima Citizens Still Fear Radioactive Risks
Source/Credit: PBS NewsHour JOHN SPARKS: This is the end of the road. Beyond a well-staffed checkpoint lies the 20-kilometer evacuation zone, a no-man’s land that surrounds the Fukushima nuclear plant. We were stopped, our papers checked. Then the police waved us through. We had won rare access to a world […]
An Interview with Deden’s Lawyer
Radio Australia: Nurkholis Hidayat is the Director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute and is Mr Sudjana’s lawyer. Speaker: Nurkholis Hidayat,Director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute; Andreas Harsono, consultant, Human Rights Watch Indonesia Presenter: Alma Mistry MISTRY: Deden Sudjana’s hand was almost severed by a machete as he attempted to stop an angry mob who […]
Indonesian president defends Pluralism and Tolerance on Country’s 66th Independence Day
Indonesia celebrates its 66th anniversary of independence from Dutch rule on Wednesday. In a national address, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono defended the mainly Muslim country’s reputation for pluralism and tolerance, while accepting it was facing “threats” to religious and social harmony. The comments came as his administration faces growing criticism […]
Australia speaks: Indonesian clerics ‘interfere’ with legal process
ABC Radio Australia Indonesian clerics ‘interfere’ with legal process, say rights group …………… An Indonesian court has jailed a minority sect member for six months for defending himself and others from a lynch mob that killed three of his friends earlier this year……………… The sentence was the same or stiffer […]
Israel speaks for Indonesian Verdict on Ahmadiyyah
Arutz Sheva: Indonesian Lynch Victim Gets Harsher Sentence than Assailants A member of a minority Islamic sect who defended his comrades against an attempted lynch has drawn a heavier sentence than his assailants Haifa Israel where Aamadiyya Muslim Community enjoys freedom of religion (Ahmadi Mosque in Kababeer, Israel) The judiciary […]
Over 1,000 women apply for 20 IT jobs in Saudia
By ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: More than 1,000 women have applied for 20 vacancies in Saudi Arabian Airlines’ IT department in a single day when the company started receiving applications on Monday. An official from the company expected a huge number of women to apply for the limited number of jobs […]
Haram expansion to accommodate 1.2m more worshippers
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS Published: Aug 16, 2011 23:10 Updated: Aug 16, 2011 23:18 JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for a new expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Friday, it was announced on Tuesday. The new […]
Polygamy – can it be practiced in the West?
In an earlier article, Mr. Qasim Rashid has suggested that it was about time that polygamy should be legalized in America, which can be read here at the Muslim Times. On the one hand, I would like to second Mr. Qasim Rashid’s request that it is about time that polygamy is legalized in Western […]
Criticism from within: Curious Justice in Banten
Jakarta Globe: Almost exactly one year ago, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the following on the occasion of Independence Day: “I want to underline the importance of maintaining and strengthening our brotherhood, harmony and tolerance as a nation… In everyday life, we still find cases that don’t reflect the harmony, tolerance and mutual respect […]
US ‘disappointed’ with Indonesia court ruling
(AFP) – WASHINGTON — The United States on Monday criticized an Indonesian court for jailing a minority sect member for six months for defending himself and others from a lynch mob that killed three of his friends. “We are disappointed by today’s sentencing of Deden Sudjana who was a victim […]
Indonesia Must Step up Efforts to Protect Rights of all Minority Religious Groups
Press Release Freedom House, Washington A second brutal mob attack on Indonesia’s Ahmadiyya last week, as well as the harsh sentencing of an Ahmadi victim in a previous attack, are further proof of a troubling downward spiral in religious freedom in Indonesia. Read more
Egypt Deploys Military in the Thousands into Sinai in Co-operation with Israel
PALESTINE NEWS AGENCY Cairo – PNN – Egypt has deployed tanks and thousands of military troops in co-operation with Israel into the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to regain control of the area. Control of the Sinai has been in limbo since former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s fall from grace […]
Non-Muslim expats learning more about Islam during Ramadan
By ARJUWAN LAKKDAWALA | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: Ramadan is a special month, and it is a very joyful time for Muslims who fast and celebrate this month. But how do non-Muslims living in the Kingdom feel about Ramadan? To find out, Arab News spoke to several non-Muslims, who said they saw […]
Victim of Indonesian mob attack sent to jail
By ALI KOTARUMALOS | AP ARABNEWS JAKARTA, Indonesia: An Indonesian man wounded when Islamic hard-liners launched a deadly attack on his minority sect was sentenced Monday to six months in prison — more than some of those caught on video taking part in the lynching. Human rights groups blasted the […]
University students give up family iftars to help others
By Zain Khasawneh, Jordan Times AMMAN –– Some 40 university students have decided to hit the streets during Ramadan to distribute water and dates to motorists and passers-by who are not at home at sunset – the time of iftar. The volunteers, who are part of a larger group of […]
Jordan: Tourist arrivals drop by 31 per cent in July
By Khetam Malkawi, Jordan Times AMMAN – Although the total number of visitors to the Kingdom decreased by 31 per cent in July 2011 compared to same month last year, the number of Saudi tourists increased by 21 per cent, according to a Ministry of Tourism report released on Monday. […]
Iraq bomb blasts across 13 cities leave dozens dead
Synchronised explosions in mostly Shia Muslim areas kill at least 74 and injure 250, undermining planned US troop withdrawal Source: Martin Chulov, Guardian Co UK A series of co-ordinated explosions have killed at least 74 people and wounded 250 more across Iraq, shattering calm during the Muslim holy month of […]