Islam and Human Rights *Protection of Minorities, a Religious Obligation of Muslims<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1619> *
The Message of Qur’an. The Muslims are under an obligation to honour and protect any house of worship dedicated to God, whether it be a mosque or a church or a synagogue (also mentioned in Qur’an; 22:40); and any attempt to prevent the followers of another faith from worshipping God according to their own lights is condemned by the Qur'an as a sacrilege. Allah says: “Hence, who could be more wicked than those who bar the mention of God's name from [any of] His houses of worship and strive for their ruin, [although] they have no right to enter them save in fear [of God]? For them, in this world, there is ignominy in store; and for them, in the life to come, awesome suffering.”(Qur’an; 2:114). The history of Islam proves that Muslims, Christians, and Jews and other non Muslims [like Hindus in Mughal empire] lived together in dominant Islamic societies. In Spain under the Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Khalifahs, Christians and Jews enjoyed a freedom of religion that they themselves never allowed for each other or anyone else. In contrast forced conversions to Catholicism have been documented at various points throughout history. The most prominently cited allegations are the conversions of the pagans during Emperor Constantine (306-337 C.E); of Muslims, Jews and Eastern Orthodox during the Crusades (1095-1291 C.E); of Jews and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition; and of the Aztecs by Hernando Cortes in South America. -- *AftabKhan* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1619> Islamic Culture *Why The Taliban Hate Music?<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1618> * Music has had its detractors in plenty and the MMA government, foisted on the NWFP by Musharraf, had *declared music to be a vice in 2002*. Since then music has been treated as an enemy. It has been targeted regularly. The campaign first began in the form of attacks on shops and music centres. Then musicians, those gentle artists who soothe the soul, were threatened and they either fled or gave up their art. Some had to pay with their life. The website notes, “*Imagine the world without music*. Or imagine a world where we are told what to play, what to sing and even what we may listen to in the privacy of our homes. That world already exists in more countries than you might imagine.”Why the need for censorship? The link between music and politics is now widely recognised. -- *Zubeida Mustafa* --- Firstly, music is a useless activity which in fact, is a state of passiveness. As we will explain in another article about gambling, the fact that such an inactivity, which is inherent in those so called professions, did not escape the attention of our religion. Secondly, the benefit and pleasure taken from music involves a meaning of deep slavery in passion. Since Islam is the only enemy of passiveness and slavery in passion, an important duty of Islam is to search their traces in unexpected hide-outs. -- *Mustafa Sabri* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1618> Books and Documents *Divine Guidance by Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1617> * Chapter 4: Islam A Challenge to Religion According to the view set forth in the Qur'an, man is born neither good nor bad, but with the power and freedom to become either. He is endowed with immerse potentialities. If he develops them and employs them for the moral and material advancement of mankind, his conduct is good; if he fails to utilize his immense resources or puts them to uses which are harmful to mankind, his conduct is bad. Wahi or Divine Guidance points out the way to self-realization and to the promotion of knowledge and happiness. By following the path which is pointed out by Wahi, man can finally achieve the status of a "mo’min". A "mo’min" is at peace with himself and with the world because he has successfully resolved his inner and outer conflicts. Wahi shows the way to harmony in the individual mind as well as in human society. The verses cited above to the effect that man is bad, simply mean that if he ignores Divine Guidance and follows his baser desires he is liable to become worse, and worse. -- *Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1617> Islamic World News *Smuggling children from Yemen into Saudi Arabia to beg for money<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1616> * Religious Extremism Exposes a Pair of Countries in the Dark Ages *Study: American Muslims Exemplify Diversity* Local Militants Struggle with Taliban for Control of Pakistan White House: 'Jihadists' and 'global war' no longer acceptable terms *Christians in Pakistan Attacked for Religious Beliefs* Cleric: Iranian nation is united and vigilant Iraq bombs targeting Shi'ites kill 50 *Jihadi testifies against fellow Georgia terror suspect* Afghan Taliban say unhurt by Mehsud’s death *Iraqi girl jailed for attempted suicide bombing* Rs 200 million for Christian victims of rioting in Pakistan Muslim Girls Honoured for Completing 'Hunar' Courses Art and Architecture of Islam – a Trinidad Perspective *Compiled by Mohammad Sanaullah* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1616> Islam and Sectarianism *Sectarian differences among Indian Muslims<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1614> * By *Abdul Hamid Noamani* ** ** 2 Comments More.<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1614> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Asalam o Alaikum, You Are Receiving This Message, Because You Are A Member Of FOCUS ON ISLAM, A Google Group [..:: The Best Group For Nice Islamic Mails ::..] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ You can Post Your Comments and Suggestions to Me [Moderator of this Group] on this email address: [email protected] To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/focusonislam/ To post messages/mails to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Please forward our Mails to Your friends, and convence them to join our Group. 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