Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam *Thursday, 13 Aug 2009* Islam and heresy: Where freedom is still at stake<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1637>
*Wanted: Islam’s Voltaire* TO MOST Western ears, the very idea of punishing heresy conjures up a time four or five centuries ago, when Spanish inquisitors terrorised dissenters with the rack and Russian tsars would burn alive whole communities of ultra-traditionalist Old Believers. Most religions began as heresies. Today the concept of “heresy” still means something. Every community built around an idea, a principle or an aim (from fox-hunting enthusiasts to Freudian psychotherapists) will always face hard arguments about where the boundaries of that community lie, and how far the meaning of its founding axioms can be stretched. But one of the hallmarks of a civilised and tolerant society is that arguments within freely constituted groups, religious or otherwise, unfold peacefully. And if those disputes lead to splits and new groups, that too must be a peaceful process, free of violence or coercion. *How depressing, then, to find that in the heartland of one of the world’s great religions, Islam, charges of heresy are still being bandied about in a violent and threatening way, in the hope of silencing critical voices.* -- * Economist* 1 Comments More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1637> Urdu Section *Trapped in tradition Muslims blame media prejudice<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1638> * By *Prof. Tahir Mahmood* ** More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1638> Islam,Terrorism and Jihad *The all-new, same old Taliban?<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1639> * *The Taliban's new manifesto looks like an attempt to engage Afghan hearts and minds, but is it worth the paper it's written on?* **In theory, the upcoming election is irrelevant from a Taliban point of view for three reasons. First, as Afghan analyst Wahid Mojdah pointed out in a recent article in Dari, the *Taliban believe that only practicing and pious **Muslims should be given the right to vote*. Hence a leader chosen by a majority regardless of their religious credentials is lacking legitimacy. Second, the Taliban believe that Washington pays only lip service to democracy, failing to accept democratically elected groups such as Hamas or the Iranian government, for ideological reasons. Third, an election campaign held in a country under occupation is by definition meaningless, as the nation is not sovereign. -- *Nushin Arbabzadah* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1639> Islamic World News *Pakistanis see US as biggest threat: Al Jazeera-Gallup Poll<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1636> * *Iran Detains Christian Converts* New Fatah leadership boosts Mideast peace Borneo Man impressed by Islamic way of life converts Radical Islam regeneration remains risk in Indonesia *Saudi Arabia arrests thousands without trial* Jamaat Tabligh Members convicted in Tajikistan Islamic bank ratings remain stable with growth Saudi Distribution of Holy Quran Copies in Algeria Gilani, Kayani make a confidence-building visit to Swat Iran: 4,000 arrested in election riots, most released Urumqi riot not to affect ties with Islamic countries Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World Iran’s Women Football Team Visits Assembly Albanian shamans and Islamic pluralism Ghana Muslim students hint of pressure to convert Muslim woman 'told to take off veil' in Australia ‘Muslim Camp’ draws UK teens to combat extremism Taliban gaining upper hand, says US commander Researchers doubt Saudi Curriculum Problems Solved Mehsud's £25m fortune triggers Taliban infighting *Shiites in Iraq Restrained as Sunnis Keep Attacking* Police register case against Musharraf *Compiled by Syed Asadullah* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1636> Islam and the West *Hypothesizing on the Iran-Russia-U.S. Triangle<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1640> * The real nuclear option for Iran does not involve nuclear weapons. It would involve mining the Strait of Hormuz and the narrow navigational channels that make up the Persian Gulf. During the 1980s, when Iran and Iraq were at war, both sides attacked oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. This raised havoc on oil prices and insurance rates. If the Iranians were to successfully mine these waters, the disruption to 40 percent of the world’s oil flow would be immediate and dramatic. The nastiest part of the equation would be that in mine warfare, it is very hard to know when all the mines have been cleared. It is the risk, not the explosions, which causes insurance companies to withdraw insurance on vastly expensive tankers and their loads. It is insurance that allows the oil to flow. -- *George Friedman, Stratfor* More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1640> Current affairs *Egypt and global Islam: The battle for a religion's heart<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1635> * Jihadist ideology has also been facing what may prove to be bigger threats than those posed by military setbacks or defections. Clerics from the broader ideological mainstream of Islam, where most Muslims put themselves, are condemning nihilist extremism with greater boldness. The strongest recent critique of global jihadism has come from a figure who is himself controversial in the West: Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an 82-year-old Egyptian who lives in Qatar, and a familiar figure, through his broadcasts, to Muslims across the world. He is a canny, theologically conservative populist, whose scathing references to Jews and homosexuals have made him persona non grata in America and, as of 2008, Britain. -- *Report* 1 Comments More...<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1635> Islam and Politics *Political Islam in Indonesia<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1634> * A greater number of Indonesian Muslims seem now devoted to an Islamic lifestyle. More Indonesians than ever before now wear Islamic attire and observe basic Islamic rules such as praying and fasting. While this can be understood as a move towards a more conservative understanding of Islam, these Muslims may not wish for a comprehensive enforcement of syariah. In response to this floating mass of Islamically-oriented voters, even the mainstream pluralist parties have tried to accommodate Islamic interests. Today's centrist parties, such as the victorious Democrat Party, seem to believe that a pro-Islamic platform, combined with a focus on bread and butter issues will most likely cater to the Muslim majority electorate and thus lead to good election results. -- *Bernhard Platzdasch* More..<http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1634> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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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