RIYADH (AFP) – A leading Saudi cleric hit out at France for moving to ban Muslim face-veils, but approved Muslim women foregoing veils when visiting a country which outlaws them, a Saudi paper reported on Saturday.

"It is illogical and unreasonable that the French government undertakes such a thing, which is condemned by neutral people, not just Muslims, because the secular state assures freedom of religion," Sheikh Aed al-Qarni told Al-Hayat.

"The state has to respect religious rituals and beliefs, including those of Muslims," he said in an interview.

However, he added, if Muslim women are in a country that has banned the niqab, or full-face veil, or if they face harassment in such a place, "it is better that the Muslim woman uncovers her face."

Numerous scholars of various Islamic schools of thought agree on this point, Qarni said.

"For Saudi tourists who face such a decision, there is a point in Islamic law where God says: 'So fear Allah as much as you can.'

"We must not confront people in their own country or other countries, or bring hardship on ourselves."

His comments followed France's parliament voting on July 13 to ban the niqab.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100724/lf_afp/saudifrancepoliticswomenreligionislam;_ylt=Ajq1UZNxAXsZvQ8K_lqeQwM7Xs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNkMTY0ZzBlBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDEwMDcyNC9zYXVkaWZyYW5jZXBvbGl0aWNzd29tZW5yZWxpZ2lvbmlzbGFtBHBvcwMyNQRzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNzYXVkaWNsZXJpY3M-

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) – Indonesia's highest Islamic authority has forbidden Muslims from viewing gossipy content in the country's media after a celebrity sex clip scandal dominated television news in the past month.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued the edict this week because of concerns that some media programs were not meant to educate but went beyond the barriers of decency toward pornography, said the MUI's Ma'ruf Amin.

"The problem is not about infotainment but its content which contain slander, rumors.. also the shows lead to pornography," Amin said.

He said the organization had recommended the government follow up the edict through regulations to control such "infotainment" content.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100728/lf_nm_life/us_indonesia_clerics_gossip;_ylt=AnWnxswsyI9qJl1UsoBimVc7Xs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTMyYXVpaDltBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTAwNzI4L3VzX2luZG9uZXNpYV9jbGVyaWNzX2dvc3NpcARwb3MDMTYEc2VjA3luX3BhZ2luYXRlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDaW5kb25lc2lhMzlz

by Beh Lih Yi – Mon Jul 26, 2:52 am ET

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Dusk has fallen and the party is just beginning for 29-year-old Asyikin, one of the many young Malay Muslims who hang out in Kuala Lumpur's vibrant Bukit Bintang nightlife district.

A morality crackdown has seen Malaysian Islamic authorities hand out caning and jail sentences for illicit drinking and sex, and launch raids on homes and clubs in the glare of media flashlights.

But for Asyikin, a petite and attractive business executive dressed in a knee-length skirt and strappy high heels, the campaign hasn't dampened her party mood.

"I couldn't care less, I'm partying. Religion to me is a personal thing," she says as she sips a glass of whisky and greets other regulars at the bars and restaurants that line the narrow streets.

Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population, are forbidden to have sex out of wedlock or drink alcohol under the Sharia legal system which runs in parallel to the civil courts in Malaysia.

In an unprecedented case that grabbed world headlines last year, Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 33, was sentenced to six lashes of the cane for drinking beer.

Kartika's sentence was commuted to community service after an uproar from rights groups, but three other women were quietly caned under Islamic laws in February for having sex out of wedlock.

Despite the highly publicised cases, every weekend Kuala Lumpur's top clubs are packed with fashionably dressed youngsters including Muslim Malays -- many offspring of the nation's elite -- socialising and drinking openly.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100726/lf_afp/malaysiareligioncaningislamtourism;_ylt=Ar2yjkp4A8KeXe7UjW0HSmE7Xs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNhYzJxN3VvBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDEwMDcyNi9tYWxheXNpYXJlbGlnaW9uY2FuaW5naXNsYW10b3VyaXNtBHBvcwMyMARzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNtYWxheXNpYW5tdXM-

by Beh Lih Yi – Mon Jul 26, 2:52 am ET

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Dusk has fallen and the party is just beginning for 29-year-old Asyikin, one of the many young Malay Muslims who hang out in Kuala Lumpur's vibrant Bukit Bintang nightlife district.

A morality crackdown has seen Malaysian Islamic authorities hand out caning and jail sentences for illicit drinking and sex, and launch raids on homes and clubs in the glare of media flashlights.

But for Asyikin, a petite and attractive business executive dressed in a knee-length skirt and strappy high heels, the campaign hasn't dampened her party mood.

"I couldn't care less, I'm partying. Religion to me is a personal thing," she says as she sips a glass of whisky and greets other regulars at the bars and restaurants that line the narrow streets.

Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population, are forbidden to have sex out of wedlock or drink alcohol under the Sharia legal system which runs in parallel to the civil courts in Malaysia.

In an unprecedented case that grabbed world headlines last year, Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 33, was sentenced to six lashes of the cane for drinking beer.

Kartika's sentence was commuted to community service after an uproar from rights groups, but three other women were quietly caned under Islamic laws in February for having sex out of wedlock.

Despite the highly publicised cases, every weekend Kuala Lumpur's top clubs are packed with fashionably dressed youngsters including Muslim Malays -- many offspring of the nation's elite -- socialising and drinking openly.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100726/lf_afp/malaysiareligioncaningislamtourism;_ylt=Ar2yjkp4A8KeXe7UjW0HSmE7Xs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNhYzJxN3VvBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDEwMDcyNi9tYWxheXNpYXJlbGlnaW9uY2FuaW5naXNsYW10b3VyaXNtBHBvcwMyMARzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNtYWxheXNpYW5tdXM-

CAIR Condemns Vandalism of Md. Synagogue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR: Texas Mosque Targeted by Arson, Hate Graffiti, Slurs
Muslim civil rights group asks FBI to encourage police protection at U.S. mosques

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/28/10) -- The Texas office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX) reported today that local police and the FBI are investigating possibly bias-motivated incidents of arson, hate graffiti and racial slurs targeting a mosque in that state.

[NOTE: CAIR is also looking into a report of recent vandalism at a mosque under construction in Round Rock, Texas. A motive has not yet been established in that case.]

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CAIR-TX said a Sunday fire at the playground of Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in Arlington, Texas, followed an incident two days earlier in which obscene anti-Muslim graffiti was discovered in the mosque's parking lot. A third incident involved racial slurs being shouted at worshippers on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Arlington police told CAIR that arson investigators and the FBI are involved in the probe. Police patrols have been stepped up in the area surrounding the mosque.

CAIR-TX took part in a Tuesday meeting at the mosque in which the FBI and other fire and law enforcement officials discussed the investigation.

The Texas Penal Code allows for enhanced penalties if an offense is "committed because of bias or prejudice."

SEE: Penalty if Offense Committed Because of Bias or Prejudice

“We appreciated the prompt and professional actions of local and federal agencies in responding to these disturbing incidents,” said CAIR-Texas Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, who took part in Tuesday’s meeting at the mosque. "We ask the FBI to encourage police departments nationwide to step up protection at American mosques and Islamic centers."

SEE: New York City Police to Increase Mosque Patrols During Ramadan

He noted that a mosque in Jacksonville, Fla., was recently the target of a bomb attack and that mosques are facing opposition nationwide.

SEE: Fla. Mosque Attack Called Terrorism
CAIR: Islamic Group Denounces Planned Calif. Mosque Protest
CAIR: Tenn. Lt. Gov’s Remarks on Islam Raise Uproar
CAIR Video: Anti-Islam Bus Ads Go Up in SF Bay Area
Fox Opens Its Airwaves to Anti-Muslim Activist Geller

Carroll said CAIR is urging American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit."

SEE: Muslim Community Safety Kit

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties group. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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BREAKING: Muslim on No-Fly List Discusses Talks with FBI (Wash. Post)
...about 30 Muslim Americans have been restricted from leaving, returning to or traveling within the United States, according to a log kept by the Washington-basedCouncil on American-Islamic Relations.
CAIR-MI Director Tells African Leaders About U.S. Interfaith Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR: Calif. Tea Party to Use Dogs to Harass Muslim Worshippers
Muslim civil rights group calls on officials, interfaith leaders to support targeted mosque

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/27/10) -- The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today denounced a planned anti-mosque protest by California Tea Party supporters who are being told to bring dogs to harass Muslim worshippers during a Friday congregational prayer, or "Jummah."

CAIR-LA called on local officials and interfaith leaders to show support for the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley, the target of the July 30 protest by the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party group. The protest is in opposition to a proposal for a new mosque in the area.

SEE: Tea Party Anti-Islam Mosque Protest Planned for July 30

An e-mail alert announcing the anti-mosque protest sent to area newspapers by "a leader of a conservative coalition that has been active with Republican and Tea Party functions" stated: "An Islamic Mosque is planned to be built in Temecula. Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant [sic] on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law...Islam permits lying!...The Islam's [sic] treat women as second class people and they also hate dogs. Women are forbidden to sing and dogs are killed. We will not be submissive to Sharia Law. Tennessee was able to stop the Mosque so bring your Bibles, flags, signs, dogs and singing voice on Friday."

SEE: Temecula Mosque Proposal Targeted in Pending Protest

"Californians of all faiths should repudiate those who would target a house of worship using tactics specifically designed to cause offense," said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "National and state Tea Party leaders should explain why their movement has apparently deviated from its agenda on fiscal responsibility and limited government to the promotion of Islamophobia."

Ayloush noted that many Muslims believe the saliva of dogs invalidates the ritual ablution (wudu) performed before prayer. For this reason, it has become a cultural norm for individuals not to have dogs in their houses -- not because the dog is "hated." Islam's Prophet Muhammad allowed the use of dogs for protection and for hunting, and he related several traditions (hadith) in which individuals were rewarded by God for protecting animals, including dogs, and punished for mistreating them.

In response to the planned protest, the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley released a statement that read in part: "It has come to our attention that a group of people seek to disrupt our prayer session on Friday, July 30th. We are disheartened and saddened that a group of our neighbors seeks to disrespect and make our community feel unwelcomed."

SEE: Temecula-Based Islamic Center Responds to Planned Mosque Protest

Last week, CAIR called on Florida GOP U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio not to accept an invitation to take part in an August 21 Tea Party rally featuring an extremist anti-Islam keynote speaker who has stated that Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office, that an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy."

SEE: CAIR Asks Fla. U.S. Senate Hopeful Not to Attend Anti-Islam Rally

Earlier this month, CAIR offered support for an NAACP resolution asking the Tea Party movement to condemn racism within its ranks.

SEE: CAIR Backs NAACP Resolution on Tea Party Racism

Other Islamophobic incidents nationwide indicate a growing level of anti-Islam sentiment in American society and a trend toward seeking to restrict American Muslim civil rights.

SEE: Paranoid Politics: The Denial of Islamophobia
Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Takes Heat for Islam Jibe
Anti-Muslim Bigot and Fanatic Explains Islam to the FBI and the Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force
Video: Fla. Church to Hold Koran Burning
Muslims Attract Suspicion of US Police Over Public Prayer

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CAIR-MN: Electrolux Asked to Clarify Ramadan Accommodation
Muslim workers did not agree to proposed meal schedule change during month-long fast

(ST. PAUL, MN, 7/23/10) -- The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today called on Swedish appliance manufacturerElectrolux to clarify a statement claiming that it will now offer legally-mandated religious accommodation to Muslim employees at its St. Cloud, Minn., plant during the upcoming Ramadan fast.

Earlier this week, CAIR-MN requested accommodation because of a new policy that prohibits all food on the production floor, except for food required by those with medical conditions such as diabetes.

Since that policy was put in place, Muslim employees, their union representatives, and CAIR-MN have worked to seek an accommodation to allow the workers to bring a snack onto the production floor to break their fast at sunset during the month of Ramadan. The time to break the fast changes daily.

In a news release distributed today by Electrolux, the company claimed it had adjusted its meal schedule so that Muslim employees would be able to break their fast at sunset.

SEE: Appliance Maker Changes to Accommodate Muslim Workers

But Muslim employees who filed an EEOC complaint against the company over the food policy say they were not engaged in the process. They have not yet accepted, or even had a chance to review the company's proposal. The proposal has apparently been sent only to the union to review for compliance with the labor agreement.

It is unclear if the proposed schedule change would allow all employees to break their fast immediately after sunset each day in Ramadan. Additionally, according to the proposal, on most days, employees could only use the last 10 minutes of the new break time to end their fast and pray. This is because the time for sunset comes at the end of the break period.

"It is not possible for several hundred Muslim employees to break their fast, pray and eat their Ramadan meal in just a few minutes," said CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director Taneeza Islam.

The new proposal still does not allow food on the production floor, despite the fact that Electrolux already allows food in the production area for medical reasons. CAIR-MN says courts have ruled that if companies grant a medical accommodation, they must also offer similar religious accommodations.

CAIR-MN will meet with Muslim employees next week to discuss the proposal and to come to a decision on whether to accept or reject it.

Ramadan, which will begin on or about August 10, is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures frombreak of dawn to sunset. Muslims break the fast each day with food and drink immediately after sunset.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties group. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.