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Two-day display on Islam turns mosque in England into museum

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More than 700 people visited recently the Jamia Masjid and Islamic Centre in Stoke Poges Lane, Slough, England to watch an exhibition about Islam and Muslims.

The extensive exhibition explained not only the Muslim faith and the life of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) but also detailed Islam’s historical connections with the UK and Ireland as well as its contributions to the world of science.

The exhibition transformed the mosque into a thriving museum, open to everyone. It was created by Slough-based company Exhibition Islam, which has delivered similar exhibitions all over the world but never before in Slough, England.

Project Manager Umar Ansari said: “The purpose is to educate people about Islam and the history of Muslims in Britain. Education is really the only way to counter the negative stories we hear about Muslims and some of the stereotypes and misunderstandings about our religion.”

The exhibition begins with a timeline, showing Muslims were first recognized in Britain in the eighth century when King Offa of Mercia minted a gold coin inscribed, ‘There is no God but Allah alone’.

Umar said, “This coin was made as a way of welcoming Muslims into England as trading partners.

“It’s interesting because it’s a world away from the black and white photographs you see of Muslims coming to Britain in the 60s and 70s.

“That’s when most people think Muslims first came to Britain but this shows that Muslims and Britain have a very rich, shared history.”

Children from surrounding primary schools also visited the exhibition and were given talks about the items on display.

Al-Nusra Front Leader Killed by Syrian Army in Aleppo + Pics

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The Syrian army killed the leader of the Al-Nusra Front terrorist group in the Aleppo countryside on Saturday.

The Egypt-born Abu Suleiman al-Masri, a senior al-Nusra Front leader, was killed during a fight near the Tal-al-Karsani in Aleppo countryside.

The Nusra Front is a terrorist group Islamist armed group fighting the Syrian government.

This week the Russian Defense Ministry said Daesh (ISIL) was in talks with other terrorist groups operating in Syria about joining forces against the Syrian Army.

“Intercepted radio communications suggest that commanders of several large units of the Al-Nusra terrorist group have begun talks with leaders of the Daesh terrorist organization about joining forces to contain the Syrian army offensive,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Execution of Sheikh Nimr Hinges on King Salman’s Order

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A Saudi Arabian appeals court has upheld the death sentence of the prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, referring his case to King Salman’s office, the cleric’s brother announced.

Mohamed al-Nimr said the death sentence handed to his brother, who has been in detention for nearly three years on political charges, has been referred to King Salman’s office for a final decision.

He strongly warned the Saudi regime against any hasty decision, saying that if King Salman signs the verdict, it will have serious consequences.

Mohamed al-Nimr expressed the hope that the Saudi King would avoid approving the death penalty to prevent the outbreak of unrest in the oil-rich kingdom.

Saudi criminal court had earlier referred Sheikh Nimr’s case to an appeals court, where the sentence was upheld in early March.

Sheikh Nimr was detained in July 2012 following demonstrations that erupted in Qatif region, Saudi Arabia. He is accused of delivering anti-regime speeches and defending political prisoners.

His arrest has sparked widespread protests in the Arab country, leaving several people dead.

Last October, Sheikh Nimr’s family reported that a Saudi judge has found him guilty of “sedition” and sentenced him to death.

Activists say there are over 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

International human rights organizations have criticized Saudi Arabia for failing to address the rights situation in the kingdom. They say Saudi Arabia has persistently implemented repressive policies that stifle freedom of expression, association and assembly.

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Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not in Turkey

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Head of the terrorist group of ISIL Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not in Turkey, Turkish Ambassador to Iran Reza Hakan Tekin said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, he noted that if ISIL leader or or any of its affiliates or elements enter the Turkish territory, they will be arrested immediately.

Tekin refused media reports about hospitalization of al-Baghdadi in Turkey, adding that these reports are biased.
Turkey is victim of terrorism and has declared the ISIL as a terrorist group, he added.

Some media have reported that ISIL Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been transferred to Turkey for treatment through a series of coordination measures by the CIA after the notorious terrorist leader was severely injured in the Iraqi army’s airstrike on his convoy in Western Anbar province.

A military statement by the Iraqi Army announced on October 11 that the Iraqi air force had bombed the convoy of al-Baghdadi while he was heading to Al-Karable to attend a meeting with ISIL commanders.

Al-Karable is the Sub-district in the West of the Al Anbar province of Iraq, beside the Syrian border in an area of high ground.

Several ISIL commanders were killed in the June airstrike, including Abu Hareth Al-Shami, Abu Aeshe al-Ansari – an explosives expert – Moroccan national Abu Yousef Al-Jezrawi, Abu Hussein Al-Salmani who was in charge of issues concerning ISIL’s Zakah (an Islamic tax system), and Wa’d al-Latif Jom’eh al-Mohammadi who was in charge of ISIL’s suicide operation agents.

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Palestinian Translates Holy Quran into Hebrew to Introduce Islam among Jewish

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A Palestinian teacher translated the Holy Quran into the Hebrew language in a bid to introduce Islam to the Jewish community worldwide, specially in the occupied lands, after recent studies showed a fast growing interest among Jews to know Islam.

Sobhi Adavi, a resident of 1948 Occupied Territories, translated the Holy Quran in 1,000 days.

Adavi said that he has tried to represent a different translation of the Holy Quran into Hebrew.

Adavi has taught Hebrew for 40 years in the occupied territories.

The Holy Quran is translated into Hebrew as Israel’s Haaretz newspaper has reported that the Jews of the occupied territories are more inclined towards Islam despite Israel’s suppressions of Palestinians.

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Iraqi groups demand Russian airstrikes against terrorists

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Iraq’s ruling coalition and volunteer forces fighting Takfiri Daesh terrorists have called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to request Russia to launch airstrikes on the terrorists’ positions in the Arab country.

Members of the ruling National Iraqi Alliance in the parliament told Reuters on Wednesday that an official request for Russian air raids had been relayed to Abadi in a last week meeting, and that he has not officially responded.

“Abadi told the meeting parties that it wasn’t the right time to include the Russians in the fight because that would only complicate the situation with the Americans,” said a senior politician close to the premier, Reuters reported, without mentioning the politician’s name.
Abadi’s spokesman, Saad al-Hadithi, said the prime minister has not discussed airstrikes with the Kremlin, adding, however, that he was “not ruling out any side that could provide support to Iraq.”

Also on Wednesday, Muen al-Kadhimi, a senior figure of the Badr Brigade militia, fighting Daesh terrorists, said Russia has been more decisive in its air campaign against Daesh in Syria – which began late in September – than the Americans coalition purportedly targeting Daesh positions in Syria and Iraq.

“I am positive that the government will respond to pressures, especially after the official mandate of the National Alliance for Prime Minister Abadi to request Russia’s participation,” Kadhimi said.

To counter terrorist groups, Russia, Iran, Syria and Iraq have recently formed a Baghdad-based intelligence-sharing center.

The Iraqi groups’ request for Russian airstrikes against Daesh comes despite remarks by General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said on Tuesday that Washington had won assurances from Iraq that it would not seek such strikes.

“Both the [Iraqi] minister of defense (Khalid al-Obeidi) and the prime minister said: ‘Absolutely.’ There is no request right now for the Russians to support them… and the Russians haven’t asked them to come in and conduct operations,” Dunford said during a trip to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Moscow launched its airstrikes against Takfiri terrorists in Syria upon a request by Damascus on September 30, shortly after the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin the mandate to use the air force in the Arab country.

Since September 2014, the US and some of its allies have been conducting airstrikes against purported Daesh extremists inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate. The airstrikes in Syria are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against alleged Daesh positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014. Many have criticized the ineffectiveness of the coalition raids.

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Vatican denies Italian report Pope Francis has brain tumor

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The Vatican on Wednesday denied an Italian media report that Pope Francis has a benign brain tumor.

“The pope is carrying out his activity with his usual high level of intensity. Spreading unfounded news is gravely irresponsible and is not worthy of attention,” spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said in a statement.

The newspaper Quotidiano Nazionale, a national paper based in central Italy, reported on its front page on Wednesday that the 78-year-old pope had secretly flown by helicopter to a small Tuscan town “some time ago” to see a Japanese doctor.

The paper reported that the Argentine pontiff was diagnosed with “a small dark spot on the brain” but that it was curable.

The pope has appeared to be in good health in recent months apart from some leg pain due to the fact that he suffers from sciatica, for which he undergoes regular physical therapy in the Vatican.

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Pakistan Muharram activities: Use of loudspeakers permitted at sabeels

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KARACHI, Pakistan – Ahlul Bayt News Agency –  With the start of Muharram, sabeels across the city of Karachi started to spring up, offering milk, juice and cold water to participants of processions, which is also accompanied by elegies played on loudspeakers.

Earlier in the month, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah imposed a ban on the use of loud speakers, which later was lifted due to protests by ulemas.

The CM said that the ban on the use of loudspeakers has been imposed under the National Action Plan. “[But] in your case, I am allowing you to use loudspeakers,” said Shah. “But its use must be made sagaciously, particularly in the light of the code of conduct. Strict action will be taken if hate speeches are delivered anywhere in the province.”

Young men set up sabeels by collecting donations from their neighbourhoods and nearby shops. A resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Noman Grand City apartment, Syed Shakir Ali said that he has been setting up sabeel for the last 16 years, with his Shia and Sunni friends. “This is the centre of all sabeels in the area,” he explained, Pak Express reported.“The rest of the sabeels will be there till Muharram 10 but our sabeel will be there until Muharram 12,” he said. “It’s just elegies [being played] over the speakers,” he said, adding that there was no traffic congestion due to sabeel, rather, they play their role in clearing the traffic in front of their sabeel.

Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said that action against the unnecessary use of loudspeakers will be taken. However, he said that the use of loudspeakers in traditional sabeels, which were set up every year, was allowed. “It’s just a matter of 10 days,” he said.

Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s assistant commissioner Shoukat Ali Ujjan said that most of the sabeels in the area were set up with permission but he did not rule out the possibility of sabeels being setup illegally. He said that there was a separate judicial magistrate for the violation of the use of the loudspeakers.

‘Fire-brand’ speakers banned

The home department has, under Section 144 (6) of the Criminal Procedure Code, prohibited the entry and further stay of fire-brand sectarian speakers hailing from other provinces in the territorial limits of Sindh. The order shall remain in force from October 15 to November 1, 2015.

It has also imposed a ban on playing or possessing audio or video containing provocative speeches and wall chalking inciting sectarian hatred during Muharram across Sindh, with immediate effect.

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