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north_malaysian
05-26-2008, 06:00 AM
Italy Rightists Raze Verona Mosque
By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent

Satellite?blobcolurldata&ampblobheaderimage2Fjpeg&ampblobkeyid&ampblobtableMungoBlobs&ampblobwhere1211269072921&ampssbinarytrue - "[The mosque destruction] reinforces Muslim fears of seeing the League in the ruling coalition," Ali Abu Shwaima.
ROME — Italy's far-right, anti-immigrant Northern League party has started its mission in the new government with bringing down a mosque in the northern city of Verona.

"[The mosque destruction] reinforces Muslim fears of seeing the League in the ruling coalition," Ali Abu Shwaima, the head of Milan-based Islamic Centre, told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, May 24.

Bulldozers brought down last week a building housing a Muslim prayer room in the city.

"I never felt at ease with this mosque," Elisonder Antonneli, the head of Verona city council, said.

"This place will be turned into a park and a car parking space and will be named after (Italian writer) Oriana Fallaci."

Fallaci, who died in 2006, was notorious for anti-Islam stances.

Following the 9/11 attacks, the far-right writer published a book entitled "Rage and Pride" in which she ridiculed the Noble Qur'an.

She has also authored another book "The Force of Reason" in which she warned that Europe was turning into "an Islamic province, an Islamic colony" and that "to believe that a good Islam and a bad Islam exist goes against all reason."

The Northern League has four ministers in Silovio Berlusconi's government, including the portfolio of the Interior.

The League grabbed 8 percent of the vote in last month's general elections, securing Berlusconi's right-wing coalition a comfortable majority in the parliament.

The party has nearly doubled its parliamentary strength from 4.5 percent two years ago.

The Northern League is widely accused of racism with many critics calling it the BNP of Italy, a reference to the British right-wing party.

Its election campaign played on issues such as immigration crime and economic and cultural fears from immigration.

Hard Time

Abu Shwaima, the Muslim leader, said Italian Muslims will face hard times under the far-right league.

"We believe the life of Italian Muslims will get more complicated," he said.
He said Muslims in the city of Verona used to find spiritual comfort at the razed mosque.

"The mosque destruction is sign of spiraling Islamophobia in many European countries," he said.

There are nearly 20,000 Muslims in Verona.

"I used to pray in the mosque for years," an Italian Muslim in Verona told IOL, requesting anonymity.

"But this Friday I went to the mosque for prayers but I could not as it was razed.

"We live in a state of anticipation and fear after the mosque was destroyed and we want Arab and Muslim governments to pile pressures on Italy to stop anti-immigrant and anti-Islam policies."

Abu Shwaima, the Muslim leader, has a similar message.

"We want to tell the Muslim world that mosques' construction in Italy is almost a mission impossible.

"Except for the Milan-based Islamic Center and the Rome mosque, there are no real mosques in Italy."

Last November, former Italian deputy Education Minister and League member Mariella Mazzetto angered Muslims after parading a pig on the site of a planned mosque in the northern city of Padua.

Two months earlier, League senator Roberto Calderoli called for a "Pig Day" protest against the mosque construction in the northern city of Bologna.

In 2006, protesters left a pig's head at a mosque building site in the central Italian city of Tuscany.

Italy has a Muslim population of some 1.2 million, including 20,000 reverts, according to unofficial estimates.


Source: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...ws%2FNWELayout
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snakelegs
05-26-2008, 06:21 AM
the future for muslims in europe does not look very promising.
Reply

north_malaysian
05-26-2008, 07:27 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by snakelegs
the future for muslims in europe does not look very promising.
Not really.

ANDORRA

In spite of negotiations for some years between the Muslim community and the Government, no mosque was built. Nevertheless, the country's 2,000 Muslims have "prayer spaces" and there appear to be no restrictions on the number of these places of worship scattered throughout the country.

The Islamic Cultural Center provided approximately 50 students with Arabic lessons. The Government and the Moroccan community had not yet agreed upon a system that would allow children to receive Arabic classes in school outside of the regular school day. The Government was willing to offer Arabic classes, but the Muslim community had not been able to find an imam to teach. The Ombudsman received no complaints from the Muslim community on this issue.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90161.htm

CZECH REPUBLIC

Islam was registered as an officially recognized religion in 2004, and leaders of the local Muslim community estimated that there are several thousand Muslims in the country. There is only one mosque, located in Brno, but prayer rooms are scattered throughout the country.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90171.htm

GREECE

The Government also pays the salaries and some expenses of the three official Muslim religious leaders (muftis and acting muftis) in Thrace, and provides a small monthly allowance to imams in Thrace.

The Orthodox Church, Judaism, and Islam are the only religious groups legally deemed to be "legal persons of public law."

The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne gives Muslims in Thrace the right to maintain social and charitable organizations called wakfs, allows muftis to render religious judicial services (under the Islamic law Shari'a) in the area of family law, and the right to Turkish-language education. Thrace has secular Turkish-language bilingual schools and two Qur'anic schools funded by the state. Special consideration is given to Muslim minority students from Thrace for admission to technical institutes and universities that set aside 0.5 percent of the total number of places for them annually.

The Government recognizes Shari'a (Muslim religious law) as the law regulating family and civic issues for Muslims who reside in Thrace. The first instance courts in Thrace routinely ratified decisions of the muftis who have judicial powers in civic and domestic matters.

In January 2007 the Government announced that it would hire 240 imams in Thrace and pay their salaries, establish a system to fill 0.5% of civil service jobs with Muslims, and write off tax liens on Muslim charitable foundations.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90178.htm

IRELAND

Also, in November 2006, the Prime Minister met with Muslim community leaders to celebrate the end of Ramadan, and the President attended an Eid al Fitr dinner at Dublin's prominent Sunni mosque. The Government's willingness to accept and engage the newer religious communities may contribute to a general sense of acceptance among immigrants. For example, in December 2006, a public opinion poll of Muslims living in the country reported that 77 percent said they felt accepted by society and 73 percent said they felt fully integrated into society. Also, by recognizing the importance of religion in the country, the population generally does not view the government as being in conflict or competition with religious institutions.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90181.htm

ITALY

Muslim women are free to wear the veil in public offices and schools

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90182.htm
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north_malaysian
05-26-2008, 07:40 AM
LIECHTENSTEIN

Since 2006 the Government has also contributed $20,000 (25,000 Swiss francs) per year to the Muslim community.

The Government grants the Muslim community a residency permit for one imam, plus one short-term residency permit for an additional imam during Ramadan.

At the end of February 2007, the Government approved a project to introduce Muslim religious education classes in public primary schools. The Government set several criteria, namely that instructors have received both pedagogical and topical training and that classes are to be held in German. The Government also insisted that the curriculum be reviewed by experts and that instruction be supervised by the Department of Education. The project was initially scheduled to run for one year and to be evaluated in the spring of 2008. It would be the first time that Muslim religious education classes are offered in primary schools. Previously Muslim parents could only send their children to a mosque for religious instruction.

Since 2004 the Government has maintained a working group for the better integration of members of the Muslim community into society, consisting of representatives of the Muslim community and Government officials who deal with Islam as part of their duties. The working group's objectives are to counter mutual prejudices and promote respect and tolerance on the basis of dialogue and mutual understanding. In a practice begun at the working group's suggestion, the Government continues to issue a short-term residency permit for one additional imam during Ramadan and beginning in 2006 initiated a regular annual contribution of $20,000 (25,000 Swiss francs) to the Muslim community. Discussions of the working group also led, in 2006, to the establishment of a subworking group preparing the Government project to introduce Muslim religious education in public primary schools.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90184.htm

LUXEMBOURG

The Muslim community submitted an application for financial support from the Government more than nine years ago, although it wasn't until late 2003 that the Muslim community named a national representative and single interlocutor which would allow discussions over their convention to proceed. This interlocutor heads the 11-member committee, the "Shuura" representing the Muslim community. During the reporting period, the Government drafted a convention which the cabinet approved and submitted to the Shuura, which began the preparation of statutes it intends to submit to the Government, detailing the procedural operations of the Muslim community including the selection of the mufti and of imams.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90186.htm

MACEDONIA

Orthodox Easter and Christmas and Ramazan Bajram (end of Ramadan) are observed as national holidays.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90187.htm

MALTA

There is one Muslim private school with approximately 120 students. Work continued on a projected 500-grave Muslim cemetery that began in 2005.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90188.htm
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north_malaysian
05-26-2008, 08:19 AM
PORTUGAL

The Lisbon municipal government provided matching funds for the July 2006 completion of the city's mosque.

Religious groups such as Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Evangelicals, and Adventists may now marry legally within their own religious communities without having to register in the Civil Registry. Previously, only Catholic marriages were automatically recognized as legal.

The European Commission on Racism and Intolerance issued its third report on the country in June 2006 and found little religious intolerance, Islamophobia, or anti-Semitism to report,

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90194.htm

SPAIN

In the 1992 cooperation accords with the FCIE and CIE, the Government agreed to recognize Jewish and Muslim holidays and to allow Friday afternoon off from work, with pay, to prepare for the Sabbath.

In 2004 the Government responded to these calls by approving legislation that mandated funding for teachers for courses in Catholic, Islamic, Evangelical/Christian, and Judaic studies in public schools when at least 10 students request them.

For the Muslim community, the Islamic Commission selects religion teachers.

For the 2006-07 academic year, the Government employed 33 teachers to teach courses on Islam to public school students. At the end of the school year in June 2007, the teachers were providing Islamic instruction in schools in Ceuta (11) Melilla (10), Andalucia (10), and Aragon (2).

In Catalonia, although the regional government has declared that it is willing to teach other religions such as Islam in schools, no classes had begun by the end of the reporting period. The Government wanted Muslim leaders to locate professors to give the classes. Approximately 1,250 families requested Muslim religious classes in Catalonia during the 2005-06 school year.

Muslim and Protestant leaders cited the work of the Government's Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistence as a clear step in the right direction for incorporating non-Catholic faiths.

The Islamic Commission also reported that female Muslim students who wore headscarves did not encounter problems with the uniform codes that private schools are allowed to implement. The Government consistently held that the right to education takes priority over the enforcement of clothing regulations.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90201.htm

SWEDEN

Individuals serving in the military are given the opportunity to fulfill religious requirements. The military offers food options complying with religious dietary requirements and allows time off for appropriate mourning periods. Some regiments have an imam attached to them to facilitate religious observance by Muslim soldiers.

In May 2006 the National School Authority ruled that a public school in the city of Umea had acted improperly in expelling a Muslim student for wearing a head scarf. The ruling enables Muslim students to wear head scarves in school.

In March 2006 the National Police Board incorporated in its diversity guidelines the right of police officers to wear religious headwear.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90202.htm

SWITZERLAND

On March 27, 2007, Justice Minister Blocher met with some 20 representatives of various Muslim organizations for an exchange of views on integration and security. Although the justice ministry regularly convenes communities and organizations to discuss matters under its purview, it was the first such meeting with Muslim organizations.

On September 1, 2006, the EKR released a set of recommendations to counter the observed societal discrimination against the Muslim minority. The Commission noted that Muslims at times face discrimination in various forms in their day-to-day lives, when requesting permits for community buildings or Muslim sections in public cemeteries, applying for citizenship, or in the labor market. In its recommendations, the EKR asked for a more active stance of the authorities against discrimination, a more flexible approach to Muslim community building projects, and religious education in public schools that reflects the religious diversity of today's classes.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90203.htm
Reply

Amadeus85
05-26-2008, 02:11 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by snakelegs
the future for muslims in europe does not look very promising.
Those who know the european political scene and the european societies also would agree with you. These xenophobic trends didnt start yesterday and they will be much higher with every year. Now in few european countries rule parties that couldnt be in power lets say ten years ago. Those far right populist parties that are now in goverments in Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Austria would be called as fascist and racist 10 years ago. But now the climate has changed.
In majority of european countries right wingers rule, the leftists are hard to find in state's goverments.
Its just bit sad that europeans punish immigrants and not those who are really responsible for creating this multicultural nonsense.
Reply

Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
05-26-2008, 02:23 PM
Ehh multiculturalism is nonsense? Hmm.
Reply

Amadeus85
05-26-2008, 02:37 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Jazzy
Ehh multiculturalism is nonsense? Hmm.
If you notice that this ideology was invented by the same ideological cirlces and groups that gave us also feminism, gay activism, radical ecology and radical secularism, do I have to say - "Yes"?
Reply

Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
05-26-2008, 02:39 PM
Well, it's not as bad as the others that you gave examples of. There's nothing horrible about coming into contact with different cultures, especially since a lot of them have something interesting about it.
Reply

sister herb
05-26-2008, 05:05 PM
I agree that even partly different kind of racism and extremism has increased last years in Europe (I am European), and what is more danger, in many times it is now called as political actions or "freedom of speech". You propably still remember those cartoons of Danish Jyllands-Posten or insulting film of Islam from Dutch... and most of people in Europe couldn´t saw anything insulting with those but just said that it is right to tell someones own opinion openly. Similar extremism of course is not only against for Muslims but many other minorities in other parts of Europe too.

And of course, everything what some islamic extremists are saying or doing... then people are thinking all muslims are just similar. :X
Reply

Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
05-26-2008, 08:22 PM
Sis, its better not to say "islamic" extremists cause there is nothing extreme about Islam. Islam was sent to us, perfected. It shall stay so, no matter what the Muslims themselves do.

:sl:
Reply

ACC
05-27-2008, 02:16 AM
Out of curiosity, is there a similiar list of muslim countries doing the same for Christians? I ask out of ignorance.

format_quote Originally Posted by north_malaysian
PORTUGAL

The Lisbon municipal government provided matching funds for the July 2006 completion of the city's mosque.

Religious groups such as Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Evangelicals, and Adventists may now marry legally within their own religious communities without having to register in the Civil Registry. Previously, only Catholic marriages were automatically recognized as legal.

The European Commission on Racism and Intolerance issued its third report on the country in June 2006 and found little religious intolerance, Islamophobia, or anti-Semitism to report,

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90194.htm

SPAIN

In the 1992 cooperation accords with the FCIE and CIE, the Government agreed to recognize Jewish and Muslim holidays and to allow Friday afternoon off from work, with pay, to prepare for the Sabbath.

In 2004 the Government responded to these calls by approving legislation that mandated funding for teachers for courses in Catholic, Islamic, Evangelical/Christian, and Judaic studies in public schools when at least 10 students request them.

For the Muslim community, the Islamic Commission selects religion teachers.

For the 2006-07 academic year, the Government employed 33 teachers to teach courses on Islam to public school students. At the end of the school year in June 2007, the teachers were providing Islamic instruction in schools in Ceuta (11) Melilla (10), Andalucia (10), and Aragon (2).

In Catalonia, although the regional government has declared that it is willing to teach other religions such as Islam in schools, no classes had begun by the end of the reporting period. The Government wanted Muslim leaders to locate professors to give the classes. Approximately 1,250 families requested Muslim religious classes in Catalonia during the 2005-06 school year.

Muslim and Protestant leaders cited the work of the Government's Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistence as a clear step in the right direction for incorporating non-Catholic faiths.

The Islamic Commission also reported that female Muslim students who wore headscarves did not encounter problems with the uniform codes that private schools are allowed to implement. The Government consistently held that the right to education takes priority over the enforcement of clothing regulations.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90201.htm

SWEDEN

Individuals serving in the military are given the opportunity to fulfill religious requirements. The military offers food options complying with religious dietary requirements and allows time off for appropriate mourning periods. Some regiments have an imam attached to them to facilitate religious observance by Muslim soldiers.

In May 2006 the National School Authority ruled that a public school in the city of Umea had acted improperly in expelling a Muslim student for wearing a head scarf. The ruling enables Muslim students to wear head scarves in school.

In March 2006 the National Police Board incorporated in its diversity guidelines the right of police officers to wear religious headwear.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90202.htm

SWITZERLAND

On March 27, 2007, Justice Minister Blocher met with some 20 representatives of various Muslim organizations for an exchange of views on integration and security. Although the justice ministry regularly convenes communities and organizations to discuss matters under its purview, it was the first such meeting with Muslim organizations.

On September 1, 2006, the EKR released a set of recommendations to counter the observed societal discrimination against the Muslim minority. The Commission noted that Muslims at times face discrimination in various forms in their day-to-day lives, when requesting permits for community buildings or Muslim sections in public cemeteries, applying for citizenship, or in the labor market. In its recommendations, the EKR asked for a more active stance of the authorities against discrimination, a more flexible approach to Muslim community building projects, and religious education in public schools that reflects the religious diversity of today's classes.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90203.htm
Reply

north_malaysian
05-27-2008, 05:40 AM
BAHRAIN

There was 1 Jewish member and 1 Christian member of the 40-member upper house of Parliament, the Shura Council, whose members were appointed in December 2006 by the King, following elections for the lower house. The Christian member was chosen by her colleagues to be the second deputy speaker for the Shura Council and is also one of the country's four representatives to the Arab Parliament.

During the reporting period, members of the Awali Community Church visited Christian prison inmates approximately monthly, to provide clothing and Christian literature. Members of other churches also made periodic visits to Christian prison inmates.

Christian congregations that are registered with the Ministry of Social Development operated freely and were allowed to offer their facilities to other Christian congregations that did not have their places of worship.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90208.htm

KUWAIT

seven Christian churches--National Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Coptic Orthodox, Roman Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Armenian Orthodox--had at least some form of official recognition enabling them to operate openly. These seven churches had open files at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, allowing them to bring in religious workers and staff to operate their churches, as well as guest lecturers and other visitors.

Most Christians attended church on Fridays and did not cite the inability to go on Sunday as a religious concern. Some workers are able to arrange with their employers to have time on Sunday for worship. Private employers can decide whether to give their non-Muslim employees time off for their holidays.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90214.htm

QATAR

The Government has granted legal status to Catholic, Anglican, Greek and other Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and Indian Christian churches.

While evangelical congregations are not legally recognized because they individually lack the required membership, they worship freely and are provided physical security for their celebrations by the Ministry of Interior when required.

In May 2005 representatives of Christian churches in the country signed an agreement with the Government for a 50-year lease on land near Doha, where they intend to erect 6 churches. The leases will be nominal. Ground-breaking on the first church began in April 2006. It and three others are expected to be completed in 2008. A board composed of members of all the Christian churches was formed to liaise directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding church matters. Previous barriers stemming from religious and cultural sensitivities were eased, and church representatives can now approach any government agency directly to conduct their religious affairs.

The Fifth Conference of Inter-Faith Dialogue took place in Doha, May 7-9, 2007. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish representatives were invited. Invitations were extended to the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Coptic, and Orthodox Churches, as well as the Middle East Churches Council, the Vatican, and Jewish rabbis, among others. Rabbis from the United States and other countries participated. During the conference, the Government announced the establishment of the "Doha International Center for Inter-Faith Dialogue," which will be based in the country. The center will be financed by the Government but will function as an independent entity. Its purpose will be to follow up on conference resolutions, papers, and studies, and engage local and international research centers and universities.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90219.htm
Reply

north_malaysian
05-27-2008, 05:51 AM
OMAN

The Ministry recognizes the Protestant Church of Oman, the Catholic Diocese of Oman, the al Amana Center (interdenominational Christian), the Hindu Mahajan Association, and the Anwar al-Ghubaira Trading Company in Muscat (Sikh) as the official sponsors for non-Islamic religious communities.

Members of non-Islamic communities were free to maintain links with fellow adherents abroad and undertake foreign travel for religious purposes. The Government permitted clergy from abroad to enter the country, under the sponsorship of licensed religious organizations, for the purposes of teaching or leading worship.

During the reporting period, the MERA hosted several Christian and Muslim scholars and lecturers of various schools of thought to discuss interfaith relations and tolerance in Islamic traditions.

During the reporting period, the MERA met with visiting leaders of some non-Islamic faiths regarding the state of their communities in Oman and discussed the possibility of allowing groups to establish new places of worship in other metropolitan areas. The Ministry provided an additional 10,000 square meters of space to one of the Christian compounds in Muscat to facilitate its expansion, which could help ease space constraints that limit religious practice.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90218.htm

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

There are at least 31 Christian churches in the country built on land donated by the ruling families of the emirates in which they are located.

Four emirates are home to parochial Christian primary and secondary schools. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Emirate of Dubai donated land for Christian cemeteries,

Because an orthodox interpretation of Islam considers Christians to be "people of the book" (monotheists practicing an Abrahamic religion), facilities for Christian congregations are far greater in number and size than those for other non-Muslim communities, despite the fact that Christians are estimated to represent less than a quarter of the non-Muslim population.

On May 31, 2007, the Vatican and the country signed a joint communiqué to establish diplomatic relations.

On April 25-29, 2007, the Egyptian Coptic Pope Shnoudeh III attended the inauguration ceremony of a new Coptic church building in Abu Dhabi. At the ceremony, the Minister of Higher Education, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, stated that the new building is an expression of the country's openness and tolerance for religions. Pope Shnoudeh lauded the country's encouragement of interfaith dialogue. On the same occasion, the Egyptian Ambassador expressed gratitude for the country's care for the Egyptian Copts. The Pope also met with President Sheikh Khalifa and religious officials, and presented a speech praising the country's religious tolerance policy and its role in enhancing co-existence between different religions.

On April 12 and 13, 2007, the Evangelical Church of Abu Dhabi held its annual retreat at the Abu Dhabi Ladies Club, a nonprofit organization headed by Sheikha Fatima, widow of the late President Sheikh Zayed.

On April 7, 2007, the Coptic church and the Evangelical Church of Abu Dhabi held their Easter celebration service. Church officials expressed their gratitude to the country's leaders for allowing tolerance and respect for other religions. On the same day tens of thousands of Christians attended the Easter Mass in the Holy Trinity Church compound in Dubai.

On February 27, 2007, during his visit to the country, the former Archbishop of Washington hailed the country's religious tolerance and the President's entrenchment of this policy.

On February 8, 2007, the Latin Archbishop of Jerusalem, Jordan, and Cyprus, praised the country's leadership in spreading justice and tolerance values, and in enhancing peace and dialogue among nations.

On January 23, 2007, the Roman Catholic Bishop spoke about religious tolerance at the symposium "Khalifa and the Culture of Tolerance." The Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Religious Advisor Ali Al-Heshimi spoke about tolerance as a second nature of the country's people and about the efforts of the country's leadership to promote peace and the spirit of dialogue among different religions.

On January 6, 2007, the Religious Advisor and other religious officials attended the Christmas celebrations of the Orthodox Coptic church. The Coptic pastor thanked the country's leadership for its religious tolerance.

In December 2006 the Deputy Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah donated a parcel of land for several Christian denominations, including a new Catholic church.
On November 26, 2006, the Ruler of Sharjah received the Anglican Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf.

The Anglican pastor in Abu Dhabi regularly attended open majlis with the Minister of Higher Education, Sheikh Nahyan, to confirm friendship and solidarity between the two faiths.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90223.htm
Reply

north_malaysian
05-27-2008, 05:59 AM
INDONESIA

The Ministry of Religious Affairs extends official status to six faiths: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and, as of January 2006, Confucianism.

National Christian holy days include Christmas, Good Friday, and the Ascension of Christ.

Maluku remained calm and leaders of both the Muslim and Christian communities and the Maluku provincial government demonstrated their strong commitment to ease religious tension and rebuild. Numerous construction projects to replace damaged churches, mosques, and homes began during the reporting period. The Maluku Department of Social Affairs sponsored a program in September 2006 called "Friendship Bridge," attended by 250 people from all over Maluku who had previously been involved in the religious conflict. Muslims and Christians spent a day together in Letuwaru, a Christian village, and then the next day in Amahai, a Muslim village. Maluku local leaders and representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities joined together in November 2006 in Ambon to discuss ways to further improve the reconciliation process.

During the reporting period, local Muslim and Christian leaders quickly denounced continued attempts to destabilize Maluku. The Chairman of the Maluku Ulama Council and Head of the Maluku Synod condemned two incidents that took place in March 2007.: On March 3, a low-grade homemade explosive was detonated at the gate of the Ambon port injuring 16 people, and on March 5, police defused a similar device at the Ambon Plaza shopping mall. Police have interviewed at least five people in connection with the attacks, but the perpetrators and their motive remains unclear. There have been no arrests. Religious leaders demonstrated strong interfaith cooperation and desire to maintain peace in the region through their rapid and unified denunciation of the incidents.

Local police in Central Sulawesi continued to protect local churches and prayer houses during religious services.

On October 29, 2006, Vice President Jusuf Kalla held a meeting with 30 Christian and Muslim leaders in Palu, Central Sulawesi. The vice president asked both religious communities to forgive each other and assured residents that security personnel deployed in Poso would be able to resolve the conflict.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90137.htm

MALAYSIA

Several holy days are recognized as official holidays, including Hari Raya Puasa (Muslim), Hari Raya Qurban (Muslim), the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Muslim), Wesak Day (Buddhist), Deepavali (Hindu), Christmas (Christian), and, in East Malaysia, Good Friday (Christian).

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90143.htm

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

There are 109 mosques and prayer halls, 7 Christian churches, 3 Chinese temples, and 2 Hindu temples officially registered in the country.

Source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90130.htm
Reply

sister herb
05-27-2008, 06:06 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Jazzy
Sis, its better not to say "islamic" extremists cause there is nothing extreme about Islam. Islam was sent to us, perfected. It shall stay so, no matter what the Muslims themselves do.

:sl:
Thanks about your opinion. I just described how people in Europe usually see those they think to be "islamic" extremists - and then they generalize they opinions to every muslims and then this is the fuel what those rightists use for getting more support they racist opinions. Sorry if I explained my idea unclearly. My bad English...

:-[
Reply

north_malaysian
05-27-2008, 06:06 AM
SAUDI ARABIA

Riyadh Considers First Church

IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

Satellite?blobcolurldata&ampblobheaderimage2Fjpeg&ampblobkeyid&ampblobtableMungoBlobs&ampblobwhere1205819177587&ampssbinarytrue - The talks started following a landmark visit by Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdel Aziz to the Vatican last November. (Reuters)
CAIRO — The Vatican and Saudi Arabia are in talks to open the first ever Church in the kingdom, the Guardian reported on Tuesday, March 18.

"Discussions are under way to allow the construction of churches in the kingdom. We cannot forecast the outcome," said Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hashem, the papal envoy to the Gulf.

Hashem said he highlighted during his talks with Saudi officials the dire need of foreign Christians working in kingdom to have places of worship like their peers in other Gulf countries.

Spirit of Tolerance in Islam Religious Freedom in the Eyes of Shari`ah
"There are around three or four million (expatriate) Christians in Saudi Arabia, and we hope they will have churches."

The talks started following a landmark visit by Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdel Aziz to the Vatican last November, who became the first Saudi monarch to visit the Holy See.

Non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia worship in their private venues like homes.
They are not allowed to worship in public places or display outward religious symbols like crucifixes or Sikh turbans.

If approved, Saudi Arabia will become the latest of Gulf states to open a church.

Last Friday, Qatar inaugurated the first church on its soil, joining several Gulf countries, which allocate pieces of land for their Christian minorities to establish churches like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Change
Vatican officials say the church talks signal a change in the Saudi attitude and a desire to establish formal ties with the Vatican.

"If we manage to obtain authorization for the construction of the first church, it will be an outcome of historic dimensions," said Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.

Father Hashem added that he sensed from his talks with Saudi officials that Riyadh wanted to establish formal and diplomatic ties with the Holy See.

He said if he secured the Saudi go-ahead to build the first church in Saudi Arabia, this would be an important sign of "reciprocity" between Muslims and Christians.

Relations between the Muslim world and the Vatican have showed some signs of rapprochement recently.

Bilateral ties nosedived in 2006 after Pope Benedict XVI delivered a lecture in Regensburg, Germany, on faith and reason in which he equated Islam with violence. He expressed his deep regret that his speech was misunderstood, but stopped short of offering a clear-cut apology demanded by senior Muslim scholars.

The Vatican and Muslim leaders agreed on March 5 to establish a Catholic-Muslim forum that would meet regularly to bridge their gap.

Pope Benedict will address the first meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Rome in November.


Source: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...News/NWELayout
Reply

Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
05-27-2008, 03:25 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by sister harb
Thanks about your opinion. I just described how people in Europe usually see those they think to be "islamic" extremists - and then they generalize they opinions to every muslims and then this is the fuel what those rightists use for getting more support they racist opinions. Sorry if I explained my idea unclearly. My bad English...

:-[
Ehh no sis, sorry if it offended u :X Just want to make it clear for the non Muslims here that it inappropriate to say such lol.
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Fishman
05-27-2008, 03:38 PM
:sl:
The government should raze their city hall and name it after karen Armstrong...
:w:
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