Several swastikas scrawled on the facade of the Stockholm mosque were covered by flowers on Monday, leading the Islamic Association’s chairman to hope “the quiet majority” is finally speaking up.

Last Thursday morning, members of the Stockholm Muslim congregation arrived at the mosque on Södermalm to find the doors were covered in Nazi graffiti. By Monday morning, however, a much more positive display had taken their place: bouquets of pink and white flowers were taped over the black swastikas, and a note of solidarity was tied to the door.

“For every hate crime there is a flower,” the sign read. “An attack on you is an attack on Sweden! We stand together!”

Flowers were also placed outside the mosque in Fittja, which had its windows smashed and pig feet tossed in back in November, as well as a Hagsätra church which had also been vandalized with swastikas last Friday.

The mosque in central Stockholm, which opened its doors in 2000, is no stranger to vandalism, receiving threats and falling prey to hate crimes each month. But Wednesday’s attack was unusual in its magnitude and directness.

“We know that a majority of people in Sweden are against hate and racism. But the majority is also very quiet. What was surprising this time was that the majority actually acted, in solidarity, support, and love,” Mustafa said.

In 2013, around 300 hate crimes against Muslims were reported in Sweden, and such incidents are on the rise according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet). Innumerable crimes also go unreported due to fears that media exposure will increase hate crimes. And Mustafa fears things may get worse before they get better, especially with Swedish elections coming up this fall.   »»» Flowers cover swastikas after mosque attack – The Local

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An important issue in the Muslim world is how women should dress in public. A recent survey from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research conducted in seven Muslim-majority countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey), finds that most people prefer that a woman completely cover her hair, but not necessarily her face. Only in Turkey and Lebanon do more than one-in-four think it is appropriate for a woman to not cover her head at all in public.

In several countries, substantial minorities say it is acceptable for a woman to not cover her hair in public. Roughly a third (32%) of Turks take this view, as do 15% of Tunisians. Nearly half (49%) in Lebanon also agree that it is acceptable for a woman to appear in public without a head covering, although this may partly reflect the fact that the sample in Lebanon was 27% Christian. Demographic information, including results by gender, were not included in the public release of this survey.

Even as publics in many of the surveyed countries express a clear preference for women to dress conservatively, many also say women should be able to decide for themselves what to wear. This attitude is most prevalent in Tunisia (56%), Turkey (52%) and Lebanon (49%) – all countries where substantial percentages are open to women not covering their heads in public. But nearly as many in Saudi Arabia (47%) also say a women should be free to choose how she dresses. Smaller, but sizable percentages agree in Iraq (27%), Pakistan (22%) and Egypt (14%).   »»» tabsir.net » Veiling Styles

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The Canadian city of Toronto is due to host one of the largest conventions of Muslim speakers on Friday, thinkers and theologians in the world.

The Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) convention is expected to attract around 20,000 Muslims from North America and around the world, where lectures will be delivered in English.

Canada’s 1 million strong Muslim community makes up about 3.2% of the overall population and is the fastest growing religion in Canada, having doubled its number of adherents between 2001 and 2011.   »»» World Bulletin

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On International Human Rights Day, December 10th 2013, the Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) have released a major new report into the growing problem of online hate targeting the Muslim community. The report is entitled ‘Islamophobia on the Internet: The growth of online hate targeting Muslims’.

The report examines anti-Muslim hate on Facebook and was produced by the Online Hate Prevention Institute, Australia’s only charity entirely dedicated to the growing problem of online hate. The report follows previous major works by OHPI examining online hate against Indigenous Australians, the Jewish Community, and the ANZACs and Military Veterans.

This major work examines 50 anti-Muslim Facebook pages. From these 50 pages the report documents 349 images of anti-Muslim hate. These images represent 191 unique images and many repetitions as messages of hate move between the different pages. The message of hate in this report are divided into seven themes which the report discusses.   »»» tabsir.net

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International airports in Japan are striving to become friendlier to Muslims amid a steep increase in visitors from the Islamic world following the Japanese government’s relaxation of regulations for issuing visas.

An increase in private prayer rooms for Muslims, who pray five times a day, and availability of meals in compliance with Islamic rules are among efforts taken by airports.

Airport officials stress that they will show the heart of Japanese hospitality at the thresholds into Japan as Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

On Dec. 1, Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture put up a new sign saying “Prayer Room” for Muslims in front of private rooms in its first and second terminals. Each room is covered with a carpet and a direction panel on the ceiling so that Muslims can readily fall to their knees and pray in the direction of their holy place Mecca.

The rooms, called Silence Rooms, could be used for prayer in the past but had no Prayer Room sign.    »»» Sailan Muslim (Sri Lanka)

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Behold! The angels said:
“O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee
And purified thee – chosen thee
Above the women of all nations.

“O Mary! Worship
Thy Lord devoutly:
Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer)
With those who bow down.”

Behold! the angels said:
“O Mary! Allah giveth thee
Glad tidings of a Word
From Him: his name
Will be Christ Jesus.
The son of Mary, held in honor
In this world and the Hereafter
And of (the company of) those
Nearest to Allah.

“He shall speak to the people
In childhood and in maturity.
And he shall be (of the company)
Of the righteous.”

She said: “O my Lord!
How shall I have a son
When no man hath touched me?”
He said: “Even so:
Allah createth
What He willeth:
When He hath decreed
A Plan He has only to say, ‘Be’, and it is!

“And Allah will teach him
The Book and Wisdom,
The Law and the Gospel,

Jesus said, “(I have come to you),
To attest the Law
Which was before me.
And to make lawful
To you part of what was
(Before) forbidden to you;
I have come to you
With a Sign from your Lord.
So fear Allah and obey me.

“It is Allah
Who is my Lord
And your Lord;
Then worship Him.
This is a way
That is straight.”
(Qur’an 3: 42-51)

******************************************************

Relate in the Book
(the story of) Mary.
We sent to her
Our angel, and he appeared
Before her as a man
In all respects.

She said: “I seek refuge
From thee to (Allah)
Most Gracious: (come not near)
If thou dost fear Allah.”

He said: “Nay, I am only
A messenger from thy Lord,
(To announce) to thee
The gift of a holy son.”

She said: “How shall I
Have a son, seeing that
No man has touched me,
And I am not unchaste?”

He said: “So (it will be):
Thy Lord saith, `That is
Easy for Me: and (We
Wish) to appoint him
As a Sign unto men
And a Mercy from Us’:
It is a matter
decreed.”

(After the child was born)
They said: “How can we
Talk to one who is
A child in the cradle?”

He said: “I am indeed
A servant of Allah:
He hath given me
Revelation and made me
A prophet;

“And He hath made me
Blessed wheresoever I be,
And hath enjoined on me
Prayer and Charity as long
As I live:
“(He) hath made me kind
To my mother, and not
Overbearing or miserable;

“So Peace is on me
The day I was born,
The day that I die,
And the Day that I
Shall be raised up
To life (again)”!

This (was) Jesus the son Of Mary.
(Qur’an 19: 16-34)   »»»  Welcome-Back.org

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As to Islam, the last member of the Abrahamic religions, a hierarchical angelic order in additional to other celestial beings is developed as deputies of Allah.

Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and he is of those nearest to Allah” (Quran, 3:45).

Angelology in Islam is an integral part of the Islamic credo; in fact the Islamic story of “Genesis” begins with angels (mala’ik in Arabic). Angels ask Allah why He wants to create man (Adam), a creature made from dust whereas angels are made up of light? Allah responds: I know something you do not know. Angels remind God that “they do not disobey Allah’s commands that they receive” (Quran, 66:6) while man will corrupt the earth and disobey you. Allah reveals that he wants to give a special gift to man, presumed to be free will, that is so noble no one can bear the responsibility but man.

Many of the angels in Islam are the same as those in Judaism and Christianity. First, there are the four archangels: Gabrield (Jibra’il), the angel of revelation; Raphael (Israfil) who will blow the trumpet twice in the day of judgment for all the dead to rise and be judged; Michael (Mikha’il) the archangel of mercy, and finally Azrael, the angel of death responsible for parting the soul from the body. While it is not clear what form or shape these angels have, and depicting them is forbidden in Islam, the Quran refers to them as having “two, three or four wings” (Quran, 35:1)

Next are the ordinary angels whose numbers are numerous. The legend has it that every day 70,000 angels visit the Kabah, a large cubic shape structure in the center of Mecca also known as “the house of God” and the place of pilgrimage for Muslims. All angels in Islam are good and perform a variety of tasks, even those such as Malik who is the warden of hell and has 19 deputies who guard Jahannam (hell) or Ridwan who is in charge of heaven.

Some are in charge of sustaining Allah’s throne (Quran, 40:7) while others such as Nakir and Munkir appear in the first night and question the dead about their faith in their Lord. Among other notable angels who are mentioned in the Quran are Kiraman Katibin (Venerable Scribes) who sit on your two shoulders and register all your good and bad deeds to be reported to God on the day of judgment.   »»» Macon.com

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Da’wah or inviting people to Islam is an important duty of the Muslim community. This is especially so since no Messenger of Allah will appear after our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). In fact, the Qur’an makes numerous references to spreading the message of Islam through beautiful preaching. Our Prophet (PBUH) also cast upon his followers the duty of conveying Islam to others such as seen in his Final Sermon. Thus Muslims have a duty to convey the universal message of Islam to the rest of humanity.

The early Muslims went far and wide spreading the message of Islam so that within a hundred years Islam came to dominate a good part of the world from Spain in the West to China in the East. Today, however, it has not been as easy to promote Islam due to adverse media publicity and political pressures, so that we Muslims have to think of other means of conveying the message of peace and truth of Islam.

One such is “Awareness Through Mosque Tours” or ATMT, a unique concept of passive da’wah conceived by Syed Raziuddin Ali, a Director of the Bahrain-based Discover Islam organization in the late 1980s. The program which commenced at Al-Fateh Mosque in the Kingdom of Bahrain and was later introduced to other historic mosques in many parts of the Islamic world, including the Blue Mosque in Turkey has proven to be a success story.

There is a mistaken belief among many Muslims today that Non-Muslims cannot be allowed into mosques. In contrast, there are many instances in the lifetime of our Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) where those of other faiths were admitted into the Prophet’s Mosque, Masjid-ul-Nabawi in Medina. For instance, a delegation of Christians from Najran was housed in this mosque by the Prophet and were even allowed to practice their devotions in this sacred spot.   »»» Sailan Muslim (Sri Lanka)

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One of the imams at London’s Goodge Street Mosque, Ajmal Masroor, has said he did not know of any Muslim who would support the actions of the killers of British soldier Lee Rigby.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were found guilty of the murder of Fusilier Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London in May.

Adebolajo had claimed he was a “soldier of Allah” and the killing was an act of war.

Speaking at the mosque in London, Ajmal Masroor said all Muslims condemned the murder of Lee Rigby as ”inhumane and unacceptable”.   »»» BBC News

Only misinformed, misguided or deviant Muslims would condone the gratuitous killing of an innocent person walking in the streets of his own city.

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Jesus is not a barrier between the two faiths that influence the views and values of more than 40 percent of the world’s population; he is actually the bridge.

How Muslims and Christians think about one another is one of the most significant issues of our time. Uncovering our shared values and love for Jesus this season may create a needed link.

Together Islam and Christianity influence the views and values of more than 40 percent of the world’s population. Jesus is not a barrier between the two faiths; he is actually the bridge.

Ask any Muslim if he or she loves Jesus and the answer will be yes. The Quran mentions Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, his miraculous birth to the Virgin Mary, miracles and preaching God’s word.

Concepts and areas of belief shared by the two faiths include God, angels, revelation, prophets, Holy Books of God, the Day of Judgment, life hereafter and a divinely inspired moral code.

Recognizing and appreciating our similarities can help us honor and respect one another, which does not mean compromise.

Prophet Muhammad was so accommodating of Christians that he allowed a delegation of 60 Byzantine Christians to worship in his own mosque in Medina. Muslims are required to have good relations with Christians.

“ … and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ ” (Quran 5:82)   »»» The Seattle Times

The official Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church says:

“841. The Church’s relationship with the Muslims.
‘The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day’.”

Source:

That teaching was proclaimed during the Vatican II Council in the 1960s after the bishops present accepted it by a vote of 2,151 for and only 5 against. That’s as strong as the votes in early times that proclaimed the doctrines of Christ’s divinity and the Trinity.

That same Council also declared the following:

“The Church regards with respect the Muslims, who worship the One, Living, Subsistent, Merciful, Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth, who spoke to men. They strive to submit wholeheartedly to
God’s commandments…even as Abraham submitted himself to God, whose obedience is often recalled in the Islamic religion. Although they do not recognize Jesus as God, they do venerate him as a prophet and they
honour his virgin mother, Mary…. They await the Day of Judgment, when God will reward all those risen from the dead. They hold in high regard the moral life and worship God,particularly by prayer, charity and fasting.”

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