Myanmar’s government has called for calm after [mainly Buddhist] mobs burned down a Muslim orphanage, a mosque and shops during a new eruption of religious violence in the northeastern Shan state.

At least one person has died and four others were injured, state television said.

Authorities imposed a curfew late on Tuesday in Lashio, about 700km northeast of Yangon, after a mob of 200 local residents surrounded a local police station demanding they hand over a Muslim detainee.

Nay Win, 48, a Muslim from a nearby township, was arrested after allegedly setting fire to Aye Aye Win, 24, a Shan Buddhist, earlier in the day after the two had an altercation at a petrol station, Lashio police said.
The woman was admitted to hospital.

“According to witnesses, she was not burned seriously but has injuries on her face and arms,” Sai Sam Min, a member of parliament from Lashio, said.

Reporting from Yangon, a journalist said the situation in Lashio had already been brought under control by police.

He said he had received reports that some officials in Lashio, including the fire department, “did very little” to stop the Buddhist mob from attacking Muslim establishments.

Myanmar’s recent sectarian violence has been partly blamed on the 969 movement, launched in February by an extremist monk in Mandalay named Wirathu, who encourages Buddhists to shun Muslim-owned shops.

The incident in Shan state is the third outbreak of anti-Muslim violence to flare up in Myanmar this year.

On April 30, in Oakkan, about 100km north of Yangon, Buddhists went on a rampage after a Muslim woman allegedly bumped into a monk, breaking his begging bowl.

One Muslim man was killed, and a mosque and 77 houses were set on fire.

In March at least 44 people were killed in sectarian strife in in Meiktila, 450km north of Yangon, where at least 8,000 people, most of them Muslims, were left homeless in riots prompted by an apparent row at a Muslim-owned gold shop.

Deadly unrest last year, mainly targeted at Rohingya Muslims in the western Rakhine state, left about 200 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. »»»Al-Jazeera

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Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has condemned a decision by local officials in Rakhine state to enforce a “two-child policy” on Rohingya Muslims.

The ban has been in place since 1994, but officials recently began enforcing it in areas where they say the high birth rate is fuelling ethnic tension. The tensions led to violent clashes between Buddhist and Muslim communities in the western state last year.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims were displaced by the violence and live in temporary camps.

The 1994 ban, that prevents Rohingya Muslims having more than two children, was allowed to lapse in recent years.

On Saturday, authorities in Rakhine introduced the two-child policy in two townships, Maung Daw and Bu Thi Daung. It is not clear how it will be enforced.

The vast majority of Rohingya Muslims – about 800,000 people – live in the two townships. Most of those living in camps are elsewhere in Rakhine.

The Rohingyas are a stateless group of some 800,000 people who are not recognised as Burmese citizens.

The United Nations describes them as a religious and linguistic minority from western Burma, and one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

However, many Burmese officials refer to them as Bengalis – a reflection of the widespread belief that this community belongs in neighbouring Bangladesh.   »»» BBC News

In China, a similar 2-child policy is universal. In Myanmar (Burma) it specifically targets the Muslim minority. It is a form of genocide, aimed at eliminating the Rohingyas.

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Western countries invaded and occupied by Muslims, since 1798:

Turkey, in Cyprus since 1974

Number of Westerners killed by Muslim powers since 1798:

A few tens of thousands, most in the Ottoman wars in the Balkans and WW I

Muslim countries invaded and occupied by Westerners since 1798:

What is now Bangladesh (Britain); Egypt (France), much of Indonesia (Dutch); Algeria (France); Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad (France); Moroccan Sahara, Ceuta (Spain); what is now Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan (Russia); Tunisia (France); Egypt, Sudan (Britain); Morocco (France); Libya (Italy); Palestine and Iraq (Britain); Syria and what is now Lebanon (France); Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain (Britain); Iran (Britain, US, Soviet Union during WW II); Iraq (US 2003-2011)

Number of Muslims killed by Western Powers since 1798:

Tens of millions   »»» Informed Comment

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Fears of a prolonged backlash against Muslims have intensified after dozens of Islamophobic incidents were reported in the wake of the murder of the British soldier Lee Rigby in south London.

The Tell Mama hotline for recording Islamophobic crimes and incidents recorded 38 incidents over Wednesday night, including attacks on three mosques, with more reported on Thursday.

The Metropolitan police put 1,200 more officers on the street on Thursday, with extra patrols deployed to mosques and religious sites as far-right groups reacted to the tragedy.

The Tell Mama co-ordinator Fiyaz Mughal, from Faith Matters, said the service usually recorded three or four incidents on an average day, but the spike after Wednesday’s killing reflected simmering resentment against Muslims and was unlikely to fizzle out.

A 43-year-old man was being questioned on Thursday on suspicion of attempted arson and possession of an offensive weapon at a mosque in Braintree, Essex. The local MP, Brooks Newmark, tweeted that the man was carrying “knives and an incendiary device”.

Another man was held on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage after Kent police were called to an incident at a mosque in Gillingham, Kent.

Graffiti attacks were reported on mosques in Bolton, where cars parked outside were also vandalised on Wednesday night, and in Cambridge on Thursday.

The incidents compiled by Tell Mama, which monitors news feeds and social media as well as taking calls from the public, included seven incidents of Muslims being abused – including being spat at or threatened in the streets – another five mosques being threatened, and dozens of other online threats.

On the “True British Patriots” Facebook page, there were calls for mosques in Watford in Hertfordshire and Morden, south London, to be burned down.

The incidents came despite prompt and unequivocal condemnation of the murder by leaders of Muslim groups, including the Muslim Council of Britain, the Ramadhan Foundation and the Islamic Society of Britain, as well as individual Muslims, a number of whom took to social networks to express their disgust.

But Mughal warned: “I think the damage has been done.” He said his own address had been posted on Twitter, with users invited to shoot him. In response to the heightened tension, he has contacted mosques and police ahead of Friday prayers amid fears that far-right groups may try to confront worshippers.

Hours after the murder, the English Defence League held a demonstration in Woolwich, during which supporters, some wearing balaclavas printed with “EDL”, engaged in running battles with police for almost an hour. They have since announced another gathering, to be held outside Downing Street on Monday, ostensibly to show support for British troops.

David Cameron and the London mayor, Boris Johnson, said the beliefs of the suspected attackers were alien to Islam. “This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country,” the prime minister said. “There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act.” Johnson said it was “completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam”.   »»» The Guardian

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For decades in the UK and abroad, Muslim discourse has been dominated by fundamentalism and Islamism.

By fundamentalism, I mean the reading of scripture out of context with no reference to history or a holistic view of the world.

Specific examples of literalist, fundamentalist readings that still dominate Muslim attitudes worldwide are manifested in the resistance to progress in human rights, gender-equality and democratic socio-political reforms that are too-often heard from socially-conservative Muslims.

The universal verses of the Koran (eg 49:12, “O humanity! We have created you from male and female and made you nations and tribes so that you may know each other: the most honoured of you with God are those most God-conscious: truly, God is Knowing, Wise”) promote full human equality and leave no place for slavery, misogyny, xenophobia or racism.

The Koranic spirit of freedom, equality, justice and compassion must be reclaimed, with an emphasis on Sharia as ethics rather than rigid ritualism.

In our times, we need non-violent Jihads; social struggles against all forms of inequality and oppression, and for justice and liberation.

Socio-political Jihads are needed to achieve the goals of noble causes such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that may be seen as an extension of the themes of equality contained in the Prophet Muhammad’s farewell sermon.

The military aspects of Jihad are covered by the ethics of warfare. The voluminous Geneva Conventions are in keeping with the spirit of the Koran, which also has a strong pacifist message.

We have much to do, but where there is faith, there is much hope.   »»» BBC News

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A representative from the Muslim Council of Britain has condemned a machete attack in Woolwich, south-east London, in which a man thought to be a soldier was butchered and beheaded on a busy London street by two men shouting Islamist slogans.

Ibrahim Mogra told the BBC the vast majority of Muslims would say that the attack had “nothing to do with Islam” and were the action of a minority.

The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement: “This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly. Our thoughts are with the victim and his family.”   »»» SBS World News

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The brutal terrorist murder of a “brave soldier” on the streets of London will bring the UK together and “make us stronger”, David Cameron declared.

Speaking outside Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee, the British Prime Minister said the attack “sickens us all” and was a “betrayal of Islam”.

“The people who did this were trying to divide us. They should know something like this will only bring us together and make us stronger,” he said.

“This country will be absolutely resolute in its stand against violent extremism and terror. We will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms.

“This view is shared by every community in our country. This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country.

“There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act.”
   »»» BreakingNews.ie

Muslims kill people. So do Christians, Hindus, Budhists, and others. People kill people and make excuses for doing so. It has been so since the day Cain killed Abel. These men don’t represent Islam. They represent themselves and their own evil nature.

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The mystery surrounding the burial of the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev has come to an end. The Boston Marathon bombing suspect was buried this week at a small Muslim cemetery in Doswell, Va.

According to his completed death certificate, which was released on Friday, Mr. Tsarnaev was buried on Thursday at Al-Barzakh Cemetery, about half an hour north of Richmond.

His body was claimed by an uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, about two weeks later, but it remained at a funeral home in Worcester, Mass., for six days, because no cemetery or host community could be found that would accept it.

Martha Mullen followed the story from her home in Richmond, Va., and asked local religious leaders if they could think of anywhere Mr. Tsarnaev could be laid to rest.

“Jesus tells us, ‘Love your enemies,’ not to hate them after they’re dead,” said Ms. Mullen, according to a statement provided by the Islamic Society of Greater Richmond.

She received an offer from the Islamic Funeral Services of Virginia, a small organization that runs a cemetery with several dozen plots in Doswell, an unincorporated village with less than 2,000 people.

“We strongly disagree with his violent actions, but that does not release us from our obligation to return his body to the earth,” said an unnamed official with the group who was quoted in the statement.   »»» Tamerlan Tsarnaev Buried in Virginia Cemetery – NYTimes.com

The burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev was not only carried out in a legal way but was also the right thing to do. His burial was legal, in compliance with more than 2,000 years of precedent and required by Christian doctrine.

It is a sad commentary on the meanness of thousands who have said some very nasty and vulgar things about the burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev in U.S. soil.

Since many people accept the idea that there is an actual “war on terror” and that Tamerlan was a enemy combatant in that war, let us look at the principles and ethics that apply when an enemy combatant is killed in battle. There are three ways to examine the question: (1) from the strictly legal standpoint, (2) the historical perspective and for most Americans (3) the Christian perspective.

1. From a strictly legal standpoint

Since Tamerlan was in the U.S. as a legal alien when he died, he can be buried anywhere in the country so long as local laws regulating the burial of human remains are respected. In this case, it appears that a such formalities were followed. Furthermore, in times of battle, it is common for fallen enemies to be buried in the place where they fell. In fact, until recent times, repatriation of the dead was unusual.

2. From a historical perspective

Since before the time of Aristotle (d. 322 B.C.), Western civilization has required that the remains of fallen enemies be treated with respect and accorded a decent burial. Aristotle’s philosophical writings on ethics and and what it means to be a “virtuous human” are still read today with great respect.

How the bodies of fallen enemies are to be treated is discussed at length in the foundational work on international law De Jure Belli ac Pacis (On the Law of War and Peace), published by Hugo Grotius in 1625. The principles that he described are still in effect today.

“…the rights of burial, the discharge of which forms one of the offices of humanity, cannot be denied even to enemies, whom a state of warfare has not deprived of the rights and nature of men. For, as Virgil observes, all animosity against the vanquished and the dead must cease, because they have suffered the last of evils that can be inflicted. Optatus Milevitanus [says] ‘If there have been struggles among the living, your hatred surely must be satisfied with the death of an adversary. For the tongue of strife is now silenced.’

” …it is agreed by all that public enemies are entitled to burial. Appian calls it the common right of war, with which, Tacitus says, no enemy will refuse to comply.

“For the hand of death (…) has destroyed all enmity towards the fallen, and protected their bodies from all insult.”

The Jewish Biblical scholar and philosopher Philo and the Jewish historian Josephus both argued that even an enemy killed in warfare is marked with the common seal of human nature, and must be accorded all the customs that are common to all mankind.

Since the eve of Western civilization, respect for the dead and their right to a decent burial of their bodies has been a continuous principal of the law of war.

If the deceased is considered to be an enemy fallen in war, refusing him a proper burial would have been a violation of the First Geneva Convention, to which the U.S. is a signatory.

“Parties to the conflict shall ensure that the dead are honorably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged.” Geneva I, 1949, Art. 17.

3. From the Christian perspective

In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Jews in the time of Jesus observed over 600 other religious laws. One day, a man asked Jesus which was the greatest law. Jesus said:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, KJV)

In other words, we should do for our neighbor any good thing that we would desire for ourselves. For Jesus, “neighbour” means any person with whom we come into contact, that is, any person who is nigh unto us. With to respect enemies, Jesus’ teaching is very clear:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44, KJV)

We are told to be better than our enemies–to the point of treating them with Christian love.

As the ancients pointed out, once an enemy combattant is dead, there is no longer any reason to act with animosity since death should destroy all our enmity toward him. The human remains of Tamerlan are an empty shell. The soul, consciousness, mind and breath of life are all gone. What remains will now decompose in the ground and return to dust. By God’s will, he once received the breath of life and was molded from the dust of the earth to be a human being, just like our father Adam. That breath of life has departed, and we must allow what remains to return to its primordial form for it is God’s own command that we, being made from dust, must, after death, return to dust.

The people who organized the transfer of Tamerlan’s body to your city and who gave him a proper burial have done a good work, an act of mercy. That act of mercy must be shown to all the dead bodies–the good, the evil, the saints, the monsters and even you and I–who deserve to be treated with respect and returned to the earth.

Furthermore, when we say that someone like Tamerlan is not like us, we deceive ourselves. He is a warning to us that there is in everyone of us a spark of evil that can be fired up and do great harm. The Bible tells us that Moses, in a fit of rage, killed an Egyptian soldier and tried to hide his body. The Apostle Peter drew a knife in the Garden of Gethsemane and cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest who had come to arrest Jesus. Before his conversion, the Apostle Paul helped persecute Christians. He stood by in silence and watched Saint Stephen being stoned to death.

We are reminded of the bond that unites all of us, good or evil, by the Rev. John Donne, the great English writer and Anglican priest, who, upon hearing the bell that tolled for a funeral wrote these words:
“All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another.

“…this bell calls us all; …Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” (Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, no. 17)

When the essence of our being has departed our mortal bodies, the flesh and bones that remain deserve a decent burial. Tamerlan’s evil was not in his body parts; it was in his soul, his mind, his consciousness, and they all left his body when he died. His mortal remains are no better and no worse than our own will be when we leave this world; they deserved and received a decent burial–the universal right of all mankind.

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Myanmar President Thein Sein, nearly one year after sectarian violence first exploded under his watch, vowed Monday his government would do everything it can to protect the rights of minority Muslims living in the predominantly Buddhist nation.

The promise came amid fears that the religious unrest, which has morphed into a campaign against the country’s Muslim community, could spread further after a new round of attacks last week saw several Muslim villages north of the main city Yangon burned to the ground.

Thein Sein’s administration, which came to power in 2011 after half a century of military rule, has been heavily criticized for not doing enough to protect Muslims or stop the violence from spreading since it began with clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya in the west last year.

New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused authorities – including Buddhist monks, local politicians, government officials, and state security forces – of fomenting an organized campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against the Muslims; the government has denied the charges. So far, hundreds of people have died and more than 135,000 people – almost all of them Muslims – have fled their homes.   »»» UTSanDiego.com

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Egypt’s state news agency says a hard-line Islamist preacher has been arrested for slandering a famous actress by accusing her of “practicing prostitution.”

In December, Abdullah Badr was sentenced to a year in prison and fined for his remarks about Elham Chahine on el-Hafiz TV, which is associated with the ultraconservative Salafi movement.

The Middle East News Agency said his appeal was rejected earlier this week, and police arrested him Wednesday in the Delta Sharqia province after he failed to turn himself in.   »»» CBS 21 News (Pennsylvania, U.S.)

How curious! An extremist Salifi preacher who does not know the Qur’an’s teaching on making such accusations:

“Those who accuse innocent women [of fornication] without producing four witnesses are liable to eighty lashes as punishment. (Q. 24:4)”

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that accusing another person of adultery or fornication without proof is an attack on that person’s reputation, which is one of three types of oppression. The others are stealing another’s property and shedding innocent blood.

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