Saudi female judo competitor allowed to wear Islamic headscarf in competition

The Saudi Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee and International Judo Federation have agreed that a Saudi Female judo competitor can wear a headscarf in competition at the Olympics.

Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani is one of just two women Saudi Arabia has sent to the 2012 Games in London. But she claimed she would only compete if she was allowed to wear an Islamic headscarf, or hijab. Originally judo officials refused, claiming it was dangerous, but now a compromise has been reached.

Razan Baker, a spokeswoman for the Saudi National Olympic Committee told Reuters of the agreement reached. "They agreed on a design and she will compete wearing this design," Baker said.
The IOC pushed Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei to end their bans on allowing women in the Olympics. All three countries have representatives in London.

The IJF's rules for the Olympics state that headgear can't be worn because of the danger it could cause. Obviously they made an exception in this case.

Shaherkani will compete in the heavyweight division on Friday.

Ban on All Things Red In Saudi Arabia Because of Valentine’s Day

In some Muslim nations, symbols of romance are banned. Read this article to find out where “love is taboo”.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Saudi religious police launched Thursday a nationwide crackdown on stores selling items that are red or in any other way allude to the banned celebrations of Valentine's Day, a Saudi official said.

Members of the feared religious police were inspecting shops for red roses, heart-shaped products or gifts wrapped in red, and ordering storeowners to get rid of them, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Red-colored or heart-shaped items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb. 14 nears they become contraband in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom bans celebration of Western holidays such as Valentine's Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the 3rd Century.

Most shops in Riyadh's upscale neighborhoods have removed all red items from their shelves. A statement by the religious police, informally known as the muttawa, was published in Saudi newspapers, warning shop owners against any violations.

"Those who don't comply will be punished," the statement said, without spelling out what measures would befall the offenders.

The Valentine's Day prohibition is in line with Saudi's strict Wahhabi school of Islam that the kingdom has followed for more than a century. The birthplace of Islam also bans several Muslim holidays except the two most important ones because it considers them "religious innovations" that Islam doesn't sanction.

Even birthdays and Mother's Day are frowned on by the religious establishment, although people almost never get punished for celebrating them.

Many Saudis, who still want to mark the popular Valentine's, do their shopping weeks before the holiday.

Each year, the religious police mobilize ahead of Feb. 14 and descend on gift and flower shops, confiscating all red items, including flowers.
Attitudes toward Valentine's Day vary across the Arab world, with devout Muslims opposing the holiday as a Western celebration of romantic love that corrupts Muslim youth.

The Egyptian capital, Cairo, is a sharp contrast to the Saudi restrictions, with shops and restaurants going overboard in red ribbon and heart decorations.

Dubai, a conservative Muslim city-state with a Western outlook, is every year taken over by a Valentine craze. Luxury hotels are draped in red, offering romantic dinner specials. Malls and cafes are decorated with giant hearts and flower shops offer promotional deals on roses and fancy bouquets.

Apparently prompted by the Saudi ban, a group in the Philippines advocating the welfare of Filipino overseas workers – a million of whom work in Saudi Arabia and another million elsewhere in the Middle East – cautioned its countrymen to celebrate Valentine's Day only in private and refrain from publicly greeting anyone with "Happy Valentine's" across the region.

"We are urging fellow Filipinos in the Middle East, especially lovers, just to celebrate their Valentine's Day secretly and with utmost care," said John Leonard Monterona of the Migrante group.

He said the group advised against carrying anything that is red, including toys, hearts, and flowers, or even wearing red dresses or T-shirts. Instead, he urged Filipinos to visit Internet cafes to chat with their loved ones, give them a call or send text messages.

ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI | 02/11/10 01:13 PM |
Associated Press Writers Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila, Philippines, and Barbara Surk in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.

Islamaphobia Leads Swiss Voters to Ban Minarets

Here is an article posted on bbc.com that describes a recent minaret ban decision in Switzerland.

Swiss voters back ban on minarets

Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show.

More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban.

The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

But Martin Baltisser, the SVP's general secretary, told the BBC: "This was a vote against minarets as symbols of Islamic power."
The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which fears unrest among the Muslim community.

Our correspondent says voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - have ignored the government's advice.

In a statement, the government said it accepted the decision.
It said: "The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted."

“ This will cause major problems because during this campaign mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland ”

Tamir Hadjipolu Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations
Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said: "Concerns [about Islamic fundamentalism] have to be taken seriously.

"However, a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies."

She sought to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".
Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets.

After Christianity, Islam is the most widespread religion in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden. There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.

Supporters of a ban claimed that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy.

But others say the referendum campaign incited hatred. On Thursday the Geneva mosque was vandalised for the third time during the campaign, according to local media.
Amnesty International said the vote violated freedom of religion and would probably be overturned by the Swiss supreme court or the European Court of Human Rights.
'Political symbol'

The president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, Tamir Hadjipolu, told the BBC: "This will cause major problems because during this campaign mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland.
"Islamaphobia has increased intensively."

And there was dismay among Switzerland's Muslims upon hearing the result.
“ It's a message that you are not welcome here as true citizens of this society ”
Elham Manea, co-founder of the Forum for a Progressive Islam

Farhad Afshar, president of the Coordination of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland, said: "The most painful thing for us is not the ban on minarets but the symbol sent by this vote.

"Muslims do not feel accepted as a religious community."
Elham Manea, co-founder of the Forum for a Progressive Islam, added: "My fear is that the younger generation will feel unwelcome.

"It's a message that you are not welcome here as true citizens of this society." Sunday's referendum was held after the SVP collected 100,000 signatures from voters within 18 months calling for a vote.
In recent years countries across Europe have been debating how best to integrate Muslim populations.

France focused on the headscarf, while in Germany there was controversy over plans to build one of Europe's largest mosques.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8385069.stm

Published: 2009/11/29 21:19:54 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Eloquence, Excellence, and The Golden Rule

I just invested an hour to watch President Obama’s speech at Cairo University. Once again, he demonstrated excellence in crafting and delivering a powerful and relevant message. He emphasized the principles of peace, respect and human dignity. He spoke candidly about seven core issues: 1) Violent Extremism, 2) The Israel/Palestine Conflict, 3) Nuclear Arms, 4) Democracy, 5) Religious Freedom, 6) Women’s Rights and 7) Economic Development. He made strong points about what unites all nations, all religions, and all humanity—The Golden Rule. He quoted from The Christian Bible, Muslim Koran, and The Jewish Talmud.