After watching the dance, the man was able to sleep after months of insomnia and depression. PHOTO: REUTERS
Inferno XXVIII, 19-42.
The poets are in the ninth
chasm of the eighth circle, that of the Sowers of
Discord, whose punishment is to be mutilated.
Mahomet shows his entrails to Dante and Virgil
while on the left stands his son Ali, his head cleft
from chin to forelock.
“I converted to Islam and I Am Happy” – Former French Rap Artist Diam’s
by Our Team, moroccoworldnews.comOctober 1st 2012
By Adnane Bennis
Morocco World News
Four years after she converted to Islam, French Rapper Diam’s explains why she decided to take this amazing step that changed her life. In an interview with the French channel TF1, she explains that Islam has brought a lot of meaning to her life. “I became a normal woman. When I wake up every morning, I know that I have to improve myself,” she said. “When you carry God’s love in your heart, you are fulfilled,” she added.
She went on to say that she was not built for stardom, clarifying that the life of stars made her miserable. “I tried very hard to have fun in the parties, but, I was not built for that. I believed in the dream of becoming a star, but it was just an illusion,” she said.
The turning point of her life was when she was with her Muslim friend Sousou. When Soussou went to do her prayer, Diam’s asked her if she could pray with her. “When I prayed with her and I prostrated, I felt being connected with God,” she explains.
She said that she went on a trip to Mauritius, and she took the Koran with her in order to read it.“It was a revelation, I was intimately convinced that God exists,” she explained.
“The More I was reading, the more convinced I became,” she said.
Concerning her decision to wear the veil, she explained how it all came step by step. She said that she was not ready to wear at the beginning, but when she learnt more about Islam, she grew convinced that she needed to wear the Hijab.
She further explained that when the press and her entourage discovered that she converted to Islam as she was filmed coming out from a Mosque, the press lashed out at her. Some went as far as accusing her of becoming a danger for all her young fans. She deplored the confusion that the media created about the story of her conversion to Islam.
“I lost my team, because nobody trusted me. When a young girl converts, people say that either she is indoctrinated or her husband forced her to do it, as if I did not have my intellectual independence as if people knew that I was a woman with a weak personality or no character,” she added.
Her veil stirred controversy, especially that she had never explained what led her to change her path. She highlighted the intolerance of the French society and how it is far from being benevolent towards her when she decided to convert to Islam and how she went through tough moments after her decision.
Answering the question if it was complicated to live in France while being a veiled woman, she explained that although France remains a country that promotes freedom, people are not that kind towards her. :France remains the country of freedom since I can still wear my veil, but people’s prejudice and nastiness, make one tired,” she said.
She deplored the fact the French press and the public opinion accused her of becoming a “danger for the youth. “Is this danger, to advocate peace and be a nice person, and have a family life?”, she wondered.
“I wonder if I people would have said the same to me had I ended up like Amy Winehouse,” she added.
She criticized the people who defame Islam without having any knowledge about it and the amalgam between Islam and extremism. “There are some people who are ignorant and they should refrain from talking. When we talk about something, we have to know what we are talking about,” she said.
Regarding the accusation of extremism leveled at Islam in Western countries, she emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace.
“That is not what I discovered. I discovered a religion of wisdom of nonviolence, of peace, of sharing, of kindness. It is the religion of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Salomon and of all the prophets. Why do people make it look like that? Under no circumstances can we find it normal that innocent people are killed in terrorist attacks”, she stressed.
“I am very happy to the point that I have happiness in my heart that nobody can take away, neither through taking pictures nor attacking me, I have faith,” she concluded.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
Original Page: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/09/58886/i-converted-to-islam-and-i-am-happy-former-french-rap-artist-diams-3/
ميدل ايست أونلاين:.نائبة مصرية مستقيلة: دستور الإخوان مهمته 'تصفية الثورة':.
القاهرة ـ أصبحت منال الطيبي الإثنين، أول نائبة تتقدم باستقالتها من الجمعية التأسيسية للدستور المصري، رفضا لما وصفته بـ"هيمنة تيار الإسلام السياسي على توجهات الدستور الجديد".
وقالت الطيبي في تصريحات للصحافة المصرية، انها قدمت العديد من مقترحات النصوص الدستورية التي ترى فيها تعبيرا عن "الحرية والعدالة الاجتماعية والكرامة الإنسانية لجميع المصريين دون أي تمييز، ولكن تم رفضها جميعا".
وأضافت أنها "وصلت إلى قناعة نهائية لأنه لا جدوى من الاستمرار في عضويتها بالجمعية التأسيسية، لأن المنتج النهائي للدستور الجديد لن يرقى أبدا إلى المستوى الذي يطمح إليه غالبية الشعب المصري".
وأشارت إلى أنها شعرت بأن هناك نية للاستحواذ من قبل تيار الإسلام السياسي على الجمعية، فقامت بتعليق عضويتها في لجنة الحقوق والحريات كرسالة توضيح وتحذير من محاولات الإسلاميين للهيمنة.
واكدت أن مصر مقبلة من هذا الطريق "على وضع دستور سيكون الأسوأ من بين كل الدساتير المصرية السابقة، من خلال جمعية تأسيسية قامت في تشكيلها على الاستقواء "بالأغلبية البرلمانية للإخوان والسلفيين والوهابيين".
وذكرت ان هذا الدستور "يشكل الأساس ليس فقط لإعادة إنتاج النظام السابق، بل لإقامة دولة للثورة المضادة تكون مهمتها تصفية ثورة 25 يناير".
وتشتكي تيارات سياسية عديدة من خلل في تكوين الجمعية التأسيسية التي يحظى فيها التيار الإسلامي علي اختلاف تنظيماته بأغلبية تصل إلى أكثر من 60% من أعضاء الحرية والعدالة (الحزب المنبثق عن حركة الإخوان المسلمين) وحزب النور السلفي.
ويقول مراقبون إن هذه الأغلبية ترتفع في كثير من الجلسات إلى 72%، باعتبار أن عددا من الأعضاء غير الإسلاميين، قرروا مقاطعة اعمال الجلسات، احتجاجا على هيمنة الأغلبية الإسلامية على مقررات "التأسيسية".
وتعني هذه الأغلبية أن أي خلاف على المواد سيتم حسمها بالتصويت في الاجتماع العام لصالح التيارين الإسلاميين.
وترى الطيبي التي تمثل الأقلية النوبية في البرلمان وفي الـ"تأسيسية"، "أنه بات واضحا أن الدستور سيكتب في اتجاه يرسخ مفهوم الدولة الدينية".
وتعتبر خطوة النائبة المصرية ترجمة عملية للرد على مخاوف القوى السياسية والاجتماعية المصرية من ان الدستور المصري المقبل قد لا يعبر عن الشعب المصري بكل طوائفه.
وأشاعت الصياغات التي تم تسريبها بشان بعض مواد الدستور المرتقب مخاوف حقيقية خاصة لدى القوى الليبرالية والأقليات الدينية في مصر.
وقال مراقبون إن الإسلاميين يصرون بقوة "على عدم تضمين أي مادة من مواد هذا الدستور عبارة حقوق الإنسان، التي توافق على مضامينها العالم كحقوق للإنسان غير قابلة للتصرف مثل عدم التمييز بسبب الجنس أو الدين أو العرق أو اللون أو اللغة".
وقال هؤلاء المراقبون إن المادة الخاصة بالتعذيب في الدستور الجديد لم تستخدم فيها عبارة "الحماية من التعذيب". كما لم يتم، وفقا لنفس المراقبين، التنصيص على جرائم العنصرية والكراهية التي وردت في اتفاقية مكافحة جميع أشكال العنصرية أو الكراهية بسبب العرق أو الدين التي تضمن الحماية للأقليات الدينية والعرقية من حملات التحريض والكراهية ضدهم.
وخلا نفس الباب من المواد الخاصة بالجرائم ضد الإنسانية وجرائم الحرب وجريمة العدوان والتطهير العرقي التي وردت في اتفاقية روما الخاصة بالنظام الأساسي للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية، حتى يصبح لمصر قضاء مكمل للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية.
وأُعلنت مصادر في "التأسيسية" في الاسبوع الاول من سبتمبر/ ايلول قرب الانتهاء من صياغة الدستور الجديد.
لكن مراقبين من المجتمع المدني يشككون في إمكانية الترحيب به في أوساط المجتمع المصري مادام هذا الدستور لم يطرح أمام الرأي العام ليناقش صيغته المقترحة ويبدي موقفه منها.
وقال مختصون في القانون الدستوري إن إعلان الدستور للاستفتاء دون إجراء حوار مجتمعي مكثَّف بشانه ستكون له تداعيات سياسية خطيرة في المستقبل القريب، وإذا تم التصويت لمصلحة الدستور، بما فيه من مثالب، في استفتاء شعبي، فسنكون أمام دستور لا يرضي عددا من القوى السياسية، ما يخلق حالة واضحة من عدم الاستقرار".
Egyptian liberals threaten to quit constitution-drafting body | Reuters
CAIRO | Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:01pm EDT
(Reuters) - A group of high profile liberal and leftwing politicians in Egypt has said it will quit the assembly charged with drafting the country's new constitution within a week unless its concerns over Islamist-influenced content in the document are addressed.
The constitution - which is being drawn up by a 100-member assembly - is meant to be the centerpiece of a new democratic Egypt after veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year and its successful drafting is being seen as a litmus test for its new Islamist rulers including President Mohamed Mursi.
Egypt can't hold an election to replace a parliament that a court declared void in June without the constitution, and until it does Mursi will continue to hold lawmaking power, an uneasy arrangement that erodes the credibility of his government.
But during a closed door meeting held late on Tuesday but that was only made public on Thursday three former presidential candidates and several leaders of the country's main non-Islamist parties said they were ready to quit the assembly or encourage their supporters to do so.
If they make good on their threat, a new parliamentary election could be delayed.
Arguing that Islamist influence meant the constitution risked ending up as a document that curbed freedom, they said they would resign in one week and take to the streets unless their concerns were addressed.
"This is a constitution that brings Egypt backwards not forward," said Ahmed al-Boraie, a former labor minister who hosted the meeting.
"We are consulting with political powers that have the same demands, if the assembly doesn't respond they will have to quit," he said.
In particular, liberals oppose a proposal that would give the seat of Sunni learning, Al-Azhar, authority similar to that of a supreme court by making it the arbiter of whether a law conforms with the principles of sharia law.
They are also unhappy with clauses that would allow journalists embroiled in publishing lawsuits to be jailed and other proposed measures which they say will curb freedom of belief and expression.
"TOO MANY ISLAMISTS"
Mursi, propelled to power by the Muslim Brotherhood, has praised the assembly, and has said he doesn't understand those who quit.
Some liberals committed to a more secular state have already boycotted the assembly and are challenging it in court, saying it includes too many Islamists. They say the Islamists want to turn Egypt into an Iran-style theocracy, a claim Islamists deny.
A court will consider a legal challenge against the assembly, which is made up of thinkers, scholars, professionals and political and religious leaders, on October 2.
Islamist politicians make up almost half the assembly while the other half includes many Islamist-sympathizers. A court dissolved a previous assembly for being dominated by Islamists and for failing to fairly represent Egypt's diverse society.
The clauses the liberals want dropped are being championed by ultraconservative Salafis. Other Islamists, such as members of the Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), are pressing for a consensus to be reached in order to keep the assembly working.
"We are very committed that everyone work together," said Farid Ismail, an FJP assembly member. "This isn't the FJP or Salafis assembly, it concerns all Egyptians."
Manal al-Teiby, a liberal member of the assembly, quit earlier this week objecting to the way it was operating. The assembly's speaker, Hossam al-Gheriany, who is also head of Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council and is seen as an independent, criticized her resignation, saying her accusations were false.
"There is a very severe attack" on the assembly, he said.
Analysts expect the new document to have a more Islamic flavor than its predecessor, including clauses prohibiting criticism of God and establishing an institution to collect zakat, or charitable donations for the poor. An existing clause banning parties based on religion is also likely to be dropped.
Amr Hamzawy, a prominent liberal politician and ex-MP, demanded that liberals lobby international parliamentarians.
"These circles, especially the European Parliament and the American Congress, can pressure their governments to convey a message to Mursi and Islamist parties that financial and economic aid are linked to building a democracy," he wrote on Wednesday in the al-Watan privately-owned newspaper.
(Reporting By Tamim Elyan; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
السياسة الشرعية بين قراءتين
http://www.assabeel.net/studies-and-essays/assabeel-essayists/77447/
بسام ناصر
ولوج الإسلاميين إلى عالم السياسة من أوسع أبوابها وانخراطهم في شؤونها، وخصوصا بعد دخول سلفيي مصر إلى ميادينها، فتح المجال واسعا للحديث عن السياسة الشرعية، وكيف سيكون تعاطي الإسلاميين لقضاياها واشتغالهم بشؤونها، وهم الذين يتقيّدون بقراءة دينية تأويلية، تحوم حول الالتزام بحرفية النص الديني، المتقيد بفهم سلف الأمة والساعي إلى إلحاق الوقائع المعاصرة بنظائرها ومثيلاتها السابقة إن وجدت، من أجل إصدار أحكام شرعية للمستجدات المعاصرة.
لكن مما يتفق عليه الجميع أنّ كثيرا من قضايا العمل السياسي، ومسائله المعاصرة، ووسائله الحديثة هي من المستجدات التي لا يوجد لها نظائر في التراث الإسلامي الفقهي على الصعيدين النظري والعملي، مما يوجب على مشايخ الجماعات الإسلامية وعلمائها التصدي لإصدار الأحكام الشرعية لتلك الوقائع والمستجدات، وهذا هو الاجتهاد الحقيقي الذي يظهر أصالة العلم الشرعي، ويكشف عن وجود علماء فقهاء قادرين على الاجتهاد لإيجاد أحكام ورؤى شرعية تتكافأ مع حجم تلك الوقائع والحوادث المستجدة.
يحسن بالفقيه أمام المستجدات الحادثة، وفي سياق بحثه عن شرعيتها ومدى مطابقتها للشرع، أن ينظر في الأدلة الشرعية التي تسند شرعيتها بأيّ وجه من وجوه الدلالة، وطرق الاستدلال المعتبرة عند الأصوليين، فإن عُدمت الأدلة الشرعية بخصوص تلك الوقائع والمستجدات والحوادث اتجه إلى إلحاقها بالمصالح المرسلة، إن لم يتوفر في أدلة الشرع ما يشهد لها بالاعتبار أو الإلغاء، فإذا ما رأى أنّها تحقق مصالح العباد الدنيوية والآخروية، وأنّها تتوافق مع مقاصد الشريعة وغاياتها، وأنّها لا تتعارض مع الأدلة والأصول الشرعية، جاء اجتهاده الشرعي بالموافقة عليها وإصدار الآراء والفتاوى بشرعيتها.
لكن مما قد يتعارض مع ذلك المسلك في الاجتهاد والاستدلال أن يقف فقيه آخر ليقول بأنّ السياسة وسائر شؤونها المستجدة والحادثة ينبغي أن تكون موافقة للشرع، بمعنى أن تكون مما نطق به الشرع، حيث تنص بعض الرؤى الدينية على أنّ وسائل الدعوة وطرقها توقيفية، بمعنى أنّها يجب أن تكون مما فعله الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام، ولا ينبغي أن تخرج عن ذلك في أيّ عصر من العصور، وهذه المسألة (وسائل الدعوة توقيفية أو اجتهادية كتشكيل الأحزاب والجمعيات والمشاركة في البرلمانات والحكومات) مبحوثة بين أهل العلم المعاصرين، وقد انقسموا بشأنها إلى فريقين، فريق يرى أنّها اجتهادية، وفريق آخر يرى أنّها توقيفية، وأصحاب الرأي الثاني رأوا ذلك من باب عدم الابتداع في الدين، والحرص على الاتباع، وإعمالا للنصوص الواردة في الحث على الابتعاد عن البدع والحوادث، لكن العلماء الذين اعتبروا أنّ وسائل الدعوة وطرقها اجتهادية، سلكوا مسلكا آخر، لعل ما نقله ابن القيم عن الفقيه أبي الوفاء ابن عقيل يعبّر عنه بوضوح ويفصّل القول فيه بجلاء.
يقول ابن عقيل: «جرى في جواز العمل في السلطنة بالسياسة الشرعية: أنّه هو الحزم، ولا يخلو من القول به إمام، فقال شافعي: لا سياسة إلاّ ما وافق الشرع. فقال ابن عقيل:السياسة ما كان فعلا يكون معه الناس أقرب إلى الصلاح، وأبعد عن الفساد، وإن لم يضعه الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا نزل به وحي، فإن أردت بقولك: «إلاّ ما وافق الشرع»، أيّ لم يخالف ما نطق به الشرع: فصحيح، وإن أردت: لا سياسة إلاّ ما نطق به الشرع: فغلط، وتغليط للصحابة فقد جرى من الخلفاء الراشدين من القتل والتمثيل ما لا يجحده عالم بالسنن».
فابن عقيل كما يرى القارئ، يحكم ابتداء على السياسة بأنّها ما كان فعلا يكون معه الناس أقرب إلى الصلاح، وأبعد عن الفساد، وإن لم يضعه الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا نزل به وحي، أيّ وإن كان حادثا بعد عهده عليه الصلاة والسلام، أيّ لم يكن معروفا في زمانه، فما دام أنّه يحقق مصالح العباد ويكون فيه صلاحهم، والتخفيف من الفساد في أوساطهم ومجتمعاتهم، فهو من السياسة الشرعية الجائزة والقويمة.
ثم انظر إليه كيف ينص على أنّ المعيار عنده ليس فيما نطق به الشرع حتى يكون شرعيا، بل المعيار في شرعيته مع كونه حادثا، أن لا يخالف ما نطق به الشرع، أما إن أراد القائل، كحال ذاك الفقيه الشافعي، لا سياسة إلاّ ما نطق به الشرع، فيرد عليه ابن عقيل بقوله الحاسم والجازم بأنّه غلط وتغليط للصحابة لأنّه جرى من الخلفاء الراشدين من القتل والتمثيل ما لا يجحده عالم بالسنن، يريد بذلك ما وقع بين الصحابة من أفعال واجتهادات لم ينطق بها الشارع ولم ينص عليها، لكنهم اجتهدوا فيها لأنّهم لم يجدوها تخالف الشرع من جهة، وتحقق مصالح العباد من جهة أخرى.
فممارسة الإسلاميين للسياسة تتحدد موافقتها للشرع، بأن لا تخالف ما قرره ونص عليه، وفي الوقت نفسه، تجتهد في التماس كل السبل والطرق والوسائل التي يكون معها الناس أقرب إلى الصلاح وأبعد عن الفساد، والأخذ بكل المستجدات المعاصرة، وإن لم ينطق بها الشارع، تحقيقا لمصالح العباد ومقاصد الشريعة.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/14077/kahlil-jibran-meets-rumi/#comments
I am Kahlil Jibran, a poet, born in Bsharri, Lebanon and buried in my beloved homeland.
Despite lacking physical existence, my bonds with the earth have not been severed. Being a spirit, I can fly across space and glide around luminous stars; but, my spatial sojourns have not diminished my love for the beautiful earth, covered with gossamer clouds. Often, I zoom down to the earth and silently visit spiritual sites, immersing myself in the divine radiance.
On a balmy spring afternoon, as I was daydreaming on crisp, cotton clouds, floating over Taurus Mountains, the sight of Mevlana Rumi’s cylindrical turquoise dome, brought me out of the reverie.
After landing outside the mosque, I entered the Mevlana Museum and sauntered towards people praying and moving around in different parts of the shrine.
A middle-aged man, in blue jeans and a black shirt, standing in the marbled courtyard of the museum, attracted my attention. A halo of melancholy surrounded his thin face. Spirits can see monstrous figures of pain, but the living can only experience and taste its ravages. The man scratched his scruffy chin and opened his brown travel bag and took out a passport, a ticket and a tourist guide. A coat of arms was emblazoned in gold across the blue cover. So, here was a visitor from the United States of America, my adopted homeland.
I followed him to the Ritual Hall, where he bent over specimens of Divan-i-Kabir and Masnavi and touched nacre-encrusted box, containing the beard of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
But, pain kept trailing behind him as a shadow.
I thought of entering into a conversation with his soul. Attempting to stop my conversation with the man’s soul, pain spread its wings, darkening the man’s face; so, I could not peep into his eyes – part of the face that reflected the fragility and tremors of the soul.
After going around the museum, as the man moved into the sunny courtyard, I looked straight into his eyes. And, yes, my experience of conversing with human souls helped unlock the soul effortlessly.
The man’s soul narrated a sad tale,
“His wife had left him a year back. Despite his earnest entreaties, she refused to return. He was a successful banker and had bought her a beautiful house, a shining Porsche, and expensive clothes; and they cruised in the Mediterranean and skied in the Alps.”
I asked,
“What did he do to deserve such a cruel fate?”
Heaving a deep sigh, the soul replied,
“She said that the man never held her hand or saw the changing colours of autumnal leaves shimmering in her eyes; he did not even put a comforting hand around her shoulders when she lost their unborn baby. Yes, she said, theirs was a grand life but parties, jewels and trips did not fill the emotional vacuum surrounding their life.”
“Did he engage in charitable acts?” I asked.
The soul answered,
“Well, he sent hefty cheques to chosen philanthropic organisations and attended charity balls.”
“No, but did he stop by the homeless man near Hudson River and share his warm sandwich with him?”
“No, never, how could he do that? He might be a drug addict or an AIDS patient; and how could he share his food with him?” said the man’s soul.
“Did the man ever lend a loan to his office assistant?”
“No, once his junior had asked for a loan of five thousand dollars but the man refused. He said that his junior was a lazy fellow and did not deserve his hard earned money,” replied the soul.
After a few moments of silence, the soul said;
“His friend had dragged him to the sacred dance of whirling dervishes in Boston. After watching the dance, the man was able to sleep after months of insomnia and depression. The next day, he bought a ticket to Istanbul.”
“Ah, I worry about him,” said the soul in a jagged tone.
“He has aged suddenly”
I picked up courage and talked to his soul about salvation and giving.
“Have you ever noticed why dervishes whirl with one hand held upwards and the other hand held downwards?”
“No”
“The right hand is raised upwards during the spinning movement to receive divine blessings and the left hand is bent downwards to shower those blessings on God’s creation.”
“The man can redeem his losses by giving with ease and with pleasure. He can find happiness by partaking his wisdom and his material possessions and by sharing his bread and his laughter with the old and the young, with the poor and the rich and with a friend and a foe alike.”
Hearing my words, I could see a ray of light entering the crevices of the man’s soul, and on seeing this light, pain withdrew a few steps from the man.
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Hundreds of Muslims in Bangladesh burned at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes of Buddhists on Sunday after complaining that a Buddhist man had insulted Islam, police and residents said.
Members of the Buddhist minority in the Cox's Bazar area in the southeast of the country said unidentified people were bent on upsetting peaceful relations between Muslims and Buddhists.
Muslims took to the streets in the area late on Saturday to protest against what they said was a photograph posted on Facebook that insulted Islam.
The protesters said the picture had been posted by a Buddhist and they marched to Buddhist villages and set fire to temples and houses.
A court in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak yesterday decided to acquit Ayhan Kiraz of the charge of defaming religion in relation to a cartoon he had drawn in response to a spat between the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) and the religious establishment in the district of Çaycuma.
Kiraz said he had been drawing mainly political cartoons in Zonguldak for 32 years, adding that his intention was solely to make criticism and not to assume an attitude against religion.
"We have turned into a country where everyone accuses everyone else of irreligiousity," he said.
The head of the Arab League, Nabil Al-Arabi, called Wednesday for the international community to criminalize blasphemy, warning that insults to religion pose a serious threat to global peace and security. The comments put him squarely at odds with the United States and many of its western allies, which are resolutely opposed to restrictions on freedom of expression.