Nikah Contract Held Valid
by US Court
New Jersey (USA): The New Jersey Law Journal has reported that the Islamic marriage contract has been upheld by a US court. The Passaic County judge ruled last June that a religious, dowry -styled contract signed by two Muslims at their marriage is enforceable upon their divorce. Superior Court judge John Selser found that the Mahr (Dower) that wife Hamida Saadeh paid to her husband Zuhair Odatullah agreed to at their Nikah (Islamic Marriage Contract) was enforceable under "Neutral Principles of Laws" despite the argument put forward by the husband that enforcing the Mahr would violate the first Amendment's prohibition against establishment of religion by the state. The lawyer of Mrs. Odatullah, Abed Awad, hailed the ruling as a breakthrough, "It essentially sets the stage for Islamic Mahr agreements to be considered valid contractual obligation which are enforceable. And this particular ruling is the most consistent with Islamic Laws", he was quoted by The Muslim News, London. Writer Jim Edwards writing in the Law Journal said, "This approach to the Nikah contract has not been consistently formed in the USA. In New York and Florida, a similar view has been taken, but California has rejected as being against public policy. Edward writes that Islamic clerics believe that this gives them court-ordered clout as "women have been accustomed to seeking the intervention of the clerics or the imam in the mosque, who may order the husband to pay the Mahr. But his obligation to pay the Mahr is a moral obligation, with no enforcement mechanism."
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Kids Barred from Camel Races
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned the use of children in Camel Races. Children below 15 years and weighing less than 45 Kgs will not be allowed to participate in the camel races where children were tied to camel backs and their cries propelled the camels, according to an announcement made by the Camel Race Federation. The UAE has 6000 camels, which put up race shows in the deserts. Kids from poor families of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were brought here for use in the camel races in the past. Violators of the new ordinance will be levied a penalty of $ 5,500, said the UAE Press Agency. Second time offenders will be barred from races and third time offenders will be sentenced to one year jail term.
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Book on Islam kicks off Dispute
Washington: A conservative Christian group has moved to court against the introduction of the book titled “Approaching the Quran” in the University syllabus. The book authored by Michael Sales was inducted into the curriculum following increase in interest in Islam after the September 11, attack on the World Trade Centre last year. The case was filed against the inclusion of the book, by the American Family Association Centre for Law and Policy and two students of the University of North Carolina. The Centre said the book does not adequately portray the extremist face of Islam. Though the University later made the book optional, the amendments allege that the book propagates Islam. Theology professor at the University, Prof. Carl. W. Ernst has accused the litigants as “Prejudiced” and said hostility against Islam is old and it is akin to hostility against Judaism or racism.
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Arabic in American High School Curriculum
Washington: Outside a classroom at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, students can be heard reciting verb charts, proverbs and even lessons in American History, all in the Arabic language. Annandale is unique among most American high schools, since Arabic language classes in the United States are usually taught either at the university level, or at private institutes, local mosques, or community centers. But with the growing population of Arab Americans who have moved to the Northern Virginia area and their desire to pass along their language and culture to their American-born children, Annandale began a programme for Arabic and the Arabic language has now taken a place in its curriculum alongside traditionally foreign languages such as Spanish and French.
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Third Communications Satellite
from Saudi Arabia
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia will launch a third communications satellite shortly with the help of a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan. Prince Turki ibn Saud, supervisor of the Space Research Institute, said that the satellite was designed and made entirely by Saudi professionals and will be used for purely commercial, non-military purposes. Saudi Arabia launched two satellites in September 2000 from Kazakhstan by a Russian military rocket which are in orbit. The third satellite to be launched by Saudi Arabia can provide vital data on weather conditions and oil exploration besides monitoring the movement of vehicles in remote regions of the Kingdom. The King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology is currently designing and making a series of Saudi satellites to achieve the city’s objectives. The Kingdom has undertaken several research projects in remote sensing and space research. It has already completed a study on the Red Sea fish resources and another on environmental pollution in the country.
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Islam tops in the land of Tulips
Amsterdam: A population survey in the Netherlands shows that Islam comes on top in the list of religions in the Capital Amsterdam. Christianity (Catholic and Protestant), Judaism and other registered religions come after Islam. Statistics published in the Dutch Metro daily newspaper stated that 13 per cent of the capital’s population are Muslims while not more than 10 percent are Catholics, 5 per cent are followers of the Protestant Church, and only 1 per cent are Jews. Followers of other religions together stand at 12 per cent. At the beginning of the 21st century, Muslims represent the biggest religious mass, numbering officially 88,000 out of roughly over 600,000 people in Amsterdam. There are several elements behind the fast spread of Islam, top of which is the fact that 59 per cent of the Dutch Capital’s population do not believe in any religion. Moreover, the influence of churches on the Dutch people has retreated significantly in general, in Amsterdam in particular. That has led many churches and Christian religious institutes to close down or sell their property due to the declining attendance.
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UAE Pilot of the Year contest
Dubai: The Dubai Flying Association (DFA) announced the launch of the first “UAE Pilot of the Year” competition, under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates. Some 40 to 50 pilots, including military and commercial airmen, as well as private aviators and student pilots, are expected to fly in the event, which culminates in an awards ceremony on October 2. The competition will require entrants to fly from Ras Al Khaimah to Fujairah airport and back and has been designed to test their estimation of time of arrival, correct filing of flight plans, following airport procedures, radio telephony skills and general aviation knowledge.
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Quran Contest to Reach New Heights
Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has started receiving nominations from 104 Muslim countries and communities around the world confirming their participation in the sixth cycle of the international competition. “The Holy Quran Memorisation and Recitation International Competition scheduled to be held in Ramadan this year will witness remarkable improvements matching the international acclaim of this prestigious annual event”, said Ibrahim Bu Melha, Dubai Attorney General and Chairman of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award. The competition is open to male Muslims only, aged up to 21 years
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Fatwa Bans Casino in Jordan
Amman: Jordan’s opposition Islamist Action Front (IAF) issued a fatwa or religious decree, challenging a government ruling to establish a casino in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba. “The head of the Islamic Sharia Committee at the Islamic Action Front bans the establishment of a gambling casino in Aqaba,” said the statement signed by Ibrahim Zeid Kilani, a former religious affairs minister. “The Jordanian people were surprised by the government ruling to open a casino in Aqaba and the soiling of the chaste land of Jordan with such a forbidden sin,” Kilani said in the statement.
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