Quake Anticipated in Jerusalem
Weakened Al-Aqsa structure faces danger due to tunnel digging
Jerusalem : The Director of the Earthquakes Section of Israel’s Geophysical Institute has predicted the possibility of a strong earth tremor in the Jerusalem area, and a likelihood of loss of lives and collapse of buildings.
He said that Jerusalem is situated in a geophysical area where earth tremors are expected every 80 years, with the last one having taken place in 1927. However, although the possibility of such a tremor occurring is there, it is not possible to scientifically predict with accuracy the timing or strength of the expected tremor.
It may be recalled that the Israeli archaeologists have dug up extensive network of tunnels beneath the Islam’s holiest shrine Al-Aqsa Masjid and the Dome of the Rock in East Jerusalem. In the event of any tremors the Mosque faces the grave danger of crumbling down. Israel has not heeded the request of stopping the excavation work which it is trying to carry on in the garb of archaeological exploration of the lost Kingdom of David.
Top
American Archaeologist Debunks
Jewish Claims on Aqsa
Jerusalem : American Prof. Earnest Martin has said that the location of the Temple Mount as propounded in ancient Jewish books and the indications on the ground do not apply to the Aqsa Mosque. He said Jewish documents and ancient books talk of the Temple being in an area where there is a spring, adding that the historical documents indicate that the location of the Aqsa Mosque during the Roman era was a meeting point for Roman soldiers, and there certainly was no such Temple. Professor Martin teaches archeology at the Pasadena University in California. IINA
Top
New Recordings by Yusuf Islam
Mohammad Hidayathullah in Dubai
Dubai : Former musician Yusuf Islam announced the launch of a series of his audio and visual recordings about Islam in the UAE, aimed at increasing awareness and countering misinformation about the Muslim culture.
His London-based company, ‘Mountain of Light’, has appointed Sharjah’s Al Murooj Art Production and Distribution company as its sole distributor for the UAE.
“There is a great deal of ignorance in the world about Islam today, and we hope to communicate with the help of something more refined than lectures and talks. Our recordings are particularly appealing to the young, having used songs as well as Holy Quran verses with pleasing sound effects”, said Mr Islam who embraced Islam in December 1977 at the peak of his popularity as a rock musician. His previous name was Cat Stevens. In 1979, the British national stopped creating music because he felt that the life of a pop star was not compatible with Islam. He said the audio and visual ‘edutainment’ productions are the first of its kind to be released in the region, boasting superior quality and religious content with Holy Quran veses. These productions are expected to be released in the UAE after Eid Al Azha and marked during the DSF-2001.
Yusuf was introduced to Islam by his brother David Gordon who gave him a copy of the Holy Quran. He currently runs two primary schools and is the chairman of several charities. He said ‘Mountain of Light’ has also a separate label which is strictly educational called Islamia Media, and another one, Jamal Records, which is cultural in nature. Islamia Media’s educational books and teaching courses include Islamic plays for children and Adventures of Hakim. All these productions will soon be available in the UAE, said Yusuf. These productions are in English, narrated by Mr. Yusuf, with recitation of Holy Quran verses by renowned scholars like Sheikh Muhammad Al Minyaouti.
Salah Bukhatir, owner of Al Murooj Art Production and Distribution, said that his company, founded in June 1999, was very much pleased to be part of an endeavour to further the valuable teachings of the Holy Quran.
Top
'Neo-Muslim Care' Project
Dubai : The Dubai Women’s Association launched a new programme in February to support newly converted Muslim women. The programme entitled Woman Development and New Muslims Care Project will feature religious lectures for Non Arabic speaking members, as well as monthly visits by the organisers to the newly converted Muslim women to give them special attention and to encourage them to join the association. The programme was launched synchronizing a lecture by Dr Zakir Naik, President of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).
The project also aims to educate these women and their children on various matters through issuing special publications in Arabic and English languages, in addition to listening to their problems and suggestions.
Mariam Al Butty, Religious Committee Coordinator at the association, said that religious courses will be organised as part of the project to provide services for the children of the association’s members as well as children of non-members.
“The courses will include Holy Quran recitation classes especially for non-Arabic speaking children,” Mrs Butty said. Addressing newly-converted Muslim women, the Dr. Zakir Naik stressed that Islam is a modern religion complemented by science. He pointed out that around 1,000 verses of the Holy Quran out of a total of about 6,000 verses spoke about various scientific aspects and topics.
Top
D-8 Summit Calls for Fair Distribution
Cairo : The Summit Conference of the leaders of the densely populated Muslim countries which ended on February 25, urged the countries to present a unified stand as developing nations at the World Trade Organization and to ensure the fair distribution of the costs and benefits of globalization.
The head of government represented at the D-8 Summit urged that direct foreign investment should be channeled so as to benefit the developing countries as well. They expressed their anxiety about the increase in the cost of debt and requested the creditor nations to help in alleviating them.
President Husni Mubarak of Egypt announced that the leaders of the D-8 nations agreed that they should increase the volume of trade between one another within the next five years, and said that the leaders have already taken a step toward this direction by forming the International Trade and Marketing Corporation, which would have its headquarters in Cairo.
The D-8 would also facilitate customs and banking operations, and would set up a data bank of trade exchanges between them. The leaders decided that they would hold their next conference in 2003 in Jakarta.
The Foreign Minister of the eight states had agreed that visa restrictions would be eased for businessmen wishing to visit each other’s countries, and would additionally be holding symposia for businessmen and chambers of commerce.
The D-8 Group was formed in 1997, and is made up of Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Among the heads of government that took part in the Summit, apart from the host Husni Mubarak, were the President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, Turkey’s President Ahmed Sezer, Indonesia’s President Abdul Rahman Wahid, the chief of the military junta in Pakistan, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikha Hasina Wajid. Iran was represented by its Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamal Kharazy, while Malaysia was represented by its Foreign Minister, Sayed Hamid.
Top
Muslim Scientists Directory
Directory of Active ScientistsRabat : The ISESCO has published a directory of scientists from the Islamic countries. Titled Directory of Active Scientists in OIC Member-States and Their Recent Scientific Publications it runs into 1466 pages and has been jointly brought out by the Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation based in Rabat and Islamabad based OIC Standing Committee for Scientific and Cultural Cooperation. It has been compiled with an aim to promote cooperation among scientists of Islamic world. Preface has been written by ISESCO secretary-general Dr. Abudlaziz Othman Alttwaijri and COMSTECH general coordinator Prof. Attaur Rahman. Book’s introduction has been written by Dr. Ahsana Dar of Karachi University’s Institute for Chemical Research
It has earlier published Research Centres in Muslim Countries, Directory of Islamic Organisation in the World, Directory of Periodicals Published in OIC Member-States, Education Statistics in Muslim Countries, and Scientific Research Publications in Muslim Countries.
For more information contact: ISESCO Headquarters, Ave. Attine, Hay Riad, Rabat, Morocco, P. O. Box: 2275-Zip Code 10104, Fax: 212-7-775028, 777459, e-mail:
cid@isesco.org.maTop
WHO Study: Hazardous Marriages
Marriage between relatives could cause blood problems
Riyadh : The head of the Cooperative Center of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Muhsin Al-Hazmy, has said that marriage between relatives is behind many blood-related problems, and therefore making a diagnosis and test prior to marriage is important and beneficial.
Dr. Hazmy told Al-Dawaa magazine that 20 per cent people are infected with hereditary diseases in Saudi Arabia, and added that even if the couple intending to get married is not related, it is still advisable that they should be examined for any possible hereditary disease that could possibly be passed on to their children.
Top
Malcom X Biography
New York : Black Muslim leader Malcom X’s (Malik Sahbazz Muhammad) life and works will be archived under a project by Columbia’s Institute for African-American Studies. It will be based on interviews with 200 relatives of Malcom X who was assassinated in a public meeting in Harlem, a New York suburb, 36 years ago. It will be in the form of a biography, in script as well as in electronic form, and will be based on his letters, speeches and essays. Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz said Institute’s Director Mr. Manning Marable would thus fill the gaps left in the autobiography due to assassination of her father.
Malcom X, a disciple of Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad, joined the mainstream Islam after performing Haj in 60s. He was survived by his wife who was then pregnant with twin daughters. Wife and four daughters were present at the meeting where Malcom X was assassinated.
Top
Hajj on Foot from India
Halat Ammar : An Indian pilgrim, Muhammad Zafar Kadri, 60, who walked all the way from India, for a total of three years, entered the Saudi territory from the Jordanian town of Halat Ammar. He started his trek on May 28, 1998, and passed through Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan, a total of 17,000 kilometers. The only problem he encountered on the way, he says, was his fear of wild animals, according to a news story in the Arabic Saudi daily Al-Riyadh. IINA
Top
Five Months of Intifada
Killed 407
(35% of the killed were children below 18, 20% died due to rocket attack)
Wounded 21,339
Average ages of victims 23 years 20% bullets aimed at chest, another 20% on stomach and head
Incidents of attack on Palestinian ambulances 78
Losses to Palestinian Economy $ 3 billion
Losses in terms of national resources $ 3.3 billion
Wage losses due to 135,000 workers not reaching their places of work, $ 2.4 billion.
Source: Ali Shaat, Assistant Undersecretary at the Palestine Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation,
Top
No Age Restriction for Visitors
Dubai: Foreingers of any age can visit Dubai on a visit visa, as there is no age restriction, neither for women nor for men, according to the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department.
We have instruction from the higher authorities not to take age into consideration when we study a visa application - be it for a man or a woman,” said Col. Bin Bleilah, Director of the Department.
Top
Poverty Strikes Indonesia
Jakarta : A World Bank publication has said that half of Indonesia’s population faces the problem of poverty, in that their incomes do not meet their daily basic needs of food, while government statistics reveal that 45 per cent of Indonesians live below the poverty line. IINA
Top
Ajmal Perfumes to Spread its Fragrance
Dubai : Ajmal Perfumes is planning to open five more stores in the GCC to mark its 50th year in business. There will be three stores in the UAE and two in Saudi Arabia.
One of the biggest suppliers of oriental perfumes in the Middle East market, Ajmal perfumes was established in 1951 , in Mumbai by Ajmal Ali.
Top
2/3 Intra-Islamic Trade between 5 States
Jeddah : The five countries that are the main contributors to intra-Islamic trade exchange are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey. The total trade exchanges between Islamic states is US$ 34.5 billion, with the five’s share standing at US$. IINA
Top
Meet on Islam in Germany
Bonn : Federation of Muslim Workers will hold a conference, with the theme “Introduction to Islam,” here between April 13 - 15. Several topics would come up for discussion, including Islam and relationship to other religions, aims of Islam in life, Islam and legal ramifications, scientific wonders of the Holy Quran, anti-Islam propaganda, polygamy, inheritance in Islam, and adoption in Islam. IINA
Top
People
Arab to Scale Everest
Dubai : First Arab Zed Al Refai will make his bid to climb Mount Everest in a month's time. So far he has climbed Mt. McKinley in Alaska, going on to reach the Carter of Kilimanjaro in Africa, has braved Puncak Jaya in Iryan Jaya, the highest Australian Mountain, and Mt. Elbrus, the highest in Europe. He has climbed the Alps and the Scottish Highlands several times and also intends to climb the very difficult Eiger and Matterhorn. He intends to tackle the remaining two at the end of this year - Mount Aconcagua in the South American Andes and Mount Vinson Massif, the cap of the Antartic - which means he will then have climbed the highest mountain on every continent on the globe.
Samosa Queen Honoured
London : Parween Warisi, a British housewife of Indian origin has been declared one of the Britain's richest business woman following the publication of Home Office report that says that immigrants contribute more to the country than they take from it.
Parween migrated to Britain from North India in 1975. Supported by her husband Talib, Parween now 44, started off by making and selling samosas ( potato filled snack) from her home in Derby. Today, Parween employs 1,300 people in four factories and her business has an annual turnover of more than 100 million pound. Her company is called S & A Foods and is named after her now grown-up sons Sadiq and Abid. Parween who was conferred with Member of the British Empire (MBE), has also expanded her range of products by supplying Malaysian, Thai and Chinese food to British supermarkets.
Died: Abid Nami, former IAS officer and Urdu poet died in London on February 10 and was buried in Zahra Bagh graveyard. Abid hailed from Hyderabad and had settled in London after retirement. He had done pioneering work in introducing Arabic and Persian shorthand.
Top
Home 
