Coptic Christian to prison... ridiculous

An Egyptian Coptic Christian woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for failing to uphold her Islamic identity – an identity she didn’t know she had for over four decades.

Sisters Shadia and Bahia Nagy El-Sisi, both in their late 40s and residents of the small east Delta town Mit-Ghamr, were arrested and tried for claiming their official religious identity as Christian. Unknown to them, their religious identity officially changed 46 years ago due to their father’s brief conversion to Islam. Both are illiterate.

Shadia El-Sisi was tried for stating her religion as Christian on her marriage certificate and sentenced to three years in prison on Nov. 21, 2007. She was released two months later. Last Sept. 23 a judge also sentenced Bahia El-Sisi to three years in prison for “forging” her marriage certificate by stating her religion as Christian. This story of Compass News can be found on OneNewsNow

Iran critical of discrimination in the world of Islam

The Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reports that 200 Iranian instructors have asked Saudi King Abdullah for stopping insults to pilgrims to the holy sites in that country. The letter reads, among other things,

Unfortunately, many cases of insult and disrespect to the followers of other sects are seen in the land of revelation near the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). ... Such acts will increase schisms among Muslims.

Muslims like to stress how united they are, but this letter shows that the shiite Muslims are not happy with how they are being treated when on pilgrimage in Mekka. The fact that this letter is published by IRNA is also an insult by Iran to Saudi Arabia, even though the language used sounds friendly. The Saudi KIng, Abdullah, is told in public by Iran that he is not implementing his role as protector of the holy sites too well.

Allah no longer has 99 most beautiful names

During the last weeks, scholars at al-Azhar have agreed to dump some of Allah's most beautiful names. The firebrand sheikh Yusuf al-Badri has even started a courtcase in Egypt to forbid any singing of the 99 most beautiful names.

What is happening to Islam? Are the foundations shaking? Ah.. it is this Coptic-Orthdox priest Zakari. On his daily TV program on LifeTV (owned by Joyce Meyer by the way...) he has been tearing these 99 names apart. And Islamic scholars had to agree with him. How can you call Allah, just to give a few examples, The Hurtful (al-Dharr), or the Useful (al-Nafia).

About 20 more names are now seen as too problematic to be used. A clear proof that the Christian TV broadcasts to the Arab World are not in vain; beside leading many to Christ (see HERE for instance), they are obviousuly impacting Islamic theology. Here the 99 names, on a Sufi website, as long as it lasts.

Training Islamic missionaries in using the media

Qatar University’s College of Shariah and Islamic Studies has started offering a new four-year programme on Da’wa (spreading the message of Islam) and media from this autumn, it was announced yesterday. Interesting is that this college not only teaches the traditional Islamic sciences, but also media and journalism. Clever of course: if you want your message to be heard, go for the media!

“The goal is to produce graduates committed to and well-versed in interaction and dialogue across the major religions and in far-reaching communities throughout the world to present Islam, its culture and its values,” said Zakaryya Abdel-Hady, head of the Department of Da’wa and Islamic Culture as well as the programme. More HERE in the Gulf Times.

Mubarak proves to be a dictator

Interesting news from our brothers in Egypt... Mubarak, its president, has pardoned an outspoken newspaper editor sentenced to jail earlier this month for publishing false information about Mr. Mubarak's health. An Egyptian appeals court last month ruled that Ibrahim Eissa should spend two months in prison, prompting sharp criticism from press freedom groups and pro-democracy activists.

Eissa is editor-in-chief of the independent "Al-Dustour" daily newspaper. He was prosecuted for publishing stories last year saying President Mubarak, now 80 years old, was in poor health. A lower court originally sentenced him to six months with labor. Eissa has been facing a number of other court cases over the past year stemming from his reports critical of Egyptian leaders.

By overturning the ridiculous decision of the court, Mubarak shows the almighty power that he has. He is above the law, like all Arab rulers we live under. Thereby proving the point of Mr Eissa. Thanks to VOA for this story.

Missions Magazine

Redcliffe College in the UK published a quarterly missions magazine, Encounters, on its website. Allways useful, and sometimes focussed on mission in the Muslim world. Good reading.

Are the Arabs really Arabs?

Saudi researchers have mapped the first Arab genome in a project to put the Arab world on the global genetic map and improve healthcare. Geneticists from Saudi Biosciences say unlocking the genetic profile of 100 people from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries will help tackle medical problems in Saudi Arabia and encourage sorely-needed scientific research.

“The advantage of the project is that it studies the differences between peoples, and that will explain the spread of specific illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, etc.,” said Saeed al-Turki, Arab Human Genome Project Coordinator.“Twenty-five percent of the Saudi population has, or is liable to have diabetes and that will form a big burden on health services,” he said.

Almost one in four Saudis over 30 has diabetes, according to the World Health Organization. The project will help establish if the high incidence is due to a shift to urban living and rich diets among rural and Bedouin populations, as often claimed.

The project, with the backing of Prince Ahmed bin Sultan, a son of the crown prince, could also help establish a clearer picture of the historic migration of the Semitic peoples, who include Arab tribes, ancient Jews and others, from Africa into the Arabian peninsula.

There is likely to be some sensitivity in the historically and culturally diverse Middle East around the mapping, given the importance many people place on being of Arab descent. Some Muslims are keen to claim Arab ancestry because the Prophet Mohammad was an Arab, and Islam and Arabic spread hand-in-hand.

“Tribes of the Arabian peninsula will account for 50 genomes and 50 will be from other Arab nationalities such as Egypt, Syria, Libya, etc.,” said geneticist Ibrahim al-Abdelkarim. “It's a sensitive subject. People who speak Arabic call themselves Arabs but 'the Arabs' involve different groups.”

Tribes of the Arabian peninsula pride themselves on having “pure” Arab origins and there are groups throughout the Arab world that embrace and reject Arab identity.