Muslim MPs double 

UK: The number of Muslim MPs has doubled to eight in the closest elections in decades and saw the first three Muslim women – all Labour - elected to the 650-member House of Commons.

In addition, the first Conservatives have gained their first two Muslim MPs but the possibility of adding a third were dashed after Zahid Iqbal failed in overturning Labour’s 3,000 majority in Bradford West, northern England.

Thursday’s elections were marked by a swing from Labour to the Conservatives and resulted in one of two Muslim ministers, Shahid Malik losing his parliamentary seat for Dewsbury in northern England by just over 1,500 votes.

But Transport Minister Sadiq Khan defied the swing to retain his seat for Tooting in south London with a reduced majority of 2,500 votes.

Khalid Mahmood also successfully defended his parliamentary seat for Labour in Birmingham Perry Bar for the second time, increasing his majority to more than 11,000.

In Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar also increased Labour’s majority to almost 16,000 in replacing his father Mohammed Sarwar, who stepped down at the election after becoming Britain’s first Muslim MP back in 1979.

Over 90 Muslim candidates of various political persuasions stood in the general election, including 22 women.

Three Muslim women, all Labour, became the first to enter parliament.

The first Muslim woman to win was Yasmin Qureshi winning in the Bolton South East constituency in north-west England, but by a reduced majority of more than 8,600.

Shabana Mahmood increased the majority of outgoing former International Development Secretary Clare Short from under 7,000 votes to more than 10,000 in Birmingham Ladywood in central England.

Rushnara Ali won with a huge majority of 11,000 defeating Abjol Miah of Respect Party to third place in Bethnal Green and Bow. Lib Dems Ajmal Masroor came second.

The first Muslim Conservatives to be elected were Sajid Javid, who retained Bromsgrove with an increased majority of more than 11,000 in Bromsgrove, central England and Rehman Chisti, who won by more than 8,500 votes in newly-created Gillingham and Rainham in south-east England.

Nadhim Zahawi, the chief executive of online market research agency YouGov, also became the first Iraqi Kurd to become a UK MP by successfully defending the Conservatives’ 10,000-plus majority in Strafford, central England.
 

Muslim News

Global halal cosmetics market booms 

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Entrepreneurs producing "halal" cosmetics say the global market is booming as more Muslims opt for beauty products that conform to Islamic rules.

Famiza Zulkifli made her first halal soap four years ago, after searching in vain for the right products to bathe her baby. Now her business has an annual turnover of 1.6 million dollars.

"Halal is an issue for Muslims. At the end of the day, everyone will die and God will ask you what have you done," said the Malaysian singer-turned-entrepreneur.

Famiza, who unusually for a Malaysian woman wears the black niqab that only reveals her eyes, now exports dozens of top-to-toe beauty products to Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Brunei.

The concept of halal, which means "permissible" in Arabic, is mainly applied to food. Pork and its by-products, animals not slaughtered according to Koranic procedures and alcohol are all "haram" or forbidden.

But manufacturers are cashing in on the concept that virtually all goods and services can be certified halal, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, clothing, financial services and even tour packages.

Like their conventional counterparts, halal cosmetics -- including lipstick, deodorant and alcohol-free perfume -- can contain animal ingredients but they must be prepared according to Islamic codes on slaughter and preparation.
 

Halal is an issue for Muslims. At the end of the day, everyone will die and God will ask you what have you done

"Even the small amount of collagen in our night cream is derived from halal sheep raised at a Muslim-run farm in Australia," said Famiza, adding that she plans to expand her business from Southeast Asia to Europe next year.

Nearly a quarter of the world's population are Muslims and the global halal business, estimated by a Malaysian research company to be worth 635 billion dollars a year, has expanded from Islamic countries to Western nations with growing Muslim populations.

In France, which is home to about five million Muslims, sales of halal food are forecast to hit 5.5 billion euros (7.2 billion dollars) in 2010 according to an industry spokesman.

The halal cosmetics business -- estimated to be worth 560 million dollars globally -- is seen by analysts as next in line for growth after the lucrative halal food and Islamic finance sectors.

Mah Hussain-Gambles, founder of the first halal cosmetics company in Europe, Saaf Pure Skincare, said the industry has also benefitted from a "green wave" and that 75 percent of her customers are non-Muslims.

"The principles are the same -- they want something that doesn't harm the body, the purity and that is exactly the same as the halal movement," she said.

"I create an eco-ethical brand which is organic, vegetarian and halal -- they are all important elements to me," she said, adding that demand "is getting out of control".
 

"The enquiries are from everywhere. Last week there were enquiries from Bangladesh, Canada, Australia, Belgium and Malaysia -- it's just too much work."

Abdalhamid David Evans, a British expert on the halal business, said more manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon as Muslims choose halal products to reinforce their identity while others become more eco-conscious.

"People are becoming increasingly concerned about those things and they become a marketing issue," said Evans, of Imarat Consultants.

"Without a doubt, (the halal cosmetics industry) is going to be big," he told AFP on the sidelines of the first international halal cosmetics and toiletries conference, which was held in Malaysia last month.

7 News

Muslim Woman Fined For Wearing Face-Covering Veil In Italy 

(RTTNews) - A Tunisian-born Muslim woman was stopped and fined by police in an Italian city for wearing the traditional face-covering Islamic veil in public, said officials and local reports on Tuesday.

The incident took place outside a post office in the northwestern city of Novara, a strong-hold of Northern League (NL)-- an Italian anti-immigration party in the ruling coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The party has been pushing for a ban on wearing the face-covering Islamic veil in public.

The woman was stopped by police when she was walking down a road with her husband, wearing an Islamic face-covering veil. She was later identified by a female officer after her husband refused to let male officers identify her by lifting the garment covering her face. The police then handed down a 500 euro fine to her, payable within 90 days.

The fine was imposed under a bylaw introduced in January by the mayor of Novara that bans people from wearing clothes which obscure their identity. The bylaw is based on a 1975 Italian law that bans people from covering their face in public.

Italian state news agency Ansa quoted Novara Mayor Massimo Giordano as saying later that the the by-law was "the only tool at our disposal to stop behavior that makes the already difficult process of integration even harder".

"But unfortunately it is apparently not yet clear to everyone that clothes preventing the wearer's identification can be tolerated at home but not in public places, in schools, on buses or in post offices," he said. "There are still some people that refuse to understand that our community in Novara does not accept and does not want people going around wearing the burqa."

Quote.com

Can parent convert kids without consent? Malaysian court to decide 

Does a parent have the right to convert children without the consent of the spouse? That's the question posed by a woman, whose husband converted to Islam, before Malaysia's Federal Court.

The lawyer of the woman, whose husband was a Hindu before his conversion, argued before the court Monday that 'it is about family life'.

'She wants the Federal Court to decide whether it is constitutional for one parent to unilaterally convert the religion of the children in a marriage. That is a very fundamental question and it is an opportunity for the apex court to make a conclusive finding on this.'

The case pertains to the conversion of Hindu doctor, M. Jeyaganesh Mogarajah, to Islam in 2002 after which he had the sons converted. This is contested by his wife, S. Shamala, who is in Australia with the sons.
 

Knoxville Times

Classic Indian films on Muslim themes coming to New York  

The prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Centre in New York is presenting a new film series focusing on Indian cinema May 19-27 highlighting classic films showcasing Muslim themes, performance idioms and lyric traditions.

Called 'Social Dramas and Shimmering Spectacles: Muslim Cultures of Bombay Cinema', the first film series of its kind in New York will feature 'Jodhaa Akbar' on the opening night along with more than a dozen other films like 'Mughal-e-Azam', 'Pakeezah', and 'Umrao Jaan'.

Presented in collaboration with Indo-American Arts Council and the Indian consulate, the series curated by Richard Allen and Ira Bhaskar, displays the extraordinary richness of Bombay cinema.

Spanning films from the 1930s to the present, the series features historical spectacles that celebrate the justice and tolerance of the Mughal imperium as an antidote to colonial rule. The new series follows one on Satyajit Ray last spring.

Presented are films of aching beauty that focus upon the figure of the courtesan, at once alluring, romantic and tragic and stories of Muslim social life that dramatise the changing social roles of a society in transition.
 

Australian Herald

Hindu vice-president of Muslim Students Association resigns 

SOUTH AFRICA: Avish Maharaj, a Hindu who was elected vice-president of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) on August 8, resigned from the position a week later.

MSA president Aslam Seedat said that Maharaj expressed his admiration for the hospitality and values of Muslim students and wanted to be a part of it.

Muslim students said the news was well received among the student population but raised a few eyebrows in the broader Muslim community.

"I know that Hinduism and Islam, as religions, are worlds apart. But I believe that there is much similarity between the morals and values of the two religions," said Maharaj in his speech at the MSA AGM.

"As a Hindu, I believe that I am capable of promoting Islamic projects and values," he said.

"Muslims are moving away from the mindset that everything not coming from us is wrong or not allowed," said Seedat.

Zubair Adam, a senior Muslim student and ex-MSA executive, said that this was a great opportunity to show how diverse Islam is.

"The stereotype that Muslims are very close-minded and dogmatic is wrong and the fact that a Hindu could be voted in as vice-president shows that we are open to everyone, regardless of faith," Adam said.

Electoral officer for the AGM and MSA member, Ismail Bahadur said, “The MSA had poor support from general members and struggled to reach a quorum. Many members are more interested in a braai than anything serious."

A week into the Maharaj’s term, Seedat informed the MSA "with great regret" that Maharaj had resigned from his position as vice-president.

Seedat said that Maharaj had cited "personal reasons" for the resignation.

Maharaj was contacted for comment, but no comment was obtained in time for publication.
 

Grocott's Mail

Belgium's Muslims lash out at ban on Islamic veil

Muslims in Belgium hit out at a looming public ban on the full-face Islamic veil, saying claims it was being introduced for security reasons were simply an excuse to crack down.

"I think they're trying to wind us up," Souad Barlabi, a young woman wearing a simple veil, said outside the Grand Mosque in Brussels around the time of Friday prayers.

"We feel under attack," she said, a day after Belgian lawmakers had voted for a nationwide ban on clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified, including the full-face niqab and burqa.

There were two abstentions, but significantly, no one voted against it in the house -- a rare sign of unity amid a power-sharing dispute between Belgium's linguistic communities which seems certain to lead to early elections.
 

The Age

Are women on their way at last? With the king’s permission, the debate is hotting up 

LIKE all police forces, Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, better known as the Mutaween, performs a range of tasks.

Armed with long beards and short sticks, its agents are most notorious for two particular jobs: enforcing the separation of sexes in public places and herding people into mosques at prayer times.

How shocking, then, that one of its most senior officers is challenging both missions.

Ahmed al-Ghamdi, who is the head of the vice squad in the holy city of Mecca, argues that there is no Muslim prohibition against innocently mixing the sexes and that, since the five daily prayers can be performed anywhere, by individuals as well as in groups, there is no need to force shops to close at prayer times.

The Economist

The 6-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM

 

WEEK 6 of our 6-week training program:

Please note that the following program is suitable for beginners. For the more competitive or serious athlete, intensity, duration and frequency of exercises need to be increased!

REMEMBER: NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR TRAINING REGIME. ENJOY A HEALTHY DIET AND DON'T FORGET TO DRINK YOUR WATER!
 

FINAL WEEK OF TRAINING TEAM - LET'S MAKE SURE WE ARE WELL PREPARED SO WE CAN GO THE DISTANCE ON RACE DAY!

DAY 1:
This week, make sure you wear the shoes that you'll be wearing for the race while training. Try to run/walk the actual course if possible today, taking note of your time.
If you can't get to the venue, walk the same distance locally, or at least about 80-90% of the distance.

Healthy Tip: Always keep your body hydrated - carry a bottle of water with you daily!

DAY 2:
Combine strength and cardio training - Try boxing for some upper-body work, and skipping for even more cardio.
Do weights for the rest of your workout, targeting both upper and lower body.

DAY 3:
Head to the beach if you're lucky enough to get there and get one last session of soft-sand-running under your belt! If not, try and do the actual course one last time and see
if you can improve your time.

DAY 4:
On your bike! Head out for a 45min. cardio session on your bike. A spin bike (stationary) is just as good. Turn up your resistance from time to time for a more challenging
workout. If you do not have a bike, use your stairs for some step-ups and running drills.

DAY 5:
Spend some time in the pool for some toning and soothing of the muscles. Otherwise, try a gentle exercise or yoga class (remember you can always borrow a DVD from the library to follow).

DAY 6:
Have a rest if you feel that you need one, otherwise enjoy a short walk and make sure you stretch. Make sure you have at least 8 hours sleep.
 

DAY 7: RACE DAY
Have a good, healthy breakfast and give yourself enough time to get to the venue before start time.... NJOY and make yourself proud!!
Make sure you stretch after the race, and challenge your muscles one last time with the tug-o-war & rock-climbing!!!