Discrimination against non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia - Discrimination against non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic monarchy without legal protection for freedom of religion, and such protection does not exist in practice. Islam is the official religion, and the law requires that all citizens be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice of non-Muslim religions. The Government recognizes the right of non-Muslims to worship in private; however, it does not always respect this right in practice. An overwhelming majority of Saudi Arabian citizens support a fundamentalist Wahhabi Islamic state and oppose public non-Muslim worship. There is societal discrimination against adherents of the Shia Muslim minority. Religious Demography The country’s total land area is 756,981 square miles and its population is approximately 17 million, with an estimated foreign population.
Discrimination - Discrimination To discriminate means to make a distinction. There are several meanings of the word, including statistical discrimination, or the actions of a circuit called a discriminator. This article addresses the most common meaning of the word, social, racial, religious, sexual and ethnic discrimination. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Definition 2 Institutionalized Discrimination and Responses 3 Religious Discrimination 4 The Paradox of Discrimination 5 See Also 6 Footnote Definition Discrimination involves formally or informally classifying people into different groups and according the members of each group distinct, and typically unequal, treatments, rights and obiligations. The criteria delineating the groups, such as gender, race, or class, determine the kind of discrimination. Discrimination generally refers to treating one group of people less well than another on such grounds.
Dhimmi - Dhimmi Muslims refer to Jews and Christians (sometimes Zoroastrians and even Mandeans) as "People of the Book". When these people reside in states that practice Sharia law, they are called dhimmi ("protected person"). As dhimmi, they are subject to various protections and disabilities, which are called dhimma. People of other religions do not have this protected status. In the handful of Muslim countries which officially practice Sharia, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, Dhimmis are legally exempt from performing otherwise mandatory Islamic duties, but must instead pay a special tax. Most Muslim countries are legally secular and do not practice Sharia (this includes the major Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Egypt and Turkey). However, some of them still discriminate against Jews and Christians in ways related to.
History of Lebanon - settled over Beirut, security conditions in the south began to deteriorate. After a PLO attack on a bus in northern Israel and the Israeli retaliation caused heavy casualties, Israel invaded Lebanon in March 1978, occupying most of the area south of the Litani River. In response, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 425 calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces and creating the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), charged with maintaining peace. Israeli forces withdrew later in 1978, turning over positions inside Lebanon along the border to a Lebanese ally, the South Lebanon Army (SLA) under the leadership of Maj. Saad Haddad, thus informally setting up a 12-mile wide "security zone" to protect Israeli territory from crossborder attack. In 1981 heavily armed forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Iraq crisis of 2003 - As of February 2003 the United States appears to be moving towards a war on Iraq while charging that Iraq is in non-compliance with UN resolutions. The United Nations neither supports or opposes this action, nor has it made a final determination as to Iraq's compliance with said sanctions. This article provides a brief summary of the background of this situation, with pointers to articles where more detailed coverage is available. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Background 2 Escalation 3 Political responses 4 Possible Resolutions 5 2003 war and fall of Saddam 6 Timeline of Recent events related to the Iraq crisis Background The Middle East has been an unstable part of the world for many years. (See Israel, Palestinian territories, Islamism). In particular, Iraq, under the Ba'ath Party government of.
Islam - religious teachings of a desert preacher named Muhammed; these teachings are contained in the Qur'an. Muslims believe that Muhammed received these teachings from Allah (the Arabic word for God), via the angel Jabril. In addition, the religious beliefs and practices of Islam are based on the Hadith literature, which Muslims believe clarify and explain the teachings of Muhammed. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims, sometimes spelled in older English texts as "Moslems". In some older English texts they are referred to as "Muhammadans" or "Mohammadans", but these terms are not commonly used as they incorrectly imply that Muslims worship Muhammad. Since Islam is in some ways derived from Judaism and Christianity, it is classified as an Abrahamic faith. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 The meaning of the word Islam 2.
Islamism - 1.3 The Muslim Brotherhood 1.4 Islamic Jihad movements 1.5 Wahhabism 2 Modern Islamism 3 Islamist movements 4 External Links 5 Further reading History of Islamism Islamist movements developed during the twentieth century in reaction to several forces. Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, and the subsequent dissolution of the Caliphate by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (founder of Turkey), some Muslims perceived their religion as in retreat, and felt that Western ideas were spreading throughout Muslim society, along with the influence of Western nations. During the 1960s, the predominant ideology within the Arab world was pan-Arabism which deemphasized religion and emphasized the creation of a socialist, secular state based on Arab nationalism rather than Islam. Governments based on Arab nationalism have found themselves facing economic stagation and disorder..
Islamic views of homosexuality - boundaries set by Allah (the Arabic word for God). Note that homosexuality, as a psychological disposition, is not technically against the Sharia, which governs the physical actions, and not the inner thoughts and feelings of Muslims. It is the physical action of same-sex intercourse that is punishable under the Sharia. The intended meaning of "same-sex intercourse" is sexual intercourse between two or more men, or sexual intercourse between two or more women. It does not mean the act of masturbation, nor does it have anything to do with nocturnal emissions, both of which are considered to invalidate wudu and require the Muslim to take a full bath or shower before his or her next prayer, but are not otherwise punishable under Sharia. The Qur'an specifically mentions that same-sex intercourse is forbidden..
Islamophobia - Islamophobia Islamophobia is fear or hatred of Muslims or Islamic culture. Given the strong association between Arabs and the religion of Islam. Islamophobia is characterized by the belief that Muslims are religious fanatics, have violent tendencies towards non-Muslims, and reject as directly opposed to Islam such concepts as equality, tolerance, and democracy. Islamophobia often expresses itself as a form of anti-Arab racism, though not all Arabs are Muslim and the majority of Muslims are not in fact Arab. The term itself is of recent coinage, and reflects the influence of such 1990s movements as multi-culturalism and identity politics. It most often appears in discourse on the condition of immigrant Muslims living as minorities in the West. However, its origin dates back to the Crusades. It has remained present in Europe.
Islam as a political movement - of 'Islamism' 5.5 Cold War exploitation 5.6 Role in terrorism 5.7 Movements described as 'Islamist' 5.8 Globalization 6 Sources 7 External Links The term 'Islamist' Islamic parties exist in every democracy with a Muslim majority. These often call themselves Islamist, meaning an advocate of Islam itself as a political movement (not "Islamism as a political movement" nor "Islamic fundamentalism as a political movement". This term has many different meanings which this article will explore, along with links to other political trends. The propaganda term Islamofascism is used mostly by non-Muslims to describe the political and religious philosophies of some militant Islamic groups and those of the Islamic parties and political movements that they seek to categorize as moral equivalents to those groups. The term Islamism is so heavily used in advocacy.
Homosexuality and morality - of sexual morality as a code of conduct or set of rules governing sexual behavior, these advocates conclude that homosexual acts are immoral. However, opinions differ on how homosexuality should be encountered. Proposals that have been made (or implemented) include: Mandating therapy of homosexuals Imprisoning people who commit homosexual acts Prohibiting the adoption of children by homosexuals Limiting membership of congregations or organizations to heterosexuals Shunning homosexuals Attempting to convert people to heterosexuality by talking to them, or by offering therapy Regulating allegedly pro-homosexual media content Some of these proposals are interventionist, while other groups (especially liberal Christian organizations) take a softer stance and argue against government regulation. Others believe that people can simply "walk away from homosexuality" when integrated into a loving community, an idea which has found expression in.
Foreign relations of Afghanistan - as the Taliban regime suscribed to the belief that women should not work, should not be schooled, and must be under the direct guidance of men. According to a strict interpretation of the Quran, the only proper government is one of Islam. In this view, it is correct to use force to change the beliefs of others, and that non-believers that should either be converted or be put to death as infidels. While not openly espoused by the Talban, they are seen to support Islamic militants worldwide that have similar views. There is also a question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN. Before the Soviet invasion, Afghanistan pursued a policy of neutrality and nonalignment in its foreign relations. In international forums, Afghanistan generally followed the voting patterns.
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan - exile, and later the devastation of Kabul itself would literally remove the great majority of the some 100,000 who had come to form Afghanistan's elite and middle class. Their loss almost completely broke the continuity of Afghanistan's leadership, political institutions and their social foundation. Karmal was dispatched to Czechoslovakia as ambassador, along with others shipped out of the country. Amin appeared to be the principal beneficiary of this strategy. The Khalq leadership proved incapable of filling this vacuum. Its brutal and clumsy attempts to introduce radical changes in control over agricultural land holding and credit, rural social relations, marriage and family arrangements, and education led to scattered protests and uprisings among all major communities in the Afghan countryside. Taraki and Amin left a legacy of turmoil and resentment which gravely compromised.
Afghanistan timeline 1991-1995 - divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, brings on a new struggle. Kabul, once a bustling city of 1.5 million people, looks like a ghost town after the takeover by Islamic resistance forces. Throughout the year, the city is the centre of battles between forces friendly to the new government and Hekmatyar's renegade Hezb-i-Islami (Islamic Party). An acting Council of Ministers is formed, in which Masood is defense minister and the premiership is set aside for Abdul Sabur Farid Kuhestani, a Tajik commander from the Hezb-i-Islami. May 8, 1992 The interim government bans the sale of alcohol and pressures women to cover their heads in public and adopt traditional Muslim dress. June 28, 1992 Mojadedi surrenders power to Burhanuddin Rabbani, who heads a 10-member Supreme Leadership Council of guerrilla chiefs. Rabbani announces.
Afghanistan timeline 1986-1990 - the timetable for a total withdrawal, with Pakistan insisting that this should take place as soon as technically feasible. July 1986 Government troops clash with resistance soldiers in Badakhshan province, leaving 200 Soviet-Afghan soldiers and "dozens" of resistance soldiers dead. Also in July, 120 government troops die during an ambush on a military convoy in Zabol province. August 1986 A massive explosion destroys an ammunition dump in the headquarters of the Afghan Army's 8th Division near Kabul, reportedly killing up to 100 people. September 1986 A national reconciliation campaign is approved by the Politburo, including a unilateral six-month cease-fire to begin on Jan. 15, 1987, but it meets with little response inside Afghanistan and is rejected by resistance leaders in Pakistan. November 1986 A UN human rights report reports that 10,000.
August 2003 - November class sinks in the Barents Sea. The sub was decommissioned and it had 10 crew on board. The incident comes three years after Russia's worst peacetime naval disaster when all 118 crew of the nuclear submarine Kursk died when it sank in the Barents Sea on 12 August 2000. Environmental organizations say that the submarine could be dangerous for fishes, because radioactive material could leak to the sea from its two nuclear reactors. [1] August 29, 2003 Najaf, Iraq: A car bomb explodes during prayers outside the holiest shrine for Shiites, Imam Ali Mosque (Tomb of Ali), just as main weekly prayers are ending. More than 125 people are killed, including the influential cleric Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shiite leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution.
Proposals for a Palestinian state - in July 1937, recommended the creation of a small Jewish state in a region less than 1/5 of the total area of Palestine. The remainer was to be joined to Transjordan except for some parts, including Jerusalem, that would remain under British control. The Arab population of the Jewish areas was to be removed, by force if necessary. The Zionist leaders accepted the proposal, seeing the tiny Jewish state as the seed of a future larger state, though their support of the "transfer" aspect was carefully hidden from the public. The Arab leadership rejected the proposal outright. It all came to nothing, as the British government had shelved the proposal altogether by the middle of 1938. The Biltmore Program of 1942 Various proposals made in 1947 Independence of Israel in 1948.
Osama bin Laden - Laden" as though it was a Western surname (even though some members of his family do this when dealing with Westerners). It means "son of Laden." He should be referred to either as "Osama" or "Osama bin Laden." Osama has several aliases, including The Prince, The Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, and The Director. Biography Osama bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1957, the 17th of 52 children of Muhammad bin Laden, a wealthy businessman involved in construction and with close ties to the royal family of Saudi Arabia. His family originally came from Yemen. He was raised as a devout Muslim and in interviews he frequently invokes Allah. As a college student, he studied business and project administration. He also earned a degree in civil engineering.
November 2003 - Davis Cup by three rubbers to one when Mark Philippoussis defeats Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the first reverse singles match, played in Melbourne. It is the 28th time Australia has won the trophy, the most prestigious title in men's team tennis. [1] November 29, 2003 In Norfolk, Virginia, the USS Cole leaves port on the destroyer's first overseas deployment since it was bombed is the year 2000 in Yemen's port at Aden. [1] Police in Turkey announce the arrest of a yet-unnamed man they state has admitted giving the order to suicide bombers to attack Beth Israel synagogue in Istanbul on November 15. [1] Luan Enjie, director of the National Aerospace Bureau of the People's Republic of China states that "By 2020, we will achieve visiting the moon." [1].
Militant Islam - in a very great variety of works up to and through the 1970s, there is little tactically in common in the various movements that seek to apply Islam as a solution, or use its terms to rationalize their solutions, to issues in the modern Islamic World. The only two objective things that can be said about all of militant Islam is: (a) they are militant and employ force or violence directly, either in offense or defense (b) they justify this using the rhetoric of Islam, e.g. that of jihad. This is a common and frequent phenomena in the history of Islam. The tarika, in addition to spreading Islam to Africa and adapting it to local conditions (the al-urf or custom of each region), had a role to play in resisting colonialism.
