Parliament Plea for Muslim and Hindu Bank Holiday in UK Calendar

SUNDAY EXPRESS: PARLIAMENT may have to consider introducing Muslim and Hindu bank holidays.

An online petition requesting a day off for Hindu festival Diwali and Muslim celebration Eid has attracted more than 119,000 signatures and has three months more to run.

Under the rules of the e-petition scheme, introduced in 2011, once the 100,000 signature mark is passed it should be considered for a House of Commons debate.

The debate will stir controversy because these could become the first non-Christian religious holidays in Britain and could lead to calls from other faiths for similar treatment.

It could also anger nationalists who have complained St George’s Day and St David’s Day are not holidays.

However an e-petition calling for these days to be marked has so far attracted only 34 signatures.

Details of the Eid/Diwali e-petition have been passed to the Backbench Business Committee, which will ­consider its suitability for debate. Read on and comment » | Geraint Jones | Sunday, June 01, 2014

America Issues Travel Alert over Fears of Al-Qaeda Plot to Target Tourists

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America has issued a worldwide travel alert after warning of an al Qaeda plot to attack public transport or tourist sites.

The US State Department said the risk of a terror attack was particularly high in the Middle East and North Africa between now and the end of August.

It followed a warning from America on Thursday of an al Qaeda plot to attack its embassies in Muslim countries.

Britain changed its travel advice for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf yesterday in the wake of the latest alert, telling diplomats in Arabian capitals to exercise vigilance until the Eid festival, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday.

In a statement last night, the US State Department officials said American citizens living or travelling overseas should be aware of a potential al-Qaeda attack either in or emanating from the Arabian peninsula.

"Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the department said.

The attacks are seen as occurring in or emanating from the Arabian peninsula, according to the statement, and "may involve public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." » | Damien McElroy, and Raf Sanchez in Washington | Friday, August 02, 2013

Sunni Muslims Banned from Holding Own Eid Prayers in Tehran
THE GUARDIAN: Security police block access to houses rented by Sunni minority for worship

Sunni Muslims in Tehran have been banned from congregating at prayers marking the end of Ramadan.

Iran, a Shia country, ordered its Sunni minority not to hold separate prayers in Tehran for Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that brings the month of fasting to an end. They were instead asked to have a Shia imam leading their prayers – something that is against their religious beliefs.

Hundreds of security police were deployed in the capital to prevent Sunni worshippers from entering houses they rent for religious ceremonies. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Obama Greets Muslim Pilgrims
NEW AMERICAN: Only a few days have passed since President Obama’s return from an expensive overseas jaunt in which he traveled from India to Indonesia praising Islam, but the scandal which his statements on Islam and Jihad evoked did not cause him to shirk what he apparently views as his duty to greet Hajj pilgrims. In a November 15 press release, Obama declared:

Michelle and I extend our greetings for a happy Eid-ul-Adha to Muslims worldwide and wish safe travels to those performing Hajj. This year, nearly three million pilgrims from more than 160 countries - including the United States - have gathered in Mecca and neighboring sites to perform the Hajj rituals and stand together in prayer.

On Eid, Muslims around the world will commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, and distribute food to those less fortunate - a reminder of the shared values and the common roots of three of the world's major religions.

On behalf of the American people, we extend our best wishes during this Hajj season – Eid Mubarak and Hajj Mabrour.

The administration’s portrayal of Eid as a commemoration of “Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son” deftly dodges the fact that at the heart of Eid is one of Mohammed’s more embarrassing misunderstandings of Old Testament history. In Surah 37, Mohammed mistakenly portrayed Ishmael — not Isaac — as the son whom Abraham was prepared to sacrifice, committing his followers to rote repetition of misunderstanding of Genesis 22 down to this day, and a belief system which is markedly not of a “common root” with Judaism and Christianity. Read on and comment >>> James Heiser | Thursday, November 18, 2010

HT: Jihad Watch >>>

Barack Obama leistet seinen Eid mit "Hussein"
Man muß sich wirklich fragen, ob die Amerikaner in der Tat einen Muslim als Präsident gewählt haben! – ©Mark

Foto von Barack Hussein Obama dank der Welt
WELT ONLINE: Am 20. Januar legt der neue US-Präsident seinen Amtseid ab. Jetzt hat Barack Obama verraten, dass er dabei auch seinen muslimischen Vornamen benutzen wird. Das kann als ein positives Zeichen gegenüber der islamischen Welt gewertet werden, ebenso wie ein anderes Vorhaben des ersten Schwarzen im Weißen Haus.

Barack Obama sieht in seiner Präsidentschaft die große Chance, die Beziehungen der Vereinigten Staaten zur muslimischen Welt auf neue Beine zu stellen. Schon am 20. Januar, dem ersten Tag seiner Amtszeit will er ein Zeichen setzen: Der 47-jährige wird den Präsidenten-Eid mit seinem vollen Namen Barack "Hussein" Obama leisten. >>> hmh | 11. Dezember 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>

Want a Laugh? Want a Cry? Watch Ken Livingstone at Eid in the Square, London 2006!

Mark Alexander