Friday 29 March 2013

Is bombing mosques ´Halal'?

Today four Shia mosques in Baghdad and one in Kirkuk were struck by car bombs. Such sectarian bombs are common in Iraq, Pakistan, Syria and other corners of the Ummah.

So while tearing a page of the Koran, or publishing a caricature of Muhammad (pbuh!) will make the entire Muslim world freak-out in anger, exploding entire mosques containing God knows how many Korans (as well as the 'occasional' person...) doesn't even raise an eyebrow.

Should we then assume that bombing mosques is Halal?

Clearly a Fatwa is required on the issue. Would a learned cleric kindly help?

Talha Bin Obeidallah mosque near Basra - ruins after bomb (photo by A.Hassan)


Saturday 16 March 2013

Islam: maybe you don´t have a right to live

Islamic law, depending on how strictly it's interpreted, distinguishes among three types of non-Muslims: Dhimmis, people who are permitted to live in an Islamic territory, but with limited rights; Mustamins, people who are granted similar rights as the Dhimmis, through a temporary protection agreement; and Harbis, people who live outside an Islamic territory, without rights, including the right to life.

Der Spiegel, March 15, 2013

Friday 15 March 2013

Democracy and Economic Growth

"What is clear is that democracy is not the prerequisite for economic growth that aid proponents maintain. On the contrary, it is economic growth that is a prerequisite for democracy; and the one thing economic growth does not need is aid. "

Dambisa Moyo in "Dead Aid: Why aid is not working and how there is another way for Africa"

Economist Dambisa Moyo