’Imran Khan spurred row over Quran desecr

It was former Pakistan cricket captain-turned-politician Imran Khan, who highlighted the Newsweek magazine's report about the alleged desecration of the Quran which led to anti-US rioting in Afghanistan killing 15 people, the weekly reported.

"The spark was apparently lit at a press conference held on Friday, May 6, by Imran Khan, a Pakistani cricket legend and strident critic of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. Brandishing a copy of that week's Newsweek (dated May 9), Khan read a report that US interrogators at Guant�namo prison had placed the Quran on toilet seats and even flushed one," the weekly said in its latest issue.

The report came even as The International Herald Tribune reported that "Newsweek magazine said on Monday that it might have erred in reporting that American interrogators at the Guant�namo Bay naval base in Cuba might have desecrated detainees' copies of the Quran".

The latest story in the weekly quoted the former cricketer as saying: "This is what the US is doing...desecrating the Quran."

"His remarks, as well as the outraged comments of Muslim clerics and Pakistani government officials, were picked up on local radio and played throughout neighbouring Afghanistan. Radical Islamic foes of the US-friendly regime of Hamid Karzai quickly exploited local discontent with a poor economy and the continued presence of US forces, and riots began breaking out last week," Newsweek said.

Assalamu alaikum akhi,

Read this person's posts in other thread, akhi, and you will see he is either a dupe of the Americans or one of their propagandists.

I agree; all American goods should be boycotted. The Muslim peoples need to unite, form an economic union, and stop all oil sales to the US.

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem,

Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim,

The question is not just about how, but also where to begin from.

Do muslims fully understand the potential of economic union? Do the muslim businessmen know that their currnet methods damage their society and community at large?

Are the people living in the west aware of, and care how much their "moderate" and "liberal" adherence to Islam is negatively affecting the new generation?

 Once in a sub, my husband went for a cup of coffee with friends, and they saw a woman in hijab feeding chicken burger to her two young boys. One of the brothers asked if that was halal, and she said no. She aslo informed them that the boys eat only once a day. It is hard to tell for sure what was the reason she was unable to feed her boys with halal food. But what is sadly apparent is that the boys cannot grow up to appreciate the halal life style. And there are many ppl in the west who compromise on food.

Hand slaughtered meat is more expensive than regular meat in supermarkets. It is not the question of quality of product and quality of delivery only in this particular case. It is the question of awareness of Islam among the "customers".

Muslim restuarant owners serve liquor because it brings in "good business". Again they dont just need to learn business skills but also need to learn Islamic proscriptions.

In my humble opinion we need to educate our children and youth about Islam, and about "positive approach" in life.  We need determination to earn halal income, and spend it on them in a halal manner, so that they are saved from the evils of this world.  Also we should create interest in children, and change our education systems so that we can give the young minds what is best for them in a manner which is more accepting.

I think every individual has a role to play in building the society. We may acknowledge that along with good businessmen we need economists, lawyers, journalists, doctors, teachers, social workers, and home makers.  ... I dont really know where to begin, but personally I have begun long ago first in my own heart and then in my own home. To me this is the most effective way of increasing my circle of influence. Labbaik to anyone who wants to join in :)

Maa salaama

Assalamu'alaikum sister Nausheen,

Jazzak Allahu Khair for the observation. Indeed the subject has many dimensions that must be considered on various ends, be it customer or the suppliers.

I was coming from experience of watching Muslim businesses set up with prices twice as much their neighbouring non-Muslim enterprises charged, the former tremendously lacking in quality, taste and cleanliness, and generally bad in service... they thought their tea was 'wajeeb' for all Muslims in the town even thoough it was from the same supplier their neighbours got it from. And they accused Muslims of ignorance of Islaam for not using their services and not buying from them... and they collected dues from occasional Muslim customers who came with sincere "unity" intentions. 

Halaal is becoming popular in Muslim as well as non-Muslim countries simply because there is a well defined market... and market which is not small. However, and most likely it will be that in the near future KFC will hire a Muslim consultant for their in-house Halaal certification and respond to the Muslim market needs. Rather than a Muslim company making an effort to establish something on their own and develop capital for expanding their businesses. See the difference? Consumers will get what they want... but economically only selected Muslim consultants will be making money.

Few years ago (before spetember 11), inspired by the discussions on this very forum, i made few efforts to develop something focused on Muslim markets... and i met many Muslims who couldn't care as much as some non-Muslims on few of the potentials. I've been approached by Jewish businessmen sharing their concern about Halaal labeled products with more sincerity than supposedly-Muslim buyers whom i chased around the clock... and we did well... and i felt awkward for having to share success with... the jews. At least, we made some halaal products widely available for both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers... They carried on, i took a break.      

It is the buyer, the seller, the manufacturer, the consumer all involved that have to develop an environement of islaamic values knowledge, and most importantly act upon them. It is these very values that by right should produce businesses incomparable in service, honesty, responsibility and overall competitiveness... and yet, as it has become normal, we are not there either... except few success stories. Let's hope things will change for better, insha Allaah.