MUSLIM BODY IN INDONESIA CALLS TO HELP HUNGER-HIT YEMENIS
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) asked the wealthy Muslims in general, and Islamic and humanitarian organisations in Indonesia in particular, to raise funds to help people in Yemen who are starving due to war, Bunyan Saptomo, chairman of the council’s Commission on Foreign Relations and International Cooperation, said in a statement. The statement said the council appreciates the UN’s call to help Yemenis who are suffering from hunger as a result of a prolonged war. The council also stressed the Indonesian government coordinate with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the UN to help resolve the conflict in Yemen peacefully and overcome hunger in the country.
INDONESIA RAMPS UP DIPLOMACY TO SOLVE MYANMAR CRISIS
Military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin attended an online ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called for adherence to non-interference in internal affairs but stressed the importance of respecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. ASEAN should be praised for “managing to hold a meeting that Myanmar joined,” a diplomat said. “It’s unrealistic for ASEAN as a whole to continually convene meetings on Myanmar. With a population of 260 million, Indonesia considers itself a de facto ASEAN leader and has played coordinating roles to address regional problems.
ARSON ATTACK TARGETS MUSLIM CHILDREN’S SCHOOL IN SWEDEN
A fire broke out at a private school in central Sweden where Muslim children are educated, said media reports. Hussein Aldaodi, the principal of Alsalamskolan School in the province of Orebro, told Swedish state broadcaster SVT that footage on school security cameras showed two people setting fire to the school. “In the footage, two masked men break windows on the lower floor of the school and throw flammable materials inside,” Aldaodi said. “Because it was early in the morning, our only consolation was that no one was in the school,” he added. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED AT ‘EPIDEMIC’ PROPORTIONS, UN REPORTS
Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, in a report to the Human Rights Council, referred to widespread negative representations of Islam, fear of Muslims generally, and security and counter terrorism policies. He said these have served to perpetuate, validate, and normalise discrimination, hostility, and violence towards Muslim individuals and communities. “Islamophobia builds imaginary constructs around Muslims that are used to justify state-sponsored discrimination, hostility, and violence against Muslims with stark consequences for the enjoyment of human rights including freedom of religion or belief,” said Shaheed. The UN expert said institutional suspicion of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have escalated to “epidemic proportions.”
TUNISIAN PARTIES, GROUPS DECRY HIZBULLAH ‘TERROR’ LISTING
Several Tunisian political parties and syndicates have condemned the decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Council of Arab Interior Ministers to designate Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement a “terrorist” group. The Tunisian General Labour Union voiced its “rejection” of the decision, describing the move as “submission to Zionist blackmail and a blow against the [anti-Israel] resistance.” The union went on to urge Tunisia’s Interior Ministry not comply with the decision, which, he said, threatened to entangle the country in “issues that do not serve its interests.” Mohamed al-Fadel Mahfouz, head of the Tunisian Lawyers Syndicate, criticised the Tunisian government’s support for the council’s position, which, he said, “does not reflect the values of the Tunisian people or their support for national resistance.”
ABLA KADOUS WINS COMMUNITY MEDAL IN AUSTRALIA
Lifetime Community Service Medal was awarded to Abla Tohamy Kadous at Sydney’s International Convention Centre in recognition of the Muslim veteran leader’s services for the community in general and women in particular spanning for more than 35 years. She is the founder and President of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association (IWWA). IWWA has close to 2000 members from over 50 different nationalities. It oversees weekly women’s lessons in English, Arabic, Urdu and Bahasa. Abla has been recipient of several awards including City of Canterbury Citizen of the Year Awards 2008; Australian Muslim Lifetime Achiever of the Year 2017; NSW Volunteer of the Year – Senior Winner Mid-Western Sydney 2019; NSW Volunteer of the Year – Senior Volunteer of the Year 2019; and Westfield Local Hero 2020 – Burwood.
FAITH GROUPS CONCERN ON DELAY IN NEW CEMETERY
Melinda Pavey, NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing has put a stop to the construction work at Macarthur Memorial Park (MMP) at Varroville, despite the shortage of burial places in Sydney. More than 50 faith groups including Jewish, Muslims, Orthodox and Christians have been in discussion with the Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust for the last 6 years in transitioning to MMP. The chief executive of Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Peter O’Meara said that he was very surprised and frustrated by the Minister decision given that the (Government) Crown Cemeteries are a few short years away from running out of burial space. Mr Kazi Ali, the president of the Muslim Cemeteries Board said that he was highly disappointed with the Ministers decision and the government’s paralyses in finding solution to shortage of burial places for faith communities. Mr Ali has been working with interfaith collaboration to facilitate provision of Burial places for the Muslim Community in accordance with Islamic guidelines for burials.
A MEGA ISLAMIC BANK COMES UP IN INDONESIA
Bank Syariah Indonesia is a consortium of three state-owned banks Bank, BRI Syariah, Bank Syariah Mandiri, and Bank BNI Syariah, making it the largest Islamic bank in the country. In the past few years, Sharia-based fintech platforms have sprung up in Indonesia, offering a basket of services such as loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as financing for Hajj and Umrah (pilgrimage to Makkah). Collaborating with Islamic banks, Sharia fintech firms bring Muslim communities into the fold for financial services. President Joko Widodo launched Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) on February 1 by merging three state-owned banks. BSI is a new milestone for the Islamic economy in Indonesia.
MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY CONVERTED MUSLIM WOMAN SURRENDERS
Police have arrested a local Malaysian for allegedly insulting Islam and converting a Muslim woman. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said the 29-year-old suspect was detained after surrendering himself at Bukit Aman. He said police are now identifying and tracing if any other individuals were involved in the case.
TANZANIA GETS NEW PREZ AFTER SUDDEN DEATH OF MAGUFULI
Tanzania’s soft-spoken Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as the East African country’s first female president on March 19 after the sudden death of John Magufuli from an illness shrouded in mystery. “I, Samia Suluhu Hassan, promise to be honest and obey and protect the constitution of Tanzania,” said Hassan, dressed in a black suit and red headscarf before dignitaries at a ceremony in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. In her first public address as president, the 61-year-old leader announced 21 days of mourning for Magufuli and public holidays on March 22 and on March 25, the day the late president will be buried. “It’s not a good day for me to talk to you because I have a wound in my heart,” said Hassan. “Today I have taken an oath different from the rest that I have taken in my career. Those were taken in happiness. Today I took the highest oath of office in mourning,” she said, after being sworn in.