Malta: Church commission talks of alarming rate of interfaith marriages

Malta: Church commission talks of alarming rate of interfaith marriages

Via Malta Today:

The committee received Mgr Philip Calleja, of the Church's emigrants commission, who prepared a presentation on civil marriage preparation. He said that civil marriages between Maltese nationals and foreigners are problematic "especially with African mothers who raise their children in an environment that is alien to Malta."

Calleja said that St Paul's Bay, Sliema, Msida, Gzira, St Julian's and San Gwann have the highest incidence of civil marriages between foreign and Maltese nationals.

He said that the number of mixed marriages was increasing and is "alarming", adding that when Arab and Muslim persons marry Maltese nationals, these persons should be "prepared".

(source)

Malta: Libyans 'ransack' office at Islamic Call Society

Malta: Libyans 'ransack' office at Islamic Call Society

Via Times of Malta:

A number of men thought to be Libyans opposed to the Gaddafi regime this morning ransacked the manager's office used by the Islamic Call Society in Paola. They also removed photos of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The men said they went to the centre before going for the second protest in Attard

(source)

Malta: Libyan air force pilots seek asylum

Malta: Libyan air force pilots seek asylum

Via AP:

Two Libyan air force jets landed in Malta on Monday and their pilots asked for political asylum amid a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters in Libya, a military source said.

The two Mirage jets landed at Malta International Airport shortly after two civilian helicopters landed carrying seven people who said they were French. A military source familiar with the situation said the passengers had left in such a hurry that only one had a passport.

(source)

Malta: Libya donates €10,000 to Muslim school

Malta: Libya donates €10,000 to Muslim school

Tunisia: ‘Islam, Modernity and Europe’

Tunisia: ‘Islam, Modernity and Europe’

Via Malta Indepdent:

Malta’s Ambassador in Tunisia, Vicki Ann Cremona, implicitly expressed agreement with September’s French decision to ban the burka, the Muslim veil which covers women’s faces fully, when she addressed an international forum on ‘Islam, Modernity and Europe’.

The forum was organised by the Tunisian news weekly Réalités, with Dr Cremona taking part in a round-table discussion on the subject ‘Is a European Islam possible?’

She told the discussion, according to the Department of Information, that “participation in European society (also) means accepting not only the laws, but the habits and customs of the country in which one has chosen to live. Perceptions of Islam in Europe are not always very clear and are at times the result of wrong or hurried judgements.”

Other panellists included, among others, Souheib Bencheikh, former Grand Mufti of Marseilles and researcher in religious sciences; Hele Beji, university professor and writer; Mgr Maroun Lahham, Bishop of Tunis; Férid Memmiche, Tunisian intellectual; Isabelle Schaffer, lecturer at Humboldt University, Berlin; Antoine Thomas, Ambassador of Belgium to Tunisia; and Najib Zerouali Ouarith, Ambassador of Morocco to Tunisia.

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Malta: Muslims and Catholics unite against ‘negative' media and same-sex marriage

Malta: Muslims and Catholics unite against ‘negative' media and same-sex marriage


Archbishop Paul Cremona this morning called for the State to help couples prepare for marriage due to an increase in couples deciding against faith marriages.


Speaking at the opening session of a seminar intended to discuss the role of the family from a Muslim and Christian perspective, organised by the World Islamic Call Society, he also said that the media needed to be used to promote messages in favour of marriage stability.

Pope: Immigration a great challenge of our time

Pope: Immigration a great challenge of our time



Benedict also raised the issue of immigration, which is a core social concern in Malta, which shoulders a major share of the European burden for welcoming African immigrants.


Vatican spokesperson Fr. Federico Lombardi had asked journalists to submit questions in advance of the trip for Benedict XVI, and said that the pope’s brief remarks this afternoon represented his “synthetic” response. Benedict spoke for roughly four minutes.


The following is a rush transcript of Pope Benedict’s remarks on the plane to Malta, which were delivered in Italian.


(...)


The third point is that Malta is a place where waves of refugees arrive from Africa and knock on the doors of Europe. This is a great problem of our time, and naturally it can’t be resolved just by the island of Malta. All of us have to respond to this challenge, first of all so that people can live a dignified life in their own land, and on the other hand so that these refugees can also find space for a dignified life here. It means responding to a great challenge of our time, and Malta reminds us of these problems. It also reminds us, as you know, of the force of charity, which allows us to respond well to these challenges. Thank you.


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Source: NCR (English)

Malta: Arabs demonstrate for Al Aqsa and Palestinians

Malta: Arabs demonstrate for Al Aqsa and Palestinians


A silent protest to support the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem was held this evening at City Gate in Valletta by the Arab community.

Al Aqsa is considered as the third holiest site in Islam with Muslims believing that the Prophet Muhammed was transported from the Mecca to Al Aqsa.




On March 29, Israel curbed travel from the West Bank and access to the Al Aqsa mosque compound as Jews began to celebrate Passover holidays amid raised tension with the Palestinians.


Members of the Arab community in Malta held pictures of the Mosque and Palestinian flags as well as posters calling for an independent Palestinian state.


(more)

Source: Times of Malta (English)

Malta: Guidance note on shariah compliant funds issued

Malta: Guidance note on shariah compliant funds issued


A guidance note for shariah compliant funds has been issued by the Malta Financial Services Authority.


The note explains how the legal and regulatory framework established under the Investment Services Act would apply to shariah-compliant funds established under Maltese law.


The MFSA stated that Malta’s principles-based regulatory regime lays emphasis on the disclosure of all information that the investor needed to know before taking the investment decision and on the transparency of investment management process itself.


This allowed a high degree of freedom on the choice of investment strategies and asset allocation policies adopted by investment funds, subject to conditions that varied according to the level of experience and investment expertise of the target investor.


On this basis, the note establishes that, whether set up as professional investor funds, undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (Ucits) or non-Ucits retail funds, shariah funds may be regulated in the same manner as non-shariah funds.


The level of disclosure and the applicable conditions would be the same as those that were applicable to the respective category of retail or professional funds.


The guidance note requires that funds presenting themselves as shariah compliant were required to disclose all the relevant details in this respect in the fund prospectus or offering document as well as in their financial statements as part of their ongoing obligations.


(more)

Source: Times of Malta (English)

More Muslim responses to minaret ban vote

More Muslim responses to minaret ban vote

A roundup of responses. See also Minaret Vote: Muslim reactions


Austria


Austria’s Islamic community has bemoaned the Swiss minaret referendum result this weekend.


(..)


Omar Al-Rawi, the Austrian Islamic Community’s integration consultant, said yesterday (Mon): "With this decision the Swiss failed to make a statement against social exclusion, discrimination and populism.


"Human rights are not separable, and religious freedom rights are a main part of these rights."


(..)

There are three minarets in Austria: in Vienna, Bad Vöslau in Lower Austria and Telfs, Vorarlberg. The provinces of Carinthia and Vorarlberg have recently introduced laws which ensure no more minarets can be erected.


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Germany



A prominent Berlin Muslim community leader here Tuesday lambasted the latest referendum in Switzerland where voters approved a controversial ban on the construction of mosque minarets, Iranian national news agency (Irna) reported.


Talking at a news conference, the chairman of the Inter-Cultural Center for Dialog and Education(IZDB), Faical Salhi said the ban contradicted the Western world's claims of freedom of religion.


"Why do you want to take away my (religious) freedom in the name of freedom," he asked rhetorically.


Salhi warned that the controversial Swiss referendum would not lead to bringing Muslims and non-Muslims closer together in Europe.


"This (Swiss) action will throw the us back for decades," he said, alluding to the religious rapprochement process.


"This is not the Europe of 2010 but the Europe of the 1920s and 30s," the Muslim activist added.


Salhi expressed hope that Muslims in Europe would not one day experience same fate that Jews did during the Nazi era.


"We have to get away from this bogey man image of Muslims (in Europe)," he stressed.


Salhi voiced strong concern over mounting Islamophobia in Germany.


"The mood in the German Muslim community is filled with fear because Islamophobia has reached the middle of German society," he said.


"I am afraid for the safety of my wife and children. There are daily attacks against Muslims in Germany simply because one has a beard or is wearing a headscarf," Salhi added.


The Chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, Ayyub Axel Koehler warned earlier that Islamophobia had become a "major challenge" for Germany.


Islamophobia has to be placed on the "political agenda of parties, parliament and government," the Muslim leader said.


(more)




Malta



The Swiss 'yes' vote in a referendum banning the construction of new minarets was a violation of international law and violated religious freedom, Imam Mohammad ElSadi, head of the Muslim community in Malta, said in a statement today.


(..)


The Imam said the vote disappointed all those who held peace and tolerance at heart all over the world.


"This vote violates international law and breaches religious freedom and the right of every community to acquire its own proper places of worship according to their traditions.


"This vote is a racist and discriminatory, particularly against Muslims, because it does not include any restrictions on the places of worship of other religions. It provokes and offends the sentiments of 1300 million Muslims all over the world."


The Imam said such a vote would fuel Islamophobia in Europe and hatred and extremism on both sides.


It also created fear and a feeling of instability among Muslim communities in Europe and frustrated their attempts to integrate in European societies.


"Really, it is a threat to peaceful relations among the followers of different faiths."


(..)


"What do minarets have to do with fundamentalism? Is fundamentalism in the minds or in the stones?


"What will be the reaction of those who supported the vote if we - Muslims - carry such referenda in our countries regarding the churches?"


The Imam said he was sure that those who were behind this vote are not true Christians but racists. Those who really loved Christianity respect all religions.


(more)



Switzerland



As the dust settles following Sunday’s vote by the Swiss public to ban the construction of minarets, Lucas Chambers visits a mosque in Lausanne to find out how Switzerland’s muslim community are responding to the ban, and hears about an alarming letter sent to the mosque in the vote’s wake.


Audio report



Bosnia


Bosnian Muslim spiritual leader Reiss-ul-Ulema Mustafa Ceric has criticised European policies towards Muslims, claiming they are treated as second-class citizens. His comments came days after voters in Switzerland opposed the building of minarets in a controversial referendum.


The Swiss minaret ban and the European Union's exclusion of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina from a recent visa waiver were two poor messages for European Muslims, Ceric said ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.


“Unfortunately, the message from Brussels that we are less worthy than our neighbours Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Croats, and the one from Switzerland that our cultural and religious symbols are unwelcome, are discouraging,” Ceric said.


The EU this week abolished visas to the three Balkan countries of Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro but said Muslim-majority Albania and Bosnia had failed to qualify for the waiver.


Ceric said the minaret ban was important for Bosnian Muslims.


"But it is more important to secure the right to life in Europe and to be freed of fear for the future of their children,” he stated.


“Obviously, Europe is not only in economic, but in a moral crisis as well,” Ceric said.


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Malta: Imam supports Sharia punishments

Malta: Imam supports Sharia punishments

El Sadi says that such punishments are 'democratic' in countries where Muslims want them. Really? Is it also 'democratic' to demand that all Muslims be kicked out of Europe, should there be a majority who wishes it so? 'Rule of majority' or 'rule of the mob' usually does not equal 'democracy'.

Another point: Theoretically, if Malta would have a Muslim majority, would El-Sadi support legislating Sharia into law?

Video (in Maltese)


------------

Imam Mohamed El Sadi, the Muslim leader in Malta, believes chopping off the hands of thieves is a "deserving punishment".


Mr El Sadi made the statement during Monday's television programme Bondiplus, where he defended Sharia law, a judicial system used in some Islamic states and which can involve severe corporal punishments.


Contacted yesterday, Mr El Sadi stood by his comments and added the world was incurring the "wrath of God" through its permissiveness and destruction of spiritual and moral values, namely through the acceptance of "same-sex marriages, homosexuality, adultery and abortion".


Under Sharia law, such things are considered crimes that may even be punishable by death. When asked if the he agreed with such punishments he said: "Yes, of course. I agree with everything Islamic."


The TV show discussed whether crucifixes should be banned from classrooms. When presenter Lou Bondì asked Mr El Sadi if Muslims could be more tolerant and "light-hearted" in their reactions to parody and criticism, Mr El Sadi said Europe's permissive values were not necessarily ideal.


"Are same-sex marriages a value? What is this value? If in the future the majority of people want the right for men to marry cats, dogs or horses, will we make a law to fulfil these wishes," Mr El Sadi asked.


Mr Bondì then asked whether religion should dictate the laws of the country, through, say, Sharia law.


"What is wrong with Sharia law? If someone steals, he is taking from the country or the poor, so why is it wrong to cut off his hand?" the Imam replied.


Mr El Sadi said the punishment should terrify thieves and criminals, "not the good people".


When speaking to The Times about his remarks, the Imam said: "Why don't you concentrate on what is common rather than pick on what is controversial?"


He said he was not proposing this system for Europe because it would be undemocratic. But it was also undemocratic for Muslim countries not to use it because most Muslims wanted it.



(more)


Source: Times of Malta (English)

Malta: Judge tells immigrants to go fight elsewhere

Malta: Judge tells immigrants to go fight elsewhere


A magistrate issued a warning to migrants today as he started hearing separate cases of quarrels between them.

In the first case, three Somali migrants in their 20s were accused of the attempted murder of another migrant, causing him serious injury, on Saturday-Sunday night. They were also accused of being in possession of a sharp, pointed instrument. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody.

(..)


"You are guests in this country. This court is being faced with too many instances of this kind, if you want to fight between yourselves, then go somewhere else," Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona told the migrants.


Source: Times of Malta (English)