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SUN EXCLUSIVE: MICHAEL JACKSON has become a Muslim - and changed his name to Mikaeel. The skint superstar, 50, donned Islamic garb to pledge allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a pal's mansion in Los Angeles, The Sun can reveal.

From the DNC website (thanks to Steve): Democratic Convention To Highlight Diverse Community Of Faith Leaders Working Toward Common Good August 16, 2008 First-Ever Faith Caucus Meetings to be Held at Democratic Convention Invocators and Benedictors to Include Pastor Joel Hunter, Rabbi David Saperstein, Sister Catherine Pinkerton, Reverend Cynthia Hale, Archbishop Demetrios, Cameron Strang [...] INTERFAITH GATHERING The interfaith gathering will be held at 2:00 pm MT, Sunday, August 24 at the Wells Fargo Theater, inside the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Bishop Charles E. Blake, Presiding Prelate of the Church of God In Christ, Inc. and pastor at the...

European countries should abide by norms of international law when Serbia defends its territorial integrity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a ceremony to receive credentials from ambassadors of several countries Friday. "At present, the people of Serbia defend the territorial integrity of their country. Our stance is well-known -- the world in Europe cannot be built without consideration for basic norms of international law, including the principles of the Helsinki Final Act," Putin was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying. Russian-Serbian relations "are actively developing, they rest on a solid foundation of deep historic, cultural and spiritual ties....

Dubai, Jan. 12 (PTI): Keeping in line with the reforms sweeping Saudi Arabia, the kingdom will soon see its first woman pilot taking over the skies. Capt. Hanadi Zakariya Hindi will begin her flying stint with one of the jets belonging to Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, founder and chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, later this year as soon as she completes her advance pilot proficiency training programme. Though this is a path-breaking achievement for the 26-year-old first accredited female Saudi pilot, she will still need to be driven by a male chauffeur to the airport, the Arab News...

The British fanatic who plotted to kill thousandsBy Duncan Gardham Last Updated: 11:12am GMT 07/11/2006 Read Dhiren Barot's book: The Army of Madinah in Kashmir (pdf) A British al-Qa'eda fanatic plotted to murder thousands of innocent people on both sides of the Atlantic, a court heard yesterday. The detailed plans presented to terrorist handlers by Muslim convert Dhiren Barot revealed his goal of striking at major buildings and railway stations with gas bombs in cars, detonating a radioactive dirty bomb and blowing up a train under the Thames in London. Dhiren Barot, from London, plotted explosions Woolwich Crown Court heard...

Given the events in Mecca earlier today where over 300 pilgrims died in a stampede while conducting the Hajj, I decided to see how many people have died in mass fatality events. Here's what I found. Comments anyone? In December 1975 an exploding gas cylinder caused a fire in a tent colony. 200 pilgrims were killed. On November 20, 1979 a group of approximately 200 militant Muslims occupied Mecca's Grand Mosque. They were driven out by French commandos (allowed into the city under these special circumstances despite their being non-Muslims) after bloody fighting that left 250 people dead and 600...

Despite its name figuring in Pakistan government's 'watchlist', several international organisations like WHO and UNICEF have closely worked with Jamat-ud-Dawa, an outfit linked with banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in providing relief to quake victims in PoK. Various international relief organisations, including Red Cross, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Food Programme, UN Organisation for Refugees, Sikh welfare organisation Khalsa Aid and Singapore-based MCTH Association had been working with Dawa in quake-hit areas of PoK, Pakistani daily Nawai Waqt reported on Wednesday. These international agencies were "very impressed" with the "strong, well-linked and organised" network of Dawa and provided "huge...

NEW YORK: Recent satellite photographs and intelligence data on North Korea show the nation was making rapid and extensive preparations for its first-ever underground nuclear weapons test, US officials have claimed. North Koreans are constructing a reviewing stand and filling in a tunnel, both signs that an underground nuclear test was imminent, White House and Pentagon officials were quoted as saying by a media report. Since October last year, US officials have periodically seen activity suggesting preparations for a nuclear test, chiefly at the site in the northeast part of the country, near an area variously called Kilchu or Kilju....

Hi, Well, of course the Arabs are our brothers in so far as we are an Arabic speaking people. And of course we don’t wish them harm. And how many sacrifices have the Iraqis made for their sake? So, we wish them well, generally speaking. However, how we wish they could be less stupid, less cruel and more understanding. Also it would be nice if they could become less selfish, less hypocritical, less addicted to lying, treachery and jealousy. That would be nice. And perhaps they could show a little more concern about the murder of our people, the destruction...

Top American Muslim groups want it both ways on the terrorism issue. On the one hand, some of them, as voiced by their founders and leaders, openly support and raise money for international terrorists, while fighting to repeal US anti-terrorism statutes and to undermine the Bush Administration's proposed legislation to uproot terror networks here at home. On the other hand, they say they oppose terrorism and want to be accepted as part of the American political midstream. What these major groups don't do is embrace President Bush's "with us or with the terrorists" principle. That principle allows us to gauge...

Back to home page Archives 2001 31 January 2001 26/1/01 UN urges Saudi Arabia to halt child floggingsThe UN committee on the Rights of the Child called on Saudi Arabia to halt child floggings, stonings and amputations of young offenders. It noted that anti-vice officials "routinely harass and assault persons under 18 for dress code infractions" and that Saudi laws discriminate against females and non-Muslims. The Saudi reply was that "women enjoy the same rights as men". But women are banned from driving a car or travelling without the permission of their husband or other male relative. 23/1/01 Nigerian...