It’s Sunday already and what a week it has been for media-houses, rights activists and parties on both sides of the Burqa/face veil ban divide! Let’s see what’s been going on…

Spinners of tales, your tails just got caught!

We recently highlighted a story in our News and Views section on the interesting *cough*ridiculous*cough* notion that right-wing media in the US presented to its audiences, linking agency logos to sordid ideas. This sort of stuff  makes for good comedy material and apparently, Jon Stewart was quick to make the most of it.

Jon Stewart Calls Out Fox News for Anti-Muslim Nuclear Logo Propaganda

Tonight, Jon Stewart took Fox News to task for its focus on the Nuclear Security Summit’s logo and assertion that it was a crescent moon/nod to muslim countries before giving the network a taste of its own medicine. Video inside.

South African Muslims Unite to Welcome World Cup Tourists

South African Muslims Unite to Plan Hearty Welcome for World Cup Tourists

CONTACT:
Contact Person: Fatima Asmal (Media Liaison Officer)
Company Name: SA Muslims 2010
Phone Number:  +27 83 271 4500

Email Address: fatima.asmal@gmail.com
Website URL: www.samuslims2010.net

A diverse group  of Muslims across South African World Cup host cities have come together to form an initiative which aims to ensure that visitors to the country who practice the Islamic faith feel at home; as well as to showcase the South African Muslim community to a general audience.

9 April 2010 – A diverse mix of South African Muslims – including those from the Islamic NGO sector, theological bodies, professional groupings and social activists  – have united to form a national initiative primarily aimed at rolling out a well-coordinated, coherent and professional welcome campaign targeting Muslim visitors to the country.

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‘SA Muslims 2010′ will supplement the activities of local host cities at the various touch points, by arranging ‘meet and greet’ efforts,  the presence of volunteers distributing appropriate paraphernalia and goodie bags, as well as  the dissemination of thousands of copies of a ‘Muslim Services Guide,’ carrying information often sought by Muslim newcomers to a country, like prayer times, mosque locations and the availability of Halaal food outlets.

‘Nerve centres’ positioned in each of the main host cities, viz. Durban, Gauteng and the Western Cape, will serve as reference points for foreign and local visitors,  showcasing Islam and Muslims in South Africa through various exhibitions, including NGO displays, pictorial anthologies and other cultural activities, whilst an SMS hotline – 0842010786 –  and a soon-be-launched informative website – www.samuslims2010.net – will also feature strongly in the campaign.

Ahmed Shaikh, who is a key member of the Durban-based SA Muslims 2010 committee, said that although the initiative was aimed primarily at Muslim visitors to the country, it would also showcase the fact that South African Muslims, peacefully co-exist with other communities in the country, to the hundreds of thousands of other tourists expected to converge on South Africa during the event.

“Many European countries are currently facing difficulties in regard to integration and assimilation of expatriate communities,” he said.  “I think South Africans share a proud history of a multi-cultural society post-1994 which has found a good balance between racial, [MORE] cultural and religious differences and we have a duty to reflect that it is possible for people with diverse backgrounds to live together as united nations, which are reasonably integrated.”

SA Muslims 2010 was initiated in Durban in October 2009, and has subsequently grown into a national initiative, with committees being formed in each of the host cities.

For more information or to arrange interviews with specific role-players, call Media Liaison Officer Fatima Asmal on +27 83 271 4500 or email her at fatima.asmal@gmail.com

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Veils and Burqas – Still more from France!

Hamnaahmed, an avid Twitterer and young veiled girl from the UAE, recently tweeted:

I drive & I wear the Niqab. I’ve never had any ‘vision problems’. Stop judging & making decisions for us. #niqab #ban

What prompted this tweet was more news from – you guessed it – France on its continuing spar with a small piece of cloth some Muslim women choose to drape across their faces. Here’s what the BBC reported…

BBC: A French Muslim woman has been fined for wearing a full-face veil while driving a car.

Police in the western city of Nantes said the veil – which showed only her eyes – restricted her vision and could have caused an accident.

The woman’s lawyer says they will appeal against the decision, which he described as a breach of human rights.

The incident follows months of intense debate in France about whether the veils should be banned.

Earlier this week, President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered parliament to debate a law banning women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in public.

Read the full story here…

It would be interesting to see what you all have to say on the goings-on this week! If we’ve missed a story you think needs to be highlighted, especially regarding the face veil and Burqa issue, share it through your comments, Inshaa’Allah!