The Muslim World

The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the apex organization of the Islamic world has announced a competition for the design of the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The two-phase competition has invited architects, architectural academics, senior students working with architectural mentors, multi-disciplinary teams led by architects to submit proposals based on the architectural ideas and other criteria. Those selected from phase one will be invited to participate in the second phase. The entry fee is $200. The OIC secretariat has announced the following calendar for the competition: End of Term for the Delivery of the Phase One (February 27, 2006); Jury Decision for the Phase One: Announcement of Results (March 8, 2006); End of Term for the Delivery of the Phase Two (April 19, 2006); Announcement of the Winner (April 25, 2006). More information can be had from Competition Secretariat by e-mail: competition@oic-competition.org. web-site address: www.oic-competition.org

The first International Congress on Tourism and Traditional Handicrafts will be held at Riyadh between November 7-14, this year under the joint auspices of the Supreme Commission of Tourism in Saudi Arabia and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), Istanbul. Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General will be the chief patron. This Congress is the first of its kind and it will discuss correlation between tourism, architectural heritage and the traditional crafts. It will also discuss the ways and means for ensuring a better employment of the traditional handicrafts sector in the tourism field, and explore the potential revenues that can be obtained by connecting the tourism sector to the traditional heritage and handicrafts. Means for protecting and promoting handicrafts through available channels will also be discussed. Besides papers from the leading experts, it will organise a live display of these traditional crafts at a special village in the premises of the conference. It will look into the employment of women labour force in the traditional handicrafts, supply of raw material, designs, styles, financing and marketing of the traditional wares and impact on Islamic art on Europe. It will take up the project of setting up a specialized library of publications in the field of traditional handicraft from all over the Islamic world. A special book fair will also be organised on the occasion. Award for master craftsmen from the Islamic world also will be instituted. More information can be had from Nazeih Taleb Maarouf, Head, Crafts Development Program, IRCICA, P. O. Box 24, Besiktas 80692, Istanbul - Turkey, Tel: 00-90-212-2591742, Ext.: 115, 00-90-212-2605988/89

A prominent insurance expert has called for the introduction of insurance service to foreign pilgrims coming for Hajj and Umrah as part of the government’s efforts to provide them with better health services and facilities. Dr. Abdalelah Saaty, chairman of the insurance council at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said such insurance policies will not be made mandatory on pilgrims. He said a number of Saudi companies have already expressed their desire to offer a variety of insurance policies to pilgrims, covering services such as health care, lost baggage, accommodation, air ticket and airlift of body in case of death. “Insurance is good for pilgrims as it will help them receive better services in addition to the services offered by the government,” Saaty pointed out. Saaty, who is professor of insurance at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, said a good number of (at least 10,000) pilgrims should join the scheme to make it feasible. He said such insurance services should be approved first by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), which must make sure that the insurance companies fulfilled their promises to the pilgrims.

It is finally official: A woman in Saudi Arabia can apply for, and receive her personal Identity Card (ID) without the consent of her male guardian. Women are rushing to get their IDs with many of them being motivated by practical reasons rather than simply a desire to proclaim their independence. Because of the boom in the stock market, many Saudi women are flocking to the Civil Status Administration with their applications, and with the full support of their male guardians. “A woman can bring a valid passport with her or another woman with a valid ID who can verify her identity, her family ID, a letter from her employer if she is working and two pictures,” said an official at the Civil Status Administration. This is the end of a long road for Saudi women. They were granted the right to have their own picture ID four years ago. The application for the ID, however, had to be approved by the woman’s male guardian. He had to go in person to the Civil Status Administration to fill out the application and sign a consent form.

The State Department of the United States is spending $ 4 million on ‘promoting democracy’ in Iran. This was stated by Erica Barkas of the US Bureau of Labour and Human Rights in an interview with Reuter. She said the US does not want to dethrone the Iranian government, but would like to support those who are opposed to the present Islamic regime and ‘its repressive policies against the people’. She said the fund includes expenditure on Radio Farda, the Persian network of the Voice of America, the state controlled radio of the United States.

Indian mathematician, Prof. M. S. Narasimhan of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR), Mumbai has been named the co-winner of the King Faisal International Prize for 2006, in recognition of his path-breaking research which has strengthened links between mathematics and physics. Narasimhan, an honorary fellow at the TIFR, shares the prize with UK’s Simon Kirwan Donaldson, president of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and professor of mathematics at Imperial College, London, for seminal contributions to Maths. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, director general of the King Faisal Foundation, said the prizes would be distributed to the winners on February 18, 2006. Shaikh Saleh bin Abdur Rahman Hussain of Saudi Arabia has been awarded the prize in service to Islam, category. The award for the service to Arabic literature has gone to Shaikh Yusuf bin Jassim bin Muhammad Al-Huda. Prof. Tamam Hussain Umar and Prof. Abdul Qader Washi Fehri of Morocco have been nominated for the prize in Medicine category. Prof. Michael Anthony Gambroun has been adjudged the winner of the prize for Science. Each of the five prize categories consist of a certificate, hand-written in Arabic calligraphy, summarising the laureate’s work; a commemorative 24 carat, 200-gram gold medal, uniquely cast for each prize; and cash award of $200,000.

Malaysia’s highest Islamic authority is mulling a decision on whether the use of Botox injections is permissible for Muslims. The National Fatwa Council is yet to determine on whether substances used in Botox injections, commonly used for cosmetic treatment, is deemed “halal”, or acceptable for use by Muslims. Council chair, Shukor Husain said the Council is still waiting for the report on Botulinum Toxin Type A, commercially known as Botox. He said that the practice and techniques to inject Botox into the body also needed to be scrutinised to see whether it is similar to plastic surgery. Botox, a powerful neurotoxin introduced nearly two decades ago, is widely used to cure facial problems, but is best known for its cosmetic qualities in paralysing facial muscles, giving the forehead a relaxed, wrinkle-free appearance.

The US government is maintaining surveillance of 120 Islamic centres, mosques and homes of Muslim residents in seven important cities which include Washington, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Las Vegas and New York. The surveillance uses X-ray beams which can minutely scan the ongoing activity within the precincts of the premises being watched. According to American News and World Report website, the surveillance is being kept under a highly confidential operation against terrorists in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attack on World Trade Center and other places.


The website report said, although the surveillance is illegal, the government has continued to take the help of intelligence agencies and even Energy department which can supply x-ray or radioactive beams.