The issue of where Islam stands on Muslims and non-Muslim friends is a hot topic for me as someone who loves her faith but doesn’t live in a Muslim country and has friends of many different faiths. I found a great article on the topic at islamonline that helps clarify the issue and dispel some of the media myths about Islam being insular.

It opens by emphasizing that Islam urges all Muslims to deal kindly and justly with all people and to have good relations with all people of all faiths in all contexts. I have always felt that our faith is factor that unites people and naturally paves the way for friendship and community, yet it is neither exclusive nor discriminatory.

Good Muslims, Good Friends

I particularly like the response to this question by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council of North America:

“The Qur’an does not say that non-Muslims cannot be Muslims’ friends, nor does it forbid Muslims to be friendly to non-Muslims. There are many non-Muslims who are good friends of Muslim individuals and the Muslim community. There are also many good Muslims who truly and sincerely observe their faith and are very friendly to many non-Muslims at the same time.”

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The Prince in the Press

Unless you’ve been living a long way from the radar, you’ve undoubtedly heard Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa’s name mentioned a fair bit of late.

The music-loving Prince of Bahrain was first long-time friend and eventually sworn enemy of the late, great Michael Jackson.

In November 2008, after trying to recover £4.7 million costs from Jackson, which the singer claimed was a series of gifts; Prince Abdullah sued his famous friend for what he felt was a “personal betrayal.”

Abdullah claims that despite having shelled out $2.2m for Jackson to record a song that the Bahraini royal had wanted to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the singer failed to attend the studio for the final recording and the song was never released.

So who is this philanthropist pop-loving Bahraini prince?

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Reflections on Misconceptions about Afghanistan

For the last few years and specifically after the 9/11 tragedy, my thoughts have turned towards Afghanistan, a country which I have never really paid much attention to. I began to hear more in the news and to read more in the newspapers about Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. I even watched a movie called Osama about women’s issues in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, politics is not really my thing.

So when I went to the library looking for books to satisfy my curiosity, my eyes lead me to more culturally – and socially-oriented books and novels about Afghanistan. One specific novel caught my attention. I had never heard of the title or of the author before. However, I was delighted with the idea that the author, Khaled Houseini, is Afghani, and that the book, The Kite Runner, talks about a special friendship between two young Afghani boys.

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In 1969, Major Wellesley Aaron (grandfather of popular Israeli singer David Broza) and Bruno Hassar, an Egyptian-born Dominican brother with Jewish roots, pooled their wisdom and desire for peace and decided to create an Oasis of Peace on a hermitage Hassar had leased from a Trappist abbey in Latrun. Originally intended by Hussar to be a place where the troubled could go to find solitude and reflection, this tranquil dwelling set on forty hectares of land went on to rewrite history.

Aaron and Hussar saw the potential of the hermitage as place where both Israelis and Palestinians could “expand on the idea of finding peace within as a prelude to bringing peace to the community and the region.”

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There is no “one” Arab culture or society: the Arab world stretches from Morocco across Northern Africa to the Persian Gulf, and includes 22 countries and several world religions (with Islam being the most prolific). In general, the term “Arab” is used to describe any one who speaks the Arabic language as their mother tongue.

There are several customs that all Arabs share, based on their strong and deeply rooted values of family, friendship and honour. Understanding and respecting these can open the doors wide to long and fruitful friendships. If you’re new to Arab culture and would like to understand more of what makes this fascinating culture tick, here are a few pointers to help you to acclimatize and feel more readily accepted by this warm and infinitely diverse people:

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Quick geography lesson: The Bengal Region and Culture is divided between the sovereign state of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. You shouldn’t find it hard to make friends in Bengal, given that the region is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, with a population density exceeding 900/km²!

The majority of Bengal is inhabited by Bengali people who speak the Bengali language (a.k.a Bangla), although English is often used for official work. 66% of the total Bengali population is Muslim, and 33% is Hindu. In Bangladesh 89.7% of the population is Muslim.

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