Tag: religion

Astronomer Predicts Eid al-Adha Will Fall on July 31

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Astronomer Ibrahim al-Jarwan from the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences said he predicts Eid al-Adha, the Islamic holiday to celebrate the end of the Hajj pilgrimage, is likely to fall on July 31 this year.  

“The crescent of the lunar month of Dhu Al Hijjah 1441 is to be spotted on Monday, July 20, 2020, at 9.33 p.m. UAE time,” Al Jarwan said on June 14. 

“July 22 will mark the first day of Dhu Al Hijjah month and Friday, July 31, shall be the first day of Eid Al Adha, according to astronomical calculations,” he continued. 

Families that can afford it mark the second of Islam’s two biggest holidays by sacrificing an acceptable animal such as a sheep, goat, cow, or camel. The animal is then divided into three portions: One third for family, one third for friends and neighbors, and one third for the poor. 

UAE-bound sheep stranded in Australia 

Across the Gulf, thousands of live sheep arrive from countries like Australia in the lead up to Eid. One ship bound for the UAE, the “Al Kuwait,” has been stuck in Australia since May 22 after 21 of the 48 crew members tested positive for COVID-19 after docking in Fremantle, Western Australia—putting its 56,000 cargo of live sheep in limbo.  

On June 13, the Australian Department of Agriculture approved an application for an alternative ship to leave with 50,000 of the 56,000 sheep originally supposed to be transported by the “Al Kuwait.” Australia has a moratorium on live sheep exports to the Gulf from June to September to protect animal welfare from the area’s extreme summer temperatures. 

Kuwait renewed a plea to the Australian government to waive its moratorium on live export in the wake of a drop in international freight, which has significantly impacted fresh meat imports and supply in the Gulf state. 

Kuwait’s Minister of Trade and Industry Khalid Nassir Alrowdan asked Australia’s Agriculture Minister David Littleproud to “reconsider the Australian livestock export ban during the hemisphere summer…to enhance our national food security and the Australian national economy.”

The latest request comes after the CEO of the state-run Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading, Osama Boodai, wrote to the Australian government on April 2 asking it to “reconsider” the June to September ban.

“The current COVID-19 outbreak around the world has placed increased pressure on food supplies into the Middle East region,” Boodai said in his letter to Littleproud.

“The revered Eid Al Adha festival falls in late July and live animals are of critical importance to that occasion and we fear there will also be shortages then,” Boodai continued.

“Restricting the trade of Australian sheep puts the region’s sovereign food security at risk and damages very long time trading relationships,” Bodai warned.

It appears that the combined economic opportunity and the food insecurity issues raised by the Kuwait government forced the Australian government’s hand and pushed it to permit the one-off shipment. 

Eid preparations begin

Morocco, like many Middle Eastern and North African countries, started preparing for Eid al-Adha just a few days after celebrating Eid al-Fitr. Over the past month, local authorities in Morocco tagged 4.5 million livestock, including sheep and goats ahead of the major religious holiday—a phenomenon playing out across the region. 

On May 26, Moroccan Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhannouch announced some 2.6 million sheep had been selected and vaccinated in preparation for what is known in English as the “sacrifice holiday.” 

“The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop us from celebrating Eid al-Fitr, but the Eid al-Adha celebration poses logistical challenges and requires good planning and organization,” Akhannouch said.

Moroccan authorities have also agreed to subside stock feed this year given the dry season and COVID-19 economic difficulties to ensure stock are in good condition for slaughter and to prevent high feed costs from impacting consumer prices. 

Hajj could be canceled 

In Saudi Arabia, it is shaping up to be a very different Eid al-Adha in 2020, and authorities are still considering whether or not to cancel the annual hajj pilgrimage. 

In late July, some two million pilgrims usually flock to Saudi Arabia to complete what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime religious journey in the Muslim Holy Land, which ends in Eid al-Adha. Canceling the pilgrimage would be a first since the Gulf kingdom was founded in 1932 and could cost Saudi Arabia millions in visitor revenue.

Saudi Arabia has a high number of COVID-19 cases, and with the ongoing worldwide travel restrictions, the Saudi government said it will make a decision within the week about cancelling the 2020 hajj. 

“The issue has been carefully studied and different scenarios are being considered. An official decision will be made within one week,” a senior official from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of the Hajj and Umrah told the Financial Times on June 12.

One idea the ministry is considering is allowing a small number of local Saudi pilgrims, around 20% of the usual number, to complete the hajj.

“All options are on the table but the priority is for the health and safety of pilgrims,” the official said.

Read also: COVID-19 Found in Crew of Kuwait Ship Docked in Australia

Men’s Shorts Become Target for Islamist Policing Attempts

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A social media campaign to stop men from wearing short shorts has emerged in Morocco. Supporters of the campaign are calling for men to “protect their entourage and the muslim community” by refusing to wear above-the-knee shorts in public. 

Targeting a style of shorts particularly popular with young men, the campaign claims they are “not acceptable from the point of view of the Sharia, customs and law.” Drawing on well known Islamist tropes, the posts ask men how they would feel wearing the shorts in front of their “sister, daughter or wife.”

Anticipating criticisms, the campaign finishes by addressing individual liberty and freedoms, suggesting that “liberty has its limits” and claiming that freedom is the “accomplishment of divine orders” and “respect for legal orders.”  

The Alternative Movement for Individual Rights (M.A.L.I) denounced the movement and the campaign met heavy criticism from users on social media who denounced it as “patriarco-religious.”

An emerging trend? 

The campaign follows controversy on social media last year over the length of shorts being worn by female Belgian volunteers assisting with a road building project in the south of Morocco near Agadir. 

Following media coverage of the girls’ work, some commentators on social media condemned their choice of attire. One man went as far as to suggest that “Their heads should be cut off so that no one else dares to challenge the teachings of our religion.” Morocco’s security forces later arrested the man and charged him with inciting terrorism. 

Ali El Asri, member of the conservative Justice and Development party questioned the girls’ motives. In a comment on Facebook, he suggested that their true intentions were to subvert Moroccan culture. 

Despite strong support from other commentators and their local partner organization, the trip’s Belgian organizer cancelled future projects in Morocco. 

Continuing the assault on individual freedoms

Morocco is known for its tolerance and moderate style of Islam, however growing external influences, particularly strict Wahabist teachings, are changing how some in Morocco practice their religion. 

Emboldened by this trend, Islamists are increasingly vocal in their attempts to limit individual liberties. Coupled with deeply entrenched gender inequality, women are often the first to be targeted, having their bodies and choices criticized and policed with worrying consequences. 

A 2017 study by UN Women found that over 70% of Moroccans agreed with the statement “a woman dressed provocatively deserves to be harassed.” In summer 2019, a number of articles in the Moroccan press detailed the harassment women face when wearing bikinis on public beaches. 

One young woman detailed how the harassment has become so bad that she no longer visits the beach during the height of summer. This is, for her, a more tolerable option than to “submit to the new rules established by perverse men and female slaves with a patriarchal ideology.”

As the campaign against short shorts highlights men and their freedom too can be the subject of Islamist ire. 

What is the Moorish Science Temple of America?

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Last week, members of the Moorish Science Temple of America were once again in the news as they joined protests in the United States, marching against systemic racism and the murder of George Floyd. 

The group, identifiable by their bright Tarboosh (fez hats) and the large Moroccan flags they carry, has a complex history.  

Founded by a “prophet”

Formed in 1913, followers of the Moorish Science Temple of America claim to be followers of Islam and pledge allegiance to Morocco and the Moroccan King based on a supposed Moorish heritage. 

Referred to by members of the temple as a prophet, the founder, Noble Drew Ali, was a well known and influential figure in Chicago society in the 1920s. In line with Temple’s teachings, which continue to allow polygamy, he had multiple wives. 

Despite his popularity at the time, rumors persist that he was murdered by the police. 

The Moorish Science Temple of America in 2020 

Today, there are approximately 60,000 members of the sect which counts a reported 90 temples across 15 states in the US.

Followers use a version of the Quran that includes Bible verses and additional sections written by Noble Drew Ali. Drew Ali claimed to receive “divine revelations” following a visit with a priest in Egypt. These revelations form part of the manuscript used for worship and religious ceremonies. 

Followers of the sect embrace their “Moorish identity” through the addition of “El” or “Bey” to their surname. Male members wear the bright red hats, known as a Tarboosh or Fez, and women wear a turban-style head covering. The group’s temples are structurally similar to Moroccan mosques. 

A Moorish heritage?

Central to claims of a Moorish heritage by members of the temple is the belief that African-Americans are denied access to their true heritage and are all descended from Moors. 

The term Moor is traditionally used to describe the Muslim inhabitants of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Malta and Sicily, during the Middle Ages. 

The origins of claims to a Moorish history are difficult to trace. One theory is that they take inspiration from an episode in 1790 when eight slaves taken from Morocco presented a petition demanding their liberty to the Chamber of Representatives in South Carolina. 

The petition for freedom was based on a treaty signed by Moroccan Sultan Mohammed III in 1777 with the United States. The treaty guaranteed Moroccans citizens in America their liberty. Following the presentation of the petition by the slaves, who claimed to have been kidnapped by the Portuguese and transported to America illegally, South Carolina passed the Moors Sundry Act of 1790. This act enshrined in law the right of Moroccans to live as “free men.” 

Some have also suggested that in addition to the episode in 1790, the belief in a Moorish heritage grew from the desire of members to disassociate themselves with the label “black” in the segregationist US of the 1920s. 

To this day, the vast majority of the sect’s members are not Moroccan citizens, although some regularly travel to Morocco to connect with their “ancestral homeland.”

Fueled by Sectarian Clashes, Protests Reignite in Lebanon

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Protesters in Lebanon returned to the streets on Saturday as COVID-19 curbs eased, but demonstrations turned violent off the back of sectarian clashes and calls for Hezbollah to disarm.  

The protests that engulfed Lebanon from the end of October until the COVID-19 outbreak hit in mid-March returned with a vengeance on June 6. Lebanese people returned to the streets, gathering in Martys Square in downtown Beirut after the easing of coronavirus curbs.

Demonstrators, many wearing masks, began peacefully protesting the country’s economic collapse, endemic corruption, and lack of government services, while some called for the disarmament of militia group Hezbollah. 

“We came on the streets to demand our rights, call for medical care, education, jobs, and the basic rights that human beings need to stay alive,” 21-year-old student Christina told the French Press Agency (AFP).

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated Lebanon’s economic and social decline, pushing unemployment to 35% and the poverty rate to 45%, according to government figures. The country is also in the grips of a currency crisis, and the Lebanese pound has fallen from an exchange rate of 1,507 to more than 4,000 pounds to the dollar, causing inflation to skyrocket.

Some protestors clashed with police, throwing stones, setting fire to rubbish bins, and looting luxury shops in the city center. Anti-riot police hit back with tear gas, injuring 48 protestors and hospitalizing 11, the Lebanese Red Cross reports.  

Sectarian clashes 

Calls for Iranian-backed Hezbollah to be disarmed triggered sectarian violence after some counter-demonstrators insulted the Prophet Mohammed’s wife Aisha and other historic Sunni figures, inflaming Sunni-Shia tensions.  

The military and riot police held back Hezbollah and Amal counter-demonstrators who gathered near downtown Beirut to clash with protestors calling for disarmament. As security forces dispersed the main protest, Shia Hezbollah and Amal supporters taunted protestors in Sunni neighborhoods around the capital and in regional cities such as Tripoli and Sidon. 

Clashes between Sunni-Shia protests and counter-demonstrators went viral on Lebanese social media, and gunfire rang out in some Beirut suburbs. The police and military were deployed to ensure calm and Lebanese religious and political leaders were united in calling for peace.

The top Sunni religious authority, Dar al-Fatwa, warned the faithful of “falling into the trap of sectarian strife.”

“The cursing of Sayyida Aisha can only come from an ignorant person who should be enlightened,” Dar al-Fatwa said in a statement.

“I appeal to all countrymen in all regions to follow the call of Dar al-Fatwa and warn the Muslim public against falling into the trap of sectarian strife,” former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in a statement, reiterating Dar al-Fatwa’s entreaty. 

Current Prime Minister Hassan Diab joined the chorus of voices denouncing the Sunni-Shia clashes and the use of religious slogans on Twitter.  

“The prime minister condemns and denounces in the strongest terms, all sectarian slogans … and calls on all Lebanese and their political and spiritual leaders to exercise awareness and wisdom and cooperate with the Army and security services,” he wrote.  

It remains to be seen if protestors will heed the leaders’ warnings or if Lebanon will experience another night of violence Sunday evening.

Read also: Foreign Powers Call for Reforms Before Delivering Aid to Lebanon

Popular Game PUBG Sparks Controversy Over Idol Worship in MENA

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The recently-released “Mysterious Jungle” version of the popular mobile game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has caused controversy across the Middle East for the inclusion of idol worship. In the new version, players are incentivized to “pray” in front of totems. Doing so awards players with additional health and weaponry. 

The inclusion of idol worship in the game which is popular with children is a source of concern for Muslim scholars with fears it may teach them to embrace polytheism.

Idol worship refers to the practice of worshipping an idol or person in the place of God. Idolatry is forbidden in Islam and is considered to be in contradiction of Tawhid and a sin. Tawhid, the belief in the indivisibleness and oneness of God, is a central pillar of Islam, with the acknowledgment of the oneness of God forming the first part of the Shahada, or declaration of faith. 

Muslim players have taken to social media to express their disappointment with PUBG, and some users have gone as far as deleting the game. 

While less prominent in contemporary discourse, idol worship is also forbidden in Christianity. The Christain Broadcasting Network defines an idol as any “person, object or activity you give a higher priority in your life than a relationship with God.” As in Islam, the centrality of God is key to understanding the issue of idol worship.  

In the Christian understanding, idolatry can be directed towards both material and immaterial possessions such as a relationship, home, job, or vehicle. Idol worship, such as that included in PBUG, is explicitly outlawed in the Bible. It is unclear whether the inclusion of the totem prayer feature has sparked similar controversy among Christian players. 

Video games often lack localization for audiences in the MENA region. However, the game’s producer Tencent issued a statement to Gulf News apologizing for the inclusion of the totem worship feature, which they have now removed.

No Hajj for Indonesian Muslims in 2020

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Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi announced on Tuesday that in light of ongoing travel restrictions and COVID-19 fears, Indonesian Muslims will not be traveling to Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage this year.  

“This was a very bitter and difficult decision,” Razi said during a televised press conference on June 2. “But we have a responsibility to protect our pilgrims and hajj workers.”

The religious affairs minister said the government had investigated three options: Continue with the hajj as normal, limit the hajj, or cancel it altogether. It decided to go with the latter option, noting Saudi Arabia is yet to grant hajj access to any country.

The hajj pilgrimage normally takes place at the end of June. Razi said there were only days left before final visa and flight arrangements had to be made, forcing the government to act quickly and make a decision which it believes will help preserve pilgrims’ health and safety.

“In accordance with the mandate of the law, besides being economically and physically capable, health, and safety of the pilgrims must be guaranteed and prioritized, from embarkation or disembarkation, throughout the journey, and also while in Saudi Arabia,” the minister explained.

The Saudi government has only partially reopened the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, while the Grand Mosque of Mecca remains closed to the public, and the umrah and hajj pilgrimages are suspended until further notice. 

Around 90% (198,900) of Indonesia’s 221,000 person hajj quota was already filled by Muslims ready to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the holy land, the religious affairs ministry said. 

Dewi, a Jakarta telecommunications worker, told Reuters she has waited six years to go on hajj but was at peace with the government’s decision.

“If that is the decision, I will accept it. After all, I believe that everything happens with God’s permission,” she said on June 2. 

For civil servant and hopeful 2020 pilgrim Ria Taurisnawati, the sadness and disappointment were still fresh. 

“I knew this was a possibility, but now that it’s official I can’t help but be heartbroken – I’ve been waiting for years,” the distraught 37-year-old civil told AFP.

“All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan,” she added, in tears. 

Every Muslim, if they are financially and physically able, are required to complete the pilgrimage once in their lifetime. For Indonesians, it takes on average 20 years for their name to come up in the national ballot, according to the Indonesian cabinet’s secretariat.

Read also: My Secular Ramadan

Worshippers Flock Back to Al Aqsa Mosque After COVID-19 Closure

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In the wake of COVID-19, the Al Aqsa Mosque and adjoining Dome of the Rock have been closed to worshippers since mid-March but reopened in the early hours of Sunday morning to welcome Muslims for dawn prayers. 

Nearly 700 Muslims gathered in the early morning darkness on May 31 to once again perform dawn prayers at Islam’s third holiest site. Many kissed the ground and chanted “God is the greatest” upon re-entering the compound, according to media reports. 

“After they opened the mosque, I feel like I can breathe again. Thanks be to God,” said an emotional resident of Jerusalem, Umm Hisham, who took part in the first prayers at Al Aqsa since its March 15 closure.  

For Jews, the area known as the Temple Mount is its holiest site and includes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western or “Wailing” Wall. Reuters reports a group of Orthodox Jews were escorted into the compound by Israeli police to pray at the Western Wall later on Sunday morning. 

Despite the faithful’s relief and excitement at Al Aqsa’s reopening, the spectre of the novel coronavirus remains, especially after Israel experienced a fresh spike in new cases in recent days. Visitors underwent temperature tests before entering the complex, and had to wear face-masks and use their own personal prayer rugs inside shrines and in outdoor areas to prevent the disease from spreading. 

The Council of Islamic Waqf, who deemed the mosque was safe to reopen, does not appear to have imposed any limits on visitation numbers to the 35-acre (14-hectare) compound, whereas Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity is only allowing 50 visitors at a time. Social distancing measures also appeared quite relaxed as worshippers jostled at the gates before the mosque reopened on Sunday morning. 

Read also: Church of the Nativity Reopens, Boosting Spirits, Palestine’s Tourism

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