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International Briefing |
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By Various news sources
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Muslims sweep top 10 spots on list of world intellectuals
(IslamOnline.net and newspapers) CAIRO — Muslim scholars, politicians, economists, scientists and scholars from around the world topped the list of the world’s Top 20 Public Intellectuals unveiled on June 23. "The top 10 public intellectuals in this year’s reader poll are all Muslim," the American magazine Foreign Policy said in announcing the list. More than 500,000 people voted for their top choices from the original long list of 100 figures. Turkey’s influential Fethullah Gülen topped the list. "An Islamic scholar with a global network of millions of followers, Gülen is both revered and reviled in his native Turkey," Foreign Policy said, introducing Gülen. "To members of the Gülen movement, he is an inspirational leader who encourages a life guided by moderate Islamic principles. To his detractors, he represents a threat to Turkey’s secular order." Noble laureate Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist who pioneered the microfinance industry, was voted the second top intellectual in the world. "More than 30 years ago, Yunus loaned several dozen poor entrepreneurs in his native Bangladesh a total of $27. It was the beginning of a lifetime devoted to fighting poverty through microfinance," said the Foreign Policy. Prominent scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, host of the popular Shari`ah and Life TV program on Al Jazeera, was third. Rounding out the top ten were Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, Pakistani politician and rights activist Aitzaz Ahsan, Egypt’s young televangelist Amr Khaled, Iranian philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush, Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan, Ugandan anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani and Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s first female judge.
Switzerland anti-minaret petition will go to national referendum
(AP) BERN, Switzerland — Swiss nationalists say they have enough signatures to force a nationwide referendum on whether to ban the construction of Muslim call-to-prayer towers next to mosques. Ulrich Schlueer, co-president of the Initiative Committee, said that 103,000 signatures have been verified, exceeding the required minimum of 100,000. If approved, the referendum would enshrine in the Swiss constitution a ban on the minarets. The organizers say they are acting against the political spread of Islam. Opponents say a ban would violate religious freedom. It will likely take months to schedule the vote. UNICEF rejects support from Israeli billionaire
(By Saaqib Rangoonwala) NEW YORK –UNICEF has cut ties with an Israeli billionaire due to his suspected involvement in building settlements in the occupied West Bank. Lev Leviev, a real estate and diamond mogul, has supported UNICEF, the U.N. children’s fund, with direct contributions and indirectly by sponsoring at least one UNICEF fundraiser. Leviev is chairman of Africa Israel, a conglomerate whose units include Danya Cebus, which an Arab rights advocacy group claims has carried out settlement construction. UNICEF decided to review its relationship with Leviev after a campaign by the group and found "at least a reasonable grounds for suspecting" that Leviev companies were building settlements in occupied territory, a UNICEF official said. Chris de Bono, a senior adviser to the executive director of UNICEF, said UNICEF will not enter into any partnerships or accept financial contributions from Leviev. "We are aware of the controversy surrounding Mr. Leviev because of his reported involvement in construction work in the occupied Palestinian territory," de Bono told Reuters, adding that it was UNICEF’s policy to have partners who were "as non-controversial as possible."
Cardinal: World obsessed with Islam
(InFocus News Staff) VATICAN CITY — Vatican’s point man for relations with other religions, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, says the world is obsessed by Islam. Tauran said in an interview with the religious website terrasanta.net, which specializes in Holy Land affairs, that he did not want an impression to grow that there are different classes of religion. "Islam is very important but there are also other great Asiatic religious traditions. Islam is one religion," he said. "Yes, the people are obsessed by Islam." Tauran said he wanted to "give this message that all religions are equal." "Sometimes there are priorities because of particular situations, but we mustn’t get the impression there are first-class religions and second-class religions." In March, the Vatican and Muslim leaders agreed to establish a permanent official dialogue, known as "The Catholic-Muslim Forum," to improve often difficult relations.
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