Once Mild, Islam Looks Harsher in Indonesia

JAKARTA,

Indonesia,

The moderate strand of Islam that absorbed touches of Buddhism and Hinduism, and some mysticism, along its journey over the centuries here, is being eroded, some fear at a rapid pace.

The battle for the soul of Islam inIndonesia is under way. Some have begun to ask whether the Islamists who want to create a caliphate across the Muslim areas of Southeast Asia will at the very least eventually succeed in Indonesia.

A group of American experts, headed by a former United States ambassador to Syria, Edward P. Djerejian, is scheduled to arrive here in coming weeks as part of a worldwide look at Islam. Eventually, they will report to the Bush administration on how to mold the American message to the Muslim world. They are likely to find some of the same underlying themes in Indonesia as in the Middle East, where the group has begun its work.

Taken From: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/international/asia/03INDO.html?ex=1063252800&en=aa25352ba43b516e&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1

A Muslim may become a new plenipotentiary on human rights of Russia

During the press conference of representatives of the Muslim community devoted to xenophobic spirits in the society and in particular to the thrashes on the Muslim cemetery in Chelyabinsk, Kamiljan Kalandarov, the director of the Institute of human rights, said that he was promote as an official candidate to the post of the plenipotentiary on human rights of Russia. The term of O. Mironov, the present plenipotentiary, expires in the near future. Several deputy factions support K. Kalandarov.

Addressing mass media, K. Kalandarov said that he thinks the Plenipotentiary on human rights is very important for preserving stability in the state. According to him, the plenipotentiary should defend the rights of national minorities as well. Today, as he noted, this is done rarely. Numerous appeals to O. Mironov were ignored.

An appointment of a Muslim to this post, according to K. Kalandarov, will be a sign of importance changes in the home policy ofRussia. This will also promote prevention of international and interreligious conflicts.

Taken From: http://eng.islam.ru/press/rus/2003-09-03/?single=1114

Azhar to appoint 5,500 teachers

Cairo,

About 5,500 graduates of the Azhar Shariff will be appointed to the Azharian institutes and the various braches of theUniversity of Azhar, according to Sheikh Mahmoud Ambabi, the Undersecretary at the Azhar Shariff. He added that of these, 500 would take up administrative jobs at the university and some of its branches, mostly in the remote areas of the country. Ambabi went on to say that 90 of the graduates would be appointed as primary teachers, adding that the academic year would begin on September 20. He said that 85 of the foreign students would be given accommodation, the first that such a large number of them have been accommodated.

Taken From: http://www.islamicnews.org/english/en_daily.html