Jordan's powerful Muslim opposition warns that Arabs will topple US-allied Mideast leaders

The leader of Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood warned Saturday that unrest in Egypt will spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the United States. Hammam Saeed's comments were made at a protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman, inspired by massive rallies in neighbouring Egypt demanding the downfall of the country's longtime president, Hosni Mubarak. About 100 members of the fundamentalist group and activists from other leftist organizations and trade unions chanted "Mubarak, step down" and "the decision is made, the people's revolt will remain." Elsewhere, a separate group of 300 protesters gathered in front of the office of Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai, demanding his ouster. "Rifai, it's time for you to go," chanted the group.
Jordan's protests have been relatively small in size, but they underline a rising tension with Jordan's King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally who has been making promises of reform in recent days in an apparent attempt to quell domestic discontent over economic degradation and lack of political freedoms.
But as a monarch with deep support from the Bedouin-dominated military, Jordan's ruler is not seen as vulnerable as Mubarak or Tunisia's deposed leader. Even the Brotherhood — a fiery critic of Jordan's moderate government — has remained largely loyal to the king, who claims ancestry to Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Many believe it's unlikely King Abdullah will bow to demands for popular election of the prime minister and Cabinet officials, traditionally appointed by the king.
Saeed said Arabs have grown disgruntled with U.S. domination of their oil wealth, military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and its support for "totalitarian" leaders in the region.
"The Americans and (President Barack) Obama must be losing sleep over the popular revolt in Egypt," he said. "Now, Obama must understand that the people have woken up and are ready to unseat the tyrant leaders who remained in power because of U.S. backing."
Saeed did not specifically name King Abdullah. But he said Jordan's prime minister "must draw lessons from Tunisia and Egypt and must swiftly implement political reforms."
"We tell the Americans 'enough is enough'," he said.
Rifai has in the last two weeks announced a $550 million package of new subsidies for fuel and staple products like rice, sugar, livestock and liquefied gas used for heating and cooking. It includes a raise for civil servants and security personnel.
Still, Jordan's economy struggles, weighed down by a record deficit of $2 billion this year, rising inflation and rampant unemployment and poverty.

Thousands greet Tunisian Islamic leader’s return

Thousands turned out Sunday to welcome Islamic leader Rached Ghannouchi after more than 20 years in exile, as he eyed a political future for his Ennahda movement after the fall of Tunisia’s regime. “God is great!” Ghannouchi cried out, raising his arms in triumph as he walked into the arrivals hall of Tunis airport, with thousands of cheering supporters crowding around him before driving off to visit his family. The crowd intoned a religious song in honour of the Prophet Mohammed, as supporters held up olive branches, flowers and copies of the Koran.
“I am so happy to be bringing him back home. I never thought I would see my brother again alive in Tunisia,” his sister, Jamila, told AFP.

There were also dozens of people protesting his arrival at the airport, holding up placards that warned against Islamic fundamentalism.

The 69-year-old said he was elated as he checked in for his historic flight at London’s Gatwick airport, where he posed with a Tunisian flag and embraced relatives before boarding for a country that he has not seen since 1989.

“When I return home today I am returning to the Arab world as a whole,” he told reporters, adding that Ennahda (Awakening) now planned to register as a political party and take part in the country’s first democratic elections.

The interim government installed in the north African state after the fall of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14 has granted unprecedented freedoms and allowed key exiles to return despite bans from the old regime.

Ghannouchi, a former radical preacher who says he now espouses moderate ideals similar to Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), was persecuted in Tunisia ever since founding his Islamic movement in 1981.

He still officially has a life sentence hanging over his head for plotting against the president, although the new government has drawn up an amnesty law for convicted activists like Ghannouchi that now has to go before parliament.

“There is still confusion regarding the political situation…. The interim government is changing its ministers every day, it’s not stable yet and its powers are not clear yet,” Ghannouchi told reporters before leaving on Sunday.

Mobile phones make youths shameless: Muslim body

A faction of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Monday passed a resolution opposing use of mobile phones by youths, particularly girls, as it make them "shameless"."Parents should ensure that their wards, especially girls, do not use mobile phones as it makes them 'behaya (shameless)'," stated the resolution passed by AIMPLB (Jadid) stated at its national convention here."Muslim families should strictly follow this," AIMPLB (Jadid) national president Maulana Taukir Raza Khan said. However, he said, education for girls is very important.The organisation also demanded implementation of the recommendations of Ranganath Mishra and Sachar committees, which suggested reservations for Muslims in job and education.

Shia, Sunni get own Muslim cemetery in GTA

A Shia-Sunni Muslim cemetery  the first of its kind in the GTA  is in the works in Richmond Hill and could be operational by fall.The Shia and Sunni communities in the GTA bought the 14-hectare site at the southwest corner of Bethesda Sideroad and Leslie St., from Beth Olam Cemetery Corp., for $6.8 million, says Abdulhuq Ingar, who represents the Sunnis’ Islamic Society of Toronto. “It is a great opportunity for us, Sunni and Shia to work together,” says Ingar, who estimates that about 80 per cent of Muslims in the GTA are Sunnis and 20 per cent are Shia. “We can coexist, we can work together and become a model,” he says. “It is Canadian values which have brought us together Canadian values which have inspired us and allowed us to have this Muslim cemetery for which we are thankful.”

The fact that the vendors were Jewish “adds more gravy to the dinner,” he says. “They were greatly helpful.”

The cemetery will cost about another $2 million in development and overhead costs, says Sabi Ahsan, a Shia Muslim who helped coordinate the deal, which he described as a “positive accomplishment” for the Shia and Sunni communities. The land had “become surplus” for the Beth Olam group, he says, which has other cemeteries.

The Shia and Sunni Muslims will operate independently as part of the Toronto Muslim Cemetery Corp. and will share resources to minimize costs and maintain the property.

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims have been looking for suitable cemetery plots in the GTA for years but zoning and cost have posed problems.

Before any gravesites can be sold — at a cost now estimated at $700 per plot — the corporation has to have a cemetery licence (it was licensed by the former owners but this has to be transferred) and the site plan has to be submitted to and approved by the Town of Richmond Hill, says Ahsan. He expects the licence transfer to happen before the end of February.

Up until now there has only been one very small dedicated Shia Muslim cemetery in Markham, about half a hectare in size.

The new cemetery will accommodate the needs of the estimated community of more than 300,000 Muslims for at least 25 years, probably longer, said Ahsan. But until authorities approve the site plan, the corporation won’t know exactly how many plots there will be, he said.

Most Muslims have been buried in sections of non-denominational cemeteries in the GTA, according to certain key requirements such as being buried within 24 hours of their death and having their body washed and buried in a shroud with their face turned toward Mecca.

But because of traditional cemeteries’ operating hours, meeting some of those requirements has been problematic.