Official report on the flotilla campaign by IHH

Below is the official report for the Mavi Marmara ship to Gaza campaign.  I’m glad to see that the IHH from Turkey has officially documented all of the information, photos and statistics for the Flotilla campaign. 

Take a look:

Download: 8.03MB

(May take a little time to download the report. )

 

Ship to Gaza video update – May 28, 2010

Click on the photo to watch the video.

 

For live updates and videos, visit http://digitalship.shiptogaza.gr.

Bar in Cyprus mosque infuriates Muslims

Source:  IslamOnline.net  (Other coverage in Turkish news)

 

CAIRO – The building of a bar in the garden of a historic mosque in South Cyprus has infuriated local Muslims who warn the provocative action could foment ethnic tensions in the disputed island.

“What they are trying to construct in the garden of the mosque is not in accordance with the values [of Islam],” Hala Mosque Imam ?akir Alemdar told Zaman daily on Monday, October 26.

Greek authorities in South Cyprus announced the construction of a bar in the garden of the historic Hala Mosque to allegedly serve tourists visiting the site. The decision stirred a wave of criticism from local Muslims offended by the provocative action.

“The Greeks know in their territory there are some traces left from the Ottoman Empire,” said Mehmet Dere, the Head of the Religious Worker’s Union. “They should stop the construction.”

Hala Mosque is the most revered Muslim shrine in Cyprus and an important holy site for the entire Muslim world.  It reportedly houses the tomb of Umm Haram, the aunt of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).  Most accounts establish a connection between the site and the death of Umm Haram during the first Arab attempts to conquer Cyprus under Caliph Muawiyah between 647 and 649.

According to these accounts, Umm Haram, being of very old age, had fallen from her mule and had died during a siege of Larnaca in south Cyprus. She was buried near the salt lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. The shrine, and later the mosque and the whole complex, was named after her.

Harmful

Muslim leaders warn the construction of a bar would be hurtful to the relations between Turkish Muslims and Greek non-Muslims on the island.

“Religious values should be respected in order for relations between the two sides to remain positive,” said Yusuf Suiçmez, Director of Religious Affairs Directorate in the Turkish Republic or Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

Cyprus, the Mediterranean’s third largest island, is partitioned into two main parts. The area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus comprises about 59 percent of the island’s area and is a European Union member.  The Turkish-held area in the north covers about 37 percent of the island’s area and recognized only by Turkey as an independent state.

Suiçmez said his directorate has recently filed a complaint at the state offices in Greek Cyprus, but has so far received no response. Imam Alemdar said the provocation move is offending to Muslims all over the world not just in Cyprus.

“If the construction goes on and officials do not intervene to stop it, we would make this incident more public to the world,” he said. “It is not an issue related to the KKTC but to the entire Muslim world. Every Muslim should be paying attention to this.”

 

 

 

Journey to Islam: Maria in Cyprus

My name is Maryam (formally Maria). I was born and brought up in North London and now live in Nicosia with my husband. My husband is Muslim ma sha Allah and I am very proud of him. We were married last year registered hence the (then) different religions, me being Christian Orthodox and he being Muslim.

We went to Morocco to meet his family and took a site seeing tour
of the country. To cut a long story short, whilst driving I missed an exit so I had to drive about 10 minutes more to find the next exit to proceed to Marakkesh.

With us, we had my brother-in-law and their friend. The three were talking and I continued driving until I suddenly saw with my own eyes something which is one of the most incredible and beautiful of Allah’s creations. Allah’s name written crystal clear in the clouds.

Remember, I was Christian and knew absolutely nothing of signs of Allah or anything to do with Islam, but seeing the clouds opened me up deeply and alone I realised what I was seeing. To make sure, I said to my husband to see what I was pointing at and he confirmed it. So beautiful. When we arrived at his family’s home after a few days touring he told them what I had seen and they too said it was a sign. That is how I took it. A SIGN.

After returning to Cyprus, I started to read more into Islam, the miracles, the videos of debates between Ahmed Deedat and Christian priests, and then I realised that I was taking Islam more into my heart day by day. Even from the beginning when my husband was praying salat five times a day, I would try to take a peek into how he prayed and what he recited, fixing the salawat for him and memorising surah Al-Fatihah.

I asked him how one becomes Muslim and he told me that firstly you must believe that Allah is alone and has no partners, sons, mother or father, that the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) is Allah’s messenger, prophet and slave and that Jesus is a prophet and NOT THE SON OF GOD. Of course, being brought up in a Christian Orthodox religion it is quite hard to take this all in since I was not taught anything but Christianism (even when I use to go Greek school it was in a church).

Slowly, slowly, I started to read more into Islam, asking my husband questions and remembering what I saw in Morocco. My husband started to have dreams about me and Islam and he would tell me the following morning. That, for me, was it… I wanted to be a Muslimah in sha Allah.

So after learning finally the truth about Islam, I learned the shahada and one glorious day put my hand on the Holy Qu’ran and said the words Ashadu ana la ilaha illallah wa Muhammadin abduhu wa rasulllullah.

There it was…. I became a Muslimah…. ALHAMDU LILAH… Then my husband taught me how to do my wudu and we started praying salat together. ALHAMDU LILAH.

Also, my husband had a beautiful dream about me and Islam. One night he said goodnight to me but instead of me answering good night, all I heard myself say was, ”Please don’t say anything to me as I am praying,” and I was. I reciting Al-Fatihah until I closed my eyes and slept. I really didn’t realize to be honest what had happened that night until he explained to me the following morning.

Yet, after being a Muslimah for a year now, my parents do not know. I know how it will affect them and am too scared to face them. I know they will not accept me and I love them so much. Even though my mother has realised a big change in me since I don’t wear my cross anymore from when I was christened and since I don’t enter the church. If I do for a funeral or wedding I cannot stay for long and try to find an excuse to leave. I simply cannot enter it.

I will never regret converting. Allah answer’s my prayers and I feel a warm presence of angels surrounding me when I read Qu’ran, recite even a little of the surahs. I know and try as a good Muslimah to commit myself to completing the five pillars of Islam. In sha Allah, when we have enough money, we will do Hajj.

May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon everyone and your families.

Maryam

Notes:

Ma sha Allah – Allah wills it
Salah – prayer
Salawat – prayers
Surah – chapter
Al-Fatihah – The Opening
Pbuh- peace be upon him
Muslima – Muslim woman
Shahadah – the statement you recite to become Muslim:
Ashadu ana la ilaha illallah wa Muhammadin abduhu wa rasulllullah.
There is no object worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
In sha Allah – if Allah wills
Alhamdu lillah – all praise is to Allah

Ship leaves Cyprus to Gaza, IDF navy intercepts

Greeks Rethink Note:  The ship is part of the Free Gaza movement headed by Greek Professor Vangelis Pissias.  Please watch video below for his interview and mission.

 

 

 Διαβάστε στα ελληνικά.

Source:  Jerusalem Post

An IDF Navy unit took over a ship that was en route to breaking the naval closure on the Gaza Strip, the IDF said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

International activists cover boxes of medical supplies to protect them from the rain aboard a boat before setting sail for Gaza from the Cypriot port of Larnaca, Monday.

After the Navy contacted the ship and realized it was headed to Gaza, the troops clarified that the Strip is under naval closure and that because of security concerns it will not be allowed to reach the beach of Gaza.

The ship, named Arion and referred to by the Free Gaza movement which sponsored its trip as the Spirit of Humanity, continued sailing to Gaza despite the Navy’s warnings, and after refusing to heed consecutive calls not to sail to the Strip, Navy troops mounted the ship and navigated it to the Ashdod port.

The Arion’s crew and passengers will be transferred over to relevant authorities, the military statement said.

The IDF added that any entity wishing to transfer humanitarian aid can do so through land crossings, after coordinating with the relevant Israeli authorities.

The Cypriot Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a statement following the incident, saying “The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Israel would like to inform that the “Spirit of Humanity” boat, sponsored by the Free Gaza Movement, that attempted in the early hours today to reach Gaza was given permission by the competent Authorities of the Republic of Cyprus to sail off the port of Larnaca in Cyprus on the basis of its declaration that its intended destination was the port of Port Said in Egypt.”

Welcome our new Greek Converts Manager

Please give a warm welcome to our new Greek Converts Manager, Mariam Eustathiou.

Mariam is from Cyprus and is now living in Switzerland.  She is the founder of the Facebook group, Greek Muslims, and is a new member of our admin team to help provide support for the Global Greek Muslim community.

She is heading up our crucial project to collect as many Greek convert stories as we can, either in text or video format.  As you know, many Greeks don’t want to accept the fact that we are Greek, raised just like them, and consciously choose Islam.  So, if we don’t have your story submitted already, I highly encourage you to get in contact with Mariam at greekconverts@greeksrethink.com.

Please give a warm welcome to Mariam.

Cypriots split over island’s future

Source: Al Jazeera English
Publication Date: September 24, 2008

Cyprus’ rival leaders have begun their first solid talks on reunification and power-sharing in what is seen as the best chance in years of resolving differences on the divided island.

Barnaby Phillips, Al Jazeera’s Europe correspondent, spoke to two Cypriots from either side of the island, one of whom believes that the two communities are slowly coming together, the other who fears they are drifting apart.

“Not a chance,” the café owner was emphatic, “not one chance”, he said, jabbing his finger at me to make the point, “this peace process will go nowhere”.

Phillips’ European diary
Part 1: A Balkan view

It was just one opinion, from the Greek side of the divided island of Cyprus, but it was depressing to hear, nonetheless.

After all, we had come to Cyprus to cover the start of formal reunification talks between the Greek and Turkish communities.

And, so we had been told, this is Cyprus’s best, maybe last, chance of bringing the two sides together.

In truth, my café owner, in the heart of the capital Nicosia, is not alone in his bleak assessment.

Bitter truths

One senior Western diplomat in the region told me, only half in jest, that “when it comes to the Cyprus problem, there are two kinds of people; pessimists, and those who haven’t been here long enough to be pessimists”.

It’s easy to list the reasons why this peace initiative might fail, like all the others before it in the 34 years since Turkish troops landed on Cyprus in response to a coup by officers of the Cypriot National Guard seeking unity with Greece.

There is the difficulty of restoring property and/or paying compensation to the many thousands who were displaced in the fighting in 1974.

Then there is the challenge of finding a workable power-sharing arrangement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and of securing consensus on the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers, and so on.

The optimists, and there are a few, say that things might be different this time.

That’s because the respective leaders on Cyprus, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, are serious about following these talks through to their conclusion. The friendship between the men goes back many years.

But that may not be enough.

If the Cyprus problem is to be solved, both leaders are going to have to tell their people some awkward facts.

For example, many of the displaced will not get their homes or land back, and the families of those listed as “missing” will have to come to terms with the fact that their loved ones are dead.

Cypriots have listened to nationalist rhetoric for decades, and now must accept some very bitter truths.

Awkward position

On the Turkish side of the island, I heard grumbling that Talat may not have the charisma or dynamism to convince his people to embrace reunification, especially after the disappointment of 2004, when Turkish Cypriots accepted a UN plan, but Greek Cypriots rejected it.

Talat is in an awkward position.

Read more…

Problems with Arab shaykhs in Greek-speaking areas

This post is in response to Mariam’s comment.  I’m moving it here so it’s easier to respond.

Q.  …None of the sheikhs speak greek….and barely english….so in other words our khutbas are in arabic, and all the greeks either sit there like lemons, or we sit next to an arab speaker and they explain wat is goin on…..

thereforeeee…rather than having these problems, could we work together to find ourselves a local greek or cypriot sheikh coz it is kind of crucial.

fi aman allah
mariam

 

My answer: 

Mariam, wow, subhan Allah, sounds like major drama.  I have to say I don’t have a solution to this problem so I’m just going to post some ideas that might help and if anyone else has ideas or feedback, please comment below.

First, as we know, the ideal shaykh would be of course someone who is qualified with knowledge of the deen.  After that, knowing the language of the people plus the cultural norms of the land is of utmost importance.

Let me give you an example.  I was once watching a video of people attending a mosque in Greece.  At the end of the khutbah, while people were leaving, you wouldn’t believe it but they were all lined up (in the masjid!) to greet these two guys who are singing nasheed, then they touch something, make dua, wipe their faces and then leave the mosque.  I was like…. whaaaaat?!! I thought it was a bad rerun of a Greek church service…no joke!

Did the prophet (saws) or the sahaba ever do that? NO! Not that I know of anyway. I showed it to an Arab and we both started laughing out of the ridiculousness of it all but the thing is my Arab friend didn’t really get why they would do such a thing.  Me, being Greek, I understand that they, in essence, just copied what the Greek church does at the end of their service and “Islamified” it with nasheed and dua to replace the the “chanting” of the Bible verses in Greek plus the lining of the people to kiss the priest’s hand and recieve the bread that was “blessed”.

So back to an Arab shaykh who doesn’t speak Greek and wouldn’t really relate to the example above, how do make this situation better?  Here are just a few ideas that I had.  I’m not sure if they are practical to your situation, but it’s worth a mention:

1.  If there is a knowledgeable Greek Muslim that can be assigned as an assistant to the shaykh, that would help because he be an advisor on the cultural norms and the Greek language.  He can also either translate the shaykh’s khutbah’s for him so the shaykh can either do Arabic/Greek or Arabic/English or if this is totally not possible, perhaps the assistant can do the Greek version after the khutbah.  You just have to investigate that becuase there are certain things you can and cannot do during the khutbah.  This can also work for halaqahs or classes.

2. If you can’t find anyone locally, perhaps, someone could contact the University of Madinah or AlAzhar University and see if anyone there is qualified who knows the Greek language, or even English at least who might be willing to relocate to Cyprus.  This might be far-fetched but at least you can try.

3. For long-term planning, your masjid can sponsor a brother to travel to one of these universities to study and return with the agreement to become the shaykh of the masjid a few years later.

Just some ideas… what do you guys think?

Muslim Places of Worship in Cyprus

A new revision of the book, Muslim Places of Worship was published recently by the Press and Information Office of Cyprus.  While I’ve read some (expected) negative hype about it from non-Muslim Cypriots online, Dr. Tarek Radwan, a professor at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo states that, “The present volume highlights the reality of peaceful co-existence that prevailed for centuries between the Christian Greek and Muslim Turkish ethnic communities…”

Although Muslims comprise mainly of Turkish ethnic communities, there are some Greek converts to Islam in Cyprus and the story by Maryam Eustathiou below that was published by IslamOnline.net is proof of it:

 

 

Like a Newborn Child – A Catholic Woman Discovers Islam

Being brought up in a Catholic Christian household I always felt the importance of being in a religion, and respecting the will of God. However even from an early age I sensed that the religion I was brought up in was not quite what I expected. My earliest memories bring me to a typical Sunday scene sitting in church and looking around me, not digesting what the priest was saying, and staring at a hall full of statues and paintings of various “religious” scenes and persons.

I always remember asking myself: can this be it?

More…