Prayer with an innovated water-saving device

Source: Enet.gr

Διαβάστε στα Ελληνικά

 

A Malaysian company has invented a device that, as they claim, will help Muslims to make their cleansing before their prayers without spending too much water.

The “green” device is accompanied by automatic sensors and sinks that interrupt the water flow during  “wudu” – a word with Arabic origin that indicates the procedure that the face, hands and feet of the faithful are cleansed before the prayer.

The ritual of ablution is preceded by the five prayers that a Muslim is obliged to perform.

Today in the world there are 1.7 billion Muslims who mainly live in Africa and Middle East, which are areas with weak water resources.

The device has height of 1.65cm and it recites also Quranic verses. It uses only 1.3 liters of water and it is better than the old traditional methods where tabs are left to run during the entire ablution of the faithful that can last a few minutes.

“During Hajj (Mecca pilgrimage) two million people were spending 50 million liters of water for wudu. If they use this device they will save 40 million liters per day,” states the chairman of AACE Technologies Antony Gomez.

The investors of the company are very optimistic that the rich Muslim countries will obtain this machine that will be available in six months and costs 3-4000 dollars.

Dubai already has expressed interest to obtain this device for the airport, Gomez stated, adding that this machine needed two years to be completed and costs 2.5 million dollars.

Banking: Islam waits

Source: Canadian Business on line

© Greeks Rethink

As the Anglo-Saxon ex-masters of the financial universe struggle to emerge from a perfect storm of bad loans, bad bets and a deep recession, an alternative approach to business transactions is having a moment in the sun: Islamic finance, based on teachings from the Qur’an.

Some governments, including the United Kingdom and Japan, have begun trying to tap into money from the Middle East by floating debt as sukuk, or Shariah-compliant bonds. At the retail level, Islamic mortgages and other banking products — based on a no-interest equity-pool form of finance — are becoming more popular. Here in Canada, Standard & Poor’s recently set up a Shariah-compliant index that has already led to the proposed creation of the first Islamic ETF in this country.

But as the Islamic finance movement begins to get off the ground, a tug-of-war about how fast this new religious economy should emerge has broken out among those hoping to be players in this market.

The federal government declines to say how many applications it has received from organizations hoping to be the first Canadian institution to set up a licensed Islamic-focused bank in this country. But observers estimate there are about half a dozen applications sitting with the Department of Finance, and some of those asking for consideration are getting impatient with the time it has taken the government to come up with a yes or no.

Steve Watts, a partner with KPMG in Toronto, is involved with one of the applications. (KPMG is also handling another.) He says he’s worried Canada is falling behind other countries in its development of this sector. He points to London, which has decided to be proactive in developing that city as a “centre of excellence” in Islamic finance. “This is the next big shift in retail banking for the Muslim community. Looking to the future, this is going to be great for banks,” says Watts. “What are we waiting for? If this is being done in the rest of the Commonwealth, why can’t it be done here? Why can’t the laws of Canada accommodate this?” A conventional application usually takes up to 12 months; the Islamic applications have been sitting with the government for two to three years.

Watts points out that Islamic finance is one of the fastest-growing sectors in financial services. Authorities have done background checks around the applications; the backing of KPMG helps to ensure the commercial accounting on the applications is up to par. And anyway, despite what some critics argue, the products offered under the Islamic finance banner are not all that unconventional; the techniques used in Islamic finance are the same as or similar to some used at credit unions, in private equity and in venture capital.

Watts argues that the bureaucratic delays are leaving the sector under-regulated. “Mainstream Canadians are protected, but regulation is non-existent in this sector,” he says. “This is about taking something that is currently unregulated and bringing it into the mainstream. We want to show Canadians that they are represented under the regulatory system of Canada.”

Interestingly, the proposals were submitted for approval to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, as is typical in such filings. But all the applications were subsequently punted to Finance. What might have held up the approval process? Only four years ago, the Ontario government found itself mired in a debate around accommodating Shariah-based law in provincial courts; the plan was eventually tossed out amid the populist backlash. The federal Conservatives might be hoping to avoid a similar kind of debate, especially given a minority in the House. As well, groups such as the Muslim Canadian Congress, the self-styled voice of moderate Muslims, has criticized the Islamic finance movement, calling it a con job by “Islamists, with backing from Middle Eastern financial institutions and their Western partners,” as one letter to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. put it, intended to scare Muslims into paying more for financial services out of a sense of religious duty.

And others in the Islamic finance sector suggest there is no rush to hand out a banking licence. Among them is Omar Kalair, the president and CEO of UM Financial Inc., a company that offers Islamic mortgages and is proposing a new Islamic ETF. UM Financial doesn’t have a banking licence. It offers its services through an agreement with an existing financial services company, Central 1 Credit Union, which provides capital to UM. That and partnerships with other companies allow it to offer a limited number of mortgages as well as a couple of other services, like insurance, and, more recently, a “prepaid”(interest free) Islamic credit card. But as one of the first movers in this space in Canada, Kalair would like to see more development of the market first, before a stand-alone bank is approved. “The market is not yet ready for this,” he says. “The fact that the big Canadian banks are not yet offering these services suggests that.” Kalair assumes the applications with Finance are mainly offshore Mideast groups hoping to set up shop here.

Nevertheless, the rest of the world is moving quickly. According to a report by Stikeman Elliott LLP, the sector has grown by between 20% and 30% a year since 2001. Watts wants to see Canada catch up to the U.K., which speeded the approval process in Islamic finance on the principle of “no obstacles, but no special favours.” That is, the government won’t stand in the way of the sector just because the word “Islamic” is attached. If the products fit into existing regulations, then banks will get a licence.

Watts calls this an enlightened, rational approach that meshes with western traditions of free markets and religious freedom. The idea that technically sound applications would be held up on any other concern would be to undermine western values. “The bureaucrats can’t have their heads in the sand on this. The applicants are making a business case here — nothing more,” says Watts. “They don’t want any special favours. They just want this considered.”

Those in the world of Islamic finance believe that now is the time to strike. One of the key developments in western finance leading to the current meltdown was the 25-year expansion in consumer credit. Deregulation, the rise of the offshore-shadow banking system, cultural attitudes toward debt — all led to a sharp rise in the amount of debt held by each individual. But as formerly non-creditworthy people were offered mortgages, demand in the economy was artificially expanded as well. That worked like a charm for a while — home prices skyrocketed, the auto industry continued to sell cars at a rapid pace, corporate earnings advanced — but once the credit bubble began to deflate, crisis quickly followed.

Proponents of Islamic finance argue that had its principles been followed, the big crash would have been avoided. Not only are profits from pornography and alcohol banned, but so too are unstable debt levels. That is an idea that may find favour with many in the West, especially in the wake of the recent meltdown. Watts suggests that even non-Muslim Canadians, recognizing the advantages, might at some point hope to access these services, just as some non-Muslim Canadians choose to eat halal. “You don’t have to be Muslim to enjoy the benefits. How many Canadians might want that — invest ethically in a system that isn’t debt-based?” asks Watts.

That possibility might soon be tested in the real world. The federal Department of Finance has confirmed that it recently finished its assessments and sent the applications back to OSFI for normal processing.

Greek President: Aren’t they ashamed to kill children?

The President of Greece, Mr. Karolos Papoulias, takes a strong stand for Gaza, announcing to the politicians of Greece at the New Year’s reception, “What are they doing? Aren’t they ashamed to kill children?”

 «Τι είναι αυτά που κάνουν; Δεν ντρέπονται λιγάκι να σκοτώνουν παιδιά;».

He has openly expressed his opinion about the Gaza massacre in his New Year’s message, where he referred to Gaza as a “blood bath [that] seems to come from other, darker days of the past”.

When the head of Pasok Party, G. Papandreou addressed him, Mr. Papoulias asked him “what will you do about Middle East? Papandreou informed him about his telephone conversation with Mahmud Abbas and all the actions of the Socialist International. They both agreed that this killing is unacceptable and the president repeated, “How can they kill in cold blood?”

 When Honorary President of New Democratic Party, K. Mitsotakis, counteracted and told the President of Greece that the Israelis also have their rights. Papoulias replied, “And what [do] our fellow Israelis do? They take off aircrafts and kill in cold blood”. 

«Τι κάνουν οι φίλοι μας οι Ισραηλινοί; Σηκώνουν αεροπλάνα και σκοτώνουν εν ψυχρώ;».

The President also asked Mrs. Papariga, General Secretary of Communistic Party, to inform him of the situation in Ramallah after her return from the city.

This attitude of Greek citizens and politicians may leave a bitter taste to the friends of Israel, but has been proven to be welcomed by the majority of the Hellenic world, where the media topic is covered extensively, as well as blogs praising the President because he was the only one who had the strength to stand up openly for his political position. 

Greek citizens agreed with him simply because Greece has endured occupation and oppression time and time again, but our free spirit cannot tolerate the lack of freedom.

There are demonstrations in Athens daily, the largest will be held on Saturday, January 10th at Syntagma united by the general population, the anti-war organizations, the Arab community, and the political parties.  They all stand together to raise their voices in hopes that this massacre will come to an end and they will not stop demonstrating until this genocide ceases.

 

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Related articles:

Why does Greece always side with Palestine?

Communist Party of Greece shows support for Palestinians

Boy in Greece beaten during Gaza demonstration

Q. Why does Greece always side with Palestine?

Someone on the internet asked this question.  Well, I can’t speak for Greece, but I can guess they do because they see the issue for what it is – slaughtering civilians. 

Barging into their homes.

Demolishing their homes.

Kicking them out. 

Closing borders so civilians can’t escape the bombs.

Blocking food, medical supplies from coming in.

Bombing their women, children and babies.

Bombing mosques, schools and soon their hospitals.

Trying to wipe an entire people off the planet.

 

And after all of that, people have the audacity to call Palestinians terrorists?! Define terrorism.

Greece is known for standng up for justice and taking it to the streets.  And besides, the news coverage in North America is a lot – and I mean a lot – more filtered compared to the Middle East and even in Europe where they see the raw – uncensored – footage.  If you saw both side by side you would think that reporters were covering two separate issues completely.

A rising tide of migrants unsettles Athens

 

Source: International Herald Tribune

Published Date: October 2, 2008

ATHENS: About 80,000 migrants have traveled to Greece this year and decided to stay illegally, according to the authorities, who say the country can no longer handle the task of guarding the European Union’s southeast flank.

While initial problems with the flood of migrants from Africa and the Middle East who are desperate to enter Europe centered on the Aegean islands, migrants are now wreaking havoc in the capital.

The historic center of Athens has been riven by several street battles in recent months, involving what the police characterize as rival groups, often involved in dealing drugs, from Afghanistan, Iraq and war-torn African countries wielding swords, axes and machetes.

After 11 people were hurt in one such brawl in late August, the police began 24-hour patrolling of the area. Store owners and residents are leaving the busy central shopping and restaurant district.

According to a residents’ group, dozens of people renting in the area have left their homes in the past year, and several stores have closed, chiefly small but long-established neighborhood conveniences like bakeries, hardware stores or delicatessens.

“People are scared and depressed, it’s getting worse and worse,” said Vassiliki Nikolakopoulou of the group, Panathinaia.

The top policy adviser for immigration issues at the Interior Ministry, which also oversees public order, blames the influx of about 80,000 migrants this year.

“Because of this phenomenon, we see more and more immigrants in central Athens trying to survive, often through illicit activities,” the official, Patroklos Georgiadis, said in a telephone interview. “This unpleasant situation – for the migrants and for us as an EU country – has become unbearable.”

Georgiadis said that Greece supported the stricter line on immigration being promoted by the bloc’s French presidency. “There will not be another wave of legalization of immigrants in Greece in the near future,” Georgiadis said, referring to the three programs that have granted work and residence permits to some 500,000 migrants, most of them undocumented foreigners – at least half from Albania – since 1997.

The unrest in Athens has triggered a backlash from the far-right party Laos, whose popularity has jumped to 5.4 percent in opinion polls from 3.5 percent when it entered Parliament a year ago.

“The city center has been taken hostage by gangs of illegal immigrants with knives – isn’t it about time we asked ourselves if we have too many of them?” a Laos legislator, Antonis Georgiadis, said during a recent television debate. He is not related to the immigration official.

Although some on the Greek left have warned against demonizing migrants, the Athens prefect, Yiannis Sgouros, who belongs to the main opposition Socialist party, Pasok, refers to an “explosive problem” in the heart of the capital, where thousands of migrants living in cheap hotels and derelict houses struggle to find work.

“Illegal immigrants are becoming pawns to local drug barons and are forming gangs,” Sgouros wrote last week in a letter to Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. He added: “Something has to change or the area will become an arena for race clashes and gang wars.”

Thomas Hammarberg, a Swede who is human rights commissioner at the Council of Europe, has criticized Greece and other EU states for “criminalizing the irregular entry and presence of migrants as part of a policy of so-called migration management.”

“Political decision-makers should not lose the human rights perspective in migration,” Hammarberg wrote in an e-mail message when asked to comment for this article. “Migrants coming from war-torn states should be given refuge.”

The government says that Greece grants protection to all refugees, as long as their status can be proven. But UN refugee agency statistics show that Greece approves less than one percent of asylum applications, compared with a European Union average of 20 percent.

According to minority groups, the treatment of migrants from war-torn states as “illegals” rather than refugees requiring protection forces them to eke out a life on the fringes of society.

“Most don’t get asylum or social support and have to find other ways to survive,” Adam Ziat, leader of the Union of Sudanese Refugees, said in a dingy café behind central Omonia Square that serves as his office.

According to Ahmed Mowias, coordinator of the Greek Migrants’ Forum, newly-arrived refugees from conflict zones are being exploited by rackets run by Nigerians, Moroccans and Algerians established in the area for many years. “Refugees are the smallest links in the dealing chain,” Mowias, a longtime resident of Athens who is from Sudan, said.

Police figures show that most immigrants arrested on drug-related charges in central Athens this year were from war-torn states like Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

For most of these migrants, their first stop in Greece was one of the Aegean islands where reception centers are overcrowded and the local authorities are losing their patience.

On Patmos, in the eastern Aegean, the authorities this month blocked their ports to boats carrying passengers from Turkey, saying the number of unwanted visitors on their island had exceeded its 3,000 permanent residents.

The popular islands of Lesbos and Samos, which report getting boatloads of migrants almost daily, are calling on the government to take action.

But, according to Mowias, the government’s failure to create a comprehensive immigration and asylum system is the root of the problem. “When a group of people has no social support and cannot solve its problems, this leads to a crisis,” he said.

Even gold medal winners make dua

 

Rashid Ramzi, Bahrain

Gold medal winner

Source:  Yahoo! Sports