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shafique

Arniegang - up until November last year speaking English was indeed not a requisite for UK nationality. It now is a requisite - the test is in English, and for those who can't speak English well enough they can take a course on English as a second language which incorporates the elements of the test...

shafique

GAB, Tatooing is forbidden in Islam - seen as a defacement of your body, I think. Women have always 'prettyfied' themselves and this is totally allowed in Islam. This extends to make-up, jewellry and fine clothes. Men in Islam aren't allowed to wear silk and gold - seen as luxuries in the past. One ...

shafique

Fayz, Weddings in Islam are meant to be simple affairs - the ceremony itself (Nikka) is a very quick ceremony where the announcement is made in public of the marriage and the amount of money that the groom is paying over to the bride. The groom and the bride's representative are asked for their cons...

shafique

Arnie, It wasn't the cost - it used to be only £150. What kept us from applying was that I would have to send in my passport as well and then it would take 2 to 3 months to process. Each time we thought about it - there was either a holiday coming up or I had to travel on business, so it wasn't conv...

shafique

ps..another rant against the red-tape of the UK (although it's nothing compared to the stories I'm hearing of the UAE) - is the ridiculous charges they now have. For example, my wife has permanent residence. Her passport expired and a new one was issued. Just to transfer the visa from the old passpo...

shafique

Fayz, From a common sense perspective (which is a concept in Islam - "Ijtehad" - to use knowledge to extrapolate to situations not directly addressed), reconstructive surgery is ok, as is the use of prosthetics. Islam requires that all reasonable measures are taken to preserve life - eating of pork ...

shafique

Carrion has nothing to do with hand luggage!

The dictionary defn is :

car·ri·on (kăr'ē-ən) pronunciation

noun: Dead and decaying flesh.

adjective:
1. Of or similar to dead and decaying flesh.
2. Feeding on such flesh.

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique

By strange coincidence, the BBC are running a story today on the backlog of citizenship applications caused by a surge of applications before last November's changes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4706862.stm There is also a link here to a version of the 'British' test - see how well you score ...

shafique

Liban, Hypothetically though, if a nuclear attack was made, what could/would the 'muslim world' do? There is precious little unity at the moment - nothing was done to curb the Taliban, nothing is being done to help the Muslims in Chechnya, nothing was done to help the Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo (t...

shafique

HP - I'm in the UK, will be in Dubai in just over 2 weeks. It's early evening here

shafique

Liban - I'm still not sure whether you've explained what you think the muslim nations will do specifically. I agree that there will be widespread popular protests, but what will Saudi Arabia actually do? Who will actually order the nuclear bombs from Russia - the troops that are now being overseen b...

shafique

Some people say that the nuke thing is a pre-text to stop Iran selling oil for Euros, which will be disastrous for the US economy (as it will mean that the dollar will no longer be backed by oil, historically it was backed by gold, now the only thing it is effectively linked to is oil. If left to 'f...

shafique

Arniegang,

I did a Google for Iran Oil Euro and this article was thrown up:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.inf ... le8354.htm

Can't vouch for the website or the author(s), but it makes interesting reading.

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique

Sorry Kanelli, I didn't spot your question about whether Iran should be 'allowed' to have nuclear weapons. Allowed by whom is a question that the world is increasingly asking. A nation or a person is judged by both actions and words. What one does when one is a position of authority or strength show...

shafique

Kanelli, Iran are not signatories to the nuclear non proliferation treaty, as I understand it. They have said they are not developing nuclear weapons. Where's the beef? I mean, where exactly is the concern? I've not seen any 'inteligence gathering' saying they are developing nuclear weapons? I've se...

shafique

Doesn't "Western" mean wearing chaps, a stetson and carrying a six-shooter??

shafique

Kanneli, I enjoy discussing with you as well. I too have noted the deafening silence on the other points :) I always try and look beyond rhetoric and see what is happening to people on the ground and see what is actually affecting them. I hate the stereotyping of any people. I also have an inherent ...

shafique

Interesting point - I'm not a lawyer so don't know about pre-emptive strikes not being against international law. However, I would have thought that bombing a foreign territory is something that is covered under international law and that just calling it a 'pre-emptive strike' doesn't make it into a...

shafique

I've been going to the States on business every year since 2003 - I'm amazed at the view most people there have of the outside world. You may have heard that a healthy majority* of people thought that Iraq had something to do with 9/11 - I'm not sure whether this notion has changed since the polls w...

shafique

Arnie - Just a bit de-mob happy at the moment, trying to juggle handovers at work and finalising all the bits and bobs required for a wholesale relocation! I'm amazed that everything's going smoothly thus far, but I'm certainly feeling the stress and I'm using the forums as a pleasant distraction. ....

shafique

I read recently that Charlotte Church is refusing to diet and says that her fans will relate to her more as she is carrying a few extra pounds. (I'm amazed I kept this trivia in my head!) The last time I saw CC singing, she didn't look fat to me - but then again I tend not to read (read? - surely it...

shafique

Arnie - you have farrrr tooo much time on your hands !

(and yes, I am at work... but I mostly post when vegetating in front of the telly in the eves)

shafique

Hmm - can someone be opinionated and open minded? I am certainly opionated, but does that mean I'm not openminded? I am Western educated, but follow an 'Eastern' religion and hold a Mauritian passport (ok, and a UK one too). As my wife would say "Men only think they are right, women know they are" a...

shafique

Along with the understandable revulsion at these photos, I also am shocked at the sheer stupidity of the soldiers who thought it was a good idea to take photos as momentos of their handiwork. That is the scary part - the photos show they didn't think it was wrong and cleary showed how far they are f...

shafique

Liban, I hope that you posted that in jest. Islam does not teach that Hell is in the core of the earth, perhaps you have been swayed by the imagery of Dante?? The Quran says that we can have no conception of what life will be after death, as it will be like nothing we have experienced. We will be of...

shafique

Liban - we're just never sure with you

(But I guessed you were having a laugh)

Wasalaam,
Shafique

shafique

Just had confirmation that we will be staying at the Sofitel City Centre by the Deira Mall when we get to Dubai in 2 weeks time. We arrive on Fri Mar 3rd. We'll be there for a month while we look for somewhere to rent. Looks pretty central on the map - looking forward to meeting up with a few member...

shafique

Prison is both to punish and to reform. To punish serves as a deterrent and to reform is to stop people re-offending. Memorising the whole of the Quran is no mean feat - it does show perseverance and dedication. Does it reform the person? I guess it would depend - but it doesn't sound like a daft/st...

shafique

GB I totally agree with your last point. Islam generally gives more rights to victims than the judicial systems of the US or Europe - the victims usually have the right to pardon or object to early release. (Parole hearings in the US also allow representations from victims or their representatives.)...

shafique

Men and women are different - I've recently been reading a good book that explains the differences, backed up by scans of the brains as well as other studies. It doesn't say men are better, just explains why men and women are different.. For example, women can multi-task, men can't. One example is t...

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