Passion Islam I December 2008 ORLD NEWSW I 15
Grand Mosque Imam
Urges Muslim Unity
Delivering his sermon to a gathering The imam welcomed the pilgrims forgives all sins of pilgrims who repent
of more than one and a half million to the Holy City of Makkah and genuinely because they come from far
Haj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque, called their pilgrimage a journey of off places with the sole aim of winning
the imam, Shaikh Abdul Rahman repentance and piety. He urged them the mercy of the Allah Almighty. “They
Al Sudais, said, “This is the sacred to keep away from sinful deeds. “The are cleaned of all past sins,” he
place and time to settle disputes safety and security of the pilgrims is added. “The Prophet (peace be upon
that have caused the Ummah untold in the hands of Allah. The sanctity him) said: ‘A virtuous Haj pilgrim has
miseries. We should not disunite. One and inviolability of the Two Holy no reward but Paradise,’” Al Budair
of our major problems is the issue of Mosques cannot be marred by crises said. He urged the pilgrims to behave
Palestine. Our Palestinian brothers are or extremist activities,” he said. kindly, help and cooperate during the
suffering due to injustice and Israeli The khatib at the Prophet’s pilgrimage. He asked them not to
siege and also because of infighting Mosque in Madinah, Shaikh Salah Al push or jostle at crowded places and
and division among themselves.” Budair, in his sermon said that Allah not to quarrel with anyone.
Obama urged to act against
all ‘war on terror’ practices
Amnesty International has welcomed executive order prohibiting torture and “war on terror”, and to ensure full
President- elect Barack Obama other ill-treatment, as defined under accountability for human rights
confirming that he intends to close international law,” he said. violations committed in that context.
Guantanamo concentration camp The London-based human rights The call comes after Obama said
as an “important a step in the right group said it was also calling on in an interview on Sunday that he
direction” but urged him to go further the President-elect to set up an will take “early action” on closing the
in ending ‘war on terror’ practices. independent commission of inquiry detention centre at Guantanamo Bay
The new president should “seize into all aspects of the US’s detention and ensuring that the USA does not
the initiative after taking office in and interrogation practices in the resort to torture.
January and to prioritize ending all
internationally unlawful detention
and interrogation practices by the
USA,” said Rob Freer, Amnesty
International’s researcher on the
USA.
“We urge President-elect Obama
to turn his words into action within
the first 100 days of his presidency
and demonstrate his commitment
to meeting the US’s international
obligations,” Freer said.
These included “signing an
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