The Humane Treatment of Animals in Islam

Whilst browsing the internet last night, I came across an article with the caption, 'The face of cruelty'. The article was about a woman by the name of Antoinette Van Wyk who was sentenced for 12 months in prison in the Krugersdorp Magistrates court in South Africa after she was found guilty of leaving her Jack Russell to suffer after one of its back legs had been ripped off when he was hit by a car. Van Wyk apparently left the dog lying in her driveway for hours before someone tried to help.

There has been times when I visited homes that had pets but I found that many of the pet owners were negligent towards their animals without providing their pets with complete tender loving care and affection.

So what is the Islamic perspective of caring for your pets? Does Islam support the humane treatment of animals?
I was brought up in an animal loving family. We have one African grey parrot who is almost 35 years old. We have always had German Shepherd dogs and our house has always been an abode where stray cats and and sick birds sought  refuge. All religions teach us to be kind towards animals. They are a gift from God Almighty to provide us with love and companionship. They are a source of food and milk. Animals are utilized to carry out scientific and genetic studies to improve the lives of human beings. We visit  zoos and aquariums to gain an appreciation for the spectacular diversity of life on earth. We benefit from specially trained dogs that detect drugs, guide the blind, and assist the disabled. God says in the Quran:

“And the cattle, He has created them for you. You have in them warm clothing and (other) advantages, and of them you eat. And therein is beauty for you, when you drive them back (home) and when you send them out (to pasture). And they carry your heavy loads to regions which you could not reach but with great distress to yourselves. Surely your Lord is Compassionate, Merciful. And (He made) horses and mules and asses that you might ride upon them and as an ornament. And He creates what you know not.” (Quran 16:5-8)

The mercy of Islam extends beyond human beings to all living creations of God. Islam prohibits cruelty to animals. Fourteen hundred years ago, long before the modern animal rights movement began with the publication of Peter Singer’s book, “Animal Liberation,” in 1975, Islam required kindness to animals and cruelty to them a sufficient reason for a person to be thrown into the Fire!

Once, the Prophet of Mercy spoke of God’s forgiveness due to the humane treatment of animals. He told his companions the story of a man who got thirsty on his way. He found a well, climbed down inside it to the water, and quenched his thirst. When he came out he saw a panting dog licking on mud out of extreme thirst. The man thought to himself, ‘The dog has become as thirsty as I was!’ The man went down the well again and got some water for the dog. God appreciated his good work and forgave him. The companions asked, ‘O Prophet of God, do we get rewarded on humane treatment of animals?’ He said, ‘There is a reward in (doing good to) every living being.’[1]

On another occasion, Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, described God’s punishment of a woman who was sent to Hell because of a cat. She kept her locked up, neither feeding her nor setting her free to feed herself.[2]

Islam laid down humane slaughtering regulations. Islam insists that the manner of slaughter should be that which is least painful to the animal. Islam requires that the slaughtering instrument not be sharpened in front of the animal. Islam also prohibits the slaughtering of one animal in front of another. Never, prior to Islam, had the world witnessed such concern for animals.

Humane Islamic treatment of animals can be summarized by the following points:

First, Islam requires that pets or farm animals be provided with proper food, water, and a place to live. Once the Prophet passed by an emaciated camel due to hunger, he said:

“Fear God in regards to these animals who can not speak their will. If you ride them, treat them accordingly (by making them strong and fit for that), and if you [plan to] eat them, treat them accordingly (by making them fat and healthy).” (Abu Dawud)

Second, an animal should not be beaten or tortured. Once the Prophet of Mercy passed by an animal branded on his face. He said, ‘Has it not reached you that I have cursed the one who brands an animal’s face or hits it on its face?’[3] The Prophet of Mercy advised his wife to treat an unruly camel that she was riding kindly.[4] Making animals fight one another for entertainment was also forbidden by the Prophet.[5]

Third, Islam forbids using animals or birds for targets when practicing shooting. When Ibn Umar, one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad saw some people practicing archery using a hen as a target, he said:

“The Prophet cursed anyone who made a living thing into a target (for practice).”

The Prophet Muhammad also said:

“‘Whoever kills a bird or anything else without its due right, God would ask him about it.’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of God! What is its due right?’ He said: ‘To kill it for food…and do not sever its head, and throw it!’” (Targheeb)

Shooting at live pigeons was once an Olympic event and today dove shooting is allowed in many places.

Fourth, separating nestling birds from their mothers is not allowed in Islam.

Fifth, it is forbidden to mutilate an animal by cutting off its ears, tails or other body parts without just reason.

Sixth, a sick animal under one’s care should be treated properly.

Through these rules and regulations legislated with regards to animals, a Muslim gains the respect and understanding that other creatures are not to be used and abused as one wills, but that they, like human beings, have rights which must be given in order to ensure that the justice and mercy of Islam be met to all who inhabit this earth.

Source:
http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/askscholar/animal.htm

http://animalfriendsinc.blogspot.com (picture)

Stupid American Troops Do It Yet Again!!!!

So here's the scenario, a group of Muslims go into America vandalise a church, remove a few Bibles and burn them . The newspaper headlines the next morning will read " Muslim terrorists linked to Al Qaeeda vandalise church". The news will go viral with every news channel from CNN to BBC reporting on the same story.Normal televison viewing will probably be interrupted to allow President Barack Obama to make an emergency speech to the people of America regarding "muslim militia" attacking Christianity and the Bible and how he will deploy soldiers to protect the people of America from terrorism.Now on the flip side of things....The American soldiers who I call terrorists go into Afghanistan, rape the country of its wealth, rape the women of their dignity and pride,kill innocent civilians, burn the Quraan and have absolute no respect for the culture or the people of the country...Instead of there being a global outburst on the behaviour of the American soldiers, the American government has downplayed the situation by simply issuing and apology letter to the Afghanistan government and calling for an internal investigation as soon as possible.Ironically, the same episode has occurred in Iraq as well around ten months ago.Seems to me that the American troops are just too stupid to learn from their mistakes. The American soldiers in Afghanistan are supposedly there to save the people of the country from the Taliban or the so called "terrorists" and assist the country to the path of democracy. Judging from the behaviour of the soldiers, I ask you...WHO ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS?

Afghan workers at the main American military base, Bagram Air Field, saw soldiers dumping books in a pit where garbage is burned and noticed Qurans and other religious material among the trash. If the workers had not noticed this despicable act, and spread the word the American soldiers would have continued on their mission to burn the Quraans. Whilst we have a stupid American president telling Pastor Terry Jones that he will not condone the burning of the Quraan on American soil, the presidents own troops are involved in this despicable act on Muslim soil, in a Muslim country. This definitely adds further insult to injury.

Eighteen-year-old Mohammad Shaker said he first heard about the Quran burning on Tuesday in Kabul, and he and other members of his mosque decided to take to the streets Wednesday after morning prayers. "This is not the first time they're doing these things. They are killing civilians and taking photos of them. Every day they kill civilians with airstrikes. We can't accept their crimes in our country," Shaker said with regards to the American soldiers.

When Saudi national Hamza Kashghari tweeted inappropriate comments regarding the Prophet (saw), the Muslim world was up in arms against him to the point  that many have called for his beheading. My question is this: With such a despicable and disgusting act carried out by American soldiers, why haven't our Muslim governments created a global outcry in unison against the atrocities committed by the terrorist American government? Why haven't Middle Eastern countries taken a stance on this matter? It's about time that Muslim countries together impose their own sanctions on Westen governments like America crippling their economies further until justice is served.

To the ignorant forces of the west who choose to vilify Islam and destroy the book of Allah Almighty,remember that God Almighty himself has promised the protection of His scriptures. As Allah says: "We have without doubt, sent down the message and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption.)" (15:9)

Amongst the signs of the last hour is that the Quran will disappear(or will be lifted up). There is a hadith in ibn kathir with regards to the signs of the end of times which states something to the effect that people will only know the shahada. When asked where they learnt it from they will say we heard our forefathers saying this so we say it and they will enter jannah because of this.This hadith is also in bukhari.This shows that there will be no Islamic knowledge and people will have no guidance to refer to. However, the Quraan and the hadith will remain in the hearts of the thousands of students across the globe who continue to memorise the Quraan everyday. To the ignorant western forces who continue to wage wars on Islam in the name of democracy, YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED!!

Dr.Fawzia Siddiqui-----A sisters story

This is a picture of Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui...The sister of Aafia Siddiqui.My aunt met her a few days ago and shared this picture with me. She is currently in South Africa to discuss her sisters plight with the local community.Her sister has been tortured and abused at the hands of the American government...The following paragraphs are excerpts from her radio interview.....

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un...

'Indeed she has captured the hearts of many Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. Her plight and difficulties has created an ocean, the content of which is supplied by the tears of millions of supporters around the globe. Aafia Siddiqui, 39, who was accused and convicted of assault with intent to murder, was sentenced in September 2010, to 86 years in prison by a United States district court.'

Radio Islam International caused that ocean of tears to overflow, in an interview with Aafia’s sister, Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui.

Speaking to Ml. Sulaiman Ravat on the Sabaahul Muslim programme, Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui gave the listeners of Radio Islam an insight into the current happenings of our sister’s life.

“She is not doing well…apparently she is being slow poisoned. There is also a rumour of her being pregnant…and these are higher authorities in the prison and in the Pakistan council who informed us about this.”

Apparently there is a letter which states these allegations however, Dr. Fawzia is still waiting to receive the letter. Dr. Fawzia mentioned that the family had some sort of communication with Aafia. The family was granted 10 minutes a day to speak to their beloved after much difficulty.

“We were allowed phone calls after about two years of struggle. We were 300 minutes per month.”

Unfortunately, on the 28 October 2011, even those privileges were cut away. Dr. Fawzia stated a possible reason for this.

“She had agreed to signing for the appeal and whichever attorney we, as a family would recommend for her.”
“And I think it’s almost after she agreed to the attorney that they suddenly shut down the conversations.”

As the words passed through a lump in Fawzia’s throat, the hearts of many listeners crashed into millions of pieces.

“For the first time in 8 years her daughter spoke to her mother (and) made a connection.”

“She was very very concerned about her children, their education and if they were happy…and if they were eating.”

When asked about food, she simply replied “Don’t ask me”.

However the interview made the listeners realize that Allah’s unseen help is like a cloud over Aafia on a hot day. Her spirit of hope during phone calls at times, as described by her sister is absolutely amazing.

“There was a lot of pain and it was obviously pain on both sides I am sure…after some conversations there was hope. There were times were we would be despairing and she would be counseling us.”

There were also reports that her Quraan was thrown into a bin. However, little does the enemy realize, Islaam and Imaan is not only in Quraan. In fact, it lives in the heart.

“She tells her mother that you have no idea how much at peace I am because I know that I am innocent. My Creator knows and the Habib (Prophet Peace be upon him) knows and they are with me and I know that I am in the right.”

Ml. Sulaiman Ravat described it as “A heart wrenching interview”. Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui stated that there is no contact with Aafia since the 28 of October.

It is indeed a responsibility of all Muslims to remember Aafia in their Duaas and to the best of their ability, make all other possible efforts for the freedom of Aafia and all Muslims around the world. Freedom is not a Muslim right…it is a human right!!!

Janadriyah Festival 2012

So last Thursday, best friend and I had the opportunity of visiting the Janadriyya 2012 festival situated an hour outside Riyadh city. We hopped onto the bus at around 15:45 but only got to the Janadriyya at around 18:30 due to the horrendous traffic. At the gate we were greeted by military personnel who were making sure that no single males enter the premises. In previous years the Janadriyya allocated specific days for males and females but this year it was open to families and single females only. This has created an uproar with the religious police and there has been reports from people that frequented the Janadriyya that approximately 60 mutawwa or religious police gathered outside the festival and had an altercation with the military as they were not allowed inside. Apparently a few gun shots were fired in the air in order to disperse them. These reports have been denied by the military, however many onlookers have confirmed this report as true. The religious police were against the mixing of the sexes as families entered together and they also had an issue with the beautifully orchestrated traditional dances which they believe caused the women to clap and sway themselves thereby stirring the desire of males. Absolute nonsense in my opinion!!
The fact that families were allowed to enter together without segregation is in my opinion a bold step made by the octogenarian Monarchy Abu Metab who is known to be a reformer and a promoter of women's rights. I personally think that this is a big step in the right direction. The feeling inside the festival was like any other country. Everyone interacted and enjoyed the activities that were offered. Naturally there were many expatriates that visited to get an insight into Saudi culture and they all interacted very well with the local Saudi people.

The Janadriyya festival is basically a festival that highlights the arts, culture, poetry, dance and traditional heritage of the Saudi people from all over the Kingdom. Each year a guest nation is also invited to showcase and promote their country. This year Korea was the guest of honour. The city of Medina, Abha, Jizan,Qassim and Jeddah all had the opportunity to showcase their unique customs and traditions. I particularly enjoyed the dance by Jizan. It was a very vibrant dance that had a lovely beat and tempo to it. There was a cute little boy that was a part of the group and he was dancing away simply enjoying himself to the adoration of the entire crowd present.

Many artisans and craftsmen  from all over the Kingdom had the opportunity to showcase their talent. I was particularly impressed with the lampshades made out of seashells and a frame with Arabic calligraphy carved out of a tree trunk. The artisan was apparently offered SR25000 for his masterpiece but he refused to sell it as it was his passion. He crafted and sculpted purely for pleasure and as a hobby. There was also a hall dedicated entirely to females only. This hall showcased traditional Saudi clothing for women and also the wedding customs that usually occur when a Saudi woman gets married. For those women who were enthusiastic to adorn their hands with henna, their were many henna artists availale to carry out this task as well

The Korean hall was very futuristic and high tech as the country aimed at showcasing themselves as the leaders in technology. At the entrance  of the hall we were greeted by Korean representatives who were very warm and welcoming and allowed guests to take photos with them. One of the female represenatives could speak perfect Arabic to the amazement of local people.The main foyer then led into a time tunnel that highlighted the ongoing relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Korea. At the end of the time tunnel guests were welcomed to a full fledged state of the art 3D movie theatre. The Saudi people were very happy with this feature as there are no cinemas in the country. Despite this, Saudis are very knowledgable when it comes to movies and cinema as they do watch the latest films in the comfort of their own homes or abroad. For many of the Bedouin type people the cimena was quite and attraction as well as a fascination. Whilst I felt that the hall was impressive in terms of LCD screens and technology, I was expecting the country to have showcased more on their culture and heritage in terms of arts and crafts. The Korean dances were beautifully choreographed and got the entire crowd stamping their feet, clapping and cheering them on. Local Saudis seemed impressed with the Korean display and I can assure you that  many Saudis will choose Korea as their next holiday destination. Best friend and I also had the opportunity of meeting two Korean diplomats who actually escorted us in to the venue and prevented us from waiting in the long queue outside

There were many little eating stalls available where you could grab a bite and best friend and I were quite famished after the two hour bus ride getting to the Janadriyya. We bought some mutabbak (a snack or an appetizer stuffed with egg, garlic, meat and onion) and shwarmas. It was delicious.We washed it down with an ice cold 'Bebsi' and were rejuvenated to walk from one hall to the next.

With a country so rich and diverse in culture and heritage I fail to understand why the new generation Saudi's have turned to the west for inspiration. Saudi youth have tried to adopt the American way of life in terms of thinking, clothing, style and fashion and yet what their own country has is truly remarkable and beautiful. I urge and encourage all the Saudi youth out there to go back to their roots and learn about their culture and to hold onto it for future generations to come. A very big thumbs up and heartiest congratulations to the various ministries involved in making the Janadriyya festival a well organised and a fun filled educational event that is undoubtedly on par with any other international event.
 

The heavy cost of light skin

by Joan Baxter

The use of bleaching creams to lighten complexions seems to have reached epidemic proportions in Mali, despite widespread education campaigns.

Women who refuse to bleach often find themselves regarded as second class citizens.

A woman who did not bleach her skin said she is often not offered a chair at baptisms, and is asked to make herself scarce when group photographs are taken at marriages.

A quick survey shows there are more than 100 bleaching products available on the market in the capital, Bamako.

Sold under brand names such as Marie-Claire or Diana, the products come from Morocco, Nigeria, the United States or Saudi Arabia.

Dermatologists estimate that more than half the women in Mali are now using these creams to lighten their skin. These products are costly and often cause pain and blemishes.

So why are so many women in Mali using them? The answer is simple, according to one Malian woman singer: The creams make her white, and impart a certain charm.

But Malian physician Dr Ali Gindo finds bleached skin anything but charming.

"They are just burning themselves," he says. "It's painful and it's awful."

Dr Gindo says bleaching can cause skin cancer and the poorest people are the most at risk, because the cheaper the product, the more dangerous it is.

But he says it is not just poor women are bleaching their skin.

"We have also people who are well educated like lawyers, writers or professors, or people on the TV - and this is a real problem because if people who are leaders of opinion bleach themselves, you can imagine how deep the problem is."

Many of the women who use these products told me they do so because Malian men prefer women with bleached skin.

But male musician Al Hassan Soumali disagrees.

"I don't think Malian men like bleached women," he says. "It's better for Malian women to change their minds."

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/718359.stm

Have they forgotten that she is in actual fact a BLACK WOMAN????

The blonde wig may be throwing us off, but Rihanna is on the cover of British Vogue’s November 2011 issue and she’s looking much lighter.

It could be the actual lighting on set, it could be that we’ve gotten used to her wearing a fire engine-red wig, or it could be that someone forget to tell Vogue’s retoucher that Rihanna is in fact black.

What do think? Chime in the comments and help us figure it out. 

Skin lightening in beauty magazines is an all too common practice. At this point it’s just a question of how severely a person will be lightened. ELLE did it to the most beautiful woman in the world most recently, they’ve transformed Gabourey Sidibe into a much lighter cover girl. L’Oreal whitewashed Beyonce, too.

There’s a thriving skin lightening beauty industry too and that one can be dangerous. In 2003, Dr. S. Allen Counter, a professor of neurophysiology and neurology at Harvard Medical School questioned why it was mostly women who were dealing with increased rates of mercury poisoning in places like Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and even in the Southwestern United States

"In every case, clinical questioning revealed that the women had used skin-whitening creams — many for years. In other words, these women had tried so desperately to whiten their skin color that they had poisoned their bodies by applying mercury-based “beauty creams.”

Ninety percent of the women entering border clinics in Arizona with mercury poisoning were Mexican-American, and they like their Mexican counterparts had been using skin-whitening creams such as “Crema de Belleza-Manning,” which is manufactured in Mexico. These skin-whitening creams contain mercurous chloride, which is readily absorbed through the skin. Saudi, African, and Asian women were also using these skin-bleaching chemicals in a tragic attempt to change their appearance to that of white women."

Hamza Kashghari

As many now know, a Saudi writer – Hamza Kashghari – is in deep trouble. He went on Twitter on or near the Prophet’s Birthday (which is not, incidentally, officially observed in Saudi Arabia, though it is a national holiday in many other Islamic countries) and made some unfortunate remarks. These remarks questioned the almighty. Under Shariah law, that is a major crime, apostasy (ridda or irtidad) one which can lead to execution if not promptly repented. Kashghari appears to have repented in that he took down his offensive Twits as soon as he was told how unwise they were and acknowledged that they were a mistake. But he also fled the country.

Too late. As Arab News reports, not only does he now have the highest religious authority in the Kingdom calling, literally, for his head, but apparently he offended King Abdullah as well [link goes to Arabic source].

Ifta wants Kashghari tried for apostasy
ARAB NEWS
RIYADH: In a new development in the case of Saudi writer Hamza Kashghari, who wrote a few tweets that were considered slanderous to Almighty Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him), the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Religious Edicts (Ifta) issued a strongly worded statement in which it said mocking Allah or His Prophet is a downright sacrilegious act, kufr (infidelity) and apostasy that should no go undetected, local daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported Thursday.
“Whoever dares make a mockery of Allah, the Prophet or the Holy Book undermines the religion and displays enmity toward it. It is the duty of the rulers to try such a criminal,” the committee said, warning Muslims to stay away from such practices so as to avoid exasperating God.
The committee issued its statement after a meeting under its chairman Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Grand Mufti.
…

Various media pieces note that Kashghari fled to Southeast Asia. The Washington Post reports that he did, in fact, go to Malaysia, where an American human rights activist, David Keyes of Advancing Human Rightsconversed with him by phone. According to Keyes, Kashghari has been detained by Malaysian authorities pending extradition back to Saudi Arabia.
Keyes notes that this case has the makings of an international cause cause célèbre. International jurists are starting to line up to argue against his extradition. If he ends up being sent back, there will be loud and broad international calls for mercy.
Non-prosecution does not seem to be an available goal. Because Saudi Arabia closely follows Shariah law, it will be compelled to follow its rulings. The Quran [2:217] appears to consider apostasy to be a serious sin/crime, but that is to be punished in the afterlife. Numerous ahadith, however, call for the death of the apostate. The question is under debate in various parts of the Islamic world, but for the ulema in Saudi Arabia, the question is settled.

Saudi writer Hamza Kashgari faces charge of blasphemy
after tweets about Muhammad
David Keyes
Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari was detained in Malaysia on Wednesday night and is likely to be extradited soon to Saudi Arabia, where he will be tried for blaspheming religion. Kashgari, 23, had fled the kingdom Monday after he received thousands of death threats. His crime? He posted on Twitter a series of mock conversations between himself and the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
… The tweets came to light last week around a celebration of Muhammad’s birthday, and Kashgari’s ordeal began. Hours before he was detained, Kashgari spoke to me by phone from the house in which he was hiding. “I was with sitting with my friends and one of them checked Twitter on his mobile phone,” he said. “Suddenly there were thousands of tweets of people calling to kill me because they said I’m against religion.”
…

Saudi Arabia is not exactly a theocracy: the religious leaders are not also the secular leaders. Islam is so important that the government does things likesend out a quarter million copies of the Quran. But Islam and Shariah law are so intertwined in the Kingdom that religious judgments hold the force of law; many things which would be sins are also crimes. International human rights generally see sin as a moral failing and crime as a subset of those failings. Not all sins, however, are crimes. Certain things, like the ability to change or to leave one’s religion are seen as fundamental human rights, guaranteed to all mankind. Shariah law does not agree.
The recent years have seen conflicts over this issue in several countries. In some, human rights advocates have been able to exert sufficient pressure to save the lives of the apostates; in others, they have failed. We’ll have to see how the case of Hamza Kashghari works out, starting with his extradition.

http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/rights-groups-urge-malaysia-not-deport-saudi-055705267.html

Saher to the Rescue?

‘Saher’ is the traffic monitoring system the Saudi government has implemented to make the country’s roads less hazardous. It combines cameras and radar to track speeding as well as the running of red lights. It is not very popular, but it does save lives and resources, this article from Saudi Gazette reports.

In South Africa radar and laser speed-monitoring has been in effect for decades.There are however grave questions about whether they truly serve to reduce accidents (there is conflicting research) or are just mechanisms through which government extracts extra money from drivers’ pockets.
In the Kingdom, though, they seem to be having an effect. The piece states that since the introduction of the Saher program in August, 2010, Jeddah alone has seen a 35% decrease in road deaths, a 36% reduction in accidents, and a 38% reduction in injuries. Those are significant numbers.
The program has also been used, the paper reports, to track stolen vehicles as well as ‘suspicious’ ones, i.e., those being used by potential criminals. Those uses, though not major, are just a bonus. Anything that makes driving in Saudi Arabia less hazardous should be applauded.

Saher, a savior on the Kingdom’s roads
Amal Al-Sibai | Saudi Gazette
Were you furious when you were cruising down Jeddah’s Madinah Highway, and were discreetly clicked by a Saher camera? And you raged with anger when you were fined SR300.
Well, don’t be furious because it may affect the ‘cool show’ you are trying to put on by cruising and screeching in your fancy cars, but in reality Saher is saving lives of many such drivers and innocent victims of such sordid show.
A recent study by the Jeddah Traffic Police revealed that the introduction of Saher camera has significantly contributed to the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The immediate and costly penalties incurred on traffic violators have improved the driving behavior of many motorists, for they fear being clicked by Saher and slapped with heavy fines.

Breaking the Maid Habit

In this editorial, Arab News seems to have come to the conclusion that the dependency on foreign domestic workers that the Saudi society has created must come to an end. The issues surrounding maids have become so negative—from abuse of maids to abuse by maids—that it’s time to break the habit.

The writer correctly points out that if your children are raised solely by foreigners, there’s little likelihood that those children will be absorbing local values. In the case of Saudi Arabia, that might not be an utterly bad thing as some Saudi values are certainly ready to be discarded. Xenophobia, an unwarranted superiority complex, and an over-devotion to ‘tradition’ could certainly be replaced. Then there’s the fact that young people—both men and women—are growing up without even minimal life skills, like cooking or changing a tyre. Other values, including Arabic language skills, a sense of belonging to a unique culture, and a reasoned national pride are worth keeping, something made difficult when the primary care givers for children do not share those values.
Much of this reliance on foreign workers is the result of the perpetual childhood Saudi society imposes on its own women. Not being able to do things most women in the world do as a matter of course (like driving, working in mixed-sex environments, being personally responsible for themselves) necessarily leads to reliance on someone else to do them. Allowing Saudi women to be a fully-functional, equal part of society would do much to reduce the need for servants.
The editorial asserts that Saudi society is the most dependent on foreign domestic workers and I’ve no reason to doubt it. From the cultural costs to the very real monetary costs, Saudi Arabia needs to kick the maid habit.

Maids: Bitter truths
It is estimated that there are two million working in homes in the Kingdom
Reports about maids all too regularly hit the headlines in this paper and others in the Kingdom. There are stories about maids who are abused, maids who are kept locked up or unpaid for months, even years. There are stories about maids who run away, or who have tricked or cheated their employers. Likewise, there are complaints about the costs of bringing a maid into the country. There are reports, too, of other countries being whipped up into a frenzy of concern about the treatment of maids in Saudi Arabia and their threats to stop them coming in future or imposing conditions about their employment contracts, including demands to know details about the families they are going to, their financial position, a description of the house, the number of rooms, photos of the wife and husband. Regularly, too, there are reports about new sources of maids — from Cambodia, Vietnam, indeed anywhere they can be found.
The fact is that Saudi Arabia has become over-reliant on maids. It is estimated that there are two million working in homes in the Kingdom. There are reportedly 400,000 from Sri Lanka alone. From Indonesia, there are supposed to be even greater numbers while it is reported that 15 percent of the 1.3 million Filipinos in the country are also in domestic service. Add to that the maids from Nepal, from Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa, and two million does not seem that excessive. But at two million, they constitute the biggest workforce in the country. It works out at roughly one maid for every nine Saudis, or one for every two households. It is no wonder then that maids are such an issue in Saudi Arabia.

ZAM ZAM WATER--IS IT UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION? by Tariq Hussein

We came here again to perform the Umrah, and I am reminded of the wonders of Zam-zam. Let me go back to how it all started. In 1971, an Egyptian doctor wrote to the European Press, a letter saying that Zam-zam water was not fit for drinking purposes. I immediately thought that this was just a form of prejudice against the Muslims and that since his statement was based on the assumption that since the Ka'aba was a shallow place (below sea level) and located in the center of the city of Makkah, the waste water of the city collecting through the drains fell into well holding the water.

Fortunately, the news came to King Faisal's ears who got extremely angry and decided to disprove the Egyptian doctor's provocative statement. He immediately ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to investigate and send samples of Zam-zam water to European laboratories for testing the potability of the water. The ministry then instructed the Jeddah Power and Desalination Plant to carry out this task.

It was here that I was employed as a desalting engineer (chemical engineer) to produce drinking water from sea water). I was chosen to carry out this assignment. At this stage, I remember that I had no idea what the well holding the water looked like. I went to Makkah and reported to the authorities at the Ka'aba explaining my purpose of visit.

They deputed a man to give me whatever help was required. When we reached the well, it was hard for me to believe that a pool of water, more like a small pond, about 18 by 14 feet, was the well that supplied millions of gallons of water every year to hajis ever since it came into existence at the time of Hazrat Ibrahim AS., many, many centuries ago.

I started my investigations and took the dimensions of the well. I asked the man to show me the depth of the well. First he took a shower and descended into the water. Then he straightened his body. I saw that the water level came up to just above his shoulders. His height was around five feet, eight inches. He then started moving from one corner to the other in the well (standing all the while since he was not allowed to dip his head into the water) in search of any inlet or pipeline inside the well to see from where the water came in. However, the man reported that he could not find any inlet or pipeline inside the well.

I thought of another idea. The water could be withdrawn rapidly with the help of a big transfer pump which was installed at the well for the Zam-zam water storage tanks. In this way, the water level would drop enabling us to locate the point of entry of the water.

Surprisingly, nothing was observed during the pumping period, but I knew that this was the only method by which you could find the entrance of the water to the well. So I decided to repeat the process. But this time, I instructed the man to stand still at one place and carefully observe any unusual thing happening inside the well. After a while, he suddenly raised his hands and shouted, "Alhamdollillah! I have found it. The sand is dancing beneath my feet as the water oozes out of the bed of the well."

Then he moved around the well during the pumping period and noticed the same phenomenon everywhere in the well. Actually the flow of water into the well through the bed was equal at every point, thus keeping the level of the water steady. After I finished my observations I took the samples of the water for European laboratories to test. Before I left the Ka'aba, I asked the authorities about the other wells around Makkah.

I was told that these wells were mostly dry. When I reached my office in Jeddah I reported my findings to my boss who listened with great interest but made a very irrational comment that the Zam-zam well could be internally connected to the Red Sea . How was it possible when Makkah is about 75 kilometres away from the sea and the wells located before the city usually remains dry?

The results of the water samples tested by the European laboratories and the one We analyzed in our own laboratory were found to be almost identical.

The difference between Zam-zam water and other water (city water) was in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was slightly higher in zam-zam water. This may be why this water refreshes tired hajis, but more significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an effective germicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European laboratories showed that the water was fit for drinking. Hence the statement made by the Egyptian doctor was proved false.

When this was reported to King Faisal he was extremely pleased and
ordered the contradiction of the report in the European Press. In a way, it was a blessing that this study was undertaken to show the chemical composition of the water. In fact, the more you explore, the more wonders surface and you find yourself believing implicitly in the miracles of this water that Allah bestowed as a gift on the faithful coming from far and wide to the desert land for pilgrimage.

Let me sum up some of the features of Zam-Zam water.

This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always fulfilled the demand for water. It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste ever since it came into existence. Its potability has always been universally recognised as pilgrims from all over the world visit Ka'aba every year for Hajj and umrah, but have never complained about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the water that refreshes them. Water tastes different at different places.

Zam-zam water's appeal has always been universal. This water has never been chemically treated or chlorinated as is the case with water pumped into the cities. Biological growth and vegetation usually takes place in most wells.This makes the water unpalatable owing to the growth of algae causing taste and odour problems.But in the case of the Zam-zam water well, there wasn't any sign of biological growth. Centuries ago, Bibi Hajra A.S. searched desperately for water in the hills of Sufwa and Murwa to give to her newly born son Hazrat Ismail A.S. As she ran from one place to another in search of water, her child rubbed his feet against the sand. A pool of water surfaced, and by the grace of Allah, shaped itself into a well which came to be called Zam-zam water.