Morocco will host the second congress of the inter-parliamentary union of the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) next September 24-26.

The decision was made unanimously by the union's executive committee at its 5th session held here over the weekend.

The agenda of the congress will be topped by the issue of Al-Quds, Islamic countries parliaments' contribution to the reform of the general agreement on trade and tariffs (GATT) and inter-civilizations dialogue, 2001 having been decreed by the UNO as the year of dialogue between civilization, head of the Moroccan delegation to the executive committee session, Driss Lachgar told MAP bureau in Cairo.

Imam Abu Ja`far Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Azdi (239-321), known as Imam Tahawi after his birthplace in Egypt, is among the most outstanding authorities of the Islamic world on hadith and jurisprudence (fiqh).

He lived at a time when both the direct and indirect disciples of the Four Imams of law were teaching and practicing (and) was the greatest age (for) Hadith and fiqh studies...Imam Tahawi studied with all the living authorities of the day.

Al-Badr al-`Ayni said that when Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) died, Tahawi was 12; when Bukhari died, he was 27; when Muslim died, he was 32; when Ibn Majah died, he was 44; when Abu Dawud died, he was 46; when Tirmidhi died, he was fifty; when Nisa'i died, he was 74.

Days of virtue and righteous deeds

Ibn 'Abbas says about the Aayah, "Remember Allaah during the well known days," that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. [This is related by al-Bukhari]

Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the 10 nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413]

Opposition Conservative Party leader William Hague has lavished praise on Muslims for their contribution to British society and for leading the fight against racism.

"Your values of strong faith, education, responsibility to others, of hard work and tolerance are values, which resonate with all our citizens in every part of this country," he told Muslim leaders at the Islamic Cultural Centre in central London Tuesday.

"Islam teaches that the family must be the cradle of our society. Few understand the importance of marriage and the family better than the Muslim community," Hague said.

by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

The Clinton administration helped train us to never believe the official rationale for a bombing of a foreign country, particularly an impoverished one. In the 1990s, foreign policy had more to do with domestic woes than with actual international threats, no matter what Clinton or his spokesmen said. But when it comes to providing something believable in place of the truth, the Bush administration seems even less competent than its predecessor. All the Bush White House could come up with for why it is bombing and killing people in Iraq was "self defense."

DHAKA, March 17: Bangladeshi kidnappers freed on Saturday three Europeans who had been held hostage for a month in dense forest in the country's southeast, security officials said.

A security patrol found the hostages - two Danes and a Briton - about five kilometres from an army camp.

"The Europeans are in good health," said one official at Rangamati hill town, 400kms from Dhaka.

An army helicopter took the hostages to Dhaka for a checkup at the Combined Military Hospital, where a spokesman also said the three were fine.

Anyone who has been closely following the media reports coming out of Afghanistan this week can only come to one conclusion: that the world community cares more about ancient relics than it does human lives.

This week, shortly after Taliban leaders announced their decision to destroy two Buddhist statues carved into a sandstone cliff in the central Bamiyan province, the international community lashed out with strong condemnation.

by Ilyas Akhmadov

Designated Foreign Minister of the separatist Chechen Republic

The Washington Post Thursday, April 19, 2001, (Page A19)

On Feb. 24, the Russian news media first reported the discovery of a mass grave outside a Russian military base containing the bodies of at least 60 Chechen civilians who had been tortured, then executed. This discovery is nothing new in Chechnya, and yet the international community has been indifferent to it.

ISLAMABAD,(AFP) - Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf said Wednesday the "ball is in India's court" to resume stalled negotiations over Kashmir and other issues.

"This is the right time to initiate a meaningful dialogue on Kashmir and all other issues," the official APP news agency quoted Musharraf as saying.

"My government has taken several steps including reduction of troops on the Line of Control ... (and) providing relief goods to the victims of the Indian quake, which suggest Pakistan seriously wants to resolve issues with India."

The two nuclear neighbours have fought three wars since they gained independence in 1947, two over the divided Himalayan state of Kashmir.

The Norwegian Government has given Muslims in Norway permission to establish the first Islamic high school in the country. The school will be for children aged 6-16 years of age.

The permission is for up to 500 children and 85% of the running costs of the school will be met by the Government. The school will follow the the general curriculum for Government schools in Norway and graduating children will have the same qualifications as their state school peers but Islamic attitudes and morals will be expressed in the school and Islam will be the principal religion taught rather than Christianity.