Iowa City Mosque hosts discussion on honored role of women in Islam

Tuesday 29 Mar 2016 - 12:59 Makkah mean time-20-6-1437

Image from internet

Iowa City, U.S (IINA) - A discussion aimed to combat the stereotype that Muslim women are oppressed in their religion was held on Sunday at Iowa City Mosque under the theme of “The Honored role of women in Islam.”
“Almighty Allah said that whoever had a daughter and preferred her the same as his son would enter paradise. In that way, Islam stopped this evil act,” The Daily Iowan newspaper reported quoting Presenter Imam Molhim Bilal, the imam of the Iowa City Mosque.
Bilal addressed many of the issues that Westerners have with Islam. “People say Islam degrades women by making them cover up. This is not true,” he said. “Nuns cover themselves as well but are not considered degraded. When Muslim women cover themselves, they do it as an act of worship.”
“But what about the women who are forced to cover their heads?” said an audience member who did not want to be named.
Bilal countered that the majority of Muslim countries do not force women to cover their heads.
“The media see this situation in a few countries and makes it into a generalization for all of Islam,” he said.
Bilal also spoke about jihad, “Jihad means ‘to strive,’ ” he said. “It means to tell people about Islam and the Qur’an. When I stand here and speak to you, this is a jihad. What ISIS is doing is not a jihad.
Throughout the discussion, audience members talked about how most Americans are familiar with the stereotypes of Muslims as dangerous. However, they might be surprised to discover that many Muslims have similar stereotypes about Americans.
“When I came to the United States, people in Pakistan told me that people in the United States are bad and will rape me and put me in jail,” said UI graduate student Sumaria Taj. “There are stereotypes on both sides.”
“None of us practice our religion literally,” Taj said. “I’ve read the Qur'an many times, and I’ve never come across a value that isn’t a universal value. Forcing people to do things has never been part of Islam.”
“When reading the Qur’an and other ancient Islamic texts, it is important to remember the historical period,” said Mohammad Amarneh, the president of the Iowa City Mosque.
“Things have changed,” he said. “Women can go out, and work, and provide for themselves now. Four thousand years ago, where could they go? Things have changed, and they are still changing.”
SM/IINA

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Study: Exercise may slow mental decline by 10 years

Miami, (IINA) - Researchers at the University of Miami found in a recent study that exercise can slow cognitive decline in older people by an approximate of 10 years, UPI reported.
People who reported little to no physical activity in the study saw a greater decline in brain aging than those who were active, said the study which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Physical activity is an attractive option to reduce the burden of cognitive impairment in public health because it is low cost and doesn't interfere with medications", said Dr. Clinton Wright, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Miami.
For the study, researchers recruited 876 participants with an average age of 71, assessing their cognition based on processing speed, semantic memory, episodic memory and executive function, with 90 percent of participants reporting light exercise, and 10 percent reporting moderate to heavy levels of exercise. The participants were then assessed seven years later with the same tests, and again five years after that.
Overall, the researchers report that people without signs of cognitive impairment who exercised the least when the study started showed a more significant decline in brain function equivalent to about 10 years of aging.
"The number of people over the age of 65 in the United States is on the rise, meaning the public health burden of thinking and memory problems will likely grow", Wright said. "Our study showed that for older people, getting regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities longer".
It is noteworthy that a study earlier this year by Boston University reported similar results. They found that increased blood flow caused by physical activity protected brain volume, which also protects its ability to function properly.
AG/IINA

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MWL condemns terrorist bombing in Pakistan’s Lahore

MWL chief Dr Abdullah Al-Turki

Makkah (IINA) – The Secretariat General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) condemned Sunday's terrorist bombing in the Pakistani city of Lahore, which resulted in killing and wounding of hundreds of innocent people.
MWL Secretary-General Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki said: "The Muslim World League offers its condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, condemns these terrorist acts which target innocent people, and emphasizes its firm stance in confronting and combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."
Al-Turki voiced concern over the escalation of these heinous crimes and terrorist acts that place the world leaders and organizations in front of a great responsibility which requires a concerted effort to eliminate them and address the causes of their emergence.
He explained that the MWL is working to address this phenomenon through its conferences and activities being held around the world, and through its permanent communication with Muslim scholars, preachers and thinkers to emphasize on the need to sensitize their communities to the dangers of terrorism and extremism.
AB/IINA

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