The burnings and looting of their houses in the villages in a number towns in Arakan are still ongoing. Murders are not exception, which has claimed thousands of lives, not to mention the cases of rapes against the Rohingya Muslimahs, in addition to those who are forced to flee to neighboring countries, who are not well received, in fact they are even driven out, all these are increasingly hurting the Muslims all over the world.
"And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah , the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy, To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah , over all things, is Witness. Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire." [1]
"Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right ." [2]
"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [3]*Click here to donate to the Emergency Burma Appeal
[photo:arabnews.com]  Teachers need to be able to see pupils' faces, the DfES says |
It says efforts must be made to accommodate religious clothing, but stresses the importance of teachers and pupils being able to make eye contact.
It comes after a girl failed in a legal bid to overturn her school's niqab ban.
Islamic groups have been divided in their response - some "shocked" and others welcoming the guidance.
Headteachers' leaders have applauded the decision, saying that it would provide "clarity" and "reassurance" for schools.
Head teacher
Veil court case school
The issue of religious dress has become an increasingly complicated one for schools in recent years, with a handful of high profile court cases over the right to wear a full veil.
A court victory by a Buckinghamshire school (which cannot be named for legal reasons) has prompted the updated guidance.
The school argued the veil made communication between teachers and pupils difficult and thus hampered learning.
Teachers needed to be able to tell if a pupil was enthusiastic, paying attention or even distressed but full-face veils prevented this, it said.
This position was upheld by the High Court - which refused to grant a judicial review - and is expected to form a key part of the guidance.
'Consult parents'
The guidance says schools need to be able to identify individual pupils in order to maintain good order and spot intruders.
Schools Minister Jim Knight says "learning must take precedence"
"If a pupil's face is obscured for any reason the teacher may not be able to judge their engagement with learning or secure their participation in discussions and practical activities," it adds.
Schools minister Jim Knight said: "Schools should consult parents and the wider community when setting uniform policy.
"And while they should make every effort to accommodate social, religious or medical requirements of individual pupils, the needs of safety, security and effective learning in the school must always take precedence."
The head teacher of the Buckinghamshire school, who also cannot be named, said it would be very useful to have some clear guidance from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
"It's not right that schools should have to be arguing this out case by case," she told the BBC News website.
"Obviously there's a trade-off between schools retaining autonomy over school uniform decisions, on the other hand we will have some very clear guidance from the DfES within which to work."
'Dismayed'
There were divided responses from the Muslim community.
The chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Massoud Shadjareh, said he was "dismayed" by the DfES guidance.
The guidance has divided opinion within the Muslim community
"Successive ministers dealing with education issues have failed to give proper guidance when requested by human rights campaigners about schools' obligations regarding religious dress, including the head scarf.
"To now proceed to issue guidance against Muslim communities is simply shocking," he said.
But the Muslim Council of Britain's education spokesman, Tahir Alam, said that the new guidance did not "alter the position very much" and said "the vast majority of schools are able to solve these issues locally".
Dr Tag Hargey of the Muslim Education Centre welcomed the guidance.
"When you conceal the face, that actually not only dehumanises the person involved, but also creates a chasm, a gap, a bridge of non-understanding between communities and I think the sooner we can get rid of this veil, this face veiling, this face masking in Muslim societies across Britain, so much the better."
'Equality issue'
Ayshah Ishmael, a teacher at a Muslim girls' school in Preston who wears the niqab away from the classroom, told the BBC wearing the veil promoted equality.
She said: "You're judged for who you are and not what you are, so I think there are two arguments to the whole equality issue."
The DfES said it was not ordering or advising head teachers to ban the veil, simply confirming that they have the ability to do so if they wish, so long as they carry out proper consultation.
Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary Dr John Dunford said he was pleased the government is supporting school leaders in upholding school uniforms.
"Repeated and blatant breaches of uniform policy undermine the school ethos," he added.
| Name: | Anwar Al Awlaki |
| Nationality: | US |
| Residence: | Yemen |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Date of Arrest: | 31/08/2006 |
| Location of Arrest: | Sana'a, Yemen |
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Anwar al-Awlaki is a Muslim scholar who was born in New Mexico. His parents are from Yemen, where he lived for eleven years and received the early part of his Islamic education.
Imam Anwar al-Awlaki served as an Imam in Colorado, California, and later in the Washington, D.C. area where he headed the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center and was also the Muslim Chaplain at George Washington University. Currently he resides in Yemen, where he was studying Shariah with prominent scholars, as he was banned from re-entering the United States despite being a U.S. citizen. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, a M.A. in Education Leadership from San Diego State University and was working on a Doctorate degree in Human Resource Development at George Washington University being denied entry into the U.S. He authored many popular audio series including the "Lives of the Prophets", "The Hereafter" and "The Life of Muhammad".
In the early hours of October 17, a Yemeni secret police raid swept up eight foreigners living in Sana'a, under surveillance by the CIA and British intelligence, and at least 12 other men across Yemen. Yemeni authorities insist they dismantled an al-Qa'ida cell and disrupted a gun-running ring to neighbouring Somalia.
It was subsequently reported that the key to the raids was Anwar Al Awlaki (identified in the media as 'Abu Atiq') who was arrested six weeks before the October 17 swoop. Media reports allege that 'Abu Atiq' was an associate of two of the September 11 hijackers and a protege of Abdul al-Majid al-Zindani, who the US wants arrested on terror charges. They also make mention of his alleged role in a foiled al-Qa'ida plot to bomb oil and gas facilities in Yemen.
He is believed to be held in Central Security Prison in Sana'a. Locals in Sanaa insist, perhaps apocryphally, that the two stories of the complex above ground sit atop eight stories underground, where torture rooms and darkened cells are often used. Whether or not people are tortured here, Western officials and aid groups are adamant that torture is regularly used in Yemen on terror suspects, or political prisoners.
Source: CagePrisoners
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