US Muslims celebrate Ramadan with heavy hearts

NJ, OCT 1 - Best known in recent years for its �mile of cars,� National City, a small city five miles south of San Diego on the Mexico border, is now getting headlines for its immigrant sanctuary declaration.

The Southern California coastal city declared itself a sanctuary for undocumented (illegal) immigrants. Its council members made the decision late Saturday, infuriating some 200 protesting "Minuteman" border protection volunteers, who called for the deportation of City Mayor Nick Insunza accusing him of "treason" to the American people.

More than 130 police officers from all over the county showed up in force to keep the peace between the anti-immigrant minuteman supporters and pro-immigrant supporters, who staged rallies Saturday, reported AP.

As a result of the declaration, city funds won't be used to conduct immigration sweeps, normally a federal enforcement. It will also prohibit local authorities from collaborating with federal immigration officials.

''The mayor is sending the message that migrants are welcome in the city, which is one of the most diverse in San Diego County,'' said Enrique Morones of Border Angels, a pro-immigrant group who advocated for the proclamation. ''We want the whole country to see that this is a pro-migrant gesture and it's just the beginning. We're pushing for this nationwide.''

A majority City Council vote is required to officially establish the proclamation.

The move came two days after the US Congress approved the construction of a 700-mile wall along the US-Mexican border, over which tens of thousands of mainly Latin American illegal immigrants pass each year.

The wall is opposed by advocates of an easier immigration policy but backed by many who want a crackdown on illegal immigrants, whose numbers are estimated to be more than 11 million in the country.

Meanwhile, Mayor Insunza is being inundated with negative e-mails telling him he's a "disgrace" who is "harboring criminals."

But Insunza sounded defiant and have said, �You cannot violate civil rights of all immigrants to find out which are illegal or not, � adding "the hysteria is being created to align immigrants with terrorists, homeland security or any other threat to our nation.�

Other California cities who have similarly named themselves sanctuaries, include Maywood, Pomona, Huntington Park and Coachella.

Others who have also declared themselves sanctuary cities are El Paso, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Portland, Maine; and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On the other side of the debate are at least thirty municipalities across the country who are considering legislation to crackdown on undocumented (illegal( immigrants. In California's San Diego County, Escondido township may fine landlords who rent to undocumented (illegal) immigrants. And Vista's City Council passed new rules that regulate day laborers in the city, says a news report.

US Muslims celebrate Ramadan with heavy hearts
By Mary Chapman

�The United States has made a lot of mistakes, so life is hard in a lot of ways�

SEP 24 - During what should be a joyous time of fellowship, worship and reflection, many Muslims streamed into the Islamic Centre of America on the first night of Ramadan with heavy hearts.

Sick of the suspicious glances, slurs and false accusations of being terrorists, they feel like second-class citizens in their own country.

�I feel comfortable at home but once I leave there, and leave my community, I feel like I�m in a whole different atmosphere right now,� 18-year-old Zeinab Zahreldin, a freshman at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, told AFP late Saturday. �It�s not at all comfortable.�

The Detroit area has around 200,000 Muslims and the suburb of Dearborn has one of the highest concentrations of Arab-Americans in the United States. Businesses here post Arabic signs, most restaurants serve Halal meat, and Arabs are prominent in local politics.

But five years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, it seems like a new reason for anxiety and alienation comes every week. Most recently, it was Pope Benedict XVI�s remarks linking Islam to violence.

Before that was President George W. Bush�s use of the term Islamofacists. And then there were the local college students arrested as terrorists because they bought pre-paid cell phones.

�I have to pray real hard when I come to Ramadan, everything is so different now,� said Ali Almuna, an Iraqi immigrant who moved to the United States 11 years ago. �The way the people look at us and treat us. There�s a lot of discrimination. I�ve had bad language used toward me, my wife and kids. One day strangers called us terrorists. I didn�t say anything, I just thought that was so sad.�

Almuna managed to bring his wife and children from Iraq five years ago after working odd jobs and saving up enough money to buy his own semi-truck. Now he wants to go back to Iraq.

�The United States has made a lot of mistakes, so life is hard in a lot of ways. They�ve made mistakes in Iraq, and here too. A lot of people are out of jobs, lost their businesses,� he said. �So as bad as it is back home - it�s miserable for my family, no running water, no electricity � but I�d rather be around my family there, you know? But I don�t know about the kids. So, I came here two times today, to pray for a better life for all of us.�

And for good reason. A recent Gallup poll showed that 39 percent of Americans admit to being prejudiced against Muslims, a third think Muslim Americans sympathize with al Qaeda and nearly a quarter say they would not want a Muslim for a neighbor.

An upcoming study in the Journal of Human Resources found that wages of Arab Americans and Muslims fell 10 percent in the years after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

And a study of the psychological health of Arab Americans shows that half now suffer from clinical depression, compared with an average of 20 percent for the general population. �I prepare the Ramadan meals for my family, we break our fasts together but it�s not like it used to be,� said Zaranne Hakim of Dearborn. �We don�t have as many relatives over anymore. It seems like there�s so much going on now everywhere.� During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are to abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours. The remaining free time is to be devoted to prayer and charity. At temples verses of the Qu�ran are recited each night. By the end of Ramadan, the complete scripture has been recited. (AFP)

Move to increase Maid's minimum wage

Housemaids training class

SEP 10 - Embassies of South Asian countries have come out in support of plans to double the minimum wage of housemaids working in Bahrain and the Middle East. The move follows reports that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), want the minimum wages of Filipino workers overseas, doubled from $200 (BD75) to $400 (BD151).

Pakistan Embassy community welfare attach� Habib ur Rehman Gilani told Gulf Daily News that Pakistani officials were monitoring the Philippine government's proposal and may introduce a similar policy in the future.

He said the embassy had already requested the government of Bahrain to consider introducing a minimum wage for expatriate workers.

Mr Gilani argued the current situation was leading to the exploitation of the immigrant workforce and believes increased wages would also benefit employers.

"It is affecting the quality of workers employers get because they do not always get the best quality of people."

Mr Gilani said the embassy has no record of Pakistani housemaids working in Bahrain, but believes the issue is relevant to other areas of employment.

Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty welcomed the latest proposal, but said wider changes to the law were required to offer more protection to workers, GDN reported.

"Anything to increase the minimum wage is good," he said.

"These people tend to be the most vulnerable."

Mr Shetty said the Indian government is currently considering whether women should be allowed to work as maids in the Middle East and revealed a number of conditions could be added to their employment contracts in the future.

These included scrutinizing potential Bahraini sponsors and having housemaids report to the embassy monthly for follow-up reports.

"All are aimed at ensuring that Bahrainis also get a good housemaid and the families of these people are considerate and that they will treat their maid properly," Mr Shetty said.

"We feel most of the maids will be OK, but there is always a fringe element.

"We have had a lot of cases where maids have been treated badly.

"They are not allowed to leave and there is nowhere for them to complain.

"Most of them are not educated and are not aware of their rights.

"Anybody can do anything to them and they (the victims) can just be deported.

"Unless there are specific laws it is very difficult to catch them."

Bangladesh Ambassador Ruhul Amin also backed the Philippine government's plans, describing them as "fair" given the prevalence of low rights and abuses expatriate workers often suffered.

"Any country should give fair wages and their fundamental rights as a human being should be respected," he said.

He added the Bangladesh government banned housemaids from working in Bahrain and other Gulf countries in March last year to protect them from abusive employers.

Many are still thought to be working in Bahrain and the Gulf as legislation did not force the return of those already working in foreign countries, although no official estimates are available.

Burqa-style gown for Muslim patients

In this undated image released by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a woman is seen wearing a head-to-toe gown for Muslim women.

In this undated image released by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a woman is seen wearing a head-to-toe gown for Muslim women.

SEP 6 - Two hospitals in northwest England have introduced new surgical gowns modeled on the Burqa, allowing female Muslim patients to cover themselves completely for operations in line with their religious beliefs.

The blue "Inter-Faith Gown" is the first of its type in Britain and has been trialed at the Royal Preston Hospital. It will be available to those who want it from November 1.

The gown could be adapted to show a user's whole face, or to expose only a strip across the eyeline.

The 'Inter-Faith Gown' is the brainchild of Karen Jacob, the linen services manager at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The response has been overwhelming, said news reports.

Holland won�t welcome Pakistani immigrants not speaking Dutch

Dutch Muslim women (Photo courtesy: themuslimwoman.org)

SEP 4 - The Dutch government on Monday passed a law aimed at heavily restricting the number of would-be Pakistani immigrants to the Netherlands, by linking applications to Dutch language proficiency, Daily Times reported quoting officials.

Under the new law, any Dutch national of Pakistani origin will only be permitted to send for family members (with a view to settling in Holland) provided that they learn Dutch prior to immigration application. Similarly, any Pakistani wishing to immigrate to the Netherlands will be required to take a language proficiency test at the Dutch Embassy in Islamabad. Anyone failing the test will automatically be denied the right to apply for immigration.

Officials said that recent terrorist activities in the United Kingdom, which have been linked to Britons of Pakistani origin, had prompted the Netherlands to adopt the measure. However, officials pointed out that the new law would not affect those of Pakistani origin wishing to visit the Netherlands on Schengen tourist or business visas.

The Pakistani government has come under domestic pressure to protest the new law and seek its overturning. Currently, there are no Dutch language teaching institutes in Pakistan. Many see this latest move as a bid by the Dutch government to keep Holland �Dutch�.

Last year, the country offended its Muslim population by threatening to ban women from publicly wearing burqas, claiming that such attire undermined the secular identity of the country.