12-day Ramadan Forum begins on July 12

DUBAI: The 12th edition of the Ramadan Forum will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from July 12-23. Organised by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the Ramadan Forum is an annual event that includes religious and social activities.

The decision to move the popular 12-day socio-religious forum to DWTC is aimed at making it more accessible and convenient for delegates to attend a number of functions and events by bringing them together under one roof.

Participants at the forum will also be able to avail themselves of DWTC’s superior visitor facilities, including ample parking and a centralised location, offering easy accessibility from Abu Dhabi and the rest of the Emirates.

The forum this year will include an exciting agenda of pre- and post-forum activities, beginning with a three-day workshop on “Emotional Intelligence” led by Dr Yousif Al Khater, which will begin on Thursday, prior to the forum that commences on July 12.

The “Emotional Intelligence” workshop aims at helping individuals identify and control potentially damaging situations arising from excessive emotionality and gives the attendees the right tools to address these issues and make the right decisions in order to enjoy a healthy, balanced professional and personal life, and form successful partnerships and relationships that can further their careers and a feeling of satisfaction.

Attendance is open to all and the content is expected to be beneficial to all age groups and nationalities, working individuals, students, self-employed and stay-at-home mums.

The workshop will take place from 4.30pm-9pm on Thursday at the Al Ain Hall of DWTC.  The registration fee is Dhs150. Please note there is limited space available, 25 seats for male attendees and 25 seats for females. Pre-registration is required.

 

Tourism potential in the Islamic world

Ikim Views
By NOR AZARUDDIN HUSNI NURUDDIN

Entrepreneurship is vital in growing tourism ventures and attracting visitors to Malaysia.
WHENEVER people talk about entrepreneurship, the concept that comes to mind is about people starting their own business.

Entrepreneurship is nothing more than the power to make things happen.
According to Oscar Motomura, an entrepreneur is anyone capable of generating results in any area of human activity. For example, many housewives can also be considered entrepreneurs by the way they run their households.

However, some studies define entrepreneurship as a process of identifying, evaluating and pursuing opportunities through creativity, innovation and transformation to produce new products, processes and values that are beneficial.

The word “entrepreneurship” is derived from the French entreprendre, which means to undertake or to do something. There are several fields of entrepreneurship – regular, green, social and sustainable.
Sustainability or the concern for long-term viability covers three main dimensions: economic, social and environment.

Economic viability can be defined as business activities that must be economically profitable.
Social viability to individuals or private gains are activities that must promote community and social well-being while environmental viability refers to activities which must be ecologically friendly.

What does “sustainable entrepreneurship” mean?
It is the creation of new ventures based on the understanding of the ways social, financial and ecological systems intersect.

Developing the ability to analyse these systems in-depth strengthens entrepreneurial skills in environments ranging from non-profit at­­tempts at creating social change to companies trying to implement more sustainable business practices.

However, another definition of sustainable entrepreneurship is the realisation of sustainability innovations aimed at the mass market and providing benefits to the larger parts of society.

The Government has played a strong role in ensuring environmental sustainability through a number of programmes, including the development of tourism entrepreneurs.

In 2010, the tourism sector in Malaysia attracted 25 million foreign tourists, generating a revenue of RM56bil. Malaysia’s tourism market is forecast to show a steady growth of 5%-7% per year and we expect a total of 3.2 million tourist arrivals in 2015 (Business Monitor Interna­tional).

Tourism is one of the priority areas under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2010-2015).
For example, the Kedah Govern­ment’s main focus is to attract more than three million tourists a year to Langkawi, with a projected annual tourism-related gross income of RM3.8bil by 2015.

Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has said the revenue receipts from the approximately three million recorded tourist arrivals in Langkawi last year amounted to about RM2.6bil.

In Perak, the focus is on the uniqueness of the Lenggong Valley archaeology site, which must be protected to maintain its recogni­­­­-tion as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz cautioned that if the site was not well protected, the Unesco recognition obtained a year ago could be retracted.

Lenggong Valley is a unique outdoor museum and features one of the first human civilisations in South-East Asia. It is the fourth site in Malaysia to receive the Unesco recognition after Malacca, George Town, the Kinabalu Park and Mulu National Park.

The Perak Man found in the Gunung Runtuh Cave is one of the oldest and most complete human skeletal remains in South-East Asia, estimated to be 10,000 to 11,000 years old.

Nazri said any development at the site must be implemented carefully to protect the “outstanding universal values”.

Malaysia is also able to promote Islamic tourism as it is considered one of the four well-known tourist destinations in the Islamic world, the other three being Morocco, Egypt and Turkey.
Tourism in Islam is a balance for dual life of the present world and the hereafter.

Travelling does not only strengthen relationships between humans but also with Allah.
In other words, tourism may be one of the factors that influence happiness in this life and the hereafter simultaneously.

 

Feed a labourer this Ramadan, as the UAE gets charitable this holy month

Volunteer in UAE, Adopt-a-Camp and other organisations start campaigning to ensure no one sleeps hungry with free iftar meals; learn how you can help

By Bindu Suresh Rai

Published Wednesday, June 26, 2013

 

 

 

Embracing the spirit of Ramadan this season, UAE residents are being urged to step up and get charitable in a bid to ensure no one sleeps hungry this holy month.
Organisations such as Volunteer in UAE and Karama Kanteen have teamed up with hospitality institutions and internet group buying sites to facilitate iftar meals for a nominal cost and feed labourers in camps across the country.

Volunteers are being encouraged to donate online or by simply setting aside their time to spread awareness and assist in creating care packages.

Here’s what you can do:

Gift a meal and time with Volunteer in UAE

Teaming up with internet group buying site, Dealgobbler, Volunteer in UAE is urging residents to feed two labourers this Ramadan and embrace the spirit of zakat.

The voluntary charitable organisation has partnered with City Chef that facilitates meals for just Dh32, and you can purchase as many vouchers as you like.

As part of this campaign, Dealgobbler is also waiving any commission and shoulders all the payment transaction fees for all the sales that goes towards this cause.

The contribution includes two sets of meals, each with 500 grams of chicken biryani, water, dates, a laban drink and dessert.

Volunteers from Volunteer in UAE, along with volunteers from other sponsors, will go to different labour camps in Al Quoz, Sonapur and Sharjah with over 30,000 labourers to distribute the meals.
You can also take part in this event by volunteering with meal preparation and distribution of the meals you sponsor. 

All it takes is Dh10

Keeping in with the spirit of giving, all it takes is Dh10 to feed someone a meal this Ramadan, as group buying site, Yallabanana, goes all out in encouraging residents to donate a meal. 

The regular iftar meal for Dh10 includes a chicken biryani with chicken gravy on it, plus water or laban and dates.

Contribute an additional four dirhams and you can buy a deluxe iftar meal, which includes assorted fried items such as samosas, shammi kababs, pakoras, along with juice and dates.
The company aims to deliver these iftar meals to local mosques and labour camps throughout the holy month.

You can also collect these meals from the restaurant if you would like to distribute by yourself. 

Flea 4 Charity’s iftar hour

This Ramadan, Flea 4 Charity aim to host iftars for the unsung heroes that have contributed greatly towards building the UAE and made it what it is – the labourers. 

The organisation is urging residents to contribute towards the cause by either donating cash directly or through corporate sponsorship. 

All proceeds will go towards the purchase of iftar packages at approximately Dh7 per person. This package will include dates, water, main dish and dessert. 

For donation or more information, please get in touch via SMS on 050 162 2716 or visit its Facebook page.


Adopt a camp
Adopt-a-Camp teams up with Dubai Chamber for a ‘Ramadan Care Package Night’ tp put together care packages for labourers in the emirate.

Join Saher Shaikh, founder of Adopt-a-Camp and her team, with this two-day event on July 24 (from 12pm until 7pm) and July 25 (from 6pm until 11pm). 

With participation from over 8000 volunteers last year, this year’s event is encouraging volunteers to either pitch in on the two days or help to source supplies or spread the word.

Should you wish to contribute towards the care packages, please contact Saher Shaikh at info@adoptacamp.ae . Kindly note the deadline for contributions is 11th July.
 
Also take note that this will require a lot of physical labour including lifting and moving boxes and unpacking supplies. 

Participation of children is recommended on that day, however only for specifically allocated tasks.
To register as a volunteer for either of the above two dates, please visit Adoptacamp.ae
Red Crescent Authority Charity Programmes

The Red Crescent Authority (RCA) also runs during the holy month its seasonal Ramadan charity campaign across Abu Dhabi. 

This year, the authority targets to collect Dh100 million during Ramadan to support its various charity operations including the Ramadan project which involves Ramadan supplies programme, provision of free iftar meals and distribution of Zakat Al-Fitr and Eid clothing to thousands of deserving families within the UAE and abroad. 

RCA is also setting up 120 tents across the UAE and aims to reach out to 250,000 people in the country. 

In addition, it distributes coupons among poor and underprivileged families to meet their basic nutritional requirements during Ramadan.

The registration process of beneficiaries is held at Red Crescent Abu Dhabi branch.
In addition, interested individuals, companies and organisations can make their contributions through the counters of Red Crescent Society located within mosques, shopping malls, hospitals and other public places.

Islamic finance lobby plans regional network

 

 

 

Reuters

A Bahrain-based association which lobbies on behalf of Islamic finance says it plans to expand beyond the Gulf, so that it can shape rules and practices in new markets as they grow.

The General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI), a non-profit organization headquartered in Manama, has traditionally focused on neighboring countries, which form a core market for the industry.

But Omar Hafiz, who took over last year as secretary-general of the body, said he was keen to enlarge its geographic scope while engaging national regulators more actively.

“We are trying to have a representative office in Tunisia, operating as a gateway to Africa, and also in Azerbaijan to reach central Asian countries,” he told Reuters.

Founded in 1999 by the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank, CIBAFI has 114 member institutions, including Egypt’s Faisal Islamic Bank, Kuwait Finance House and Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group. Saudi-Arabia’s National Commercial Bank joined last year.

The Saudi-born Hafiz, 62, said that for its long-term health, the industry should focus as much on improving the regulatory environment as increasing its size.

“It is not just a matter of licensing Islamic banks, but preparing a platform for success for Islamic banking,” he said.

“We want to ensure competition between the conventional and Islamic banking industry is in its best shape, not inferior or second class, but on the same level.”

Training

Addressing a major weakness in Islamic finance, a lack of well-trained professionals, CIBAFI plans to expand its training and certification programs, which are currently distributed through a network of over 30 agents in countries from Jordan to France.

“We hope to reach 50 agents by the end of 2014. Maybe our training center can be a separate body - this is still in the development stage, it still needs two to three years to develop,” Hafiz added.
The body also plans to hold forums in new markets for Islamic finance, including events in Morocco and Libya later this year.

One of CIBAFI’s key messages is that Islamic windows – units of conventional banks which offer Islamic financial products and services - need to operate under clear rules to improve the perceptions of consumers.

“In some cases, conventional banks which offer Islamic windows or Islamic transactions are trying to pull the financial products towards their conventional ways of operation,” Hafiz said, arguing this hindered consumers from distinguishing between conventional and Islamic products.
“It may be owned partially or totally by a conventional bank, but a full separation technically and legally should be shown to consumers.”

This could improve the industry’s appeal and eventually reduce the reliance on the Islamic window model in favor of full-fledged operations, Hafiz said.

“This is maybe a transitional time, not the end situation.”


Source : http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/banking-and-finance/2013/06/25/Islamic-finance-lobby-plans-regional-network.html

Mosques, surau urged to hold special prayer for rain to ease the haze problem

 

KUALA LUMPUR: All mosques and surau in the country, as well as Muslims, have been urged to hold special prayer for rain to fall to ease the haze problem.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak made the suggestion when he met him on the sideline of the Dewan Rakyat sitting Monday.

"The prime minister hopes that with the cooperation of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), all mosques, surau, individuals, associations and non-governmental organisations can hold this prayer," he told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony of the Dewan Rakyat members here.

In the Federal Territory, he said, the special prayer would be held at the National Mosque after the Zohor (afternoon) prayer tomorrow.

"Jakim will inform the states about the suggestion by the prime minister," he added.

On Sunday, the prime minister declared a state of emergency due to haze for the districts of Muar and Ledang in Johor.

The declaration was made following the haze situation, particularly in the two districts, exceeding 500 on the Air Pollutants Index (API) which was an emergency level.

Schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Melaka are also closed today because of the haze, besides the schools in Muar and Ledang in Johor, Kuantan (Pahang) and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan).

Story first published on: June 24, 2013 17:34 (MYT)

Read more at: http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mosques-surau-urged-to-hold-special-prayer-for-rain-to-ease-the-haze-problem-17022?cp

World Tourism Day 2013 - promoting tourism’s role in water preservation

Centered on the theme ‘Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future’, World Tourism Day 2013 will underline tourism´s responsibility and needed commitment to preserving the world´s vital water resources. The Maldives will host the official celebrations on 27 September 2013.

This year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) theme focuses on tourism’s significant role and contribution to worldwide water conservation efforts. The theme is in line with the UN General Assembly’s declaration of 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, providing the opportunity to further highlight the shared responsibility of the tourism sector to the wider sustainability objectives.

As a trillion dollar economic sector, tourism is a powerful force capable of tackling this challenge by offering effective solutions geared towards a more sustainable water future. With over one billion people traveling internationally each year, tourism can also be an important vehicle of raising awareness and changing behaviors.

“As one of the largest economic sectors in the world, it is the responsibility of the tourism sector to take a leadership role and ensure companies and destinations invest in adequate water management throughout the value chain. If managed sustainably, tourism can bring benefits to the national and local communities and support water preservation,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai in his official WTD 2013 message. “I urge all those involved in the tourism sector to join our global World Tourism Day campaign and continue to devise innovate solutions to ensuring sustainable access to water resources worldwide.”

Clean, accessible water is vital to tourism, running most of the sector´s businesses, from hotels and restaurants to leisure facilities and transportation. More importantly, wetland tourism is growing, with many of the world’s coastlines, lakes and other wetlands among the most popular tourism destinations.

World Tourism Day will be a unique opportunity to examine the challenges facing water management in tourism and the measures being undertaken by the sector to protect and promote water resources while creating benefits for local populations around water tourism destinations.

Official WTD celebrations in the Maldives will include a High-Level Think Tank bringing together public and private tourism stakeholders and water experts to devise policies and strategies aimed at ensuring the tourism sector contributes to protecting water resources.

A Japanese Muslim on Islam mission

 A Japanese Muslim on Islam mission

Finding Islam thousands of miles away from his home, a Japanese Muslim has devoted his life to spread the correct Islamic teachings and present the true image of Islam to his fellow citizens.
“I think Japan inherited a somewhat biased European view of Islam, and this has exacerbated this tendency,” Shimoyama Shigeru, a Japanese Muslim who works at Tokyo Camii mosque and Turkish Culture Center said, Onislam.net reported.

“For instance, a lot of people in Japan became familiar with the expression “Either the Qur’an or the sword,” and this has gotten in the way of a proper understanding of Islam.
Shigeru first came to know about Islam during his journey down to Nile river to Sudan as a young university student

There, he met different people who flooded him with hospitality though they did not understand a word of what he said.

“The Africans I met were Muslims, and their hospitality made a deep impression on me,” he said.“I was surprised to learn later that their kindness came from Islamic teachings.”

Returning to Japan, Shigeru met an Iraqi student at the University of Tokyo who gave him the final push he needed to revert to Islam.

“His kindness and brotherly love was intricately bound up with his faith as a Muslim,” Shigeru recalled.

“That experience was the starting point for the person I am today. To be honest, I never had much belief in God until I became a Muslim,” he said.

“But once I joined the Muslim community and started to worship alongside other Muslims of all races, side by side as brothers, I realized what a wonderful thing it is.”

Islam began in Japan in the 1920s through the immigration of a few hundreds of Turkish Muslims from Russia following the Russian revolution.

In 1930, the number of Muslims in Japan reached about 1000 of different origins.
Another wave of migrants who boosted the Muslim population reached its peak in the 1980s, along with migrant workers from Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 Japan today is home to a thriving Muslim community of about 120,000, among nearly 127 million in the world's tenth most populated country.

Ramadan Qur’anic course planned in France

Ramadan Qur’anic course planned in France

Concurrent with the holy month of Ramadan, a Qur’an recitation and memorization course will be held in Montigny-lés-cormeille district in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. 


According to Saphirnews website, the educational course will be organized by the district's mosque in three stages for men.

The first stage will include theoretical issues and an introduction to the basic principles of Qur’an recitation.

In the second stage, the participants will be taught Tajweed principles. They will begin to memorize the Holy Qur’an’s verses individually in the third stage.

The mosque will hold the course in July and August on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 12 a.m. local time.

Shariah-compliant hotels and Dubai business hotels rise in the Gulf

Shariah-compliant hotels and Dubai business hotels rise in the Gulf

Everywhere you look in the Middle East there are hotels rising out of the sand. While most are designed to appeal to the hordes of western tourists and business people who are flocking to the Gulf, there are an increasing number of hotels being aimed squarely at Arabs and Muslims
These specialised establishments, known as Shariah-compliant hotels, are run and operated on Islamic principles, which means they are alcohol-free, serve halal food, and provide a percentage of their profit to charity. For the time being these Dubai business hotels are capitalizing on the Gulf's robust economy and the increasing purchasing power of Middle Eastern travellers.
However, because these Dubai business hotels do not serve alcohol, they face potential challenges down the road as they try to compete with mainstream establishments.

A growing trend

One factor driving the growth of Shariah-compliant hotels is the increasing number of Arab and Muslim travellers and their growing purchasing power.
According to the World Tourism Organisation, Gulf travellers spend $12bn annually on leisure travel. Perhaps more importantly, leisure and business tourists from the Arab world spend 10-50 per cent more than the average traveller.
The emergence of Islamic financing has also given rise to Shariah-compliant hotels and Dubai business hotels as these lenders often insist that the hotels they finance be in line with Islamic principles.
A few companies have sought to take the lead in this market by launching the first Shariah-compliant hotel chains. Dubai business hotels- Almulla Group recently unveiled a Shariah-compliant brand portfolio that will consist of 30 properties by the end of next year.

By 2013, Almulla wants to have 150 properties worldwide − including 35 in Europe − and plans to spend over $2bn to reach its goal.
Meanwhile, Shaza Hotels, alcohol-free Dubai business hotels joint venture between Kempinski Hotels and Guidance Financial Group, plans to have 30 hotels either under development or open in the region within 10 years. Its first of Dubai business hotels is set to open  within the next two years, in what will be an eight to 10-strong five-star hotel chain across the Middle East in the next three years.
Shazah Hotel's CEO Christopher Hartley said his hotel chain will 'celebrate the people, values, art and traditions of this culturally rich region.' He said the market response to Shaza's brand concept has been positive and is confident that Shaza will 'meet the aspirations of culturally discerning regional and international travellers, families and business groups'.

Niche market

Despite the growth of the Muslim traveler market, Shariah-compliant hotels and Dubai business hotels are clearly aimed at a niche market, said Guy Wilkinson, a partner with Gloster Management Consultants, a Dubai-based hotel consultancy.
'By not serving alcohol you are definitely going to put off some western guests, and once you start narrowing down your potential market, you are going to face a challenge.'
So how difficult is it for these Dubai business hotels to compete without alcohol revenue? 'Alcohol sales are immensely profitable and constitute a sizeable portion of revenue for many Dubai business hotels' said David Lang, a senior consultant with TRI Hospitality Consulting.

'In our experience, international hotel management companies are reluctant to operate Shariah-compliant hotels as they are unwilling to accept the loss of revenues and they see the availability of alcohol to be an expectation of their guests.'

Wilkinson has seen cases where guests simply get up and walk out of a restaurant when they are told that the menu is dry. 'Not serving alcohol has a direct impact on the bottom line in terms of loss of alcohol revenues, but it also has an indirect impact by reducing the number of people who will want to eat at the hotel's restaurant and limiting the number of people who may wish to stay at the hotel,' he noted.

But Wilkinson was eager to clarify that although it is easy to stereotype the market for Shariah-compliant hotels as being Muslim-only, that is not the case.
There are dry hotels and Dubai business hotels that market themselves as the best place to have company meetings or training because the lack of a hotel bar will make it more likely that attendees will 'keep their eye on the ball'. Others characterise themselves as being more tranquil and healthy than Dubai business hotels that serve alcohol.
Meanwhile, some Shariah-compliant hotels are marketing themselves as a place to get a more 'authentic' Arab or Middle Eastern experience. These Dubai business hotels often are lavishly decorated with Islamic art in hopes that their aesthetics and respect for the culture will help offset the lack of alcohol, he said.
Lang believes that Shariah-compliant hotels will clearly have appeal to many Middle East tourists. 'We consider there to be strong demand from certain segments of the Arab market - namely from conservative families who are interested in travelling, but are deterred by the alcohol and indulgence found in many upscale hotels.'

He sees no reason why Shariah-compliant hotels would not be able to succeed, as long as they are positioned in the right market. 'These hotels will be differentiated from the competition and appeal to a distinct market segment. If the market conditions are right, and demand in a particular location is strong enough, it is conceivable for a Shariah-compliant hotel to outperform other properties.'
Wilkinson believes that in the short term, Shariah-compliant hotels and Dubai business hotels will be able to thrive due to the overall strength of the hospitality sector in the region.

'Right now, Dubai business hotels'market in Dubai is so strong that you can probably open a hotel without a bar and not have a problem,' he said. 'The question will be how well these hotels will perform in a few years when more Dubai business hotels are opened, demand gets softer, and guests have more flexibility in choosing a hotel.'
Wilkinson noted that there are many hotels without a bar or restaurant that turn a profit. Such hotels, known as a 'rooms only' operation, are cheaper to run because they have fewer staff. A lot of cheaper hotels fall into this category. Obviously, such hotels are not going to appeal everyone, so the key is attracting the tourists who are in that niche market.

source : http://www.bhihotels-dubai.com/Articles_17.asp

PM shows off in Istanbul

Turkish PM Erdoğan addressed his supporters at a park 10 kilometers away  ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

 

 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader addressed hundreds of thousands of people in a massive show of strength in Istanbul today, only half a day after a large-scale police crackdown on protesters in Gezi, a central Istanbul park that is at the heart of the nearly 20-day-long street action across the country.

 

The AKP meeting in Istanbul’s Kazlıçeşme, not very far from Gezi Park, was a part of the party‘s official launch of the local elections campaign, which is set to be held in March next year.

Party leader and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself said at an earlier Ankara meeting that the “Respect for the National Will” meetings were not a move against the Gezi protests, but rather an expression of popular support for the government.

“Those who wonder about what’s going on in Turkey should better look at Kazlıçeşme, at Istanbul,” Erdoğan told his supporters in Istanbul.

“These hundreds of thousands of people are not the ones who have burned and destroyed; these hundreds of thousands of people are not traitors like those who throw Molotov cocktails at my people. Whatever we do, we’ll remain within the frame of democracy and the rule of law. We have never pushed the limits of legality,” he said.

‘Hide this if you can’

Erdoğan also once again slammed the international media. “If the international media want a picture of Turkey, the picture is here,” he said. “CNN, Reuters, BBC, hide this picture too, and go on with your lies.”

“Turkey is not a country on which international media institutions can conduct operations. Without feeling ashamed they say get ready for the Turkish Spring after the Arab Spring. They do not know that the Turkish Spring occurred on Nov. 3, 2002,” the prime minister added, referring to the date when the AKP was first elected.

“Now, Gezi Parkı has been cleared and handed back to its people. The municipality has cleared the park and renewed it with new flowers. Real environmentalists are at work now. Who is this environmentalist? The AK Party government,” he said.

"I warn once again. They are making calls to unite at Taksim. I call for commonsense. My people: do not fall into this trap," he added.

"We’ll identify one by one those who have terrorized the streets of our cities. We have all recordings of city surveillance recordings, we’ll trace the media and social media to find those who have provoked incidents,” Erdoğan said.

“I wonder what they these foreigners who came to Taksim Square from all corners of the world were doing. We have seen the same plots in Reyhanlı,” he said. 

“One of the lawmakers of the CHP who entered the Divan Hotel insulted my governor who asked for his help ... They seek to get what they cannot get out of the ballotboxes from the streets. but they will never be able to do so,” he added.

"Some call me dictator. What kind of dictator would receive the Gezi Park occupiers and the sincere environmentalists," Erdoğan said, adding that no dictator in the world would have allowed people to stage such a protest at Gezi Park.

Clealing Gezi Park is my duty: PM

“[Clearing Gezi Park of occupiers] is my duty as the prime minister. If I do not do it, I should not stay in this position. But those in Europe claim [that occupying the park] was an issue of freedom. What freedom? The freedom should be within the framework of the rule of law. They want to put a tent in Gezi Park. If you want to put your tents up, go to a plateau,” he said.

“I have listened to all that has been said on this issue from the very beginning. We hold meetings, I have listened one by one. Isn’t this freedom, isn’t this democracy? The prime minister of this country accepts them and listens to them. But they tell completely different things when they go out of the meeting with me. They should know one thing very clearly: They can never find a prime minister like me in the world,” he said.

"These people used mosques as barns during the single-party period," Erdoğan said.

“These dark circles will never be able to succeed in their attempt to destable this country. One thing they did not count on was the determination of its people,” he said.

"The call to prayer used to be recited in a flat, depressing way [in Turkish]," Erdoğan said. "However, with the decision of the Adnan Menderes government long ago, the call started being recited as original [in Arab]," he said.

Prime Minister Erdoğan said he will continue to hold mass rallies next weekend in Erzurum on Saturday and in Samsun on Sunday.

The transportation opportunities in the city were widened with boats carrying crowds to Kazlıçeşme from the Anatolian side of the city.

About 1,000 riot policemen were brought to Istanbul June 16 from the southeastern and eastern provinces of Diyarbakır, Şırnak, Siirt, Elazığ and the capital city of Ankara to support their colleagues in Istanbul at Gezi events and the AKP rally.

The AKP decision for the meetings was made after the protests and Gezi were the sole topics in his Ankara speech also. About an hour after his speech on June 15, Istanbul police stormed the city park to clear it of protesters.

Riot police used tear gas and water cannons starting from late June 15 to reclaim Gezi Park from demonstrators occupying it.

The clashes between the police lasted until the morning, with police using tear gas against groups that tried to enter the Taksim area in the afternoon also.

Thousands in Istanbul gathered on the streets in several districts of the city to march to Taksim Square, hours after the evacuation of Gezi Park.

Police intervened on one of the city’s arterial roads against protesters on the Asian side who had gathered in an attempt to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot.

Two water cannon trucks belonging to the gendarmerie forces came in reinforcement to the police near Taksim Square, which was not a usual practice. Some doctors and supporters of the Beşiktaş football team were detained June 16 by the police for supporting the ongoing Gezi Park protests. The police detained doctors in their white coats inside the Ramada Hotel.

June/16/2013

India Tourism promotion event held in Kuwait

India has organised a tourism road show in Kuwait highlighting its tourist destinations to attract Gulf travellers and promote tourism in the country. 

The 'Incredible India' show, organised by Indian embassy in Kuwait in association with the Indian tourism ministry, was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta on June 11 in Kuwait.
Air India, Jet Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Oman Air, which are operating flights to India from Kuwait also took part in the promotional event which was attended by more than 90 representatives from tour and travel agencies, medical tourism, hotel groups and media fraternity of Kuwait.

A Business to Business session was held before the main event followed by presentation from Sudhir Kumar, Assistant Director, India Tourism Dubai. Kumar said over 6.65 million foreign tourists visited India in 2012. Indian envoy Mehta spoke of the India-Kuwait bilateral relations and said that earlier the travel by people of the two countries was driven by necessity such as trade, work, education and medical treatment but now we would like to add tourism as a new dimension to this relationship.

Presentations were made by Vythiri Village, a five star resort in northern Kerala, Punarnava Ayurvedic hospital with a resort facility, RP Group of hotels.Mohd Ashraf of Vythiri Village in his presentation mentioned about the facilities they offer in Kerala. Dr Ajumal of Punarnava, an Ayurvedic treatment centre and resort talked about their four centres in Cochin and the wide range of medical facilities offered by them.

Shone Abdul Hakeem of RP Group gave presentation about five star hotel facilities and resorts offered by his group. A variety of Indian handicrafts were also put on display by Indian Heritage, Kuwait.

Airport’s garage now Muslim house of worship

Muslim cab drivers pray inside San Francisco International Airport garage. Airport has furnished them with a cleansing station to wash their hands and feet. Chronicle photo by Andrew Ross

Here’s a sign of the changing times — Muslim cabbies now have their very own place at San Francisco International Airport to wash their hands and feet before they pray.
Under Islamic law, Muslims are required to pray five times a day — a ritual that also calls for a ceremonial cleansing.
For many cab drivers, that’s meant either lugging bottled water around or using one of the bathrooms inside the terminal to wash — a practice not always welcomed by airport passengers.
So Royal Cab driver Hasan Khan, 52, a Pakistani immigrant, collected some 300 signatures from fellow cabbies, urging the airport to give them their own cleansing station.
Airport brass obliged — and the wash equipment was installed on the ground floor of the main garage, right next to where the drivers congregate for their breaks.
“The way we look at it…this was in the interest of maintaining a good relationship with ground transportation providers,’’ says airport spokesman Doug Yakel.
As for using public resources?
Yakel says the costs were nominal, with the work done by in-house plumbers.
As for Khan, he recognizes not everyone might appreciate the religious accommodation. But then he points out that Christians generally pray at church on Sundays — while for him and his fellow working Muslims, the ritual is woven into their daily routine.

Royal Cab driver Hasan Khan washes at cleansing station furnished by the airport.

And from the looks of things, they’re grateful









“We are very happy,’’ said Ahmed Algazali, 49, a fellow driver from Yemen as he prepared to join Khan for a late-afternoon garage prayer.
For more M&R — including former Mayor Art Agnos’ debate challenge to Mayor Ed Lee and the fight President Obama’s dinner host is having with surfers in Half Moon Bay — read here.

Japan aims to attract more tourists from Islamic countries

TOKYO 

The Japanese government is planning to attract more tourists from Islamic countries, it said in its white paper on tourism for 2013. The white paper identified Islamic countries as high potential areas for inbound tourism.

According to the white paper, around 8.37 million tourists visited Japan, the second highest on record. However, compared to other countries, Japan still remains weak in tourism (30th in the world ranking).

The white paper states that there is a need to strengthen tourism by branding Japan as a more attractive destination.

As target areas, the white paper predicts Islamic countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia will be a big market for future tourism in Japan. Thus, it aims to establish a Muslim-friendly environment by securing places for Muslim tourists to pray when they are in Japan, as well as providing for their dietary needs.

Last year, South Korea provided the most number of tourists with 2.04 million, despite disputes between the two countries. China was second with 1.43 million tourists.

Japan Today

CAPRICE GOLD PALACE HOTEL ISTANBUL, TURKEY

CAPRICE GOLD PALACE HOTEL ISTANBUL, TURKEY

The First Recipient in The World to Receive The Highest Award of IQS-7 Crescent Standard of ISLAMIC QUALITY STANDARD (IQS),

DR. MAHATHIR Mohamad listened to the explanation from the Chairman of Caprice Group Turkey,Mr. Fadil Akgunduz about the picture of Caprice Gold Palace Hotel Istanbul which was awarded IQS -7 Crescent Standard of Islamic Quality Standard from UCSC  - Universal Crescent Standard, together with Chairman of UCSC,Dato Prof Dr.  Ismail Ibrahim at the International Islamic Tourism Standards Conference at PWTC Kuala Lumpur on 6 December 2012

Source of Above Photo Only: SAIFULIZAM MOHAMAD pengarang@utusan.com.my

 http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Politik/20121207/po_01/UMNO-tebus-maruah-umat-Islam#ixzz2Vt9Ea4w

Mr Fadil Akgunduz receiving the Award from
H.E. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at the Conference

  
CAPRICE GOLD ISTANBUL is the first hotel in the world to receive  IQS 7-Standard award.  of Islamic Quality Standard (IQS). Not only the hotel is luxury with excellence in quality and standard, but it is also in conformation with Islamic Principles as specified by USCS in the   Islamic Quality Standard (IQS).

A Complete building of Jaemek Mosque with two minarets is also built as part of the Hotel project, in addition to another Jaemak Mosque in the Hotel Building itself. 

CAPRICE GOLD ISTANBUL PROJECT, which will be the Caprice Group second hotel with 1300 room’s with “7-Stars” equivalent luxury will cost about USD 330 million to construct [not including the land cost of 22,000 square meters [4.5 acres]. This Hotel will be  the biggest city hotel in Europe which will start to operate by middle of 2014. 

There are 26 floors in total with 8 floors underground, including three A la Carte and two buffet   restaurants with five Spa Centers that willserve with thirty five swimming pools.As mentioned before,Caprice Gold Project was awarded for  IQS 7-Standard award which is the top level award, for its design.

CAPRICE GOLD is located right in the heart of İstanbul  with important commercial buildings and   residential areas like:  “Mega Centre” and “Istanbul European Side Dried Food Wholesale Market, Forum Istanbul;  the biggest shopping complex in Turkey 

(160.000sqm GLA); IKEABayrampasa, andPraktiker Bayrampasa the biggest shopping mall in Turkey; Yorum Istanbul which is  a luxury condominium or apartments residential complex and office blocks. The renovation of the existing metro station has been 

KL Conference on Islamic Finance 2013

KL Conference on Islamic Finance 2013

Date    : 27-28 August 2013

Venue : Grand Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

“An international gathering of practitioners, scholars and experts to discuss and share their knowledge, expertise and experience on the principles, instruments and issues related to Islamic finance, to be held at the world’s leading Islamic financial centre…Kuala Lumpur.”

Event site : www.islamic-finance-conference.net

KEY FOCUS/TOPICS:

- Product development and Implementation of Islamic financial products

- Ensuring Shariah compliance in Islamic financial instruments

- Sukuk: development, issues and challenges

- Islamic gold account: a golden opportunity

- Islamic mutual funds (unit trusts): factors to consider in making an investment

- The rise of Islamic wealth management in Islamic finance industry

- Islamic financial planning: success in both worlds

- Takaful: innovation and solutions

- Enterprise risk management for Islamic banks

- Enterprise risk management for takaful operators

- Accounting and auditing

- Human capital development in Islamic finance industry

- Legal issues and challenges in Islamic finance

- Dispute settlement in Islamic finance: issue and solutions

- Islamic ethics in financial services industry

- Corporate governance for Islamic finance industry

SPEAKERS:

Speakers are selected from Islamic banks, takaful operators, academicians, legal practitioners, consultants, regulatory bodies.

Among the speakers are:

Professor Dr. Malik Muhammad Mahmud Al-Awan

Chairman/CEO, Global Studies Institute, USA

Asst. Professor Dr. Aznan Hasan

Member, Shariah Advisory Committee, Securities Commission Malaysia

Member, Shariah Advisory Committee, Bank Negara Malaysia

Halim Mohamed Dzin

CEO, Sedania As Salam Capital (As Sidq)

Mahdzir Othman

CEO, i-VCAP Management Sdn Bhd 

Hassan Omar Ahmed

CEO, Elit Consultancy

Nasser Yassin

Takaful Consultant, KTC Consultant

Ahmad Sanusi Husain

CEO & Chief Consultant, Alfalah Consulting

Ahmad Lutfi Abdull Mutalip

Partner, Azmi & Associates (Advocates & Solicitors)

WHO SHOULD  ATTEND:

- Islamic bankers/bankers

- Takaful/insurance operators

- Regulators

- Head of governmental departments

- Financial planners/wealth advisors

- Financial consultants

- Legal practitioners (lawyers)

- Academicians (lecturers)

- Entrepreneurs (businessmen/importers/exporters etc)

- Other professionals 

REGISTRATION:

Early Bird Fee: 

Registration with payment by 26 July 2013

Malaysian   :  RM1,500

International  :  USD600

Normal Fee:

Registration with payment after 26 July 2013

Malaysian  :  RM1,800

International  :  USD700

Special fee for Malaysian university lecturers :  RM1,000 (group discount not applicable)

Fee is inclusive of lunch, refreshments and seminar package only.

Group Discount:

Enjoy 20% discount for third and subsequent delegates registered from the same organisation and the same billing source.