THE PRIDE OF AFRICA ARE IN THE QUARTER FINALS

Ghana, the pride of Africa in this world cup have qualified into the quarter finals after beating the swift and energetic USA team by two goals to one. This came after they emerged out of a tough group in which everybody had the chance of qualification to the next stage.

Ghana has therefore joined two other countries Cameroon and Senegal to become the only African teams to have reached this stage. But for Ghana they are doing it in style on an African soil.

The Ghana-USA game indeed was an interesting and keenly fought for one. Prior to the match, discussions on international media BBC included made Ghana the underdog with such statements as “the Ghanaian team can only play for eighty minutes”, “Ghana cannot score but for penalties”, “Ghana’s striker i.e. Asamoah Gyan is only good at scoring penalty kicks” among others.

Well it turned out that the Black stars proved their critics wrong when they beat the Yankees who were in for a revenge of the defeat they suffered at the hands of the Ghanaian team at Germany 2006.

Interestingly, none of the goals the Black stars scored were penalty kicks, the Black stars played for as long as a hundred and twenty minutes and the second goal of the Stars was by Asamoah Gyan. This goal was splendid and many strikers will like to have goals of a kind.

Not only patriotic citizens were present at the stadium to support both teams but the President of Ghana John E. Atta-Mills and ex-president of USA Bill Clinton were also at the stadium to motivate their players.

The Black stars are poised for their next match against Uruguay which will see them into the semi-final if they win though they will be missing such key players as Dede Ayew who is on suspension for taking two yellow cards and probably Kevin Prince Boateng who suffered an injury in their last match.

THE QUESTION OF HIJAB: SUPPRESSION OR LIBERATION??

I read this article at an islamic website www.sultan.org and I will like to share it with you readers.

"Why do Muslim women have to cover their heads?" This question is one which is asked by Muslim and non-Muslim alike. For many women it is the truest test of being a Muslim.

The answer to the question is very simple - Muslim women observe HIJAB (covering the head and the body) because Allah has told them to do so.

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." [Noble Quran 33:59]

Other secondary reasons include the requirement for modesty in both men and women. Both will then be evaluated for intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. An Iranian school girl is quoted as saying, "We want to stop men from treating us like sex objects, as they have always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be attentive to our personalities and mind. We want them to take us seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us around for our bodies and physical looks."

A Muslim woman who covers her head is making a statement about her identity. Anyone who sees her will know that she is a Muslim and has a good moral character. Many Muslim women who cover are filled with dignity and self esteem; they are pleased to be identified as a Muslim woman. As a chaste, modest, pure woman, she does not want her sexuality to enter into interactions with men in the smallest degree. A woman who covers herself is concealing her sexuality but allowing her femininity to be brought out.

The question of Hijab for Muslim women has been a controversy for centuries and will probably continue for many more. Some learned people do not consider the subject open to discussion and consider that covering the face is required, while a majority are of the opinion that it is not required. A middle line position is taken by some who claim that the instructions are vague and open to individual discretion depending on the situation.

The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were required to cover their faces so that men would not think of them in sexual terms since they were the "Mothers of the Believers," but this requirement was not extended to other women. The word "Hijab" comes from the Arabic word "hajaba" meaning to hide from view or conceal. In the present time, the context of Hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman.

The question now is what is the extent of the covering? The Quran says: "Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands..." [Noble Quran 24:30-31] These verses from the

Quran contain two main injunctions: A woman should not show her beauty or adornments except what appears by uncontrolled factors such as the wind blowing her clothes, and the head covers should be drawn so as to cover the hair, the neck and the bosom. Islam has no fixed standard as to the style of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some requirements must be met. The first of these requirements is the parts of the body which must be covered. Islam has two sources for guidance and rulings: first, the Quran, the revealed word of Allah and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for mankind.

The following is a Tradition of the Prophet: "Ayshah reported that Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asma'! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands." [Abu Dawud] The second requirement is looseness. The clothing must be loose enough so as not to describe the shape of the woman's body. One desirable way to hide the shape of the body is to wear a cloak over other clothes. However, if the clothing is loose enough, an outer garment is not necessary. Thickness is the third requirement. The clothing must be thick enough so as not to show the color of the skin it covers or the shape of the body.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that in later generations of his Ummah there would be "women who would be dressed but naked and on top of their heads (what looks like) camel humps. Curse them for they are truly cursed." [Muslim] Another requirement is an over-all dignified appearance. The clothing should not attract men's attention to the woman. It should not be shiny and flashy so that everyone notices the dress and the woman. In addition there are other requirements: Women must not dress so as to appear as men.

"Ibn Abbas narrated: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.'" [Bukhari] Women should not dress in a way similar to the unbelievers. The clothing should be modest, not excessively fancy and also not excessively ragged to gain others admiration or sympathy.

Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as seventy years ago, we see clothing similar to Hijab. These active and hard-working women of the West were not inhibited by their clothing which consisted of long, full dresses and various types of head covering. Muslim women who wear Hijab do not find it impractical or interfering with their activities in all levels and walks of life.

Hijab is not merely a covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners, speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one facet of the total being. The basic requirement of the Muslim woman's dress apply to the Muslim man's clothing with the difference being mainly in degree. Modesty requires that the area between the navel and the knee be covered in front of all people except the wife.

The clothing of men should not be like the dress of women, nor should it be tight or provocative. A Muslim should dress to show his identity as a Muslim. Men are not allowed to wear gold or silk. However, both are allowed for women. For both men and women, clothing requirements are not meant to be a restriction but rather a way in which society will function in a proper, Islamic manner.

III&E Brochure Series (Published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) and reproduced in electronic form by Islamic Academy for Scientific Research with permission)

PRESIDENT ATTA-MILLS IS UNLUCKY

To me and I am sure to many other Ghanaians, President John Evans Atta-Mills is an unlucky person. I think this way because of the many incidents that have befallen his administration since he took office. Whether some of these incidents are really accidents or not is another matter for discussion.

Right from the day he was been sworn into office, his unluckiness started. He mixed up words been recited to him by the chief justice which were supposed to be an oath. Afterwards the opposition party NPP members proposed that he retook the oath giving example of Barack Obama’s case where he had to retake the oath.

Talking of jumbling up words, Mr. President again in a state of the nation address to parliament pronounced “ecomini” instead of economy. This voice clip became the ringtone of many Ghanaians and a file on numerous storage devices in the country.

Just few months in office, the first of the many to come fire outbreaks started. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building caught fire rendering the whole premise useless and forcing the ministry to operate from the Jubilee house which is supposed to be a presidential palace. Then came the Kumasi market, some parts of the 37 military hospital, the electoral commission, the former president J.J Rawlings’ house and some other places.

The disturbing of incidents is the resurface of the many chieftaincy disputes in the country. The Ga Mantse chieftaincy saga, the Tuobodom case and some other low case ones.

Under President Mills’ administration foot soldiers a term used to describe common people who fight for their respective political parties to come to power has been tarnished as these soldiers from the NDC side have become agents of confusion and mayhem. Instead of their main responsibilities of seeking support for the party they have rather become judges and king makers telling the president which one of his appointees that ought to be sacked. This has led to the dismissal of at least five of Mills’ appointees including the upper west regional minister, Mr. Carl Wilson a national security operative and two MCE’s.

President Mills has had to bear with people calling him a chimpanzee though in our society it is not correct to call an elderly person by such names.

The most current of incidents is that which is happening in his party where there is a power struggle. There is an uncertainty as to whether the former first lady and the wife to the founder of his party Nana Konadu has the intention of competing against the president for the flagbearership position for the 2012 elections something which has not happened in the political history of the fourth republic of this country where people compete against a sitting president for the position of a flagbearer.

I call Prez Mills unlucky because if I can remember very well these circumstances did not happen under former presidents Kuffuor and Rawlings at least in substantial degrees that everyone talked about. Why then are these happening under his administration? Tell me about it.

LEAVE OUR PROPHET ALONE

The noble prophet Mohammed (pbuh) is our beloved and the last prophet of the world. We adore him and are very passionate about him and his teachings. He like other prophets came to preach the message of God the almighty. This means to muslims he is not so different from the son of Mary Jesus.

Muslims believe in holy books such as the book of Moses and the book of Jesus implying that we believe strongly in Jesus and all other prophets. Any muslim who does not believe in any one of such prophets ceases to be a muslim. It is these obligations and the fact that muslims do not make pictures of their prophets that tend to inflame passions among us when arrogant and notorious people under the disguise of freedom of speech and expression make portraits of the holy prophet.

First, it was a Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaad who decides to paint the holy prophet of Islam as a terrorist. What is the motif behind such an act muslims all over the world will ask themselves in drawing a cherished person of a particular religious minority. It is not good for us to do so that is why muslims by themselves do not make pictures or cartoons of these prophets.

However there are several pictures of Jesus and other prophets in circulation and this is because other religions which share these prophets with Islam have decided to make pictures of these people of God.

Quite recently Kurt Westergaad again decided to welcome an initiative to organize an online competition for other cartoons of the prophet. ’The initiative should be seen as a manifestation of freedom of speech, where Mohammed and my cartoon have become icons for this cultural struggle’ this cartoonist told the Danish journalist federation’s union newspaper journalisten.’ I always think that debate is great. Of course, there is a risk that it can provoke some of the dark forces that are inspired to (cause) terror’ he added.

Another Swedish artist who has angered muslims is Lars Vilk. He depicted the prophet Mohammed as a dog in a university lecture by drawing him with a dog’s body.

In South Africa as reported on VOA news some days ago tension flared in this African country as another artist decided to make pictures of the prophet. The muslims in this country have petitioned the courts of the land to intervene to stop this disgraceful attitude.

Sahih Muslim vol.3 no. 5271 page 1161 ‘this hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Mu’awiya though another chain of transmitters (and the words are): ‘verily the most grievously tormented people amongst the denizens (inhabitants) of hell on the day of resurrection would be the painters of pictures.

This verse from the hadith and other verses caution muslims not to draw pictures and this we have all abide by.