Amanpour

TONIGHT: Guantanamo

Col. Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo, talks about his mission to close the facility.

Col. Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo, talks about his mission to close the facility.

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Islamic scholar who condemned terrorism: 'I am not afraid'

March 12th, 2010
02:49 PM ET

By Tom Evans;  Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.

(CNN) –The Islamic scholar who issued a powerful fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism and suicide bombers said Thursday that he was not afraid of reprisals from his enemies and did not fear for his life.

"I am not afraid of any human being on the surface of Earth," Sheikh Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

"I am working ... to bridge up the Muslim world and the Western world, to remove the hatreds, to remove all misunderstandings."

"So this is a good cause. I am not afraid of anybody. It depends upon whatever my Lord wants. If I have to live, I will live. Otherwise, I am not afraid."

Ul-Qadri was speaking to CNN just over a week after he issued a 600-page fatwa in London denouncing terrorists as "the biggest enemies of Islam."

FULL POST

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Fatwa for Peace

March 11th, 2010
07:07 PM ET

Today we speak with Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri who has issued a 600-page fatwa against terrorism. Can it stop suicide bombings and encourage moderate Muslims to take a stand against terrorism? We want to launch a conversation how much influence you think a Fatwa has on different societies. So please read the English summary here and tell us what you think in our comment section below:

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Islamic Headscarves

February 4th, 2010
05:41 PM ET


  • HIJAB: Tightly worn scarf that covers the neck but not the face. Most common head covering.

  • CHADOR: All enveloping black garment that leaves the face uncovered.

  • NIQAB: A veil that covers the face, exposing only the eyes.

  • BURQA: Full body garment that leaves only a mesh for seeing. Widely used in Afghanistan.

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    SHORT FILM: My mother's daughter

    February 4th, 2010
    03:01 PM ET
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    Burqa becomes focus of tense debate in Europe

    February 4th, 2010
    12:40 PM ET

    By Tom Evans; Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.

    As France moves closer to a partial ban on the burqa, a leading European lawmaker declared Wednesday that the full Muslim veil is a symbol of political Islam and has no place in Europe.

    "The majority (of Europeans) don't want the political Islam and the symbols of political Islam. And the burqa is part of the political Islam that the majority rejects," Naser Khader, a Syrian-born Conservative member of the Danish Parliament, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

    But he insisted that opposing political Islam is not the same as being "Islamophobic."

    "Wearing the burqa and niqab is oppressive of women. And many Muslims are against the burqa and niqab," he said, referring to Islamic women's clothing that covers from head to toe.

    // Khader said the majority of the estimated 20 million Muslims living in the European Union are well-integrated, law-abiding and loyal citizens.

    "The burqa and niqab have no place in Western Europe", he added.

    FULL POST

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    French Muslims say law would isolate women

    February 3rd, 2010
    07:41 PM ET
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    Tom's Take

    February 3rd, 2010
    01:15 PM ET
    Sr. Writer for Amanpour, Tom Evans, works on scripts with Christiane
    Sr. Writer for Amanpour, Tom Evans, works on scripts with Christiane

    On AMANPOUR. today, we focus on Islam and Europe. With recent news that France is moving closer to banning the full Muslim veil, the recent attack on the Danish cartoonist by a Somali man with links to al-Shabaab, and the banning in Britain of a radical Islamic group, Europe is grappling to come to terms with its growing Muslim minority. After years of accepting Muslim immigrants, some European nations are growing fearful of the Muslims in their midst and placing new limits on immigration and the activities of extreme Islamic groups.  Some politicians are capitalizing on those fears, making Islam a hot political issue in Europe. Is Europe feeling it’s had enough of Islam? There are plenty of other stories to tell you about as well. Here are some perspectives on some headlines in the news today.

    Tom Evans
    Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.

    PAKISTAN/U.S. – How big is the U.S. military footprint in Pakistan?

    -         Three U.S. troops are among seven people killed in a roadside bomb attack in northwest Pakistan near a school

    -         Pakistan says American troops are in the country to help train local security forces

    -         Bombing could be retaliation for repeated U.S. drone strikes against Taliban and Al Qaeda targets in border area near Afghanistan

    QUESTION: Will there be a political backlash in Pakistan against the use of U.S. military personnel to train Pakistani security forces?

    IRAQ – Are terrorists trying to stir up ethnic hatred by attacking Shia pilgrims?

    -         Bombing kills 20 people and wounds 117 others in holy city of Karbala, south of Baghdad

    -         Attack one of four targeting Shia pilgrims Wednesday who are celebrating the Arbaeen, the end of the 40-day mourning period that closes Ashura

    -         Blasts raising fears Sunni extremists may be trying to disrupt the pilgrimage

    QUESTION: Will the Shia community in Iraq stay calm in the face of these bomb attacks – or will Shia extremists retaliate?

    SUDAN – Will decision to allow genocide case to proceed against Sudanese president lead to more vigorous international action to apprehend him?

    -         Appeal judges order International Criminal Court to rule again on whether to allow genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for his role in campaign of violence in Darfur

    -         Al-Bashir, who remains in office, already facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity

    -         Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo wanted al-Bashir to face genocide charge at same time, but pre-trial judge left that off original arrest warrant, citing lack of evidence

    QUESTION: Will countries that have allowed al-Bashir to visit in the past now consider arresting him if he travels again?

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