Sudan

The latest terrorist attacks in Algeria and Morocco were a considerable warning of the increasing power of the Islamic groups in general and that of al-Qā‘idah in particular. The attacks sparked world wide protests and many people attributed them to the U.S. strategy in the Middle East.

The Azhar officials have admitted the existence of copies of the Azhar Mushaf in Sudan that contain

typographical mistakes

The author considers the rights of minorities and if the rights afforded to them hold up to the

standards of Sharī‘ah and the Qur’ān.

This article is a description of the international growth of the Coptic Orthodox Church over the course of history.

Coptic thinkers in Egypt have rejected a conference called for by expatriate Copt Dr. ‘Adlī Abādīr entitled, ‘The Rights of Minorities in the Middle East.’ The organizers have launched an aggressive attack on political authorities in Egypt, accusing them of causing a setback in social and economic development.

The article presents the transcript of a lecture for the Arab Thought Forum. It considers media distortions and mis-representation in the media that only serve to further antagonize Muslim-Christian relations and the perception of Islam and the Arab world in the West. Drs. Cornelis Hulsman explains the role of the Center for Arab West Understanding, and the importance of constructive, unbiased, and fully researched journalism.

The author asserts that secularism is the right way to peaceful cooperative society.

Islamic scholars of the Azhar have rejected a fatwá issued by a key Islamic leader in Sudan, Dr. Hasan al-Turābī, in which he denies the hadd of stoning a male adulterer, believing it to be a Jewish rather than an Islamic order. He also recognises the testimony made by an educated woman as equal to that of four illiterate men.

In his article, Dr. Sa‘īd highlights the present Egyptian lack of national concordance. He tries to explain the source of the major disagreement over the Constitution, stating various reasons.

The Center for Arab-West Understanding presents its annual report for 2006, highlighting the objectives achieved and the goals for the upcoming year. 2006 was landmarked by growing toward the Center for Arab-West Understanding, and laying the basis for an electronic documentation center.