A l'occasion de la fête de la naissance du Prophète Mohammed, Paix et Salut soient sur lui ainsi que sur tous les Prophètes de Dieu, le Conseil Français du Culte Musulman présente à l'ensemble des musulmans de France, ses meilleurs vœux de bonheur et de prospérité.

Le CFCM annonce que cette fête qui intervient le 12e jour du mois « Rabi' Al Awwal » de l'année Hégirienne 1431, sera célébrée le vendredi 26 février 2010.

Crédits photo : AFP

Perhaps it's time for France to take a deep breath.

First the country went through histrionics as parliamentarians bustled to ban the niqab — the face-covering garment only a few hundred Muslim women wear in this nation of 65 million people. Then came President Nicolas Sarkozy's push for a debate on national identity, a move that critics claimed stigmatized immigrants and Muslims. Now France is demonstrating what looks like a neurotic obsession with Islam — if not outright Islamophobia — as it frets over halal hamburgers sold in a handful of the 362 French affiliates of Franco-Belgian fast-food chain Quick.

The latest brouhaha was sparked by René Vandierendonck, the socialist mayor of the northern city of Roubaix, who this month railed against his local Quick outlet over its Nov. 30 decision to remove bacon burgers from its menu and replace them with a version using halal beef and a slice of smoked turkey. "It's discrimination" against non-Muslim customers, Vandierendonck said. The mayor has filed charges with justice authorities against Quick for what he says is prejudicial religious catering. He's also lodged a complaint with France's main antidiscrimination authority on the matter. "Yes to diversity, no to exclusion," Vandierendonck told Le Monde's website last week. "I congratulate Quick for adapting its offer to consumers by providing halal, but it goes too far when they propose only that." (See an article on the global halal economy.)

Unsurprisingly, Marine Le Pen, vice president of France's far-right National Front political party, whose power base lies near Roubaix, has been quick to jump on the issue. France, she says, needs to be defended from Islam's growing influence. Quick's halal option is "an Islamic tax" on diners. Not to be outdone, members of the ruling conservative Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) have also fretted over Quick's menu change. UMP secretary general Xavier Bertrand said it was undermining France's secular, integrationist social model, while UMP parliamentarian Richard Mallié saluted Vandierendonck's "republican combat."

DUBAI — UAE stocks are expected to maintain a steady trend this week, with investors seeking trading clues from corporate results from blue 
chip companies.

Full-year and fourth-quarter results of Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emaar and du may set off rallies depending on the strength of their earnings. Property, banking and insurance sectors will be in focus during the week and investors will have a close eye on major listed companies in those areas.

Analysts said any rally will however be short-lived as the markets are seen in a long-term downtrend amid a lack of positive news on the domestic front. Poor corporate results in the fourth quarter may halt last week’s rally and reverse the course in due time because investors are not willing to cash in on the low price opportunities in 
key sectors.

The Dubai Financial Market’s General Index is likely to trade in tight range this week and may test key levels either on upside or downside, while Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange’s main index likely to sustain the 2,700 level in the wake of recovery in banking sector last week.