October, 1992. the Soviet Union has disbanded and chaos reigns in its former territories. Three times a week, a rattly Russian charter plane filled with young Muslim devotees flies east from Istanbul across barren, low-lying steppes to the capitals of Central Asia. The men are clean-cut, sharply dressed in dark suits and ties, trim of mustache and purposeful. It is the first foray out of their hometown for most, let alone on a plane, but such is their faith in Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish Muslim imam they revere. "Fly like swallows," Gulen exhorted, "to these countries that are newly free, as an expression of our brotherhood."

Yesterday I decided to put up an announcement for The Revival Magazine issue 15 onto Ummah Forums and came across a topic on women leaders.

Putting aside the history, such as hadhrat Aaisha siddeeqa (ra) playing many leading roles through her life, I have another question - are politicians leaders or advocates? Surely only the ojes in cabinet are leaders in anysort of way?

An elected politician does not rule his/her constituents, but merely represent them.

Hi all. My name's Brent and I'm doing a project on equity in education. I decided to do my topic on the Muslim community, particularly Muslim women.

My project idea was this: In northern India, there seems to be a bad situation for Muslim women when it comes to education. 85% of Muslim women in northern India are illiterate and are too poor to afford a decent education for themselves or their children.

With that in mind, my idea was to construct schools in northern India that would help to educate middle school-aged girls (ages 10-14) who greatly desire an education. Expert teacher's would be supplied to these schools in order to teach girls how to read, write, and also educate them on other subjects such as the Muslim religion.

The only man to admit shooting Malcolm X has been freed on parole, 45 years after he helped assassinate the civil rights leader in New York City.

State Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Linda Foglia says Thomas Hagan was freed Tuesday.

He had spent two days a week at a Manhattan prison under a work-release program.

The 69-year-old Hagan was the last man still serving time in the 1965 killing. He and two others were convicted of murder.

Hagan says he was one of three gunmen who shot Malcolm X at Harlem's Audubon Ballroom. But he says the two men who were convicted with him were not involved. They maintained their innocence and were paroled in the 1980s.

Hagan has repeatedly expressed regret.