The Impact of a Sustainable Muslim Model on Community Development with Special Reference to Religious Tourism

This paper uses the descriptive qualitative approach to answer questions about how a Sustainable Muslim Model (SMM) could work as a new approach to developing and sustaining communities. This study embraces the textual analysis method to examine the prevailing published research in the context of sustainability and community development. A number of scholars have approved this textual analysis method as a tool to study religious texts. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview and discuss the status, issues and challenge of community development in tourism. As religious tourism is gaining more ground over time, the need to develop religious tourism sustainably and thus protect tourism communities, has become a priority. Developing and sustaining religious tourism almost always becomes a primary interest and priority for concerned communities. The religious virtues which form the cultural values of Muslim communities affect this crucial issue as they dovetail with the affective domain of sustainability awareness. This study explores the Qur’anic verses and Islamic teachings which urge Muslims to design and build communities in general and religious tourist sites in particular in a highly sustainable way. The results of this study indicate that the SMM can be applicable to Muslim and non-Muslim communities in maintaining sustainability while developing tourism communities. The role of Islamic religious tourism in developing environmental, cultural and economic sustainability is highlighted in a variety of Islamic teachings. The study finds that the appropriateness of the aforementioned teachings are highly relevant to current sustainability issues. This study presents for the first time the Sustainable Muslim Model (SMM) as new approach to deal with community development. The discussion presents a wealth of original research and source material, it illuminates and clarifies the concept of Khairyyah (goodliness / charitable), which, the literature argues, is central to an understanding of how sustainable tourism development can be implemented from an Islamic point of view

Consumption of Zamzam Water as a Natural Health Medicine for Visitors Attending Pilgrimage in Makkah

The Zam Zam is the name of the well in city of Makkah that provides water to visitors who are attending pilgrimage. Over the last 4500 years billions of people have drunk water from the well of Zam Zam. During the annual Hajj festival pilgrims drink and wash themselves with the Zam Zam. The Quraan has stated in verse 21:30 ‘and we have made of water everything living, will they not then believe’. It is because of its religious character that Zamzam has a unique identification: the most sacred and miraculous water well in the history of Islam if not the entire world. It is believed that this water has healing properties and it is drunk by Muslims across the world

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London