REUTERS - Now that we are nearly at the end of the first month of 2012, it's time to consider new places to explore this year, which is why online travel consultant TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) has offered a list of its top 15 destinations on the rise. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

An eco-adventurer arrived back in Britain on Friday after driving round the world in a battered old "biotruck" rescued from a junkyard and powered by used cooking oil.

Built using only natural resources, the eco-friendly Philea Resort and Spa in Malacca resembles a forest paradise.

Philea Resort and Spa is the first and largest log resort listed in the Malaysia Book Of Records. Matured trees on its sprawling ground give its elegantly-designed cabins natural cool shade.

The cabins are built entirely of logs. Thanks to its natural surroundings and architecture, the year-old resort promises a relaxing and peaceful stay in a location built to resemble a forest paradise.

It is barely a minute from the Ayer Keroh, Malacca interchange of the North-South Highway.

Here's a sneak peak of the beauty that awaits you on a road trip in Tasmania's East Coast.

If you're a nature buff, the land down under should be high up on your list of vacation destinations. Boasting 550 national parks and 15 World Heritage sites, it's a never-ending discovery of Mother Nature's finest creations. We share a sneak peak of the beauty that awaits you on a road trip in Tasmania's East Coast and all the way down south from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island.

Argentine couple Herman and Candelaria Zapp always dreamed of traveling the world. When they decided to pursue their dream in January 2000, the initial plan was to take a six-month trip to Alaska and then head back to Argentina.

The most moving thing about the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha caves, in a remote corner of China's Xinjiang Province, is that there is little left to see.

When they were created 1000 years ago, these shrines must have been stunning. But now, although the caves themselves are still there, the statues and frescoes with which they were decorated have mostly gone.

They were stolen, as the guardian bitterly explained, by Western archaeologists. And, he added, much of what was not stolen was destroyed. Only fragments now remain to show the splendour of the work.

The caves are the work of the Uighur people who moved into the area about 1000 years ago. Their first efforts were dedicated to the Manichaeism they brought with them from Central Asia. But, following the Uighurs' conversion to Buddhism, the vast majority celebrated Buddhism scriptures. When Islam arrived, work on the caves ceased and some Muslims even destroyed faces and gouged out eyes because of the prohibition on human figures.

The caves lie along a river gorge, amid a spectacularly desolate landscape, squeezed between the red rocks of the Flaming Mountains and the endless sands of the Taklamaklan Desert.

But if you take the path that leads unpromisingly down the steep side of the gorge suddenly a whole new world opens up, with rows of doorways leading into the cliff face, and occasional glimpses of colourful frescoes or flowing sculptures.

There are apparently 77 caves altogether, though some have collapsed and many are closed to the public, but the few we were allowed to see served to create the impression of a picture of a great treasure tragically lost.

The first cave we entered was clearly intended to have statues at the back. The space was empty.

The walls were decorated with figures of kings and gods, monks and warriors, flowers and animals, but in several places large chunks, perhaps 30cm square, had simply been cut out.

Bin, our Chinese guide, said the pieces of fresco had been removed about a century before by the German archaeologist, Albert von Le Coq. "He took them back to Berlin to put into museums and they were destroyed in the bombing in World War II."

When he left, Le Coq smeared the walls with mud in the hope of preventing other archaeologists from finding the pictures, Bin added. "Our archaeologists have tried to remove the mud but it is too hard. They used a special technique to remove it from that one there," he said pointing, "but as you can see it didn't work."

By the look of it the process used to remove the mud had also removed most of the paint. "They are not going to clean any more paintings until a better technique has been found," said Bin.

Another cave had been so badly desecrated the walls were almost completely bare. Instead, hanging here and there were prints of some of the pictures that once covered the bare mud, copies from the pieces in German museums before they were bombed.

Some caves, however, did have their frescoes more intact. In one was an impressive depiction of the moment when Buddha reached nirvana. The reclining Buddha figure that was supposed to have been the centrepiece was missing, taken by the Hungarian-British archaeologist, Sir Auriel Stein, but the fresco behind where the statue once stood still showed people of many nationalities, some mourning his departure, others celebrating his achievement.

Along the side of the cave were more pictures which, according to Bin, showed the donors who had made construction of the cave possible, some holding out money, others bearing platters carrying gifts of food. But one figure was missing. "It was taken by a Japanese."

It was much the same story in each cave we visited: a few delightful scenes from the life of Buddha, or of kings and gods conversing, or - the theme that gave the caves their name - of thousands of Buddhas looking down on the world dispassionately, just to whet the appetite, and beyond that empty plinths, blank spaces, crumbling plaster, walls smeared with mud or bare rock.

I have since seen photos of the caves in books and on the internet - although we were not allowed to take any pictures inside - and it does seem that some of the caves we were not allowed into do have more of their pictures still intact.

Nevertheless, memories of the visit to those caves remains for me a rather moving memory, with admiration for the work of the Uighur artists rather overwhelmed by anger at the damage done to their creations.

Source: NZ Herald

From the moment I saw an exhibition of artifacts from Tutankhamen's Tomb, as a young child in the US, I was fascinated with all things in Egypt: the pyramids, the pharaohs, the Nile, everything.

I have always been interested in Egyptian history, which attracts me with its millennia of Old and New Kingdoms, the Greco-Roman period, the Arab and Ottoman eras, European colonization, and the modern state.

Last November, I finally had the chance to fulfill my dream to travel to Egypt. My two-week trip took me from the dusty, chaotic, and crowded streets of Cairo to the awe-inspiring pyramids at Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur; then to Alexandria and its impossibly blue Mediterranean Sea; and finally to the amazing temples and tombs of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.

Wherever I went, I was greeted with a warm smile and a sincere "Welcome to Egypt!" The first question people would usually ask is what country I am from. When I answered "America," they would nod slowly and say, "America — very good people," followed by many good things to say about President Barack Obama.

I had hoped that the election of President Obama and positive policy changes on his part would begin to heal the wounds inflicted by the US on many parts of the Arab World over decades, and particularly in the past several years. My hopes were strengthened through encounters with everyday Egyptians.

Warmth

Heart of Cairo, capital of Egypt.

I enjoyed the simple but meaningful acts of kindness that I received from Egyptians throughout my travels. A woman selling warm and delicious pita bread in the old Islamic section of Cairo refused to allow me to pay for my loaves. In Alexandria, a group of young guys invited me for a wonderful sail around the harbor and share some delicious local pastries.

In Luxor, I had a nice talk with a father holding his young son in a minibus taxi. When we got out in the town center, the father insisted on paying my fare.

I love to travel independently because it provides opportunities for these impromptu and genuine conversations with local people from all walks of life. I certainly would not have these opportunities if I was walled off in a hotel or tethered to a tour group.

I was really amazed at the sheer number of young people in Egypt. I looked up some figures when I returned and found that about 33 percent of Egyptians are aged 14 or younger, compared to about 20 percent in the US and around 14 percent in some European countries. The median age in Egypt is 24, compared with 37 in the US and around 40 in many European nations.

Wherever I went, boys and young guys would come up to me and ask me where I am from, if I could take a picture with them, and who my favorite football player is. We had a great time talking about Egypt and America, and I felt great doing my small part to build understanding and trust between different cultures — and have a few laughs too.

Barriers or Traditions?

While I enjoyed meeting and talking with local people, I was frustrated by the fact that during my two weeks in Egypt I had only one conversation with a woman, my tour guide for the pyramids near Cairo. Unlike boys and men who were rarely shy in striking up a conversation with me, girls and women never approached me, and I was very apprehensive about violating cultural or religious norms or making anyone uncomfortable, so I did not initiate conversations with them.

I was disappointed that I was unable to gain a female perspective on life in modern Egypt; especially since the rights of women in Egypt, and Muslim countries in general, is such an important issue. In retrospect, I should have shown more initiative, in proper settings and circumstances, so that I could gain their viewpoint as well.

Although most of my travel experiences in Egypt were positive, but there were quite a few challenges that confronted me as a foreign independent traveler. I became very frustrated about having to pay more for every goods and service than local people, whether it was a taxi ride, admission tickets, a bottle of water, or even my breakfast.

Unfortunately, the government of Egypt sets this tone by charging non-Arabic speaking foreigners much higher rates for admission into museums, pyramid complexes, temples, and other places than they charge individuals who can speak Arabic. This is true regardless if these Arabic speakers are from Egypt or from much wealthier nations such as the UAE or other Gulf states.

I eventually got used to having to bargain for everything, but it did not take away the fact that I was being discriminated against based upon my race, color, ethnicity or language and that I was seen all too often as a bulging wallet rather than a human being.

Despite these challenges, I was so happy to experience firsthand everyday life in a Muslim country. I am convinced that if more Americans took the opportunity to travel outside the US, they would be much less likely to support politicians and others who demonize, and cause hardship for, people in other countries, especially Muslim people.

As the great American writer Mark Twain said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." Generalized fears of a particular culture or religion tend to melt away when you share a conversation, a meal, a boat ride, or a walk along the Nile with a person who is different than you.

Anyway, in the final analysis, all this talk of the "different" is not really helpful or accurate. As to be expected, there are differences between Egyptians and Americans in dressing, language, culture, and religion. But love of family and friends, generosity, kindness, and sense of humor, among many others, are universal and outweigh any differences.

It is my hope that Americans look past the negative stereotypes of Islam that we see and hear so often and, instead, seek out friendships with Muslims in the US and even travel to Muslim countries to gain true perspectives and increase understanding between us all.

Source: On Islam

I got into a rickshaw in Beijing and my 65–year-old wrinkled driver immediately whizzed me through the hutongs — old, narrow alleyways. He looked at me and talked in Chinese. I turned to my guide.

"He's asking where you are from." "Aygee," I replied in my broken Chinese — meaning "Egypt." He pointed at my headscarf. "Are you Hindu?" "No! Muslim." He smiled and pointed to himself. "Moosleeman."

For many people, it comes as a shock to learn that officially there are at least 20 million Muslims in China- that is a third of the UK's total population. Unofficially, the number is even higher, some saying 65.3 million and even 100 million Muslims in China — up to 7.5 percent of the population.

Regardless of the real figure, the reality is that Islam in China is almost as old as the revelation of Islam unto Prophet Muhammad. Twenty years after the Prophet's death, diplomatic relations were established with China by Caliph Uthman. Trade was followed by settlement, until eighty years after the Hijrah, pagoda-style mosques appeared in China.

A century later, in 755, it became common for Chinese emperors to employ Muslim soldiers in their armies and also as government officials.

Today, the population of China includes 56 ethnic groups, 10 of which are Muslim. Out of these 10 minority groups, the Hui (short for Huizhou) are the largest group at 9.8 million, making up 48 percent of China's Muslim population.

The second largest group is Uyghurs at 8.4 million, or 41 percent of the Chinese Muslim population. The Hui speak Chinese, unlike Uyghurs and five other Muslim ethnic groups, which speak Turkic languages. Overwhelmingly Sunni in belief and practice, the Hui are ethnically and culturally Chinese, virtually indistinguishable from the Han, who make up China's billion-strong community. If my rickshaw driver had not told me he was Muslim, I would have never guessed.

For over a millennium, and across five major imperial dynasties, the Hui have lived in China peacefully, spreading in every province and contributing to every aspect of Chinese life, from the military and economy to arts and sciences.

Thriving in a non-Muslim civilization, the Hui managed to create an indigenous Islamic culture that is uniquely and simultaneously Chinese and Muslim.

Their experience, as Dru Gladney, author of Dislocating China,  puts it, is a "standing refutation of Samuel Huntington's clash of civilizations." No identity crisis whatsoever!

Harmony

Islam began in an Arab region. On the surface, it seemed to be at complete odds with Chinese traditions and Confucianism, whict at the time was the official religion of China.

Ancient Chinese people saw their civilization as the epitome of human development, and had Islam been presented as an alien faith, they would have rejected it completely and seen it as unworthy, with no place in their world.Islam in China would have become isolated, and perhaps as fleeting as Christianity was.

"But this was unacceptable," said the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Xian, the first mosque to be built in China almost 1,400 years ago. Sitting in front of him, trying not to gawp at the incredible architecture surrounding me, I asked him why.

"Chinese Muslims love their country and its people. We are Chinese. We cannot be part of China. There is even a hadith that says, 'Love of your country is part of faith,'" he said.

The Hui scholars therefore searched to find the common ground between Islam and the main faiths of China: Confucianism, Daoism (Taoism), and Buddhism. They became experts in Islamic and Chinese texts, traditions, and practices, and without their efforts, Chinese Muslim culture would have remained alien and foreign, isolated and far removed from the community.

In Western discourse, Dr. Umar Abdullah of the Nawawi Foundation told me, many scholars argue that in order to integrate into the country, Chinese Islam was Sinicized, which means orthodox Islamic faith and practice was made Chinese. The most evident example of how Chinese Muslims created their own unique forms of cultural expressions is their mosques, of which  around 45,000 exist in China.

Stunningly beautiful, the mosques are quintessentially both Chinese and Muslim. My first sight of a Chinese mosque literally took my breath away. On the outside, they are built in traditional Chinese style, with pagoda-like roofs, Chinese calligraphy, and Chinese archways.

On the inside, however, the Islamic influences are crystal clear: beautiful Chinese Arabic calligraphy, an octagonal minaret, and a mihrab, a Chinese Imam lecturing in Mandarin and making supplication in perfect Arabic.

Examples of the fusion of Chinese and Islamic traditions are everywhere.

In Xian, where an estimated 90,000 Muslims live, while wandering through a noisy souvenir market, I came across traditional wall hangings with Arabic hadith written in calligraphy, porcelain tea sets with Qur'anic verses inscribed on them, popular red amulets with an attribute of Allah at the center rather than the traditional Chinese zodiac animal, rosaries with a Name of Allah printed on each bead in Chinese characters, and Qur'an copies printed in both Chinese and Arabic.

Writing

When it comes to language, rather than transliterating Arabic terms into words that might be mispronounced and misunderstood — since the Chinese writing system is not phonetic — the early Hui scholars decided to choose words that best reflected the meanings of the Arabic terms and, at the same time, were meaningful in Chinese tradition.

Their purpose in doing this was twofold: (1) They showed the Chinese community that they respected, believed in, and honored the Chinese tradition, and (2) Islamic concepts, which in Arabic might have seemed inconceivable, were not only relatable, but even similar.

The Qur'an, for example, was referred to as the Classic: The sacred books of China were called the Classics, and as such the Qur'an was psychologically put in the same category. Islam was translated as Qing Zhen Jiao ("The religion of the Pure and the Real").

At the great Mosque of Xian, Chinese characters proclaim, "May the religion of the Pure and the Real spread wisdom throughout the land."

Haroun Khanmir, a 24-year-old Islamic studies student at the Xiguian mosque in Lingxia, has studied Arabic for 4 years. "Being fluent in Chinese and Arabic allows me to appreciate the brilliance of the terms chosen.They have so many nuances that instantly explain the true essence of Islam using main Chinese values."

When comparing Islamic and Chinese traditions, the Hui scholars searched for common ground, coming up with five main principles that both traditions shared. And although they were clear about where Islamic belief deviated from Chinese thought, they did not set out to reject Chinese tradition and prove why it was wrong.

Instead, they showed how Islam added to it. By not painting Islamic and Chinese tradition in binary opposition where belief in the former meant rejection of the latter; they avoided distressing Muslims who were very much Chinese.

"I consider myself 100 percent Chinese," said smiling 18-year-old Ahmed Dong, dressed in a white thobe and turban. "And I don't see why, even with different politics and languages and beliefs, we can't be so; we share the same language, customs, and culture.”

“Our country is so diverse, and yet unity is a value we all wish to have, rather than living separately."

One of the hundreds of students at the Xiguian mosque who come from a number of different ethnic backgrounds and study the Qur'an, Hadith, Arabic, English, as well as computer skills, Dong hopes to continue his studies in an Arabic country, and then come back and do Da`'wah in China, raising awareness of Islam.

This piece was first published on Emel magazine. It is re-published here with copyright permission from the writer.

Ethar El-Katatney is an award-winning journalist, blogger, and author. She is currently a contributor to Egypt Today, the leading current-affairs magazine in the Middle East, and at its sister magazine, Business Today Egypt. She travels all over the world for conferences promoting dialogue between different religions and cultures.

Source: On Islam