A file picture of an Army jawan stands guard near an encounter site in Pulwama district, south Kashmir. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad
The encounter broke out in Pulwama district’s Khrew area when the security forces had launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said
A special police officer was killed and a soldier injured on January 21 in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said.
The encounter broke out in the district’s Khrew area when the security forces had launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said.
Special police officer Shahbaz Ahmad was killed while an Army jawan injured in the exchange of fire, the official said.
He said the operation was on till last reports came in.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by PTI / Srinagar – January 21st, 2020
It was a 35-year-old housewife who triggered off the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests at the Clock Tower in Lucknow.
Qausar Imran, 35, was watching the Shaheen Bagh protests on the TV on Thursday night and while discussing the issue with her husband over dinner, her husband told her that the women in Shaheen Bagh were very much like her.
“I thought that I should also do something like this and my husband supported me. That night, my three children, aged six, eight and 13, and my niece who is 24 sat up with me all night making posters,” said Qausar, who has received formal schooling only till class 5.
A resident of Turiaganj, Qausar had never attended a protest or a meeting even with other women in the locality.
On Friday morning, the 35-year-old housewife and her children went from door-to-door, asking women to initiate a protest on the lines of Shaheen Bagh.
“We had made posters which read ‘we reject CAA, no NRC’ and ‘we are Indians’ and we came here after Friday prayers, around 2:30pm. We decided to start the protest even though barely 15 women including children had turned up. We hid the posters under our burqa and the moment we took the posters out, the cops came running,” said Safia, the 24-year-old niece of Qausar.
“I told them that they can tape my mouth and or beat me up but I will not move from the spot. When they told me that I had no permission to protest, I said that I was not creating any ruckus. The electricity supply was snapped in the area that night, but even my youngest child did not cry or ask to go home. We sat there undeterred. Now, I feel overwhelmed by sheer number of women sitting with us,” said Qausar.
Since Friday night, the numbers started swelling and there are now hundreds of women and children at the Clock Tower.
“There are now men and women from non-Muslim families who have joined us. People are coming to serve tea and snacks and some are even bringing food for us. The police are trying to move us, but the women seem stronger than men this time,” she said on Monday morning.
College-going boys and girls are bringing more posters that are being displayed at the protest site and media coverage is also increasing by the day.
source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> Women> She News / by IANS / January 21st, 2020
Zainab Saifuddin Bhaimia. / Picture by Subhendu Chaki
Death is a form of knowledge. And the care of the dead is one way of arriving at it.
Zainab Saifuddin Bhaimia was initiated into her life’s work almost by chance. A death had occurred in the Bohra Muslim community of Calcutta, to which Zainab, “Zainy” to everyone who knows her, belongs. A body, according to the practice of the community, has to be cleansed, bathed and embalmed before it is buried. The last rites are performed by a group of about three or four.
Zainab was called to help when the death occurred. That was in the 70s. Since then Zainab, now 86, has been performing the last rites — ghusul — for individuals of her community. The rituals are elaborate, and they take time. The body is cleansed perfectly so that when its owner reaches the other world, he or she should be perfectly clean.
Zainab stopped only recently, about five years ago, when her health began to deteriorate. Treasured by her 4,300-strong close-knit community in Calcutta as someone devoted to its good, she feels blessed that she was given such an opportunity to serve it.
Though frail now, taking the help of a walking stick to move, she remains active. A graceful, smiling woman, she walks gently into the drawing room of the well-appointed Middleton Row flat where she lives with her son’s family. She is wearing a blue traditional Bohra ghagra and dupatta, trimmed with intricate red lace.
When she goes out, she puts on the rida, the women’s headdress. She has just returned two days ago from a visit to her relatives in the US, and jet lag is still troubling her, but she has not allowed it to subdue her. With her is her daughter-in-law Nafisa, who, says Zainab, is like her daughter. Nafisa helps to explain some of the things that Zainab talks about.
For four decades, Zainab has witnessed death from close. She has performed the last rites as a volunteer, always as part of a group. She cannot put a number to the deaths she has attended. But whenever a death would occur, the community knew she would be there.
It was also possible for her to be there because she then lived in Pollock Street, where Saifee Masjid, the century-old masjid of the Bohra community, is located. Now a new masjid, Burhani Masjid, has been built just behind Science City. The last rites are performed in a chamber at the masjid. The ceremony remains completely private; a code of conduct stops anyone from speaking about it.
Zainab would be called at any hour, midnight or later, for death hardly comes announced. She went, because she felt it was her duty to be with someone in the last hour. In the long years of performing ghusul, she has even had to attend to those who had been very close to her.
Women perform the rites when a woman dies; and men perform them for a man.
It obviously takes great courage to be able to carry out one’s work for decades in the presence of death. And wisdom. But Zainab is dismissive about herself. She looks at herself as just a worker. She will only express her gratitude for being able to render this service, especially to Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, who was the leader of the Bohra community from the 60s and personally asked her to dedicate herself to community work. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin’s son, is the current leader of the community.
“Why wouldn’t I do it?” she asks, referring to the first time she was called for ghusul. But she has learnt so much from her work, about life, about mortality, and about immortality.
One is the reality of death, which many of us ignore till we cannot anymore. But the continuous performance of last rites cures one of the last doubts about mortality. “It helps to prepare you for your own death,” she says serenely, without the slightest touch of morbidity. “You should also know what death is like,” she adds.
She also finds in rendering the service a spiritual satisfaction. “The cleansing practice is also like a cleansing for me,” she says.
Has she ever felt scared? “No, why?” she asks, looking almost surprised. Her work has also taught her the importance of good acts. “Don’t do anything bad,” she says. Whatever one does, stays, long after the body has departed.
Not that she has never felt disturbed. She could not sleep on occasions. But then she is only human.
She was motivated into working for her community by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. He personally asked her to work for her community. “His blessings were always with me,” says Zainab.
She is from Surat. The Indian Bohra community, which is now spread everywhere in the country and abroad, originated largely from Gujarat. Zainab came to Calcutta after her marriage in the early 50s. Initially, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin’s sister asked her to join Bunayyat Ul Ediz Zahabi, the women’s organisation of the community. Zainab performed her duties faithfully there. She was also involved in the community kitchen, an important institution.
At the beginning, when she took up performing ghusul, there were not many performing it. “Now about 20 women perform the rites.” Zainab has trained a number of them.
Community work took up much of her time. She was also devoted to her family, raising two sons and a daughter.
Her work has been recognised. Very proudly, Zainab asks Nafisa to show me the certificates The Syedna personally honoured her with the certificates. One is signed by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, mentions ‘Wisamo istehsan al khidmat’, a recognition of her service to the community. The other confers the title of “Mafsuhiyat” on Zainab, for the same reason.
A few days after our conversation, Zainab let me know that she would like to thank a few people and institutions again.
Bunayyat Ul Ediz Zahabi, the women’s organisation, was formed by Syedna Taher Saifuddin, she says, and she is very grateful to it for allowing her the opportunity to work. All the work that she has done was possible with the permission of the Aamil, the local head priest. Finally, Hizbe Husaini is a committee in Calcutta which takes part in organising the last rites. It informs the women’s committee when there is a death. Zainab is very grateful to Hizbe Husaini.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> West Bengal / by Chandrima S. Bhattacharya in Calcutta / January 20th, 2020
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza made a winning return to the professional tennis circuit as she clinched her first tournament after childbirth.
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza made a winning return to the professional tennis circuit as she clinched her first tournament after childbirth. Partnering Ukranian Nadiia Kichenok, the duo defeated the Chinese pair of S Zhang and S Peng in the women’s doubles finals in the Hobart International 6-4, 6-4 to kick start the year on a triumphant note.
Sania and Kichenok were hardly troubled in the summit clash, as they took the game without breaking into much of a sweat. The Indian now gears up for the Australian Open, where she will team up with Rohan Bopanna in the mixed doubles category. She was expected to play the Grand Slam with American Rajeev Ram, who has, since, pulled out of the tournament.
WTA
✔@WTA
Straight sets win
Nadiia Kichenok and @MirzaSania are your @HobartTennis Doubles Champions after defeating Peng/Zhang, 6-4, 6-4!
This would also be the first time that Mirza and Bopanna would be playing mixed doubles together since they teamed up in the Rio Olympics 2016, where they had finished fourth.
Mirza, who had emerged as an inspiration to young girls in India when she forayed into the competitive world of tennis and started returning with impressive results that even saw her clinch the world number 1 ranking in the doubles circuit, had taken a break when she was at the peak of her career to have a child. Her son Izhaan was born to Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in 2018, after which the tennis star spent another year getting fit to return to the professional world.
Her fitness regime, her inspiring videos on Instagram, where she is committed to losing weight and not getting bogged down, have been a hit, and with this win, Mirza has also sent out another vocal message to the youth in India. She stands as an icon of strength, one who has not been afraid to take on the naysayers, proving them wrong with results on the field.
source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> News / by Sarah Waris / January 18th, 2020
Imran Pasha of TVS Racing emerged victorious in the sixth and final round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers at Devanahalli near here on Sunday.
Riding an Apache RTR 200, Imran finished in 53 minutes 52.817 seconds, ahead of privateer Yuva Kumar (54:01.915) and teammate D. Sachin (54:25.149).
With the win, Imran was also crowned National champion in Class 4 as title rival Adnan Ahmed logged a DNF (did not finish).
Mangaluru’s Ishan Chandra (56:25.5) won the Class 3 event while local lad Rakesh Kumar triumphed in Class 2.
The city got its youngest Mayor when 31-year-old Tasneem of JD(S) was elected as the city’s First Citizen (Mayor) in the Mayoral election held at the MCC’s Council Hall this morning. Tasneem is the thirty-third elected Mayor.
Tasneem represents Ward 22 (Meena Bazar) in the 65-member civic body. With her election, Tasneem also earns the distinction of becoming the first-ever Muslim woman Mayor of Mysuru. The Mayor’s post for the second term of the current tenure of the MCC was reserved for BCA (Backward Class) woman candidate.
C. Sridhar of Congress was elected as Deputy Mayor as that post was reserved for SC candidate. He represents Ward 38 (Giriyabovipalya). Both Tasneem and her deputy Sridhar bagged 47 votes, trouncing their respective BJP rivals Geethashree Yoganand and Shanthamma Vadivelu, who could manage only 23 votes each.
The election process began with the filing of nomination papers at 7.30 am when Tasneem of the JD(S) and Geethashree Yoganand of the BJP filed their nominations. After the deadline ended at 9.30 am, the candidates were given five minutes for withdrawal of nominations. But as no nomination papers were withdrawn, the poll was held in which Tasneem bagged 47 votes out of 70, while her BJP rival managed just 23 votes.
The MCC has 73 voters, including 64 Corporators, four MLCs, four MLAs and the MP representing Mysuru. With the disqualification of Ward 18 BJP Corporator Guru Vinayak over fake caste certificate, the strength of the 65-member civic body has come down to 64. The by-poll to Ward 18 will take place on Feb. 9.
All the 64 Corporators, two MLAs — G.T. Devegowda and L. Nagendra — and all the four MLCs namely Sandesh Nagaraj, Marithibbegowda, K.T. Srikantegowda and R. Dharmasena took part in the poll process while BJP MLA S.A. Ramdas, Congress MLA Tanveer Sait and BJP MP Pratap Simha were conspicuous by their absence.
The process for electing the Deputy Mayor was similar to that of the Mayor’s election and C. Sridhar of the Congress was declared elected, defeating his rival Shanthamma Vadivelu of the BJP who secured just 23 votes which included that of 21 party Corporators, Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra and M.V. Ramprasad, an independent Corporator. The BJP has 21 Corporators while the Congress has 19, JD(S) has 18, BSP 1 and there are 5 independents.
The newly-elected Mayor Tasneem is a two-time Corporator. She is a BA graduate from the city’s Maharani’s College and is married to Syed Samiulla, a businessman. The couple has a son and a daughter.
Deputy Mayor C. Sridhar is a resident of Kailaspuram. He is a BA graduate. His wife Anju is a home-maker and the couple has a son. Sridhar had defeated former Mayor Purushotham in the 2018 MCC polls.
Regional Commissioner Yashwanth, Additional Regional Commissioner Gayathri, outgoing Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath and her Deputy Shafi Ahmed and other officials were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 18th, 2020
Mohammed Amir (formerly Balbir Singh), who was once an active Sangh leader and the one that climbed the dome to destruct Babri Masjid, now builds and protects mosques across India. He is building a mosque in Hafez Baba Nagar, Hyderabad.
After participation in destruction of Babri Masjid and later accepting Islam he has decided to build and renovate 100 mosques. He also pledged to protect mosques. With this in mind, he has completed the construction of 91 mosques, and more than 59 are under construction. This mosque which is being constructing in Hyderabad is his 59th which has named ‘Masjid-e-Rahimiya.’
Mohammed Amir said that last year, on December 6 he had laid the foundation of Masjid-e-Rahimiya near Balapur road in Hafez Baba Nagar. Since then the construction work has been going on. The local people have already begun to say prayers at a temporary shade. The mosque is being constructed with ground plus 6 floors on a 3200 sq yd land which also includes a madarsa (religious school) for those who have embraced Islam, he added.
Narrating the reason behind his drive to construct the mosques he said as a karsevak involved in the destruction of Babri Masjid, when he reached home after the demolition he was given a hero’s welcome fby the public. But his family’s reaction shocked him. His secular family denounced his actions as a result of which he was feeling guilty. Later, when he fell sick and began having physiological issues he decided to consult with a Maulana.
He went to the Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui in Muzaffarnagar in UP and explained to him about what he does. He also sought forgiveness for what he had done. The Maulana explained to him the Islamic values through the Quranic verses. At that time he realized what he had done was sinfully wrong. On June 1, 1993 he accepted Islam sitting before Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui. He also decided to build and protect 100 mosques. With this aim he has built 91 Mosques in this 26 years and 59 were under construction.
Mohammed Amir built the first mosque in Haryana with and named it Masjid-e-Madina in 1994. In the next three months he laid foundation of another mosque in Haryana. Almost all of the mosque’s foundations were laid on December 6. He also built one of the most famous and popular mosques in Mendu near Hathra in UP, he noted.
He built mosques mostly in the North and North-eastern states. He ia also brining about awareness and teachings about the Islam and running a mardassa for the reverted Muslims. He said that wherever he is building a mosque he and his family shift to that particular area and begin offering teachings of Islam.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Babri Masjid / by Mohammed Hussain / December 07th, 2019
Dr. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, Prof. Noushad Husain, Prof. Abdul Sami Siddiqui, Dr. Misbah Anzar and others are also seen.
Hyderabad:
Centre for Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers (CPDUMT) of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) is organizing two days national seminar “Contemporary Issues in Teaching Urdu” for Urdu medium teachers on January 16 and 17.
The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz presided over the inaugural session held today at CPDUMT auditorium, MANUU Campus. In his presidential address, he remarked that the main responsibility of the teachers is to ensure the all-round personality development of the students. Teaching is not a mere profession but it is a mission, he added.
Prof. S. M. Rahmatullah, the Registrar I/c, strongly supported usage of Urdu script to promote Urdu medium of education. Prof. Naseemuddin Farees, Dean, School of Languages, Linguistics & Indology delivered the keynote address.
Prof. Noushad Husain, Dean, School of Education and Training also spoke.
Earlier, Prof. Mohammed Abdul Sami Siddiqui, Director, Centre welcomed the gathering and briefed about the seminar.
Mr. Misbah-ul-Anzar, Assistant Professor, conducted the proceedings and Dr. Mohd. Akbar, Assistant Professor proposed the vote of thanks. The valedictory session of the seminar will be held on January 17 at 4.15 pm.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Education & Career / by Mohamme Hussain / January 16th, 2020
IIHE (India International Halal Expo 2020) is staged to take place on the 18, 19, and 20 January 2020 at HITEX, Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad. With an expected 15000 visitors and more than 120 exhibitors, IIHE is set to be the Biggest International Halal Expo in India.
IIHE will be hosted by participants of major Halal Markets of the world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, , Thailand, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, UK USA and many other countries).
IIHE (India International Halal Expo 2020) welcomes all the major Halal Industries as exhibitors. Food & Beverage, Cosmetics, Healthcare, Tourism, Finance, Education, Real Estate & Modest Lifestyle to be a few of the major stakeholders in the Exhibition.
IIHE (India International Halal Expo 2020) intends to network all the major global Halal industries under one roof. We intend to enhance trade within the Halal Market and build an Eco-System which can sustain by itself.
Parallel to the Exhibition, IIHE (India International Halal Expo 2020) would also be having a 3-day International Halal Conference. The Halal Conference is expected to have regional as well as international dignitaries from the Halal industry of trade and commerce Along with Government officials
IIHE is partnered with Government Of Telangana, Federation Of Telangana Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, “The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation” (MATRADE-Chennai), “Istanbul Foreigners and Investment Centre” (IYMER), Salaam Gateway-Dubai, Indo-OIC Islamic Chamber Of Commerce, American Halal Foundation, Halal-Welt (Germany ) , Halal Focus- UK, Collabdin- Singapore, and many more Halal trade organizations which will works as a binding force in trade negotiations for exhibitors to work on joint ventures regionally as well as globally.
As per the Latest research of Dinar Standard, Investments play an important role in driving substantial growth across the economy, there have been major developments. $1.2 billion was invested globally in Halal economy companies, reflecting a growth of 399% on comparable transactions across halal products, Islamic lifestyle & Islamic Finance compared to the prior year.
Muslims spends on food & beverages was valued at $1.4 trillion in 2018 and forecast to reach $2.0 trillion by 2024.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Business / by Mohammed Hussain / January 06th, 2020
