Category Archives: Community Involvement / Social Issues

District Haj Committee holds meeting

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Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Tanveer Sait to inaugurate Haj Camp-2016 on Aug. 1

HajCommitteeMPOs29jul2016

Mysuru :

The District Haj Committee held its preliminary meeting under the Chairmanship of Abdul Azeez Chand at Muslim Girls Orphanage in city recently. The meeting elected Abdul Azeez Chand as Convener and Arif Ahmed Mekhri as Joint Convener for the orientation and inoculation for pilgrims of Haj-2016 from Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar.

The Haj Camp-2016 will be held on Aug. 1 at RK Palace in Udayagiri. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Minority Welfare and Wakf Tanveer Sait will be the chief guest.

Co-ordinator Mohammed Mumtaz Ahmed, Anwar Pasha, Syed Younus, Rafeeq Ahmed Khan, Rehman Khan, Irfan Silverline, Sohail Baig, Yusuf Jidda, Shabnam Sayeed, Akbar Aleem of Nanjangud, Mohiuddin of Mandya, Qurath Bhai and Khaleel, District Wakf Advisory Board Officers, were present.

For details, contact the Cordinator on Mob:97417-89000.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / July 23rd, 2016

Innovative effort to encourage love of reading

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Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

‘Read a Book Challenge’

MohammedMusabBF29jul2016

How would you like to receive a surprise package of books, hand picked specially for you, at your doorstep every month? An initiative of Mohammed Musab, a fresh BBA graduate and his friends, ‘Read a Book Challenge’ is giving bookworms in the city a new excuse to curl up in bed and stay put.

Readers who register for the challenge on their Facebook page will receive three to four books, beautifully packaged along with a handwritten personal note. At the end of the month, the books are collected and a new package of surprise titles is delivered.

“I have been an avid reader from childhood and I used to tell my friends in college to develop the habit of reading. They told me that they couldn’t decide what to read. So I recommended books for them,” said Musab. That was how the idea behind the challenge came to him and he decided to give it a shot.

The first step was to convince ‘endorsers’ to let him lend their books to strangers. “Book-lovers are very possessive about their collections. I had to assure them that I would take care of their books,” he added. Besides, he offered them the incentive of earning money through their books. After the first month, the readers are charged a nominal amount of Rs 150 which is used to cover costs and pay the endorser between Rs 15 and Rs 20 for each book lent. “I really liked the idea and my book collection was lying idle at home. Being an avid reader myself, I saw this as a chance to help people inculcate the habit of reading,” said Mohammed Shuaib Mumtaz, the first endorser who has contributed 150 books to the inventory. Musab got his friends on board — Sneh Jain designs the packaging, Hayatt Noorul makes promotional videos and posters and Rishav Jain and Smriti Menon help with the execution. The team delivered the first batch of books on June 15. Already, they have over 100 readers and 10 endorsers on board contributing over 2,500 books to their inventory.

Word of their initiative spread and people in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and even Srinagar have requested them to bring the challenge to their cities. Though most of their readers are in the age group of 20 to 23, now even parents are showing interest.

Having received two packages so far, Ayesha Shuaib is happy with the variety her nine-year-old son is being exposed to. “He has got books on the themes of adventure, mystery and school amongst others. As a parent, it is a great relief for me because I don’t have to make multiple trips to the library to keep him engaged,” she said.

Monthly surprises
Meanwhile, they are preparing to deliver monthly surprises to their growing number of readers. An engineer is helping them develop a website and software to manage the inventory. They are also in the process of developing an algorithm to automatically select books based on the readers’ preference.

“I have received offers from investors. However, I haven’t accepted any for now because I am not sure what I am dealing with. I don’t know if this is going to be a small startup or the next big thing so I want to let it grow slowly,” said Musab.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DHNS / Meghana Choukkar / Bengaluru, DHNS – July 29th, 2016

Oldest Babri litigant Hashim Ansari passes away

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , ,

Ayodhya , UTTAR PRADESH :

This December 4, 2014 photo shows Mohammad Hashim Ansari addressing the media in Ayodhya. / PTI
This December 4, 2014 photo shows Mohammad Hashim Ansari addressing the media in Ayodhya. / PTI

Son vows to carry on the fight

Hashim Ansari (95) the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid case, died early on Wednesday morning due to heart-related complications.

He was suffering from heart ailment from a long time and was living with a pacemaker. According to his son, Iqbal, Ansari passed away in the wee hours — at around 5 a.m. — at his house in the temple city of Ayodhya, not too far away from the disputed site. “I will carry on the fight on my father,” he told The Hindu.

In signs of his failing health, in February, he had been admitted to the ICU of the King George Medical University in Lucknow after complaining chest pain and congestion. He had also suffered a fracture recently but he could not be operated upon as he had a pacemaker, said Gujran Siddiqui, a Faizabad-based activist close to the family. “He was unable to walk in the last few days,” Mr. Siddiqui said.

Born in Ayodhya, Ansari’s father was a tailor who owned a shop in the Shringar Haat area. Ansari followed his father’s traditional business till the Emergency — during which he spent months in Bareilly jail — after which he shifted to repairing cycles for a few years.

Ansari has been associated with the Babri Masjid case since 1949, being among the persons arrested for breaching public peace after the episode in which idols of Lord Ram were planted in the mosque.

In 1952, he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Faizabad court for giving the azaam (call for namaz) in the disputed mosque.

In 1961, he along with six others, became the main plaintiff in the ‘Ayodhya title suit’ filed by the Sunni Central Waqf Board in the court of Faizabad civil judge. He was the lone surviving litigant and considered the main voice from the Muslim-end.

Zafaryab Jilani, the convenor of the Babri Action Committee, said Ansari’s passing would not impact the case.

“All his statements had been recorded in the High Court and his documents filed. His death will not impact the case. But his passing will have an impact on public life. He was one of the last persons to have personal knowledge of the Babri issue. He was well-versed in the issue,” Mr. Jilani said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / by Omar Rashid / Lucknow – July 20th, 2016

Jamiat Ulema-e-Mysore hosts Eid Milan get-together

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Mysore , KARNATAKA :

JamieatMysoreMPOs24jul2016

Mysuru ;

Jamiat Ulema-e-Mysore, the Mysore unit of Jamiath Ulema-e-Hind headed by Hazrath Moulana Asad Madni Saheb, had organised Eid Milan on Sunday at Hotel Grand Mercure near Moulana Abul Kalam Azad Circle (Highway Circle) here.

The programme began with the reciting of verses from the Holy Quran by Moulana Mufthi Nizamuddin Saheb. Hazrath Moulana Mufthi Syed Tajuddin Saheb welcomed.

Speaking on the occasion Hazrath Moulana Shabbir Ahmed Saheb, President of Jamiath Ulema-e-Mysore, presented a brief history of pre-Independent India and said that thousands of Ulemas had sacrificed their life for freedom.

Swami Muktidanandaji of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, who also graced the occasion, gave a clarion call to people to stop fighting in the name of religion and added that Eid Milan was an occasion for one and all to understand each other. The Swamiji, who said that no religion preached hatred, added that all religions preach love and communal harmony.

Dr. Syed Akheel Ahmed, former Vice-Chancellor, Yenepoya University, Mangalore and former Head of the Department of Chemistry, University of Mysore, started his speech with the couplets of Dr. Allama Iqbal and said that Muslim rulers, who ruled this country for more than 1000 years had failed to present the correct picture and principles of Islam. That is why still there is a lot of confusion in the minds of non-Muslim brethren regarding Islam. Presenting the brief history of India’s Independent Movement he said that during 1857, more than 2 lakh Indians including Ulemas were martyred.

Dr. B. Suresh, Vice-Chanceller, JSS University, Abdul Azeez Chand, Secretary, Darul Uloom Arabic College, legislators Vasu and M.K. Somashekar, ex-MLC Thontadarya and former MLA S.A. Ramdas also spoke on the occasion and lauded the organisers for hosting the get-together.

Moulana Hafiz Arshad Ahmed, General Secretary, Jamiath Ulemas-e-Mysore, compered. Noor Ulla Shariff, member of the Reception Committee, proposed vote of thanks.

Sir Khazi of Mysore Hazrath Moulana Mohamed Usman Shariff Saheb, Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa, KEA Chairman R. Murthy, SJCE Principal Dr. Syed Shakeeb-ur- Rahman, Ariff A. Mehkri, Chairman, Mysore District Wakf Advisory Committee, Corporators Suhail Baig, K.C. Shoukath Pasha, former Mayors Ayub Khan and Ariff Hussain, CADA Chairman C. Dasegowda, Abdul Khader Sait, President, MESCO and Managing Director, AANCO Industries, Javeed Ali, Joint Secretary, Darul Uloom Siddiqia, Mohamed Mumtaz Ahmed, Secretary, Mysore District Relief Committee and N. Anwar Pasha (Annu Bhai), MUDA Member and others were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / July 18th, 2016

F.M.Khan, controversial former MP hailing from Coorg, passes away

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Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

FMKhanMPOs22jul2016

F.M. Khan (82), former Rajya Sabha member, and a controversial politician hailing from Coorg, passed away on Thursday at his Balayatrie estate near Madikeri in Kodagu.

Fiaz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, was a close associate of former Karnataka chief minister, Gundu Rao who affectionately referred to his mentor as ‘Father Mother Khan’.

Khan was part of the Sanjay Gandhi brigade during the Emergency and was allegedly involved in several unsavoury incidents. But Gundu Rao always went to his rescue.

He was the general secretary of the state Youth Congress and was a member of the Legislative Council from 1974 to 1976.  Khan was elected to the Rajya Sabha twice in 1976 and 1982. He was also associated with various organisations connected with sports. He was vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association.

The former Rajya Sabha member was known for his love for gardens and won accolades for maintaining the best garden in Delhi in his MP bungalow. Back in Kodagu after his controversial political innings, Khan had been nurturing his garden and has been holding annual private flower show since 1998.

Khan was married to a Kodavathi. He leaves behind his wife and three daughters. The funeral will be held at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu on Friday.

source: http://www.coorgnews.in / CoorgNews.in / Home> General News / July 21st, 2016

F.M. Khan passes away

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Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

Faiz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader, died in his Balayatrie Estate in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu on Thursday.

A close associate of the former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao, Mr. Khan (82) leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Family sources said Mr. Khan passed away around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The funeral will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu, according his niece Gazala Khan.

Mr. Khan was involved in the anti-Hindi agitation and later joined the Congress. He became the general secretary of State Youth Congress before becoming a member of the Legislative Council in 1974.

Mr. Khan was elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1976 and for the second time in 1982. Mr. Khan was also a former vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association. Having been away from politics for more than two decades, Mr. Khan used to hold an annual flower show at his estate.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – July 22nd, 2016

F.M. Khan dead

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Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

Former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Faiz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, died in his Balayatrie estate in Kodagu on Thursday. A close associate of former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao, he leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Family sources said Mr. Khan (82) died at around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu on Friday, according his niece, Gazala Khan.

Mr. Khan entered politics in the mid-Sixties during the anti-Hindi agitation, and then joined the Congress led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became the General Secretary of State Youth Congress before becoming a member of the Legislative Council in 1974. Mr. Khan was a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, elected in 1976 and in 1982. He was also a former Vice-President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

He had been away from politics for more than two decades. He was holding an annual flower show at his Balayatri estate in Somwarpet taluk.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 21st, 2016

How Kashmiri Muslim couple defied a curfew and walked miles to feed Pandit friend’s starving family

Community Involvement / Social Issues,

JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Srinagar :

Even as tension brews in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul commander, a Muslim couple is defying restrictions to feed a Pandit family across river Jhelum.

Muslim couple defy curfew, walk miles to feed starving Pandit family
Muslim couple defy curfew, walk miles to feed starving Pandit family

As Kashmir burns after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, and half the state is under curfew, a lone Kashmiri woman and her husband braved a strict curfew to get some food across to her Pandit friend.

At first glance, Zubeda Begum and her husband walking on a deserted road in Srinagar with a bag of food items looked like any another desperate family trying to fend for itself in the strife-torn city. However, this couple was actually risking their lives to get some food to a friend, who had telephoned from across the river Jehlum to inform them of their plight.

“She had called me in the morning saying her family needed food supplies. They have an ailing grandmother staying with them. I am taking the food to them. It is difficult but we are trying to reach them,” Zubeda said.

Zubeda with Diwanchand Pandit's family
Zubeda with Diwanchand Pandit’s family

CURFEW, LACK OF TRANSPORT DID NOT DETER THE COUPLE

The shops and establishments remain shut for days and there is no means of transport on the roads. To add to their woes, police have limited movement of people.

According to the couple, the risk and effort of the long walk was compensated with the warmth they received after arriving at the doorsteps of Diwanchand’s flat in Jawahar Nagar.

“Everyone is suffering here. We are so glad that these people came here. This is where the humanity lies,” said Diwanchand Pandit.

Diwanchand and his family have been living in the Valley for many years. He works at All India Radio and his wife is a teacher in a local school where Zubeda also works.

DIWANCHAND’S FAMILY DESPERATELY SOUGHT HELP

Diwanchand and his family, including an ailing grandmother, were desperate for help as crisis mounted in the Valley.

Kashmir has been in the grip of unrest for last four days. Violent protests are being reported from many areas following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

In the midst of this violence, Zubeda’s heartwarming story is a perfect example of how humanity prevails even in times of adversity.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday / Home> News> India / by Shuja-ul-Haq / posted by Bijin Jose / Srinagar, July 11th, 2016

Badi Baoli at Qutb Shahi tombs restored to its full glory

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Heritage regained:Work nearing completion at the Badi Baoli with the western wall, which had collapsed in 2013, also fully restored now.— Photo: K.V.S. GIRI
Heritage regained:Work nearing completion at the Badi Baoli with the western wall, which had collapsed in 2013, also fully restored now.— Photo: K.V.S. GIRI

 The 400-year-old step well collects 10 lakh litres of water this rainy season

Among all the structures on the premises of the Qutb Shahi tombs, one of the first to come up near the entrance is the Badi Baoli (step well), built more than 400 years ago by Sultan Qutb-ul-Mulk, the first ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The huge quadrangle edifice, which looks like anything but a well, has been brought back to life about three years ago after a part of it had collapsed due to heavy rains.

And now, it is the same monsoon that is making the Badi Baoli do what it was meant to do: to collect water for the purpose of irrigation or gardening in the premises. “We have collected one lakh litres of water after it had started raining this year,” said Ratish Nanda, CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is currently restoring the Qutb Shahi Tombs.

In 2013, the western wall of the Badi Baoli had collapsed due to heavy rains, and details of the construction remained only on a small portion of the structure. A visit to the old step well now will perhaps bring a smile on the face of any heritage lover. The details have been restored, and the cement on parts of the edifice has also been taken off.

The restoration was also done with the help of archival images from the 1860s, when certain changes were made to the structure during the Asaf Jahi era. “The work is going to finish in a few days, as the lime-plaster is being applied,” mentioned Mr. Nanda.

Collecting Water a part of the restoration plan:

One of the advantages of restoring the Badi Baoli is that the AKTC is utilising the water collected for irrigation and restoration work as well, effectively having to rely lesser on water tankers. “We have created catchment areas for all the six baolis on the premises. Wherever there is a step-well, we built channels to divert rain water directly into it, instead of allowing it to get logged or sucked underground,” explained Mr. Nanda.

Apart from the Badi Baoli, the AKTC has also restored the Hamam (bath) Baoli and the Jamshed Baoli. The other three step-wells in the Qutb Shahi Tombs premises are located in the Eidgah and the Deccan park. They will also be restored at a later stage of the restoration, which is currently in its first phase. Under it, about 30 of the 70-plus heritage structures will be restored by the end of 2017.

The historic necropolis is being restored by the AKTC in partnership with the Department of Archaeology. The project is also being funded by the Dorabji Tata Trust.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Yunus Y. Lasania / Hyderabad – July 10th, 2016

EID Mubarak : Aala Hazrat gate row ends

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , ,

Bareilly, UTTAR PRADESH  :

Bareilly :

In a goodwill gesture on the occassion of Eid, Muslim community has decided not to go ahead with the construction of the Aala Hazrat gate in Jasoli area close to Bakarganj railway crossing in the city .

Announcing the decision, secretary of the Eidgah committee Maulana Shahbuddin Razvi, in a speech before prayers at Eidgah ground on Thursday, said, “We don’t want a gate in the name of Aala Hazrat. Such gates or buildings will add nothing to the stature of Aala Hazrat. He will be known for his compassion and the literary value he added to society by writing hundreds of books.”

City administration heaved a sigh of relief on hearing about the decision as it had been virtually walking a tight rope in trying to resolve the matter. Trouble had been brewing since last month when a section of one community tried to build the gate and the other community opposed it.

Both Hindu and Muslim communities were at loggerheads over construction of AalaHazrat gate in Jasoli area.

Multiple memorandums were submitted from both sides after some people were stopped from constructing the gate on June 28 though the proposal had been approved by the municipal corporation.

The matter took a political hue after Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and other Hindu outfits also intervened on behalf of one side in the matter opposing the construction of the Aala Hazrat gate.

To ensure that the situation did not escalate into a fill blown clashes, administration invited both the sides to the collectorate to amicably resolve the matter. Both sides traded charges. Maulana Shahbudeen Razvi, national general secretary of All IndiaJamat Raza-E-Mustafa, a Bareilly-based religious and social organization, dubbed the protest against construction of gate as a politically motivated move. Shiv Sena’sdistrict unit president Pankaj Pathak claimed that the administration has ignored the religious sentiments of the people of a particular community.

Meanwhile, the city was gripped with festive fervour on Thursday as people celebrated Eid. All major roads in the city led to the prayer grounds and mosques where people thronged in thousands to offer prayers.

Eid prayers were recited at many places including famous Eidgah ground inBakarganj, Aala Hazrat mosque and Khanquah-e-Niyaziya.

The maximum turnout was at the Eidgah ground in Bakarganj area where more 10,000 people gathered to offer prayers. The area was turned into fortress with deployment of rapid action force (RAF), home guards and hundreds of police personnel dotting the entire area.

Top city administration was also in attendance at Eidgah ground including district magistrate Gaurav Dayal, SSP RK Bhardwaj,ADM, city, Alok Kumar and SP, city,Sameer Saurabh.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / TNN / July 07th, 2016