TIME’s 100 most influential people 2020: In January, Bilkis had told The Indian Express from Shaheen Bagh, “We are old and we are not doing this for ourselves… This is for our children.”
Bilkis (right) at Shaheen Bagh on January 14, 2020. (Express Photo: Somya Lakhani)
Even as Delhi braved its coldest winter in over a century, 82-year-old Bilkis — with a smile on her face and a shawl around her shoulders — sat with hundreds of women under a canopied tent at the national capital’s Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA/NRC sit-in protest for over three months. Within days, Bilkis and the other elderly women who participated in the protest became the symbol of resistance and hope, and came to be fondly known as the “Dadis of Shaheen Bagh.”
Journalist and author Rana Ayyub, who has penned the piece for TIME magazine, says, “Bilkis became the voice of the marginalised… Became the symbol of resistance in a nation where the voices of women and minorities were being systematically drowned out by the majoritarian politics of the Modi regime.”
The Shaheen Bagh protest went on for 101 days and was cleared by the Delhi Police on March 24 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
Graffiti of the ‘dadis’ of Shaheen Bagh. (Express Photo)
In January, as the Shaheen Bagh sit-in inspired similar protests across the country, Bilkis had told The Indian Express , “We are old and we are not doing this for ourselves… This is for our children. Why else will we spend our days and nights during the coldest winter of our lives in the open?”
On January 26, Bilkis, along with the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Junaid Khan, hoisted the national flag at Shaheen Bagh as hundreds of people showed up there for Republic Day celebrations. At the time, the resilience of the “Dadis of Shaheen Bagh” was captured in songs, poems, slogans and graffiti as well.
In February, when an armed assailant fired at least two shots barely 50 metres away from the stage at Shaheen Bagh, Bilkis was at her spot near the stage. At the time, she told The Indian Express, “There was panic inside the tent but people eventually calmed down. We walked till the point where cartridges were found and offered prayers… These bullets don’t scare us.”
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Explained / by Somya Lakhani / New Delhi – September 24th, 2020
The artworks in acrylic and of different sizes have adorned the walls of the restaurant.
Hyderabad:
A 14-year-old girl’s passion for painting paid off as her artworks have made their way to London to adorn the walls of a restaurant.
Syeda Ashna Turabi, a class 10 student, is elated as her six paintings including an art work of historic Charminar, Mecca Masjid and its surroundings have been displayed at Adeena’s Kitchen, a restaurant opened in South London last week.
The art works attracted the attention of a businessman when Ashna’s father had posted them on social media.
Impressed by her paintings, Syed Amjad Ali bought six of them for his restaurant, which serves Indian, especially Hyderabadi food.
The artworks in acrylic and of different sizes have adorned the walls of the restaurant.
“Thanks to Almighty Allah I have achieved this success and I hope to carry this forward,” Ashna told IANS.
Painting came naturally for this Hyderabadi who took keen interest in drawing and colouring since her nursery school days.
Like many children of her age, she was fond of drawing and colouring. However, she persisted with her hobby as she moved to high school and it turned into a passion.
Urooj Ahmed, a freelance photojournalist, did everything possible to encourage Ashna, the eldest of his three daughters.
“I realized that she has some special talents in her and provided her all the required support and encouragement,” he said.
Ashna has done her artworks with all including oil paint, coffee, ink, water colours, and acrylic
What makes Ashna’s achievement special is she learnt the art on her own. “She used to spend hours working on canvases and with every painting she improved,” said Urooj Ahmed.
Ashna, however, received some guidance and useful tips from Fawad Tamkanat, a leading artist and son of well-known Urdu poet Shaz Tamkanat.
Last year, Urooj Ahmed started uploading her works on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Ashna now plans to do a series of paintings on Indian culture and heritage. “I want to do a series of paintings on different subjects like various dynasties and monuments,” she said.
She also wishes to organise an exhibition to display her artworks. “It will take some time as I want to focus on studies while continuing the art in the available time,” she added.
Source: IANS
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Top Stories / by Minhaj Adnan / by IANS / September 21st, 2020
Muhammed Latheef, 7, emerged as the hero in his native Elayadam in Kozhikode and beyond after he showed excellent presence of mind to save Raaz, 3, from drowning.
Muhammed Latheef
Kozhikode :
Muhammed Latheef, 7, emerged as the hero in his native Elayadam in Kozhikode and beyond after he showed excellent presence of mind to save Raaz, 3, from drowning.Raaz was playing on the side of the Kurumberi Thazha canal and Muhammed, a Class II student of Sirajul Huda English Medium School, Nadapuram, saw his neighbour falling into the canal and drowning. Muhammad, who knows swimming, jumped into the water and saved him.
“Raaz was playing as his mother washed clothes on the canal side. When she went to hang wet clothes, the kid slipped and fell into the water,” Muhammed narrated. Muhammed, who was playing along with his cousin, did not wait and jumped in.
“Though we are little worried that our son risked his life, we are happy that he saved a life,” said Latheef, Muhammed’s father.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / byExpress News Service / September 19th, 2020
At a time when educational institutions across the country have been shut due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, online teaching has become the new reality. While online classes have come as a boon to students who otherwise would have lost valuable time, for the teachers adapting to online classes meant creating educational videos, conducting online classes via Google meet, synchronizing activities through WhatsApp groups.
While those students who have smartphones, internet availability, laptops and other electronic gadgets are getting benefits from it, other students belonging to India’s rural areas and considerably underprivileged are scrambling to access education through smartphones.
In Solapur district of Maharashtra, nearly 60 per cent of students are underprivileged and don’t have smartphones or adequate access to the internet.
Responding to this crisis, a Zilla Parishad Urdu primary teacher Javed Kazi from Solapur came forward with an idea of the workbook of all the subjects including drawing, math’s and languages to provide an option to the deprived students from 1st standard to 5th standard. The workbook offers these children to learn, read, write and solve equations at home under the telephonic guidance of concerned teachers and elderly people.
Talking to TwoCircles.net, Javed said he is doing it with the aim to serve his mother tongue Urdu and its students. “I am not intending to make money from it,” he said.
The notebook is not expensive, and as per Javed, is paid for by concerned class teachers from. “We don’t want to put a financial burden on our poor students,” he added.
Javed said that the notebook was a success and he has received an overwhelming response from teachers and students. “I have received calls from private schools and other cities of Maharashtra as well,” he said.
Javed said that three thousand copies of the trimmed syllabus based workbook have nearly finished and they are planning to publish three thousand more to meet the demand of all the five thousand students of 65 Zila Parishad’s, 22 corporation and 12 Nagar Parishad school students of the district.
Amid the ongoing pandemic, the government has encouraged Online Educational Resources OER but the availability of OER for Urdu medium students is very limited.
“In such a situation, we have to provide something to these students to engage them,” he said.
A Zila Parishad primary school teacher Mohsina Bangi said that the workbook has made learning activity easy for them. “We are supervising by making calls and students are giving a good response. They are reading textbooks and writing answers and solving problems of other subjects in the workbook,” she added.
A parent of a student from Aurad Zila Parishad school told TwoCircles.net that concerned teachers send educational videos and other online learning material but, “our children can’t get the benefit of it because we have four children and only one smartphone that I always carry.”
“This workbook has made all the children busy in learning activities. Children are reading, writing and informing their teachers as per convenience,” he added.
Ayesha Wasim Bagwan, mother of a fourth standard student expressed happiness over the provision of this workbook. “This has given momentum to my daughter’s learning process. Now she is giving some time to study, trying to solve math’s problems, writing answers by taking my help,” she said.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Children / by Imraan Inamdar / TwoCircles.net / September 18th, 2020
On Teachers’ Day, Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP), a not-for-profit organisation working in the domains of educational and economic empowerment, has announced the launch of 2 significant initiatives which will benefit the Students’ fraternity. Specially those needing financial assistance for higher education or expert career and professional guidance by professionals.
The 2 new initiatives that have been launched are;
India’s 1st Free Higher Education Scholarship Crowd-Funding platform (IndiaZakat.com/Scholarships) and
Free Mentorship Project for Needy Students requiring guidance (TheIndiaMentors.com)
While speaking at the event Dr. M. Aslam Parvaiz, Former Vice-Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), based his presentation on the teachings of Holy Quran. He said “the Quran guides us to not just worship the Almighty but also help His creatures in all ways possible”. He went on to say “We should not be slaves of Rituals and Religious practices but understand the actual meaning of the Holy Book and implement the teachings in our lives to advance as a Community.”
Mr. Aamir Edresy, President-AMP, initiated the Webinar and welcomed the participants. He said “it’s a very historic day for AMP as we have finally realized our dream of helping and guiding students through Scholarship funding and Mentorship guidance. The Muslims’ representation in Government, Corporates, Higher Educational Institutions is very low and these initiatives intend to increase these representations.” He went on to say “For a large part of the Muslim Community, due to their socio-economic conditions, basic needs take priority over education. We need to create the awareness of the importance of Education and improve its priority in our lives”.
Prof. Furqan Qamar, Professor, Centre for Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) went on say that the Community needs to be convinced of not just Higher Education but also basic education itself. More than anything the community needs to get rid of ‘Perceived Barriers’ and that we should always encourage ‘Merit’ to ensure that those who work hard are recognized and promoted.
Speaking form United Kingdom, Mr. Zahid Howladar, Head of Delivery – 1 Million Mentors, said “While the well-educated and well placed are well connected and are able to get access to good education and good guidance, it’s the disadvantaged in our Community who suffer due to the lack of guidance and mentorship. Mentorship is an initiative which will ensure that there are lot less dropouts from Schools and Colleges and also lowers Hate among groups. It is also impactful and transformative in our lives.”
Ms. Naghma Mulla, President & COO-EdelGive Foundation said “The difference between today’s underprivileged and self-sufficient people is the ‘Digital Divide’. People who were digitally more advanced managed the Pandemic situation better and this is the outcome of being more educated.” She went on to say “In today’s Post-#Covid-19 world, where the Governments & Economies are badly affected, it is all the more necessary that Students and their Parents are assisted and supported in the financial as well as career domains. These initiatives of AMP will help the Community in the long run.”
These initiatives were launched at a special Webinar today with the audience attending from all parts of India and Globe.
The Higher Education Scholarship Crowd-Funding will be done on AMP’s (www.indiazakat.com) platform, which is India’s unique digital platform, connecting donors & seekers. Launched just 4 months back, IndiaZakat.com has already raised more than 80 lacs and helped needy people especially in the Education domain.
The Free Mentorship Project (www.theindiamentors.com) being launched today is the culmination of a long dream of AMP for which the seeds were sown in as early as 2012. However, the importance of ‘Mentorship’ in India is quite lacking unlike the Western countries and hence it took a long time for a team to form who could handle and drive the project. TheIndiaMentors.com will guide students for academic as well career or professional issues without any fees by expert professionals of Industry as well as Academia.
The welcome note was given by Mr. Hafeez Iqbal (Ex-director, L&D, Pfizer) and Mr. Shehzad Mukadam and Ms. Humera Kabir hosted the event.
The Webinar was followed by the announcement of 4th AMP National Awards for Excellence in Education 2020 in which 103 Educators were honoured across the Country for helping in nation building.
Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is a platform for professionals and volunteers to share their knowledge, intellect, experience and skills for the overall development of not just the community but also the society at large and further empowering underprivileged in the educational, social, political and economic fronts of life.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Education and Careers / by The Milli Gazette Online / September 14th, 2020
Noted Islamic scholar and author, Professor Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui (76), former Chairman, Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University passed away today after a prolonged illness.
Professor Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui wrote more than 40 books and 300 research articles in Urdu, Arabic and Persian. His writings on the Prophet and his teachings got wide acclaim. He wrote extensively in reputed literary journal, ‘Nuqoosh’ and got international ‘Nuqoosh Award’, ‘Seerat-e-Rasool Award’ and ‘Seerat Nigari Award’.
Professor Siddiqui, an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University worked for ten years at the department of History before joining the department of Islamic Studies as a Reader, and later he became professor and chairman of the department. He also served as the Provost of Aftab Hall.
Professor Tariq Mansoor, Vice Chancellor, expressed his deep sense of sorrow at the demise of professor Siddiqui whose profound scholarship explored new dimensions of Seerah writing. His death causes irreparable loss to the academic world.
Professor Nisar Ahmad Khan, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Muhammad Ismail, Chairman, Department of Islamic Studies and Professor Obaidullah Fahad deeply mourned his death.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / by The Milli Gazette Online / September 15th, 2020
Aman Wadud, a human right’s activist and lawyer, practising at Gauhati High Court, has been selected for Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship 2021-2022. He will pursue LLM in the United States next year at an Ivy League Law School.
According to news reports he has in the past six years fought more than 300 citizenship cases for people who have been either marked doubftul voters or declared stateless in Assam.
Aman has extensively worked during Assam’s NRC process; he travelled across the state to educate people about NRC. He has also been organising training programmes for lawyers who work before Foreigners Tribunal. He recently co-founded “Justice and Liberty Initiative” to provide pro bono legal aid to underprivileged people whose citizenship has been wrongly questioned.
Earlier this year in March he was invited to speak on ‘Citizenship and Statelessness’ at the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale Law School and Columbia Law School, USA. During that visit he testified before the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom at Capitol Hill, Washington, on its hearing on Citizenship Laws.
As the news broke, Aman was flood with congratulatory messages. Member of parliament from Assam, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal tweeted: “Congratulations and Best Wishes to Advocate Aman Wadud on being selected for this year’s Nehru-Fulbright fellowship. A young, dynamic and extremely talented Human Rights Activist from Assam. May you become an inspiration for younger generations. Wish you all the success in life.”
Aman reacted to all the wishes with a facebook post: “Thank you everyone. I am overwhelmed by your wishes. The Fulbright committee selected me because of my commitment towards upholding constitutional rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized citizens — a cause that many of us are fighting together. My sincere gratitude to everyone who made this journey possible.”
Articles written by Aman Wadud have appeared in www.outlookindia.com, sabrangindia.in, dailyo.in, theprint.in, thehoot.org etc
For details about the fellowship visit: http://www.usief.org.in/Fulbright-Nehru-Fellowships.aspx
source: http://www/milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / The Milli Gazzette Online / September 10th, 2020
Jaffer Gulam Mansuri established Delhi Darbar Restaurant in 1973 at Grant road in Mumbai. Fondly call Jafferbhai, he made amazing biryani and could cook every item on the menu. He was ailing for the past few days and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. He tested positive for Covid. He was around 80 years old.
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Rajdeep Sardesai@sardesairajdeep
He was known as the ‘biryani king’ of Mumbai.. he served the best dabba gosht in Mumbai.. Jaffarbhai of Mumbai’s Delhi durbar has passed away: thank you for many fine meals from college days till now.
MLA from Bhiwandi (East), Rais Shaikh, tweeted “Jaffer Bhai will always be remembered as the Biryani King of Mumbai. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus.”
Noted TV journalist tweeted: “He was known as the ‘biryani king’ of Mumbai.. he served the best dabba gosht in Mumbai.. Jaffarbhai of Mumbai’s Delhi durbar has passed away: thank you for many fine meals from college days till now.”
Meena Iyer, CEO of Ajay Devgn FFilms and former editor of Bombay Times tweeted: Jaffer Mansoori of the famed Jafferbhai’s Delhi Darbaar, Mahim, Metro and several other areas of Mumbai breathed his last today. He was the Badshah of Mughlai food. RIP Sir. Condolences to his family.
To see his banquet/restaurant please visit: https://goo.gl/maps/AiT3oMhBwrHC3q2b9
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / by The Milli Gazette Online / September 10th, 2020
Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, an organisation headed by Anjum Inamdar, is one of the groups in Pune which have been performing the last rites of Covid-19 patients, as well as those who have died of other illnesses in the last two months.
Activists of Muslim Manch were felicitated by the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Sahab at Pune Camp on Friday.
The stigma and fear surrounding coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is not only hampering efforts to conduct the last rites of those who have died due to the infection, it also posing hurdles in conducting the last rites of those who have died of other illnesses or natural causes.
Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, an organisation headed by Anjum Inamdar, is one of the groups in Pune which have been performing the last rites of Covid-19 patients, as well as those who have died of other illnesses in the last two months. The group has performed the last rites of about 30 persons belonging to various communities, said Inamdar.
The group performs the last rites of those whose family members are either not willing to accept the bodies due to fear, or are unable to perform the rituals due to societal pressures or logistical issues amid the ongoing lockdown.
“There are many cases where the person has died due to some other reason, or even due to old age, but people are not willing to participate in the funeral or help the family,” said Inamdar.
According to activists, performing funerals in case of non-Covid deaths is more challenging as there is no support from civic bodies, as is the case with coronavirus-related deaths.
“We have seen and assisted in many cases where the deaths had no connection with Covid-19 but the family found it difficult to conduct the last rites. The family members are wary of stigma and societal response. When neighbours and relatives run away… they ask us to do the needful,” said Inamdar.
He cited the example of a senior citizen from Maharshi Nagar, who died last week after a prolonged illness. The son and the daughter-in-law of the 65-year-old man were trying to make arrangements for his cremation, but failed to get any help from neighbours and relatives. “The body lay there for six hours before someone from the area called us and we reached there to help. The cremation was finally performed in the local crematorium,” said Inamdar.
In another case, villagers from Kedgaon, on the outskirts of Pune, opposed efforts by the family of a man, who died of cardiac arrest at Sassoon General Hospital, to bring his body back to Kedgaon to perform the last rites. “The daughter of the man then asked us to perform the last rites,” said Inamdar.
As it has been receiving an increasing number of such requests, the Manch has procured a vehicle to use it as a hearse so that it doens’t have to request ambulance owners for help each time. “Many a times, getting a vehicle to transport the body from the hospital to the burial ground or a crematorium becomes a challenge. We have now got a hearse, which we are using for speedy transport and timely cremation,” said Inamdar.
On Friday, the volunteers of Mulnivasi Muslim Manch were felicitated by the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Sahab at Pune Camp. The head of the Gurudwara, Charan Singh Sahani, handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to the group as a token of appreciation for the work that the group was doing for the community “at great personal risk”.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Pune / Express News Service / May 29th, 2020
FMS Welfare Trust, with an aim to serve Sadaat-E-Ekraam and poor to eradicate hunger, inaugurated ‘Roti Bank’ on Friday at Nampally, Hyderabad.
The initiative was inaugurated by Siasat’s Managing Editor Zaheeruddin Ali Khan Ali along with other Welfare Trust members.
The trust was founded by Hasan Nawaz Khan in Chicago, with a team of five in July 2017. Multiple programs under the Trust are undertaken in Hyderabad and Gulbarga for improvement of social and economic status of the poor and needy.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Photos> Hyderabad (Photos) / by Shaik Nizamuddin Laeeq / September 18th, 2020
