Category Archives: World Opinion

INSPIRING MUSLIMS – Powerlifters Majiziya Bhanu, Aaniya Ahmed and Mohammed Azmat Win Gold at Powerlifting World Cup in Moscow

Amazing Feats, Karnataka (under research project), Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA  / NEW DELHI / KARNATAKA  :

MajiziaBanuMPOs22mar2020

Indian powerlifters Majiziya Bhanu, Aaniya Ahmed and Mohammed Azmat have won gold medals at the recently held World Powerlifting Congress’s World Cup in Moscow, where they competed against 600 athletes from 20 countries. The tournament was held from 14-16 December 2018.

24-year-old Majiziya, who hails from Kerala, and has been sweeping headlines for being a hijab-clad powerlifter, won gold in the open category powerlifting, where she was adjudged the best lifter.

23-year-old Delhiite Aaniya Ahmed won gold in the junior category. And 42-year-old Bangalore-based Mohammed Azmat won the medal in 100-kilo weight class in the 40-to-45-year-old master’s division. Azmat hoisted 237.5 kgs in the squat competition, 155 kgs in the bench press and 200 kgs in the deadlift to win his weight class and age group.

The other Indian athletes, who won at the tournament are Daljit Singh, Varad Patil, Raghu Hondadakeri, Sandeep Kothari, and Bhavana Shah. India also won the best team award at the tournament.

The World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) consists of 46 countries worldwide that participate in an annual World Championships. The Indian affiliate for the WPC is the WPC India, which is headed by powerlifter Daljit Singh. Azmat, who has been representing India for the past 4 years at different championships, and who works full time as a program manager at global IT giant DXC Technology, is the chapter’s South India Head.

“WPC India has sent 20 athletes to different championships worldwide this year, including to the World Cup held in Moscow and to the one held in the USA in November. As a team, we are very proud of what we have achieved so far. Although on the stage, every athlete is an individual, however, this sport is all about team spirit. And we couldn’t have achieved all this without the support of my teammatesRaghu Hondadakeri, Daljit Singh, Varad Patil, Sandeep Kothari and others,” Azmat told The Cognate.

Azmat, who has also trained both Majiziya and Aaniya said that he is planning to launch a sports federation with like-minded individuals, where women from the Muslim community would be trained and encouraged to participate in powerlifting competitions while complying with the religious dress code. “There is a misconception in our community that women should not participate in sports, as that would violate their modesty. However, women like Majiziya are a living example that Muslim women can observe their religious practice, and at the same time compete in sports”.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate.com / Home> Inspiring Muslims / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / December 22nd, 2018

Indian-American Teenager Mahum Siddiqi Wins Cornell University Hackathon

Amazing Feats, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , ,

U. S. A :

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Mahum Siddiqi, a 17-year-old Indian-American teenager has won the inaugural “Digital Transformation Hackathon” at Cornell University for designing a device that detects the actual pain level of a patient during a diagnosis.

A Class 12 student at Vestal High School in New York, Mahum was the only non-undergraduate student competing at the hackathon held at the prestigious Ivy League college earlier in December.

Mahum’s aim was to cure the problem of the “pain diagnosis process’ subjectivity”. Together with her team, Mahum designed a pain detecting device that will use the neurological activity occurring in one’s brain to help doctors more efficiently determine someone pain levels.

Elaborating more on her idea, Mahum said, “It’s incredibly upsetting and problematic how hypothetical the concept of pain diagnostics is. Doctors have no way of knowing how little or how much pain someone is truly experiencing when they go in to be diagnosed”.

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Mahum and her team are now working with representatives from companies such as Microsoft to produce prototypes of their pain detecting device.

“We need to design a system where patients are looked at as a whole, and doctors are able to know for sure, using our device/pure science, how much pain a patient is experiencing instead of just their personal description/perception of their own pain”.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate.com / Home> Inspiring Muslims / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / December 30th, 2018

North Carolina voters make history by electing first Muslim woman to hold office

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Videos, World Opinion,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU / North Carolina, U.S.A. :

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/486113-north-carolina-voters-make-history-after-electing-first-muslim-woman-to?jwsource=cl

Nida Allam has become the first Muslim woman to be win elected office in the state of North Carolina.

According to local reports , history was written on Tuesday night when voters in Durham County went to the ballots to elect Allam as their next county commissioner.

Allam said in a statement provided to The Hill that, growing up as a Muslim in the U.S., she “never thought running for office let alone winning and making history would ever be a possibility.”

“I was driven to politics in 2015 after my best friend Yusor, her husband Deah and younger sister Razan were brutally murdered in their home in Chapel Hill in a hate crime committed by their neighbor,” she said. “This was a heinous act of hate that caused ripples across the world.”

Allam was referring to the murders of Deah Barakat, 23, his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19. The three college students had been living in a condo in Chapel Hill, N.C. when a man, Craig Stephen Hicks, entered their home and killed them.

Local authorities initially claimed the shooting incident was over a parking dispute, but the chief of the Chapel Hill police department, Chris Blue, apologized years later, saying “the man who committed these murders undoubtedly did so with a hateful heart.”

Hicks was ordered to serve three life sentences without possibility of parole after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in 2019.

Allam said in her statement that her “community suffered deeply” after the deaths of her friends.

“How can I be content with all the blessings I have been given in this world when there is so much to do to fight injustice, uplift one another and to make our communities healthier. I’m fighting for a better nation so that others don’t have to suffer the pain my community did,” she said.

During her campaign, Allam pushed for police reform, better quality education and wage increases for county workers, among other issues.

Prior to her run for local office, she worked as a political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign. She also served as third vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party and chair of Durham Mayor Steve Schewel’s (D) Council for Women.

The historic first in North Carolina comes years after voters saw a record number  of Muslim candidates run for statewide or national office in 2018, the highest in nearly 20 years at the time. That was also the year Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib  (D-Mich.) became the first Muslim women elected to serve in Congress.

source: http://www.thehill.com / The Hill / Home / by Aris Folley / March 05th, 2020

Noor Inayat Khan commemorated: Stunning true story of British spy princess

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Mysore , KARNATAKA / Moscow, RUSSIA /Paris, FRANCE /  London , United KINGDOM :

A LIFE of a British spy princess who was the first woman radio operator to be sent into Nazi-occupied France has been commemorated to mark International Women’s Day.

Noor Inayat Khan

Noor Inayat Khan (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Noor Inayat Khan is the most highly decorated Muslim woman in British Military history and was only aged 30 when she was executed in Dachau Concentration Camp in September 1944 after being captured by the Gestapo in Paris the previous year. Like 20,000 others who have no known grave she is remembered at the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial. Now her life and legacy has been brought to a new audience in a digital exhibition Noor Inayat-Khan: A Woman of Conspicuous Courage created by Commonwealth War Graves Foundation and the girl guides.

It tells how the unlikely spy came to die for her country and the courage she showed under torture while visitors will be able to put their code breaking skills to the test and discover the technical skills a wireless operator needed behind enemy lines.

Jasmine Theti, 15, of Girlguiding Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, said: “We must never forget her and the sacrifice she made.

“I loved learning the Morse Code it was good fun.

“Although I wouldn’t have liked sending messages in a cold Parisian park whilst looking over my shoulder all the time. Noor was an inspiration.”

Noor was born on New Year’s Day 1914 in Moscow to an Indian father and an American mother and was a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century Muslim ruler of Mysore.

The family moved to London then Paris where she was educated and worked as a children’s author.

After the fall of France, she and her brother escaped to England and in November 1940 she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force becoming a radio operator at RAF Abingdon.

But the fluent French speaker soon came to the attention of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and in late 1942 was recruited.

Noor Inayat Khan with her mother

Noor Inayat Khan, left, with her mother (Image: Shrabani Basu/ PA Wire)

However they were unsure whether she would make a good agent, worried she was too honest and kind-hearted and couldn’t blend into a crowd.

She proved them wrong when she joined the Paris resistance in July 1943 just as the Gestapo were closing in.

While members were rounded up she evaded capture and ended up as the only SOE radio operator for the whole Paris region.

But two days before she was due to be replaced in October she was betrayed and arrested.

Remarkably she twice managed to escape from the Parisian prison before being sent to Germany the following month where she was kept in chains and in solitary confinement for 10 months.

Resisting repeated torture she and three other women SOE agents were finally taken to Dachau and shot on September 13, 1944.

For her courage she was posthumously awarded Britain’s highest civilian bravery medal The George’s Cross in 1949.

Julian Evans of the CWGC which looks after the Runnymede memorial added: “Noor’s story is an inspirational one and we believed it important, as the custodians of the memorial on which her name is inscribed, to help give it greater prominence.

“We hope that the exhibition will encourage more people to visit the Air Forces Memorial to explore the story of Noor and the 20,000 other members of the Commonwealth Air Forces who are commemorated here.”

source: http://www.express.co.uk / Express / Home> News> UK / by Tony Whitefield / March 08th, 2020

Explained | War heroes who resisted Portuguese: The mega film Kerala is talking about

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, Videos, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

KERALA :

Directed by Priyadarshan, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham features the popular actor Mohanlal and was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, making it the most expensive Malayalam film ever.

Directed by Priyadarshan, it features the popular actor Mohanlal and was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, making it the most expensive Malayalam film ever.
Directed by Priyadarshan, it features the popular actor Mohanlal and was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, making it the most expensive Malayalam film ever.

On March 26, the big-budget  film Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Marakkar: The Lion of the Arabian Sea) will release in Kerala and elsewhere. Directed by Priyadarshan, it features the popular actor Mohanlal and was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, making it the most expensive Malayalam film ever.

Last month, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court against the film, alleging ‘distortion of history’ and demanding a stay on the release. The court declined.

What is the film about?

It is a war film depicting the heroics of the Marakkar clan, whose leaders were naval chieftains of the Zamorin of Calicut during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Zamorin, Samoothiri in Malayalam, was the title given to rulers of the Calicut kingdom on the Malabar coast. The Marakkars fought against Portuguese invaders for nearly a century.

Who were the Marakkars?

By some accounts, they were of Arab origin and had migrated from Tunisia to Panthalayani near Koyilandy in present-day Kozhikode, and later moved to the region around present-day Kottakkal and Thikkodi near Payyoli. By other accounts, the Marakkars were descendants of affluent businessman from the Cochin kingdom who migrated later to Calicut.

Historian M G S Narayanan said the name ‘Marakkar’ could have originated from maram or marakkalam, meaning ship, as these families lived along the coast and used ships. Alternatively, it could have originated from the Arabic word markaba, meaning those who migrated via ships. “The Marakkars were mostly Muslims, but in some parts, they have been found to be Hindus as well,” Narayanan said.

What was the war against the Portuguese about?

Faced with invading Portuguese ships, the Zamorin reached out to the Marakkars to defend the coast. They were led in succession by four Marakkars, chief admirals who were appointed by the Zamorin with the title of Kunjali. Related by bloodline, they were Kuttyali Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar I, appointed in 1507), Kutty Pokker (Kunjali Marakkar II), Pathu Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar III) and Muhammad Ali Marakkar (Kunjali Marakkar IV, appointed in 1595).

“Their strategy was similar to guerrilla warfare. The Portuguese had massive ships which could not make easy manoeuvres in the sea. The Marakkars used small ships which could easily surround the Portuguese ships, enabling the fighters to attack at will,” Narayanan said.

In the span of 100 years, the exploits of the Kunjali Marakkars are said to have improved the naval fleet of Calicut as well as other kingdoms, stretching from Saurashtra to Ceylon along the Indian coast. War technologies and ammunition greatly improved as well.

Who is the ‘Lion of the Arabian Sea’ depicted in the film?

Mohanlal plays Kunjali Marakkar IV, who earned his reputation with his fierce onslaught on Portuguese ships, the favours he gave those who fought against the Portuguese, and his efforts to strengthen the fort at Kottakkal.

When he took charge in 1595, relations between the Zamorin and the Marakkars were deteriorating. The Zamorin was feeling threatened by Kunjali Marakkar IV’s popularity, and by reports (said to be spread by the Portuguese) that he was planning to create a Muslim empire.

In 1597, the Zamorin signed a peace treaty with the Portuguese and attacked Kottakkal fort. For months, the Marakkars resisted the attack by the Zamorin’s Nair soldiers and the Portuguese fleet. Eventually, as Portugal sent more forces and the Zamorin mounted his effort, Marakkar surrendered to the Zamorin on the assurance that their lives would be spared. But the Portuguese violated the terms, arrested him, took him to Goa and beheaded him.

Why was a petition filed against the film in the High Court?

Mufeeda Arafath Marakkar of Koyilandy, who identified herself as a descendant of the Marakkar clan, argued that the the film’s version of events could mislead students and researchers. Among the contentions is that Kunjali Marakkar IV is shown to have romantic interests when there is no such evidence in history. He is shown sporting a picture of Lord Ganesh on his turban; the petition contends that he was actually a pious Muslim who did not display Hindu imagery.

The High Court declined to impose a stay and asked the film certification Board if it had handed over the complaint to the Centre. The Board conveyed that the subject deals with art and that it cannot interfere in the freedom of expression of the filmmakers.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Explained / by Vishnu Varma / Kochi, March 09th, 2020

Retail tycoon is first Indian to gain coveted Saudi ‘green card’

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , ,

KERALA / Abu Dhabi , UAE :

Yusuff Ali M.A
Yusuff Ali M.A
  • Yusuff Ali M.A: “This is obviously a very proud and humbling moment in my life,”

Jeddah :

Abu Dhabi-based retail tycoon Yusuff Ali M.A. on Monday became the first Indian citizen to obtain Saudi Arabia’s coveted Premium Residency, widely known as the Saudi “green card.”

“This is obviously a very proud and humbling moment in my life,” the chairman and managing director of the group that owns the LuLu chain of hypermarkets told Arab News.

“It is a great honor, not only for me but also for the entire Indian expat community, and I sincerely thank King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the government of Saudi Arabia.

“I am sure this new permanent residency initiative will further boost Saudi Arabia’s image as one of the key investment and business hubs in the region in addition to attracting and retaining new investors here.”

Premium Residency is a special residence permit that gives expatriates who meet its conditions the right to live, work, and own business and property in the Kingdom without a sponsor. It is a key part of the crown prince’s Vision 2030 reform plan to diversify the Saudi economy.

The Kingdom had become an attractive investment destination because of the remarkable growth of its economy, Yusuff Ali said. “Investors can now come here and invest freely; they can buy property and feel at home, secure and safe.

“What does an investor need? He needs security such as premium residency. The economy of this great country is booming so this is the best time for international investors to come, invest and take advantage of Saudi Vision 2030.”

The tycoon said international investors and businessmen were looking to Saudi Arabia because of how the country had been transformed. “We want to export agricultural products from Saudi Arabia and use the innovations and transformations in the business sector,” he said.

source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> News> Business & Economy / March 04th, 2020

Jamia Professor receives RULA Award

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

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Professor (Dr) Tasneem Fatma, scientist and former Head of the Department of Bio-Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi has been honoured with the prestigious RULA (Research under Literal Access) “Research Peace Award 2019” in recognition of her research work of higher standard in environmental biology and cyanobacterial biotechnology.

The award was given to her at Grandeur Hall of Hotel Breeze Residency in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. It acknowledges her services in environmental biology and cyanobacterial biotechnology “for international innovation, betterment and excellence in research activities”.

Earlier in 2018, Prof Fatma was given Prof Y S R K Sarma Memorial Award by Society for Plant Research for her invaluable research in algology.

An M.Sc. Gold Medalist from Lucknow University, she did her Ph.D. in Phycology from Lucknow University in 1984 under Prof B N Prasad. Soon after completing her Ph.D. she joined the University of Kanpur as a Lecturer and in 1986, following which she joined Jamia Millia Islamia with which she has been associated since then.

A senior Professor at JMI Prof Fatma has a teaching experience of about forty years. More than 40 students have so far completed their PhDs under her supervision. She has published more than 125 research papers in national and international journals, written 10 book chapters, edited one reference book and has completed eight research projects. She loves teaching and extends every possible support to her students and research scholars. Her science lab is open for them throughout the week.

Prof Fatma has made extensive academic tours to different countries of Europe and America besides travelling many countries of the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. She spent a year in the United States of America and six months each in Italy and Germany at official assistance of Government of India besides participating in international conferences in Australia, Hong Kong, China, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Canada, etc.

Many faculty members, research scholars and students of JMI have congratulated Prof Tasneem Fatma for getting the prestigious award.

Manzar Imam is a senior journalist based in New Delhi

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Lead Story / by Manzar Imam / September 08th, 2019

Jamia Faculty Gets RULA International Award for her Research Work in Biological Sciences

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

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New Delhi: 

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) faculty member Dr Iram Iqbal Hejazi has been awarded the prestigious RULA (Research under Literal Access) International Award in recognition of her research work in biological sciences.

Dr Hejazi has done her PhD in Cancer Biology, under the supervision of Dr Fareeda Athar and Dr Sonuchand Thakur from Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences of JMI. She has seven research papers published in international peer-review journals.

With around ten years of experience as a life sciences faculty (guest), she has a passion for research and teaching. Currently, she is teaching as a visiting Faculty at Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. She also taught various subjects of life sciences in Dept. of Biotechnology.

RULA is accredited by World Research Council, the sovereign body committed to empower researchers all over the world with the right use of technology. It is also accredited by the United Medical Council that encloses the major heads from the United Nations to strive for the qualitative health of the public.

source: http://www.beyondheadlines.in /  Beyond Headlines / Home> India / by Beyond Headlines / August 25th, 2019

Kashmiri girl wins gold in Wushu stars championship in Moscow

Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

MunazehMPOs29feb2020

Munazeh Gazi secured Gold medal in the Moscow Wushu stars Wushu championship at Moscow from 25th to 29th February 2020. She defeated Kazak player in the final in 60kg weight category. Earlier she defeated russian player in the semi finals.
The Indian Wushu team Secured 6 Gold, 6 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in the championship. The team was sent by the sports authority of at Cost to government.

Prior to participation, the Wushu Association of India organized 45 days Wushu coaching camp at Chandigarh.
Munazeh Gazi from Srinagar has secured number of medals at national level and last year she made the country and state proud by winning Silver medal in the 10th Asian wushu championship at Brunie.
Rajesh Choudhary of Jammu and Kashmir working in CRPF also secured Silver medal In the championship. He lost to Russia in the Semi finals. He is working with CRPF.
The office bearers of Wushu Association of JK congratulated both the medalists of the UT of JK.
Vijay Saraf, President congratulated both the players especially Munazah Gazi for securing Gold in the championship. He also congratulated indian team for the remarkable performance
The CEO of Wushu Association of J&K Kuldeep Handoo congratulates both the players and the indian team for bringing laurels for the country.

He congratulated District Srinagar wushu Association headed by Sh.Sadat Nasir Wani ,Maqsood Rather and also the coaches Rameez and Irfan for the OUTSTANDING performance

source: http://www.brighterkashmir.com / Brighter Kashmir / Home / by Brighter Kashmir Sports Desk, Srinagar / February 29th, 2020