International Affairs | Muslims Today

AAINBALL Federation India announces Indian team participation in international university championship in Jordan

New Delhi- AAINBALL Federation India is thrilled to announce the participation of the Indian team in the prestigious International University Championship organized by Hashmite University in Amman, Jordan. The championship will take place from July 22nd to 25th, 2023, and will showcase the incredible talent and passion of university athletes from around the world.

The Indian team, proudly sponsored by USTM University, is ready to demonstrate their skills and compete against top universities from various nations. USTM Chancellor Habibul Hoque’s unwavering support for sports and education has been instrumental in providing opportunities for talented athletes like Dipankar Kalita, who previously won the silver trophy for the nation during the Morocco tournament. USTM’s commitment to nurturing sporting talent is commendable.

Led by the dynamic and talented Miss Assam Kavita Narzary, the Indian team is set to make a mark in AAINBALL, a unique sport that allows both boys and girls to compete together. With her exceptional leadership skills, Kavita Narzary will inspire the team to give their best performance and make the nation proud.
The Vice-Chancellor of USTM, Shri G.D Sharma, who also serves as the President of All India University Association, has been a great advocate for promoting sports culture across universities in India. His vision of fostering a fit India aligns perfectly with AAINBALL Federation India’s goal of encouraging sports and fitness among the youth.

The Indian team is honored to have renowned coaches, Syed Haroon and Sunil Kumar, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Under their guidance, the team has undergone rigorous training sessions to sharpen their skills and strategies, ensuring they are well-prepared for the championship.

Mr. Pratap Singh, Founder President of AAINBALL Federation, expressed his excitement for the future of AAINBALL in India. He announced plans for the upcoming Chakravarti Championship, which will be hosted in picturesque tourist destinations such as Kutch, Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Udaipur. This championship aims to bring together 55 international clubs, further promoting the growth and popularity of AAINBALL.

Syed Waseem, the General Secretary of AAINBALL Federation India, expressed his enthusiasm for the Indian team’s participation in the International University Championship. He emphasized the uniqueness of AAINBALL as a sport that promotes inclusivity and equal participation for both male and female athletes. Mr. Waseem highlighted the significance of Miss Assam Kavita Narzary leading the Indian team, symbolizing the progressive spirit of Indian sports.
In addition to the Indian contingent, the championship will welcome university teams from around the world, fostering a spirit of global camaraderie and healthy competition. AAINBALL, with its thrilling and adventurous nature, has gained recognition not only in India but also internationally. It is a sport that transcends borders and unites athletes from diverse backgrounds.
The AAINBALL Federation India extends its gratitude to YOTI Foundation for their relentless efforts in promoting the sport and organizing successful events, including the Snow International Championship in Jammu and Kashmir. Their commitment to sports tourism and creating opportunities for athletes is commendable.
As the Indian team embarks on this thrilling journey to Jordan, AAINBALL Federation India is confident in their abilities and believes they will represent the nation with utmost pride and determination. We wish the team the very best and look forward to witnessing their remarkable performance in the International University Championship.

After irresponsibly watching takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, India should avoid losing Kashmir to Global Taliban through OMM

(i)- British Indian politicians from Gujarat and U.P disintegrated India in 1947 and now again may do the same

(ii)- Present India may pay the price of depending not on ‘Americanism’ but foolishly on ‘Americans’.

Kabul & entire Afghanistan has been taken over by Taliban as reported at https://www.news18.com/news/world/afghanistan-news-taliban-kabul-mazar-i-sharif-ashraf-ghani-india-us-herat-4087322.html which has not come as surprise. Though nobody expected such a quick victory for the Taliban because US-President Biden (either naively or misleadingly) assured the world that about three hundred thousand security forces (against merely about 70,000 Taliban) were in Afghanistan and in view of the huge amount of money, military arms & equipments, intelligence, training etc provided by the USA, the Afghan government would defeat the Taliban.

Of course ‘the USA was war fatigued and wanted to leave Afghanistan (a SAARC member) by any means’ can be understood but when the USA started talking to Taliban and started making deal with Taliban for the withdrawal of the forces of the USA and of its allies including NATO, India should have woken up and should have adopted a plan to ensure that Afghan government does not lose to Taliban. But the way India (which, despite being an economically humble country, dumped $ 3 billion of so-called aid in post 9/11 Afghanistan) behaved all along in Afghanistan should not come as a surprise given the history of the politics of Indian politicians (specially from British Indian region) which can be termed as humbug, to say the least.

The Indians who think (that the Taliban may come to power but can’t govern the country) do not understand that the Taliban need not do it. So far the Taliban were carrying out militant Jihad in Afghanistan and after coming to power in Afghanistan the Taliban will convert themselves into the Global Taliban and then will carry out global militant Jihad for achieving ‘one military for Muslims’ (OMM) with not merely Chinese help / approval but even with Chinese submission to the religious fury of the Global Taliban.

Because there are 4 major religious groups in this world namely Christians, Muslims, Chinese and Hindus. The 3 major religious groups have one military (Christian West through NATO and Chinese & Hindus due to their one country). Muslims believe that this ‘fragmented military power of the Muslims’ is the main reason that hundreds of millions of Muslims are bleeding and weeping profusely from Myanmar to NAME. Taliban in power (by roping-in militant Jihadis from all over the world) can easily achieve OMM by using China as mentioned at –

https://www.ansarpress.com/english/23540 or

http://politicstoday.in/if-china-uses-likely-taliban-govt-in-afghanistan-no-big-deal-but-if-global-taliban-uses-china-will-be-game-changer-catastrophic/ or

If China uses likely Taliban govt in Afghanistan, no big deal but if Global Taliban uses China, will be game changer & catastrophic

Because Kashmir is crucial for achieving OMM and Kashmir is the most easy issue for the Global Taliban to takeover nuclear Pakistan hence now after irresponsibly watching the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, India should be prepared (due its derelictions) to lose Kashmir (maybe even entire J&K) to Global Taliban through OMM after Pak take-over.

There is one more reason that India may suffer another dismemberment. Present India is not merely British India but about 565 princely States too. But before independence British Indian politicians from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (Gandhi, Jinnah Nehru, Patel etc) disintegrated India in 1947 and now again (Modi, Amit Shah and Raj Nath) from Gujarat and U.P. may do the same by way of losing Kashmir (even entire J&K including Jammu and Ladakh) to Global Taliban, who will be supported by international militant Jihadis for achieving OMM which will become very easy due to extremely emotive (like Palestine for Muslims all across the world) Kashmir issue.

Anybody who can not protect the territorial integrity of the country does not know even abcd of politics this is what we (who were born before 1947 in pre-independence princely State of India, namely Rajasthan) know from our childhood. Territory is extremely important also for the civilians who live on it that is why in Rajasthan the rulers never allowed others to directly rule in Rajasthan (they took Mansabdari from Mughals, suzerainty from Britishers and even paid ‘Chauth etc’ to Marathas but Rajasthan was always ruled directly by local rulers of Rajasthan). But now it seems that we are destined to suffer silently while these Gujaratis and UP-walas (Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath etc) will again become national heroes (like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Jinnah etc) after dismembering their motherland.

India grossly underestimated Islam (especially the militant Jihadi Islam) and neglected the three important and crucial issues of (i)- ‘dual citizenship’ for about 160 million forcibly displaced Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims (and their children) during partition (ii)- Plebiscite in J&K (as mandated not merely by UN resolution but also by ‘Instrument of Accession’ the IoA of J&K to India) and of Balochistan, the IoA of which was taken by Pakistan through military pressure and (iii)- Secular democracy in Afghanistan,

These fatal derelictions of India have brought India to this unfortunate situation which is due to one more reason that India depended on ‘Americans’ and not on ‘Americanism’. Evidently British India has been following the values of post world war II Britain and not Americanism. Here is the fundamental difference. The USA believes that territory depends on military power. The USA not only increased its territory immensely after its war of independence of 1776 but President Lincoln allowed killing & injuring of practically every working age South American during the civil war in 1861 but did not allow territory of the USA to be partitioned. On the contrary there was a time when Lord Clive was given hero’s welcome in Britain because he started the process (by winning battle of Plassey in 1757) of bringing India to Britain but Lord Mountbatten was given hero’s welcome for dismantling in 1947 the British empire in India.

This naivety of Indian politicians (of British India and others who are now under debilitating influence of British Indians) is all the more surprising given the fact that whatever is happening in Afghanistan specially post 9/11 should have constrained the Indian ruling politicians to understand that peace can come to any country only when the State is strong. This is the reason that the first religion based on non-violence the Jainism was started by its founder ‘Tirthanakar’ (Prophet) who was a ruling King (Rishabh Dev, the Adinath) because in modern times also one can practice Jainism (or any other non-violent religion) by giving monopoly of violence to the apparatus of sanctioned physical coercion of the powerful State.

Now one can only pray that Indians (an overwhelming majority from British India and also from former princely States who are presently under poisonous influence of the ‘military related politics of pre-partition British Indians’) will not watch helplessly the disastrous price (another dismember of motherland) for this blunder, India is likely to pay

(Writer is author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’ and presently staying in Shakopee, MN, USA )

Viral Video: Iranian Girl’s Beautiful Rendition of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is winning hearts of Indians

Sudha Ramen of the IFS shared the video on her Twitter handle and wrote, “National anthem in any form would give us goosebumps. Many thanks to this Iranian girl for this beautiful performance”

A video of an Iranian girl playing India’s National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ on santoor is going viral on social media platforms. The less than one-minute-long video shows the girl named Tara Ghahremani from Tehran dressed in pink attire as she sits and plays the melodious rendition of our national anthem

The video is winning the hearts of Indians as it came at a time when India celebrates its 75th Independence Day on Sunday, August 15, 2021.

A video of the girl was also shared by Sudha Ramen of the Indian Forest Services on her Twitter handle with the caption, “National anthem in any form would give us goosebumps. Many thanks to this Iranian girl for this beautiful performance.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unfurled the Tricolour to mark the nation’s 75th Independence Day at the historic Red Fort.

China (for protecting BRI after Dasu) may install ‘Chinese democracy’ in Afghanistan by replacing CCP by ‘Islamic clergy

The Afghans who are wishing & praying for the victory of Afghan government forces over Taliban are living in fool’s paradise if they are thinking that recent airstrike by the USA on Taliban in support of Afghan forces ( as reported at https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-07-22/us-launched-several-airstrikes-in-support-of-afghan-forces ) and visit of Abdullah Abdulla and Afghan Army Chief to India for getting military support from India (as reported at https://theprint.in/diplomacy/abdullah-abdullah-meets-jaishankar-as-kabul-plans-massive-retaliation-against-taliban/701756/ ) are going to bring the victory to Afghan forces.

Other than CPEC the Dasu Hydropower Project is part of China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), a global effort to invest in infrastructure that is even greater in scope than the Marshall Plan, the United States’ program to rebuild Europe after World War II hence 12 (including 9 Chinese) killed and 41 injured in a terrorist attack at Dasu (Pakistan) on July 14 (as mentioned at https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/world/asia/pakistan-bus-explosion-blast.html (which is directly linked to on-going civil war in Afghanistan) is bound to force China to reorient its policies about Afghanistan, as given below:-

(1)- Presently battle lines are clearly drawn in Afghanistan. The USA is supporting Afghan Govt (also by way of giving billions of dollars to it for fighting Taliban) and India too, which may give military assistance to the Ghani government. But there will be no boots on ground by the USA & India and without their boots on ground, Afghan government can’t win against the Taliban.

(2)- Iran is supporting the Taliban because the USA is supporting the Ghani-government and now Iran is part of BRI. Pakistan is supporting Taliban because (i)- Pakistan created Taliban (ii)- Taliban is mainly Pashtun based and the population of Pashtuns in Pakistan is double the population of Pashtuns in Afghanistan (iii)- India is supporting Afghan government which as per Pakistan is creating problems (from the soil of Afghanistan) in Pakistan (mainly through Balochistan) under the watch of Afghan government. China will support Taliban because it wants to protect BRI not only in Afghanistan but also in region around Afghanistan and presently there is only one hope of protecting BRI namely through bringing Taliban government in Afghanistan

(3)- Presently it makes matters easier for China because in order to protect BRI and its other economic interests in Afghanistan, China has to do only the following (without China directly getting involved militarily, with boots on ground, in Afghanistan) :-

(i)- In view of failure of ‘liberal Western democracy’ in Asia [where due to lack of commitment on the part of the leader of the West the USA for it, the USA has failed to get it installed in many countries and has failed to bring prosperity (no where as in China) in Asian countries] the Chinese model is already gaining respect & acceptance in Asian countries. Hence China has to merely install ‘authoritarian Chinese democracy’ in Afghanistan by replacing ‘Chinese Communist Party’ by ‘Islamic clergy of Afghanistan’.

(ii)- Due to BRI and otherwise the Afghan border sharing countries of Central Asia are already under influence of China hence China can easily mobilize Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to ask their ethnicities in Afghanistan to support the Taliban. As far as Iran which (after severe US-sanctions by Trump-administration ) is exporting oil to China [and Russia (after Western sanctions due to Crimea controversy) is also doing the same] hence both Iran and Russia are nowadays in Chinese camp and will do about Afghanistan whatever China would ask them to do it.

(iii)- Pakistan will gladly toe Chinese line for supporting Taliban. As for the Pashtun problem about the Durand line between Afghanistan and Pakistan, China has to ask the Pakistan government and Taliban government to adopt the practice which presently is between the USA & Canada where people can go to the other side without any problem.

(iv)- China has to ask the ruling Islamic clergy of Afghanistan not to be as medieval and barbaric as they were before 9/11 (especially regarding women and religious minorities) which should not be difficult for China because Taliban (as per their public statements and interviews to media) are already showing a willingness to do it.

(4)- As far as Indian boots on ground if these are provided by India (with the approval of the USA) then certainly it can be a crucial factor in the victory of Afghan forces over Taliban (as mentioned at https://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/opinion-details/3854 or

https://chauthiduniya.com/india-should-warn-taliban-of-military-help-to-secular-afghan-govt-if-doha-other-peace-talks-fail/ ) But neither Afghan government is going for secular constitution nor ruling dispensation of India is interested in it due to two reasons (i)- India avoids military involvement especially boots on ground (ii)- Present Indian government led by Modi of Hindutva forces does not believe in secularism and one day itself may adopt ‘authoritarian Chinese democracy’ ( if continue to lose support among large part of Indians) while keeping the façade of present democracy intact and by merely replacing ‘Chinese Communist party’ with RSS by constitutionally accommodating it in ‘National Advisory Council (NAC) as was the case during Congress led government (where NAC headed by Sonia Gandhi was the real government).

(5)- Otherwise (without US active support) India is in no position to interfere militarily in Afghanistan against the wishes & interest of China because China can always arm twist India either by nudging Pakistan to hot-up border / LoC in J&K or by China itself to hot-up its long border including the existing face-off at Eastern Ladakh where China is troubling India militarily since early 2020 as reported at https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/border-row-china-india-clash-again-with-pla-back-in-eastern-ladakh-121071301363_1.html )

(6)- As far as about 3 hundred thousand personnel in Afghan force which as per Prez Biden should be enough to protect Afghan government, this is neither here nor there. Despite these 3 hundred thousands, Taliban could get impressive military gains on ground to the extent a COMPLETE TALIBAN TAKEOVER is possible (as per Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, as reported at

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-top-military-commander-says-taliban-may-yet-take-control-of-afghanistan/2311056 ) . Moreover the present claim of Taliban that large numbers of security forces of Afghanistan are joining Taliban (either by surrender or otherwise) may seem to be a boast but it will become a reality if China is perceived to be backing Taliban.

(7)- The Afghans who are putting their hope on Afghan government should understand that for the supporters of Ghani government namely India and the USA (now after withdrawal of the forces of the USA, NATO and allies from Afghanistan) it is merely a time -pass in Afghanistan where as for China (due to BRI etc) it is the question of life & death in Afghanistan. Moreover what China (an emergent global power) will do in Afghanistan in order to protect its vital interests, is anybody’s guess.

(8)- As for the equation of Taliban with China, the Taliban have already said publicly that they will not only protect economic interests of China in Afghanistan when come to power but will also not raise the issue of human rights of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang province of China.

(9)- As for the financial aid of the USA to Afghan government, of course the Taliban government will not get it but no country can function properly or even survive on the basis of eternal foreign aid or charity. As far as economic progress of Afghanistan is concerned, presently China is also quite capable of collaborating with Afghanistan and its Taliban government for ensuring economic progress of Afghanistan.

(10)- Many countries in Asia are politically unstable (due to civil wars, terrorist activities, armed uprising, political mismanagement etc) or unviable (due to economic stagnation). This is creating problems for emergent world power China which wants to increase its economic activities first obviously in its neighborhood in Asia. Hence China will have to install favorable (if not pliant) governments in these countries by making deal with various authorities in different countries like Taliban in Afghanistan, Ayatollah in Iran, military in Pakistan, may be one day RSS in India (if its economy doesn’t improve through ‘liberal Western democracy’, led by the USA ), Military in Myanmar etc. for installing ‘authoritarian Chinese democracy’ in these countries.

Therefore due to US-slack-commitment to ‘liberal Western democracy’, it is merely a matter of time that China (in the interest of protecting BRI etc after Dasu terrorist attack ) installs ‘authoritarian Chinese democracy’ in Afghanistan by replacing ‘Chinese Communist Party’ by ‘Islamic clergy of Afghanistan’

(Writer is author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’ and based in Shakopee, MN, USA)

Sentenced to death in UAE, Indian expat returns home after Lulu group chairman’s help

The man was awarded the death sentence for causing the death of a young Sudanese boy in a road accident case.

Abu Dhabi: A 45-year-old Indian expat returned home on Wednesday after languishing in prison for nine years awaiting the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates.

The man was awarded the death sentence for causing the death of a young Sudanese boy in a road accident case.

The release of Charavattayi Becks Krishnan of Kerala came after Yusuf Ali, the chairman of Lulu Group paid Rs 1 crore (500,000 dirhams) in damages in court to secure an early release.

After nine years, Krishnan departed from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night and reached Kochi early morning on Wednesday.

Krishnan has been sentenced to death by the UAE Supreme Court after being found guilty of causing the death of a young boy. He crashed his car into a group of kids in September 2012.

Since then, his family and friends have been relentlessly trying to release Krishnan without any success, especially since the victim’s family has already returned and settled in Sudan, putting an end to any kind of discussion.

As a last resort, the Krishnan family reached out to Yusuf Ali, who proceeded to obtain details of the case and reached out to all stakeholders.

At one point, Yusuf Ali transported the victim’s family from Sudan to Abu Dhabi for a month and had extensive discussions to come up with a compensation amount and secure a pardon for Krishnan.

“This is a second lease term of life for me. I’m very happy. I came home because of Yusuf Ali,” Krishnan told Khaleej Times after landing at Kochi International Airport.

There were emotional scenes where Krishnan’s wife, Veena and son, greeted Krishnan at the airport. Veena said that everyone gave her hope to save her husband from the death penalty with the support of Yusuf Ali.

Krishnan’s mother Chandrika told the media: “I am at a loss for words to thank Yusuf Ali. He is a God-like person to us now. I can only say we owe him to death.”

“I’m not trying to do charity after my chopper accident. I paid the compensation amount in January. He is young and has a family. You cannot measure the value of life with money,” Khaleej Times quoted Yusuf Ali.

Courtesy: Siasat

List of 500 Most Influential Muslims of the world released

Jordan: Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) has released The 2020 Edition of the Muslim 500 naming 500 Influential Muslims of the world.

Leading scholar of Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic finance Justice Sheikh Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani tops the list, while, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is named the ‘Man of the year’, and US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has been named ‘Woman of the year’.

Ayatollah Khamenei the second Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran is on second number. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on 6th number. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on 24th position.

• The Top 50 •

HE Justice Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Scholar and Deobandi Leader (6)
HE Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(4)
HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
Al-Nahyan
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces
(15)
HM King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud
King of Saudi Arabia
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (2)
HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein
King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem (3)
HE President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President of the Republic of Turkey (1)
HM King Mohammed VI
King of Morocco (5)
HE Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein
Sistani
Marja of the Hawza, Najaf, Iraq (7)
HE Sheikh Al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Scholar and Director of Dar Al Mustafa, Tarim,
Yemen (8)
HM Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id Al-Sa’id
Sultan of Oman (12)
Sheikh Salman Al-Ouda
Scholar and Preacher (10)
HH Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani
Emir of Qatar (19)
HE President Joko Widodo
President of Indonesia (16)
HE Sheikh Dr Ahmad Muhammad Al-Tayyeb
Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar University,
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque (9)
HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah
Scholar and President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies (11)
HE Imran Khan
Prime Minister of Pakistan (29)
HE President Muhammadu Buhari
President of Nigeria (17)
HE Sheikh Dr Ali Gomaa
Former Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of
Egypt (18)
Professor KH Said Aqil Siradj
Chairman of Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama (20)
HRE Amirul Mu’minin Sheikh As-Sultan
Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III
Sultan of Sokoto (21)
Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah
Secretary-General of Hezbollah (23)
Sheikh Habib ‘Ali Zain Al Abideen Al-Jifri
Preacher and Director General of the Tabah
(24)
Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson
Teacher and Co-Founder of Zaytuna College
(25)
HRH Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman
bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (13)
Sheikh Ahmad Tijani bin Ali Cisse
Leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi Order (22)
37
He said, ‘Certainly not! indeed I have my Lord with me. He will guide me’.
The Poets 26 : 62
Calligraphy by Hasan Kan’an © FreeIslamicCalligraphy.com
HE Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Aal
Al-Sheikh
Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(26)
Sheikha Munira Qubeysi
Leader of the Qubeysi (27)
Maulana Mahmood Madani
Leader and Executive Member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, India (32)
Sheikh Mustafa Hosny
Preacher (34)
Sheikh Usama Al-Sayyid Al-Azhari
Scholar (35)
HH Shah Karim Al-Hussayni
The Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam of Ismaili Muslims (36)
HE Sheikh Dr Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Head of the International Union of Muslim
Scholars (30)
Habib Luthfi bin Yahya
Preacher (37)
Sheikh Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi
Leader of the Houthi (38)
Sheikh Mahmud Effendi
Scholar and Preacher (39)
Maulana Tariq Jameel
Scholar and Preacher (40)
Sheikh Moez Masoud
Preacher and Televangelist (31)
HE President Halimah Yacob
President of Singapore (41)
Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi
Tunisian Politician (28)
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi
Scholar (42)
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Philosopher and University Professor (43)
HE Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister of Malaysia (44)
Sheikh Uthman Taha
Calligrapher (45)
Mohammed Salah
Footballer (46)
Sheikh Muqtada Sadr
Scholar and Political (47)
HE President Mahmoud Abbas
President of Palestine (HM)
Dr Aref Ali Nayed
Scholar (48)
Dr Timothy Winter (Sheikh Abdal Hakim
Murad)
Islamic Scholar (HM)
Dr Mohamed Bechari
French activist (50)
Maulana Nazur ur-Rahman
Amir of Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan (new)

Indian Islamic Scholar Maulana Mahmood Madani is on 28^th position. Noted Pakistani scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel is on 36th position.

In The 2020 Edition of the Muslim 500 (The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims), the first 50 persons are religious leaders and chiefs of the states while the remaining 450 persons belong to 13 other fields including politics, social and media fields.

Under the head Administration of Religious Affairs, the list also mentions eight other Indians including Shaikh Abooobackar Ahmed, Sayyid Ibrahimul Khaleel Al-Bukhari, Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, Maulana Shakir Ali Noorie, Hyderabad MP and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Maulana Zuhair ul Hassan.

Source: Siasat

Leave Cricket of all the sports alone!

INDIA-PAK cricket showdown was there before also. And those matches were not played during peaceful times either. The matches were prone to hyper nationalism ventilation as well. Just like the present, but with a difference. The sports page handlers of media houses then were sane enough to separate the chaff from the wheat. The winners were given prominent coverage, the perennial hostilities not withstanding. The editorial policies were relatively fair when it came to sports.

Now, we are in a more hyper sensitive era with media playing the three-in-one tone with finesse. Aggrieved, aggressor and the clueless. This two ‘A’ and one ‘c’ mode is incongruous with the five ‘W’ notion that’s the bedrock of journalism. The perfect example is india’s leading English paper’s coverage of Pakistani team. The insiders say the desk hands were told not to give significance to Pak players. Yeah, you heard right! Even if they had the best day on field. Continue reading “Leave Cricket of all the sports alone!”

A tipping point in Pakistan

A CII meeting in progress Given the track record, and growing influence of regressive conservatives in Pakistan, this news item was unusual. The Pakistan Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights has recommended that the Council of Islamic Ideology [CII], be dissolved. The CII was established in 1962 by the semi-benevolent dictator Field Marshal Ayub Khan, when he forced through his new Constitution, to recommend ways by which all laws could be in conformity with religious doctrine.

Demanding dissolution of a Constitutional body is hardly routine, but the tipping point seems to have been CII’s suggestion that husbands should be allowed “light” violence against “errant” wives, with the decision on quantum of crime and punishment being left, naturally, to the husband.

It is true that CII’s recommendations are not mandatory, but they affect public discourse. This preposterous instance of misogyny and, indeed, misogamy, made headlines across the world, eliciting ridicule mostly. But ridicule is an inadequate response. Continue reading “A tipping point in Pakistan”

ISIS is a common threat

ISIS

When India reassumes its engagement with successor states of the Safavid, Ottoman and European empires to its west up to the Nile and the Sahel in north Africa, it will renew dialogue with a region that has not had a good night’s sleep for at least two centuries. Analysis is not an advent of any blame game. The fault, as that crusty realist Shakespeare noted, may lie in ourselves, rather than our stars, but the destiny of men also has its profound cycles across the cartwheels of time. The past is littered with skeletons of nations which once ruled as much as the world as they could reach, and then imploded, leaving those who suffered colonisation to search for a new beginning within the debris. This search has never been easy, or short. All interventions disorient. Every collapse destabilises.

The one great incubation of the 20th century is that it has made the 21st a more egalitarian age. We should be careful, however, about how far we stretch the meaning of a more egalitarian spirit. It does not necessarily mean an equitable transformation towards democracy. But the era of acquisitive, or even domineering, empires is over. Great powers have to be more subtle in their manoeuvres, more guarded in their expectations. Only foolish powers, super or medium-sized, make non-negotiable demands. Continue reading “ISIS is a common threat”

America, Iran and Iraq: Partners, not friends

Kerry-Zarif handshake Stability is an illusion that nations advertise to comfort citizens. Countries either sink along a gravitational pull beyond the control of governments, or ascend into a virtuous spiral. The pace is often slow, and sometimes invisible, but society is never static.

In the first 15 years of the 21st century, a linear, contiguous land mass from the Atlantic shores of Africa to the Pacific shore of Japan has become a slope. The western wing is slipping into quagmire, while the eastern expanse, starting from India, is inching up. This may not be an even fact. There are exceptions, some significant. But this is the broad truth. Continue reading “America, Iran and Iraq: Partners, not friends”