Several Muslim Organisations And Intellectuals To Muslim Youth: Make It A New Year Resolution To Join Armed Forces, Serve Nation
01
January 2023
Syed Tanveer Ahmed, national secretary, of
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
----------
• Several Muslim Organisations And Intellectuals To
Muslim Youth: Make It A New Year Resolution To Join Armed Forces, Serve Nation
• Dubai, Riyadh And Beirut The Cities Of Choice For
Arab World's Celebrities To Mark New Year's Eve
• Council On American-Islamic Relations Invites Elon
Musk To Meet Muslims Following His 'Bigoted' Tweet
• Quran Teaching As A Compulsory Subject Extended Up
To Higher Secondary Level In Punjab, Pakistan
• Mehdi Bahman, Author Sentenced To Death Amid Renewed
Nationwide ProtestsOn 'Espionage' Charges
India
• Killing of Hindus in Pakistan is against Islam,
Mufti Qasmi says – Muslim organizations should raise their voice
• Lies, Insistence and Disregard for Evidence: The
Journey of 'Love Jihad' Laws
-----
Arab world
• Islamic State Claims Deadly Attack In Ismailia,
First In Mainland Egypt In 3 Years
• Madinah museums shed light on Prophet Muhammad’s
journey, showcase rare artefacts
• HM King exchanges New Year good wishes with leaders
of Arab, Islamic, friendly countries
• Art gallery transports Riyadh Season visitors to
Saudi Arabia’s rich past
-----
Europe
• Card Sako: Benedict XVI was a 'great theologian' and
'prophet' of relations with Islam
• Tunisia: Head of secular party calls for Egypt's
Sisi to eliminate Islamists
• New Year Honours list 2023 in full: Everyone who has
received an MBE, OBE, CBE, knighthood and damehood
-----
Pakistan
• Judges shouldn’t care about people’s wishes in their
verdicts: ex-CJP
• SBP issues Islamic Banking license to Faysal Bank
Limited
• Three MPAs, other BAP leaders join PPP
• ‘The best of times, the worst of times’: Pakistani
politicians reflect on the year that was
• PTI, JI supporters reach polling stations in
Islamabad only to find them locked
• Bilawal sees sweeping LG poll victory after ‘record
performance’ in Karachi
-----
Mideast
• Iran top court accepts protester’s appeal against
death sentence
• Iran Tests Military Drones in War Games Near Strait
of Hormuz
• Iran Bus Crash: One Dead, 30 Injured as Two Vehicles
Collide outside Airport
• Will 2023 be the year Iran is held to account by
int’l community? -analysis
-----
South Asia
• ‘Left To Die’: Fates Of 5 Rohingya Boats Across Asia
Spotlight Enduring Crisis Of Stateless Muslim Minority
• In Afghanistan, Coal Mining Relies On The Labour Of
Children
• Russia and India can help in intra-Afghan dialogue:
Zamir Kabulov
• The 20 Global Humanitarian Crises We Cannot Ignore
In 2023—Afghanistan, Pakistan To Syria
• Afghan War Orphan Remains with Marine Accused of
Abduction
• New Omicron subvariant detected in Bangladesh
-----
North America
• Islamic State Group Has 'Army' Of Fighters Detained
In Iraq, Syria: US Military
• Islamic State Claims Attack on Police in Suez Canal
City
• What Pope Benedict got wrong about Islam
-----
Africa
• Catholic Church, CAN, Islamic Scholar Eulogise Pope
Benedict XVI’s Virtues
• HURIWA warns G5 governors against endorsing,
Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket
• Cleric cautions Muslims against imitating western
styles of marriage
-----
Southeast Asia
• Sarawak DAP Chairman Urges State Govt To Take Steps
To Stabilise Pork Prices
• Education Ministry to continue monitoring pupils at
risk of dropping out, says Fadhlina
• Muhyiddin urges govt to take swift action to protect
people from new Covid variant
• Premier: Sarawak will continue to prioritise
regaining rights under MA63 in 2023
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Several Muslim Organisations And Intellectuals To
Muslim Youth: Make It A New Year Resolution To Join Armed Forces, Serve Nation
01st
January 2023
By Mohammed Yacoob
Syed Tanveer Ahmed, national secretary, of
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
---------
BENGALURU: Several Muslim organisations appealed to
Muslims to make it a New Year resolution to encourage youngsters to join the
armed forces.
“We want one or two members of the community from
every locality to join the armed forces and serve the nation. Career
counselling during matriculation is also needed,” Syed Tanveer Ahmed, national
secretary, of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) told TNIE.
MOULANA Maqsood Imran Rashadi, chief cleric of Jamia
Masjid in Bengaluru said that he is planning to send out an appeal to all 300
plus masjids in Bengaluru to highlight the importance of joining the armed
forces during Friday congregation and to give out details of the exam dates and
notifications.
Individuals and institutions must come together to provide
guidance and coaching to those who lack the means and resources, said Wing
Commander (retd) Md Shamim Akhtar. “It is also important for the community
leaders to engage with the state and central governments.
The task at hand is challenging and demands immediate
action,” he said. AneesKutty, the defence career counsellor, appealed to the
leaders and members of the community to spread awareness about the importance
of studying in Navodaya residential schools and schools run by the defence
ministry to inspire children.
“The masjids should also consider the option of
opening its doors for members from other communities for combined preparation
for competitive exams, after prayer time,” said Kutty. Mohammed Asifuddin,
chairman, of Wisdom Group of Institutions in Bidar, said that his group is
planning to arrange special lectures on careers in the armed forces to
encourage youngsters.
Source: New Indian Express
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Dubai, Riyadh And Beirut The Cities Of Choice For Arab
World's Celebrities To Mark New Year's Eve
Katy Gillett
Jan 01, 2023
Stars of Riyadh Season's Trio Arabic Night. Photo:
Riyadh Season
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While stars from the West headed to St Barts, Maldives
and the Bahamas for New Year's Eve, the Arab world's celebrities spread out
across the region to usher in 2023.
Egyptian singer Amr Diab spent the evening tracking
his new single's success, as Emirati star BalqeesFathi appeared on Lebanese
channel LBC International in a special episode with Rodolph Hilal.
Some of the most famous international stars performed
on Saturday night in Dubai, from Kylie Minogue at Atlantis, The Palm to Armin
van Buuren at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
Taking in Enrique Iglesias's gig at Nammos Dubai was
Egyptian superstar Mohamed Ramadan, who partied the night away with friends at
the beachside restaurant in Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.
Also in the UAE were Emirati megastar Hussain Al
Jassmi and Iraqi singer Aseel Hameem, who both put on a spectacular performance
at the amphitheatre in Al Jassmi's home town of Khor Fakkan, Sharjah.
Al Jassmi is one of the Middle East’s top-selling
artists. He released his first single Bawadaak in 2002, followed by Walla Ma
Yeswa and Bassbor Al Fourgakom. However, it was 2014’s Egyptian shaabi tune
BoshretKheir that he is most known for.
Hameem's song Ser Al Hayat was the most streamed track
by a female Arab artist on YouTube in 2020, now with more than 255 million
views.
With Riyadh Season in full swing, some of the region's
best-known stars headed to the Saudi capital to perform on the last day of the
year.
At the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City,
12 famous faces graced the stage, including Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram,
alongside pal and fellow countrywoman Elissa.
Tunisian singer, actor and composer SaberRebai was
also there, alongside fellow Tunisian Latifa, plus Egyptian stars Angham and
Bahaa Sultan.
Rounding out the star-studded set for the concert
called Trio Arabic Night was Lebanese stars Najwa Karam, Nawal El Zoghby, Assi
El Hallani, Walid Toufic and Wael Kfoury.
Lebanon's capital was just as busy as Saudi Arabia's,
as several regional stars descended on Beirut for a night of glitz and glamour.
Controversial Moroccan singer-songwriter Saad
Lamjarred performed alongside Lebanese-Egyptian singer Haifa Wehbe, while
beloved Iraqi singer and composer Kadim Al Sahir, fresh from a concert at Dubai
Opera, also treated fans to a night of tunes.
Saad's currently riding a wave of success after his
video for the song Wasa3 Wasa3 hit the YouTube top video charts and reached 121
million views after five months.
Source: The National News
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Council On American-Islamic Relations Invites Elon
Musk To Meet Muslims Following His 'Bigoted' Tweet
Brooke Anderson
31 December, 2022
After Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, the site has
seen a sharp increase in hate content [Getty]
------------
Following a meme that mocks multiple beliefs,
including Islam, posted on Twitter by the company's CEO Elon Musk, the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is suggesting that the billionaire meet
Muslims and learn about their faith.
The meme in question shows a black figure wearing a
surgical mask, their body covered with logos and symbols of companies and
movements often associated with the political left.
Among the logos and symbols are those of Black Lives
Matter, Planned Parenthood, CNN, syringes, a hammer and a sickle, Google,
YouTube, Facebook as well as Twitter itself.
The figure appears to be holding a trans-inclusive pride flag with a
crescent and star – the symbol of Islam – printed on top.
To the right of the figure is a man with light hair
holding an American flag. The man on the left says, "They brainwashed
you," to which the man on the right asks, "Really?"
While the meme is presumably meant as a joke, it is
difficult to estimate the effects it could have on the marginalised groups that
it is mocking.
Multiple studies have found correlations between
bigoted social media posts and hate crime. There have also been numerous
examples of people overcoming prejudices through personal interactions.
"American Muslims can take a joke, but this was a
very dumb joke," CAIR's national deputy director Edward Ahmed Mitchell
said in a public statement.
"We invite Elon Musk to meet with American
Muslims and learn about the truth of Islam. This will not only help him respect
and better serve his diverse customers, but also perhaps bring him closer to
the peace that money and fame can never buy."
Source: New Arab
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original story:
https://www.newarab.com/news/cair-invites-elon-musk-meet-muslims-after-bigoted-tweet
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Quran Teaching As A Compulsory Subject Extended Up To
Higher Secondary Level In Punjab, Pakistan
Imran Gabol
January 1, 2023
NA approves compulsory teaching of Quran in schools
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LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department has
directed all divisional, district and chief executive officers of the schools
to extend teaching of the Holy Quran as a compulsory subject from primary to
higher secondary.
The notification says teaching of the Holy Quran has
already been introduced as compulsory subject in all public & private
schools (up to primary level). Now the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board
(PCTB) has also issued the scheme of studies regarding the teaching of the holy
book.
It states now this subject is compulsory for all
levels of classes i.e. Class-I to XII in primary, elementary, high and higher
secondary level schools, under the 2018 Act Amended in 2021.
The notification said some necessary directions and
guidelines regarding teaching of the Holy Quran had been circulated in the field
from time to time to ensure implementation in true spirit.
It directed all heads of institutions, supervisory
staff and district education authorities to “get the School Education
Department policies implemented in letter and spirit and further to ensure that
regular classes/period of the compulsory subject are observed as per timetable
in all the schools (public & private) under their domain /jurisdiction.”
It further directed all the divisional directors and
additional directors to monitor the teaching and learning process of the
subject in the schools throughout the division and reports on a monthly basis
should be submitted to the directorate on a regular basis till the 5th of every
month.
It also directed the Punjab Examination Commission CEO
to prepare a question bank for the compulsory subject in the sense that quality
of teaching and learning could be determined..
Punjab Teachers Union leader Rana Liaqat told Dawn
that earlier, the schools were teaching Holy Quran for 20 minutes and not as a
subject.
He said the directors of district and division were
directed to start teaching Holy Quran as a subject. “We have to give 8 lectures
in school on a daily basis but after teaching Quran as a subject we would have
to arrange nine lectures per day,” he said.
He said that the government had created new vacancies
of Quran teacher for every school but they did not have any Quran teachers in
almost 47,000 schools of the province.
He said that the government should appoint more than
one Quran teacher in high and higher secondary schools of the province to teach
Quran to students of grade 1 to 12.
BILL: On May 4, 2018, the Punjab Assembly passed a
bill making the teaching of the Holy Quran compulsory in schools across the
province.
Earlier, the National Assembly passed a bill making
the teaching of the Holy Quran compulsory in educational institutions owned and
controlled by the federal government.
Source: Dawn
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Mehdi Bahman, Author Sentenced To Death Amid Renewed
Nationwide Protests On 'Espionage' Charges
By: Trisha Pathak
Jan 01, 2023
Bahman's death sentence followed his interview with an
Israeli television channel. Authorities arrested him soon after the interview,
during which he criticised the regime in Tehran, imposition of Islamic law, and
called for peace between Israel and Iran. Photograph:(Twitter)
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The anti-regime protests in Iran, initially flamed in
the Kurdish regions and later spread across the nation, have crossed more than
a hundred days. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, these have been the
longest-running protests the country has witnessed. Even though the events have
stunned the administration, it has brought huge loss to human life in Iran.
People across societies are participating in the unique
protests, and women are leading the way under the slogan, Women, Life, Freedom.
But, according to the Human Rights Activists' news agency (HRANA), more than
500 protestors, including 69 children, have been killed and two executed.
People have taken immutable steps leading to their
arrest, exile, and even death sentences. In the turn of events, Iran has
sentenced a dissident author, Mehdi Bahman, on 'espionage' charges.
Bahman's death sentence followed his interview with an
Israeli television channel. Authorities arrested him soon after the interview,
during which he criticised the regime in Tehran, imposition of Islamic law, and
called for peace between Israel and Iran. Apart from Bahman, Iran has already
death sentenced 11 protestors and has detained more than a hundred amid the
protests.
In his works, Bahman talks about religious
co-existence. He has worked with Shia cleric Masoumi Tehrani for years to
create artworks from various religions. Shortly after Bahman's, ran
administration also arrested Tehrani.
While the Iran administration blames Iran
International, a Persian language news channel, for sparking nationwide
protests, the media outlet has denied all allegations. Iran International
identifies itself as ' an independent new portal with no political
affiliation.'
The 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish MahsaAmini's death
during custody in September flared protests across Iran. She was in detention
for breaching the strict dress code for Iranian women.
MajidrezaRahnavard, 23, was sentenced by a court in
Mashhad for using a knife to murder two members of the security forces. On
December 12, the Iran government publicly executed him from a crane. Many
people have tried to kill themselves after suffering gruesome torture in
detention.
Source: wio News.Com
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India
Killing of Hindus in Pakistan is against Islam, Mufti
Qasmi says – Muslim organizations should raise their voice
Pkb News
01-01-2023
The killing of Hindus in Pakistan is against the
ideals of Islam. Muslim organizations in India should also oppose the
persecution of minority Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan. This is what the
president of RashtriyaSarvadharma Ekta Parishad Mufti ShamunQasmi said. Qasmi
insists on that Pakistan And no one is raising voice against the oppression and
persecution of the Hindu and Sikh minorities in Bangladesh. Government of India
should strongly protest against killing of Hindus in Pakistan. Killing any
innocent is against the principles of Islam, against humanity and is not
allowed in Islam.
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Lies, Insistence and Disregard for Evidence: The
Journey of 'Love Jihad' Laws
Chander Uday Singh
30/DEC/2022
A hydra-headed monster that’s revived time and again
by a not-so-subtle conspiracy between Hindutva forces, the executive, and the
judiciary, it is making yet another come back at the close of 2022.
This time its a multi-pronged effort, starting in
March with a new anti-conversion law in Haryana, followed by Karnataka on
September 30 with its Protection of Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, and wrapping
up the year with the Uttarakhand governor’s assent to making the draconian
Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018 even more stringent, the Maharashtra
Cabinet’s notification to snoop on interfaith marriages and relationships, and
the Supreme Court eagerly trying to wade in on the wings of a fourth-attempt
petition by a serial litigator from the BJP.
Some, like Himachal in 2019 and Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh in 2021, have enacted stringent new replacements for their old ‘Freedom
of Religion’ Acts, aimed especially at preventing Hindu women from marrying
outside the faith.
Orissa (1967), Chhattisgarh (1968), Arunachal Pradesh
(1978) and Jharkhand (2017) have statutes to control religious conversions, but
those Acts do not enter the private sphere of marriage.
Source: The Wire
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Arab world
Islamic State claims deadly attack in Ismailia, first
in mainland Egypt in 3 years
By AFP
01-01-2023
CAIRO, Egypt — The Islamic State jihadist group said
Saturday that it had carried out a deadly attack on an Egyptian police
checkpoint in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia the previous day.
“A cell of soldiers of the caliphate managed to attack
an Egyptian police roadblock… with a machine gun,” the jihadist group’s Amaq
news agency said.
Source: Times Of Israel
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Madinah museums shed light on Prophet Muhammad’s
journey, showcase rare artifacts
JASMINE BAGER
December 31, 2022
MADINAH: Madinah has long been a beacon of light and
knowledge. Pilgrims and visitors can attest to the peace they find in a holy
city immersed in a halo of light.
Madinah has made great strides in recent years to
establish itself as an ideal venue for museums and a place of learning.
Scholars flock here to navigate the path that the Prophet Muhammed walked and
to study the landscapes and manuscripts housed within the city.
The King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries,
located within the Islamic University of Madinah, is a light-colored opulent
building whose walls bear intricate Arabic inscriptions.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2224876/saudi-arabia
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HM King exchanges New Year good wishes with leaders of
Arab, Islamic, friendly countries
31 Dec 2022
Manama, Dec. 31(BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa
Al Khalifa exchanged congratulatory cables on the New Year 2023 with leaders of
Arab, Islamic and friendly countries.
HM the King expressed sincere congratulations on the
occasion, wishing them abundant health and happiness and further progress and
prosperity to their countries.
Source: Bna.Bh
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https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDiEZGXFLku%2bNCzyzsWHV%2bDM%3d
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Art gallery transports Riyadh Season visitors to Saudi
Arabia’s rich past
ARAB NEWS
December 31, 2022
RIYADH: Located in a long corridor inside the Souq
Al-Zal zone, an art gallery recreates scenes from Saudi Arabia during the 1970s
and 1980s through a display of antiques, carpets, locally manufactured shoes
and clothes, swords, tools and utensils.
Part of the third Riyadh Season, the zone offers a
glimpse into the Kingdom’s rich heritage through events that celebrate its
folklore, restaurants and cafes, and displays of unique vintage items.
Souq Al-Zal at Al-Masmak Palace is one of the oldest
traditional markets in Saudi Arabia and is famous for selling old collectibles,
cloaks, furs, leather, shemaghs and various types of incense.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2224866/saudi-arabia
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Europe
Card Sako: Benedict XVI was a 'great theologian' and
'prophet' of relations with Islam
by Dario Salvi
12/31/2022
Milan (AsiaNews) – As pontiff, Benedict XVI was
“prophetic” in his relationship with Islam; he was also a “great theologian”
with “clear and understandable" expressions, not to mention a pastor
"close to Iraq and the Middle East,” said Card Louis Raphael Sako,
speaking to AsiaNews.
It was during the pontificate of the late pope
emeritus that the cardinal was chosen to be the patriarch of Baghdad of the
Chaldeans in January 2013, shortly before Benedict XVI resigned.
“I have great esteem for Benedict XVI," Card Sako
noted. “He is a man of God, with a luminous face. Perhaps one day in the
history of the Church he will be proclaimed a doctor, for all that he has left
in the field of theology. We don't have a scholar of his weight today!”
Source: Asia News
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New Year Honours list 2023 in full: Everyone who has
received an MBE, OBE, CBE, knighthood and damehood
By Sally Guyoncourt
December 31, 2022
England’s Lionesses, Queen guitarist Brian May, artist
Grayson Perry and fashion designer Dame Mary Quant are among those selected for
the King’s first ever New Year’s Honours.
Leah Williamson, Captain of the Euro 2022-winning
England football team, has been made an OBE while her teammates Lucy Bronze,
Beth Mead and Ellen White are all made MBEs.
Musician and animal welfare campaigner Sir Brian, who
famously played “God Save the Queen” on the roof of Buckingham Palace during
the Golden Jubilee before performing again at the Platinum Jubilee two decades
later, has been appointed a knight bachelor for services to music and charity.
He said: “I regard it as a kind of charge, like a kind
of commission to do the things that one would expect a knight to do – to fight
for justice, to fight for people who don’t have any voice.”
Sir Grayson, the 62-year-old artist, writer and
broadcaster known for his tapestries, ceramic works and cross-dressing, is
knighted for services to the arts and fashion designer Dame Mary Quant is made
a Companion of Honour.
Source: Inews.Co.Uk
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Pakistan
Judges shouldn’t care about people’s wishes in their
verdicts: ex-CJP
Irfan Aslam
January 1, 2023
LAHORE: Former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad
S Khawaja said he never cared about how his judgements were received, as a
judge should not write verdicts according to the wishes of the people.
“I have written a lot that was controversial. But
what’s a controversy? If I write something that’s not liked by someone, it
would become a controversy,” he said while speaking at the launch of his book,
Slaughtered without a Knife, at the Kitab Ghar Literary Festival on Saturday.
“I have given many references (of cases) in the book
where I knew the verdicts I was writing will not be accepted generally, but
(the question is) should I care about it? A judge has to buck the trend,” he
maintained.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1729244/judges-shouldnt-care-about-peoples-wishes-in-their-verdicts-ex-cjp
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SBP issues Islamic Banking license to Faysal Bank
Limited
DECEMBER 31, 2022
Karachi: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued an
Islamic banking license to Faysal Bank Limited, which is now the second-largest
full-fledged Islamic bank in Pakistan with the new name Faysal Islami.
After the successful conversion from a conventional to
Islamic bank, the bank will be operating a total of 639 Islamic banking
branches. The bank had converted deposits of 500,000 accountholders worth over
Rs600 billion (or 94%) into Islamic deposits in July 2022 compared to only 11%
at the end of 2015.During the process, assets worth over Rs700 billion (or 86%)
are converted into Islamic assets in July 2022.
Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jameel Ahmed said,
“The conversion of the Faysal Bank Limited to Faysal Islami is a benchmark for
Pakistan’s banking industry. Faysal Islami in their conversion, have provided a
perfect road map to convert Pakistan’s financial structure on 100% Islamic
system as per the vision put forward by the government of Pakistan.” He further
added that State Bank is proud to have been a significant partner in this
endeavour and looks forward to seeing Islamic Banking gaining ground in
Pakistan.
Source: Daily Times.Com.Pk
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of the original story:
https://dailytimes.com.pk/1045462/sbp-issues-islamic-banking-license-to-faysal-bank-limited/
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Three MPAs, other BAP leaders join PPP
Imran Ayub
January 1, 2023
KARACHI: A number of BalochistanAwami Party (BAP)
leaders on Saturday parted ways with the ruling party in Balochistan and joined
the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after weeks of talks spearheaded by former
president Asif Ali Zardari.
The announcement to join Sindh’s ruling party was made
after a meeting with Mr Zardari at Bilawal House in Karachi. A brief statement
issued by the Bilawal House said MPAs Zahoor Buledi, Saleem Khosa, and Arif
Muhammad Hasani called on the PPP leader.
Other BAP leaders included Haji Malik Shah Gorej, Mir
Wali Muhammad, Mir Asghar Rind, Mir Faiq Jamali, Sardarzada Faisal Jamali, and
Agha Shakeel Durrani.
Source: Dawn
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of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1729294/three-mpas-other-bap-leaders-join-ppp
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‘The best of times, the worst of times’: Pakistani
politicians reflect on the year that was
Dawn.com
January 1, 2023
Pakistani politicians rang in the new year with
messages of solidarity as some figures reflected on the intense politicking
that took place in the outgoing year while others spoke about the human toll of
the catastrophic floods.
President ArifAlvi said the nation faced various
challenges last year but overcame difficult situations with “hard work,
sacrifice, determination and resilience”.
In remarks published by Radio Pakistan, the president
said: “In the new year, as a nation, we must set our priorities correctly to
overcome the challenges facing the nation.”
Source: Dawn
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PTI, JI supporters reach polling stations in Islamabad
only to find them locked
Ikram Junaidi
January 1, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Some voters, mostly belonging to Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), reached polling stations on
Saturday, only to find the gates of educational institutions, in which polling
stations had to be set up, locked.
They criticised the coalition government and the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not holding the elections.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday had directed
the ECP to hold the local government (LG) elections in the capital on Dec 31,
setting aside its notification on the postponement of the polls.
Source: Dawn
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Bilawal sees sweeping LG poll victory after ‘record
performance’ in Karachi
Imran Ayub
January 1, 2023
KARACHI: After seeking delay of the crucial electoral
exercise for multiple times, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the
first time sounded prepared on Saturday to contest the Jan 15 local government
elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions when its chairman and Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari vowed to win the polls and to install a Jiyala
as the next city mayor.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari also asked the Sindh chief minister
to ensure polling as per schedule on January 15 as there’s no more challenges
like floods to the government that would hamper the electoral process.
Showing full confidence on his party, he told a
convention of party candidates at the CM House that the free and fair polling
of the local government in Karachi would bring a ‘Jiyala mayor’ who would serve
Karachiites with heart and soul.
Source: Dawn
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Mideast
Iran top court accepts protester’s appeal against
death sentence
By: Reuters
December 31, 2022
Iran’s Supreme Court has accepted a protester’s appeal
against his death sentence for allegedly damaging public property and sent his
case back for review, the judiciary said on Saturday, as a rights group said
more clashes had broken out in the west of the country.
Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh, 25, was arrested on Oct. 4
and sentenced to death two months later on a charge of “waging war against God”
for allegedly trying to break a highway guardrail in Tehran and setting fire to
a rubbish bin during anti-government demonstrations.
Iran has executed two people involved in mass protests
that erupted in September after the death in custody of Kurdish Iranian woman
MahsaAmini, who was arrested by morality police enforcing the strict dress code
for women.
Source: Indian Express
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Iran Tests Military Drones in War Games Near Strait of
Hormuz
December 31, 2022
Iran's military tested new attack drones in the
coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on
Saturday as part of its ongoing annual drill, state TV reported.
Meanwhile, anti-government protests underway for more
than three months continued. Videos on social media showed protests in Tehran's
grand bazaar and several cities and towns including in the Kurdish area. Part
of Tehran's bazaar closed in the wake of the protests, which authorities
cracked down on.
State TV said the Ababil-5 attack drone was used
during war games for the first time and successfully hit its target with a bomb
after traveling 400 kilometers. Iran has tested many other military drones over
the past decade.
Source: Voa News
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Iran Bus Crash: One Dead, 30 Injured as Two Vehicles
Collide outside Airport
DECEMBER 31, 2022
At least one person was killed and more than 30 were
injured when two busses collided at Iran’s main international airport near the
capital Tehran, state media reported.
“Unfortunately, in this incident we had one
fatality," a police official at Imam Khomeini International Airport told
state TV.
“Over 30 people were injured in the incident,"
the state broadcaster reported without specifying their nationalities.
Source: News18.Com
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Will 2023 be the year Iran is held to account by int’l
community? -analysis
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
DECEMBER 31, 2022
Iran’s supply of drones to Russia, as well as its
crackdown on protesters, has caused many countries to finally confront the
Tehran regime’s abuses.
Source: Jpost
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South Asia
‘Left to die’: Fates of 5 Rohingya boats across Asia
spotlight enduring crisis of stateless Muslim minority
Amy Sood
1 Jan, 2023
From the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh,
Rohingya activist Mohammed Rezuwan Khan watched for weeks in hope and dread as
the fishing boats carrying his sister and niece drifted south without
sufficient food, water or safe harbour, but targeting a fresh start thousands
of kilometres away.
Their boat was one of at least five to set out in late
November, Khan said, in information backed up by the United Nations’ High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The desperation and relief of the emaciated survivors
were captured on videos shared online as they staggered onto the beach in
Aceh’s Pidie district, crying as they made solid ground for the first time in
over a month.
The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority
persecuted in Myanmar and taken in huge numbers by Bangladesh but unable to
live and work freely outside their vast camps.
Source: Scmp.Com
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In Afghanistan, coal mining relies on the labor of
children
AREZOU REZVANI
December 31, 2022
NAHRIN, Afghanistan — On weekdays, when most kids
around the world are at school, 12-year-old Mansour is in the middle of a
grueling shift at the coal mines.
Deep inside a tunnel carved into the side of a
blackened mountain, the young boy waits under the flickering glow of his
headlamp as older boys pry coal out of the earth by pickaxe and hand, while
others shovel the piles into sacks strapped onto the backs of donkeys.
From there, it is Mansour's job — from dawn until dusk
— to lead the coal-laden donkeys out of a labyrinth of crumbling tunnels down
the mountain in this remote part of Baghlan province, 180 miles north of Kabul.
Here, the so-called black gold is bagged and loaded onto trucks, mostly bound
for neighboring countries.
Source: Npr.Org
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Russia and India can help in intra-Afghan dialogue:
Zamir Kabulov
KALLOL BHATTACHERJEE
January 01, 2023
Russian Special Presidential Representative for
Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov is one of the most distinguished diplomats of Kremlin
with vast experience in Afghan affairs stretching from the 1980s till now. He
has served as Russia’s ambassador to Kabul during 2004-‘09 and is the driving
force behind the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan. He answered
questions from The Hindu on various aspects of the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Source: The Hindu
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The 20 global humanitarian crises we cannot ignore in
2023—Afghanistan, Pakistan to Syria
DAVID MILIBAND
31 December, 2022
“As well as being a warning, Watchlist 2023 is
intended as a roadmap for how we can choose to strengthen the guardrails meant
to limit the impact of these crises.”
Every year for the past decade, the International
Rescue Committee’s (IRC) crisis response teams analyze swathes of quantitative
and qualitative data to uncover the countries most at risk of humanitarian
conflagration in 2023.
More than 100 million people today are on the run from
conflict and disaster. 340 million are projected to be in need of humanitarian
assistance in 2023 — a figure that has grown fourfold in the past decade.
Source: The Print
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Afghan War Orphan Remains with Marine Accused of
Abduction
December 31, 2022
The Afghan woman ran down the street toward her
friend’s apartment as soon as she heard the news: the White House had publicly
weighed in on her family’s case.
Surely her child, who she says was abducted by a U.S.
Marine more than a year ago, would now be returned, she thought. She was so
excited that it was only after she’d arrived that she realized she wasn’t
wearing any shoes.
Yet two months after an AP report on the high-stakes
legal fight over the child raised alarms at the highest levels of government,
from the White House to the Taliban, the baby remains with U.S. Marine Corps
Major Joshua Mast and his family. The Masts claim in court documents that they
legally adopted the child, and that the Afghan couple’s accusations are
“outrageous” and “unmerited.”
Source: Voa News
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New Omicron subvariant detected in Bangladesh
January 1, 2023
The new, seemingly more contagious Omicron subvariant
of the coronavirus, BF.7, has been detected in Bangladesh amid concerns about a
fresh surge in Covid cases.
The presence of the Omicron subvariant was found in
the genome sequence reports of one of the four Covid-infected Chinese citizens
who had come to Bangladesh from their country recently.
The Chinese nationals had RT-PCR Covid negative
certificates with them, but rapid antigen tests found them to be positive for
Covid, according to health officials.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
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North America
Islamic State group has 'army' of fighters detained in
Iraq, Syria: US military
The New Arab Staff
31 December, 2022
The Islamic State militant group has an 'army' of
fighters held at detention facilities in Iraq and Syria, according to the US
military.
The thousands of Islamic State fighters, also known as
IS or ISIS could rejoin the militant group if they were able to escape,
according to a statement from CENTCOM, the US military command responsible for
the Middle East as well as Central and South Asia.
"There is a literal 'ISIS army' in detention in
Iraq and Syria," CENTCOM commander General Michael "Erik"
Kurilla was quoted in the statement as saying.
Source: New Arab
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https://www.newarab.com/news/islamic-state-has-army-detained-iraq-syria-centcom
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Islamic State Claims Attack on Police in Suez Canal
City
December 31, 2022
CAIRO — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility
Saturday for an attack Friday on a police checkpoint in Egypt's Suez Canal city
of Ismailia. At least four people, including three police officers, were
killed, officials and state-run media said.
The attack also wounded 12 others, mostly conscripts
who were taken to a hospital, according to a casualty tally document at the
hospital.
The dead included three police officers and a still
unidentified person, the hospital document obtained by The Associated Press
showed.
Source: Voa News
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What Pope Benedict got wrong about Islam
December 31, 2022
By Mark Silk
(RNS) — In a barbed valedictory, my colleague Tom
Reese portrays the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as the quintessential German
professor, a brilliant theologian “who was not interested in listening to
people who had other views.” I couldn’t agree more, and, as Reese points out,
few episodes from his papacy show that better than the controversy Benedict
stirred up by taking a swipe at Islam in the lecture he gave on faith and
reason at the University of Regensburg in 2006.
It is hard to resist seeing the commotion stirred up
by Pope Benedict XVI’s speech as an example of the perils of putting professors
in positions of power. The temptation to value provocation over discretion, to
wing it on subjects outside your proper ken, to show that you’re the smartest
guy in the room — these would appear to have gotten the better of a pontiff
returning to the academic podium where, 35 years earlier, he discoursed on
theology to all comers.
What got Benedict into trouble was his quotation of a
nasty put-down of Islam by the learned Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus,
delivered in a debate with a Persian professor on the relative merits of
Christianity and Islam near the end of the 14th century. But even before
trotting out the quote, the pope took aim at the principal proof text used
today to claim Islam is committed to religious tolerance.
Manuel, Benedict mused, must have known the Koranic
verse (Sura 2.256) that proclaims, “There must be no compulsion in religion.”
Explained the pope, “According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the
early period, when Muhammad was still powerless and under threat.”
Source: Religion News
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Africa
Catholic Church, CAN, Islamic Scholar eulogise Pope
Benedict XVI’s virtues
December 31, 2022
Rev. Fr. Anthony Omodunbi, the Director of Social
Communication Commission, Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, Osun, has described the
death of Pope Benedict XVI, as the death of a man of great faith.
Recall that former pope Benedict XVI died at the age
of 95, the Vatican announced Saturday, almost a decade after he became the
first pontiff to resign in six centuries.
Benedict XVI passed away at 95 at about 9. 34 a.m in
the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, as announced by the Vatican on
Saturday.
Source: Vanguardngr
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HURIWA warns G5 governors against endorsing, Tinubu’s
Muslim-Muslim ticket
By Dachen Isaac
January 1, 2023
Civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers
Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has warned the G5, the group of five aggrieved
governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), against endorsing the
presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, ahead of the 2023 presidential election because of the Muslim-Muslim
ticket of the party.
The National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel
Onwubiko, who gave this admonition in a statement on Saturday, said if the
rumoured endorsement of Tinubu by the G5 was true, then it would be a “betrayal
of constitutional democracy and a gross injustice which negates the Federal
Character principles”
Speculations have been rife that the G5 would throw
their weight behind Tinubu and his running mate, KashimShettima after the group
met the former Lagos State Governor in London last week.
Source: Ripples Nigeria
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Cleric cautions Muslims against imitating western
styles of marriage
By Salisu Sani-Idris
December 31, 2022
The Chief Imam of Area 10 Garki Abuja Mosque, Yahya
Al-Yolawi has cautioned Muslims against imitating western styles of marriage
and other ceremonies that were not acceptable in Islam.
He stated that Islam was very clear on activities that
were lawful and forbidden, adding that innovation in Islam was the creation or
addition of any religious matter.
Al-Yolawi said that such additions were not originally
found in Islam or from the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ( peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) and his companions.
Source: News Diary Online
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Southeast Asia
Sarawak DAP chairman urges state govt to take steps to
stabilise pork prices
By Sulok Tawie
01 Jan 2023
KUCHING, Jan 1 — Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen
today urged the state government to take steps to stabilise pork prices which
have gone up considerably since last year.
He said the Federal Agriculture and Food Security
Ministry does not have any control over the prices of pork in the state that
has autonomy over the matter.
He noted that Agriculture and Food Security deputy
minister Chan FoongHin had announced two days ago that the pork prices would
not be increased before the Chinese New Year after a series of meetings with
pig farmers, butchers and all stakeholders.
Source: Malay Mail
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Education Ministry to continue monitoring pupils at
risk of dropping out, says Fadhlina
01 Jan 2023
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 1 — The Education Ministry will
continue to monitor and provide intervention for pupils who are at risk of
dropping out so that they continue to stay in school until they complete Form
Five, says Minister FadhlinaSidek.
She said the move was aimed at ensuring the rights of
every child to educational equality and that this is achieved no matter where
they are.
“The MoE is very aware of the problems faced
especially the issue of dropout among students and will continue to find ways
to resolve it until we achieve zero dropouts,” she said in her 2023 New Year
message posted on her Facebook today.
Describing education as a gateway to a vast galaxy of
knowledge, Fadhlina said the search, construction and gathering of knowledge
should be made into an exploratory culture that is character-building in nature
to the brain and the person.
Source: Malay Mail
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Muhyiddin urges govt to take swift action to protect
people from new Covid variant
01 Jan 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan
Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has urged the government to take immediate action to
ensure the people are protected from the new Covid-19 variant which has been
detected in several countries.
In his 2023 New Year Message uploaded on his Facebook
account, the former prime minister also hoped that the government would
implement the necessary measures to ease the people’s burden, especially in facing
the challenging economic situation this year.
“The poor are increasing due to the hardship of life.
More than 60 per cent of our country’s population actually belongs to the poor
and low-income groups. (Therefore,) they need immediate protection from the
government,” said the Bersatu president.
Source: Malay Mail
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Premier: Sarawak will continue to prioritise regaining
rights under MA63 in 2023
01 Jan 2023
KUCHING, Jan 1 — Regaining the rights of Sarawak as
stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will continue to be the
priority in 2023, said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun
Openg.
Abang Johari also said his GabunganParti Sarawak (GPS)
government remains committed to bring the developments in Sarawak to greater
heights, especially when the state celebrates 60 years of the formation of
Malaysia this year.
“It is our wishes that our rights under MA63 will be
honoured as we achieve 60 years of independence next year (2023). There are
some rights listed in the agreement which are non-negotiable,” he said when
officiating at the state-level official 2023 countdown event at Stadium
Perpaduan, Petra Jaya last night.
Abang Johari pointed out the Sarawak’s rights under
the MA63 that are non-negotiable are matters related to the state’s land
boundaries and continental shelf, as well as immigration autonomy.
Source: Malay Mail
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-organisations-new-year-armed-forces/d/128769