Latest news with #Id-ul-Azha
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
A top Taliban official offers amnesty to Afghans who fled the country and urges them to return
A top Taliban official said on Saturday (JUne 7, 2025) that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they would not be harmed if they come back. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for the Islamic holiday of Id-ul-Azha, also known as the 'Feast of Sacrifice.' The offer comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The measure largely bars Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States permanently as well as those hoping to go to the U.S. temporarily, such as for university study. Mr. Trump also suspended a core refugee program in January, all but ending support for Afghans who had allied with the U.S. and leaving tens of thousands of them stranded. Afghans in neighbouring Pakistan who are awaiting resettlement are also dealing with a deportation drive by the Islamabad government to get them out of the country. Almost a million have left Pakistan since October 2023 to avoid arrest and expulsion. Akhund's holiday message was posted on the social platform X. 'Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland,' he said. 'Nobody will harm them." "Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace,' he added, and instructed officials to properly manage services for returning refugees and to ensure they were given shelter and support. He also used the occasion to criticize the media for making what he said were 'false judgements' about Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and their policies. 'We must not allow the torch of the Islamic system to be extinguished,' he said. 'The media should avoid false judgments and should not minimize the accomplishments of the system. While challenges exist, we must remain vigilant.' The Taliban swept into the capital Kabul and seized most of Afghanistan in a blitz in mid-August 2021 as the U.S. and NATO forces were in the last weeks of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war. The offensive prompted a mass exodus, with tens of thousands of Afghans thronging the airport in chaotic scenes, hoping for a flight out on the U.S. military airlift. People also fled across the border, to neighboring Iran and Pakistan. Among those escaping the new Taliban rulers were also former government officials, journalists, activists, those who had helped the U.S. during its campaign against the Taliban.
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tension at Durgadi Fort as rival Shiv Sena factions clash during Id-ul-Azha prayers
Tensions escalated in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday (June 7, 2025) after members of both the Eknath Shinde-led and Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-led factions of the Shiv Sena attempted to reach Durgadi Fort while Id-ul-Azha prayers were being offered at its foothill. According to police officials, protestors from both factions tried to ascend to the Durga temple atop the hill during the course of the Id-ul-Azha prayers being held at the base, resulting in chaos in the area. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were in effect, and several protestors were subsequently detained for violating the restrictions. Leaders from both sides, including Shinde faction functionary Ravi Patil and Uddhav faction leader Vijay Salvi, led rallies demanding that 'Durgadi Fort should be freed'. Their convoys converged at Shivaji Chowk, near the Durgadi temple, where slogans were raised by supporters of both groups. 'Police took measures to prevent protestors from both factions from reaching the fort. The protestors attempted to breach the barricades, triggering scuffles and a standoff with the police. We detained several members in preventive custody so that it does not escalate,' Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said. Durgadi Fort has long been at the centre of a communal dispute regarding the control of a mosque located within its premises. Access to the Durga temple is typically restricted during Id-ul-Azha to facilitate prayers at the foothill. Members of the Shiv Sena have criticised the arrangement, alleging discrimination against Hindu devotees and calling for equal access to the site. The Idgah located at the fort has been under litigation since 1976, when the Majlish-e-Mushavreen Majjid Trust filed a suit seeking control. In 2024, the court ruled in favour of the State government.
The Hindu
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bakrid celebrated with religious gaiety
Muslims gathered at various mosques across the city and offered prayers to mark Id-ul-Azha on Saturday. One of the largest gatherings was at the Idgah Maidan in Tilak Nagar and Khazi of Mysuru Hazarath Moulana Mohammed Usman Shariff conducted the prayers. He explained the significance of Bakrid festival and said it commemorated the sacrifice by Prophet Ibrahim of his son. After the prayers, the people exchanged greetings and pleasantries. Senior members and leaders of the community were present. MLA for Narasimharaja Tanveer Sait offered prayers at the Cutchi Memon Mosque on the Ashoka Road, and there was a heavy rush in other mosques in the city as well.
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Bakrid celebrated with congregational prayers, distribution of meat in Tiruchi
Muslims in Tiruchi celebrated Id-ul-Azha (Bakrid) with great fervour on Saturday with congregational prayers and the distribution of sacrificial meat among family, friends, and the needy forming a major part of the festivities. Congregational prayers were held in mosques and open grounds across the city early in the morning. A large number of men, women, and children participated in the prayers at the ground near Uzhavar Sandhai in Tennur, besides other venues. Sales of sacrificial livestock remained brisk despite the rise in prices this year. The qurbani (sacrifice) ritual took place after the Id prayer, which signifies the end of the Haj pilgrimage. Many residents opted to have the animals sacrificed at the butcher shops to save time. Families gathered for celebratory banquets with caterers called in to prepare large quantities of biryani rice and other delicacies as accompaniments. Id-ul-Azha emphasises the importance of sharing and empathy for the less privileged, said the religious leaders.
The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Trust in Divine Will
Id-ul-Azha is the id (festival) of sacrifice that symbolises commitment to obey Allah's orders in all circumstances of life. This was exemplified in Muslims through the tribulations faced by Prophet Ibrahim, who endured it all with his unwavering belief in Divine Will. According to the holy Koran, one such trial came as a commandment to sacrifice his first-born child, Ismail, blessed by the Almighty, when Ibrahim was in his 80s. A young Ismail obliged to the wishes of his father and willingly offered himself to God, and as Ibrahim readied his blade standing atop Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad would deliver his final sermon centuries later, the heavens held their breath. Muslims believe a miracle occurred when God, moved by their act of obedience, replaced Ismail with a sheep — a moment now symbolised through qurbani, where livestock are offered in remembrance and a portion of the meat is shared with the needy. The Haj pilgrimage culminates with the special prayer on the day of Id-ul-Azha. A series of rites performed during this close to a week-long religious peregrination mirror the incidents in the life of Prophet Ibrahim and his family. One of these rites, sa'i, which involves walking seven times between the points of Safa and Marwa within Mecca's Grand Mosque, is deeply intertwined with the story of Haajar, the devoted wife of Prophet Ibrahim, and her search for water amid trying times. It is said that God directed Ibrahim to part ways with his wife and their baby Ismail in the middle of the Meccan desert. In here lay another trial for the family. 'If it was God's command, he would not abandon us,' she said. The small bag of dates and a few ounces of water skin in her possession soon dried out. In desperation, Haajar ran back and forth between the small hills of Safa and Marwa looking for water until the angel Jibril (Gabriel) descended and struck the earth, whereupon the blessed spring of ZamZam bust forth, its waters flowing in grace unto this very day. Islamic tradition says when water started to appear near baby Ismail's feet, Haajar rushed to contain it, fearing it would run dry. She supposedly cried out, 'Zam, zam!' thought to mean 'Stop! Stop!' The tale of Ibrahim, Haajar and Ismail, their legacy of faith and their sacrifice lives on as light through every age. Mohammed Hidhayat
