Latest news with #Imams
BBC News
07-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lancashire vicars vs imams cricket contest 'fosters unity'
Vicars and imams have taken inter-faith dialogue into the sporting arena with their own mini cricket vicars took on the county's imams in a close-fought contest at Padiham Cricket Club last week, with the latter winning a nail-biting of Burnley the Rt Rev Dr Joe Kennedy said the match was "a testament to the strength of our shared values" and celebrated "diversity against a background of interfaith friendship and mutual respect".A return match took place on Wednesday at Eccleston Cricket Club, Chorley, in which the vicars won in a dramatic fashion by one run with the final ball of the contest. Teams contesting the annual clash were drawn from vicars of Blackburn Diocese and imams representing the Lancashire Council of Mosques, alongside members of their match was cheered on by spectators and community leaders including mayor of Padiham Alun Lewis and honorary vice president of Building Bridges in Burnley, Carol Pike. While the cricket might have been a tough duel, both sides said the focus was on "unity, respect and sportsmanship".The mosques team won the first game after chasing down a 151-run target set in 17 overs thanks to an unbeaten second-wicket partnership, which saw the clergy team get to a total of imams then secured victory in the final over of their innings with two balls of England skipper Fr Jordan McDermott said: "It was fantastic to be able to play against our good friends at the Lancashire Council of Mosques again in a match which has become a cornerstone of the cricketing calendar in Lancashire." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
NZ Herald
01-08-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Letters: If the Govt is serious about helping Kiwibank then it should bank with them
If the Government is serious about helping Kiwibank compete with BNZ, ASB, ANZ then it should give Westpac 12 months' notice that it will take the government banking away from it. Give it instead to Kiwibank which would process the pay for teachers, nurses, police, supperannuitants. This would be a massive shot in the arm for Kiwibank and be the lifeline it so desperately needs to compete with our big brother bankers across the ditch. Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay. We need to come together not drift apart I am sure I am not alone in expressing my dismay that multiple Islamic groups and Imams have complained that they were 'not consulted' before Minister Mitchell's quite outstanding achievement in launching the religious accord recently announced. How extraordinary that any religious leaders would refuse to participate in an accord designed to establish and ensure nationwide religious tolerance for all who wish to adhere to the common goals, values and understanding within the community. Worse than that - their only reaction was to complain. How tiresome. Did any of those complaining ever say, 'What a great idea - that sounds interesting - we would like to learn more!' Or even, 'Thank you for the initiative, Minister? Once again, a tiny segment of our multi-ethnic society has chosen to distance itself from the significant majority, from reality and from common decency - and to what gain? They merely earned a tired sigh from the rest of the country and a 'Well we should have expected that', rather than the option of a gentle nod of approval and appreciation from the other 98% of the population. Which was what could have happened had they not immediately defaulted to victim status as so many other segments of our multicultural and multi-ethnic community used to do. Fortunately, most of these segments have chosen to grow and move on as New Zealand continues to lead the world in tolerance, dedication to peace, and cultural development. I will say it on everyone else's behalf: Thank you Minister Mark Mitchell, and your officials, and those religious leaders who put peace and tolerance first, for making such an appropriate and meaningful contribution across our society. This initiative will benefit all thinking and considerate New Zealanders throughout our country. Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay. Standard electricity plans A big thank you to Raphael Franks for the Herald series on electric power. Everyone, including the Electricity Retailers and Generators Association, agrees that choosing the best electricity plan is difficult even for electricity retailers. With each individual retailer inventing their own confusing set of plans, choosing the best plan is impossible. The Electricity Authority (EA) must create a set of 3 standard retail plans that all gentailers must use in place of a multitude of plans that nobody can understand. It is time for actual competition in the electricity market. John Caldwell, Howick. Auckland's housing Thank you Christine Fletcher and Troy Churton for warning us of the tactics of the Minister for Housing, Chris Bishop, to turn our beautiful Auckland into a future slum city. As a minister, he should be more concerned as to why there are countless blocks of already built, empty, bankrupt apartments Our well-experienced local government representatives are not speaking 'hyperbole'. They know the Auckland Unitary Plan. Although unpopular, it was years in the making and it allows more than enough intensification. In the last 12 months 40,000 people have moved out to live in Christchurch. Minister Bishop should be questioning why. Yet he is hell bent on riding roughshod over the unitary plan, ignoring the community, to have more high-rise blocks of housing built with no off-street parking. He returns to the Hutt and leaves Auckland in chaos. Jsn O'Connor, Hauraki Passports Hobson's Pledge and their ilk will be delighted at Brooke van Velden's announcement demoting te reo on New Zealand passport covers — typical as it is of this coalition's peevish, vindictive and, at times seemingly childish, racism. They would be less pleased at the reasoned and pointed Herald editorial on the subject, in defense of the cultural value of te reo in Aotearoa. You have to wonder where van Velden and her colleagues have been while a years-long renaissance in tikanga Māori and te reo has been blooming to the benefit and enrichment of our society, culture and environment. Peter Beyer, Sandringham. FBI office We should be absolutely horrified that this Government has allowed the FBI to set up an office in Wellington particularly as there seems to have been considerable secrecy about it. Kash Patel, the Director of the FBI, was reported to be in New Zealand but the Government was not prepared to inform us till the office had been set up. Patel also seemed to be immediately at odds with the Government about why this office is here, claiming that one of the reasons is to keep an eye on the Chinese Communist Party. As the latter is one of our major trading partners, the Government had to try to hastily bluff its way out of a very embarrassing situation. Sadly, this is probably only the first of many future occasions where the USA will try to interfere in our democracy. Sue Rawson, Papamoa Beach Palestine state Sir Keir Starmer has told UK parliamentarians that 'statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people'. Palestinians have been waiting 100 years for this. Historians know that Britain was the governing power of what was then Palestine in 1917, and author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration which backed the establishment of a Jewish homeland on Palestinian territory. Good to know that MPs in Britain are catching up with history. Pauline Doyle, Napier A quick word I get it, better to be safe than soggy, but if these emergency alerts keep interrupting people's sleep, the only real tsunami will be the tidal wave of New Zealanders disabling emergency notifications entirely. Huw Dann, Mt Eden. How do you stay current on the electoral role when you are homeless and don't even have a letterbox? Bill Irwin, Nelson. There has obviously been an ongoing culture of alcohol abuse within our Navy for a lengthy period of time if it requires a stern mandate from no less than the admiral in command to rein it in. But why has it got to this level? Like naughty children, if steps are not taken to curb bad behaviour, then it can get quickly out of hand and, in the Navy's case, it obviously has. Take a leaf from the US Navy, which almost overnight made its ships alcohol free. Problem, at least whilst on board, solved. Paul Beck, West Harbour. The comment that most urban dwellers have spent time on a farm may have been true many years ago but it is not now. I live in an urban area surrounded by farming on the Coromandel Peninsula and the interaction between farmers and local urban dwellers on their farms is nearly non-existent for the majority of town people. To suggest that large-city people have access to farms is extremely unlikely. The disconnect between farming and the majority of New Zealanders being city folk is a major issue. City folk generally will not understand farming and that is a problem when a large portion of our national income is derived from farming. Paul Graves, Whitianga. Congratulations to Christine Fletcher for calling out Chris Bishop. Finally, a councillor standing up for Auckland. Bishop is right when he says the simple answer to housing availability is to build more houses. But what makes him think that his 'planning reforms' will achieve that? Auckland already has an over-supply of residential zoned land available for development. Adding to that will not achieve anything. If Chris Bishop wants more houses, as Minister for Housing why doesn't he just get Kainga Ora to build them? John Burns, Balmoral. While the cellphone alert of the tsunami risk worked well, further 'peace of mind', in-depth, informative, official and real-time information updates were hard to find or they were patchy and, in some cases, useless and unreliable. For example an inoperative link to a NZ regional map of tsunami escape routes. The relevant site continued to display 'Not operative' messages. Missing currently is a useful reliable and accessible one-stop website with a real-time update of all 'developing risks to public safety' ... and now! Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Arab News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Islamic coalition launches training program in Comoros
RIYADH: A new training program, 'Building the Capacity of Imams and Preachers,' has been launched in Moroni, Comoros, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. Organized by the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, the initiative is part of the organization's broader intellectual strategy. Comoros Defense Minister Youssoufa Mohamed Ali reaffirmed his country's commitment to the coalition in combating extremism and eradicating terrorism. He highlighted the coalition's key role, particularly its focus on intellectual engagement, and said the program's launch was a significant step forward. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi, the coalition's secretary-general from Saudi Arabia, said the initiative was part of a wider effort involving 15 strategic programs across four areas — intellectual development, media, counter-terrorism financing and military operations. Recently, the coalition held specialized training on combating terrorist financing in Bamako, Mali. The program aimed to strengthen national capacity to counter terrorist financing and money laundering.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amit Shah says Mamata opposed Op Sindoor to ‘appease' votebank; TMC hits back, calls on Home Minister to quit over ‘failures'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of opposing Operation Sindoor to 'appease' the Muslim votebank. Hitting back, Banerjee's Trinamool Congress denied Shah's accusation and called on the Home Minister to resign, taking responsibility for 'all the failures' that led to the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam killed 26 civilians on April 22. As part of India's response to the attack, the armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. Addressing BJP workers in Kolkata, Shah linked the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections with national security. He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'deciding to carry out Operation Sindoor' and came down heavily on the TMC and Banerjee for 'appeasement', which he also blamed for infiltration from Bangladesh. He alleged widespread corruption in the state and also called the recent unrest in Murshidabad a 'state-sponsored riot'. On 'appeasement', Shah said, 'Didi started giving allowance to Imams, but court stopped it. Bangladeshi Rohingyas are infiltrating. They (the state government) do drama of procession on Ram Navami, but Durga Puja immersion is postponed. They give Ramadan leave for Muslim employees.' He also mentioned the ban on screening of controversial film Kerala Story in West Bengal. 'Most importantly, you (Banerjee) are opposing Operation Sindoor to please the Muslim votebank. Tell me, should this appeasement be allowed to continue?' Shah asked the crowd, urging them to resolve to 'uproot the Mamata Banerjee government' in 2026. He alleged that infiltration from Bangladesh was taking place with Banerjee's blessings. 'Bengali votes determine not only the future of Bengal, but are also linked to the nation's security, because Mamata Banerjee has opened the borders of our country for Bangladeshis. Infiltration is happening with her blessings… Only the BJP government can stop infiltration. If you want to stop infiltration, then you should bring the BJP (to power) in Bengal,' the Union Home Minister said. Operation Sindoor was a theme that Shah kept touching on in his speech. 'This is Narendra Modi's government, the BJP's government. I am saying that Operation Sindoor is not over,' he said. 'A few days ago in Pehalgam, terrorists sent by Pakistan killed our innocent citizens in front of their families after asking their religion. Tell me, should those terrorists sent by Pakistan be punished or not? Did Modiji decide to carry out Operation Sindoor or not? We did surgical strikes and air strikes. Now, with Operation Sindoor, we went 100 km inside (Pakistan) and destroyed their (terrorists') headquarters. Hundreds of terrorists have been killed.' 'This is causing pain in Didi's stomach,' Shah alleged. 'I request the mothers and women of Bengal to explain the value of sindoor to Mamata ji in the 2026 election. Mothers and sisters, do explain what it means to insult sindoor.' Reacting to Shah's statements, the TMC accused him of playing politics in the name of Operation Sindoor at a time when TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee is part of a multi-party delegation of MPs who have been sent to foreign countries to appraise governments abroad regarding the strikes in Pakistan. 'The Home Minister has come to Bengal and acts like a BJP worker, using cheap language against our CM. Would any Opposition leader be allowed to talk like this?… Divisiveness is his politics… He is talking about infiltration, can he say how infiltration took place in Pahalgam? He has failed as a Home Minister and must resign,' said TMC MP Sagarika Ghose. 'The Home minister has to take responsibility for all the failures, and must resign. He has alleged that we have spoken against Operation Sindoor, but we have not said anything against Operation Sindoor…,' said state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. During his speech in Kolkata, Shah also criticised Banerjee for opposing the Waqf Amendment Act. The violence in Murshidabad district in April, on the issue of the Waqf amendment, was a 'state-sponsored riot', he said. 'The Home Ministry repeatedly asked for the deployment of the BSF (in Murshidabad). But the government here did not want the BSF. Because if the BSF had come, the Hindus would have been saved… I have no hesitation in saying that the way a minister of the Bengal government was involved in this riot, it was a state-sponsored riot,' Shah said. On the issue of development, Shah said the Modi government has done a lot for West Bengal. 'Along with development, Modiji did not forget the culture of Bengal. For many years, the people of Bengal have been demanding that Bengali be recognised as a classical language… Modiji recognised Bengali as a classical language,' he said, asking why Banerjee, despite having served as a Union minister under the UPA government, had not managed to bring this recognition to the language. 'Mamataji did not even have the manners to thank Modiji for this,' Shah said. Targeting the TMC government over post-poll violence in the state, he said, 'Hundreds of BJP workers were killed in Bengal during the elections and after Didi won. Didi, how long will you save them? Your time is up. The BJP will form the government in 2026.' He also criticised the TMC for claiming that the Centre was not releasing funds for the state. He said that the Modi government released Rs 8,27,000 crore to West Bengal in the last 10 years, and that this was four times what the Congress-led UPA government had released. He expressed confidence that the BJP would come to power in the state in 2026, and told party workers, 'There is just a little more left. You have crossed 40% (vote share), and just 4-5% is needed. Our government will be formed in the next election. In 2017, when I was the BJP president, I said that a BJP government would be formed here. That day has come. Go to every voter in Bengal day and night until 2026.' He ended with an appeal to the people of West Bengal: 'With folded hands, I appeal to the people of Bengal to give Modi a chance.'
Yemenat
08-05-2025
- General
- Yemenat
Castrating Mind
I still remember the scene of them castrating the Eid ram. I watched in horror as they descended upon it with all their strength and weight. They grabbed its four legs, head, and rear, laying it on the ground and spreading its legs apart while it kicked and struggled in vain. They placed a smooth, hard stone near its thighs, laid its testicles upon it, and began to strike them with a hammer. The ram suffered and resisted, but to no avail, under the relentless force descending upon it like fate. When they had completed their task, they released it after having destroyed its masculinity with the iron hammer. I was engulfed in shock, unable to comprehend what they were doing. They had not told me anything beforehand about their intentions or what they were about to do. I was bewildered as to why they were striking its testicles. What had those testicles done to deserve such treatment? I was the only one present who felt the pangs of the moment and shared in the pain of the victim. I was the only one lost in astonishment at what was happening. The only one grappling with questions while others paid me no mind, ignoring me completely. I had no power to prevent their brutal acts. My curiosity, which had long been confined within me, could not object but did manage to ask my mother after everything had ended: 'What did you do, and why?' Her answer was, 'So it can grow quickly, and its meat can be good for Eid.' However, her answer did not satisfy my yearning. What did its testicles have to do with what she claimed? When I grew older, I read about the castration of singers to enhance their voices. * * * As I grew up, I encountered even stranger and more astonishing stories. I came across a legal opinion stating that artists should be castrated to prevent them from tempting women. It was said that Caliph Abdulmalik ibn Marwan, due to his concubine pouring water away from his hands to listen to the voice of a distant singer, ordered his castration out of concern for Muslim women. Similarly, Caliph Suleiman ibn Abdulmalik, while on an outing, ordered the castration of a singer upon hearing his melodious voice, believing he posed a danger to the chastity of Muslim women. Even more remarkable was what the historian Al-Asfahani recounted: a fly led to the castration of singers in the city when one of the Umayyad caliphs ordered the governor of the city to 'castrate' the singers. The governor mistakenly saw a dot on the letter 'h' left by a fly, causing the word to transform from (castration) to (counting), prompting him to command that they all be castrated. Among those castrated was 'Al-Dalal,' one of the most famous and charming singers of the city.' Castration was also practiced on slaves working in the palaces of sultans and the homes of women to prevent sexual relations with them. They also castrated children and boys of enemies who were enslaved, aiming to cut off their lineage and curb any sexual urges. * * * During the era of the Imams in Yemen, particularly under Imam Yahya Hamid al-Din, I read in 'The Hostage' by Zaid Mutai Dhamaj that their method for subjugating tribes and ensuring loyalty involved a system of hostages. The Imam would take the sons of tribal leaders as hostages, and those who attempted to escape were captured and shackled in the Cairo fortress for life. Boys among the hostages, who had not yet reached puberty, were chosen to serve the Imam's harem and his elite. When they reached puberty, they were either returned to the fortress or castrated if they were assigned to palace service to prevent any immoral acts. They were called 'Duwidar,' acting as the castrated servants. Zaid Mutai Dhamaj narrates in 'The Hostage' that those who performed the duties of 'Duwidar' and returned to the Cairo fortress had strange and astonishing tales. He noted that most of the returnees had changed significantly, their faces pale and their bodies unusually soft, with signs of flabbiness and premature decay. He also observed the guards' interest in these soft-skinned, high-pitched boys, dressed in clean garments trailing to the ground, and 'kawafi' adorned by palace women to conceal their styled hair, from which wafted the scent of fragrant oils that the guards inhaled with delight. They maintained their women's purity by forcibly castrating these boys, treating their own deficiencies with a greater deficiency. They were burdened with permanent injuries and disabilities. At this point, one could invoke the popular saying: 'You want a fault or a donkey.' * * * Today, things have become worse and more painful than yesterday. We now witness a broader and more horrific form of castration, where minds, voices, pens, and actions are all subdued. This is a more severe and painful form of mutilation! I have come to understand how power practices the castration of men and robs them of a future we have long aspired to. I have seen how men are transformed from equals and exceptional individuals into mere bearers of incense—subservient followers stripped of will and action, powerless and helpless. I have learned how authority and wealth exert their influence over many intellectuals, holders of advanced degrees, and academics, turning men into trumpets lacking will, stance, or conscience. I have recognized the emptiness of the intellectual and the media figure who distorts awareness, following politicians like a rope or a sheep led to slaughter without resistance. I have encountered many who have been castrated and have certainly recognized the ugliness of power that practices castration and treachery. I have understood the fragility of the intellectual who sells his conscience at the first offer. This fragility collapses at the first blow of a hammer on the head or the testicles. An intellectual who has become a follower, revolving in the orbit of his idol, losing his conscience and existence. I have seen followers devoid of reason, principle, or values, and men devoid of masculinity, virility, or existence. In contrast, I have also encountered remarkable individuals, towering like palm trees and steadfast as the mountains. They are free spirits who prefer sacrifice over surrender, resistance over submission, and courage over fear.
