Latest news with #Islami
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Takaful Malaysia appoints Datuk Charon Mokhzani as group chairman
Datuk Charon Wardini Mokhzani appointed as the new group chairman of Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Bhd, effective June 1. KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Bhd has announced the appointment of Datuk Charon Wardini Mokhzani as the new group chairman, effective June 1. Charon succeeds Datuk Mohammed Hussein, who retired on May 31 after serving with dedication since 2020. The appointment of Charon marks a significant milestone for Takaful Malaysia, enabling the Islamic financial institution to continue charting a course for sustainable growth and leadership in the insurance and takaful industry. Takaful Malaysia Keluarga director Mohd Azman Sulaiman conveyed the Board's appreciation and welcomed Charon's appointment. He emphasised the Board's confidence in Charon's leadership and his ability to steer the group toward continued growth and excellence. 'We are honoured to welcome Charon as our group chairman. His extensive experience across the financial services, public policy and legal sectors brings a wealth of knowledge and insight that will be instrumental in guiding Takaful Malaysia's future direction. 'We are confident that his leadership will strengthen our commitment to excellence, innovation and stakeholder value creation,' said Mohd Azman. Charon is a seasoned leader with a distinguished track record in senior leadership roles across the corporate, investment and government-linked sectors. His career includes key positions as the chairman of Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (EXIM Bank), founding chief executive officer of Khazanah Research Institute, executive director of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, deputy chief executive officer of CIMB Group and chief executive officer of CIMB Investment Bank Bhd, as well as the chairman of Principal Asset Management Bhd and managing partner of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. In addition to his corporate achievements, Charon serves on the boards of Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah, Yayasan Tuanku Syed Putra Perlis and the Kuala Lumpur Business Club and was a member of the Board of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Charon holds an impressive academic background, having read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College, University of Oxford and pursued law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is a Chartered Banker, a Fellow of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, a non-practising barrister of the Middle Temple and an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. Takaful Malaysia group chief executive officer Nor Azman Zainal said, 'His strategic leadership in navigating complex regulatory environments and shaping policy-related initiatives has been widely recognised across the Malaysian corporate landscape. 'We look forward to working closely with Charon as we embark on the next phase of our journey. 'His vision and leadership will be pivotal in driving the group's strategic initiatives, enhancing our competitiveness and strengthening our position as a leading Islamic financial institution in Malaysia and beyond.'
United News of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami reiterates ban on Women's Affairs Reform Commission, deems it ‘anti-Quran'
Dhaka, May 3 (UNI) Showcasing the marked rise of Islamic extremism in the country, the Bangladesh Jamaat- e-Islami (BJI) has reiterated its ban on the country's Women Affairs Reform Commission, deeming it "anti-Quran". Jamaat leader Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman reiterated the party's previous demand while addressing the party's district and metropolitan Ameer conference at the Al-Falah Auditorium in Dhaka's Moghbazar, reported Business Standard BD. The BJI leader said, "If the proposals of this commission are implemented, it will have a major impact on the family system of the country. "The anti-Quran committee must be abolished. We have already warned the government about this. We hope they will take appropriate action." Rahman also spoke about the national polls, saying it was only possible to hold them in the government's given timeframe, if reforms are implemented on time and all stakeholders cooperate. "The government has said that elections will be held between December this year and June next year. If the reform activities that have been undertaken are expedited and stakeholders cooperate, then elections are possible after reforms within the time announced by the government," he said. "We consider two timeframes to be suitable. One is February, before the start of Ramadan. If reforms and judicial processes are not completed by then, the election should not be delayed beyond April," he added. A pro-Islamic party, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has consistently opposed the Women's Affairs Reform Commission established by the Mohd Yunus-led interim government, particularly criticising its proposals on Islamic inheritance laws, the recognition of sex work, and the identification of religion as a source of gender discrimination. In line with its hardline fundamentalist stance, the party views the commission as incompatible with Islamic values and the cultural norms of Bangladesh. As such, the BJI has advocated for reforms that align with Islamic principles, such as promoting women's roles within the family structure. UNI ANV RN
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Srinagar's Best Seller draws the line on blues, winds up
SRINAGAR: Best Seller, a 50-year-old bookstore that stood as a cultural and literary landmark at Srinagar's Lal Chowk, has shut down, turning the page on years of a painful final chapter punctuated by slumping sales and bruising competition from online platforms. 'We are shifting to the dry fruits business,' said Saniyasnian, 32, the store's owner with a tinge of sadness in his voice. Two labourers painted its shelves white as all books had been moved out of the shop a few hundred meters from Lal Chowk's iconic clock tower. The events were a far cry from 2016 when Sani -- as Saniyasnian is referred to fondly -- returned from Pune after his MBA and joined father Sanaullah to help him run the bookstore. It was a thriving business then. Best Seller was known for its Urdu books with collections of Sahir Ludhianvi, Sir Mohammed Iqbal and Saagar Siddiqui. This was complemented by books on Islami, Sufism and tomes on the Kashmir conflict by local and foreign authors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Sani added English and Russian literature and philosophy to Best Seller's oeuvre, besides Salman Rushdie's books and Harry Potter series. But no wizardry could stave off the blues. Covid struck a lethal blow, confining people to their homes and fuelling online transactions. Sani saw daily sales slump from Rs 35,000 in 2016 to just R 2,000 in 2024. Desperate to stem the slide, Sani tried a different concept in 2023 -- he started selling books by weight, Rs 250 per kg. He advertised the scheme on Instagram, drawing droves of teenagers and youths. Back then, Sani recalled that two books were popular then -- George Orwell classic 1984 and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. Sales picked up for some weeks but lost momentum again. Sani offered 15% discounts on all books. He said this was higher than other bookstores but admitted that online platforms ladled out 20% to 40% rebates. According to Sani, many people visited his store in recent times for browsing and window-shopping, walking away without making any purchases. Many picked up a book, checked its price and compared it online on their cellphones. 'That's when I saw they planned to buy it online. I can't compete with online platforms,' Sani said. Mudasir Ahmad, a college lecturer, had trooped into the shop on Monday. Gazing at the empty shelves, he turned to Sani and asked if he could 'wait a year or two'. He cited research that 'more people will be buying books'. Sani just smiled. 'I also loved the store and books. But love alone cannot feed me or my family. Once a bookshop is closed, it is closed. There is no chance of a fresh chapter or a new page,' Sani said.
The National
18-02-2025
- General
- The National
Pyxis of Al-Mughira: On loan to Louvre Abu Dhabi, the 10th century Muslim kingdom's symbol of Andalusian art
The Pyxis of Al-Mughira at Louvre Abu Dhabi is currently on loan from the museum's counterpart in France, having arrived in November last year. The artefact comes as a striking example of the royal ivory-carving tradition of Al-Andalus, the Muslim kingdom that ruled areas of the Iberian Peninsula at various times between the 8th and 15th centuries. The cylindrical Andalusian box, which will remain in the Louvre Abu Dhabi until November 2026, was made in the 10th century, in the royal workshops of Madinat al-Zahra, the palace city near modern-day Cordoba. It is crafted from a single piece of elephant tusk. Scenes reflecting the might and agency of the Umayyads, the dynasty who ruled the area at the time, have been intricately engraved on the container. These include figures on thrones, lions attacking bulls, horsemen picking dates, and those removing falcon eggs from nests. The forms are minutely carved. The spaces between them are engraved to a thickness of just a few millimeters, letting light pass through and giving the humans, animals and flora on the pyxis a three-dimensional quality. The pyxis is small enough to be held with one hand. Yet, its "importance exceeds far larger than its physical size," says Fakhera Alkindi, senior curatorial assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi. An aspect of this importance is the craftsmanship of the artefact, and the "remarkable mastery" required to produce something so intricate on a material as delicate as ivory. 'Certain areas are engraved to a thickness of only three millimeters, which allowed for an effective translucency once light is projected through the object,' Alkindi says. The iconography, she adds, has gone through several scholarly interpretations from contexts that range from political to astrological. As such, some mystery still surrounds the pyxis. However, one thing is certain and that is the artefact's original recipient. An inscription crowning the pyxis in a Kufic script wishes a happy destiny to Prince Al-Mughira, half-brother of Caliph al-Hakam II, the second Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, who ruled from the years 961 to 976. The inscription also bares the date of manufacturing. 'It was made in the year 968,' Alkindi says. 'The precious box was presented as a gift to the Prince Al-Mughira and represents an important moment within the history of the Umayyads of Spain and the larger Islamic history. "It stands as a material testimony to the cultural prosperity and technical virtuosity of this period in Al-Andalus, particularly within the commercial and cultural hub of Madinat al-Zahra, which hosted a flourishing environment of artistic and architectural production.' Several considerations were taken when thinking about how the pyxis would be presented at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Alkindi says. The artefact has been given its own space within the permanent galleries. Multimedia elements accentuate the intricacies of the its craftsmanship, zooming into its medallions and engravings. 'This masterpiece of Islamic art, carrying a lot of historical, aesthetic and technical importance, required a special display,' Alkindi says. 'The pyxis takes centre stage within a dedicated gallery. The material quality and the virtuosity of its craftsmanship is further highlighted by a near 180 degree monumental projection screen surrounding both the visitor and the artwork.' Four marble capitals produced around the same time period are also displayed around the box. The capitals, which once crowned lofty columns in Al-Andalus, feature splaying floral and geometric designs that echo the engravings on the Pyxis. They were likewise crafted in Madinat al-Zahra, Alkindi says, explaining that "they evoke the context in which the Pyxis was produced'. The scenography is further enhanced with the sound of oud. The musical element, composed by Iraqi composer Naseer Shamma, takes several cues from the culture of Al-Andalus and is inspired from the works of the ninth-century musician Ziryab. 'We wished to mediate many aspects of the pyxis,' Alkindi says. 'From the historical context, the cultural context, the technical developments that allowed for such an object to come to life, and the vibrant cultural centre of Madinat al-Zahra.' The Pyxis of Al-Mughira is on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi until November 2026.
