Oscar award and religion

Mahershala Ali got oscar award for the best supporting actor for his acting in the film ‘Moonlight’. Instead of congratulating him and discussing his performance many are discussing his religion.

Is he a real Muslim ?

In Pakistan Ahamadiyyas are not considered as Muslims.  So the Pakistan’s UN envoy had to delete her congratulatory re tweet because it mentioned him as first Muslim actor to get an oscar.

As Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win Oscar for his role in Hollywood flick ‘Moonlight’, Pakistan’s Representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi tweeted in support of his achievement. However, Lodhi’s tweet came under fire for promoting Ahmadiyyas considered to be ‘non-Muslims’ in Pakistan. Lodhi removed the tweet soon after the post. Ali, a Muslim convert since 1999, joined the minority Ahmadiyya Community, a move seen as heretical by other Islamic sects in 2001.

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Custom Cuts – Explaining and exploring feminism

One evening, illustrator and graphic designer Pia Alize Hazarika got into an argument with a  woman. “She called me a bad feminist. It was because I didn’t align my views with hers. It sat a bit weirdly with me,” recalls Hazarika, founder of Delhi’s Pig Studio.

Instead of ranting about it online, she decided to channel her rage creatively, doing what she does best: draw a comic. “It would
show where I stand and what my beliefs are, and serve as a tool to show people that there’s a spectrum under which their views can fall; not everything is black and white,” she says.

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“Achedin” in USA too, but with a difference

In triple shooting yesterday at Austin’s Bar & Grill in Olathe Kansas, three people were shot including two Indians and one American.
The two Indian Associates working in Garmin, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani were shot. Unfortunately Srinivas was killed in the shooting. Officers conducted a manhunt for the white man and have seemingly arrested a suspect.
The suspect, Adam Purinton was drinking at a bar in an Applebee’s in Clinton, when he was arrested early Thursday, about five hours after the shooting, police said.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla died from the gunshot wound inflicted on him. Kuchibhotla’s friend and Garmin colleague, Alok Madasani, 32, and the third victim, Ian Grillot, are listed in stable condition at the hospital.

As the incident unfolds, the two Indians at the bar were provoked by a white man in his 50s, who consequently got into an argument. The shooter questioned their presence and even asked how they are better than him. To control the situation the Bar management asked the accused to leave from the place. The shooter left only to come back with a gun and shoot them. An American national, Ian Grillot who was at the scene stood up to the shooter and tried to stop him, but unfortunately got injured. The shooter fled from the scene and Srinivas who was originally in critical condition passed away.
Two of the shooting victims were employees of the Aviation Systems Engineering team at Garmin, headquartered in Olathe.

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They kill to “purify” their religion

There was no need to guess the timing of the attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Thursdays are the most important in the week for Sufis and the shrine is particularly crowded with devotees. The Thursday evening attack by an Islamic State bomber claimed more than 72 lives, including that of women and children, and injured more than 150, which makes it one of the deadliest on Pakistani soil in recent years.

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Moral policing by pink police

Last year the Police department in Kerala state of India started a “Pink Beat Patrol” for enhancing the safety for women and children in public places. The Pink Beat included  specially trained women police personnel. These police personnel was supposed to patrol on Govt run bus services and private stage carriers and was to be present at bus stops, schools, colleges and other public places. They were supposed to assist women, children and senior citizens travelling on buses. They were supposed to prevent street sexual harassment. These patrol vehicle was led by a women police officer and had two other women police personnel.

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Unfortunately this laudable attempt to prevent infringement of human rights of women is having the opposite effect. Several reports had come out which point towards moral policing by the Pink Police.

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Pakistan Court bans Valentine’s Day

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday prohibited the celebration of Valentine’s Day in public spaces and government offices across the country ‘with immediate effect’.

A day before Valentine’s Day, the Federal Ministry of Information, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the Islamabad High Commission were told by Justice Shaukat Aziz, who was hearing the case, to submit their replies regarding the immediate execution of the court’s orders.

Print and electronic media have also been warned to “stop all Valentine’s Day promotions immediately”, while Pemra has been ordered to monitor all mediums and send out notifications banning any related promotions.

AFP Photo/RIZWAN TABASSUM)

AFP Photo/RIZWAN TABASSUM)

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Celebrating women in Science

Two years ago United Nations General Assembly declared February 11th  as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past 15 years, the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Unfortunately, women and girls continued to be excluded from participating fully in science. According to a study conducted in 14 countries, the probability for female students of graduating with a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctor’s degree in science-related field are 18%, 8% and 2% respectively, while the percentages of male students are 37%, 18% and 6%.

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New study throws light on female genital cutting in India

Female genital cutting (FGC) or mutilation is a regressive cultural practice found mostly among Muslims living in Africa and Arab countries and also in Indonesia. Though Indian subcontinent has a huge Muslim population it is believed that  FGC is very rare  among Muslims in South Asia.

Still one sect of Muslims were known to be following this, the Dawoodi Boharas.

The Dawoodi Bohras are a sub-sect of Ismaili Shia Islam, who trace their roots back to the Fatimid dynasty of Yemen in the 11th century. The Dawoodi Bohras believe that the religious or spiritual leader of the community is the Da’i al-Mutlaq, referred to with the title of ‘Syedna’. The post originated in Yemen but moved to Gujarat, India, in the 1500s. Today, the Dawoodi Bohras are predominantly a Gujarati-speaking business community with their own distinct culture and a population estimated to be between one and two million. The majority of Dawoodi Bohras reside in India and Pakistan, but over the last few decades there has been a significant migration of Dawoodi Bohras to the Middle East, East Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, and other parts of Asia. The administrative headquarters of the Dawoodi Bohras as well as the office of the current (53rd) Da’i are in Mumbai, India.

Dawoodi Bohras are the most well-known Muslim community in India to practice FGC, known as ‘khatna’ or ‘khafd’ in the community – a ritual that many Islamic scholars around the world do not endorse. In most instances, the process involves the removal of a pinch of skin from the clitoral hood at the age of seven, or between the ages of six and twelve. While the Quran, Islam’s holy book, does not sanction FGC, the Daim al-Islam, a religious text followed by this community, does endorses the practice. It is likely that the practice came down to the Dawoodi Bohras from Yemen, where Dawoodi Bohras trace their roots and where FGC is widely practiced in several provinces.

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