2012 saw flurry of controversial fatwas in Arab world

January 1, 2013

Riyadh, Jan 1: The Arab world witnessed issuance of a flurry of religious edicts (fatwas) during 2012, most of which became controversial due to their strange nature and political dimensions.

These included a fatwa forbidding non-Palestinian Muslims from visiting Jerusalem, Islam’s third holiest city, and a ban on playing football.

Some of these fatwas seemed to have the hallmark of the Arab Spring, according to a report in Al-Hayat newspaper.qardawi

Among the most controversial fatwas, there was one by renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who is the chairman of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS).

His fatwa came as a disapproval of the Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas’s call for Arabs and Muslims to visit occupied Jerusalem, commenting that this is not accepted in Islam.

In the fatwa issued earlier in 2012, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi said: “The Palestinians are entitled to enter the holy city as they please, but the Arab and Muslim people are not.” The scholar explained that this is prohibited for the purpose of not legitimizing the Israeli occupation.

“Such a visit legitimizes the entity of the usurper of Muslim lands, and would force Muslim visitors to deal with the embassy of the enemy to get a visa.”

The Islamic Ummah as a whole should be in a position of responsibility to defend the Arab holy city, not the Palestinian people only, he said.

Earlier this year, another fatwa came from Sheikh Abdul Moneim Al-Shahat, who is also an Egyptian like Sheikh Al-Qaradawi.

Al-Shahat, spokesman of the Salafi Preaching Movement, ruled that football is forbidden in Islam in the first place.

While delivering a sermon in a mosque in Alexandria, he said: “Only three sports are allowed in Islam: javelin throw, swimming, and horseback riding. Other sports are forbidden.”

Later, he issued a clarification, saying that he was referring to professional football that has commercial value. The provocation for Al-Shahat’s fatwa was the disaster at the Port Said stadium in northern Egypt that killed around 80 football fans on February 1, 2012.

Suleiman Al-Olwan, a Saudi scholar, issued a fatwa that football players are evildoers and that the game prevents Muslims from practicing their religion and ideology.

Last week, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Saeedi, professor of Shariah at Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura University, ruled that prayer against anyone, even if it is a minister, is permissible.

The fatwa followed threats from some people to pray against Labor Minister Adel Fakieh in objection of the minister’s vigorous Saudization drive.

Most of the controversial fatwas had originated from Egypt in the second year of the Arab Spring.

Marjan Al-Gohari, a member of a Salafi jihadist group, issued a fatwa to destroy pyramids and the Sphinx.

He wanted these antiquities demolished just as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) destroyed the idols he found upon his conquest of Makkah.

Another scholar, also a Salafi member in the dissolved parliament, proposed a draft law to reduce the age of marriage and fix it at 14.

The Egyptian Ifta Council issued a fatwa forbidding beating students at schools.

In Mauritania, the advisor of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz issued a fatwa banning women from becoming presidents, even though they are allowed to contest the elections.

Islamic scholar and presidential advisor Aslamo Ould Sidi Al-Mustafa said: “Women can run for the presidency as long as they have no chance of winning. They can just do that for fun.”

The fatwa attracted criticism from the Association of Female Heads of Families, one of Mauritania’s most prominent rights organizations for women.

According to the association, the fatwa constitutes a flagrant violation of women’s rights as well as Mauritanian laws. Bowing to pressure from pressure groups, the government was forced to form a Supreme Council for Fatwa and Grievances and restrict issuance of individual fatwas.

In Tunisia, a scholar issued a fatwa forbidding strikes.

Sheikh Bashir bin Hussein justified his edict, issued on December 8, saying that general strikes would hamper the country’s development and economic growth.

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News Network
April 26,2020

Abu Dhabi, Apr 26: Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor says he is appalled after the bodies of three Indians flown back to India were returned to Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The three deceased Indian nationals had died of non-coronavirus causes and were flown to Delhi on Thursday but were promptly returned by authorities there.

“We are appalled at what has happened,” Kapoor told Gulf News. “We do not know if the bodies were returned because of coronavirus-related restrictions, but we are obviously not sending the remains of people [who have passed away from COVID-19],” he added.

“[As we understand], it happened because of new protocols at the airport and we are trying to sort it out,” he said.

Sent back a few hours later

“The remains were not offloaded from the plane, and were sent back a few hours later,” Kapoor explained.

The deceased were Kamlesh Bhatt, who passed away on April 17, and Sanjeev Kumar and Jagsir Singh who both died on April 13.

According to reports in Indian media, Kamlesh Bhat was 23 years old, and hailed from Tehri Garhwal district. He allegedly died of cardiac arrest. Along with the remains Kumar and Singh, Bhatt’s body was initially repatriated on an Etihad Airways flight, then sent back, even though his relatives had been on their way to collect them.

Kapoor explained the procedure through which remains are normally returned to family members back home, saying that the worker’s employer typically makes arrangements with cargo companies to repatriate bodies on cargo aircraft.

The employer applies for a No Objection Certificate from the Indian Embassy, which is granted once the Embassy ensures that all local formalities have been completed. The cargo company then applies for airport clearance, and the airline obtains approvals from the receiving airport.

“If airport protocols have changed, it means cargo companies have to be more careful about the clearance they’re getting,” Kapoor advised.

Additional costs
The ambassador added there may eventually be additional costs to repatriate the bodies but that it is first necessary to sort out the concerns.

The global coronavirus outbreak has spawned difficulties in repatriating mortal remains as a result of the travel restrictions imposed by countries. Remains of people dying from COVID-19 are not being sent back, but the caution surrounding the handling of bodies often affects the repatriation of those who succumb to other causes.

As Gulf News reported, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached out to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday for intervention in bringing back the bodies of Keralites who have died in the Gulf from non-COVID-19 causes.

“I would like to draw your attention to the grievances received from Non-resident Keralites Associations (NRKs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the delay caused in bringing home the mortal remains of NRKs who had expired due to reasons other than the COVID-19 infection,” read the letter by the CM.

“It is learnt that a ‘clearance certificate’ from the Indian Embassies is required to process the application of bringing home the mortal remains of the dead. The Embassies are [further] insisting on the production of a no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), New Delhi. To enable to bring back the bodies of the NRIs whose deaths occurred due to reasons other than COVID-19 infection, without necessary procedural hassles, I request your kind intervention,” Vijayan has requested.

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News Network
April 22,2020

Dubai, Apr 22: Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry registered 1141 new Coronavirus cases, 172 new Recoveries and 5 new deaths in the last 24 hours by 22nd April 2020 (3:40 PM), Most of  the Corona infected patients are in stable condition, while 82 cases are on critical condition and are being treated in various hospital's Intensive Care Unit, All the confirmed and suspected cases are isolated and are being treated in the country, the Total Covid-19 cases as of Today are as follows
 
Infections : 12772
Recovered : 1812
Deaths : 114
Active Cases : 10846
Critical : 82

-  The Spokesperson of Ministry of Health said Total laborartory tests exceeded 200,000. 

-  You should continue to socialize and stay at home, especially for those aged 65 and over or who suffer from chronic diseases.

-  Half a million field assessments under active survey, 50 government agencies involved in anti-virus efforts, 150 field teams participating in the active examination in the Kingdom.

- The Health Ministry said, Maintaining hand-washing and keeping away from gatherings is an important step, and we should all be responsible.

- Worldwide Covid-19 infection details as of Today (22nd April) are

Infections : 2,580,729
Recovered : 693,093
Deaths : 178,371

- Among the 1141 new infections, most of the cases are on active survey results, 868 cases from new infections are discovered from active survey field testing. The city wise total active cases excluding recoveries and deaths by 22nd April are

Makkah : 2472
Madina : 1944
Riyadh : 1762
Jeddah : 1679
Dammam : 678
Hofuf : 507
Taif : 131
Tabuk : 128
Jubail : 97
Qatif : 73
Buraidah : 46
Khamis Musaith : 44
Khobar : 38
Dhahran : 36
Yanbu : 36
Khalis : 24
Ar Ar : 16
Khafji : 15
Ras Tanura : 12
Zulfi : 11
Onaiza : 9
Al Maqwat : 9
Al Dariya : 8
Al Kharj : 8
Samita : 8
Bisha : 7
Najran : 7
Al Khanfadah : 7
Hail : 6
Al Baha : 6
Sabit Alaya : 5
Muhayil Asir : 5
Ahad Rafidah : 4
Muwiya : 4
Ar Ras : 4
Al Qurayyat : 3
Al Muzilaf : 3
Sharura : 3
Al Jafar : 2
Al Lais : 2
Al Hanakiya : 2
AlMabraz : 2
Al Qawiya : 2
Al Tawal : 2
Al Misan : 2
Al Qariya : 2
Hada : 2
Rabig : 2
Sabia : 2
Saihat : 2
Azam : 1
Al Aiz : 1
Al Bakariya : 1
Al Dawadmi : 1
Al Majmaah : 1
Al Mada : 1
Al Shamli : 1
Al Ala : 1
Al Wajha : 1
Al Arida : 1
Beesh : 1
Diba : 1
Sakaka : 1
Sariban : 1
Sharura : 1
Riyad Al Khabra : 1

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Agencies
June 28,2020

Kuwait, Jun 28: Measures imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Kuwait are believed to have increased suicide cases in the country, according to a media report.

Forty suicide cases and 15 failed attempts, mainly among Asian expatriates, have been recorded in Kuwait since late February, Gulf News quoted the Al Qabas newspaper report, citing sources as saying on Saturday.

Investigations into the majority of cases have revealed that those who committed suicide had experienced psychological and economic troubles due to dire financial circumstances after their employers stopped to pay them as a result of economic fallout from the coronavirus-related measures.

In one case, an expat livestreamed his suicide while chatting with his fiancee on a social networking platform, the newspaper report said.

Suicide cases have increased by around 40 per cent since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to the sources.

Some 70 to 80 suicide cases are recorded annually in Kuwait. Last year, they reached 80 suicides against 77 in 2018.

"Suicide cases have started to go up in Kuwait during the coronavirus pandemic due to fear, anxiety, isolation and instability experienced by people and absence of daily aims that could help the person to spend time regularly as before," the newspaper quoted social psychology consultant Samira Al Dosari as saying.

Uncertainty for some expatriates, whose countries have refused to take them in, is another motive for attempting suicide, according to Jamil Al Muri, a sociology professor at the Kuwait University.

"This is in addition to greed of the iqamat traders, who have brought into the country workers in names of phantom companies and abandoned them on the streets," he added.

Starting from Tuesday, Kuwait will embark on the second phase of a stepwise plan to bring life to normal, Gulf News reportd.

According to Phase 2, a nationwide night-time curfew will be reduced by one hour to run daily from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. for three weeks.

Kuwait has so far reported 44,391 COVID-19 cases, with 344 deaths.

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Angry indian
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jun 2020

YA ALLah save all dispressed people in the earth..

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