Lions and lionesses File photo: Reuters

The West Bengal branch of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (BHP), the religious wing of India’s main Hindutva organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), filed a plea in the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday, which has sparked discussions across the country, including West Bengal, especially on social media.

In a petition before a bench of Justice Sougat Bhattacharya, BHP said a lion and a lioness were living in the same room at the Siliguri Safari Park in Jalpaiguri, North Bengal. However, their objection is not about lions living in the same house, but about names.

The lion’s name is Akbar. Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar was the most successful emperor of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. And the name of the lioness is Sita, who is the wife of the Hindu god Ramachandra in the Ramayana. BHP challenged the decision to keep them in the same room.

According to BHP, the forest department of the West Bengal government has deliberately named the two lions as Sita and Akbar. Hinduism is insulted by Sita’s living with Akbar. The religious organization has demanded a name change. The state forest authority and the director of the safari park have been impleaded in the case.

Forest department officials, however, claimed that they had not named the lions. The pair was recently brought from Tripura’s Sipahijala Zoological Park. They have been named in BJP-ruled Tripura. On February 13, Sita and Akbar arrived in West Bengal.

Justice Sougat Bhattacharya accepted BHP’s plea for hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday. While the names of Mughal emperors are being removed from various parks, streets and areas in Delhi, the full-grown lion of eastern India does not seem to be able to keep his name for much longer. There is a lot of discussion on social media about this issue.

Relatives break down in tears after receiving the body of a worker who died in a mine collapse Photo: AFP

More than 20 people have died after an illegal gold mine collapsed in the southern jungles of Venezuela. Yesterday, Wednesday, local officials reported this information. An operation is underway to ascertain whether anyone else is trapped alive in the mine.

The incident happened last Tuesday in the ‘Bulla Loca’ mine in Bolivar state, Venezuela. It takes about seven hours to reach the area by boat from the nearest town of La Paraguay. Family members of those who work in those coal mines are waiting in La Paraguay.

As many as 23 bodies had been recovered, Angostura municipality mayor Yorzi Archiniega told AFP on Wednesday night. Of these, 15 bodies arrived in La Paraguay by boat. Eight more bodies are being taken there.

Carlos Pérez Ampueda, Brazil’s deputy minister for civil protection, posted a video of the incident on social media. He said many people were injured there. But he did not mention any number. Officials believe that around 200 workers were working in the mine at the time of the incident.

In the video, some men were working in the shallow water of the mine when suddenly a mud wall collapsed on them. Some managed to escape but many were trapped.

Bolivar state civil security minister Edgar Colina Reyes said the injured workers were being taken to a hospital in Ciudad Bolivar, the region’s main city, four hours from La Paraguay.

Meanwhile, the family members of the miners are waiting on the coast to find their relatives. One of them burst into tears saying ‘Amar bhai, amar bhai, amar bhai’ while taking a dead body off the boat.

Resident Robinson Basanta felt that such incidents were not unusual given the unsafe conditions that miners work in.

The Bolivar region is rich in gold, diamonds, iron, bauxite, quartz and coltan. In addition to state-run mines, there are also illegal mining operations.

At least 12 people died in a mine collapse in the same region in December last year.

Last year, Venezuela’s armed forces evicted nearly 14,000 illegal miners from Yapacana National Park in the neighboring Amazonas state.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have already agreed to form a coalition government in Pakistan. After several days of power-sharing negotiations, the two parties reached an agreement on Tuesday night.

On the other hand, independent candidates supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formally joined the Sunni Ittehad Council party on Wednesday. They are now going to be the opposition party in the parliament. In such a situation, Dawn has published an editorial today about what is going to happen in the coming days.

According to the editorial, according to the agreement between PPP and PML-N, Pakistan is once again getting a coalition government under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif. The new government is set to take over less than seven months after the previous Shahbaz-led government was dissolved.

PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been nominated as President by PML-N and PPP. The Speaker of the National Assembly will be elected from the PML-N party. And the PPP leaders will be nominated as Senate Chairman and Governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The two parties will form the government together in the provincial assembly of Balochistan. However, there is no guarantee that PPP will provide support to PML-N in all its activities after the formation of the government even if the complications are resolved.

Only in the case of a no-confidence vote or the passage of an expenditure bill will PPP members vote for the PML-N. In other cases, PML-N will do as they wish.

The PTI-backed winning independents have already joined the Sunni Ittehad Council. With this, the Sunni Ittehad Council is now the single largest party in the National Assembly of Pakistan. In that context, it can be said that the PTI party is going to be the opposition party in the National Assembly. At the same time, the leader of the opposition party will also be elected from among them.

Shahbaz Sharif will have to face the biggest political test while running the government in such a situation. He did not really face any kind of opposition during the previous government.

It is said in the editorial, this year’s parliament will not be the same parliament. Shahbaz has to show bravery in this Parliament. Even the legitimacy of the government led by him may be challenged. It has been alleged that they are forming the government by ‘stealing the public’ in the February 8 elections.

Shahbaz Sharif’s biggest task will be to clean up the mistakes made by his previous administration; Especially in the economic field.

A large section of the Pakistani public is angry with the election results. Citizens are almost bankrupt due to continued inflation. In such a situation, Pakistan’s economy needs major changes, but the task will not be easy for Shahbaz. He will surely face resistance from the people.

Shahbaz Sharif says he wants to ‘protect’ Pakistan. However, many people are now looking at how long he can hold his position.

Malak Silmi Photo: Taken from Facebook

Dearborn, Michigan is one of the cities in the United States where a large proportion of the Arab population lives. When I joined journalism, I found myself alone, even though there were people like me around. Others went on to study subjects such as engineering and medicine.

I grew up in the US in a town where people don’t really believe what they hear in the media. Because, here the news about the Middle East and Muslim and Arab community is printed or disseminated by hiding the wrong and real information for years. Most of the times we have seen us portrayed negatively or labeled as terrorists in the news pages. So the Arab families I grew up with never listened to these news stories.

In 2000, father moved to this city with his family. A man who has traveled around different countries, never thought of settling down, his family becomes a permanent address after the terrorist attacks of 9-11. He clung to the family and did not want to move anywhere. He built a protective circle around this city in his mind, which he rarely crossed.

I was only two years old at the time of 9-Eleven. So what effect it had at the time, I don’t remember. But I can say, I grew up in a family that never went anywhere except Jordan and Palestine. People used to visit Mackinac Island on summer vacation. And I didn’t set foot there until I was 21.

We went on a hike to the nearby Great Lakes. But I didn’t visit Lake Michigan, two and a half hours away. Because, to go there, you have to go through several Republican counties. And father used to think that since mother and I wear hijab, we might have to hear all sorts of bad things from which he cannot protect us.

I was quite angry with the ‘narrow’ mentality of people in my community. Later I understood why my parents took such a decision for us. One reason for their fear was the US media coverage of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and another was the Western policies of exploiting Muslims under the guise of anti-terrorist operations after 9/11.

After seeing the printed report, I felt like crying in an empty apartment. It seemed that someone had stopped my voice. I was dying of shame for those protesting people.

I want to become a journalist to change this situation. I wanted to tell the right story and hold people in power accountable.

Taught in college, journalism can change government policies, expose their secret activities, lies, and exonerate the wrongfully convicted. These words are etched in my mind. I want to use this power for myself and my community, who have been the target of media and government censure day after day.

I started writing stories and reporting in the campus newspaper. Interned at several media organizations in Michigan. I even had the opportunity to intern at the New York Times for two weeks.

The family was enjoying this journalism of mine. After college, I got a full-time job at a local newspaper in Texas in 2021. I was the only Muslim and Palestinian in the newsroom there. I did about 400 reports there in a year on breaking news and trending topics.

Among these reports, there was one report, which I was hesitant to do or not. I regretted it later. It was a protest against a church raising funds for Israel.

Abdullah Ibn Umar (R.A.) narrated that the Messenger (S.A.W.) said, ‘Islam is founded on five pillars. 1. Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah 2. Establishing Salat 3. Giving Zakat 4. Performing Hajj and fasting for 5 months of Ramadan. ‘ Bukhari, Muslim, Mishkat.

Those who are committed to the five pillars on which Islam is founded are Imandars or Muslims. Believers must believe in Allah, His angels, His Messenger (PBUH) and the Day of Resurrection.  
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated, ‘One day when the Messenger (PBUH) was sitting in front of the people, a person came to him and asked him, what is Iman? He said, Iman is that you believe in Allah, in His angels, in meeting Him (on the Day of Resurrection) and in His Messengers. ‘ Bukhari, Muslim.

If you want to be honest, you have to accept the oneness of Allah and you have to develop yourself as a responsible and holy minded person in all areas.

Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger (PBUH) said, ‘Iman has more than 70 branches. The best of them is to say La ilaha illallah and the least is to remove the painful things from the path or road and shame is a branch of faith. ‘ Muslim, Bukhari.

As explained in the above hadith, besides unhesitatingly accepting Almighty Allah as Lord, the faithful must also prove themselves as good people. It is also indicated in this hadith that it is the duty of an imandar to remove obstacles that are painful for people on the way. The faithful are urged to be shy. People who are shy can keep themselves free from bad habits.

Allah has promised the believers a place in Paradise in the Hereafter. It is said, ‘For those who believe and do good deeds, there is the Garden of Firdaus. There they will be permanent. Do not seek transfer from there. ‘ Surah Kahf, verses 107-108.

May Allah grant us all to be honest.

Thrift is one of the characteristics of a believer. From the verse number 63 of Surah Furqan of the Holy Qur’an, Almighty Allah has described some of the characteristics of His merciful believers. One of them is frugality. It has been said, ‘(The servants of Rahman are those) who do not waste and do not miserly. Their approach is between the two. (Surah: Furqan, verse: 67)

World Thrift Day is observed on October 31 worldwide to encourage the people of the world to become thrifty. Islam has repeatedly enjoined thrift, warning against extravagance, extravagance and miserliness. But it is not only for one day but it is the rule of Islam to adopt the path of frugality throughout life. And not just moderation in spending; Rather, there is a command of moderation in speech and walking in Islam. It is said, ‘Be moderate in walking and lower your voice. (Surah: Luqman, verse: 19)

Islam has taught us to adopt a balanced and moderate approach by abandoning excesses and indulgences in all cases. In the Holy Qur’an, it is said to the Muslims, ‘Thus have I made you a moderate community. (Surah: Baqarah, verse: 143)

Allah Almighty has given all the necessities of life to man.

Apart from receiving sustenance, he also warned that there should be no wastage. It is said, ‘Eat and drink, and waste not; He (Allah) does not love the wasteful. (Surah: Araf, verse: 32)

If the surplus wealth or food is not wasted and poured into the empty pots of the poor, on the one hand, the sin of wastage is saved, and on the other hand, the empty pots come back to life. For this reason, in the Qur’an, the thrifty are called ‘servants of the Most Merciful’ and the spendthrifts are called the brothers of Satan. It has been said, ‘Give the relatives their due and also the needy and the traveler. And don’t waste anything. Verily the spendthrifts are the brothers of Satan. (Surah Bani Israel, Verses 26-27)

Sadly, some people are choosing to be brothers of Satan rather than ‘servants of Rahman’. Waste has now become a symbol of nobility in our society. Food waste is a fashion. On the one hand, billions of people in the world still do not get three meals a day, on the other hand, one-third of the total food produced in the world is wasted. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually. If even one-fourth of this huge amount of wasted food could be saved, it would meet the food needs of 87 crore people. (Yugantar : January 6, 2018)

Waste should be avoided as well as wastage. Rasul Karim (pbuh) was strict against wastage. Once Rasulullah (s.a.) saw Sa’d (ra.) spending excess water in the ajr and said, ‘O Sa’d! Why are you wasting? Saad (RA) said, what is wasted in ablution? The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Yes. Even if you sit in a flowing river, if you use extra water, it is wasteful. (Ibn Majah, Hadith: 425)

Just as waste is a hindrance to thrift, so waste is a hindrance to frugality. Someone is spending lakhs of rupees on show or unnecessary entertainment. And a poor person next to him may not be able to buy medicine due to lack of money. A believer should remember that while saving, his name should not appear in the list of the miser, nor should his name appear in the list of the spendthrift. Without being miserly, spend in the sectors prescribed by Islam without any hesitation.

If you are frugal, Allah Almighty will grant you a life free from poverty—that is what Rasul Karim (pbuh) predicted. On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘He who spends moderately is not destitute. (Musnad Ahmad: 7/303) That is, the person who practices moderation in spending, will not reach him. Today, many of us are deprived of the desired benefits due to not following this great teaching of Islam properly. Despite earning lakhs of rupees every month, there is a shortage.

In the time of abundance, one should save the surplus money by adopting the path of thrift, avoiding spending in the festival of consumption completely, so that one does not have to face the situation of handing over to others for one’s needs in the future. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, ‘You do not spend with your hands tied around your neck (by miserliness), and you do not become completely free (by being spendthrift), then you will sit condemned and destitute. (Bani Israel, verse 29)

It is the teaching of Islam to collect the dues of relatives without wasting and wasting and to save some for the children as well as charity. The Prophet (PBUH) never liked leaving his children in the care of someone. Rasool Kareem (SAW) said, ‘It is better that you leave your heirs prosperous than to leave them at the mercy of people. (Bukhari: 1/435; Muslim: 3/1251)

Everyone likes to keep themselves busy. If he sees any sin, protesting against it is far from the case, he does not even try to understand the person who indulges in it using wisdom. But Allah Almighty has given every Muslim the responsibility of commanding good deeds and forbidding evil deeds. It is stated in the Holy Qur’an, You are the best Ummah, you have been revealed for mankind (overall welfare), enjoin good deeds and forbid evil deeds and keep faith in Allah.
(Surah: Ale-Imran, verse: 110)

As long as people obey this message of Almighty Allah, peace will be maintained in the world and their superiority will be maintained. But if people deviate from their duty, the wrath of Allah will descend on them, and such wickedness will start in the society, their actions will make them inferior. On the authority of Sahabi Huzaifa Ibnul Yaman (R.A.), Rasulullah (S.A.W.) said, By the One in Whose Hand is my life! Surely you enjoin good deeds and forbid wrongdoing. If not, Allah Ta’ala will soon send His punishment upon you. Even if you pray to Him, He will not accept your prayers. (Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2169)

The reason for this is that due to the sins of the servant, calamity befalls the world. The wrath of God Almighty increases. Those who have God, if they can not invite God-fearing people to the path of God; Rather, if they remain silent after seeing their crime, then the wrath of Almighty God will consume everyone. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave a unique example to illustrate the horror of giving up Da’wah, an example that cannot be compared to understand the importance of Da’wah.

On the authority of Ma’an Ibn Bashir (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) said, “The example of those who abide within the limits set by Allah and those who transgress the limits is like that of a group of passengers who decided their place in a boat by lottery.” Some of them were placed on the upper floor and some on the ground floor (the water system was on the upper floor) so the people on the lower floor would drown the people on the upper floor while collecting water. Then the people of the lower floors said, If we make a hole in our part without causing trouble to the people of the upper floors (it is better), if they leave them to their own devices in this situation, then all will perish. And if they keep their hands (stop) then they and all will be saved. (Bukhari, Hadith: 2493)

Therefore, we should all be steadfast in the way of Allah, enjoining good deeds and forbidding evil deeds. May Allah accept us all.

Allah says, ‘And if you fear that you will not be able to establish justice and fairness between them, then marry one. ‘ (Surah Nisa, verse 3).  

Allah also says, ‘O mankind, I have created you from a male and a female. Then We have divided you into different nations and tribes, so that you may know each other. ‘ (Surah Huzrat, verse 13). Through this verse it is evident that the human race has been derived from family ties.  

If people of all castes and tribes are divided into different families and fulfill their respective responsibilities properly, that family will be established as the best ideal family in the society. There will be peace and God’s mercy. The first condition for happiness in family life is a happy married life. The conjugal life that develops between husband and wife after marriage requires harmony and tolerance between the two.  

Family is the first level to build a peaceful society. By family we mean our parents, brothers and sisters and close relatives. Close relatives including uncles, aunts, cousins. It is easy to build a beautiful society by combining them. That is why family life is so important. The family is responsible for the increase of so much lawlessness, adultery, obscenity in today’s society. Today we do not care about who our children are doing, where they are mixing with whom, in what crime they are getting involved. Again, many families are extremely indifferent about this. That is why lawlessness and disorder have increased in the society.  

Allah Rabbul Alamin says, ‘Wealth and children are the beauty of life in this world. (Surah Kahf, verse 46).  

Rasool (pbuh) said, Each of you is responsible and each will be asked about his responsibility. We must remember that the first foundation of human life is the family. The individual is a part of the family. And family is part of society. State cannot be imagined without society. If the individual is right, the family and society are right.  

Allah says, ‘O mankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single man, and created from it his wife, and Who spread from among them many males and females. (Surah Nisa, verse 1).  

It is clearly evident from this verse that this is how the journey of human social life begins and throughout the ages people should continue their family ties and progress in this way and maintain social activities. Relationships should be deepened with mutual respect and esteem.  

Allah says, ‘Worship Allah, do not associate anything with Him, and be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, neighbors near and far, companions, travelers and your rightful slaves. ‘ (Sura Nisa, verse 36).

So if the family can be managed through Islamic principles, it is possible to prevent social unrest and all kinds of vices. It will benefit both the society and the state. God will resurrect people after death. He will be asked whether he has lived according to the rules of life given by God. 

Because the characteristic of a believing servant is to please Allah. And this satisfaction can be achieved by following the ideals of Islam in family life.

If you exchange good deeds with people with a smile, you will get the reward of good deeds. (‘Sadaqa’ means charity, in return for which Allah will reward in the Hereafter.) In a hadith Rasulullah (SAW) stated that every good deed is Sadaqah. And an important good deed is to meet another brother with a smile. (Tirmidhi, Hadith 1970)

In another hadith, Rasulullah (s.a.w.s.) said, even your brother’s smile (on meeting) is a charity. (Tirmidhi, Hadith 1956)
Also should talk to others in soft language. Evil should be resisted by good. There should be no desire to raise one’s voice, abuse or hurt others. It has been said, ‘Do not dispute with the People of the Book except in the best way (courtesy and reasonable way)…. (Surah Ankabut, verse 46)

Language should be polite and discreet. When Musa (a.s.) and Harun (a.s.) were sent to the apostate Pharaoh, they were specifically instructed, ‘You shall speak to him in gentle language. (In that) maybe he will take advice or fear. (Surat Taha, verse 44)

Insulting someone, making ugly gestures towards someone and giving someone bad epithets is a punishable offense in Islam. Almighty Allah says, ‘Do not accuse one another and do not call one another evil. Calling evil names after believing is very reprehensible…. (Surah Hujurat, verse 11)

One should never cross the line of decency while arguing. Abusing, boasting and using harsh language are highly reprehensible. Lokman (a.s.) gave many advices to his son. Some of his advices have been mentioned by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. At one place he says, ‘Moderately you shall direct your feet and keep your voice low. Surely the voice of a donkey is the most unpleasant of all voices. (Surah Luqman, verse 19)

May Allah Almighty grant us Tawfiq to do our deeds.

Many people meet familiar people but keep their faces closed. Looking the other way like a stranger. Devaluing people like this is not the teaching of Islam. Abu Zar (R.A.) said, The Prophet (S.A.W.) said to me, ‘Do not despise any good deed, even if it is the act of meeting your brother with a smile. (Muslim, Hadith 2626)
The beloved Prophet (PBUH) always spoke to everyone with a smile. If he met someone, he would at least greet him with a smile. Narrated Qays (RA), I heard Zarir (RA) say, ‘Since my acceptance of Islam, whenever Rasulullah (SAW) saw me, he smiled in front of me. (Adabul Mufrad, Hadith 249)

If you exchange good deeds with people with a smile, you will get the reward of good deeds. (‘Sadaqa’ means charity, in return for which Allah will reward in the Hereafter.) In a hadith Rasulullah (SAW) stated that every good deed is Sadaqah. And an important good deed is to meet another brother with a smile. (Tirmidhi, Hadith 1970)

In another hadith, Rasulullah (s.a.w.s.) said, even your brother’s smile (on meeting) is a charity. (Tirmidhi, Hadith 1956)
Also should talk to others in soft language. Evil should be resisted by good. There should be no desire to raise one’s voice, abuse or hurt others. It has been said, ‘Do not dispute with the People of the Book except in the best way (courtesy and reasonable way)…. (Surah Ankabut, verse 46)

Language should be polite and discreet. When Musa (a.s.) and Harun (a.s.) were sent to the apostate Pharaoh, they were specifically instructed, ‘You shall speak to him in gentle language. (In that) maybe he will take advice or fear. (Surat Taha, verse 44)

Insulting someone, making ugly gestures towards someone and giving someone bad epithets is a punishable offense in Islam. Almighty Allah says, ‘Do not accuse one another and do not call one another evil. Calling evil names after believing is very reprehensible…. (Surah Hujurat, verse 11)

One should never cross the line of decency while arguing. Abusing, boasting and using harsh language are highly reprehensible. Lokman (a.s.) gave many advices to his son. Some of his advices have been mentioned by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. At one place he says, ‘Moderately you shall direct your feet and keep your voice low. Surely the voice of a donkey is the most unpleasant of all voices. (Surah Luqman, verse 19)

May Allah Almighty grant us Tawfiq to do our deeds.