Chitral: Hamsafar welfare society booni working on self help basis

by G. H. Farooqui

Hamsafar Welfare Society kick maintenance  campaign of KM road on self help basis.

CHITRAL: Hamsafar Welfare Society Krui Junali Booni (HWS) launched  campaign to repair 4 kilometers long hospital road on self help basis. In this campaign besides members, workers, of the society, students, senior citizens and women folk also participated in this welfare campaign on volunteer basis. Talking to local journalists Hazar Mohammad general secretary of HWS said that this 4 kilometers road linking to Aga Khan hospital was in a very dilapidated condition as well as students and especially female students also passing through this road to schools and college.

The Road having big ditches in its middle and a water nullah (stream) also passing through this road having no bridge or culvert. During the winter season water of this stream freeze at morning time  and causing for people slippery, injuries. Shamsur Rehman former Tehsil Nazim of Mastuj told that due to dilapidated condition of this road taxi drivers charging rupees 400 to 500 to hospital in case of emergency while the distance is only 4 kilometers. A student of 10th class Miss Aneela said that girls students facing numerous problems and there is no transport facility we go to school by feet and it take 1 hours because water coming from drainage in the middle of road freezing and we sometime slip and fell down. Nazim Union council Charoon Ameerullah while talking to this scribe highly appreciated this beneficial campaign of HWS. He said that actually this is responsibility of elected representatives including me but we badly failed to repair this road as a result thousands of people were facing great problems while traveling on this road and that is why that HWS kicked the campaign for maintenance of the road on self help basis.  He said that this is question marks for our leaders.

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Eid al-Adha…

Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is observed by Muslims around the world in commemoration of one of the greatest trials of faith in the life of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham — upon whom be peace). In Muslim and Judeo-Christian traditions, it is related that, as a test of Hazrat Ibrahim’s faith, the Almighty calls upon him to sacrifice his beloved son. At the moment of the sacrificial act, a Merciful intervention spared his son’s life. The Holy Qur’an says:

“We called out to him, ‘O Ibrahim, you have already fulfilled the vision’ – thus indeed we reward the righteous… indeed this was a manifest trial…”
— Surah 37, Ayats 104–106

The Qur’an refers to Prophet Ibrahim as a Muslim — one who leads a life of devotion and willing submission to Allah — and confirms that many great prophets were descended from him, including Prophet Musa (Moses — upon whom be peace), Prophet Isa (Jesus — upon whom be peace), as well as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The notion that divine guidance is vested in the family of Prophet Ibrahim is firmly established in the Qur’an:

“Allah did choose Adam and Nuh, the family of Ibrahim, and the family of Imran above all people; Offspring, one from the other, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
— Surah 3, Ayats 33–34

In Shia tradition and belief, divine guidance, which Allah vested in the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim, continued in Prophet Muhammad, the last and final Messenger of Allah, after whom, at Divine Command, the authority for guidance devolved upon his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali and vests thereafter in the Imams in the progeny of Prophet Muhammad through Hazrat Ali and Bibi Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.

Through the remembrance of the Prophet of Allah who is venerated in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Eid al-Adha also celebrates the common humanity and ethical heritage shared by the Ahl al-Kitab — the People of the Book. In the words of Mawlana Hazar Imam:

“The shared destiny of the ethos of the Abrahamic tradition that unites Christians, Jews and Muslims is governed by the duty of loving care to help nurture each life that is born to its God-given potential.”
— Mawlana Hazar Imam in Houston, USA, 23 June 2002.

The Ismaili

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Dallas: Rays of Light hope to enlighten…

An exhibit called Rays of Light stopped in the area this past week. At the Embassy Suites Hotel in Frisco, circular walls surrounding a light-filled center provide a glimpse of the work of Aga Khan, the Shia Ismaili Muslim Imam. The exhibit also celebrates his golden jubilee.

A direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Aga Khan is the 49th spiritual leader of the religion. He established the Aga Khan Foundation, a group of development agencies, to implement projects. Photos of his wide-ranging accomplishments fill four themed areas or rays – engaging in dialogue, inspiring hope, fostering harmony and reaffirming identity. The center of the rays reflects his guidance.

The exhibit premiered earlier this year in Paris. It then moved to Lisbon, where it opened an Ismaili Center. In the United States, Rays of Light visited Atlanta and Orlando, Fla., before coming to the Dallas area. The organizers plan to take the exhibit to other U.S. cities, including Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Dallas News…

Related post:

Dallas: Frisco’s glimpse into the Ismaili community…

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Zanzibar: an urban idyll?

Guardian Weekly reader Dolar Vasani describes a visit to Zanzibar’s Forodhani Gardens – a seafront sanctuary filled with walkways, benches and food stalls

*****

Zanzibar is hot and sticky. It is the prelude to the long rains. In the evenings, I find myself looking to escape the stuffiness of my hotel room. Within a short walk, past the madrasa, are the Forodhani Gardens, a seafront sanctuary filled with walkways, benches and food stalls.

This rehabilitation project spearheaded by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has restored a variety of sites that mark Zanzibar’s rich history. Only men in white aprons and chef hats manage the many stalls of the night market, known for its shellfish, meat kebabs, fruit, freshly pressed sugarcane juice and, of course, the local Zanzibar pizza.

Read more at: Guardianweekly.UK

Related post:

Video on Inauguration of Forodhani Park’s Rehabilitation…

 

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Amnesty International: Underlying the economic crisis is a human rights time bomb

The world is sitting on a social, political and economic time bomb fuelled by an unfolding human rights crisis, said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan today as she launched Amnesty International Report 2009: State of the World’s Human Rights.

“Underlying the economic crisis is an explosive human rights crisis,” said Irene Khan. “The economic downturn has aggravated abuses, distracted attention from them and created new problems. In the name of security, human rights were trampled on. Now, in the name of economic recovery, they are being relegated to the back seat.”

“The world needs a new global deal on human rights – not paper promises but commitment and concrete action from governments to defuse the human rights time bomb. World leaders must invest in human rights as purposefully as they are investing in the economy.”

“Billions of people are suffering from insecurity, injustice and indignity,” said Irene Khan. “This crisis is about shortages of food, jobs, clean water, land and housing, and also about deprivation and discrimination, growing inequality, xenophobia and racism, violence and repression across the world.”

Read more at: AI

“Underlying the economic crisis is an explosive human rights crisis,”

more about “Amnesty International“, posted with vodpod

 

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“Timbuktu — city in the middle of nowhere”…a story by: Dr A Q Khan

By Dr A Q Khan
During our first trip to Timbuktu in 1998 we saw only one dilapidated hotel. On our second trip we found a new hotel of three-star standard that had been built by a Moroccan married to a lady from Timbuktu.

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During one of his trips to Pakistan I had the honour of having a long conversation with HH Prince Karim Aga Khan. After having spoken to him about Timbuktu’s cultural heritage and the fact that UNESCO had declared the area a world heritage site, he became quite enthusiastic. He introduced me to his information officer, Mr Amin, and a Swiss gentleman who was his director of projects. I advised them that the best time to visit Timbuktu was between October and February and informed them that the mosques were badly in need of repair. To encourage tourism, which would benefit all the people, an air connection between Bamako and Timbuktu was also badly needed.

The following October I received a call from an excited Abderhamane that Prince Karim Aga Khan had stayed at his hotel, toured the city, ordered renovation of the mosques and donated a plane to fly between Bamako and Timbuktu. It is now making three return flights a week and has made an enormous difference to tourism and the availability of commodities. The airport has been modernised and now even an Airbus can land and take off from there. Modern facilities have also reached Timbuktu – international dialling, mobile phones and the Internet are now all available.

Read complete atricle at source…

Related news:

Aga Khan Urges Rediscovery of Timbuktu and Djenne

His Highness the Aga Khan (centre) and the Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed Ag Hamani (right) at the 14th century Djingereiber Mosque, Timbuktu, with Mr. Abdramane ben Essayouti, the Imam of the Mosque and local dignitaries.

Photo credit: AKDN/Gary Otte

Cultural Development

A new airline in Mali

 

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Spiegel interview with US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke: ‘We’re Not in Afghanistan to Build a Perfect Democracy’

The US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, spoke to SPIEGEL about Washington’s goals in Afghanistan, President Obama’s new war strategy and the prospects of handing over responsibility to the government in Kabul.

SPIEGEL: You were part of President Johnson’s Vietnam team, you even wrote some parts of the Pentagon Papers, which uncovered the real history of the Vietnam War. What have you learnt from that experience and can you draw it in your current job?

Read more at Spiegel International…

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US in back-channel talks with Afghan Taliban

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: After fighting a bloody war in Afghanistan for more than eight years, the United States appears to have undertaken a re-think of its policy and has started engaging the Taliban in negotiations through Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies, highly-placed sources told Dawn here on Monday.

“We have started ‘engagement’ with the Afghan Taliban and are hopeful that our efforts will bear fruit,” a source involved in secret negotiations told this correspondent.

Read more at Dawn…

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Pakistan: Healthcare bill to end unethical practices

THE Punjab Health Department has claimed that the proposed Healthcare Commission bill, tabled in the Punjab Assembly for approval, aims at regulating the unregulated healthcare sector in public and private sector with a view to curb unethical medical practice and improve the standard of healthcare in the province.

“The Healthcare Commission would not go into punitive mode right away rather it would point out deficiencies and give sufficient time for ensuring provision of required facilities and staff in public and private health facilities to curb illegal and unethical practices in medical profession and effective delivery of healthcare services to patients,” said Health Secretary Anwaar Ahmad Khan at a press conference organized to remove misconceptions about the real objectives of the proposed bill on Monday. Presently, there is no regulatory body to check quackery and other malpractices in medical profession.

Read more at source…

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Dallas: Frisco’s glimpse into the Ismaili community…

The Enlightenment Dome is the first indication. This is not an ordinary conference at the Frisco Convention Center.

It isn’t a conference at all but a religious exhibit, whose venue selection indicates as much as the information inside.

“Rays of Light,” is a peak at the work of Aga Khan, the Shia Ismaili Muslim Imam. But it also offers insight into the influence of the region’s Ismaili community. About 10,000 Ismailis live in the Dallas area, with centers in Plano, Carrollton and Euless.

Read more at: Frisco Blog

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