LAHORE: Under growing pressure from religious circles, the Punjab government on Wednesday announced that mosques and seminaries formerly run by the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) would now be managed by a group of moderate clerics. The move follows a decision by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to ensure peace and prevent extremist elements from using religious […]
mosques
Punjab CM announces monthly stipends for imams of 65,000 mosques
In a landmark decision, Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to introduce a monthly stipend for ‘imams’ of 65,000 mosque across the province, being the first initiative of its kind in Pakistan’s history. She said while presiding over the fifth consecutive meeting on law and order that mosque imams are highly […]
New Zealand’s Ardern pans mosque attacks film amid backlash
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday criticised a planned movie about her response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks as poorly timed and focussed on the wrong subject. The US-backed film “They Are Us” has sparked an intense backlash among New Zealand Muslims, with community leaders slamming the project for pushing a “white […]
Mosques to remain open during Ramadan: Minister
Mosques will remain open during the holy month of Ramadan, the minister for religious affairs said on Monday. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, minister religious affairs, said that mosques will be open during the Ramadan under strict implementations of SOPs. Speaking at an event, the minister said that coronavirus cases are on the rise and following all SOPs […]
Sri Lanka Muslims pray at vandalised mosques
Sri Lanka’s minority Muslims attended Friday prayers as heavily armed troops and police guarded all mosques, including those badly vandalised in riots in the wake of the Easter terror attacks. Police said security would remain tight over the weekend for a major Buddhist festival as well as the 10th anniversary of the ending of the […]
Keeping secure: Punjab deploys 80,000 cops for manning mosques, imambargahs during Ramazan
As many as 80,000 cops and volunteers have been deputed for the security of 32,585 mosques and imambargahs across Punjab during Ramazan. Sources claimed that Regional Police Officers (RPOs), City Police Officers (CPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs) would personally monitor the security of churches. This was finalised during a meeting of RPOs, CPOs and […]
Sri Lanka Catholics turn to TV mass amid bomb threat
Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church will televise a private Sunday mass after canceling regular services over fears of a repeat of Easter suicide bombings that killed 257 people, a spokesman said. Father Edmund Tillakaratne said public masses were suspended for a second week, but a service conducted by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will be broadcast on national […]
Cross-cultural dialogue should begin in our schools
A sit-in continues in Quetta after the deadly blast on the morning of Friday April 12th. I am still wondering what is wrong where, after the news went on air, we listened to the number of dead and injured and then life moved on as usual. It just leads me to think of the incident […]
New Zealand police expect tens of thousands of firearms in gun buy-back scheme
New Zealand police expect tens of thousands of firearms to be surrendered in a guns buy-back scheme after parliament passed tough new firearm laws in the wake of the country’s worst peacetime mass shooting. Lawmakers in New Zealand voted almost unanimously on Wednesday to change gun laws, less than a month after a lone gunman […]
Austria to shut 7 mosques, deport imams
Austria on Friday decided to cease seven mosques in the country over allegedly running via “foreign funding”, while it also said the concerned clerics would be deported. Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz said that the step has been taken in a bid to “counter political Islam” in Austria. Officials also claim that few mosques have […]