Today, early morning, Budgam Police launched various searches and raids at the residences and Institutes linked to JEI. Searches were carried out based on credible intelligence that some JEI members are engaged in anti national activities.
Multiple searches carried out in Chadoora, Soibugh and Beerwah area. Searches were conducted by following due procedure of law. The search team was comprising of Police officers, lady police teams, local numberdars. Various electronic devices along with documents were seized from the houses of JeI linked members and institutes.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The operation was conducted to dismantle the terror ecosystem and separatist propoganda of proscribed organisation Jamat E Islami. Through such operations Budgam Police re affirms it’s commitment to establish and ensure peace and terror free environment in district.
The fiqh related to relief work generally begins and ends with an account of the obligations of zakah and its voluntary counterpart, sadaqa. Much of the discussion on zakah is focused on the legitimate expenditures from zakah funds and the right procedures for their collection and distribution. In the present age very few, if any, of the Muslim-majority states exercise real sovereignty over their economic and political affairs, and they have even less control of the educational and cultural influences on their people. The large-scale relief efforts undertaken by Muslim states and by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) run by Muslim volunteers respond to the emergencies that arise from natural disasters and wars. The funds they are able to raise and the relief work they are able to sustain are highly dependent on how intensively and for how long the emergencies are presented in the news cycle. Again, the reality Muslims must acknowledge is that the news cycle is not under their control, though this situation has improved a little in recent decades. The Muslim-run relief programmes and their sustainment after the immediate emergency are typically modelled on the legal and administrative forms of Western NGOs, and they run similar projects, such as health clinics, provision of access to clean water, primary education, and the like. Of course such programmes are necessary, deeply appreciated by the recipients of relief, and must continue. But, just as with the relief work of Western NGOs, the work of Muslim NGOs is always ongoing: the good that they do does not appear to result in freeing the recipients of relief from their need for relief. Instead, the relief efforts appear to highlight, and perhaps even aggravate, the dependency of the recipients of relief on the different agencies, Muslim or non-Muslim, which are providing the relief.
It hardly needs saying that the purpose of Islamic relief agencies cannot be to perpetuate Islamic relief agencies. Rather, their goal must be to establish the conditions in which the need for relief agencies is steadily reduced and the dependency of the recipients of relief comes to an end, ideally with a large contribution from their own local efforts. Everybody knows the Prophetic hadith in which a beggar is given the money to buy a rope and advised to collect firewood which he can then sell, instead of having to return to begging. This and other similar hadiths demonstrate the underlying principle: to the extent possible help persons in need to help themselves. That is the greater good, beyond short-term relief of poverty and hardship, which Islamic relief should be concerned about. However, the Western conception of relief efforts, and Western legal frameworks for that work, explicitly and formally discourage any challenge to the injustices in social and economic relations which keep the poor and needy always poor and needy. Allah has clearly said in His Book that wealth and opportunities to prosper should be freely and fairly circulated, not concentrated in the hands of the same social or ethnic group. The Islamic legal distinction, among means and ends, between halal and haram, and the commandments related to division of property under inheritance laws, are very much part of fiqh, no less important than the fiqh of zakah and sadaqa. Muslims should not be constrained by Western conceptions and practice of relief work. The intentions and actions of most volunteers in Western relief agencies may well be motivated by sincere concern and compassion for the people in need of relief, but ultimately their efforts are expressions of pity rather than compassion.
The world is on the edge of profound changes in the balance of political and economic power: the international order that has prevailed since mid-18th century, when European colonial expansion across the world became increasingly cruel and increasingly irresistible, appears to be coming to an end. Despite brutal resistance in some places, a new order is emerging, in which various Muslim polities will have a big part to play. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa, we see strong efforts to establish economic and political sovereignty, to reject the ongoing plunder of their natural and human resources by former European colonial powers, and to resist the takeover of those powers by the United States after the Second World War. This is an opportunity for Islamic relief agencies to re-think their motives and re-orient their programmes so that they distinguish clearly between short-term, emergency responses to the need for relief, and long-term responses which aim to end, and not perpetuate, the need for relief.
One way to understand the difference between short-term and long-term responses to need for relief is to understand the difference between pity and compassion. These two concepts or sentiments are very complexly interlinked and therefore hard to distinguish. It will be useful to look first at another pair of interlinked concepts, whose interlinkage is not so complex, namely remorse and repentance. Remorse is feeling bad about having done something we know is wrong or harmful to oneself or others, or that we know is disapproved by God. This feeling opens the door and should lead on to repentance, the determination never to do that bad thing again, and then never doing it again. However, as we all know, it is possible to feel remorse while still desiring and intending, perhaps even planning, to do the bad thing again. In other words, though remorse opens the door to repentance, it does not naturally flow into it. Rather, there is a need for a conscious decision and focused effort to pass through that door and realise repentance. Those who get stuck in remorse can become addicted to it: they look forward to the remorse as well as looking forward to doing the bad thing. Over time remorse may, perversely, flavour and enrich the enjoyment of what is then experienced as a ‘guilty pleasure’ or ‘pleasurable guilt’. This does not make remorse itself a bad thing. Remorse is a good thing always because it is the doorway to repentance. Even for those who habitually refuse to step through that doorway, it remains open until the close approach of the individual’s death, whereupon it is too late.
The relation between pity and compassion is similar but more complicated. Pity is what we naturally feel when we see someone else in trouble. This feeling quickly and naturally becomes an impulse to help lessen or end the trouble. The mechanism generating this feeling is the capacity to mirror in one’s own self the experience and situation that is presented to us in another person. This capacity, where in the brains it happens, and how exactly the so-called ‘mirror neurones’ do what they do, is not yet well understood. It is most likely that capacity underlies our ability to understand what someone else means, whether they speak effectively or not, and sometimes even when they do not speak; somehow, we already know more or less what they are feeling or thinking. Being able to feel what a person in trouble is feeling sparks the impulse to help them. Suffering what someone else is suffering is the root meaning of the English word ‘compassion’, namely ‘suffering with’. But there is a complication.
While the brain mirrors what another is suffering it does not stop being aware that the other is the one suffering, not oneself. Since in principle suffering is undesirable, there is an impulse to turn away from it. Then, instead of the feeling of pity flowing naturally into the feeling of compassion, the witness to suffering may become aware of their own exemption from that suffering, and experience instead a sense of superiority inasmuch as they are able to help the other, but the other is not in any position to help them. God has made us in such a way that pity opens the door to compassion and naturally flows into compassion –– unlike the relation between remorse and repentance, compassion flows naturally, it does not require a particular resolve and decision for pity to switch on compassion. However, God has also permitted Shaytan, until the end of time, to lay ambushes for humankind, and Shaytan has developed many stratagems to block that natural flow. For example, Shaytan will focus our attention on out being in a socially superior position, the position of help-giver and not help-recipient. Then, questions flood into the heart and perplex the impulse to compassion: does the recipient really deserve to be helped, and how much help would be appropriate, and so on. In the best case of such shaytani influence, what the Western media call ‘compassion fatigue’ sets in: surely, we tell ourselves, we have already done enough, we have done our part; we cannot do more, the need is just too great; etc. In the worst case of shaytani influence, ‘compassion refusal’ or ‘reversal’ sets in: this is the position of those reported in the Quran as saying: if God wanted these people to be fed, He would have fed them directly, or created for them circumstances in which they could feed themselves; these needy people are not our problem. Because pity has not been permitted to flow into compassion, pity itself erodes and disappears, and then, instead of pity, people feel something like contempt for the needy even though they may be too well-mannered to give expression to this contempt. Either way, their behaviour shows that they do not care, not really.
This self-exclusion from pity and compassion sooner or later turns into an incurable self-centredness, that is, a determined, enduring self-exclusion from any dependency on compassion, on the grace of God; people rely instead on their own strength, individual or collective, on their rationality, their efficiency and industriousness in exploiting the natural and human resources around them. Although it is obvious that the ground of there being any existence at all, let alone, sentient life, and especially the intelligibility to sentient human life of what happens in the world, is the rahma of Allah –– even the most determined atheists know that they did not create themselves, that they are indebted creatures, indebted to parents and family, to society, to the whole, vast span of heavens and earth –– although all this is obvious and obviously real, unbelievers will deny this rahma. In so doing, they affirm their kufr, they cover up the truth with theories like all existence is the product of chance collisions of particles moving at random. Even if that were true at the level of subatomic particles –– and it can be true only in light of our restricted observations and mathematical accounts of those collisions –– it cannot be true of the reality we experience as human beings, as individuated assemblages, at some certain time and place, of subatomic articles. Each of those assemblages is fully self-conscious, and fully capable of interacting with the self-consciousness of other assemblages of the same, human kind.
I have explained elsewhere that the fundamental assumption of modern Western economics, namely the scarcity of resources and the necessity of a pitiless competition to seize (and exhaust) those resources is false. The assumption is often expressed as ‘life is a jungle’; ‘it is dog-eat-dog world’, etc. In reality, the rich diversity of a jungle happens through the emergence over time of complex interactionof co-operativeness among different elements of inanimate and animate existence. Competition occurs within the co-operativeness: it broadens, magnifies, and intensifies the quality of the different life-forms, so that they diversify and entangle, re-diversify, re-entangle, and spread out little by little: the jungle is not an absence of moral order, but the presence of a moral order more richly and profoundly integrated than suits the narrow aspirations of human economic effort. Only human beings over-eat, over-produce, over-consume, to the point, way beyond satisfaction, of toxicity, of poisoning themselves and poisoning the jungle itself. As for the dog-eat-dog metaphor. Yes, dogs will fight over the same bone, and the dog who loses the fight will go hungry, and be emotionally and physically weakened before the next fight. But more often than not, fighting gestures and noises substitute for actual fighting, so that the ‘competition for resources’ is at worst only lethal, not fatal. So the dog who loses lives to fight another day, another, better fight. Again, only humans take this competition beyond the symbolic or mildly lethal level; they seem to need to kill off the competition, to take everything into self-centred ownership, convert everything into commodity and property, and actively prevent others from sharing in it. This mind-set is the absolute opposite to the grace of God, which gives to these as well as those, and which looks (to the religiously infirm) like randomness, an arbitrary distribution. If and when infected by Shaytan, the same mind-set becomes a prison of personal or national/cultural or racial pride: I/we are inherently better than them: we are entitled to rob them of their past and future; we are entitled to reduce them to a near-permanent servitude to our interests, our tastes, and our whims.
The grand gestures of philanthropists so characteristic of wealthy elites –– the support for food and water distribution, for sciences and arts, and for sports and other distractions –– have been, among the elites of Western civilisations, especially cynical. Under both Greek and Roman imperialisms, conquering generals, political administrators, owners of large land-holdings, and controllers of trade routes and of tribute- or tax-incomes, were expected to fund costly religious ceremonies for the general public, and these could include lavish food distribution, gifts of money, and distractions like sports festivals. The purpose of this philanthropy is to please the mass of people, to project a positive brand image for the donor, and to prevent the recipients of the largesse from resisting their deprivation by the individual donor or by the class of donors. Examples of such behaviour could easily be presented from Islamic history, and yet it has never been a settled characteristic of Islamic civilisation in general.
Christianity developed the earlier pre-Christian notion that the gods (spitefully) deprived human beings of immortality and other superpowers but allowed them to become ‘as gods’, to live (after death) like stars in the heavens, if they excelled in life, as warrior-heroes or sports-heroes or champions of some other sort –– these who did not excel (all humans except a handful), and defy the limitations the gods had imposed on them, lived on as shadows or shades of themselves in a space, distinct from the earth and distinct from the habitations of the gods. somewhere below or deep inside the earth. By divinising Christ, and building a dramatic narrative (seemingly modelled on comparable dramatic narratives in Greek literature) wherein Christ’s non-combative response to evil demonstrates God’s (ultimately) forgiving nature, Christianity divinised pity, separating it radically from compassion. God pities humankind (having created them pitiable) and by dying for them somehow liberates them from their humanity, transforming their suffering into a state that transcends their humanity. This teaching underwent a long evolution not relevant here. What is relevant here is that, in Christian practice (which persists in post- and ex-Christian social and legal forms), the political, military effort of plundering the resources of others is regarded as just the way the world is, its ‘evil’, which cannot be escaped. However, its worst consequences can be mitigated by acts of pity towards the victims or ‘losers’. Thus it is commonplace to observe nations and corporations operating within political and economic structures, laws, and practices which systematically and enduringly deprive others of the benefits of their natural or labour resources, while also, separately, pitying them and arranging for occasional hand-outs to mitigate the effects of the misery and servitude imposed on them. Making an unconscionably large profit and being philanthropic with it are regarded as radically separate human efforts. Thus, for example, after profiting for centuries from the most brutal and cruel form of human slavery, and complimenting themselves on the great civilisational enterprises they were able to undertake as a result of this compelled labour, Western politicians proceeded to compliment themselves on their humanity (their superior humanity) by making the slave trade, and then slavery itself, illegal. The quality of compassion felt for the slaves may be judged from, first, the fact that slave-owners, not slaves, were compensated for the ending of this economic practice; second, from the fact that the abolition process began and matured simultaneously with the introduction of machinery that could more profitably replace slave labour; third, from the fact that, within fifty years of abolition, the principal source of slaves, Africa was subjected to the most brutal colonisation, entailing genocide, ethnic cleansing, etc. on a scale comparable to what was done in America and Australia; and fourth by the fact that the pseudo-scientific nonsense of ‘superior humanity’ is as vigorously practised as it is vigorously denied. Look at Palestine, Gaza particularly, if you think this is over-stating the case.
Islamic relief agencies cannot operate within a framework other than the one where pity substitutes for and replaces compassion, where the need for relief is met short-term, crisis by crisis, but the conditions underlying such need are not addressed. It is very wrong to accuse Western charitable endeavours of being hypocritical. They are not; they can be, and mostly are, perfectly sincere. The point I am making is that those endeavours are in themselves, structurally and formally, misdirected, intended to address the sights and sounds that human suffering makes, which upset us (because Allah is rahman and rahim), but which are not intended to end that suffering properly and enduringly. Until the Muslim peoples of the world attain a much larger measure of political, economic and cultural sovereignty, than is currently possible, Islamic relief agencies must continue to do the good that they are doing. But while doing it, they can desire what is better than that, and worthier of their Islamic heritage. The contacts their volunteers make among the people they are helping can provide them with information that relates to reforms (in governance, in land and water usage, in infrastructure development and the like) which might assure future economic prosperity. Even within the rules constraining NGOs, NGOs can and do collate such information in the form of reports that can inform Muslim donors as to what the whole relief effort should be aiming for. At the same time, these same reports can be a basis for encouraging Muslims living in some degree of prosperity to make common cause with the recipients of their donations through specific acts of economic solidarity: identify with them, look for opportunities to help them help themselves; figuratively, provide them with the rope that they can use to bundle firewood and not have to beg.
Yasin Malik, the former Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) separatist leader, has faced a significant setback in the 1990 killing of four Air Force officials. Two key eyewitnesses testified in a Jammu Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court, identifying Malik as the main shooter in the attack that killed four Air Force servicemen, including Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, and wounded 22 others.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
One of the witnesses, who was cross-examined by Malik, even told Malik, “Except for your style of beard, you haven’t changed much, and I have no difficulty recognising you as the main shooter.”
The prime witness also identified three other accused, Showkat Bakshi, Nanna Ji and Javed Ahmad, as involved in the Sannat Nagar shootout.
Recounting the harrowing experience, the witness told the court that Nanna Ji had pointed an AK rifle at him, ready to fire”He wanted to spray bullets, but I changed my position and saved myself,” the witness said.
Describing the chaotic scene, he explained how they managed to rush an injured official to the hospital.”It was only the next day that we learnt four of the injured officials had succumbed to their injuries,” the witness added, highlighting the traumatic aftermath of the attack.
Malik, who is currently serving a life sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in a terror funding case, appeared in court via video conferencing.The court has allowed the cross-examination of prime witnesses. CBI’s Special Prosecutor SK Bhat was present during the hearing.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 29.The case, which is being fast-tracked, has brought some closure to the families of the victims after 35 years.
The prosecution, led by SK Bhat, has presented strong evidence against Malik and other accused.
Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Al Falah University – the epicentre of terror module behind the Delhi blast, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a terror financing-linked money laundering case on Tuesday.
The probe agency investigation follows two FIRs filed recently by the Delhi Police Crime Branch against Al-Falah University, including cases related to cheating and alleged forgery concerning accreditation documents.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The university in Faridabad’s Dhouj has come under scrutiny after the arrest of several doctors in connection with the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 15 people and injured many others. The suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi, a Kashmiri resident, was associated with the varsity.
The arrest follows a detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during the search action conducted at university premises in connection with the Al Falah Group, the central agency said in a statement. The probe agency conducted search operations at 19 locations in Delhi.
The blast followed after the authorities recently busted the ‘white-collar’ terror module linked to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The investigation led to the seizure of around 2,900 kg of explosive material from two rented rooms in Faridabad, and the arrest/detention of several individuals, including doctors connected to the Al Falah University, and a cleric linked to a mosque in Faridabad.
The probe agency is examining alleged violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including possible diversion of funds and suspicious financial transactions routed through entities associated with the university.
“The entire Al-Falah group has seen a meteoric rise since the 1990s metamorphosing into a large educational body. However, the rise is not backed by adequate financials,” the probe agency, which investigates financial crimes, said. (Source NDTV)
The terrorists behind the Delhi Red Fort car bomb – who have been labelled the ‘terror doctors’ because they were bonafide medical professionals in their day jobs, though their licences have now been cancelled – were radicalised after coming in contact with a Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, sources said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Last week intelligence sources revealed Ahmad’s name to NDTV and confirmed that he is a resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian. Further details, though, were sketchy.
NDTV can now reveal the first meeting between Ahmed – who has links to terrorists from the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group – and (former Dr) Muzamil Shakeel, who worked at the Al-Falah Hospital in Haryana’s Faridabad, which rapidly became the centre of this terror cell.
It was in Shakeel’s possession – in two rented rooms in Faridabad – that cops found 2,950 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate used in the car bomb. This was hours before Umar-un-Nabi, aka Umar Mohammad, drove the Hyundai i10 across Delhi and detonated it outside the Red Fort.
Ahmed met Shakeel and Nabi in 2023, while accompanying a patient, whose identity and link to the terror conspiracy are unclear at this time, to the Government Medical College in Srinagar.
They exchanged phone numbers and in messages and calls over the next two years, Ahmed would radicalise both Shakeel and Nabi; to such an extent the latter, in a video that emerged this week, calmly discusses suicide bombing, which he called “a misunderstood concept”. Sources told NDTV Shakeel and Nabi also introduced other colleagues to Ahmed, who used extremist ideology and material – shared via a channel on messaging app Telegram – to try and radicalise them too. Ahmed also arranged meetings with Jaish terrorists in south Kashmir. That meeting would prove to be crucial, the first step, as it were, in the Red Fort car blast plan. Officials familiar with the investigation said the Jaish terrorists supplied the ‘terror doctors’ with two assault rifles.
One of the rifles was found in the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire of Shahina Saeed, another ‘terror doctor’ code-named ‘Madam Surgeon’. Investigators believe is a senior leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s women’s wing – the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind – which was set up by JeM founder after Operation Sindoor. The second was recovered from the GMC in Srinagar, from locker of another doctor and member of this cell – Adil Ahmad Rather. It was Rather’s activities – he was caught on CCTV putting up posters supporting Jaish across J&K’s Nowgam – that helped cops crack the cell.
Rather was arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur and his interrogation revealed the conspiracy, leading then to the arrests of Shakeel, the recovery of the explosives and the identification of Saeed. Unfortunately, though, the police were not able to stop the bomb itself. The entire operation to bust this terror cell revealed another worrying point – that terrorist groups like JeM are radicalising highly-educated professionals, like doctors in this case. J&K Police confirmed their investigation had revealed a “white-collar terror ecosystem”.
Investigations have also revealed a list of 10 names believed to be ‘key’ members of this cell, including Umar-bin-Khattab, alias Hanjulla, a Pak-based operative with whom Irfan Ahmed was in touch.
A 55-year-old dry-fruit seller from Qazigund, south Kashmir, doused himself with petrol and set himself ablaze on Sunday after visiting the local police station — an act his family and local politicians say was driven by fear for the safety of relatives who had been taken away for questioning in a terror-module probe. The man, identified as Bilal Ahmad Wani, was first taken to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar and later shifted as his condition worsened; several news outlets reported that he succumbed to his injuries. (The Indian Express)
The incident: what happened
According to family members, Wani — who lived close to the home of a doctor recently arrested in connection with the probe — was called to the Qazigund police station on Saturday. The family says he returned home that night looking shaken; his son, Jasir (also reported as Jasir Altaf), and his brother, Nabeel Ahmad, remained in custody. Early the next morning, Wani went outside, poured petrol over himself and set himself on fire. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Some media reports later said he died of his injuries. (The Indian Express)
Family members told reporters that Wani had repeatedly pleaded with authorities to let him see his detained son and brother and that his distress over their safety was the immediate trigger for the self-immolation. Those accounts have been central to local outrage. (The Indian Express)
Police response and denials
Kulgam police, however, denied detaining members of Wani’s family when questioned by reporters and officials. The Superintendent of Police in Kulgam stated there was no case against Wani and that when his son was questioned, Wani himself had been allowed to leave the station. The police briefings assert that there was no deliberate denial of access to family members in custody. These conflicting accounts between family and police have added to the controversy and calls for clarity. (The Indian Express)
Why the family was under scrutiny
The incident took place against the backdrop of a widening investigation into a terror-module allegedly linked to the November 10 Red Fort car blast. Police arrested several people in a multi-state probe that has included raids and seizures of explosives and weapons. One of the central figures in that probe is Dr. Adeel (Adil/Adil Ahmad) Rather, a Kashmiri doctor who was arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, earlier in November; authorities allege he played a role in the “white-collar” support network behind the module. The Wani family — neighbours of Dr. Rather — say that proximity to the accused doctor made them targets for questioning. (www.ndtv.com)
Media reports about the wider investigation indicate that multiple doctors working in different parts of western Uttar Pradesh have been questioned and that agencies have recovered substantial quantities of materials reportedly linked to extremist activity. The probe has therefore involved several state and central agencies and has generated intense press and political attention. (The Times of India)
Political reaction and public outcry
The death and the circumstances around it prompted immediate condemnation from opposition leaders and human-rights advocates. Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called the episode “this level of highhandedness” and said that “random” detentions risk pushing people toward “darker paths.” She posted the family’s account and urged authorities to permit families access to those in custody. Her post amplified local anger and demands for an independent probe into both the conduct of the investigation and the treatment of those questioned. (X (formerly Twitter))
Reporting from The Indian Express, , NDTV, The Times of India, and public posts by Mehbooba Mufti on X. (The Indian Express)
Assalamu Alaykum Shaykh, My question is about how Shayatin can adversely impact our lives with their waswasahs? Do all mental health issues, such as overthinking and panic attacks, emerge from waswasah? How can we stop it? Are they signs of weakness of Imaan and Tawakkul? Reading your recent article about Prophet SaW’s life and difficulties has given me a deeper understanding of the test of Allah. However, as normal human beings, how can we make our lives more bearable, and how can we increase our Tawakkul?
Answer: Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Your question reflects sincerity and a desire to understand your inner experience through the lens of Qur’ān, Sunnah, and the guidance of our scholars. May Allah reward your concern and increase you in clarity and tranquillity.
When we speak about the influence of Shayṭān, it is essential to remember that his primary tool is whispering, subtle suggestions and distortions that try to push the heart away from remembrance, certainty, and calmness. Allah tells us that the devil whispers, retreats, comes back, magnifies fears, beautifies sins, feeds doubts, and tries to confuse a person in moments of vulnerability. But these whispers do not force a person, nor do they have power over the believer who remembers Allah. They are invitations, not commands.
Whispering does not mean weakness. In fact, the Prophet ﷺ told the Companions, some of whom were troubled by the strange thoughts entering their hearts, that this discomfort is a sign of faith, because the believer dislikes the whisper and feels disturbed by it. This means the heart is alive. Only a dead heart feels nothing.
It is important, however, to distinguish the spiritual phenomenon of whispering from psychological and emotional challenges. Not every anxious thought, panic attack, or episode of overthinking is from Shayṭān. The scholars, including Imām al-Nawawī, Ibn al-Qayyim, and others, recognized that some intrusive thoughts arise from illness, exhaustion, emotional trauma, or the natural functioning of the mind. The Prophet ﷺ acknowledged human sorrow, grief, fear, and sadness as natural states. He himself experienced deep emotional pain at times, after the death of Khadījah, during persecution, and at moments of great responsibility. These emotions did not diminish his rank, and they do not diminish yours.
A panic attack may come from anxiety. Constant overthinking may come from stress or internal pressure. A feeling of dread might come from burnout or lack of rest. These conditions require compassion, not self-blame. Islam does not shame a person for being human. Hardship is part of the divine design of life. Allah tells us plainly that He will test us, and the Prophet ﷺ taught that those most beloved to Allah are tested the most, not because they are weak, but because they are strong enough for refinement and elevation.
Shayṭān tends to attack through the door already open: tiredness, fear, emotional pain, loneliness, sin, or spiritual neglect. He tries to make small problems feel huge and tries to shake the believer’s focus by feeding confusion and uncertainty. But he has no authority over the believer who keeps turning back to Allah. His whispers weaken as the heart strengthens through remembrance, obedience, and good company, and through practical strategies that bring emotional stability.
To reduce the power of whispering, the Prophet ﷺ taught very simple but profound methods. The first is regular dhikr. The heart that remembers Allah becomes like a fortified home that the devil finds no entrance to. Reciting the morning and evening adhkār, Āyat al-kursī, and Sūrat al-Baqarah are among the most powerful spiritual protections. Seeking refuge with Allah whenever a whisper arrives weakens it immediately. Ignoring baseless thoughts is also crucial, for Ibn Taymiyyah said that the whisper grows when you feed it with attention and dies when you starve it.
Alongside spiritual means, Islam encourages practical remedies. If a person experiences mental health difficulties, seeking professional help is not a lack of faith, it is obedience to the Prophet ﷺ, who said that for every illness Allah created a cure. Therapy, counseling, medical treatment, a structured daily routine, sleep, social support, and physical activity are all part of a holistic Islamic approach to healing. The body, mind, and soul are interconnected; strengthening one strengthens the others.
You asked how to make life more bearable as ordinary human beings. One part of the answer is accepting the nature of this world: it is a place of tests, ups and downs, moments of light and moments of heaviness. No one escapes this pattern, not even the greatest of creation. But Allah equips us with inner tools, prayer, duʿā’, Qur’ān, mindfulness, patience, and gratitude, to transform the burden into spiritual elevation. Hardship becomes easier when we stop resisting its existence and instead ask Allah to strengthen us through it.
As for increasing tawakkul, reliance on Allah grows through three elements working together. The first is knowing Allah, His mercy, wisdom, gentleness, and power. A person only trusts whom they know. Deepening knowledge of His Names and Attributes naturally strengthens reliance. The second element is action. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to “tie the camel and then trust in Allah,” meaning tawakkul is not passive; it is the combination of effort and surrender. You take all reasonable steps, but you place the outcome entirely in Allah’s hands. The third element is the heart’s surrender, contentment with Allah’s decree, remembering past blessings, and recognizing that what Allah chooses for His servant is often better than what the servant would choose for himself. Ibn al-Qayyim beautifully said that true tawakkul is a peaceful heart resting in the certainty that Allah’s plan is wiser than one’s own.
In summary, whispering is real, but not every mental struggle comes from Shayṭān. Experiencing intrusive thoughts does not diminish your iman. Islam gives us both spiritual and practical tools to manage thoughts, emotions, and difficulties. Hardship is part of life, but with the right inner orientation, it becomes a means to deepen faith. Tawakkul grows through knowledge of Allah, sincere effort, and a heart that trusts the One who never abandons His servants.
Forty-five Indian Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana died, and only one survived in a devastating bus fire near Medina in Saudi Arabia, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said on Monday, confirming one of the most tragic overseas incidents involving pilgrims from the state in recent years.
Addressing the media, Sajjanar said the group was travelling from Makkah to Madinah when their bus collided with an oil tanker nearly 25 km before Medina, causing an explosion that engulfed the vehicle within minutes.
“The fire spread rapidly, leaving no time for most passengers to escape,” he said.
According to details shared by the Commissioner, a total of 54 pilgrims from Hyderabad left for Jeddah on November 9 as part of an Umrah tour scheduled from November 9 to 23. Of them, four individuals proceeded to Madinah separately by car, while another four remained in Makkah due to personal reasons. The remaining 46 pilgrims boarded the bus involved in the fatal crash.
Out of the 46 passengers, 45 died at the scene after the bus was completely burnt. Only one individual, Md Abdul Shoaib, survived the fire. He has been admitted to a Saudi hospital ICU and is in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday expressed condolences over the tragic bus accident that occurred late last night near Madinah, Saudi Arabia, which claimed the lives of several Indian pilgrims and left others injured.
In a post shared on X, the Defence Minister said, “Saddened by the tragic accident involving a bus carrying Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. My condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones.”
He further assured that the Indian government is actively engaged in providing all necessary support. “Indian officials are in close coordination with the Saudi authorities to ensure the injured receive proper care and that every possible support reaches the affected families in this hour of grief,” Singh further said on X.
Further, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a 24×7 control room following a tragic bus accident late last night involving Umrah pilgrims near Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
The Consulate General of India, Jeddah, has provided multiple contact numbers for assistance, including 8002440003 (toll-free), 00966122614093, 00966126614276, and 00966556122301 (WhatsApp), urging family members to reach out for immediate support.
In its statement, the Indian Consulate expressed its “deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”
“Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are also in touch with the Saudi Haj and Umrah Ministry, and other local authorities. They are also in touch with the concerned Umrah operators,” the statement added.
A team of Consulate staff and Indian community volunteers is on the ground at various hospitals and sites. The press release added that both the Embassy and the Consulate are “extending fullest support” and “are also in touch with the concerned officials of the State of Telangana to coordinate with the concerned families.”
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that he was “deeply shocked” by the bus accident near Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
“Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he wrote.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also expressed shock after preliminary reports indicated that several victims were from Hyderabad.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister has contacted officials in New Delhi and instructed them to coordinate closely with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh for updated information.
Telangana Chief Secretary, A Santhi Kumari, alerted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in New Delhi, directing him to immediately gather details on how many passengers from Telangana were on the bus and ensure timely support. A control room has also been activated at the state Secretariat to monitor the situation.
Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, also expressed grief after the accident in Saudi Arabia and urged the Centre to bring back the bodies.
Owaisi told ANI that he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and also contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies, sharing the passengers’ details with the Riyadh Embassy and the Foreign Secretary.
He said that there were 42 people on the bus that was involved in the accident. Local reports said the bus was travelling from Mecca to Madinah when the accident occurred. Details on casualties and survivors are awaited. (ANI)
At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims, many of them from Telangana, are feared dead after a passenger bus carrying devotees from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker early on Monday morning. The incident occurred around 1.30 am IST at Mufrihat, according to initial reports.
The reports said there were 43 passengers on the bus, with only one known survivor so far. The group, said to have departed from Hyderabad, had 20 women and 11 children, some reports said.
They had completed their Umrah rituals in Mecca and were on their way to Madinah when tragedy struck.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi confirmed that 42 Umrah pilgrims were on board when the bus caught fire. He said he is in touch with Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who is gathering information about the incident. Owaisi also urged the central government to ensure the repatriation of the victims’ bodies to India and to provide proper medical care for the injured.
Sarabjit Kaur, a 52-year-old Sikh woman from India’s Punjab, who arrived in Pakistan with a group of pilgrims for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 555th birth anniversary, has accepted Islam and married a local man. Her new name is Noor Hussain. She went missing when the group returned on November 13.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Woman Chose Islam on Her Own: Court Statement
Kaur, from Kapurthala in Tarn Taran district, married Nasir Hussain of Farooqabad in Sheikhupura district on November 5. The marriage document (nikahnama) in Urdu lists a dowry of PKR 10,000, already paid.
In a statement recorded at Sheikhupura court, she said: “I accepted Islam with full free will and happiness. No pressure or force was used. I want to live with Nasir Hussain in Pakistan.”
Pilgrim Group Details
Arrival: November 4 via Wagah-Attari border.
Group Size: 1,992 pilgrims, organized by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Visa Expiry: November 13.
Visits: Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, Panja Sahib, and other gurdwaras.
Kaur is divorced with two sons in the UK. Indian reports mention three fraud cases against her, but these are unrelated.
Reactions from India and Pakistan
India: High Commission in Islamabad seeks confirmation of her safety and consent. Intelligence sources fear a pattern of targeting pilgrims. SGPC faces criticism for poor monitoring.
Pakistan: Officials call it a personal decision. Court has ensured her protection and started residence process.
Al-Falah University (AFU) is a private university located in Faridabad, Haryana, India, approximately 27-30 km from the Delhi border. Established in 2014 by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust through the Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Act, 2014, it spans a 70-acre campus in the village of Dhauj (Tikri Kheda, Fatehpur Taga Road). The trust, formed in 1995, initially started an engineering college in 1997, which evolved into the full university recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2015 and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). AFU operates as a Muslim minority institution, emphasizing multidisciplinary education with a focus on engineering, medical sciences, humanities, and more. It has come under intense national scrutiny in November 2025 due to its alleged links to the Delhi Red Fort car bomb blast on November 10, 2025, which killed 13 people and injured dozens.
The university’s official website (alfalahuniversity.edu.in) appears to be under maintenance or restricted access as of November 15, 2025, displaying only a placeholder message for site owners to log in. Its medical school’s site (alfalahmedical.org) remains active, promoting diagnostic services, outpatient care, and a blood bank, but omits any reference to recent controversies.
History and Founding
Founding: Established by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, chaired by Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, an engineering graduate from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore. Siddiqui, the managing trustee, has a controversial past, including a 2000 conviction in a ₹7.5 crore investment fraud case involving Al-Falah Investments Ltd., where he was jailed from 2001-2004 for cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust.
Evolution: Began as Al-Falah School of Engineering & Technology in 1997. Upgraded to university status in 2014. The medical wing, Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AFSMRC), was approved in 2019 by the National Medical Commission (NMC) despite Siddiqui’s criminal record, raising questions about regulatory vetting.
Leadership: Vice-Chancellor is Dr. Bhupinder Kaur Anand; Dean of AFSMRC is Maj Gen (Dr) Pradeep Kumar Singh (retd.). Siddiqui directs nine affiliated companies under the trust, spanning finance, education, IT, energy, and healthcare, all registered at Al-Falah House in Okhla, Delhi.
Academic Programs and Facilities
AFU offers a range of UG, PG, diploma, and PhD programs across multiple schools. The flagship is its medical education through AFSMRC, affiliated with the university and attached to a 650-bed hospital. Key facilities include lecture halls, labs, a well-stocked library, seminar halls, auditorium, sports grounds, hostels, and a blood bank.
School/Department
Key Programs Offered
Duration
Annual Fee (Approx., INR)
Intake/Seats
Medical Sciences & Research Centre
MBBS, MD/MS (upcoming), BDS, B.Pharm
MBBS: 5.5 yrs (incl. internship)
12-16.37 Lakh (Years 1-4); 9 Lakh (Year 5)
MBBS: 150-200
Engineering & Technology
B.Tech, M.Tech in various specializations
4 yrs (UG)
1-1.5 Lakh
Varies
Education & Training
B.Ed, M.Ed
2 yrs
50,000-80,000
Varies
Computer Science
BCA, MCA
3 yrs (UG)
60,000-1 Lakh
Varies
Humanities & Languages
BA, MA in Arts, Languages
3 yrs (UG)
30,000-50,000
Varies
Commerce & Management
BBA, MBA
3 yrs (UG)
80,000-1.2 Lakh
Varies
Physical & Molecular Sciences
BSc/MSc in Sciences
3 yrs (UG)
40,000-70,000
Varies
Polytechnic
Diploma in Engineering
3 yrs
50,000-70,000
Varies
Admissions: Primarily merit/entrance-based; MBBS via NEET UG (50% AIQ, 50% state quota). PG via NEET PG. As a minority institution, it prioritizes Muslim candidates.
Accreditations: UGC-recognized; AIU member; NMC-approved for medical programs. NAAC A-grade for some schools (e.g., Engineering, Education), but under dispute.
Student Reviews: Rated 3.8/5 on platforms like Shiksha for faculty (4/5), infrastructure, and placements. Praised for supportive faculty and serene campus; criticized for high fees and limited extracurriculars.
Total enrollment: ~2,000-3,000 students, with ~200 in MBBS.
Recent Controversies and Investigations (November 2025)
AFU has been at the center of the probe into the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked Red Fort blast, described as a “white-collar terror module” involving radicalized medical professionals. Key developments:
Blast Links: Three arrested doctors—Dr. Shaheen Saeed, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel, and Dr. Shaheen Shahid—from AFSMRC. Diaries revealed a two-year conspiracy with coded attack plans. Fugitive bomber Dr. Umar un Nabi (DNA-matched) rented rooms off-campus where 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized. Nisar Ul Hassan, a professor fired by J&K Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha in 2023 for security risks, was hired by AFU.
Missing Personnel: 15 Islamic doctors and an MBBS student reportedly vanished post-blast; NIA arrested the student on November 15 for extremist links (family denies).
Raids and Detentions: Delhi Police detained three more (two AFU doctors from Nuh, Haryana) on November 15. Seven-hour search at Okhla head office; questioned 52 doctors on campus. Haryana Police found a suspect’s Suzuki Brezza on-site.
Regulatory Actions:
NAAC show-cause notice (Nov 13) for false accreditation claims; prohibited AIU logo use.
UGC flagged irregularities; NMC monitoring for potential medical status revocation.
Delhi Police filed two FIRs (Nov 15): one for cheating, one for forgery (under IPC 420, 468, etc.).
Other Issues: Website hacked on Nov 12 by “Indian Cyber Alliance” warning against “radical Islamic activities.” Suspicions of lab misuse for explosives; funding probes by Enforcement Directorate linking to Siddiqui’s firms.
University Response: Legal advisor Mohd Razi called charges “baseless”; no comment on recruitments. Operations continue, with notices for MBBS/PG admissions 2025-26 and PhD notices.
Timeline of Key Events (Nov 2025)
Details
Nov 10
Red Fort blast; AFU links emerge.
Nov 12
Explosives seizure; website hack.
Nov 13
NAAC notice; car found on campus.
Nov 14
52 doctors questioned; 15 missing reported.
Nov 15
NIA student arrest; two FIRs; three more detentions.
Broader Implications
The scandal exposes vetting gaps in minority institutions, especially medical approvals. While AFU promotes “ethical education and social responsibility,” investigations suggest opaque funding and radicalization risks. No further blasts reported, but security is heightened. As of November 15, 2025, the university faces potential closure or restrictions, with probes ongoing into Siddiqui’s network and cross-border ties. For admissions or queries, contact +91-9310332706 (official helpline).
A Naib Tehsildar was among 9 dead and 29 others were injured after a high-intensity blast ripped through Nowgam police station in Srinagar late last night, officials said.
An official said that the blast occurred when a confiscated explosive stored inside the police station explosive went off.He said that the explosive – most probably ammonium nitrate – was recently brought in from Haryana’s Faridabad to Nowgam police station. The explosive was seized after Jammu and Kashmir police and Faridabad police busted an alleged doctors’ terror module.
“Most of the dead are policemen and FSL team members. A Naib Tehsildar and a local tailor is also among the dead, while 29 others are injured. Some of the injured are in a critical condition,” he said.
The official added that identification of the bodies is underway as some have been completely burnt. The intensity of the blast was such that some of the body parts were recovered from nearby houses – around 100-200 meters away from the police station,” he said.
He added that the injured have been admitted to Army’s 92 Base hospital in Srinagar and SKIMS Soura for treatment, while some have been admitted to a local private hospital for treatment—(KNO)
Question: Salam Shaikh Mohammed Akram Nadwi, I hope you’re doing well, in shā’ Allāh. For some time, I’ve been reflecting on the signs of the end times—particularly the prophecies that our beloved Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ foretold regarding the wars and conflicts that would occur near the end of time. With the ongoing tragedy and oppression in Gaza and Palestine, we often hear references to the Malḥamah al-Kubrā (the great and final battle, sometimes called Armageddon) and the ḥadīth, “‘Umrān Bayt al-Maqdis Kharāb Yathrib”—meaning that when Jerusalem becomes prosperous and highly developed, it will signal the decline or desolation of Madinah. Looking at this Hadith and others, there seems to be a great deal of confusion and ambiguity surrounding these reports. Some scholars even claim that these prophecies are unfolding before our very eyes in the current era. My question is: How companions of prophet (sas) understood these ahadith ? what are the main lessons and benefits we should derive from these prophecies today? I would be deeply grateful if you could shed light on these questions and help us understand these predictions in their proper context—so we may take the intended lessons and reminders from them. Jazāk Allāhu khayran, Mohammad Sirajuddin
Answer: Wa ʿalaykum al-salām wa raḥmatullāh, May Allah bless you for your thoughtful question and your sincere concern to understand the Prophetic traditions in their proper light. Reflecting upon the signs of the end times (ʿAlāmāt al-Sāʿah) is indeed beneficial, provided that reflection is guided by sound knowledge, balance, and humility before revelation.
As for the ḥadīth that says “‘Umrān Bayt al-Maqdis Kharāb Yathrib”, meaning that when Jerusalem becomes prosperous, Madinah will fall into decline, and the reports about al-Malḥamah al-Kubrā (the great and final battle, sometimes called Armageddon), I have written a separate article in Arabic clarifying that this particular ḥadīth is weak. Because it is weak, it should not be used independently to establish its content, though it may be cited as supporting evidence for the general fact that near the end of time there will be widespread trials, conflict, and disorder.
The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ understood such ḥadīth not as predictions to decode or timelines to determine, but as moral and spiritual reminders. They did not busy themselves with calculating when these events would occur, nor did they try to identify who or where the signs would appear. Their focus was always upon what Allah required of them in their own time, to remain steadfast upon truth, to prepare for the Hereafter, and to avoid being distracted by worldly concerns. When they heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ speak of the turmoil that would precede the Hour, their reaction was not speculation but repentance, fear of Allah, and an increase in righteous action.
The signs of the Hour are mentioned in authentic ḥadīth and alluded to in the Qur’ān, sometimes directly and sometimes symbolically. The purpose of mentioning them is not to enable us to predict the unseen or to identify specific individuals and places, but to warn and remind. These reports are not intended to give us factual precision about future events; rather, they aim to awaken our hearts and strengthen our awareness of Allah.
Their message is moral and spiritual: to instil fear of Allah, to encourage repentance, to inspire hope in His promise, and to strengthen patience during trials. They teach us that hardship is not permanent, that Allah’s help always comes to those who remain steadfast, and that the believers’ duty is to continue striving for truth regardless of the surrounding turmoil.
The language of Prophetic reports about the future is not like ordinary language. It is often symbolic and layered with meaning. Therefore, one should not rush to match every phrase with a modern political event or assume that a prophecy is being fulfilled today. Such claims are speculative and can easily mislead. The correct attitude is one of faith, balance, and discernment, to neither exaggerate interpretations nor neglect their lessons.
Ultimately, the purpose of these reports is not to satisfy curiosity, but to shape the believer’s moral and spiritual readiness. They call us to be alert, sincere, and steadfast, always prepared to meet Allah. The intelligent person is not the one who knows when the Hour will come, but the one who prepares for it with faith and righteous action. As the Prophet ﷺ said: “The intelligent one is he who holds himself accountable and works for what comes after death.” (Tirmidhī)
Therefore, the main lesson we should take from such aḥādīth is to remain conscious of Allah, to strengthen our trust in Him, and to stay steadfast in worship and moral integrity, no matter how dark the circumstances around us become. What benefits us most is not knowledge of when these events will occur, but how we respond, through taqwā, repentance, and sincerity in obedience.
May Allah grant us insight, patience, and steadfastness in these testing times, and make us among those who are alert to His signs and firm upon His path.
The results of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly bypolls were declared on Friday, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning the Budgam seat and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retaining Nagrota.
In Budgam, PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeated his closest rival, Aga Syed Mehmood of the National Conference (NC), securing a lead of over 4,186 votes.
The constituency, one of the most competitive in the bypolls, saw 17 candidates contesting, including representatives from the Apni Party and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).
PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi told KNS that voters have opted for accountability and change in the constituency. “The people have voted for change and accountability,” he said, adding that Budgam district, which he said had been ignored over the past year, will now be represented effectively in the Assembly.
The PDP’s campaign gained momentum amid internal divisions within the NC.
Senior Shia leader and former three-time MLA and now MP Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi had publicly refused to campaign for the NC candidate, citing delays in implementing the Reservation Sub-Committee report, issues with smart electricity meters, and perceived backtracking on statehood and Article 370.
Ruhullah requested that his name or image not be used in the NC campaign. Party workers celebrated the win across Budgam soon after results were announced.
In Nagrota, BJP candidate Devyani Rana defeated Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) by a margin of over 21,000 votes.
The NC candidate, Shamim Begum, finished third with just over 10,000 votes. Devyani Rana, the daughter of late MLA Devender Singh Rana, entered politics following her father’s death on October 31, 2024. Her victory marks the BJP’s continued presence in the Jammu region.
The Budgam bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had won both Ganderbal and Budgam seats in the 2024 Assembly elections and chose to represent Ganderbal.The Nagrota bypoll followed the death of Devender Singh Rana.(KNS)
Renowned spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, called on Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr. Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq at his residence in Srinagar.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
During the cordial meeting, both leaders discussed the importance of peace, compassion, and inter-faith harmony in today’s world. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, visiting Kashmir after seven years, expressed happiness at being back in the Valley and lauded its spiritual and cultural heritage as a symbol of coexistence.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed him and reiterated that the institution of the Mirwaiz remains committed to peace and dialogue as the most humane and effective means of addressing issues and resolving differences.Both leaders agreed that injustice and disempowerment lead to radicalisation that threatens peace.(KNS)
Mohammad Shoaib, brother of Dr. Shaheen — one of the suspects in the Delhi blast case — said he learned about her alleged involvement only through media reports. Speaking from Lucknow, Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channelhe expressed disbelief, saying, “It is being said she was involved, but only the agencies know what they know. I still cannot believe this.” Shoaib described his sister as well-educated and independent, noting that she had been living separately for some time. The Delhi blast, which claimed multiple lives, has prompted a large-scale investigation, with authorities examining possible terror links and the suspects’ backgrounds as part of the ongoing probe
The Jammu and Kashmir Khidmat Centre Association has launched a protest demanding the immediate implementation of the long-promised Permanent Settlement Policy, citing a total collapse of their livelihoods after 16 years of dedicated public service.
For more than a decade, Khidmat Centres have played a vital role in delivering essential government and banking services, particularly in some of the most remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The operators have served as frontline workers during major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that citizens continued to receive vital services when most institutions were shut down.
However, with the cessation of banking services, the operators now face an unsustainable future. Their operations have been crippled, and the association asserts that J&K Bank, the designated Service Centre Agency, has failed to secure the future of these vital centres.
Despite several high-level assurances from government officials over the years — including from Dr. Jitendra Singh (MP) — no concrete steps have been taken to formalize the employment status of the operators. This prolonged inaction has left 1,109 highly skilled professionals in a state of deep financial and professional uncertainty.
The association strongly argues that a permanent settlement is not only their rightful demand but also an obligation for all stakeholders who initially established and benefited from these centres.
Speaking on behalf of the association, President Tanveer Haji stated:
“Our demand is clear and just — implement the promised Permanent Settlement Policy. Until this is achieved, the Government must announce Gap Support of ₹50,000 per centre, per month without any further delay.”
The association has now made a direct appeal to the Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for their personal intervention to resolve this critical issue.
Furthermore, the Khidmat Centre Association has warned that if a policy decision is not made soon, they will be forced to intensify their agitation until their legitimate demands for stability, security, and dignity are met.
New York City, often hailed as the world’s financial capital, witnessed a political earthquake on 5 November 2025. In the race for the 36th District State Assembly seat, 33-year-old Social Democrat Zohran Mamdani not only secured re-election but also defeated his rival by an astonishing 30-point margin, setting a new benchmark in the city’s political history.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
This victory was not merely about winning a seat — it was a clear message to New York’s real estate magnates, Wall Street power brokers, and tech billionaires:
“Your era is over.”
When Money Lost the Battle
The coalition of wealthy donors formed against Mamdani turned this contest into one of the costliest primaries in American history. The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), along with billionaire donors such as LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Quicken Loans’ Dan Gilbert, and Ripple’s Chris Larsen, poured over $2 million into Mamdani’s opponent’s campaign.
As the New York Post summed it up:
“Billionaires bet big to stop a socialist – and lost bigger.”
But when the final votes were counted, the message was unmistakable — Money lost, and the people won.
In his victory speech, Mamdani addressed the billionaire class directly:
“They thought democracy could be bought with money. Tonight, the people of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan proved that our voices cannot be silenced.”
Real Estate Lobby in Panic
Mamdani’s triumph has sent shockwaves through New York’s real estate elite, who now describe him as “the greatest threat to New York’s economy.” His agenda, however, is straightforward and people-centred:
Mandatory rent stabilisation for all apartments
Passing the “Good Cause Eviction” bill to protect tenants
Imposing higher taxes on vacant properties to raise $10 billion for social housing
Introducing the “Pied-à-terre” tax on luxury second homes
REBNY president James Whelan quickly warned:
“This will be disastrous for New York’s economy.”
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the real estate lobby has begun pressuring Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to remove Mamdani from the Housing Committee.
Wall Street’s Fury and Media Backlash
Outlets like Bloomberg News, Fox News, and the New York Post have branded Mamdani a “dangerous socialist.” One billionaire donor, speaking anonymously to The Intercept, admitted:
“We did everything we could to defeat him. Now he’s in the Assembly, and he’s about to raise our taxes. This is a death sentence for our business.”
Reid Hoffman went so far as to declare that he would “never again support socialist candidates” and demanded his political contributions be returned.
Democratic Establishment on Edge
State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams — both known for their close ties with real estate interests — have labelled Mamdani an “extremist.” At a press conference, Hochul remarked:
“Our city needs a business-friendly environment, not socialism.”
But the public sentiment tells a different story. Following Mamdani’s victory, #MamdaniWave began trending across social media, as young people, workers, and tenants throughout New York took to the streets in celebration of what they see as a new dawn for the working class.
The Beginning of a New Era
Zohran Mamdani’s victory is not just an electoral win — it marks the start of a new political era in New York, where money and lobbying power are being challenged by grassroots people’s movements.
In his closing remarks, Mamdani said:
“This victory is not mine. It belongs to every tenant who sleeps in fear of eviction. To every student buried under debt. To every worker juggling two jobs and still struggling to get by. Tonight, we proved that New York is no longer the city of billionaires — it’s the city of its people.”
New York’s billionaire class may have lost more than an election — they’ve lost their comfort. And perhaps, this fear is only the beginning.
Members of the All J&K Khidmat Centre Association staged a protest in Jammu on Thursday, demanding a permanent settlement policy for Khidmat Centre operators across Jammu and Kashmir.
Protesters, including operators and employees from various districts, gathered to voice their long-standing grievances. They called for job regularisation, rehabilitation, and absorption into permanent roles within J&K Bank or relevant government departments.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Khidmat Centres—established under the National e-Governance Plan and operated in partnership with J&K Bank as Common Service Centres (CSCs)—serve as key rural digital hubs. They provide essential services such as banking, bill payments, Aadhaar enrolment, pensions, and various G2C/B2C services.
Despite working since 2009, operators—known as Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs)—say they have been left without job security or promised service benefits. They accuse the bank of violating the Master Service Agreement, ignoring earlier assurances, and exploiting educated youth who have now become overaged for government recruitment.
The association’s representatives reminded authorities that their demands date back to 2021–2023, when similar protests were held in Srinagar and Jammu. Multiple memoranda were submitted to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and J&K Bank management, but operators claim their appeals remain unheard.
Over the years, Khidmat Centre operators have played a key role in implementing Digital India initiatives—opening millions of Jan Dhan accounts, distributing pensions during COVID-19, and managing transactions worth over ₹1,000 crore monthly.
As of now, no official response has been issued regarding today’s demonstration. However, the issue highlights the widening discontent among contractual and semi-formal workers within J&K’s e-governance system.
The NSS Unit of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) today organised a special programme on the campus to commemorate 150 years of the national pride — Vande Mataram under the theme “Vande Mataram: Unity in Action.”Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The event began with an address by an NSS team member, who highlighted the historical and cultural significance of the patriotic song Vande Mataram. Later, students, NSS volunteers, and faculty members enthusiastically joined in singing the song, creating an atmosphere filled with national spirit and unity.
Among those who participated were Dr. Javed, Dr. Zaheer, Dr. Dil Pazeer, Dr. Pant, Dr. Shachi, and Mrs. Sharuti Gupta, along with other staff members of the university.
