Tag: Islam

  • Fact Check: Morgan Freeman did not convert to Islam after listening to the Quran during FIFA World Cup ceremony

    Fact Check: Morgan Freeman did not convert to Islam after listening to the Quran during FIFA World Cup ceremony

    Claim: The FIFA World Cup in Qatar opened with a glittering ceremony and many stars in attendance, including egendary actor Morgan Freeman. The Oscar-winner performed in the inauguration ceremony along with 22-year-old Qatari disabled activist and motivational speaker Ghanim al-Muftah, who read from the Holy Quran.

    Freeman shared a message of unity, declaring, “What unites us here in this moment is so much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer than just today?”

    Ghanim Al-Muftah, a Qatari activist for the disabled, born with the rare Caudal Regression Syndrome, appeared with Freeman and stated to the crowd, “Everyone is welcome”.

    After the ceremony , Twitterati widely speculated that Freeman had converted to Islam.

    Fact: Online claims that Freeman has converted to Islam date back to at least 2015.

    This is not the first time Freeman has been subject to fake news regarding his religious beliefs. Freeman previously presented “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman,” a National Geographic show that dived into various religions, including Islam. This also led to similar speculation regarding his religious affiliations.

    However,  Misbar, an independent Arabic fact-check platform, investigated the assertion regarding Freeman converting to Islam and found it to be fake.

    The platform quoted, “The actor has not announced converting to Islam and also, no reliable media outlet has reported on the news.”

    Verdict: False

  • ‘A choice of soul, heart, and reason’: French model accepts Islam

    ‘A choice of soul, heart, and reason’: French model accepts Islam

    French model and reality TV star Marine El Himer has converted to Islam. She made the announcement on her official Instagram handle to her millions of followers, calling it the “happiest day” of her life.

    “There are no words strong enough to express the intensity of happiness and emotions experienced at this very moment. A spiritual journey that I hope will continue to uplift and guide me Inshaallah,” she wrote on Instagram, terming the conversion, “a choice of soul, heart, and reason.”

    The well-known influencer also thanked her fans for their generosity and support.

    According to French media, Himer spent her childhood with her stepfather, spending a considerable amount of time learning about her real father and their history, and during this time she also got to know about Islam.

  • Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    A team from Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) was unable to arrest Federal Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, on Monday due to the non-cooperation of the Islamabad police.

    The establishment’s director Syed Anwar Ali Shah alleged that the capital’s police officers misbehaved with them.

    Earlier today, a local court in Rawalpindi directed the ACE team to arrest the minister and present him before the court in a case relating to corruption.

    “The police officials neither recorded entry nor departure of the ACE team and nor did they comply with the court’s order,” Shah said.

    He stated that his department will inform the court about the day’s events and will devise a strategy as per the court’s orders.

    Prior to this, a local court in Rawalpindi, dismissed ACE’s plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against Sanaullah for not appearing in a corruption inquiry.

    On Saturday, a judicial magistrate issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the federal minister over his non-appearance in an anti-corruption inquiry.

  • What does King Charles think about Islam?

    What does King Charles think about Islam?

    King Charles has officially proclaimed Great Britain’s new monarch on Saturday at a ceremony in St. James’s Palace in London. The former Prince of Wales ‘Has become lawfully and rightfully Lord of Britain and Commonwealth’ on September 10.

    Charles, 73, succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, immediately after her death on Thursday but an Accession Council met on Saturday to formally proclaim his succession, with his son and heir Prince William, his wife Queen Consort Camilla, and Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, among those who signed the proclamation.

    What are Charles’s views about Islam?

    The new King of Britain on various occasions has expressed his admiration for Islam.

    “These are not arbitrary limits, they are the limits imposed by God and, as such, if my understanding of the Quran is correct, Muslims are commanded not to transgress them,” said Charles during a speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 2010.

    “We share this planet with the rest of creation for a very good reason – and that is, we cannot exist on our own without the intricately balanced web of life around us. Islam has always taught this and to ignore that lesson is to default on our contract with Creation,” he added in the same speech.
    He also criticised the publishing of Danish cartoons and urged everyone to respect others’ beliefs.

    “The true mark of a civilised society is the respect it pays to minorities and to strangers … The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons show the danger that comes from our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others,” he stated.

    Charles has occasionally addressed “misunderstanding” about Islam in the West. “If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilisation owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure which stems, I think, from the straightjacket of history which we have inherited.”

    Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday after becoming increasingly frail over the past year. In her last year of life, the longest serving monarch in United Kingdom’s history missed many official engagements,many for the first time. In her stead, the then Prince of Wales, Charles, took over many of her duties.

  • ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, addressing a rally in Chishtian, said, “Agar ap ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote toh matlab ap mujrim ko vote de rahy hai. Is ka matlab ap burai ke sath khary hai. Is ka matlab ke ap Allah ke farman ke khilaf ja rahy hai.” (People who vote for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif will be siding with a convict and are on the wrong side. This also means that you will go against Allah’s orders.)

    This is not the first time that PTI leader has played religious card against opponents or has mentioned religion in his speeches.

    Another time, while addressing his supporters, he said “You have to spread my message to the public just like the prophets of Allah did”.

    The former prime minister once also said that those who defected from his party [PTI] committed shirk. Shirk, or infidelity to God, is considered a severe sin in Islam.

    “Those who do wrong things to save their jobs commit sin, it is shirk [idolatry]. Those who sell their self-respect and themselves, it is also counted as shirk because Allah is Al-Haqq”, he said.

    Moreover, in Chishtian, the PTI leader said Chishtian is not a stronghold of the PML-N as it claims.

    “We make the country’s biggest robbers prime ministers. Today, the people ruling the country have been robbing the country for 30 years,” he reiterated.

    He once again accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that the body is a “Pet of the coalition government”.

    Clarifying his earlier remarks against the Pakistan Army, Khan said that “this country is mine and so is the army”.

  • Pakistan needs unity more than ever

    Pakistan is celebrating its diamond jubilee, the 75th anniversary of its Independence Day today. A nation that was created in 1947 has come a long way — 75 years of resilience, hard work, commitment, struggle, dedication, and courage to keep fighting the odds. A country that is more than seven decades old sure deserves congratulations but it is high time we introspect because this 75-years-old Pakistan deserves better.

    Look around, what do you see? A nation that was built on unity, faith, and discipline lacks the core of these words. We were founded to have freedoms — the freedom to live, practice our religion, and be who we think and feel. Support whichever notion finds home within us. Have a creative and critical school of thought. Be protective of our fellow Pakistanis. Not judge them for their religious beliefs, political choices, and ethnicities.

    But what are we now? The present day’s 75-year-old Pakistan is far from the idea of its creation. How did we end up forgetting our reason for birth? How did we as a nation fail to stay in discipline and unity? This 75-year-old Pakistan is an amalgamation of extremism, fascism, political polarisation, and pluralistic ignorance. This country has been in the scientific laboratory for a long time now. It is time we find a litmus paper, unanimously to build this country. It is time we come out of this experimental phase and move toward a country that does not discriminate on the basis of gender. Where political leaders stay political and do not misuse religion as they please. Where the sole purpose and work of leaders is towards nation building. We can only hope that the 75-year-old Pakistan becomes strong for its girls and provides them an equal opportunity just like its boys. Where we provide an equal chance at life to the ones who have religious beliefs other than Islam. Where our minorities are not suppressed but rather treated as equals. Where rape, child marriages, abuse, and harassment ends.

    May we all give this country what it truly deserves because all it really takes is unity, faith, discipline, and introspection. Long live Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad!

  • Muslim killings in US: Police arrest Muslim immigrant

    Police in New Mexico, United States (US), have arrested a Muslim Afghan immigrant named Muhammad Syed, 51, in connection with the deaths of Muslim men in Albuquerque city. The police have charged Syed with two murders.

    A total of four murders took place. All victims were of Afghan or Pakistani descent. One was killed in November, and the other three in the last two weeks.

    It was speculated that Shia and Sunni tensions may have led to Syed’s actions. However, the police said that while they are aware of the sectarian narrative, the motive is still being “explored” by investigators. 

    Albuquerque police deputy commander Kyle Hartsock stated: “We have heard those things, but we’re not sure if that’s the only motivation”, reports CNN.

    In a statement, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) said, “As their detectives prepared to search Syed’s home in Southeast Albuquerque on Monday, he drove from the residence in the Volkswagen Jetta that detectives believe was used in at least one of the murders.”

    “Detectives discovered evidence that showed the suspect knew the victims to some extent and an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings,” the police statement added.

    The APD said Syed was being charged with two of the homicides, the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein and the August 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.

    “Detectives connected those homicides using bullet casings found at the scenes. The gun used in these shootings was discovered during the overnight search of [Syed’s] home,” the police said.

    The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement about the arrest in which the organisation “strongly condemned the anti-Shia hatred that may have motivated the killings”.

    ‘Strongly stand with Muslim community’: US President Biden condemns killing of Muslim men in New Mexico

    Earlier, US President Joe Biden condemned the killing of four Muslims — two of them Pakistanis, in Albuquerque, a city in the southern state of New Mexico. The local authorities are describing the killings as targeted attacks.

    “I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” tweeted US President Biden.

    “These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.

    Four Muslim men killed in New Mexico

    The latest victim was gunned down on Friday night. The police said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim, and a native from South Asia.

    The local Islamic leaders said that the horrific incident occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.

    Before this killing, two of the previous victims were Muslim and Pakistani men. A 27-year-old’s body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old’s body was discovered on July 26.

    According to Tahir Gauba, spokesperson for the Islamic Centre of New Mexico, the three latest victims belonged to the same mosque.

    Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021.

    Mayor Tim Keller said state authorities were working to provide an “extra police presence at mosques during times of prayer”.

  • ‘Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein’: PTI’s Suri instructs Khan during speech

    ‘Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein’: PTI’s Suri instructs Khan during speech

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Suri instructed PTI Chairman Imran Khan to use the ‘Islamic touch’ in his speech during the party’s Azadi March towards the federal capital.

    Suri can be seen standing next to Khan along with other party members.

    He said, “Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein.” [Sir give some Islamic touch to your speech.]

    Khan immediately acted in accordance with Suri’s words and said, “I am a follower of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).”

    Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad’s 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies.

    “I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy,” he said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and the police.

  • ‘Lies’: Afridi responds to allegations of forcing Danish Kaneria to convert to Islam

    ‘Lies’: Afridi responds to allegations of forcing Danish Kaneria to convert to Islam

    Shahid Afridi has responded to the allegations of forcing former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to convert to Islam. Talking exclusively to The Current, Shahid Afridi said he does not want to dignify such baseless allegations by responding to a man who has tarnished Pakistan’s name in the cricketing world. Kaneria was banned for life for spot-fixing after being found guilty of corruption.

    “You can imagine what sort of a man is Kaneria. He has brought disrepute to Pakistan, our cricket team, his family and colleagues,” said Afridi.

    Afridi added that he was quite young at the time mentioned by Kaneria and wasn’t too religious himself back then. “He is an attention-seeker. That’s the reason for his lies.”

    Danish had accused Shahid Afridi of attempting to force him to convert to Islam. Kaneria said that Shahid Afridi “bullied” him and that the two were never friends during his tenure.

    In an interview with an Indian TV channel, Kaneria accused Afridi of having a terrible attitude towards him, which hampered his chances of playing more international cricket. He went on to say that when Younis Khan was named captain of his departmental side, he finally got a chance to play regular first-class cricket. Kaneria said that he was fortunate that the rest of the squad was supportive of him and that no one else had a negative attitude towards him.

  • “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the government’s decision to ban hijab in educational institutes in the Indian state. The court ruled that the hijab is not an essential part of Islam.

    The hearing was headed by three judges who agreed that the “prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights.”

    The state government during the hearing told the court that a ban on hijab does not violate fundamental rights to practice and profess a religion under Article 25 of the Constitution.

    The court also added that religious symbols should not be involved in the uniforms of educational institutes.

    A group of Muslim female students from Udupi government college had filed a petition to allow them to wear hijab which, according to them, is a fundamental right to practice religion. However, the Karnataka High court rejected their plea and ruled in favour of banning the hijab by the state government.

    Anas Tanwir, a lawyer who is now representing the girls is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court. He termed the Karnataka court’s ruling “disappointing” and “erroneous”.

    “I believe it is a wrong interpretation of the law,” he said while talking to Al Jazeera.

    “As far as an essential religious practice is concerned, [that] should not have been the question. The question should have been whether the [authorities] had the power to pass such orders.”

    The tension arose in January when a section of the Hindu right-wing group appeared wearing saffron scarves and threatened female Muslim class fellows not to wear the hijab during classes, which made state government college in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, ban the hijab and saffron scarves over fears of rising tension.