There is no doubt that the ulema exercise considerable influence on Muslim society, although to claim, as some do, that Muslims are in the complete grip of the ulema is far from correct. Yet, it is true that no major change can take place in Muslim society by ignoring the ulema and their significanc

The government of India’s notification which came into effect on 1st March 2014 aims to arrest irrational sale and use of anti-tuberculosis drugs (and other 45 third and fourth generation antibiotics). “The Union Health Ministry has notified amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940, in which a

Is there a cure for HIV? The success stories of Timothy Brown and the two Boston patients, who rid themselves of the HIV cells through bone marrow transplants, led to hopes that a cure had finally been found. This was further boosted by the fact that the transplants received by them were diametrical

Most often peace is taken to mean a period of time, when there is no war or fighting. No wonder then that most peace workers spring into action when there is threat of a war breaking out, or when it has already started.
But this is a very limited concept of peace. In fact, peace is very comprehensi

Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah popularly known as Hamas, the longtime frontrunner in the internal jockeying of organizations fighting Israel is in its struggling days, while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is gaining strength day by day. In recent years Hamas had a calming effect on the popu

My name is Lekshmi Bhai. I belong to a Brahmin Hindu family in India. My parent’s practiced me in idol worship. My family is well to do and so I do not experience poverty and suffering. My parents loved me so much, so everything I wanted them was given to me without any difficulties.
When I was stu

These days, fatwas are much-talked about in the media. Some recent fatwas have provided the ulema (Islamic scholars) and Islamic institutions much negative media attention, winning them the opprobrium of many.
The institution of fatwas is a very sensitive one. It is said that ulema are deputies of

European Union powers and America are currently lambasting the Russian Federation over actions taken in Crimea while people are dying daily in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Syria – and other nations – based on the destabilization policies of major Gulf and Western powers (Pakistan destabilized itsel

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki of Iraq denounces Qatar and Saudi Arabia for supporting terrorism and sectarianism against Iraq. Maliki made it abundantly clear that Qatar and Saudi Arabia are involved in the destabilization of Iraq based on Gulf petrodollars, their geopolitical ambitions, sectarian fac

The Quran stresses religious tolerance, this being an important Islamic principle. Religious tolerance necessarily means that people should be not be coerced into following a particular religion. This is entirely in consonance with Islam. The Quran (2:256) insists ‘There shall be no compulsion in re

I apologize for missing out on the celebrations of Women's Day this year as I was too engrossed with changing nappies of my 10 month old adorable granddaughter in London, despite her part time nanny - who is a graduate, and charges a frightful £10 an hour - that is over INR 1000 (the going rate for

The word ‘jihad’ is a broad term that connotes making strenuous efforts for a certain purpose. Jihad is not limited to engaging war with external enemies. Nor does it always have that connotation. For war against one’s enemies the Quran uses another word—qital—which is an exceptional form of jihad.

Raju came back from school very excited. In History class that day he had learnt about miracles that are mentioned in various religious scriptures. Such happenings were brought about by God, sometimes through the agency of noble people such as prophets.
That evening, Raju told his father about what

Religious minorities are widely viewed as beleaguered or under attack since Z. A. Bhutto’s regime. Even then Pakistani Christians follow his ideology. At the time of partition in 1947, around 23 percent population was comprised of non-Muslims citizens. Today, the proportion of non-Muslims has declin

Two thirds of countries globally now have laws against domestic violence with several significant transformations in legal frameworks in Asia and the Pacific. This significant shift over the last decade has not only led 15 countries in East Asia and the Pacific to enact domestic violence laws but si