Latest news with #Habeeb
New Indian Express
25-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Qatar Malayalis recount horrifying moments of Iran missile attack
KOZHIKODE: For the large Malayali population in Qatar, many of whom are blue-collar workers, nurses, teachers, and technicians, Monday night — after Iran launched missiles targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base located near Doha — was a grim reminder of their vulnerability far from home. WhatsApp groups flooded with videos of the explosions, frantic voice messages, and calls for updates. Several people were too scared to sleep. When Habeeb K, a Kozhikode native living in Lusail, stepped out of his apartment after a thunderous blast shook his building, he wasn't prepared for what he saw: his parked car partially engulfed in flames, hit by falling missile debris. 'It felt like the world was ending,' Habeeb, still shaken, told TNIE over the phone. 'My car was burning just a few feet away from where children usually play. It could have been us.' While Qatar's defence systems managed to shoot down the threats, fragments from the explosions rained down over residential neighbourhoods, some of them heavily populated by Malayali expats from Kerala. According to eyewitnesses, several missiles lit up the sky shortly after 11 pm, followed by thunderous explosions. 'This was a turning point,' said Faisal M, a social worker who assists new people from Kerala. 'People came here for a better life. Now they are afraid to step outside. Some are even talking about returning to Kerala for good. On Tuesday, a majority of the people took leave and decided to stay at their houses and apartments.' Nazeera T, a nurse from Kannur, recalled: 'I was feeding my baby when I saw a flash outside the window. Then came the sound, like something had exploded just above our heads. My hands were trembling. I didn't know whether to grab my phone or run.' Entire apartment buildings in Doha, Al Wakrah, and Lusail emptied into stairwells. Families huddled together. Videos shared in Malayali WhatsApp groups captured the raw fear on peoples faces, with some even reciting prayers aloud as they waited in corridors. 'We've survived the Gulf War, the blockade, even Covid. But this is different. This time, people truly feel unsafe, as if war has come to our doorstep,' said Faisal, a long-time Doha resident.
Business Wire
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Future of California's Disabled Workforce Hangs in Balance as Group Appeals to Governor, Legislative Leaders
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PRIDE Industries made an urgent attempt Thursday to get help from the Governor and Legislative leaders to save the jobs of 58 employees, half of whom have disabilities or are service-disabled veterans. The company, which holds a contract with a state facility for janitorial services and employs and provides support services to the workers, sent letters requesting intervention to Governor Newsom, Speaker Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore McGuire. In just days, PRIDE Industries said its 58 employees will be cut off from their jobs at the state's California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville as a result of a damaging decision by the State Personnel Board at the request of SEIU Local 1000. The workers are employed at the facility through a contract held by PRIDE Industries. These individuals are slated to lose their jobs when the positions they hold are set to be reassigned July 1 to inmate labor. In the letter to the state's highest leaders, CMF worker Ameer Habeeb emphasizes that rehabilitation programs should not come at the expense of inclusive employment. 'These two missions are not mutually exclusive, and California should be leading the way in honoring both,' Habeeb said. Habeeb called for urgent state intervention and support for a legislative fix that would preserve these jobs and uphold California's commitment to equitable workforce access for the long-term. Efforts to work with SEIU Local 1000 advocating for a similar course of action have not yielded a resolution, according to PRIDE Industries. Former Congressman Tony Coelho, author the Americans with Disabilities Act, also has urged the state and union to retain the positions held by these employees and come up with a lasting solution to protect employment for people with disabilities. The letter was delivered to Governor Newsom and leadership on Thursday and noted that the stakes for disability inclusion and equity in California's public workforce are high. facilities operations and maintenance services, custodial services, contract manufacturing, supply chain management, packaging and fulfillment services, and placement services to private and public organizations nationwide. Founded in 1966, PRIDE Industries' mission is to create employment for people with disabilities. Through personalized employment services it helps individuals realize their true potential and lead more independent lives. PRIDE Industries proves the value of its inclusive workforce model through operational success across multiple industries every day.
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
No final resting place for deceased Muslims in city
Hyderabad: While getting space for living is beyond the common man's reach in Hyderabad, it has become costlier for the dead. With open spaces shrinking due to new construction projects, land grabbers are laying their hands on graveyards, which is adversely impacting burials. The last few years saw the rise of this trend as the real estate value has hit the roof in the city. According to some Wakf activists owing to illegal encroachments on graveyards, several Gazette Notified Muslim graveyards are declared chock-a-block and there is no space for more burials. 'Many Muslim graveyards are under the control of land grabbers where dead bodies are not allowed to be buried. People are facing a lot of difficulties in finding burial space,' said Nayeemullah Shareef of Waqf Properties Protection Cell. As a result, burials have become costly affairs. Kin of the deceased have to shell down anything from Rs 10,000 to Rs one lakh depending on the spiritual value attached to the graveyard. Things will become easier if a family member lies buried in a grave and the family agrees to bury the new victim in the same grave. 'Taking advantage of the situation, caretakers of the graveyards are selling old grave space for up to Rs 30, 000. The rates are higher in graveyards inside big dargah premises. I request the state government to conduct a survey of Muslim graveyards in the city and remove all illegal encroachments. Graveyard caretakers must be asked to fix nominal charges for burial spaces, while those charging exorbitant amounts must face criminal charges,' demanded another activist, Mohd Habeebuddin. Habeeb pointed out that graveyards were vanishing in upmarket areas like Puppalguda due to rapid urbanisation. As per the Gazette published in 1984, the area is more than nine acres. 'This graveyard has now shrunk to 100 sq yards. This is the scale of encroachment with active political backing,' alleged Habeeb. In the past Wakf Board was accused of collusion with land grabbers. The graveyard committee of Dargah Syed Ali Kulle Shah Darvesh at Petbasheerabad under Quthbullapur alleged that whatever remained of the graveyard fell into the hands of the land sharks, with the active connivance of a Wakf inspector and its CEO in 2020. The committee had alleged that the Wakf Board had not only failed to protect its interests, but its officials were in nexus with the builder, who approached the High Court claiming the land parcel meant for graveyard at Survey No.39 of Petbasheerabad.
Daily Tribune
04-04-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
University degrees and ambition delay marriage for Bahraini women
Bahraini women with university degrees are waiting longer to marry or avoiding it altogether, as education, ambition and tradition pull in different directions. Those spending years in medical school or pursuing higher studies often find themselves left in the waiting room. Not for a job, but for a husband. Family adviser Saeed Habeeb says many of them are stuck. 'They miss the train,' he said. 'Some are still holding out for Prince Charming, but the world moves on.' Habeeb, who works on social and educational cases, said many women turn down proposals that don't match their expectations. The problem is not only academic. It is practical too. 'A woman with a doctorate wants someone at the same level. If she doesn't find him, her job fills the gap and marriage is put aside.' It is not just happening behind closed doors. Society itself is shifting. Expectations have changed. Old rules no longer fit the modern shape of things. The cost of living is climbing, housing is hard to secure, and jobs don't always pay enough to stand on. Cost of family Many young men are paid less than BD400 a month. The idea of taking on the cost of a family is too much for some. 'If a man cannot afford to rent a flat, how can he marry?' Habeeb asked. In the meantime, some women are losing interest. Among academic women in particular, marriage is no longer seen as the obvious next step. Instead, their careers take the front seat. Social media has played a part in this turn. Marriage, once viewed as the gateway to stability, is now painted by some as a cage. 'Some girls have started to believe that marriage takes away their freedom,' said Habeeb. 'That way of thinking came in from television and the internet. It wasn't part of our culture before.' These ideas, he said, don't arrive all at once. They sink in slowly. People absorb them without noticing. Divorce has become more common, but not always easier. A divorced woman without children may find it easier to remarry than a divorced man. Harsh experience But if she has children or has been through a harsh experience, the matter becomes harder. 'Women are more emotional than men,' he said. 'If she has lived through a rough marriage, she needs time to recover. Sometimes, years. And without help from her family or a counsellor, that healing can take even longer.'
