Latest news with #Yazid
The Star
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
RM1mil relief for KLFA but no rash spending, says president
PETALING JAYA: For a team that have previously struggled with financial issues, receiving a windfall is certainly a welcome relief, especially with the new Super League season set to begin on Aug 8. The Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) were handed an unexpected boost when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an RM1mil allocation during their Golden Jubilee celebration on Saturday. However, KLFA president Syed Yazid Syed Omar is keeping his excitement in check, stressing that any decision on how the funds will be used must be carefully discussed with the association's executive committee, with the main priority being the development of Kuala Lumpur football. 'We never asked for it, but the Prime Minister made the announcement himself. I didn't expect it at all. It's a substantial amount, and we are very grateful,' said Yazid. 'KLFA need to discuss on how to use the money thoroughly. What matters most is ensuring that KLFA are well managed. As for KL City's long-standing salary arrears and debts, Yazid said most of the outstanding payments have been resolved, although he declined to reveal the exact amount still owed. This season, KL City have also made bold moves in the transfer market by signing several high-profile players, including Manuel Hidalgo, Syamer Kutty Abba and Safawi Rasid. Yazid expressed his gratitude that the club's finances are now in a more stable position, largely due to the support of patron Fahmi Fadzil. With a strengthened squad, he is aiming for a top-two finish in the Malaysian Super League and a spot in the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2). 'For KL City, funding and sponsorship have been flowing in. I would like to thank our patron for being instrumental in helping us secure the necessary support. 'We are financially stable now. Salaries are up to date under the new management and everything is running smoothly. Last season, despite facing severe financial difficulties, KL City still managed to finish sixth in the Super League and reached the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Cup.
JAMnews
11-07-2025
- General
- JAMnews
Ashura in Azerbaijan: women banned from crying, children barred from entering mosques
Ashura in Azerbaijan This year, Ashura in Azerbaijan was marked by unprecedented restrictions. Many mosques introduced bans on certain religious rituals. Social media users reported that people were not allowed to recite mersiye (funeral elegies), beat their chests, or even cry. Ashura is the tenth day of the sacred month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and a day of mourning, especially significant for Shia Muslims. On this day in 680 AD (61 AH), the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, along with 72 companions, was killed by the army of Umayyad Caliph Yazid on the plains of Karbala (in present-day Iraq). This event led to the split in the Muslim world between the Shia, who supported Hussein, and the Sunni, who followed Yazid—a divide that remains a source of conflict to this day. Thus, the day is a time of mourning specifically for Shia Muslims. Sunnis also mark Ashura, but for different reasons. According to the Quran, it is the day when the heavens, the earth, and humanity were created—and the Day of Judgment will also fall on this date. In Azerbaijan, Ashura is observed as a day of faith, martyrdom, and resistance, especially in regions such as Baku, Nardaran, Lankaran, Masalli, Ganja, and others. Around the world, Shia communities commemorate the day by reciting elegies (marsiya), beating their chests, weeping, and holding tragic theatrical performances (ta'zieh). Historically, many also practiced self-flagellation to express grief. However, religious leaders have long encouraged people to donate blood instead. Among those affected by the new restrictions this year was journalist Arzu Abdulla Gulzaman. She described her experience at the Edjerbey Mosque in Baku. According to her, the mullah and akhund did not allow the reading of elegies (marsiya), and police officers stated: 'The government does not allow crying.' 'This was a gathering in honor of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). But we were told that Ashura was yesterday and today we are not allowed to mourn — even though Ashura actually falls on July 6, and we gathered in accordance with our faith,' said Gulzaman. Date discrepancy The state-controlled Caucasus Muslim Board declared that Ashura would be marked on 5 July this year. However, for the Shia community, the actual date of Ashura fell on 6 July. The discrepancy led to religious events being officially held on 5 July, while commemorations on 6 July were effectively prohibited. Many within the Shia community saw this as an attempt by the government to tighten its grip on their religious life through state-sanctioned structures. Children banned from mosques: psychological reasoning and public backlash One of the most debated aspects of this year's Ashura was the ban not only on women, but also on children entering mosques. As reported earlier by JAMnews, schools and parents were warned in advance not to bring children to the ceremonies. Social worker Sanubar Geydarova told JAMnews that while the authorities claim the move is intended to 'protect children's mental wellbeing,' she sees it as interference in the personal and family freedom to participate in religious rituals: 'If children are taken to military events filled with imagery of blood, death, weapons and heroism — why is participation in religious ceremonies considered a problem?' Geydarova asks. Experts: 'This is ideological pressure on the Shia community' Lawyer Khalid Bagirov, in a previous comment to JAMnews, stated that such interference in religious ceremonies constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, as guaranteed by Azerbaijan's Constitution. According to him, restrictions justified by 'public safety' or 'public order' are often rooted not in legal grounds, but in political decisions. Alemdar Bunyatov, a representative of the Muslim Unity Movement in Europe, believes this approach reflects a clearly hostile stance by the state toward the Shia community: 'This is not merely a matter of regulation — it is a fight against religious and cultural identity.' Pressure on Shia community amid tensions with Iran The restriction of Ashura ceremonies in Azerbaijan is not just a matter of religious freedom. These events unfold against the backdrop of broader geopolitical and ideological tensions. Seeking to keep the Shia community under control, the Azerbaijani government has taken pre-emptive measures against perceived Iranian influence within the country. Since many Azerbaijani Shia follow the fatwas of high-ranking Iranian clerics — ayatollahs — the authorities view this as a potential threat. As a result of these ties, religious activists have been charged with 'collaboration with Iran,' 'incitement against the state,' and even 'possession of drugs and weapons,' leading to lengthy prison sentences. According to Alemdar Bunyatov, this has become a systemic policy of pressure on the Shia community: 'In Azerbaijan, believers who follow Shia Islam are persecuted solely because of the way they worship. The state interprets their style of prayer as Iranian influence and turns them into criminal targets. This is, in essence, a campaign against freedom of religion.' At a deeper level, the government seeks to assert control over religious independence in the country, impose a unified religious policy through the Caucasus Muslim Board, and weaken the influence of Iran's top spiritual authorities. State-managed faith Religious freedoms in Azerbaijan have long been regulated through official institutions and law enforcement. This year's Ashura made it clear that this control now extends not only to the organisation of ceremonies, but also to their content — the tears, the marsiya, and even the breaking of silence. The contradiction between the Shia community's right to gather and worship according to their religious calendar and the state's drive to impose a unified religious policy is becoming increasingly stark.
Express Tribune
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
The red sky of Muharram
Listen to article Each year, as the Islamic calendar turns to Muharram, a familiar question resurfaces: why does a 7th-century event in the deserts of Karbala continue to command such deep emotional, political and ethical resonance across the world? In the blistering heat of Karbala, a man named Hussain stood without an army. Without food. Without water. Without the political alliances that make victories inevitable. He stood with only his name, his faith, and a commitment not to bow to tyranny. Before him lay Yazid's empire, an empire fattened on fear and allegiance. Behind him stood history, watching. The events of Karbala, though set in 7th-century Arabia, belong as much to our present as they do to the past. The image of a small group, led by Hussain ibn Ali, resisting the overwhelming machinery of a state that sought legitimacy through fear, feels uncomfortably familiar. Their isolation was moral. Karbala is a case study in how societies often fail the very people who stand for them. Across the world today, this dynamic repeats with alarming regularity. Wherever truth is seen as a threat, and power demands submission rather than accountability, we are living in the shadow of Karbala. Whether in occupied territories, silenced courtrooms, or the unseen margins where communities are stripped of dignity, the choice presented by Ashura remains: compliance or conscience. We are taught that the tragedy of Karbala is mourned because of its brutality. But its true horror lies in how familiar it has become. Every generation thinks it would never be among the silent majority that allowed Hussain to walk alone. But every generation builds new palaces and sharpens new swords. Muharram returns each year to strip away the illusions. To force a reckoning. It is a mirror, held up to every nation, every institution, every individual: Who are you when your comforts are threatened? Who are you when neutrality is the same as complicity? We live in a world where compromise is lauded, where cleverness is rewarded over conviction, survival over struggle. It is a world in which principles are bartered in exchange for access, and where many of the gravest injustices are carried out not by monsters, but by administrators. It is here that the story of Hussain cuts through the noise. Karbala reminds us that some stands must be taken, even when they are doomed. Especially when they are doomed. Societies often celebrate strength shaped by strategy, but Karbala offers another measure. Strength appears in the resolve to speak without hesitation, even when the audience turns away. Strength emerges through loss that refuses to bend into regret. The world continues to raise structures built on silence. Files disappear. Witnesses vanish. Laws bend. Yet Karbala reminds us that ethical clarity requires neither majority nor institutional power. It asks only for a line to be drawn, quietly, firmly. In this way, Hussain's stand lives beyond religion. It travels through every tradition that values conscience. It appears in the quiet defiance of a government official refusing to endorse an order that violates conscience, even as pressure mounts and consequences loom. It appears in the work of a lawyer who defends the disappeared. It breathes through the poem that slips past censors. The tragedy of Karbala implicates not only the swords that struck, but the silence that enabled them. In that sense, Hussain's stand is meant to be understood as a universal ethic, an insistence that injustice must be challenged, even when the odds are insurmountable. This is why Karbala has always spoken as much to the political imagination as to the spiritual. It presents a framework of resistance rooted in ethical clarity, rather than strategic gain. Hussain marched because not marching would have meant surrendering the very soul of the faith he inherited. This refusal to compromise remains one of the most powerful ideas in human history. To mourn Karbala, then, is to interrogate what has been normalised. What does it mean to live in a society where injustice no longer shocks? Where moral clarity is dismissed as naïveté, and where the vocabulary of resistance is constantly diluted by the language of pragmatism? In such a world, the annual return of Ashura becomes an ethical checkpoint. It asks each of us where we stand, and what we are willing to endure for the truth. Not in grand gestures, but in everyday choices, in the stories we amplify, the silences we keep, the comfort we guard, and the injustices we excuse. Muharram begins with a silence that creeps through the soul. The kind that precedes heartbreak. The kind that asks: If you were there, would you have stood beside Hussain, or watched from the shadows? Because Karbala was never about numbers. It was about one man's stand when everyone else chose to sit. It was about a moral line drawn in the soul. And though centuries have passed, the battlefield has not changed. It has only expanded. Ashura endures through meaning rather than vengeance. It teaches that the measure of a people lies in what they refuse to accept, in the truths they choose to carry even when the weight becomes unbearable. The rituals of mourning, the black flags, the elegies, they do more than remember. They remind. They return us to that moment in Karbala when history watched as power demanded silence and a single voice answered otherwise. That voice continues to echo. It travels through corridors where compromise lingers, into homes where fear is taught as survival, across borders where resistance remains unwelcome. It carries no slogans. It makes no promises. But it speaks; firmly, quietly, to those willing to listen. In every age, a Yazid rises. And in every age, someone chooses to rise against him. Karbala lives in that choice. And when the red sky of Muharram returns, it carries with it a question older than empires and louder than swords: who will you become, when the moment arrives?
NDTV
06-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Muharram 2025: The Battle Of Karbala And Significance Of Ashura
New Delhi: Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is considered sacred by Muslims around the world. The onset of the holy month is marked by a period of deep mourning and reflection, especially on the 10th day, known as Yaum-e-Ashura, to commemorate the tragic events of the Battle of Karbala. This year, Ashura is being observed on Sunday, July 6, along with the onset of Muharram. Significance Of Ashura With the onset of Muharram, Muslims worldwide commemorate the Battle of Karbala. The battle was fought on the 10th of Muharram, 61 Hijri (October 10, 680 CE), in the plains of Karbala in Iraq. This day is known among Muslims as Ashura. In this battle, Imam Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, along with his 72 loyal companions, sacrificed their lives for truth and justice against the army of Yazid ibn Muawiya. For three days, their camp was deprived of water from the Euphrates River, leaving them parched, yet their resolve remained unshaken. The Battle Of Karbala And The Water Crisis The Battle of Karbala is viewed as a confrontation between truth and falsehood, with the oppressed standing against the oppressor, as Imam Hussain refused to accept Yazid's un-Islamic policies and tyranny. The people of Kufa in Iraq invited Imam Hussain to lead them against Yazid's tyrannical rule. As Imam journeyed toward Kufa with his family and companions, Yazid's army intercepted them in Karbala. On the 7th of Muharram, Yazid's forces, led by Umar ibn Saad, cut off their water supply from the Euphrates River. For three days, Imam Hussain, his family, and his 72 companions—including women and children—were left without a drop of water. This thirst weakened their bodies but not their faith in God. On the 10th of Muharram (Ashura), Yazid's army launched an attack, and one by one, all 72 companions were killed, including Imam Hussain's six-month-old son, Ali Asghar, who was killed by a three-pronged arrow. Who All Were Killed In The Battle Imam Hussain ibn Ali: The third Shia Imam, Imam Hussain, entered the battlefield last, after all his companions and family were martyred. Weakened by three days of thirst, he fought valiantly. Yazid's army attacked him with arrows, spears, and swords. Shimr ibn Zil-Jawshan delivered the final blow, severing his head, which was sent to Yazid in Damascus. The oppressors even cut off his finger to steal his ring and trampled his body with horses. His sacrifice is the soul of Karbala. Ali Akbar ibn Hussain: Imam Hussain's eldest son, who resembled Prophet Muhammad in appearance and character. Despite being weakened by thirst, Ali Akbar was the first to fight. Surrounded by enemy swords and arrows, he was killed. A spear pierced his chest, and when Imam Hussain tried to remove it, his heart came out with it, plunging the camp into deep sorrow. Ali Asghar ibn Hussain: Ali Asghar ibn Hussain was Imam Hussain's six-month-old son. In desperation, Imam Hussain carried the thirsty infant to the enemy, pleading for water. However, Hurmala ibn Kahil shot a three-pronged arrow at the baby's neck, killing him instantly. The arrow was heavier than Ali Asghar's body, with one prong hitting his ear, another his throat, and the third piercing Imam Hussain's arm. Blood gushed from the infant's neck, marking one of the most heart-wrenching moments of Karbala. Abbas ibn Ali: The son of Hazrat Ali and Ummul Banin, Abbas was Imam Hussain's brother and the standard-bearer of his army. Known for his bravery, he struck fear into Yazid's forces. Despite repeatedly seeking permission to fight, Imam Hussain tasked him with fetching water for the children. Abbas reached the Euphrates alone, but, out of loyalty, refused to drink until the children in the camp were quenched. As he carried water back, the enemy ambushed him from behind trees, severing his right hand with a sword, his left with an arrow, and finally attacking his head with arrows, leading to his death. Known as the 'Lion of the Euphrates,' his sacrifice symbolizes loyalty. Qasim ibn Hasan: The 13-year-old son of Hazrat Hasan ibn Ali, Qasim ibn Hasan, was weakened by thirst and wounds, but he fought with Imam Hussain's permission. After being injured by swords, he was trampled by horses, leaving his body in pieces. Imam Hussain gathered his remains in a cloth, shaking the camp with grief. Muslim ibn Aqeel: Imam Hussain's cousin, sent to Kufa to assess support. Initially welcomed, Muslim was betrayed under pressure from Yazid's governor, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad. He was arrested and thrown from the governor's palace roof, becoming the first martyr of Karbala, and paving the way for the tragedy. Habib ibn Mazahir Asadi: Imam Hussain's childhood friend, invited to Karbala via a letter. Weakened by thirst, Habib fought in the first assault and was martyred by swords and spears. His loyalty and leadership kept the camp organized. Hurr ibn Yazid Riyahi: Initially a commander in Yazid's army, Hurr joined Imam Hussain on Ashura, seeking forgiveness for his role in intercepting the caravan. Imam Hussain forgave him, giving him a scarf belonging to Hazrat Fatima Zahra. Hurr attacked the enemy and was martyred by arrows and swords, embodying repentance and loyalty. Zuhair ibn Qayn Bajili: A noble warrior from Kufa, he joined Imam Hussain at his wife's urging. Weakened by thirst, he was martyred by arrows and swords in the early stages of battle while protecting Imam Hussain during prayers. Burair ibn Khuzair Hamdani: A pious scholar who fought while reciting Quranic verses. He was martyred by swords in the first assault. Other Companions: The remaining 62 martyrs, including Jaun ibn Huway, Amr ibn Junada, and Suwaid ibn Amr, faced swords, arrows, and spears in thirst. Some, like Anas ibn Harith and Muslim ibn Awsaja, fell in the first assault, while others, like Suwaid, rose one last time upon hearing of Imam Hussain's passing and were killed. Their resolve remained unbroken despite their physical weakness. Significance Of The Day The Battle of Karbala is a symbol of resistance against oppression. During Muharram and Arbaeen, millions of Muslims pay tribute to these martyrs. Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and Akhilesh Yadav have cited Imam Hussain's sacrifice as an inspiration for social justice. How World Leaders Remembered Imam Hussain's Sacrifice Prime Minister Narendra Modi: 'Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) sacrificed himself rather than accept injustice. His teachings remain as relevant today as they were centuries ago. His message of peace and justice continues to inspire the world.' Mahatma Gandhi: 'I learned from Hussain how to achieve victory while being oppressed. The progress of Islam does not depend on the sword but on the sacrifice of Hussain, a great saint.' Rabindranath Tagore: 'To keep justice and truth alive, armies or weapons are not needed. Victory can be achieved through sacrifices, as Imam Hussain did in Karbala.' Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: 'Imam Hussain's sacrifice is for all communities and societies, an invaluable example of human welfare.' Indresh Kumar (RSS): 'Imam Hussain faced trials and emerged stronger, showing the world a path of love, brotherhood, and spirituality, standing against terrorism.' Dr Rajendra Prasad: 'Imam Hussain's sacrifice is not limited to one nation or community but fosters universal brotherhood.' Dr. Radhakrishnan: 'Though Imam Hussain was martyred centuries ago, his pure soul still reigns in people's hearts.' Swami Shankaracharya: 'It is due to Imam Hussain's sacrifices that Islam survives today; otherwise, no one would mention Islam.' Sarojini Naidu: 'I congratulate Muslims for the fortune of having Imam Hussain, who rules the hearts of all communities worldwide.' Edward Brown: 'The bloody desert of Karbala, where the Prophet's grandson fell thirsty, surrounded by the bodies of his kin, shows the peak of the enemy's savagery and the ultimate tragedy.' Ignaz Goldziher: 'Weeping for the injustices faced by Hazrat Ali's family and their martyrs proves that no force can stop their followers from mourning.' Dr K. Sheldrake: 'Despite the scorching sand, blazing sun, and children's thirst, Hussain and his small band fought not for glory, wealth, or power but for a great sacrifice, proving their truth at every step.' Charles Dickens: 'If Hussain fought for worldly desires, why did he take his sister, wife, and children? I am compelled to say he sacrificed his entire family solely for Islam's survival.' Antoine Bara: 'No battle in human history has garnered as much sympathy and inspiration as Imam Hussain's martyrdom in Karbala.' Thomas Carlyle: 'The greatest lesson from Karbala is Hussain and his companions' unwavering faith in God, proving that military might is not true strength.' Reynold Nicholson: 'Hussain fell, pierced by arrows, his brave companions slain. Without this extraordinary sacrifice, the Muhammadan tradition would have ended.' Sardar SS Azad (Bangla Sahib Gurudwara): 'Imam Hussain's martyrdom was to save humanity. The oppressed always keep humanity alive through sacrifices like Karbala.' Father Victor Edwin: 'Imam Hussain fought for humanity, never bowing to oppression. Visiting his shrine in Karbala brings peace, and his life is a lesson for all.' Imam Hussain's Love for India Imam Hussain held great love for India and expressed a desire to visit it in his final moments, but Yazid's army denied him this wish. His love for India is cherished by Indians of all faiths, who honour him through tazias (replicas of his shrine) or by decorating their homes with his alam (standard). What Happened In Muharram? Muharram is known as the month of mourning. On the tenth day, Ashura, Imam Hussain and his 72 companions, including his six-month-old son Ali Asghar, were martyred after three days of hunger and thirst. From the second to the seventh day of Muharram, Yazid's army surrounded Imam Hussain's caravan in Karbala, blocking access to the Euphrates River. By the seventh day, their water reserves were depleted. From the seventh to the tenth (Ashura), the entire caravan, including children and the elderly, endured extreme thirst. When Yazid's army saw that Imam Hussain remained unyielding, they attacked. Legend goes that by 4 pm, 70 of his companions of Imam Hussain were martyred. Imam Hussain, holding Ali Asghar, pleaded for water for the infant, but Hurmala shot a three-pronged arrow through the baby's neck, killing him. Subsequently, Imam Hussain was attacked with arrows, swords, and spears, leading to his martyrdom. Yazid's army then took his surviving wife, children, sisters, and ailing son as prisoners, marching them from Karbala to Damascus. Legacy of Imam Hussain Imam Hussain's sacrifice preserved humanity and true Islam. His Sacrifice shows Islam stands for humanity, brotherhood, and truth-- an inspiration for resistance against oppression worldwide. Every year, millions of Muslims visit his shrine in Karbala, while others honour him through mourning gatherings (majlis), distributing water and sherbet, and remembering the 72 martyrs.
Daily Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Report lodged against portal
Published on: Sunday, July 06, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jul 06, 2025 By: Johan Aziz Text Size: KENINGAU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Bingkor Division has lodged a police report against Malaysiakini over a report it says is serious, false and unfounded. The report was written by two journalists by the portal on the same date and caused confusion and slander against the party's top leadership, it said. Advertisement Bingkor Division StarSabah Women Head, Jennifer Epil together with Bingkor Division Permanent Chairman, Haji Yazid Haji Mohd Hasnan Tawik @ Charles, Bingkor Division Youth Head, Florian @ Jai Ilon and several Youth and Women Committee Members lodged the report at the District Police headquarters, Saturday. They said the report baselessly claimed that Party President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan received a bribe of RM1.78 million linked to the mining licence scandal. The allegations also involved two Party Deputy Presidents, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin and Datuk Robert Tawik, who allegedly received bribes of RM530,000 and RM300,000, respectively. Yazid said the allegations were a malicious attempt to tarnish the good name of the party leadership ahead of the increasingly vibrant political season. 'The party will take appropriate legal action against any individual or organization involved in spreading false news,' he said. Yazid said the police report was to ask the authorities to immediately investigate the motive and source of this report to ensure justice is upheld and to maintain the integrity of the democratic process in this country. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
