Latest news with #pre-Islamic
Shafaq News
22-07-2025
- General
- Shafaq News
Centuries-old al-Farouq Minaret in Al-Anbar at risk of collapse
Shafaq News – Al-Anbar The historic al-Farouq Minaret in the city of Hit is facing imminent collapse due to severe structural damage, local antiquities officials warned on Monday, citing decades of neglect and lack of scientific restoration. Al-Anbar's Director of Antiquities, Ammar Ali, told Shafaq News that the minaret—believed to predate the Islamic conquests—is suffering from widespread cracks, foundational tilt, and long-standing moisture damage, placing it at serious risk. "The last maintenance effort dates back to 1945 and was carried out by residents using unscientific methods," he said. Originally used as a beacon to guide trade caravans between the Levant and Mesopotamia, the structure was later annexed to a mosque during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab and repurposed as a minaret. Ali emphasized that sewage works and accumulated humidity have further deteriorated the minaret's structure, despite its elevated location. He noted that while the State Board of Antiquities has officially requested renovation efforts, the site legally falls under the ownership of the Sunni Endowment Office according to Law No. 55 of 2002, requiring the office to handle restoration under the board's supervision. "Despite repeated promises from the Endowment to fund restoration, no concrete steps have been taken," Ali said. "We are ready to provide full technical oversight, but the ongoing delay in allocating funds remains the main obstacle." 'This monument, which has stood for centuries, now risks collapsing at any moment.' Local activist Ali Ahmed echoed the frustration, accusing relevant institutions of negligence. 'The people of Hit are deeply disappointed. This minaret is part of the city's identity, and despite repeated warnings and official memos, there has been no visible effort to save it,' he told Shafaq News. Ahmed called for an emergency rescue plan led by qualified engineering and heritage experts, urging both the central government and the Sunni Endowment to act before it is too late. The al-Farouq Minaret is one of Al-Anbar's most iconic archaeological landmarks. Dating back to the pre-Islamic era, it functioned as a signal tower for desert caravans before becoming a religious site. It has withstood the test of time, but now stands precariously without modern conservation.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Indian Express
Understanding blood money in Islamic law as Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's execution date draws near
Indian citizen Nimisha Priya was living a normal life in Yemen, working as a nurse, while her family returned to Kerala in 2014. But she had bigger dreams. Nimisha hoped to open a clinic in the capital city of Sanaa, aiming to make life easier. For this, she entered into a business arrangement with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. However, the situation soon turned grim. Mahdi allegedly took all of the clinic's revenue, physically and mentally assaulted Nimisha Priya, forged her documents, and even falsely showed her to be his wife. In an attempt to regain her documents and escape his torture, Nimisha tried to sedate Mahdi with the help of a co-worker. However, he died of an overdose. In 2020, a Yemeni trial court sentenced Nimisha to death for Mahdi's murder. Last week, it was announced that she will be executed on July 16. With time running out, her last possible resort may be the payment of blood money. But what is blood money? What is the historical origin of this law and what does it mean in Islam? Punishments for crimes against life and bodily integrity have existed since the pre-Islamic period. The Arabs, for instance, would penalise a murder with killing. 'The difference was that their retaliation had no limits depending on the strength or weakness of their tribe,' says researcher Tahir Wasti in The Application of Islamic Criminal Law in Pakistan: Sharia in Practice (2009). According to legal professional Silvia Tellenbach in The Oxford Handbook of Criminal Law (2014) the family of the victim in pre-Islamic times could kill every member of the perpetrator's family who was of equal value to his family as the victim had been to his. 'In Islam, the family of the victim can only kill the perpetrator himself,' she notes. In pre-Islamic times it was of no importance whether the victim had been killed intentionally. In Islam, on the other hand, retaliation is only possible in cases of intentional homicide; 'unintentional homicide can only be sanctioned with blood money.' The principles of qisas (retaliation) and diyat (blood money) were thus formed to stop the endless human killing from tribal animosity. The aim of these punishments, Tellenbach argues, is retribution. However, the principles are only accessible by victims who are 'protected persons.' By this, Tellenbach means a victim who is a member of a protected religion — namely, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or in Iran, Zoroastrianism. 'Atheists are not protected nor is a victim who is an apostate or an enemy soldier in war,' says Tellenbach. The Arabic term qisas, as used in the Quran, is translated as retaliation. It is derived from its root verb qassa, which means 'he followed'. Wasti explains that in Islamic law, the expression of 'retaliation' is termed qisas because it follows the footsteps of the offender, perpetrating on him an injury, as a punishment, exactly equal to the injury which he inflicted upon his victim, 'but no more.' Qisas is divided into two categories: retaliation of life for a life, and retaliation of organs. The crimes against the life of a person falls in the first category, while others that do not affect life but may injure the organs of a person belong to the latter. Diyat, on the other hand, means compensation or blood money. The law of Qisas and Diyat was ordained in the Quran, as cited by Wasti, in the following words: O ye who believe! The law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder The free for the free the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any remission is made by the brother of the slain then grant any reasonable demand and compensate him with handsome gratitude; This is a concession and a Mercy from your Lord. On diyat, or blood money, Wasti quotes the Quran: We ordained therein for them: 'Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, Ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal.' But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself. Diyat (blood money) was also known among the Arab tribesmen as a peaceful substitute for revenge, but it varied according to the position of the murderer and his tribe. Traditionally, diyat was set at 100 camels for the death of a person and proportionally for lesser injuries. Today, monetary equivalents are calculated by courts. In Iran, for instance, it is adjusted every year to take account of inflation. 'We see in the Quran,' writes Wasti, 'that only two kinds of homicide are mentioned.' He elaborates — deliberate and accidental. In the case of deliberate homicide, the punishment prescribed in the Quran is the killing of the offender or payment of blood money, if the legal heirs of the victim do not ask for qisas (retaliation). In the case of accidental killing, however, the murderer should pay blood money unless the heirs of the victim remit it freely. In cases where the crime was committed intentionally, the victim's family can decide whether to execute the perpetrator, to take blood money, or to pardon them. 'In modern times,' notes Tellenbach, 'it has become widely accepted that the decision regarding punishment for such a severe crime cannot be left solely in the hands of private individuals. Therefore, modern Islamic criminal codes generally provide for punishment by the state if the blood-avenger waives the qisas punishment and the crime is a violation of public order and security, for example in Iran (art 612 IPC of 1996).' Yet, loopholes exist. In Against White Feminism (2021), attorney and activist Rafia Zakaria gives the example of Pakistan's 1990 Qisas and Diyat Ordinance, which allows family members of the deceased to pardon a murderer from their sentence after the payment of blood money. She remarks, 'When spousal homicide occurs, for example, members of the perpetrator's own family (since perpetrator and victim often belong to the same family) are usually able to step in and 'forgive' the killer.' Zakaria suggests that 'discretionary pardon' would work in a situation where courts are able to consider the relevance of financial reparations for a crime on a case-by-case basis. 'Such a system,' she asserts, 'could also allow the rejection of it when it is clearly being misused, such as in cases which involve an honour killing or suspected honour killing.' The legal repercussion of applying the law indiscriminately, according to Zakaria, is that it 'opens up a loophole to be exploited by the perpetrators of honour killings.' Nikita writes for the Research Section of focusing on the intersections between colonial history and contemporary issues, especially in gender, culture, and sport. For suggestions, feedback, or an insider's guide to exploring Calcutta, feel free to reach out to her at ... Read More
Saudi Gazette
29-05-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Hadiyah Castle served pilgrims as a key stop and water source
Saudi Gazette report ALULA — Overlooking the northern part of Madinah, Hadiya Castle stands from a high vantage point between Wadi al-Tabaq and Wadi Khaybar. It embodies a rich historical legacy that tells the story of centuries of pilgrims and traders traveling from the Levant to Makkah. The archaeological site of Hadiyah Castle is one of the most prominent strategic points on the Levantine Hajj Route. It is likely that it was used as a station for pilgrims beginning in the pre-Islamic era, given its direct role in securing the route and providing comfort and supplies to caravans heading to Makkah. This made it a major transit point on this historic route. The castle was built in a strategic area overlooking a pond designated for collecting rainwater, making it an important source of water for pilgrims and a center for supplying them with provisions. The castle includes four defensive towers at its corners, three of which still stand, while the fourth has been affected by the effects of time. The traveler Ibn Battuta referred to this site in his documented journey in the year 726 AH, describing the location of the castle by saying: 'It is a well of water in a valley where they dig, and water comes out, and on the third day they descend into the holy, noble, and honorable city,' referring to the castle's proximity to Madinah and its pivotal position on the road. Historian and Islamic history researcher Dr. Fouad Al-Maghamsi explained that "Hadiya," located in Wadi Al-Tabaq, enjoys a strategic location between Madinah and Al-Ula, approximately 169 kilometers north of the city. It was a major stop for pilgrims and trade caravans in ancient times, thanks to its convenient location on one of the historical stated that the site gained additional importance at the beginning of the twentieth century with the launch of the railway line, when an official station called "Hadiyah" was established as part of a series of major stations along this vital stretch.
Shafaq News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Skeletal remains found at Sassanid-era site in central Iraq
Shafaq News/ Archaeological teams have uncovered four unidentified human skeletons during excavations at a Sassanid-era mound in Babil province, an Iraqi security source confirmed on Tuesday. The discovery occurred as excavation teams recovered ancient clay jars and pottery from the Nile subdistrict, north of Hilla, dating back to the Sassanid Empire (224–651 AD)—a significant pre-Islamic period in Mesopotamian history. The skeletal remains were transferred to the Department of Forensic Medicine for further analysis to determine their age, origin, and cause of death. While this find appears to be archaeological in nature, Iraq remains deeply scarred by decades of war, dictatorship, and insurgency, which have left behind some of the world's largest concentrations of mass graves. According to the Iraqi Martyrs Foundation and UN reports, Iraq has more than 200 known mass grave sites, many of them dating back to the Baathist regime under Saddam Hussein, particularly the 1988 Anfal campaign that targeted Kurdish civilians in the north, the 1991 suppression of Shia uprisings in the south, and the brutal crackdowns on political dissidents throughout the 1980s. After 2003, Iraq witnessed a new wave of mass killings at the hands of al-Qaeda and ISIS, especially in areas like Sinjar, where thousands of Yazidis were massacred, and Camp Speicher, where ISIS executed over 1,700 Iraqi cadets.
News18
20-05-2025
- General
- News18
Why India Needs A Museum Of Hindu Art
Last Updated: Like the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Hinduism's influence also needs to be contextualised and presented to the world—and to Hindus too Qatar is even more in the spotlight because of the ongoing talks there on the Gaza issue, but with the World Museum Day just gone by, it is also worthwhile to see the implications of the spectacular Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. As an exposition of the apparent grandeur and breadth of Islamic endeavour in the arts, the museum offers a very eloquent counter to the impression that the religion and its adherents have scarce respect for or interest in this field. However, visitors cannot help but notice that many of the exhibits are not Islamic at all but pre-Islamic. Once upon a time that chronology would have been enough to deem them un-Islamic in the eyes of the faithful, but there are clearly cleverer minds at work nowadays than the preachers of doctrinaire Islam that led the Taliban to blow up the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001 and also loot and destroy around 2,750 antiquities at the Kabul Museum. That led many around the world to fear for the future of all antiquities in museums in Islamic countries as well the safety of pre-Islamic architectural and cultural heritage sites in territories in their control. Something had to be done to reassure the world that all those within the Islamic world were not inevitable 'iconoclasts' when it came to art that did not conform to its strict tenets. Setting up institutions that would help control the narrative became an imperative. Thanks to the deep coffers of the Qatari dynasty, smart money was invested in collecting not only 'Islamic art' but also 'art from the Islamic world' (past and present) for the Museum of Islamic Art—designed by the legendary IM Pei—in 2008. It now contains a magnificent, varied body of work, even from countries like India and Spain that are no longer ruled by Muslim dynasties, thereby making a very persuasive case for the beneficial impact of Islam. Laying claim to the aesthetics and artistic output of all regions that once had Muslim rulers as 'Islamic Art" is a bit of a stretch because it's nearly impossible to assess the influence of the religion specifically. But showing how much Islamic artists were inspired by the regions' pre-Islamic art forms—which necessitated buying up many rare examples of both genres—counters the belief that Islam swamped or suppressed many local traditions as it expanded. The Doha museum's stated aim is 'to celebrate Islamic art and civilisation, fostering cultural understanding and global dialogue" and it indeed offers a very alluring picture. Especially since the 'civilisational' angle has been a prickly issue with Christians propounding a similar narrative. The Hagia Sophia's journey from 6th century church to mosque to museum back to mosque in 2020 in Istanbul, for example, points to their tussle for civilisational superiority. Art's connection to religion, and their role in a civilisation has for long been very successfully expounded by the Christian world, with many of the landmarks of human advancement linked to it. Both the Renaissance and the Reformation—periods that saw great progress in the arts—challenged and renewed interest in the Christian faith and thus cannot be excised from its remarkable cultural legacy. Thus, positing Islam as a similar force is a bold initiative. There is no comparable single museum of Christian art, considering that religion reached all five permanently populated continents (Islam has not yet managed to establish control over the two Americas) and certainly altered and affected the cultures of all those places. Perhaps the current rules of political correctness make exhibiting honestly how Christianity impacted the regions where it holds sway a very tough call. Billionaire financiers would also be chary. A large part of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is devoted to Jewish art and the Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art focuses on the Jewish Diasporic Heritage, Judaica, and the evolution of art from the Second Temple period to the present, including contemporary art. There is also the Jewish Museum in New York, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme in Paris, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin. But none have the grand sweep of Doha's Islamic art museum. Buddhism, surprisingly, also does not have a mega museum devoted to how it has impacted art and aesthetics across the world, although such a project would not be constrained by political correctness apprehensions. China has approached it tangentially via its Silk Road initiatives but not an institution like the one in Doha. China, of course, is the only nation with the economic heft to build a Buddhist art museum on that scale—despite its Communist government. The benefit of conflating itself with the enormous reach of Buddhism in what it considers its special sphere of influence—South-East and East Asia—makes a Museum of Buddhist Art by and in China almost inevitable. Although, logically, India should be the venue, not only because Buddhism spread from here to the rest of the world but also because it has a sizable collection of Buddhist art already in museums around the country that can be tapped. But while all these other religions have many nations that can host museums on their impact on the arts, only one country can be the venue for an exposition of the artistic impact of Hinduism: India. As there is now a serious relook at the decades of academic work on the perceptions and earlier misconceptions about Hinduism, this is the perfect time to set up a grand Museum of Hindu Art, not hiding behind the broader word 'Indian" fearing criticism. Using the same principle as the museum in Doha, it would also include regions that were once under Hindu rule as part of its sweep. That would mean going beyond the boundaries of Akhand Bharat to include most of South-East Asia, parts of Central Asia—and even West Asia, including the definite effect of Hindu astronomy and mathematics on the cultures there. There is evidence of past Hindu influence on even Oman, Bahrain, Yemen including temples. Apart from what the world may learn from such a museum, it would also be of immense help to tell Hindus in India—and elsewhere too—about the actual ambit of their religion and the visible (and some now-invisible) impact it has had on the arts, and aesthetics of those areas and vice versa. Right now much of the academic and cultural discourse on art centres on the Buddhist and Islamic influence on 'Indian' aesthetics, thereby constricting the scope of Hindu art. A museum that not only traces its evolution but compares and contrasts the interactions of Hindu art with those of other regions and religions would be an eye-opener. Especially if it could be showcased in an iconic receptacle speaking an international idiom (not colonial or revivalist), encapsulating the links between Hinduism's vast and diverse past history in fine and decorative arts and its current status. India needs a modern temple to Hinduism's art heritage. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 20, 2025, 11:08 IST News opinion Opinion | Why India Needs A Museum Of Hindu Art
