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Arab News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan asks distribution companies to ensure uninterrupted power supply to facilitate Muharram gatherings
iSLAMABAD: Pakistan's Energy Ministry on Sunday directed senior officials of distribution companies (DISCOs) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to facilitate religious gatherings next month during Muharram. Thousands of Pakistanis every year during the Islamic month of Muharram take part in religious gatherings and processions to pay tribute to Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. In its letter, the ministry said Muharram is falling in July when heat waves are expected in many parts of the country. 'It is very much imperative that all necessary measures are taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to facilitate these religious gatherings and avoid any inconvenience to the public,' the letter said. The ministry urged DISCOs to conduct thorough inspections of all transmission and distribution networks, particularly in areas where religious gatherings and processions are expected to take place. It also directed the companies to deploy dedicated emergency response teams on high alert throughout Muharram, especially on the 9th and 10th of Muharram when the main processions take place, to address any power disruptions immediately. The ministry instructed DISCOs to communicate with consumers, especially mosques and imambargahs, regarding any scheduled maintenance or potential load management measures to minimize inconvenience. 'Assign duty rosters to ensure 24/7 availability of technical and operational staff during Muharram to respond swiftly to any power-related issues,' the letter read. 'The sanctity of Muharram demands our utmost commitment to serving the public with diligence and respect,' it said. 'Any negligence in this regard will be viewed seriously.' The Energy Ministry directed DISCOs to submit a compliance report to the Power Division regarding the measures taken in this regard. Thousands of people suffer from power outages, lasting several hours each day, during the summers every year in Pakistan. Pakistan suffers from an energy crisis that stems largely from a gap in its energy supplies and electricity demand. The cash-strapped country lacks adequate resources to run its oil-and-gas-powered plants and imports most of its energy needs.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Poetry of grief: Dongri's marsiya reciters prepare for Moharram
As the Muslim month of Moharram begins this week (June 26 or 27, depending on the sighting of the new moon), the pulsating Pala Galli aka Hazrat Abbas Street in Dongri prepares to be draped in black. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rooftops, shopfronts, windowsills and sabeels (water fountains) will be adorned with black flags and banners, signalling the sacred time of mourning. Moharram marks the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Hussain, his family members, and companions at the Battle of Karbala (618) in Iraq. Besides the visual symbols of mourning, another deeply emotive tradition unfolds: marsiyakhwani—the act of eulogising the Karbala martyrs through poetry recitation. Perhaps no marsiya reciter in Mumbai evokes the pain and lamentation for the departed souls on the plains of Karbala as powerfully as Haji Mohammed Reza Parekh, fondly known as Haji Bhai among his admirers. At 60, Parekh is a revered presence at many Moharram majlis or congregation venues, including Khoja Shia Jama Masjid, Masjid-E-Iranian or Mughal Masjid, and Kesar Baug Hall in Dongri. In addition, he is often invited to recite at many private Shia homes in the city. Notably, at Kesar Baug Hall, Parekh's family has upheld the humble yet vital tradition of safeguarding the shoes of the mourners during Moharram gatherings for generations. "Nothing gives me more satisfaction than helping fellow mourners connect with the pain and sacrifice at Karbala," says Parekh, who began reciting marsiya when he was five, often carried on his father's shoulders to the Moharram majlis. "I pray to God that I should be doing it till I live on this earth." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now M ourning for the martyrs of Karbala is central to religious expression in Shia faith, and marsiyas are among the most poignant ways that the grief is communicated. "What the zakirs or speakers do through Moharram sermons, marsiya reciters do through poetry. They evoke the feeling of loss and lamentation and Haji Bhai has perfected this art," explains Ali Shroff, president, Khoja Shia Isna Ashari Jamaat in Mumbai. "His poignant recitations transport you to the tragic time when Imam Hussain and his companions were subjected to extreme adversity during the Karbala battle." Haji Sajjad P Shroff, secretary of the century-old Jamaat, has observed and attended Parekh's recitation sessions for decades. "Once while visiting Imam Hussain's mausoleum in Karbala, I persuaded Haji Bhai to recite a marsiya at the holy precinct as part of our homage to the Imam," recalls Haji Sajjad. Marsiya, derived from the Arabic 'marthiya'—meaning lamentation for the departed souls—is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It received a major push during the rule of Shia nawabs of Awadh, including Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, who patronised even Hindu poet and marsiya writer Munshi Channulal Dilgir (1780-1848). Many famous marsiyas of Dilgir, including 'Ghabrayegi Zainab'—depicting the trauma the Imam's family suffered—have received widespread popularity and continue to mesmerise mourners to this day. The genre owes much of its literary elevation to two legendary poets: Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer. They lifting marsiya from majlis to high art in Urdu poetry. "Commentators have long debated who between Anis and Dabeer was a better marsiya writer. They took this genre to dizzying heights and enriched Urdu poetry," says Mira Road-based marsiya reciter Syed Mohammed Akbar Rizvi. Hailing Anis as a pioneer, the famous scholar-critic Shibli Nomani wrote: "The poetic qualities of Anis are not matched by any other poets." Besides reciting at Mehfile Sakkae Sakina in Mira Road, Rizvi travels to Dongri to recite at Mughal Masjid. Kausar Zaidi, who has anchored the Moharram sermons at Mughal Masjid for over three decades, also writes marsiyas. He once anchored the Moharram sermons of the late Maulana Mohammed Athar Mirza, who delivered sermons at Mughal Masjid for over five decades. For the marsiya reciters, the days of mourning are not only sacred but also deeply personal. Each session is a calling—to evoke remembrance, tears and ultimately, reaffirmation of faith.
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Un-Islamic or intolerance? Debate on Sufi songs hits discordant notes
KOZHIKODE: A Salafi group has lashed out at the growing popularity of Sufi songs in Kerala, branding them un-Islamic and the major source of moral degeneration among the youth. 'Sufi songs that destroy the religion' was the most recent topic of discussion on Proof Point, the online platform of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, where Salafi scholars talk on current issues. The scholars asserted that many un-Islamic ideas are being smuggled into Sufi songs in the name of artistic expression. 'Organisations such as the Samastha and the Jama'at-e-Islami are promoting it by arranging special sessions at their programmes,' Shuraih Salafi said during the discussion. He said Sufism is the tool developed by Shias to destroy Islam from within. They are promoting a spirituality that is prohibited in Islam and the Sufi claim that there is no difference between Allah and the individual amounts to 'shirk' (polytheism). 'The popularity of Sufi songs has seen the emergence of new musicians. They are being promoted as representatives of Islam because they appear in Islamic attire,' Salafi said. 'On the other side, youths are running after rappers. Thousands are jostling to listen to people who do gimmicks on stage, without even proper dress,' he said. 'They don't get the beauty...' Speaking to TNIE, Sufi musician Nazar Malik said Salafis cannot understand the beauty of Islam because they practice a dry religion. 'I think the Wisdom group started their attack on Sufi music by playing one of my songs at their conference in 2022, without my consent. The song was on Imam Hussain, the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Salafis are intolerant even to the family of the Prophet,' Malik said. 'Karbala, where Imam Hussain was murdered, was the theme of many songs of the Muslim families of Kerala. Many virtues of traditional Islam have disappeared with the advent of the Salafis,' he said. Malik said his music is his spiritual expression and no one has the right to oppose it. 'The Salafis attack us ideologically in places where they have no majority and no power. They would have done something else if they had power in Kerala. Even without power, they destroyed a dargah at Nadukani in Malappuram.' He said Sufi musicians have done nothing harmful, unlike the Salafi preachers, whose irresponsible speeches have become an easy tool for those attacking Islam. 'On the one hand, you see the Sangh parivar coming out against Vedan, the rapper. Here, Salafis are jumping on us,' Malik added.
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
War by water
Listen to article If rivers could talk, the Indus would not whisper; it would thunder. Not in rage, but sorrow for being mislabeled, mistreated, and now almost killed. The Persians, unable to pronounce 'Sindhu', called it 'Hindu'. The Greeks turned that into 'Indos'. And the British, true to colonial form, repackaged the theft as 'India'. Thus, a nation claimed its identity from a river it neither owns nor protects. But history's irony doesn't end there, because today, India seeks to strangle the very Sindhu that gave it its name, damming its veins, drying its pulse, and silencing the waters that once defined its soul. The same India that rushed to choke the river's throat with Baglihar and Kishanganga, damming it upstream without pause. The same India that throttles the very waters that gave it its name, then cries foul before the world. The same India that launched missiles into Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Bahawalpur, not into barracks, but into beds, tearing through silence, catching families mid-dream, mid-breath. This isn't water diplomacy. It's water warfare, plain and ruthless. It's the slow throttling of a river beneath the ribbon-cuttings of 'development', the murder of ecosystems scripted as strategy. And behind it all, a state that floods headlines with peace while bleeding a nation dry, one dam, one diversion, one deceit at a time. Narendra Modi has once again spun a narrative of victimhood. We've seen this script before: Uri in 2016, Pulwama in 2019, and now Pahalgam – each one a conveniently timed disaster, tailored for political mileage. And each time, it plays out the same: Indian bombs scream through sovereign skies, Pakistan gets the blame, and the world swallows the story whole, no questions asked. But this time, Modi miscalculated. Pakistan's silence didn't just end, it shattered. We responded. Six Indian jets downed, a brigade headquarters reduced to ash. This wasn't retaliation, it was clarity. Because Pakistan may bleed, but it does not plead. Our restraint isn't weakness; it's strategy. And when provoked, we roar. As India weaponises water, international media remains complicit. When weapons are dams instead of missiles, global voices fall silent. Once praised for peaceful water sharing, the IWT is outdated, unconcerned with climate realities, and ecologically blind. India's selective amnesia is as dangerous as it is deliberate. Water, sacred in Hinduism, worshipped at the ghats of the Ganges and Yamuna, is twisted into a weapon against Pakistan, desecrating the very beliefs it claims to hold dear. Denying water isn't just a strategy; it's cruelty with precedent. Think of Karbala, etched into the soul of every Muslim, where Imam Hussain and his family were denied even a drop. That act of thirst, that ultimate injustice, became a symbol of tyranny across centuries. And yet, India, where Imam Hussain is venerated, where his stand against oppression is honoured in both ritual and verse, mirrors that very cruelty. It turns the tap off on Pakistanis who depend on the Indus. The hypocrisy is not just galling, it's obscene. Further south, where Sindhu meets Sindh, the river no longer arrives as a giver of life, but as a stranger. Once the heartbeat of a civilisation, it now drags its feet, bringing salt instead of sustenance. With barely a tenth of its flow left, the delta wilts, mangroves die, nets stay empty, the children of Sindh grow up not knowing the river that once defined them, just sip bitterness where sweet water once ran. And still, the world looks away. From upstream dams to missiles on our soil, India's escalation is deliberate. These provocations are designed to destabilise Pakistan. The world may bite its tongue, but we won't. This is aggression, methodical, relentless, and cloaked in the language of diplomacy. The Sindhu is not a favour. It's our inheritance, our identity, our lifeline. And the Indus does not kneel, not to politics, not to power. Should India wage war using water, remember Karbala's timeless lesson: refusing water has never stifled righteousness; it has only made it more pronounced.
