A woman has suffered "life-threatening injuries" after police fired at her for making threats at a Paris train station. The 38-year-old Muslim woman was completely veiled and shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Greatest"). She reportedly made threats that she would "blow herself up" She also yelled "you are all going to die" to passengers on an RER train, according to Paris police chief Laurent Nunez. Nunez added that police had shot the woman after she refused to comply with police orders, and that she was not in possession of explosives at the time she was shot. Probe launched into woman's behavior, response of officers Two police officers then fired eight rounds at the woman, inflicting a life-threatening injury to her abdomen, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It had earlier said that one officer had fired only one shot. Police in Paris have launched two investigations. One will probe the woman's actions, while another will determine whether the police's use of a firearm was justified. A French government spokesman said that the woman had a previous conviction for threatening patrolling soldiers.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Saturday lamented how Pakistan's economy is in dire straits with very high inflation, dangerously low foreign exchange reserves and vowed to redirect the country on the path of growth, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported. Nawaz compared how roti, petrol cost way higher today than when he was in power. "Was I ousted for this reason? What is this decision? You are the public, you tell, do you agree with this decision?" He said that if Pakistan was run on his 1990 economic model, "not a single person would have been unemployed, there would be nothing like poverty [...] but today, the condition is so bad that one has to think if they can feed their children or pay electricity bills". The PML-N supremo made the remarks while addressing a massive crowd of supporters at the Minar-e-Pakistan rally in Lahore. Nawaz clarified that these tough economic conditions weren't created during the Shehbaz Sharif-led government but traced back to a long time. The PML-N supremo also waved two copies of electricity bills which he claimed were from his tenure and after he was ousted. "Do you remember how dharnas were held? But we kept doing our work." While addressing his supporters, Nawaz said, "I am meeting you today after several years, but my relationship of love with you is the same. There is no difference in this relationship," he said. "The love I am seeing in your eyes, I am proud of it." He said he never betrayed his supporter nor did he shy from any kind of sacrifice. He recalled how fake cases were framed against him and his party leaders. "But no one abandoned the PML-N flag." "Tell me, who are they who separated Nawaz Sharif from his nation? We are those who built Pakistan. We made Pakistan an atomic power. We brought an end to load-shedding," he said, highlighting how he produced and provided cheap electricity to the people. Responding to the crowd cheering, Nawaz said, "I know you want to hear that I love you too." "Today, trust me, after seeing your love, I have forgotten all my grief and pain. I don't even want to remember. But, there are some wounds that can't ever heal." Nawaz said he had lost his mother and wife "to politics". He recalled how he couldn't pay the final respects to his mother, father or wife despite repeated requests in jail, as per Dawn. The PML-N supremo further recalled the impediments he faced at the time of the atomic bomb launch. "There will be record present in the Foreign Office that Clinton offered me USD 5 billion [...] this happened in 1999 [...] I could have been offered USD 1 billion too, but I was born from the land of Pakistan and it did not give me permission to accept what is against Pakistan's favour." "Tell me, if someone else would have been in my place, you know who, could he have said this in front of the American President? So, do we get punished for this? Are verdicts announced against us for this reason?" he said.

France will ban school pupils attending state-run facilities from wearing the abaya, a loose-fitting, full length dress some Muslim women wear. Education Minister Gabriel Attal, who was only promoted to his role earlier in the summer, made the announcement late on Sunday in an interview with French television channel TF1. "When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't be able to identify the pupils' religion just by looking at them," he said. What prompted the move against the abaya? In 2004, a French law banned "the wearing of signs or outfits by which students ostensibly show a religious affiliation" in schools. This applied to large crosses, Jewish kippas and Islamic headscarves. Nevertheless, abayas were somehow spared, until last November. The Education Ministry at the time issued a circular including the abaya in a group of items of clothing which could be banned should they be donned "in a manner as to openly display a religious affiliation." The circular also singled out bandanas and long skirts. The controversy surrounding the abaya intensified in 2020, when a radicalized Chechen Muslim beheaded a teacher. The teacher had shown students caricatures of Muslim prophet Mohammed. What has the reaction been? Head teachers' union leader Bruno Bobkiewicz welcomed the announcement. "The instructions were not clear, now they are and we welcome it," Bobkiewicz, general secretary of the NPDEN-UNSA, said. Eric Ciotto, head of the opposition right-wing Republicans party, also welcomed the news. "We called for the ban on abayas in our schools several times," he said. Others, such as left-wing opposition France Unbowed party member Clementine Autain, condemned it as a "policing of clothing." She argued that it was "unconstitutional" and against the founding principles of France's secular values. Autain accused the French government of harboring an "obsessive rejection" of the country's some 5 million Muslim population.

Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said the county's Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of around 33 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), underlining that India is a melting pot of cultures, religions, and languages that coexist in harmony. During an event at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in the national capital today, Doval said, "India is a melting pot of cultures, religions, and languages that coexist in harmony. As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens, regardless of their religious, ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Indian Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of around 33 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation." Islam evolved into a distinct syncretic tradition that is dynamic and fluid and is profoundly ingrained in Indian cultural life, Doval added. Hailing the relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, the NSA said that the two nations are proud of their excellent relations.  He added that it is the deep spiritual content of Hinduism and Islam that brought the people together and helped in bringing about a social and intellectual understanding of each other. NSA Doval said, "India is the world's largest democracy and the mother of democracies and is a land of incredible diversity. The deep spiritual content of Hinduism and Islam brought the people together and helped in bringing about a social and intellectual understanding of each other. Historians need to appreciate the social undercurrents of unity in India. Islam in India gave rise to a distinct and vibrant expression of peace and harmony." "India emerged as a sanctuary for persecuted people of all faiths from across the world since time immemorial," NSA Doval added. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement "this is not an era of war," the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval said that it is only with mutual trust and cooperation among nations that security and sustainable development will be ensured. "Only with mutual trust and cooperation among nations, civil societies, religions and people of the world that security, stability, sustainable development and a dignified life for all citizens can be ensured. As our Prime Minister says, this is no more the age of war. Future battles for the good of humanity will have to be fought against hunger, poverty, ignorance and want. In today's world, with complex geopolitical challenges confronting us, religion has to become a beckoning light for the humanity to usher into an era of peace and harmony. Our differences will have to take a backseat," Doval said. "Dr al-Issa's visit today is an opportunity to deepen the cooperation between our two countries and explore new avenues for partnership," Doval added. Muslim World League secretary-general Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on a six-day India visit, also addressed the gathering. Recalling events from the history Doval said, "India welcomed Arab exiles (in the court of Raja Dahir of Sindh), Jews, Tibetans, Parsis, Shias, Bangladeshis, Afghans and many others with open arms. This enduring tradition of accommodation is a testament to India being a deeply rooted multiethnic, multi-religious, and multilingual society." Speaking of terrorism, Doval said that the challenge of extremism and global terrorism compels India not to lower its guard. "To preserve the security and stability within our borders and also rise to the security challenges beyond, India has been leading the fight - the fight against individuals and organizations - who are promoting extremism, narcotics and terrorism," he added. Before Doval's remarks, Saudi leader al-Issa who is the current Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), an organisation based in Saudi Arabia and representing Muslims worldwide, delivered his address. The visiting Saudi delegate had said that his organisation is working across the world to promote religious awareness.  Source: Daily Hunt

Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa is set to arrive in New Delhi on July 10 on a six-day visit, the sources said. Upon his arrival in India, Al-Issa will be meeting India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for a one-on-one in the evening. On July 11, at 11 am, on the invitation of the Khusro Foundation, Al-Issa will address a gathering of prominent religious and community leaders, academics and media at BS Abdur Rahman Auditorium at the India Islamic Cultural Centre. The National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval shall also address the gathering. Al-Issa will be in India from July 10-15. As per sources, Al-Issa is expected to meet India's Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, and Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, and he may also call on the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. He will also meet the President of ICCR and interact with a group of distinguished faith leaders at Vivekanand International Foundation. As per sources, he might visit Akshardham Temple and meet some prominent personalities. During his stay in the national capital, an important part of his engagement will also be the visit to Jama Masjid Delhi for Friday Prayers. He is also scheduled to visit Agra. Notably, Al-Issa is an Islamic scholar and a leading voice on moderate Islam. He is also a promoter of inter-faith dialogue and world peace. He is a prominent religious leader, Islamic scholar and reformist from Saudi Arabia. Before being appointed as the Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016, Al-Issa served as the Minister of Justice in the Saudi Cabinet. As the Secretary General of the Muslim World League, an influential non-governmental organization representing Muslims worldwide, Al-Issa has spearheaded initiatives to build partnerships and strengthen relations between diverse communities, faiths, and nations. He also serves as the chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership, a body of globally influential government, faith, media, business, and community leaders working together to solve the challenges facing humanity and the world today. 

A series of Islamic countries have criticized the burning of pages of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm as part of an authorized protest. Turkish President Erdogan was among them, amid NATO talks with Sweden. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led a chorus of criticism from the Muslim world aimed at Sweden on Thursday, a day after an Iraqi man burned pages of a Quran outside a Stockholm mosque.  Erdogan said in televised remarks that he condemnded Wednesday's incident in Stockholm. "We will eventually teach the arrogant Westerners that insulting Muslims is not freedom of thought," Erdogan said, paying little heed to the protester's own non-Western identity. "We will show our reaction in the strongest possible terms, until a determined victory against terrorist organizations and Islamophobia is achieved."  Erdogan's comments seemed to hint at him looking to use the incident to continue to stifle Sweden's bid to join NATO, submitted in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More talks between the two sides are scheduled for next week. Erdogan accuses Sweden of harboring what he calls "terrorists," usually either Kurdish activists or supporters of a former ally turned rival of Erdogan's, Fethullah Gulen. The president has also criticized comparable past demonstrations in Sweden that he deemed to be either anti-Turkey or anti-Islam or both.  Although the protest's impact on Erdogan and his government might be the most pressing concern for Stockholm, given its current political efforts, Turkey's criticism was just one voice among many from the Islamic world on Thursday.  Chorus of criticism, ambassadors summoned A host of Islamic governments voiced their disapproval of the action, while in Iraq, protesters tried to breach the Swedish Embassy building in Baghdad.  This followed Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr calling for a demonstration outside the embassy seeking the ambassador's removal, charging that Sweden was "hostile to Islam."  The US Census Bureau put Sweden's Muslim population at 8.1% in 2022. Swedish government figures are often lower as they only count those who are registered with a mosque and regularly attend. The country also hosts many people from Islamic countries who have since renounced their faith, like Wednesday's protester, many of whom do not feel safe in their homelands after doing so. The United Arab Emirates and Jordan summoned Sweden's ambassador on Thursday, as Morocco had late on Wednesday.  Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Arab League, Egypt, and Kuwait all issued criticial comments.  The government in Baghdad said such actions "inflame the feelings of Muslims around the world and represent a dangerous provocation for them."  Iran called the demo "provocative, ill-considered and unacceptable," while saying it was Sweden's obligation to prevent "the repetition of insulting holy sanctities."  Saudi Arabia noted how the act coincided with the Eid al-Adha religious festival and the end of the Hajj pilgrimage: "These hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justification," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.  Swedish PM: Protest was legal but not 'appropriate' Sweden rarely bans protests, even ones that might be deemed incitement in other countries, and a court approved the demonstration on Wednesday. However, after it, police said they would investigate potential "agitation" that might have been committed amid the protest by an Iraqi refugee who would like the book banned.  Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said at a press conference that the decision on whether the protest should go ahead had not been his to make.  "It is legal but not appropriate," Kristersson said of the protest, saying such individual decisions rested with Swedish law enforcement, not politicians.  Representatives of the mosque outside which the protest took place had said on Wednesday that they were disappointed police permitted the protest. They had suggested police could at least divert the demonstration to a less sensitive location — one step that could have been within their powers.  The protest was watched by a crowd of people, including supporters and counterprotesters; police cordoned the protester off from the crowd, apparently for his own protection. In January, a similar protest took place in Sweden conducted by the leader of a Danish far-right political party who set light to a copy of the Quran after a long diatribe about Muslim migration into Sweden. This also prompted stern criticism from Turkey and other countries.  NATO has appealed to Turkey, however, to consider that its stance on Sweden joining NATO might be contributing to protests in Sweden which Ankara and Erdogan then find objectionable. Kristersson said at Thursday's EU leaders' summit that he would hold talks with the other NATO holdout, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Hungary's government on Thursday confirmed that it would delay a parliamentary vote on ratifying Swedish NATO membership by another week, but said the decision was unrelated to Turkey's renewed displeasure — a claim disputed by the opposition in Budapest.

Mohammad Irfan, the 17-year-old son of a farm daily wage labourer Salauddin in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district, has scored 82.71% in the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Sanskrit Shiksha Parishad Board’s Uttar Madhyama-II (class 12) examinations. Irfan, who wants to become a Sanskrit teacher, is the only Muslim among the top 20 scorers in the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations. He beat 13,738 students who sat for the Class 12 examinations. “I’m not sure why people associate a language with a religion. A Hindu can be extremely good at learning Urdu, while a Muslim can be very good at studying Sanskrit. I am a graduate who understands the value of education,” Irfan said, addressing media on the question of people connecting certain languages with some religions. Asked if there were any issues after Irfan chose to study Sanskrit, Salauddin (51) said, “No, nothing at all. I was happy he had chosen a different subject to study and I encouraged him. It was a different choice as we are Muslims, but he was keen on it so I did not stop him. These things do not matter to us.” “We do not subscribe to this thinking that only Hindus should study Sanskrit and that only Muslims should study Urdu. If he is studying the subject in primary and junior classes, he can study it further too. What is wrong with that? I do not see anything wrong,” said the elated father. “He wants to study Sanskrit literature and I will never stop him from pursuing something he is keen on. I am very proud of him.” Source: The kashmir Monitor

A man stabbed two people to death and left several wounded at an Ismaili Muslim center in the Portuguese capital, the prime minister said. A man stabbed two people to death at Lison's Ismaili Muslim center in a "criminal act," Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday. "The attack left several people wounded and, for the moment, two dead," said the police. What we know about the attack Police said they arrived at the scene at just before 11 a.m. local time after being warned that a knife attack was underway. Police said in a statement that they shot the attacker. "Faced with the serious and ongoing threat, the policemen used firearms against the person, hitting and neutralizing the aggressor," police said. CNN Portugal reported that the alleged attacker was Afghan. The police took the suspect under custody and took him to a hospital in Lisbon.  Costa stated that it was "an isolated incident" and it was "premature to make any interpretation of this criminal act." No details about the identity of the victims have yet been revealed.

Despite good progress, the aviation sector has still not achieved gender parity, and it is considered even unusual to find women from the Muslim community as pilots, but this trend is slowly getting brushed off, as several names are changing the perception. Although there is still a long way to go in achieving gender parity in the aviation sector, the industry is opening up for women pilots, as in recent years more and more airlines and aviation organizations have been actively recruiting and supporting women pilots. For example, in 2018, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the "25by2025" initiative, which aims to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions and in the aviation industry overall to 25 per cent by the year 2025. Many airlines have also launched initiatives to increase the number of female pilots in their ranks, such as easyJet's Amy Johnson Initiative and Qantas' 'IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards' program. Furthermore, there are now many organizations and networks that support women in aviation, such as Women in Aviation International, the Ninety-Nines, and the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. These organizations provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and support for women pilots and other aviation professionals. The one place where it was considered surprising to see Muslim women, was as pilots. But, even this is now fast becoming a trend for women of Islamic heritage. There have been several Muslim women who have made their mark in the aviation industry. For example, India witnessed three Indian Muslim female pilots as early as the twentieth century - Abida Sultan, Begum Hijab Imtiyaz Ali, and Zeenat Harooon Rasheed. India has always remained a progressive nation. Right from the very beginning, both males and females have achieved great heights in many fields. Abida Sultan, the first female Indian Muslim pilot was the eldest daughter of the Last Nawab of the princely state of Bhopal, Haji Nawab Hafiz also known as Hamidullah Khan. Abida was born in August 1913, and died at the age of 88 in May 2002. Right from her childhood, she was extremely fond of flying planes and her dream turned into a reality after she successfully got her license to fly a plane in the late 1920s, making her the first female Indian pilot. Abida took training to fly planes from the Bombay flying club and Calcutta flying club. Sultan had hobbies that were unusual among the women of her era. She loved driving cars as a pastime. It is said that Begum Hijab Imtiyaz Ali was the first Indian female pilot of the British Empire. She belonged to an extremely progressive family that allowed her to pursue her dream even after getting married and having a daughter. Hijab was an excellent writer too. She wrote multiple stories and remained an editor of a magazine, Tehzeeb-e-Nizwaan. Zeenat Haroon Rasheed, daughter of Sir Abdullah Haroon, a well-known politician of British India, who made major contributions towards developing and defining the role of Muslims in economics, was one of the first pilots of British India and one of the forty-nine women to have organized an association of the Australian Women Pilots during early 1951. Now, Syeda Salva Fatima is one of the four Muslim women in India who hold a Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL). After her multi-engine training in New Zealand and type-rating in Bahrain, this Hyderabad woman was endorsed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which enabled her to fly the Airbus A320. The daughter of a bakery worker, Syeda comes from the poverty-stricken neighbourhood of Sultan Shahi in the old city of Hyderabad. What makes Syeda's story stand out is her lower middle-class background and the fact that she wore a hijab during the entire course of training in India and abroad. Saarah Hameed Ahmed is an Indian pilot from Bangalore, Karnataka. As of March 2015, she worked for SpiceJet. According to Ahmed's father, in the traditional community in which she was raised, a woman's responsibility is to her home and children, with few seeking outside jobs without an escort. Ahmed did not initially receive support within the community and her family tried to discourage her. But they relented when she insisted and a friend of her father's who is a pilot with Southwest Airlines offered reassurances. After a year of study and logging 200 flight hours, Ahmed received her commercial pilot's license in 2008. She returned to India and undertook the process to convert her license to an Indian certification, which required both a waiting period and additional training in Lithuania to learn about specific commercial aircraft types. However, Muslim women may face several challenges in the aviation sector. For example, they may face discrimination, hatred and negative perceptions about women wearing hijab. They may also be concerned about their personal safety due to internal theological contradictions regarding Muslim women's rights, roles, and responsibilities, which the ulema enforce and the liberal intelligentsia hesitate to tackle. Plus, the rise of anti-Muslim bigotry in public and online spaces, hate crimes and prejudices about Muslims of Islamic heritage also make it a challenging profession. So, one way to support Muslim women in aviation is by promoting cultural awareness. This can help combat damaging stereotypes and anti-Muslim bias. There have been some famous Muslim women pilots globally such as Shaesta Waiz, an Afghan American pilot who became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. She is also the founder of the non-profit organization 'Dreams Soar', which aims to inspire and empower young women to pursue careers in aviation and STEM. Then there is Ayesha Farooq, a Pakistani fighter pilot who became the first female fighter pilot in the history of the Pakistan Air Force. She has flown various combat missions and is considered a role model for young women in Pakistan. Sabiha Gokcen was a Turkish aviator who was adopted by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. She became the world's first female fighter pilot and flew more than 22 types of aircraft during her career. Asli Hassan Abade is a Somali pilot who became the first female pilot in the Somali Air Force. She is also the first woman in her family to receive a formal education and has been recognized for her contribution to promoting gender equality in Somalia. Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi was a Saudi Arabian pilot who was one of the first female pilots in the Saudi Royal Air Force. She died during a suicide attack on a commercial airliner in 2003 and is considered a hero and a symbol of women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Overall, while progress has been made in recent years, there is still work to be done to ensure that women have equal opportunities and representation in the aviation industry.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the Muslim nations to collectively stand over Palestinians cause saying since its 1971 emergence Bangladesh's stance on the issue remained very firm, as envoys of seven OIC member states here jointly made a courtesy call on her. "Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman supported Palestine and I also have been standing beside the Palestinians," Prime Minister's speech writer Md Nazrul Islam quoted her as saying in a media briefing after the meeting at the PMO. She added, "Muslim Ummah should collectively stand by the Palestinians". The seven emissaries are Algerian Ambassador Rabah Larbi, Malaysian High Commissioner Haznah Md Hashim, Maldivian High Commissioner Shiruzimath Sameer, Oman's Ambassador Abdul Ghaffar Bin Abdul Karim Al-Bulushi, Palestinian Ambassador Yousef SY Ramadan, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan and UAE Ambassador Abdullah Ali Abdullah Khaseif Alhmoudi. The PMO spokesman said the envoys of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries highly appreciated Sheikh Hasina's leadership for the last 14-year yielding Bangladesh's development and stability, particularly tackling the Covid-19 pandemic successfully. According to the Nazrul Islam, the emissaries expected that Bangladesh would stay well and remain happy under her leadership and conveyed her that the Muslim Ummah was also happy and proud of her.   They also expressed hope that the progress of Bangladesh would continue under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and wished her success in the next general election. Around seven million Bangladeshis are currently working in the Middle Eastern countries, also OIC members, while the envoys said they were contributing a lot to those economies. The prime minister said a neutral election commission was constituted through enactment of a new law and added that the election scheduled for January 2024 would be fair. Sheikh Hasina said if the people vote for her, she would come in power again and "otherwise not as I believe in the power of the people". She has been working not for herself rather for the country and its people, the prime minister said, adding that her goal is to make the socio-economic development of the countrymen. The premier said the government is working to ensure houses for all homeless and landless people. "Now in the final phase, some 40,000 houses are being constructed. Nobody will remain homeless and landless after distribution of these abodes," she added. Prime Minister's International Relation Affairs Adviser Professor Dr. Gowher Rizvi, Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.