Political, social, human rights activists condemn Maulana Tariq Jameel for insulting 220m people, women and media   High Asia Herald Report ISLAMABAD: Political, social and rights activists condemn Maulana Tariq Jameel for his misogynistic and hateful comments linking “women’s immodesty” to coronavirus spread in Pakistan. They sought an unconditional apology from the preacher for his controversial remarks on a TV …

Tajikistan, where around 65 per cent of the population works in agriculture, claims to not have any cases of coronavirus. President Emomali Rahmon urges farmers not to fast in Ramazan citing disease   Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has urged farmers in the predominately Muslim country not to fast during the holy month of Ramadan so they can stay healthy and …

Doctors, WHO, and HRCP warn the government against the spike in Coronavirus cases if religious congregations allowed   High Asia Herald Report   Islamabad/Lahore/Gilgit: Doctors, world health watchdog, and a premier human rights body have alarmed at the spike in coronavirus cases in Pakistan and urged the government to enforce a complete lockdown. They have also asked the PTI-led government …

By Mesum Qasmi Insistence on offering prayers in mosques during the pandemic, knowing you can contract a virus and spread around is something very dangerous expression on irresponsible behaviour. Does it make one non-religious or infidel if he stays at home and thinks about others who can fall prey to the virus because of him? Is a very pertinent question …

The suspects are said to be members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group   News Desk Germany has detained five suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group alleged to be planning an attack on US military facilities and an unidentified individual. Prosecutors said four of the suspects — all from Tajikistan — were arrested early on April …

The social solidarity across the globe is the main measure to stop the episode of COVID-19 By Zahra Arshad Before the emergence of the pandemic as a global challenge, an unknown sickness was first recognized in Wuhan, China in December 2019.  It was called a Chinese novel virus. Across the globe, it was considered that this virus is a confined …

by Aurangzaib Khan   https://twitter.com/i/status/1249731834294030339 Days before Mashal Khan’s death, his mother Syeda Bibi had a nightmare. She saw him standing by a tower about to collapse. It crashed, burying him alive. But this being a mother’s nightmare, the son rose up from beneath the concrete rubble, unscathed. She held him close and said, unbelievingly, “You’re alive?” seeking his confirmation …

PAKATAN, PUNJAB: Muhimman proudly writes his name slowly, carefully, one letter at a time, grinning broadly as he finishes. He’s just 11 years old and was a good student who had dreams of being a doctor. School frightens him now. Earlier this year, a cleric at the religious school he faithfully attended in the southern Punjab town of Pakpattan took …

Ismat Shahjehan, president Women Democratic Front holding Mashal Khan’s portrait and other activists at the Student Solidarity March at Islamabad on Friday.–Photo by PrSF by Waseem Altaf   Mashal Khan was my friend on Facebook and would often ask me to recommend him books for reading. He was lynched to death by a group of religious fanatics on this day …

  Police in Kyrgyzstan’s northeastern Naryn province are preparing charges against a man infected with the coronavirus who refused to self-quarantine and as a result, is believed to have spread the virus to at least three other people. The man had returned from Pakistan where he attended a “da’wah”, which is a feature of the controversial Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat. …

While science and technology flourish in the modern world, a vast majority of Muslims, engulfed by obscurantism, still find solace in fantasies of a bygone era By Waseem Altaf As we remain enamored by our past achievements in the sciences, we forget that there is very little “original” we as Muslims can celebrate and be proud of. It was during the …

History remains the slave of victors only when people internalize the master’s version of history. History can be salvaged, retrieved and appropriated through multiple and even in mundane sources not necessarily sublime one, writes Aziz Ali Dad. By Aziz Ali Dad History is an enigmatic discipline because it deals with events of the past but its understanding tends to change …

Worshipers entering the Memon Mosque in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday. The mosque remained open during a three-day lockdown of the city. Photo:Saiyna Bashir While Pakistan’s government and military are at odds over how to respond, doctors are protesting to get equipment and more testing, and clerics are refusing to limit mosque gatherings, says a report published in The New York …

Marches will be held in Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta   High Asia Herald Report    The brave and resolute women of Pakistan take to the streets on March 8, for equal space, rights in the face of violent threats by the conservative groups and uninformed commercial media spreading hysteria, fear and obfuscation around trivial slogans and …

Tribal mindset has taken over society, says CJ Minallah, emphasizing that  it is important to see Aurat March in a positive light   High Asia Herald Report   The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the Aurat March, scheduled for Sunday, to mark the International Women Day. “In our society, various Islamic laws …