Now you can watch Makkah's glory on big screen in Dubai

Saman Haziq/Khaleej Times
August 23, 2018

For the first time in the UAE, people - including non-Muslims - who have never visited Makkah, can experience the holy city like never before as the Islamic Information Centre in Dubai is set to screen the movie One Day in the Haram.

Packed with insider knowledge and information, this unique documentary sheds light on the most sacred place on Earth, offering us an exclusive look at the inner workings of the great mosque of Makkah, also called Al Haram Mosque (which means the sacred mosque in Arabic), through the eyes of the people working there. The Haram mosque is the largest in the world, and surrounds Kaaba.

British filmmaker Abrar Hussain, who is the director of the film, spent over a year researching different aspects of the great mosque of Makkah to bring out the most complete and compelling vision of the Haram ever produced. "We went through a very rigorous research phase, where I researched every aspect of the Haram, and interviewed countless workers before deciding on what aspects would be filmed," he said.

Talking about the film, Hussain told Khaleej Times: "The film covers all aspects of the Haram from the perspective of the people who work there. The film goes into incredible detail about the departments and the processes that run the Haram on a daily basis. Some of the departments featured in the film include the Imam Department, Zam Zam Department, the Religious Affairs Department, the Kiswah factory, the Haram's maintenance and IT departments, the social media department, and the online Quran teaching department. The film also shows in great detail the religious aspects of the Umrah, and features a section on the current expansion of the Haram."

Every year, millions of pilgrims come from all over the world to visit this holy city, and the film looks at the logistics and processes put in place to cater for the service of so many people. While focusing on the different departments within the Haram, it brings to light some of the human characters responsible for the running of this huge institution. "The film also discusses important issues related to the love Muslims have for this holy place, and we see some of the Islamic rituals associated with the Haram. We seek to explain to a non-Muslim audience some of the history and traditions behind it," he said.

It is 90 minutes in length and structured around the five daily Islamic prayers. The main aim of the film, Hussain said was to show how successfully the Haram is run, how efficeintly organised its departments are, and how seriously its workers take their jobs. 

"The Haram represents the source of Islam, it's the birthplace of the religion, and up to now it has been pretty much an unseen world, something not properly documented. So I think one of the main aims of the film was to reveal Makkah to the world, to produce something that had not been experienced by audiences before."

"I see the film as a beautiful way to share the beauty of Islam, so that a non-Muslim can watch it, and learn something about the religion, and get a sense of how peaceful and tolerant Islam really is. I also hope the film provides an inspiration to the millions of Muslims around the world who yearn to visit Makkah, but have not yet had the opportunity to do so."

The film will be screened on Friday at the Madinat Jumeirah Theater (shows at 2.30pm/5pm/9.30pm). Tickets can be bought on www.islamicic.com/oneday at Dh50.

Director of Islamic Information Center Rashid Al Junaibi said: "The moment we saw the trailer we knew that we want to get the screening rights for the movie in UAE. The Center sees this movie screening as an opportunity to share the message of Islam and showcase a place loved by millions of Muslims across the globe.

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News Network
March 22,2024

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday produced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before the Rouse Avenue court and sought a 10-day custody in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. "Kejriwal was the kingpin of the scam," the ED reportedly told the court after the AAP chief was produced before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja around 2 pm amid tight security. 

ASG S V Raju was appearing for the agency, while Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing Kejriwal. 

Raju in his argument said Kejriwal was "directly involved in formulation of the (liquor) policy... he was involved in handling of proceeds of crime as well in the Goa election campaign."

"The expert committee was constituted but it was a sham committee. The policy was made in such a manner that it would enable the taking of bribes and recoupment of people who gave the bribes," the ED counsel said. 

Kejriwal was produced in the trial court shortly after he withdrew from the Supreme Court his plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. Kejriwal's counsel said he would contest the remand proceedings before the trial court and then come back to the apex court with another petition.

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News Network
March 21,2024

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Israeli military siege, hunger, and diseases will soon become the main killer in Gaza, says commissioner- general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, took to X on Wednesday to vent his concern for the growing hunger and spread of diseases as a result of the Israeli siege on the besieged strip.

He said starvation and illness may soon be the main killer in Gaza.

"This fabricated and catastrophic level of hunger can still be reversed by flooding Gaza with food and life-saving assistance," Lazzarini said.

"More than ever humanity requires political will,” the UNRWA chief added.

In a press release on March 19, UNRWA said that “famine is imminent in the Gaza Strip, especially for isolated populations in northern Gaza deprived of humanitarian aid.”

The statement noted that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), in a latest food security outlook, concluded that up to 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

“Nutrition screenings conducted in February by UNICEF and UNRWA show that rates of acute malnutrition among children in northern Gaza and Rafah have nearly doubled since January,” it said.

The Israeli regime has accused UNRWA staff of being involved in the October 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas against the occupied territories, prompting a number of its western allies to suspend funding for the UN agency.

On Wednesday, an agreement was reached by US congressional leaders and the White House on a massive funding bill will continue a ban on US funding for UNRWA until March 2025, Reuters reported.

Earlier this year the US, Canada, Australia, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia, Japan, Austria and Romania  decided to cut their funding to the UNRWA, considered a lifeline for the Palestinians in Gaza.

France had also announced that it does not plan a new payment to fund UNRWA in the first quarter of 2024.

Condemning the suspension of funding, Lazzarini had said, “It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community…, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region.”

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News Network
March 18,2024

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Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed a landslide victory in the just-concluded presidential polls, securing him a fifth term in power. While Putin hailed the results as an indication of "trust" and "hope" in him, critics panned the polls for its preordained nature.

As early results poured in, Putin won 87.8% of the vote, the highest-ever result in Russia's post-Soviet history, Reuters quoted Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) exit polls. The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) put Putin on 87%. 

If he completes the term, the 71-year-old President will also script history as Russia's longest-serving leader for more than 200 years, overtaking Josef Stalin. 

While Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov finished second with just under 4%, newcomer Vladislav Davankov third, and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky fourth, partial results suggested.

In his victory speech, Putin said he would prioritise resolving tasks associated with Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine and would strengthen the Russian military. 

"We have many tasks ahead. But when we are consolidated - no matter who wants to intimidate us, suppress us - nobody has ever succeeded in history, they have not succeeded now, and they will not succeed ever in the future," said Putin. He was welcomed by his supporters to the stage with "Putin Putin" chants. He also hailed the results as an indication of "trust" and "hope" in him.

Later, while interacting with reporters, Putin also warned the West that a direct conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would mean the planet was one step away from World War Three but said hardly anyone wanted such a scenario. "It is clear to everyone, that this will be one step away from a full-scale World War Three. I think hardly anyone is interested in this," Putin told reporters after winning the biggest-ever landslide in post-Soviet Russian history.

Meanwhile, the Western world condemned the elections, stating the polls were neither free nor fair. While Germany called it a "pseudo-election" under an authoritarian ruler reliant on censorship, repression and violence, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron condemned "the illegal holding of elections on Ukrainian territory".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "The Russian dictator is simulating another election".

Earlier during the elections, heeding an opposition call to protest, hundreds of  Russians crowded outside polling stations at noon Sunday, on the last day of the elections. The associates of Alexei Navalny, the critic of Putin who died earlier this month in an Arctic prison, had urged people who were unhappy with Putin or the war in Ukraine to go to the polls at noon on Sunday. Many turned up and lines outside a number of polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world appeared to swell at that time.

Among those heeding the call was Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's widow, who joined a long line in Berlin. She later told reporters that she cast her vote and wrote her late husband's name on the ballot.  Asked whether she had a message for Putin, Navalnaya replied: "Please stop asking for messages from me or from somebody for Mr. Putin. There could be no negotiations and nothing with Mr. Putin, because he's a killer, he's a gangster."

One woman in Moscow, who said her name was Yulia, told the AP that she was voting for the first time. "Even if my vote doesn't change anything, my conscience will be clear ... for the future that I want to see for our country," she said. Like others, she didn't give her full name because of security concerns.

Another Moscow voter, who also identified himself only by his first name, Vadim, said he hoped for change, but added that "unfortunately, it's unlikely".

More acts of rebellion were reported on Saturday too. Cases were filed against at least 15 people for pouring dye in ballot boxes, started fires or lobbing Molotov cocktails at polling stations. Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russia’s CEC, said 29 polling stations across 20 regions in Russia were targeted, including eight arson attempts.

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