Dr. Asif Nawaz

DISSENT SPROUTS NOW IN SUDAN IS ARAB SPRING SWEEPING IN? ~Asif Nawaz Arab spring still continues, spreading its tentacles to other parts of the Arab World. Earlier it dismantled monarchies in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, and now is cause of great concern for the dictator in Syria. Now, Arab spring has reached Sudan; a North African Muslim populated country, rated as among the ten most repressive and corrupt nations by Freedom House and Transparency International , there are no freedom of speech or assembly in the country. The stuttering economy is in the hands of the ruling elite in Khartoum and their cronies, and the regions have been marginalised for decades. This is not the first sign of the Arab Spring in Sudan. Demonstrations last year were swiftly crushed. Sudan is currently facing the same kind of scenario which was there in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen prior to the revolution. A dictator is ruling the country for a long period of time, in the n

RAMADAN IS A MONTH OF INCREASED ACTIVITY ~Asif Nawaz   Ramadan is the ninth month of our Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar—that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays "move" each year. This year Ramadan begins on 20th July. 2012 For more than 1.50 billion Muslims around the world—including some 140 million in India—Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked prayer, fasting, and charity, in which we refrain from eating and drinking and is intended to teach us about patience, humility, and spirituality. We fast for the sake of Allah and to offer more prayer than usual. All praises to Allah, Lord of the worlds. He who revealed in His Glorious Quran, "Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your duty to your Lord (having taqwa)," 2:185.