International

By Bilyaminu Abdulmumi

The first time I came face to face with a cosmic event was during the solar eclipse back in 2006. Before the event, the meteorologist announced it was coming, but while the naysayers kicked against it, the curious others, including myself, waited with bated breath. In Jega Kebbi State, a partial eclipse was experienced at about 9:40 am. The entire horizon slowly became dark for about an hour. In some other areas of the country, the eclipse was total darkness. Afterwards, the sky became clear and normal. Those who were asleep had only woken up to learn about it.

A couple of days back, on the 25th of March, another startling cosmic phenomenon took place; an asteroid passed between Earth and Moon’s orbits, specifically 175,000km away from Earth. According to astronomers, this is very close! The asteroid was nicknamed City Killer, indicating its potential to harm a city should it strike Earth on a habited area. But it was not as the name implies because, by God’s grace, the asteroid passed harmlessly as predicted.

Like all other cosmic events, the City Killer passage was discovered long before for possible action and announcement to the public, so people across the globe could follow the event live! The burning question here is, if Europe and other developed countries stand toe-to-toe proactively defending our Earth: in what part is Africa contributing? Are we stakeholders in these unfolding events?

The area of astronomy is both interesting and, at the same time, frighteningly complex; astronomy is an embodiment of epic proportions. Whenever something is referred to at the cosmic level, it is near impossible or almost infinite.

From what we learn from time to time from astrophysicists, the Sun is the centre of our solar system, and other planets, such as our Earth (and the 7 other known planets), rotate around it. To further complicate our life, the Sun is in constant spiral motion rotating around its axis, while the planets orbit around it!

The cosmic phenomenon would begin to go wild in our imagination when the concept of size and distance were brought up. The size of our Earth is about 12,800km, but compared to the size of the Sun of 1,400,000km, it is like comparing a dot with a circle. In addition, the distance between our Earth and the Sun is about 150 million km. Now imagine the size of our solar system!

The size of our galaxy (Milky Way) is mind-boggling. According to what astronomers told us, there are billions of solar systems in our galaxy. At this level, the distance is no longer measured in km but in light years. For instance, the distance between our star (Sun) to the closest Sun in our galaxy is about 4.25 light years. Light travels at the speed of 3,000km per second, so at this rate, it will only take light to travel from Borno to Lagos (a distance of about 1600km) about half a second. Now, this light that can travel in half a second from Lagos to Borno has to continue travelling for 4 years and 3 months to reach the next Sun close to ours. Pray! They told us there are billions of galaxies in the universe.

Because of this cosmos proportion, scientists such as Stephen Hawking believe that we can’t be the only intelligent in the universe. This view espouses that in one of the billions of galaxies in the universe, in one of the billions of solar systems in a galaxy, a celestial being like our Earth (bursting with intelligence) must exist. The universe is too vast to contain just one intelligence. The intelligent might be at par with us in terms of advancement, we could be way smarter than them, or the reverse may be the case. One astronomer said that it is scary anyhow one looks at the scenario: to say that we are not alone in the universe or we are alone.

The terrifying part of the multi-intelligence theory is, should the other intelligent locate us, what will be our fate? Are they going to destroy us in their search for raw materials just like we human beings are increasingly wreaking havoc on climate and habitat in exchange for raw materials (for technological advancements)? Or are they going to cooperate with us to add to our knowledge? It is equally frightening for the single intelligence theory: we are the only ones in this vastness of space. As much fantasy as the former theory looks, developed nations are not joking, as they committed a multi-billion dollar research centre in this direction: SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).

Unlike SETI, Earth astrophysics has been bagged. Earth doesn’t rotate on its axis for 24 hours to complete a cycle only but rotates around the Sun 365 days to complete a cycle. By God’s grace, the 24-hour cycle ensures night and day, while the 365 days cycle ensures seasons. The moon does similar; it rotates around the Earth in a month as a source of light for us, to keep time management, and to ensure Earth’s stability. Should the moon be trapped in the Earth’s shadow it will be a lunar eclipse, or should the moon pass between Earth and Sun hence blocking the Sunlight, we get a solar eclipse.

It is understandable for “people” to exhibit sheer amusement in the discussion of cosmic events. During the 2019 lunar eclipse, one deeply amused person asked: if our Earth rotates, why are we still in Nigeria? He appeared to mean that if the Earth actually rotates, then we should not be where we are now. Maybe we should be in Saudi Arabia by now!

Abdulmumin can be reached via: bilal4riid13@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 
 
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Jose Mourinho, the manager of Roma, has been offered more than £100 million to coach Saudi Arabia in a two-year contract, making him the highest-paid manager in history.
 
Al-Nassr have expressed interest in Mourinho, according to the English news outlet on Thursday.
 
The 60-year-old Portuguese coach signed a contract with Roma in 2021, and his current deal with the Serie A side extends through 2024.
 
Nonetheless, there have been disagreements about transfers and disappointments with Roma’s results this year.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Türkish public broadcaster, TRT, has launched a new digital platform, TRT Afrika, to counter Western media narratives about Africa.

Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, leading the launching on Friday, decried the way Africa is underreported by the Western media today.

However, with the emergence of TRT Afrika, many interesting stories that have been silenced would be relayed to the global audience.

Sobaci added that the medium intends to showcase stories from Africa and put its unique values at the heart of the world’s events.

He added that Africans would have a voice to communicate their ideas, values and cultures to the world without any alteration and in their languages, such as Hausa and Swahili.

He further stated that the medium would also pay attention to the good stories of Africa that have been silenced or underreported by the Western Media.

TRT Afrika, which employed staff from fifteen different African countries, would, according to Sobaci, “be like a mirror to Turkey’s policy and its relationship with Africa.”

He further stated that this would enable TRT to find out about different stores from the continent.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Victor Osimhen, a striker for Napoli, is much sought after by top European football teams, including Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester United.

An exclusive post by seasoned football journalist Fabrizio Romano on his officially verified Facebook page confirmed this.

He wrote, “Chelsea plan to sign another striker alongside Christopher Nkun. [Nigerian] Victor Osimhen could be an option – all the top clubs want him: Chelsea, Man Utd and PSG”.

Osimhen is excellent in his prime, having steered Napoli of Italy to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

By Muhammad Sabiu 

Former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi side Al Nassr, has put his private jet up for sale.

Al Nassr, in a short post on its official Facebook page, made the Portugal legend’s decision known.

The post reads, “CR7 decides to get rid of his private plane, the Gulfstream G200, which he bought in 2015, at a price of 23 million euros  ”.

However, the proposed price of the plane has not been revealed as of the time of filing this report.

Recall that Ronaldo left his former club Manchester United after a controversial interview with Piers Morgan in which he fiercely criticised the club and accused its management of “betraying” him.

By Muhammadu Sabiu  

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is reportedly in talks with Cristiano Ronaldo’s present club, Al Nasr, in the hope of making a move to the Middle East. 

Modric’s contract with Real Madrid is said to come to an end this summer, and there are no signs that Los Blancos are interested in extending the stay of the Croatian international. 

A Saudi news outlet was quoted as reporting that Al Nassr are also interested in bringing the one-time Ballon d’Or winner. 

Modric left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2012, and he has been able to gather 22 trophies and other individual awards over the period of his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

By Abi Carter

A 75-year-old man from the town of Bad Tölz in Bavaria has successfully sued his neighbour for causing a bit of a stink by lighting his barbecue with unusual irregularity. As RTL reports, the two men live in the same apartment building in the small town, and the one in the upstairs flat began to get frustrated with his neighbour, who apparently took to grilling food on an electric barbecue on his terrace almost every single day. 

The smoke and rising smell became “unbearable” for the upstairs pensioner, who was named by RTL as Heinz J. Together with his wife, he reported his neighbour to the local authorities, and the case ended up in court. 

While the first court threw out the complaint, the plaintiffs appealed and a second district court in Munich – after hearing testimony from around a dozen witnesses about the smell and smoke caused by the grill – eventually sided with the couple. 

The court has ruled that the downstairs neighbour is only allowed to light up his barbecue four times per month and added that he is not allowed to grill two days in a row on the weekend. If he does not comply, he risks being slapped with a 250.000-euro fine. 

Source: iamexpat

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Sheikh Abdulrahman Sudais, the renowned Islamic cleric and revered Imam of the grand mosque in Makkah, has completed forty years as Imam of the mosque. 

According to reports by the Haramain Sharifain on Tuesday, Sheikh Sudais was appointed as Imam of Masjid Al Haram, Makkah, by Royal Decree issued by the Late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahad bin Abdulaziz in 1984/1404 at the young age of 22.

Sheikh Sudais led his first Salah on 22 Sha’ban 1404, corresponding to May 1984. His First Salah in the Haram was the Asr Prayer.

Below is the brief biography of Sheikh Sudais:

Sheikh Sudais was born in the Islamic year 1381 in the City of Qassim, Saudi Arabia. He got his early education in Riyadh, and by the age of 12, he had memorized the whole Quran under the supervision of Sheikh Abdul Rehman Al Firyan.

Sheikh Sudais graduated from the Faculty of Sharia in the year 1402, Completed his final years of Studies at Umm Al Qura University in Makkah and earned a PhD Degree in Sharia in 1416.

He was appointed Imam of Masjid Al Haram in 1404 at the very young age of 22. Since then, Sheikh Sudais has been leading Taraweeh every year, and in 1441, he completed his 40th time of completing the Quran and reading the Khatam ul Quran Dua.

In 1433, he was appointed as the President of General Presidency for the Affairs of the Haramain in a decree ordered by the Late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia just before the Grand Expansion started in Masjid Al Haram

Sheikh Abdul Rahman As Sudais was appointed by King Salman to deliver the Hajj Khutbah in the year 2016/1437. Later, by Royal Decree issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Sudais was reappointed as President of the General Presidency for a period of 4 years in 1441.

In 1444, Sheikh Sudais completed 40 years of his appointment as Imam and Khateeb of Masjid Al Haram, Makkah.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

As Muslims all over the world prepare for fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, Qatar has announced a reduction of prices of 900 consumer goods for citizens of the country.

On Monday, the Qatar Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) made the announcement of the reduction of prices for hundreds of goods during Ramadan.

“Prices of more than 800 commodities have been reduced in coordination with major outlets in Qatar, starting from Wednesday, March 23, until the holy month of Ramadan,” MoCI said.

The Ministry added that the types of discounted goods include the most important food and consumer goods required by a family during Ramadan like:

Honey, flour and its products, cereals and corn flakes, yoghurt and dairy products, powdered and condensed milk, cheeses, juices, sugar, coffee and its products, dates, mineral and bottled water, tin foil (aluminium), paper napkins, washing powder, trash bags, pastries and pasta, legumes, rice, frozen vegetables, poultry and its products, eggs, meat products, tomato paste, tea, ghee, yeast, salt, personal hygiene items and household cleaning detergents and edible and cooking oils.

By Khadijah Tijani

Today is #InternationalWomensDay so I thought I should write about a not-so-popular topic.

This is a reality that many Muslim female physicians, including myself, face everyday, but people don’t seem ready for the conversation. When we try to bring up the topic, the same people who call themselves advocates of equity, justice and inclusion would only pay lip service to the issue and nothing is done about it eventually.

These biases are often rooted in stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam and Muslim women. For example, people believe that “All Muslim women are oppressed or subservient to men and therefore, therefore, they don’t belong in a prestigious profession like medicine.”

This is nothing but fallacy. The opposite is, in fact, the case. We have a long record of historical Muslim women who have excelled in the health field, even before the Western world started allowing women to learn about healthcare and medicine. The Prophet himself (peace be upon him) permitted women to be involved in healthcare. Neither the fathers nor the husbands of these women had any objections. We had women like Rufaydah Al-Aslamiyyah and Nusaybah bint Ka’ab who followed the early Muslims to the battlefield and provided care for the wounded soldiers.

Muslim women are encouraged to pursue careers like medicine because it fits our feminine nature. We are empathetic and resilient. We have seen a lot of young muslim women graduating from medical schools with excellent performance. We don’t want to waste those brains, do we? We want them to be helpful to the community and to the world at large.

These biases can manifest in several ways, such as assumptions that Muslim women cannot make decisions for themselves or that they cannot effectively communicate with male patients or colleagues or that they end up not practising medicine after all the educational investment. Muslim women are just like any other human being. Allāh has given us the ability to think critically and make decisions that can lead to the preservation of lives and limbs. We may have some limitations and boundaries, but nothing stops us from saving lives.

According to Khan et al. (2022) “gendered Islamophobia is prevalent in Canada and is premised on the stereotype that Muslim women are powerless victims of their religious tradition. Visibly identifiable Muslim women in health care professions are affected by gendered Islamophobia in the form of exclusion and discrimination, which can result in lack of safety, fear, decreased job satisfaction and burnout”. (Culled from Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Muslim women in medicine also face discrimination or stereotyping based on their appearance or religious practices. For example, a Muslim woman who wears a hijab may be perceived as less professional, or may face challenges in finding work or career advancement opportunities. Many have been forced to change the way they wear their hijabs, or even, remove it altogether!

Some patients or colleagues may have negative attitudes towards Muslim women who pray during work hours. This often leads to overt bullying and hurtful comments. While I was working in a particular hospital in Nigeria many years ago, it was hard for me to boldly take an excuse from my seniors when it was time for prayers. I had to sneak out and ask a fellow junior doctor to cover for me. In contrast, when I was in Saudi Arabia, prayer times were respected and each medical employee was allowed, and even encouraged, to pray at the right time.

Another common bias against Muslim women in medicine is the assumption that they are not proficient in English or that they are not familiar with Western medical practices. This happens when women from African and Asian countries travel to the West for further training. Muslim female physicians are often overlooked for certain positions or not being taken seriously in their work, unless and until we prove our worth beyond reasonable doubt.

These biases can have significant negative impacts on the careers and lives of Muslim women in medicine. They can lead to loss of opportunities, increased stress and burnout, feelings of isolation and exclusion, and finally, total loss of interest in the profession. These things shouldn’t be happening to us, considering the need for female doctors in the Muslim community. We need more female gynaecologists to take care of our women, but the journey is riddled with these biases we’re talking about.

You may begin to wonder…”but there are still many Muslim women doing just fine in their profession”. The truth behind their success is hidden under the sea like an iceberg. They won’t tell you how they had to reduce their hijab to a certain length so that they won’t be seen as extremists. They won’t tell you how they missed salah because the environment was not fit for praying. They won’t tell you how their marriage crashed (or almost crashed) because of an unsupportive spouse. They may also not tell you how they constantly regret the moments they were not available when their children needed them most.

It is important for the medical community to actively work towards addressing and dismantling biases against Muslim women in medicine. This can involve education and awareness training for medical professionals and staff, creating more inclusive workplace policies, and actively recruiting and promoting Muslim women in medicine.

Khan et al. (2022) opine that “Education about Islamophobia and gendered Islamophobia should be incorporated within existing anti oppression and transformative learning-teaching practices in medical education. Research and stronger institutional policies and practices are needed to mitigate the harmful impact of gendered Islamophobia on Muslim women in medical spaces.”

In conclusion, discrimination against Muslim female medical professionals is a real problem affecting Muslim communities in many parts of the world. Not all of us will be able to relocate to Islamic countries. Some of us may have to stay in our home countries or travel to the West to gain more knowledge and expertise. By addressing these biases, we can create a more equitable and just environment for all medical professionals, irrespective of religion, gender, or cultural background.

Khadijah Tijani is a medical doctor. She writes from London, Ontario and can be reached through askdoctorkt@gmail.com or @AskDoctorKT.