By Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau Tues., Dec. 11, 2018 Muhammad in Peel, Maverick in the Soo. Across Ontario, the most popular baby names are Noah, Ethan and Liam for boys, and Olivia, Charlotte and Ava or Emma for girls — but from region to region, choices vary. In Barrie, it’s Lincoln for boys; in Waterloo, Grace for girls. Amelia hits the top five in a couple of communities. In Peel Region, where there is a booming Muslim population, Muhammad is number one. “The meaning of the name is ‘worthy of praise’ and that is also a strong characteristic we hope Muhammad will carry,” said Memona Hossain of Brampton, who gave her son that moniker when he was born in January. Article Continued Below Hossain, who travelled to Mecca and completed the hajj during her pregnancy, said she and husband Pooyan Najafi narrowed their choices to a couple of prophetic names, and then figured once the baby was born, they’d … [Read more...] about Muhammad in Peel, Maverick in the Soo — a look at top baby names across Ontario
Muslim girl names starting with s
120 Afghan forces, civilians killed in battle with Taliban
KABUL — Four days of ferocious fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban over a key provincial capital has claimed the lives of about 100 Afghan policemen and soldiers and at least 20 civilians, the defense minister said yesterday. The staggering numbers provided by Gen. Tareq Shah Bahrami were the first official casualty toll since the Taliban launched a massive assault on Ghazni, the capital of Ghazni province, last Friday. The multi-pronged assault overwhelmed the city's defenses and allowed insurgents to capture several parts of it. It was a major show of force by the Taliban, who infiltrated deep into this strategic city barely 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the capital, Kabul. The United States has sent military advisers to aid Afghan forces. The fall of Ghazni, a city of 270,000 people, would mark an important victory for the Taliban. It would also cut off a key highway linking Kabul to the southern provinces, the Taliban's traditional heartland. Bahrami, the defense … [Read more...] about 120 Afghan forces, civilians killed in battle with Taliban
Halifax girl feels shaken after alleged anti-Muslim harassment
By Taryn Grant For StarMetro Halifax Wed., July 25, 2018 HALIFAX—A teenage girl in Halifax said she felt frozen with fear when a man yelled anti-Muslim insults at her this week on a downtown street. “I never thought it would happen to me. It made me feel so out of place, and like I don’t belong here,” she said in an interview Wednesday. Halifax Regional Police confirmed that a report was filed just before 11 p.m. Monday about a confrontation that happened between a woman and a man around 3 p.m. at the corner of Spring Garden Rd. and Queen St. Const. Amy Edwards, a spokesperson for the police, said the man used “abusive and derogatory language,” towards the woman, who later called to report the incident. StarMetro spoke with the 17-year-old girl, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear that her alleged attacker could see her name in the news and seek her out. Article Continued Below She said she’s lived in Halifax for … [Read more...] about Halifax girl feels shaken after alleged anti-Muslim harassment
Into the Wild With Kanye West
By Jon Caramanica Tues., June 26, 2018 JACKSON, Wyo. — One afternoon early last year, Kanye West walked into the living room of his California home and found Tony Robbins — the Hulk-sized, concrete-grinned motivational speaker — waiting for him. It had been just a few months since the rapper, producer, fashion designer and cultural fire starter had gone through one of the most taxing periods of his public life: His wife was robbed at gunpoint and a series of erratic concert appearances followed, culminating in a nine-day stint in the UCLA Medical Centre. He was in a state of shambles and it showed. “He could look at me and you know, I don’t know why he mentioned suicide, but he could tell that I was very low,” West recalled in early June over breakfast at the rustic modernist home here that he’s been renting and making music in. “Really medicated, shoulders slumped down and my confidence was gone, which is a lot of the … [Read more...] about Into the Wild With Kanye West
Tension rising in Delhi over Muslims praying in open spaces
Fresh trouble is brewing after a hardline Hindutva group prevented Muslims in Delhi from offering prayers on Friday in public spaces in Gurgaon, a suburb in the capital. Videos of the incident were uploaded on social media, leading to a fresh round of polarized debate, which has become the norm since Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in May 2014. The dailyReport Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your inbox Three weeks after a group of youths blocked Muslims from performing Friday namaaz (prayer) in an open space in Gurgaon, the situation had seemed to be returning to normal. However, the affected Muslim community offered prayers in 47 places in the city on May 11 under police protection and expressed anguish over damage the previous incident had done to the city’s social fabric. Ever since the BJP government came to power and won elections in 21 states, their strategy to win votes has largely involved polarizing the majority community … [Read more...] about Tension rising in Delhi over Muslims praying in open spaces