Why does arabia enjoy a special status in islam

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be undertaking official visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates starting March 6. This will be Muhyiddin's first official visit to both countries since assuming office on March 1 last year, said Wisma Putra. The Prime Minister's three-day visit to Saudi Arabia will start on March 6 and from there, he will undertake a visit to the UAE starting March 9. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a small delegation comprising Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, and senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office and Foreign Ministry. "The official visit will be subject to strict Covid-19 preventative SOP as agreed upon by the Health Ministry, the National Security Council (NSC), and by the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health and Prevention of the UAE," said Wisma Putra in a statement on Friday (March 5). Among the SOP is for the Malaysian delegation to provide negative ... » Learn More about Muhyiddin to make official visits to Saudi Arabia and UAE

MECCA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin performed the umrah on Saturday. He was given the opportunity to enter the Kaabah. His wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman also performed the umrah. The couple completed the ritual in the morning. Muhyiddin, who is on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), performed the umrah at the invitation of the Saudi Arabian King and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Muhyiddin’s official visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new cooperation with both countries. This marks his first official visit to either country since he took office on March 1 last year. He will be in Saudi Arabia for three days, followed by his visit to UAE tomorrow. Muhyiddin will be accompanied by a small delegation comprising Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign ... » Learn More about PM and wife perform umrah

SINGAPORE - Terror suspects in Singapore detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) undergo a rehabilitation process which involves religious, psychological and social aspects. The approach is a "holistic, intensive and long-term one", the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in a media statement on Wednesday (Feb 3). The statement was the first time the ISD disclosed in detail how terror suspects are handled. It came a week after the department revealed that a 16-year-old Protestant Christian youth had been detained under the ISA in December for planning terrorist attacks on two mosques. Each rehabilitation programme is customised to a detainee or Restriction Order (RO) supervisee's unique circumstances, with extensive collaboration between the various rehabilitation stakeholders to maximise the chances of successful rehabilitation for the individuals, said the ISD. "ISD realised early on that we cannot rely on kinetic approaches alone to tackle the terrorism threat ... » Learn More about ISD details terror suspects’ rehabilitation for first time

House of Representatives deputy speaker and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker, Fahri Hamzah, has condemned a move to file a police report against Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the PKS’ rival party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Fahri also extended his call to people to stop the growing tendency to file reports against each other with the police over derogatory remarks. “It is not good for our democracy if people attack each other by reporting each other [to the police],” Fahri said at the House on Tuesday. “Stop filing reports against each other, especially against Ibu Mega.” Fahri was referring to a report filed by spokesperson of the Coalition of Children of the Nation against Religious Defamation, Baharuzaman, over remarks he claimed were derogatory made during the PDI-P’s 44th anniversary event earlier this month. (Read also: FPI wants Megawati questioned for allegedly 'insulting Islam' ) Baharuzaman is a former member of the ... » Learn More about Drop report against Megawati: PKS lawmaker

While the referendum proposal does not mention Islamic veils, it is clearly directed at the burqa GENEVA - Switzerland voted Sunday on whether to ban full facial coverings in public places, with the result on a knife-edge, according to early projections. After the polling stations closed at midday (1100 GMT), public broadcaster SSR and pollsters gfs.bern both projected that 51 percent had voted in favour of the ban. In parallel votes, a trade deal with Indonesia seemed set to be narrowly accepted, while a plan for a state-backed electronic identity looked on course to be rejected, according to projections. The so-called anti-burqa vote comes after years of debate in Switzerland following similar bans in other European countries -- and in some Muslim-majority states -- despite women in Islamic full-face veils being an exceptionally rare sight in Swiss streets. Even though the proposal "Yes to a ban on full facial coverings" did not mention the burqa or the niqab -- which ... » Learn More about Swiss ‘burqa ban’ vote on a knife-edge

Seven months since Donald Trump was inaugurated as leader of the most powerful country, we are still left wondering how it happened. A little over three weeks ago, Democrats were once again forced to witness a gut-wrenching defeat in what was called the most important special election in history in which Democrats’ Jon Ossoff lost to GOP’s Karen Handel. Two massive defeats raise questions about Democrats viability and just how long can GOP maintain their dominance. However, let’s just talk about the financial aspect of the elections. Money is a huge part of politics and democracy. After all, political candidates need to get their faces and ideas out there, and candidates with more money are thought to have more chance of winning. Three elections I’d like to highlight here might have proved otherwise. The US presidential election is arguably the richest race in the world, attracting billions of dollars in donations from corporations and average Joes. Hillary Clinton raised over ... » Learn More about Is money still relevant in politics?

The recent article in this newspaper by Edriana Noerdin (April 27) which flared up against the arguments signifying Islamists narratives within the campaign of the Jakarta election victors, Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno , was interesting.  Her article quoting mainly Polmark Indonesia’s survey and work, also Anies’ consultant, seems more like self-aggrandizement of their victory and data to say the least. It is however a clear depiction of Aaron Levenstein’s famous statement: “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” To begin with, she admitted all survey and polling teams got it wrong that the race was a close one. It is not necessarily true that there was such a huge shift within a few days into the campaign. As it happened with Donald Trump’s victory in the United States, surveys and polls simply cannot fully capture the actual reality on the ground when a political race is so heated especially on very sensitive ... » Learn More about Middle class switch to Anies: Victory of reason?

Fathers Day, is a day that we all need to celebrate, in order for us to recognise and appreciate the challenges that fatherhood brings. Being a dad is a hard job, and the whole family looks to you, to be the provider and a guide for the whole family unit. Not only does dad have to hold down a full-time job, but he is also expected to help out when he arrives home, after a hard day’s work. This is what is expected of the modern father, and he is ready and willing to accept the responsibility. Generally speaking, dad gets to be the disciplinarian in the home, so he has to be the good guy, and the bad guy. It is an incredibly difficult job indeed, and one that we all need to be thankful for. This is why on dad’s big day, you need to get him something special, and something quite unique. You could go out and buy him the typical presents which amounts to socks, pants, or aftershave. But he has already received his fair share of these at Christmas or New Year’s, and so it’s time for you ... » Learn More about The Great Importance Of Fathers Day & How We Celebrate It

Pope Francis releases a white dove near the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday. MOSUL, Iraq: Pope Francis prayed Sunday for "victims of war" in northern Iraq, where the Islamic State group ravaged one of the world's oldest Christian communities until the jihadists' defeat three years ago. With the partially collapsed walls of the centuries-old Al-Tahera (Immaculate Conception) Church behind him, Pope Francis pleaded for Christians in Iraq and the Middle East to stay in their homelands. The 84-year-old pontiff said the "tragic" exodus of Christians from Iraq and the wider region "does incalculable harm not just to the individuals and communities concerned, but also to the society they leave behind". The IS onslaught forced hundreds of thousands of Christians in northern Iraq's Nineveh province to flee. The country's Christian population has shrunk to fewer than 400,000 from around 1.5 million before the US-led ... » Learn More about Pope Francis prays for ‘victims of war’ in north Iraq

The Tourism Ministry’s Golf Quarantine proposal has been approved by the Thai cabinet. That means foreign golfers can now stay in quarantine whilst enjoying a round of golf in 6 approved golf resorts located in Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Phetchaburi and Chiang Mai. Foreign golfers are now allowed to spend their 2 week quarantine 14-16 days) at any of the 6 certified golf resorts and move around in the resort environment as well as play golf instead of being isolated in a hotel room. However, golfers still need to have all of their advance arrangements for arrival and entry… Visa – it should be a Single-Entry Tourist Visa (TR) or a Special Tourist Visa (STV) Medical and travel insurance Certificate of Entry Other relevant documents in line with the Thai government’s travelling regulations and restrictions. Here’s the list of 6 government-certified golf resorts in different regions of Thailand… Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok. Mida Golf Club Evergreen Hills Golf ... » Learn More about Golf quarantine now available in 6 golf resorts