Ghosts of Aleppo

Aleppo and its residents have endured a horrific war for the last five years.

Aleppo, Syria - East Aleppo was the most important urban area controlled by the armed opposition in Syria.

Since the uprising in 2011, Aleppo and its residents have endured a horrific war for the past five years, Syrian fighter jets pounded the city, Scud missiles levelled blocks, and barrel bombs thrown from helicopters destroyed everything near them - children, women or men, civilians or fighters.

Lately the Russian air force has joined in the destruction of east Aleppo and the rising death toll of civilians. Shortages of fuel, water, food and electricity have left civilians trapped in the city amid a humanitarian crisis.

The year-long aerial bombing campaign by the Syrian regime and it allies together with a year-long siege has allowed the Syrian army to begin to control districts held by rebel forces for years.

The winter is intensifying as the siege tightens; for thousand of civilians, the only choice is to flee to Kurdish control areas in the city.

The pictures document the situation in the neighborhoods in east Aleppo since late 2012 until mid-2014, a situation that has continued to deteriorate up to today.

30 killed as Myanmar’s army intensifies crackdown on Muslims

Myanmar’s forces have killed dozens of Rohinya Muslims in its latest wave of crackdown on the country’s most persecuted minority in western Rakhine State.

The military said in a statement on Monday that about 30 members of what it called a Rohingya Muslim “militant group” during clashes that erupted in the border town of Maungdaw over the weekend.

Authorities have blocked access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.

Northern Rakhine has been under a military lockdown since an alleged attack on the country’s border guards on October 9 left nine police officers dead, with the government accusing Rohingyas of being behind the assault.

Soldiers have killed scores and arrested many more in their hunt for the alleged attackers.

According to a Reuters estimate, the latest fatalities brought the total number of Rohnigya Muslims killed since October 9 to 60.

Rakhine, home to around one million Rohingya Muslims, has been the scene of communal violence at the hands of Buddhist extremists since 2012.

Hundreds of people have been killed, while tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes and live in squalid camps in dire situations in Myanmar and other countries in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to the UN, Rohingyas are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.


In this file photo, Rohingya children gather at a camp for Muslim refugees, north of Sittwe, western Rakhine State, Myanmar. (By AP)
The government denies full citizenship to 1.1 million-strong Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even as many trace their lineage in Myanmar back generations.

There have been numerous accounts by eyewitnesses of summary executions, rapes and arson attacks against houses by security forces.

Human Rights Watch said Sunday that high-definition satellite images showed a widespread fire-related destruction of Rohingya villages, adding the destruction was worse than initially feared.

The government and the army have rejected the accusations, saying they have simply been conducting a “clearance operation” in the region.

Myanmar Buddhists Ransack Mosque As Religious Violence Flares

A mob of around 200 Buddhists rampaged through the area following an argument between neighbours over the building of a Muslim school. (AFP Photo)

BAGO, MYANMAR:  Scores of Buddhists ransacked a mosque in central Myanmar forcing Muslims to seek refuge overnight in a police station after a dispute between neighbours spilled into religious violence, officials and residents said today.

Bouts of anti-Muslim violence have left scores dead across the country since 2012 and the febrile atmosphere poses serious challenges for Aung San Suu Kyi's new government.

The violence erupted on Thursday afternoon as a mob of around 200 Buddhists rampaged through a Muslim area of Thuye Tha Mein village in Bago province following an argument between neighbours over the building of a Muslim school.

"It started when a Muslim man and a Buddhist women started to argue and then people came to fight him," Hla Tint, the village administrator, told AFP.

"Parts of the mosque were destroyed... they also destroyed the fence of the Muslim cemetery," he added.

Around 70 Muslims, including children, sought shelter in a police station overnight on Thursday, he said, adding there were no serious injuries and peace had been restored.

Police and the secretary of the mosque confirmed the damage, while a Muslim resident told AFP his community of around 150 people is now living in fear.

"We had to hide as some people were threatening to kill Muslims. The situation has never been like this before," Tin Shwe OO, 29, told AFP, adding his family stayed at the small police station overnight.

"I do not dare to stay at my house. For the safety of my family, I want to stay somewhere else for about a week or so."

Outbreaks of deadly violence have roiled the country threatening to unpick democratic gains since the army began loosening its stranglehold on the country in 2011.

The worst violence struck central Myanmar and western Rakhine State which is home to the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, tens of thousands of whom still languish in displacement camps after rioting.

Buddhist nationalists vigorously oppose moves to recognise the Rohingya as an official minority group, instead labelling them "Bengali"  shorthand for illegal migrants from the border with Bangladesh.

Democracy champion Suu Kyi, who is currently visiting Thailand, has come under fire for failing to speak up for the Rohingya -- although she recently caused surprise by using the incendiary term during a visit to Myanmar by America's top diplomat.

Religious tensions pose a unique challenge to the new government and to Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate once garlanded for her fight for rights for all.

Her party is dominated by ethnic Bamar Buddhists and did not field any Muslim MPs in the election last year that drove it to power.

Hardline monks (known as the Ma Ba Tha) are accused of stoking violence and tensions with hate speech.

Can you wear a hijab in Russia? And if so, where – and where not?

While Muslim women in France are defending their right to wear burkinis, Iranian women have launched a campaign against obligatory headscarves under the slogan “My Stealthy Freedom.” In both cases, women are protesting: the former for the right to wear what they want and the latter, not to wear what is being imposed on them by the country’s laws.

Paradoxical as it may sound, in Russia both these campaigns could unite. According to a report by the American think-tank Pew Research Center, Russia is the only country in the world that has a religious dress code for women that at once prescribes and proscribes certain items of clothing.

Moscowites celebrate the Day of the City at Poklonnaya Gora / Source: Yuri Mashkov/TASS

Dress code for Chechen women

The Republic of Chechnya is the only Russian region where women are forced, or rather, strongly encouraged, to wear headscarves. There are no local laws that prescribe headscarves and, as far as the law is concerned, Chechen women can wear whatever they like. However, in reality for many years already this predominantly Muslim republic in the Russian North Caucasus has been enforcing a dress code for women.

“Over the past decade, Chechnya has been actively enforcing conservative norms of behavior and dress. Originally they were initiated by the local authorities but they do enjoy wide public support,” says Vladimir Sevrinovsky, a Russian expert on the Caucasus and author of a guidebook to the region’s capital Grozny.

The dress code first began to be imposed in 2006. Back then, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who at the time held the post of the republic’s prime minister, publicly stated that Chechen women should not be seen with their hair not covered by a scarf. By 2008, headscarves had become a must for female civil servants, public sector employees and teachers. Furthermore, women are not allowed to enter those institutions without a In a number of controversial incidents, Chechen women whose clothes violated Islamic dress code were shot at with paintball guns in attacks carried out by activists with approval from senior Chechen officials. The activists would drive around Grozny and when they spotted young women without a headscarf on or wearing a short skirt, they fired at them with paintball guns from their car windows.

In addition, from time to time campaigns are held in Chechnya urging women to comply with Sharia norms. Early in 2016, a public organization called Iman staged an event in Chechnya under the slogan “Bend to the Creator’s will,” during which activists handed out long dresses and headscarves to female passers-by in Grozny.

That said, says Sevrinovsky, the dress code needs to be enforced only among middle-aged and older women: “Today’s girls are raised in Sharia traditions from the time they start nursery school, so in future the full hijab, which implies not only a headscarf but generally modest clothes, will become an increasingly more common thing,” he said.

…but the hijab is banned in two of Russia’s regions

A completely opposite situation has developed in two other regions of Russia, the Republic of Mordovia and the Stavropol Territory. There, hijabs are banned in schools and universities.

“In the Stavropol Territory in 2013 and in Mordovia in 2014-2015, there was controversy over headscarves in educational establishments,” says Rais Suleymanov, a Russia-based Islamic scholar. “Local school administrations demanded that girls come to schools with their heads uncovered. The girls’ parents and the local Muslim communities protested, however, local education ministry officials and courts alike sided with the view that the dress code in the region should be strictly secular.”

During the scandal in the Stavropol Territory in 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown on Russian TV channel Perviy Kanal publicly supporting a ban on hijabs.

Why Russian women embraced Islam

Despite the fact, that a majority of people in Russia belong to the Russian Orthodox Christian faith, Muslims are not considered exotic or alien in the country. Unlike European countries, where Islam was brought in by migrants, in Russia many indigenous peoples professed Islam for centuries and lived side by side with Christians. However, during the Soviet era, all religions were frowned upon. The collapse of communism led to a rapid return Today there are no reliable statistics about the number of Muslims in Russia. The latest census questionnaires don’t ask a citizen his or her religion. So, the number of Russian Muslims is usually calculated by adding members of all ethnic groups in the country, which are traditionally Muslim, like Tatars, Bashkirs and Chechens. Thus, according to the latest data, there are about 16 to 20 million “ethnic Muslims,” that is 12-15 percent of Russia’s population.

In addition, there are so-called “new Muslims,” people who were non-Muslims, or professing other faiths, and then converted to Islam. “Such cases are pretty rare, but in Russia they get more publicity, than when Muslims convert to Orthodox Christianity,” says Nikolay Silaev, a senior fellow of the Center for the Regional Security and Caucasus Studies.  Available data on the number of religious conversions in Russia is not sufficient to indicate a trend, he adds. RBTH interviewed three women chose to convert to Islam.

Valeria, 22, converted to Islam five years ago

*Valeria requested RBTH to blur her photograph

“I grew up in a Christian home and my decision to become a Muslim shocked my family. At first they thought about the worst stereotype.  They believed I would blow up buses and trolleybuses in the near future.

Nevertheless, I am very grateful to my family for respecting my choice. This especially goes for my mother, who accepted my decision in a relatively short time and even defended me among family and close friends.

After converting, I began to study Islam, and in three months I started to perform prayers (namaz). Two months later, I started wearing a hijab.

Then I met my future husband. He is an ethnic Tatar, but his family did not adhere to Islam. Living together, we have finally established ourselves in our faith.”

Ulyana, 30, converted to Islam seven years ago

“I was interested in Islam since childhood. At university I learned the basics of the religion and Arabic. I had many Muslim friends, whose behavior was completely different from what was considered ‘normal’ in my society. This is why I decided to convert to Islam. My parents and close friends were understanding of my choice, as they were expecting it.

I do not wear a headscarf, and only cover myself during prayers. At first it was also difficult to fast, but I got used to it in three years. It’s also difficult to fight the stereotypes about Islam.

Many people believe that Islam is a cruel religion. I categorically disagree with such views. All the divine teachings are created by a great amount of love.

There are a lot of stereotypes about Islam, for example, that Muslims ‘kill infidels, stab poor animals, beat their wives and do not accept non-believers.’ The reason for this attitude is ignorance. If you do not understand something or fear it, you should find out, whether those fears are realistic or not. Most fears disappear when there is increased awareness and communication with proper practitioners of the religion.”

Zeinab (Elena) 55, converted to Islam 10 years ago

“It was in the late 90s. My husband and I traveled to Egypt as tourists. It was my first visit to a Muslim country. I saw people with a completely different mentality and attitude towards life. Having plunged into this culture, I became very interested in the Arab world, and I began to study the Koran. 

When I was 40 years old, I told my husband that I wanted to convert to Islam. My husband and children understood and reacted calmly to my decision. But it did not go so smoothly with my mother. Basically, the problem was the headscarf. But the situation was resolved. Now my mother even buys me halal food.  Within four years, my eldest daughter also converted to Islam.

Shortly after embracing Islam, I realized that I changed a lot and that I wasn’t Lena anymore. I then decided to take a Muslim name.

I worked as an English and German technical translator. When I put on the hijab, my co-workers began to treat me poorly. I was fired over a trivial matter. I was very upset, but two months later, I received an offer from a competing firm, which offered a similar job with a bigger salary. I told them that I wore a headscarf, but they said it did not matter what I looked like, as they needed my expertise.

I want to change society’s attitude to Islam by setting an example. People don’t want to listen to a long speech about Islam. They look at your deeds. A true Muslim is good to every single person, not just to fellow Muslims.”

Muhammad Ali, 'the Great', passed away aged 74

Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion who proclaimed himself “the Greatest”, defied the US government over the Vietnam war, and later became one of the most well-known – and loved – sportsmen in history has died. inna lillahe wa inna ilahe rajioon.  He was 74.

Ali died late on Friday at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, the family’s spokesperson Bob Gunnell said. His funeral will take place in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky.

Ali was admitted to hospital on Thursday with a respiratory problem – a move that was described at the time as “a precaution”. However, reports emerged 24 hours later which said he had been placed on a life support machine and his family “feared the worst”.

Ali had become increasingly frail since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, aged 42, and in recent years had limited his public appearances. Earlier this month his brother Rahman Ali revealed that the condition was so advanced he could barely speak or leave his house.


As a sportsman he will be remembered for many classic fights – in particular beating the fearsome Sonny Liston to become champion; the Fight of the Century and the Thrilla in Manilla against Joe Frazier, and the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974 when, at the age of 32, he surprised everyone bar himself by cutting down George Foreman in Kinshasa to regain back his title.

Paying tribute after his death, Foreman wrote: “Ali, Fraser and Foreman we were one guy. A part of me slipped away.”


 Ali, left, takes on George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1974. Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images
He told the BBC: “Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age.”


George Foreman on Muhammad Ali: he was truly beautiful – audio
Another former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, wrote: “God came for his champion. So long great one.”

Tributes flooded in from the world of boxing, the wider sporting community and well beyond them. The former US president Bill Clinton described him as “courageous in the ring, inspiring to the young, compassionate to those in need, and strong and good-humoured in bearing the burden of his own health challenges”.



 Ali is escorted from as US army facility after refusing army induction over his opposition to the Vietnam war. Photograph: Uncredited/AP
Ali’s influence out of the ring was no less marked. Having appalled white America by converting to the Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali, he later refused to be drafted into the army, telling reporters: “Man, I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.”


Muhammad Ali: the 20 best moments that made him The Greatest
 Read more
In 1967, still unbeaten and with no obvious challenger in sight, Ali was stripped of his titles and for three-and-a-half years had to scrape a living making campus speeches and appearing on Broadway. He lost his best years as a fighter yet as the opposition to Vietnam war grew, so did Ali’s popularity. By the mid 1970s he was the biggest sports star on the planet.

Grace and speed
In his physical prime, a decade earlier, Ali had such grace and foot speed that watching him perform almost became an extension of the balletic arts. He won Olympic light-heavyweight gold as an 18-year-old at the Rome Olympics and four years later, in 1964, he won the heavyweight title for the first time by stopping Liston in a major upset. Challengers were dispatched with a surgical beauty, although there was a vicious streak to him too: when Ernie Terrell called him by his birth name, Cassius Clay, Ali shouted at him “What’s my name?” as he inflicted a terrible beating.



A loss to the fit but limited Ken Norton appeared to confirm Ali’s decline – until, in 1974, he knocked out Foreman after using what he called “rope-a-dope”; lying on the ropes to conserve energy as his opponent punched himself out. Later, when Ali was asked when he should have retired, he admitted it was after that fight.


But he ploughed on, to a desperately gruelling decider with Frazier in Manilla which he won after Frazier’s trainer Eddie Futch pulled his man out before the 15th round. Ali would later call it the closest thing to dying he could imagine.

Retired
In 1978, after winning the title for a third time by avenging a loss to Leon Spinks, Ali retired. When he dragged himself back into the ring in 1980 to face his old sparring partner Larry Holmes, aged 38, he was probably in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Tests carried out by the Mayo Clinic found he couldn’t hop on one foot well and had trouble co-ordinating his speech.


Muhammad Ali – 25 of the best photographs of the legendary boxer
 View gallery
After a final fight, against Trevor Berbick in 1981, he retired but three years later Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed. By the end of the decade the speech of the man once dubbed “the Louisville Lip” for brash predictions before fights was reduced to a mumble.

Ali was well enough to light the torch to start the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, though his hands shook as a result of the disease taking further hold. After that there was further retreat into privacy and prayer.
rahimahullah tala . May Allah forgive him and grant Jannah.

Why I Chose ISLAM? By: Jessica Sim (Chinese)

Why I Chose ISLAM?

By: Jessica Sim 23. Master student in Digital Film & Television. Photographer. Blogger. Reverted Chinese Muslim. Reverted Since April 2013.

Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you).

I was born in a Buddhist family. When I was little, my younger brother and sister used to go to the Sunday school at the Buddhist Association but I always refused to join as I was lazy to wake up in early morning during Sundays I guess. I sometimes followed my mom to the temple but that was mostly when school exam is around the corner or I was going to sit for the major exams like UPSR/PMR/SPM. 

I am not really an atheist because it is in the human nature (or just me) that when you comes to extreme situations, your instinct will tell you to pray to God for help. But still I (persuading myself) trusted myself more than God. I was told that Buddha is the God. The idea did not persuade me because even Buddha was once a human, it did not answer me who is The Creator of the whole universe. (Sorry if I have offended any Buddhist, that was my perspective and you may not have to agree with me.)

When I entered the University, I have a lot of friends who are Muslims. That was when I was really being exposed to this religion. I never thought that I would revert. Never. I doubted Islam, and worst even I criticized about it. I questioned why Allah SWT created mankind and yet made us suffer. What is the purpose of living? Why so much restriction? Why people who claim themselves as Muslim do bizarre things which are opposing the teachings (Mostly shown in the media)? 

When you questioned, He will show you the answer. SubhanAllah. Soon I learnt, Muslim does not represent Islam. Islam has exist since the start, it was passed down by a lot of Prophets. Prophet Isa AS (Nabi Isa AS) or known as Jesus in Christianity was one of the Prophet sent by Allah SWT before Prophet Muhammad SAW. Islam we know today is taught based on the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW (who was the last Prophet sent by Allah SWT). 

Some things are meant to be experienced but not verbally explained. There are a lot of reasons why I think Islam is good but it may sounds odd to some people so I decided to just stop here before you think I gone crazy. 

Here I am, wearing all covered up even I once almost sworn that I will not put on the hijab. Living from a Muslim's perspective has really opened up my eyes. The world is full of people with bizarre behavior, Alhamdulilah I have Islam teachings to keep my nerves. Living with a little more contented and gratitude, stop being too materialistic and start giving back to the society who are struggling to live.

Life is just temporary.

source: http://jesskyinnew.blogspot.com/

This is a list of some converts to Islam from Hinduism.

This is a list of some converts to Islam from Hinduism.

Muhammed Yusuf Khan    Born Maruthanayagam Pillai; converted to Islam; later served as Commandant for the British East India Company troops

Abdul Wahid Pedersen    Danish cleric

Deen Mohammad Shaikh    Muslim missionary; his efforts are reported to have led to the conversion of more than 100,000 Hindus to Islam

Kabir Suman   Formerly known as Suman Chattopadhyay; a Hindu-Brahmin who converted

Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah   Son of Raja Ganesha; introduced Islam to many Hindus after his conversion

Yuvan Shankar Raja    Indian musician

Baba Shadi Shaheed    Hindu-Rajput

Malik Maqbul    Formerly known as Yugandhar

Steven Vikash Chand  Arrested in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests

Malikussaleh Originally Mara Silu; changed his name to Malikussaleh after his conversion

Parameswara    Convert who changed his name to Iskandar Shah

Dhoondia Wao   Opponent of the British East India company; took up the name Malik Jahan Khan after his conversion

Beauty Queen of Czech Democratic Republic Marketa Korinkova embraces Islam

Former Beauty Queen of Democratic Republic of Czechoslovakia, Marketa Korinkova embraced Islam after repenting to lead the life of Christianity. She said that she has decided to embrace Islam and settled down in Dubai relinquishing her native country. She also changed her name as Maryam. She said that the status given to Muslim women in Islam attracted her to accept this faith. She has been thinking of embracing this faith for the past three years. She made a public announcement in Dubai of her accepting Islam.

According to a report published in Arab Journal “Al Quds-al-Arabi”, in London, international fame production designer, super-model and film actress, Marketa Korinkova surprised her fans by making this announcement. She was elected Miss Universe in a beauty contest held in Italy, after which she gained international fame. Many multinational companies acquired her services for publicizing their products. Very soon, she became the super model. Hollywood also offered her to perform in their films. In the film ME90LOVE, she had played a key role. She held the position of Director of Prague’s Film Academy FAMU. She is an acclaimed international designer. She also has an advertising company in Prague. A noted company of Dubai, Ali and Sons Group of Companies appointed her as their Sales Manager.

She holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Charles University of Prague. Later, she did her MA in Production Designing from National Film and TV School of the Royal College of Arts, London. She also worked for BBC.

After getting the position of Miss World, she scaled greater heights but she said that despite having everything she was mentally upset. She tested everything to get rid of her internal restlessness. She resorted to drinking wine, playing music and gambling but the thirst of her soul could not rest. On the advice of one of her friends, she started studying various religions three years back. As a born Christian, she did not find solace in Christianity. Disappointed with Christianity, she started studying Islam. Her eyes were then opened. The status Islam has given to women attracted her and she decided to embrace Islam. After spending some time in UAE, she decided to settle down permanently in Dubai. She said that in her childhood she was told that Islam has not given any status to women. When she studied Islam, the truth was exposed that Islam has given a pious position to women whereas the west is playing with women in the name of freedom. She told that she has decided to settle down in Dubai so that she could get more of Islamic teachings. She expressed her feeling that for a long time there was a burden on her heart and she was restless without any reason. When she recited “Kalima”, her restlessness came to an end. She has given up western garments and started wearing hijab. When she posted her photographs with Hijab, millions of her fans got surprised. They thought that she has posted these pictures of her taking part in Arab fashion show. When she announced that she has embraced Islam and changed her name, their surprise increased.

Meet the ex-Hindu who converted 108,000 people to Islam

By: Shah.hasan

Source: hopeitw.com

MATLI: Such are Deen Mohammad Shaikh’s powers of persuasion that he has converted 108,000 people to Islam since 1989, the year he left his birth religion Hinduism behind.

His multi-coloured business card describes the Matli dweller as the president of the Jamia Masjid Allah Wali and Madrassa Aisha Taleem-ul Quran – an institute for conversions to Islam.

The reedy 70-year-old brandishes an embellished cane. A red-and-white keffeiyah perched on his shoulder offers people a hint to his theological leanings.

As he speaks to The Express Tribune, his arm slices an invisible arc through the air. He is gesturing to a vast expanse of nine acres of donated land where converts are invited to pitch a tent and stay. “My heartfelt wish is that the entire world becomes Muslim,” comes his response, when asked about the en masse conversions. His piety is matched only by its ambition.

But contrary to the grandiose proclamation, this preacher isn’t a repository of rehearsed sound bites. It is only after he settles down on a charpoy that he deigns to embark on the journey of a Hindu named Jhangli who became an expert in evangelism.

“I always loved Islam,” he begins. “I read the Holy Quran and realised that 360 gods were not of any use to me.”

At first he had to study the Holy Quran in secret. There was the risk of being misunderstood if a Muslim caught him with the holy book. He started fasting and in fact he would begin a day before Ramazan started.

Shaikh’s mother grew alarmed at her son’s forays into another faith. She thought that if she married him off, he would not ‘leave’. Thus, he was barely 15 when his wedding took place, followed by a quick overtaking by nature – four girls and eight boys.

But despite this, he was drawn back to his curiosity and managed to find a teacher, Sain Mohammad Jagsi, who instructed him in the Holy Quran and Hadiths or sayings of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Fortunately, Shaikh’s uncle was of the same mind and the two men agreed that they would give each other the strength. Shaikh held off until his daughter was married to a Hindu as planned, since he had already “given his word”. Then there was no turning back.

After his conversion, Deen Mohammad Shaikh made it his mission to woo others. He began in his own backyard, preaching to family, before venturing beyond this comfort zone. Encounters with the rich and powerful helped pave the way. Retired Pakistan Army general Sikandar Hayat, who owns a sugar mill in Matli, offered Shaikh money, which he turned down. Instead, he urged Hayat to give jobs to some of the new converts. Hayat and his daughter proved extremely helpful in providing assistance.

Now, Shaikh says, his fame has spread and people come to him from as far as Balochistan, members of all religions and sects, who would like to convert. A small mosque has sprung up in his residential compound along with a number of rooms where children – mostly girls – are taught how to say their prayers and recite the Holy Quran.

One of the teachers is 14-year-old Sakina, who is just 15 days into the job. “Only a few students are difficult to teach,” she says while commenting on their ability to recite a text in an unknown language.

Shaikh is aware of the difficulties converts face while taking on what appear to be the initially daunting rigours of a brand new system. He makes life easy for the first 40 days. “They only have to pray farz!” he says while referring to the mandatory parts. This relaxed schedule ensures that they can ‘confirm their faith’. He understands that if he demanded they start out with praying five times a day to offer even the optional and ‘bonus’ parts, “They would run away!” as he puts it with a look of mock horror on his face.

Other than this, he is reluctant to actually explain how he influences the people. All he offers is a nugget of fire and brimstone: “I tell them that I was a Hindu too and that they would burn in Hell if they are not Muslim.”

More than saving a soul

There are other practical considerations that accompany conversions. In order to ‘save’ the converts from influential Hindus in other districts, Shaikh packs them off to Hub Chowk while the Kalima is still moist on their lips. “Their families would beat them up (for converting) otherwise,” he explains.

This trick of the ‘trade’ he learnt from personal experience. He alleges that he was kidnapped along with his daughter-in-law by influential Hindus who threatened him so that he would stop converting people. “They don’t want these poor Hindus to stand up to them when they become Muslims,” Shaikh maintains.

Despite 108,000 conversions, for which a record is kept, Shaikh still doesn’t feel his work is done. He wants everyone to be a Muslim and learn from his example. He also attends the Tablighi Jamaat’s annual congregation in Raiwind, although he doesn’t believe in sectarian divisions. “All groups are like brothers to me,” he declares.