Journalist,Columnist: Winner of CPJ
@pressfreedom
's Int'l Press Freedom Award (1996) Tweets are my own. I derive great pleasure from calling a spade a spade.
Times- good or bad, hard or easy, pleasant or unpleasant- come and go. But the memories last forever. In what way you want to be mentioned in the pages of history is absolutely your choice.
@jameelyusuf
Out of 1.8 billion muslims in the world, Allah honored a sweeper with the privilege to pray in front of kaaba when no other muslim could. Indeed Allah honors whom he likes and in it are signs for all human beings. May Allah make us among his chosen ones!
How lucky I'm! When I return home from work my three daughters make me feel on top of the world- a real VVIP.
بیٹی اللہ رب العزت کی نعمت ہے، انعام ہے ، رحمت ہے
Our old neighbor Nissar Ahmed Shah's son Junaid passed away due to massive cardiac arrest overnight. People say he was a lookalike of Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor.I say he was a big hope, strength & salvation of his ailing father and his mother & that of whole Kashmir. Magfirah!
Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif's demise being widely mourned across our Kashmir. Many people have while paying tributes to the departed soul through social media fondly recalled her Kashmiri origin. She was born in Lahore into a Kashmiri family in 1950.
Some of our future doctors/engineers returning from abroad reported to have escaped mandatory screening at Srinagar airport.Shame on them,their parents & officials who facilitated it.Answer is-necessity too:should be along with family members quickly removed to quarantine centres
In Kuwait yesterday, the muadhin while making adhan instead of 'Hayya 'ala al-Salah(come to prayer)' said 'al Salatu fi buyutikhum (pray in your home)'.As mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari,this was done in the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw) during heavy rain and wind
#CoronaOutbreak
This is how namaz is offered in Srinagar's historic JamaMasjid in view of surge in COVID-19 cases.The carpet furnishing has been removed,the faithful bring with them their own prayer mats to offer namaz on,maintain social distancing and strictly follow other SOPs.Pic
@KashmirLife
I don't condemn any Kashmiri killing here on social media.I just mourn all-quietly.And coping with grief & loss almost every day isn't easy.Broken & shattered inside!For some it all may be about figures.For us,it is piercing our heart & cutting our limbs off each time it happens.
The abode of Hazrat Syed Sharafuddin Abdur Rehman alias Syed Bulbul Shah (RA) who sowed the seeds of Islam in Kashmir in Srinagar's Bulbul Lankar area.
My daughter & her classmates were engaged in learning online from their teacher.While trying to ensure they grasp successfully, the teacher suddenly disappeared from the screen."Sir koath gov (where has Sir gone)?", yelled students. They soon learnt he was connected from Budgam.
Adhan being recited from homes, mosques, shrines and hospices in many parts of Kashmir apparently in the belief it would invoke Allah's mercy and work towards warding off COVID-19 threat.
All the family members of the lady who passed away in a Srinagar hospital Tuesday are in quarantine. So don't spread the lie that it refused to accept her body or perform the last rites.May her soul rest in eternal peace & may God give the bereaved the fortitude to bear the loss.
I used to be part of the July 13 procession either on the shoulders of my father or walking with my own legs. At 20,I began covering it,initially for Aftab.For past nearly 3 decades,common people are not being allowed to converge at Mazaar-e-Shohada to pay tribute to our martyrs.
His voice was heart soothing & his Azaan recitation in Kashmiri accent was beautiful. It would move human emotions both psychologically & spiritually.His na'at khawani too would soothe the soul & warm the heart. Magfirah, Moulvi Yasin Shah,the muezzin at Srinagar's Jama Masjid.
Some people may disagree with the kind of politics you pursued throughout your life, many endorse it and admired you. To me, you were a perfect gentleman, clean, God-fearing and solemn. Rest in eternal peace, Muhammad Ashraf Khan 'Sahrai'.
Those trolling PM Modi on social media for “waving at nothing” during his boat-ride in Srinagar's Dal Lake on Sunday are forgetting that the water body is currently visited by thousands of migratory birds. And no curbs had been imposed on them as part of tight security bandobast.
We stand & will fight it together.Nothing can or will stop us frm telling the stories of Kashmir & its people candidly.Remember,we're journalists;will continue to discharge our responsibility will zeal,intrepidity,energy, fidelity & honesty. No one shld hve any problems with that
Kashmiri volunteers in groups leaving for Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram
to join the relief effort.The Valleyites are contributing wholeheartedly within their capacity as several local voluntary organizations are raising funds and collecting relief materials for the victims of deluge
Doctors in Jammu and Srinagar claim that they have treated three
#COVID19
patients successfully and, at least, two of them have recovered fully and tested negative. Then why were we being told the hard reality of coronavirus is: There is no ‘cure’?
I'm 31 years younger than my official age. Deduct the 31 years of turmoil and tell me how old are you? Only for those who lived in Kashmir all these years.
View of Mahadev peak (elevation 3,966 meters) in Dachigam National Park area and Zabarwan hill through my room window a short while ago. Kashmir, you're special. And I'm proud I was born from your womb.
Spoke to a Kashmiri student in Bangladesh over the phone this evening and asked him why is he so desperate to return home when here also things are dicey. Came the reply "garri marh'a (I want to die at home only)". No Jiggar, you will live long...this too will pass, I assure you.
I learned Urdu,English and Persian during my school/college days but that didn't affect or overwhelm my Kashmiri. I hate to talk to a fellow Kashmiri in any other language than our own Kashmiri. Your mother tongue is the language of your heart and mind.
The Shawwal moon sighted at Shah Faisal Colony, Illahi Bagh, Srinagar at 11.50 pm, moments after Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan members reportedly signed the testimony of the crescent having been sighted at places in KPK and Balochistan. 😜
Minutes after Pakistan Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman
@MuniburRehman55
announced the sighting of the Shawwal moon in his country,loudspeakers in neighborhood mosques began blaring 'Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Sunday'. Similar reports pouring in from across Kashmir Valley.
Thank you, all! In fact, this award goes to every single member of the fraternity in my part of the world who did good journalism right in the middle of all the violence and mayhem- courageously and impartially.
Yusuf Jameel, the Srinagar-based reporter who pioneered fearless journalism in Jammu and Kashmir, has been chosen for the 2019-2020 PEN Gauri Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism.
Painting by Saudi artist
@_elnabila
captures moment of emptiness, stillness and contemplation at Masjid al-Haraam- Makkah's Grand Mosque- amid COVID-driven lockdown. This too shall pass, Inn Sha Allah. God bless you Nabila. You have golden hands.
State holiday or no state holiday, July 13 was-and still is-the day of gratitude and rededication to truth, honesty and integrity. And to keep your dreams alive; discern all things are possible for those who believe. 1/2
Khoon-e-Kashmiri arzan! A young man shot dead by uniformed men at Narabal on the peripheries of Srinagar. Giving past experiences, official probes or seeking these by politicians who virtually oversaw such incidents when in power is but adding insult to injury.
On this day in 1995,renegades working for Kukka Parray brought a sophisticated bomb hidden in hollowed-out book-‘Kashmir Under Sultans’ to my office. It went off with sparkling yellow light,killing news photographer Mushtaq Ali and injuring my other colleague
@habibnaqash
and me
Kashmiris are, indeed, genius. Jovial too! A short while ago, could hear a scrap hawker while walking down the street outside yelling "Abb ki baar, Trump govv khaar...rad'di ma, rad'di ma, praynn akhbar, teen, shaisht'er, plastic, cement bohri ma...abb ki baar, Trump govv khaar'.
Shocking and sad. Mudasir Ali, a young buddy and a promising member of our tribe associated with
@GreaterKashmir
is reported to have passed away after suffering massive cardiac arrest this morning. Rest in eternal peace, dear.
1965:A dogfight was underway up in the skies btn India's MiG-21 & Pakistan's F-86F Sabre. My cousin Gh.Hassan Butt quickly took out his green-color shirt frm the cupboard,climbed to the tin-roof of his house at Gojwara & started waving it to show support for his favourite 'team'.
Srinagarites sent into enforced home quarantine. Uniformed men enforcing curfew-like restrictions here & in some other parts of Kashmir. Though enforcing lockdowns is a routine in the Valley, it is for the first time that people are happy with it and cooperating with authorities.
Shujaat Bukhari was a promising colleague;an ambitious person who wanted to fly high and possessed enough talent to do it...was ready to give up everything that could weigh him down. His friends circle was huge but he also won many foes in his endeavor to achieve. Rest in peace!
Mike-fitted police vans announcing imposition of curfew in Srinagar and asking people to stay indoors. The police are also warning residents of “strict action under law” if they defy the restrictions. Nothing new. We were born with "curfew spoon" in our mouth. En mass!
A cousin of Basim Aijaz's mother tells me that the boy wasn't injured in wall collapse but had received 100 % burn injuries in a blast that took place when some people were removing the debris of a house in Srinagar's Dana Mazaar, Nawa Kadal area,the scene of Tuesday's gunfight.
Heartening to know that a couple of doctors at Srinagar's government-run Chest Disease Hospital are pooling in their own pocket money to buy fruits & other eatables for an elderly patient whose 3 sons were swallowed by violence during Kashmir conflict.Hats off!JazakAllah Khairon!
Fresh snowfall in Dachigam and Zabarvan hills including Mahadev peak (elevation 3,966 meters). A view through my room window a short while ago.
#Kashmir
, you're special. And I'm proud I was born from your womb.
#Srinagar
From childhood days, I really liked this festival of Raksha Bandhan.That for a reason. Holy relationship. May all sisters stay blessed and happy. Your love for brothers is eternal bliss.
Verily,‘Jise Allah rakhay,ose koan chakhay’.All the 11 family mbrs of the Sopore resident who died of COVID-19 test NEGATIVE.On the otherhand,several persons who came in contact with him hve tested positive.May God cure them/all other victims;heal the pain of their dear ones soon
"Shahido tum ko mera salaam",the slogan we as kids wld start yelling days ahead of Martyrs' Day.History can't be erased,perceptions may be different & u may portray an event the way it suits u.July 13 will stay as Martyrs' Day for Kashmiris;will be observed as such till eternity.
Auto Cut karnaov thiek! After the mercury touched 35.7°C , the highest in August in past 39 years, Srinagar has started receiving rain to end prolonged dry spell. Alhamdulillah! May it be a truly 'Rahmat-e-Baraan'!
Meanwhile, one is reminded of a 2015 tweet of
@asadowaisi
"So long as planet Earth survives Muslims will live in India. We will not disappoint Freedom Fighters who wanted Muslims to live Proud Indians".
A proud moment for all of us on both sides of Kashmir. The 'son of the soil' Sheikh Muhammad Khalil al-Qari (a resident of Patika, Muzaffarabad) has been formally appointed as the Imam of Masjid al-Nabvi ﷺ.
Just learnt Kashmiri students returning from abroad are using fake I. Cards at Srinagar airport to escape quarantine. lmpossible for medical staff to check their credentials as well.Que managers who could be policemen/women need to be deployed at the airport.
@listenshahid
Gilgit-Baltistan [2004]: Me at the junction point of the World’s three mightiest mountain ranges -Karakoram, Himalayas and Hindu Kush. Also, River Indus, flowing down from lofty mountains of Skardu, joins with river Gilgit here.
My mother was from a Bhat or Butt family. So is my spouse.Hence I love all Bhats or Butts whether Muslims or Pandits.
P. S. We Kashmiri Muslims and Hindus share many surnames including Bhat (Butt),Koul,Rishi,Khan, Peer, Wali, Kaw, Kitchloo, Munshi, Drabo,Pandith, Parimoo, Kaloo.
It says,I’m among journos who receive funds from Soros through
@ICIJ
.A completely false,malicious & dishonest allegation.Retract it immediately or prove I ever received even a single penny from ICIJ,failing which I will be left with no option but to seek legal action against you.
26 years together, you never failed me Nusrat. In fact growing old with you is the best thing I could ever dream of. Tomorrow, we will be celebrating our wedding anniversary with kids to make it special; in our own fashion, God willing.
By inviting their subscribers to have 'Sex talk with erotic sexy women', offering them 'Desi hot phone chats', and asking them to watch 'Bikini babes', etc, these telecom mobile companies are not but acting as refined pimps.
Skipping Friday prayers is painful.That first time in many, many years.But then Qur'an tells me my Creater is
Al-Ghafoor and Al-Rahim (Forgiving and Merciful).He also gave each one of us a brain and capability to make decisions.I was asked 'take care of yourself and others too'.
Prophet Muhammad (saww) said: “Whoever Allah has given two daughters and is kind towards them,will have them as a reason for him to be admitted into Paradise.”
#HappyDaughtersDay
2/3
Two words from modern Ka'eshir dictionary (Meaning and synonyms) : SHIKASLAD: Honest, dedicated, objective, upright, virtuous
BAKHTABOAD: Corrupt, fraudulent, unscrupulous, unethical, two-faced
Just now (view from our home balcony). So no doubt about it being the first Shawwal today. The new moon on the first day of its appearance isn't that vividly visible and for quite a while.
Kashmiri graffiti artist Mudasir Gul,after his release from police custody,gets a warm welcome in his locality.His mother received him at home with misty eyes but gave him a big warm hug.She also showered him with candies.17other boys arrested over anti-Israel protests also freed
And hasb-e-riwayat, 'Grand Mufti' of Kashmir was quick to endorse it. So were various religious organizations & clerics from Khadanyaar to Khannabal and beyond.They couldn't "sight" the Eid Cresent before Pakistan Ruet-i-Hilal people did.That's called "traditional" moon sighting.
I feel uncomfortable in talking to a fellow Kashmiri in an alien language. It stirs up conscience--- betraying one’s roots. Recall my first and last meeting with (late) K.H.Khursheed in Lahore in 1984. He insisted we talked in Kashmiri. Apparently, he knew its value.
Alhamdulillah! All of the 2,000 students and faculty at Darul Uloom Deoband found healthy and free of COVID-19 after they were examined and tested for the virus by a team of doctors from Saharanpur.