Category Archives: NRI’s / PIO’s

Majees Technical Services signs partnership agreement with Oman Cricket

Chennai, TAMIL NADU / Muscat, OMAN:

Muscat:

Youth are the future of any sports and Oman Cricket (OC) is a firm believer in grooming the youngsters in the country.

With an aim to provide a strong foundation, Oman Cricket has roped in an energetic partner in Majees Technical Services (MTS).

Oman is all set to host the prestigious ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) Division 2- Asia from September 29-October 7 and the partnership agreement between OC and MTS comes as a perfect boost for the national team.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the OC headquarters on Thursday, Ishrath Habibulla, MTS managing director, said, “It is a matter of great pride to join the Oman Cricket family. We are a young company and have been in service for past 15 years. So our focus and aim is to associate ourselves with a similar age-group bracket. The U19 cricket development perfectly matches our ambitions and we are happy to join the journey with Oman Cricket.”

Habibulla, who himself has been an active cricketer in domestic league during his young days, said ‘the remarkable growth of Oman Cricket has made all cricket fans proud’. “We have also fielded team in the Oman Cricket Premier Division last season and had a decent outing. Our love for the game is now further strengthened by our association with U19 cricket,” he said.

The MTS top official said that ‘the journey with Oman Cricket’ and supporting the youth [U19] is the way forward for his company.

Oman Cricket Chairman H E Pankaj Khimji termed the partnership ‘a positive development for the youth cricket’.

After signing the agreement in the presence of the OC board treasurer Alkesh Joshi, OC board member Kiran Asher and OC chief development officer Duleep Mendis, H E Khimji said, “U19 cricket is a very important stage in the development of the game and for the future of our national team. We have witnessed the talent of our U19 players who have grown into our national team stars. The likes of Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas, Sufiyan Mahmood and Wasim Ali have proved their credentials.

“The support we will get for the U19 team from Majees will help us nurture more players in the future. We thank them for their partnership as our boys prepare for the ICC U19 Men’s CWC-Division 2 tournament in Oman later this month.”

H E Khimji said, “Oman cricket’s rise at the global stage is evident and in cricket parlance, we are now a recognised commodity. This has been a result of the success in hosting successfully the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier earlier this year. Our national team’s success at international level has got the corporates notice the value of supporting the game. We hope to give our partners the value in investing with us.”

On this occasion, Mendis said, “The U19 squad acts a feeder for the national team. To get a partner for the young team is an encouraging development that will go a long way in giving a boost to the youth cricket structure in the country.

source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Times of Oman / Home> Sports / by Times News Service / September 04th, 2022

On top of world with 81 certificates in 24 hours — meet Kerala’s Rehna Shajahan

Illickall (Kottyam District), KERALA :

Rehna has set a world record for the maximum number of online certificates secured in a day, reports Cynthia Chandran.

Kottayam:

Rehna Shajahan was devastated when half a mark cost her an MCom seat at the Jamia Milia Islamia. However, she did not lose heart. The 25-year-old enrolled for two postgraduate courses online — a master’s in social work and a diploma in guidance and counselling

She went on to prepare for the common admission test in management studies. As she cracked the CAT exam, Rehna was the only Malayali in her batch to get admission to the Jamia Millia Islamia for an MBA programme. And now, her zeal for study has earned her the world record for the maximum number of online certificates secured in a day — a whopping 81.

A resident of Illickal in Kottayam district, Rehna says her sister Nehla, whom she fondly calls ‘itha’, inspired her. Nehla got a lucrative job after pursuing her master’s in operational research from the London School of Economics and was always the studious one. “But I was determined to overcome the tag of an average student,” Rehna says.

When her sister got admission in Lady Sriram College, New Delhi, Rehna too wanted to try her luck in getting into a central university. She missed by a whisker and the rest is history. While pursuing the two post-graduate degrees simultaneously, she worked with an NGO, ‘Women’s Manifesto’, based in New Delhi that worked for women’s empowerment.

“When I cracked the CAT exam, I realised I can excel in studies. We need to try rather than just dream. I was keen on enhancing my repertoire by pursuing certification courses,” she says.

The previous world record for maximum online certificates received in one day was 75. She had recently quit her cushy job as a management professional in Dubai to attend to her father PM Shajahan, who has had a transplant surgery. For Rehna, her family comprising father, mother CM Rafiath, husband Ebrahim Riyaz, who is an IT engineer, and her sister is her priority. For that is the support system that gives her the courage and the inspiration to reach for the stars.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Cynthia Chandran / Express News Service / August 28th, 2022

Popular calligraphy artist from Kerala aims to ‘build bridges between communities with his art’

Kakkore Village (Malappuram District) KERALA / Doha, QATAR :

Abdul Kareem with his calligraphy art. | Picture by Lulu Ahsana

A graphic designer by profession, Abdul Kareem, who is popularly known as Kareemgrahy, left his job at an American company in Qatar last month to pursue his passion for calligraphy. 

Kerala:

When tea-seller Abdurahman from Kerala bought a calligraphic painting from a Sufi saint to his home one day in the early 1980s, he hadn’t imagined that his six-year-old son Abdul Kareem will make calligraphy his profession. The painting had Arabic verses written in the shape of a person offering the Islamic prayer. 

“That image was inscribed in my heart,” said Abdul Kareem, 44, a popular calligrapher from Kerala, popularly known as Kareemgraphy. Originally hailing from the Kakkove village in Malappuram district in Kerala, Kareem presently lives in Qatar with his wife and three children.

A graphic designer by profession, Kareem left his job at an American company in Qatar last month to pursue his passion for calligraphy.

Love for calligraphy art was imbibed in Kareem from his childhood. Recalling an incident during his Madrasa days, Kareem said when his teacher wrote some Arabic words on the board, he was moved and could see “the beauty in how the words were written and shaped.” 

In 1996, Kareem had to drop out of his course at the School of Arts in Kerala due to financial constraints. He was 18. This, however, didn’t deter him from pursuing his passion. He started work as a painter of hoardings and a few years later, he moved to Saudi Arabia to earn a living, where eventually he became a graphic designer. 

“The beautiful symmetrical patterns on the Roudha Shareef (where the Prophet (PBUH) is buried), and the calligraphy on the pillars and walls there influenced me a lot,” said Kareem about the city of Madina, one of the holiest cities of Islam. 

Kareem said he wanted to devote all his focus to calligraphy and left his job to pursue it. 

“Calligraphy has been my passion for more than 20 years, but I took to serious learning and experimentation only five years ago and left my job to pursue this dream,” he said. 

Kareem credits his teachers for instilling a passion for knowledge in him and his success. “All those who give ilm (knowledge) in my journey are my ustaads (teachers),” he said. 

Calligraphy art has different forms and styles. Kareem follows the contemporary style.

“Art and rule are combined in traditional calligraphy. But in contemporary art, it is freedom. I do calligraphy on things and ideas that people in my locality can relate to. As an artist, I am trying to blend different styles, without conforming to any specific script or style,” he said. 

Abdul Kareem’s portrayal of a student during the Hijab row in Karnataka | Picture: Abdul Kareem Facebook

As his fame grew in the last five years, Kareem started conducting calligraphy workshops in India, UAE, Qatar, and Turkey. On August 10 this year, he attended the All India Calligraphy Akshar Mahotsav organised by the Calligraphy Foundation of India in New Delhi. He has also won a few awards for his work, including the Youth Icon Award-Doha (2017) and the Youth Signature Award (2021). 

Last year, Kareem founded a centre for calligraphy in Kozhikode called the KagrArt. Its logo was launched online by famous French-Tunisian calligraffiti artist ElSeed. “I want to popularise this art. It is more important than being famous. There should be a physical space for artists to meet and interact,” he said.  

KagrArt was founded by Abdul Kareem last year as a centre for calligraphy art. | Picture by Lulu Ahsana

In addition to his calligraphy works, KagrArt displays art pieces like lanterns, carpets, calligraphy and images from different countries.  

In one of the programmes held at KagrArt last month, Kareem talked about his visit to Uzbekistan and his love for travelling. 

“Instead of calling it a trip to Turkey or Uzbekistan, we can call it going to different people, and seeing things that they built and wrote in the past,” he said. 

Kareem’s dream is to build a bridge through his art between different religions, peoples and countries, between traditional and contemporary calligraphies, between Arabic and Malayalam calligraphies, and between old and new generations.  

“I want to work on a serious theme in future which would fill the minds of people with hope, and which would give the message that no one should run away from anywhere and that people can be where they are,” he added. 

Kareem’s wife Fasija said that “calligraphy is more than just a passion for him.” She credits his “hard work and dedication for the success he has achieved.”

Najiya O is an independent journalist from Kerala. She tweets at  @najiyao

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Najiya O, TwoCirlces.net / August 18th, 2022

CP Rizwan, electrical engineer from Kerala is UAE’s T20 captain for Asia Cup

Thalassery, KERALA / U.A.E :

CP Rizwan moved to the UAE in 2014 after not getting a Ranji Trophy game. Will be special if we get to play against India, he says.

From not being able to get a game for his state in the Ranji Trophy to leading a national team, Rizwan’s cricketing fortunes have changed for the better.

CP Rizwan’s cricket career didn’t really take off and the electrical engineer from Kerala, like many from his state, migrated to the gulf after landing a job in Sharjah.

Eight years later, the 34-year-old has made it big – on the field. On Thursday, the Emirates Cricket Board named Rizwan the skipper for the Asia Cup qualifiers. If Rizwan’s United Arab Emirates (UAE) win the qualifiers, they will be in the same group as heavyweights India and Pakistan.

“It will definitely be special if we qualify and get to play against India. But we just want to focus on one step at a time,” Rizwan told The Indian Express The UAE, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Singapore will be fighting for the one spot available in the group stage.

From not being able to get a game for his state in the Ranji Trophy to leading a national team, Rizwan’s cricketing fortunes have changed for the better.

Rizwan, leg-spinner turned batsman, hails from Thalassery, a cricket hub with a history that dates back to the British Raj. He made a name for himself in age-group cricket and represented Kerala in U-19 and U-23 levels. He also toured South Africa with a Kerala team that included the likes of Sanju Samson. But he could not progress further because he took a break from the sport to complete his engineering degree. He tried to make a comeback after completing his studies but was not able to replicate his age-group success at the senior level. He was named in the Ranji Trophy squad but remained on the bench.

Migrating to the UAE for a job also gave Rizwan’s cricket career a new lease of life, and it has reached new heights now. On Sunday, he walked out to lead the UAE against Kuwait in their first qualifier game.

Last year, Rizwan scored his first international century (109) in an ODI against Ireland when the team was under pressure at 51 for 3. He added 184 runs for the fourth wicket along with Muhammad Usman. The two centurions helped the UAE chase down 270 with six wickets in hand and an over to spare.

“I am happy and honoured to lead the UAE national team. We have been doing well in T20 tournaments. Our players play a lot of T20 games here in the domestic circuit also. But having said that, we have to execute the skills in the right way on the given day,” Rizwan said.

In former India all-rounder Robin Singh, the UAE have an experienced coach to guide their newly-appointed skipper.

“We have been working really hard under coach Robin Singh. He is a person with a great work ethic and that quality has rubbed on to the players also. We have been training well and hopefully, everything will fall into place,” Rizwan, who has played 29 ODIs and seven T20Is for UAE, said.

The electrical engineer, who graduated from Cochin University of Science and Technology, had an opportunity to return home when he got a job with the postal department but he decided against moving back.

His performances in the domestic matches in UAE for teams like Yogi Group, Bukhatir XI and Interface, eventually opened the doors to the UAE national team. After fulfilling the requirement of residing in the UAE for four years, Rizwan made his debut for his adopted country in an ODI against Nepal in January 2019.

“Yes, it could be said that my decision (to stay in the UAE) has been vindicated. I just want to say thanks to all the coaches, friends, family and relatives and the almighty who helped me in this journey,” said Rizwan.

Biju George, the former India women’s fielding coach, has seen Rizwan from his under-23 days for Kerala.

“Rizwan is a fully dedicated player. He is a confident and street-smart player, I think, he can be an asset to the UAE team as their captain,” George said.

The UAE opted for split captaincy and Ahmed Raza, who was the captain in all formats, now leads the team in ODIs.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Narayanan S, Kochi / August 22nd, 2022

Gurucool, a Jamia alumni-led ed-tech start-up launches app for underprivileged

NEW DELHI :

Adil Meraj: Co-founder of Gurucool. | Photo: By arrangement

The Padhai app will provide academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged. 

New Delhi :

 Gurucool, a Delhi-based EdTech startup launched the Padhai app on Friday. The app seeks to provide an academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged by providing more than 3500 curated open-source educational courses offered by platforms like MIT open courseware, Khan Academy, YouTube educators, and many more.

Adil Meraj and Khansa Fahad, the two alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) started Gurucool in 2019. Gurucool is an educational networking platform that offers a suite of phygital (physical+digital) tools to connect learners and educators. The founders of Gurucool got into the limelight when they secured pre-seed funding of $150,000 (around 1 crore rupees) in November 2021.

“The Padhai app counters the price-tagged digital education offered by other ed-tech platforms while making digital education accessible and free for all,” Meraj told TwoCircles.net.

“The Padhai app provides information on scholarships, educational short videos similar to YouTube shorts called BITS, and other things of importance to learners. It offers curated courses in 8 regional languages,” Meraj said, adding that the app has live classes, study material, test series and questionnaires for K-12, competitive exams, and the skill India program. 

The higher education department of the government of Bihar approved the Padhai app as a pilot project, he said. Conversations are on with several other governments to start the Padhai app on a pilot project basis. 

Gurucool is an educational networking platform offering over 25 tools and a vast content pool for educators and learners to learn, network, and have fun with them. Gurucool aims to digitize education while not compromising on the need for physical classrooms. We are making education phygital, said Meraj. 

Gurucool got pre-seed funding from the Indian-American angel investor, Parvez Jasani (CEO, Zulie Venture Inc.) and Aqib Hussain of FreeFlow Venture Builders. The ed-tech platform is estimated worth $ 2 million. 

“When I spoke to Adil and Khansa for the first time I was super impressed with their vision and passion, and that made me invest in Gurucool instantly”, Parvez Jasani told TwoCircles.net. 

Gurucool offers a vast content pool, empowering educators, schools, and colleges with minimal financial support and which are functioning especially among the marginalized groups. The schools and colleges can potentially build their digital infrastructure using Gurucool’s content. 

The Ed-Tech platform follows the model of personalized learning by creating educational centres which implement the concept of a conference-based teaching ecosystem that has a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. These education centres have a club system, library, workshops, sessions, and smart classes among other things.

Gurucool  aims to launch 50 centres in 15 cities across India in the upcoming year with each centre having an accommodating capacity of 600 students.

www.gurucool.xyz

Mohd. Umair Yunus is a fellow in the SEEDS-TCN mentorship program. 

source: http://www.twocircle.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Mohd Umair Yunus, TwoCircles.net / August 13th, 2022

25-year-old PIO is UK’s youngest civic mayor

Valsad, GUJARAT / London, U.K :

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Humaira Garasia, whose family roots are in Valsad, was .elected speaker of London borough of Hackney in May

Surat :

Rishi Sunak might be in news for being the frontrunner for the post of Prime Minister of the UK and he will create history if he is elected for the post of the country that once ruled India.

But Indian origin Humaira Garasia (25) has already created a history by becoming the youngest-ever speaker of council in London Borough of Hackney.

Garasia’s family is originally from Valsad and her father had migrated to the UK at a young age. Garasia was determined to enter active politics when she was 15 and wanted to represent the marginalised population.

Untitled design - 2022-07-23T090744.002

She identifies herself as a Gujarati of Indian origin. She studied BA politics from the University of London. Her father Rafik Ahmed, a warehouse worker, is from Nana Taiwad in Valsad while her mother Najma, a housewife, is from Bharuch.

“I am the youngest-ever speaker/civic mayor of Indian origin in the whole of the UK and the youngest speaker to have ever been elected for the London Borough of Hackney,” says Garasia.

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“I was elected at the age of 21 as a councillor in 2018 and completed a four-year term. I was the youngest person of Indian origin to be elected as a councillor then. I was successfully re-elected as a councillor in May 2022,” she added.

She said: “I will be working with leaders, residents and communities from across the borough to address issues of inequalities, while also helping to tackle long-term issues such as racism and discrimination. I will focus on providing support to the most vulnerable members of society and helping young people to feel both empowered and safe.”

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Born and brought up in London, Garasia’s parents migrated around 35 years ago. Garasia visits Valsad every year with her family.

source: http://www.timesofindia.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / by Yagnesh Bharat Mehta / July 23rd, 2022

Shabana Faizal, Nagma Mallick, Sara Aboobacker among ‘Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala’ list by RBTC

KERALA :

‘RISING BEYOND THE CEILING’ releases list of Seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala

Nagma Mallick(L), Shabana Faizal(M) and Sara Aboobacker(R)

Kerala: 

‘Rising Beyond the Ceiling’ (RBTC), an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India has released its list of seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala. The list includes names like Shabana Faisal, Nagma Mohamed Mallick, Sara Aboobacker, and others.

“The seventy RBTC Honorees from Kerala celebrated in this book have displayed exemplary accomplishments in various fields. They are flying planes, serving as Civil Police Officers in the state, joining the national Indian Police Service, and leading as District Police Chief. They are contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service, Indian Administrative Service, and Indian Information Service and as Education Administrators, Directors of Departments of Industry.” RBTC said in its statement.

“They are contributing in leadership positions as managing directors, CEO, vice-chairperson, founders. They are influencers and singers, having an individual social media following of over 1 million and have been recognized in international and national awards including YouTube’s Golden Play Button,” it further added.

Global Inspiration Shabana Faizal:

Shabana Faizal, Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) and Vice-Chairperson of KEF Holdings UAE has been listed in the category of ‘Global Inspirations’.

“Shabana started her entrepreneurial career in 1995, when she set up Sophiya’s World – luxury and special items studio – in Calicut, following her marriage to Faizal E Kottikollon, chairman of KEF Holdings.” RBTC wrote about Shabana.

“Shabana has a driving passion to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged, which led to the setting up of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. The Foundation carries out campaigns to improve education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, humanitarian assistance, youth development, and housing in India and the UAE. Her most recent passion project was the revamp and enhancement of the GVHSS in Nadakkavu, Kerala which has empowered more than 2,400 young girls to believe in themselves and their dreams and impacted the lives of more than 69,000 students across 65 schools in Kerala.” It further added.

Shabana is the daughter of a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist late B.Ahmed Haji Mohiuddeen from Thumbay, Mangalore.

Impassioned author and writer Sara Aboobacker:

Kannada fiction writer Sara Aboobacker has been listed in the category of ‘Impassioned authors and writers’ adding that her stories narrate Muslim lives in the areas bordering Karnataka and Kerala, focusing on the inequities and injustices meted out to women by the male society.

“Aboobacker’s books largely focus on the lives of Muslim women living in the Kasaragod region, bordering the Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka. She focuses on issues of equality and injustice within her community, critiquing patriarchal systems within religious and familial groups. Her writing style is direct and simple, and she has stated that she prefers a realist approach to literature, prioritizing the expression of social concerns over stylistic embellishments. Her books have dealt with complex subjects such as marital rape, communal and religious violence, and individual autonomy.” RBTC wrote about Aboobacker.

Sara Aboobacker has received many prestigious literary awards, such as the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award, 1984; Anupama Niranjan Award, 1987; Rathnamma Heggade Mahila Sahitya Award, 1996, etc. She has seven novels, four collections of short stories, and one collection of essays to her credit. The Library of Congress has acquired eight of her works.

Leader in Administration Nagma Mohamed Mallick:

First Muslim woman in Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Nagma Mallick who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been named in the category ‘Leadership in Administration’ for contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service.

“An IFS officer of the 1991 batch, Nagma Mallick has served as the High Commissioner of India to Brunei from 2015 to 2018, and as India’s Ambassador to Tunisia between 2012 to 2015. Earlier she served as a staff officer to Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, then served as the first woman Deputy Chief of Protocol (Ceremonial). During her career in the IFS, Ms. Mallick has also served in France, Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.” It wrote about Nagma.

The list features a total of seventy Muslim women from Kerala and their stereotype-shattering stories of courage hard work and resilience. The list includes names like Airline pilot Afra Abdullah, IAS Officer Adeela Abdullah, Student Activist Aysha Renna, Life Coach Sahla Parveen and others.

About RBTC:

Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) is an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India. It is a celebration of the achievement, endeavor, and diversity of Indian Muslim women. RBTC shines a spotlight on Muslim women’s contributions to nation-building in a variety of ways and professions. Founded in April 2020 by Dr. Farah K. Usmani, this initiative aims to make Muslim women’s stories more visible, provide positive role models for future generations, nurturing young women’s confidence and ambition in all spheres. RBTC works across various platforms- the website, publications, multimedia as well as an outreach young women’s mentorship programme.

RBTC is putting together inspiring profiles from fourteen states in India that are home to nearly eighty percent of the country’s hundred million Muslim women population. Besides state and national levels, there is also an RBTC 100 list under finalization of Global Inspirations which includes women who have done their initial studies in Indian institutions and are now making their mark in countries across the globe. A compendium of Inspirations from the Past compendium of those amazing Muslim women who are not with us now, but on whose shoulders we stand today. We are also excited about our amazing Under-30 Youth Inspirations list. RBTC will continue to institute annual Muslim women honorees lists to share the stories of achievements, courage and resilience.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Rising Beyound the Ceiling / January 30th, 2022

Hyderabad mosque allots space for free dialysis centre

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The unit is being run under medical supervision of Dr Shoeb Ali Khan, leading consultant nephrologist and a kidney transplant surgeon.

A patient undergoes dialysis at the unit

Hyderabad :

Probably for the first time in the world, a mosque in Hyderabad has allotted space on its premises for establishing a full-fledged haemodialysis unit. Masjid-e-Mohammadia, located in Langar Houz area now houses a state-of-the-art free dialysis centre that mainly caters to the weaker sections of the society, regardless of caste and creed.

The centre, set up by two NGOs – Helping Hand Foundation and SEED US, has five latest Fresenius brand machines and will acquire five more machines in the next three months.  The swanky centre, designed like a corporate hospital, has a separate access for dialysis patients and it is equipped with high quality equipment, clinical care as well as facility to manage onsite emergencies.

The unit is being run under medical supervision of Dr Shoeb Ali Khan, leading consultant nephrologist and a kidney transplant surgeon.A medical doctor, ANMs, dialysis technicians and an ambulance will be available at the centre from 8 am to 8 pm on any given day. “We have invested about Rs 45 lakh for the initial setup of this unit. About Rs 2 lakh per month will be managed by Helping Hand Foundation,” said Mazhar Hussaini of SEED.

To register for free dialysis, one can call Ph: 9603540864.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / July 22nd, 2022

President Biden appoints Indian American Frank Islam as a Member of the Commission on Presidential Scholars

UTTAR PRADESH / U.S.A :

Frank Islam and his wife Debbie Driesman with Joe Biden.

Washington :  

President Biden has  appointed Dr. Frank Islam as a member of Commission on Presidential Scholars.

The Commission on Presidential Scholars is a group of eminent private citizens appointed by the President to select and honor the Presidential Scholars.

Commissioners are selected from across the country, representing the fields of education, medicine, law, social services, business, and other professions. The Commissioners make the final selection of the 161 Presidential Scholars. The Scholars demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in academics, the arts, career and technical education and an outstanding commitment to public service.

Dr. Frank Islam

Indian born Frank Islam is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader with a special commitment to civic, educational, and artistic causes.

He currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company that he founded after he sold his information technology firm, the QSS Group, in 2007.

Islam serves and has served on numerous boards and advisory councils including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the U.N. Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Woodrow Wilson Center. He has also served or serves on boards and councils at several universities including John Hopkins, American University, George Mason University, the University of Maryland, and Harvard University.

An AMU alumnus Islam has written two well-regarded books on the American condition: Working the Pivot Points: To Make America Work Again and Renewing the American Dream: A Citizen’s Guide for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage.

He blogs regularly on Medium and was a contributor to the Huffington Post for nearly a decade.

In 2018, Islam established the Frank Islam Institute for 21st Century Citizenship which maintains a website and publishes a monthly newsletter featuring articles and other material directed at addressing the civic engagement deficit and challenges to democracy in the U.S. and internationally.

Islam received his B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Education> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network (headline edited) / July 16th, 2022

Qatar-based Indian student youngest female person in world to publish a book series

KERALA / Doha, QATAR :

Laiba Abdul Basit

Doha:

A Qatar-based 11-year-old student Laiba Abdul Basit has won the Guinness World Records as the youngest female person to publish a book series. 

Laiba, hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala, has accomplished this feat after  her second book was published on August 29, 2021, while she was 10 years and 164 days old. 

Laiba Abdul Basit surpassed the record of Ritaj Hussain Alhazmi of Saudi Arabia, who penned three novels before the age of 12 years 295 days. 

Laiba published a three-book series called “Order of the Galaxy”, a fantasy story related to children’s fiction. The first book in this series titled “The War for The Stolen Boy” was published by Amazon and later by Lulu Online. The second book “The Snowflake of Life” was published by the Rome-based Tawasul International, while India-based Lipi Publications brought out the last book in the series, “The Book of Legends”. The second edition of her first and second books was also published by Lipi Publications.

A sixth grade student at the Olive International School, Doha, Laiba has been showing interest in reading and writing since the very young age. She started to write small stories and phrases on pieces of papers and used glue on walls of her house. 

An ardent reader of fiction, science, religion, and biographies of prominent personalities, Laiba’s favourite authors include Enid Blyton, J K Rowling, Ann Frank, and Roald Dahl. Laiba inherited her passion for reading from her grandfathers, KM Abdur Raheem and Mohammed Parakkadavu, who were cultural and social activists in GCC. Support from her father Abdul Basit and mother Thasneem Mohammed has encouraged Laiba’s literary skills.

source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com / The Peninsula Qatar /Home> General / July16th, 2022