Prominent Muslim scholar Sayyed Mohammad Hassan Al Amin, widely known for his moderate positions and criticism of Hezbollah's hegemony on the Shiite scene in Lebanon, has died of Covid-19 complications. He was 75.
An author with several publications on Islamic law, secularism and women’s role in Islam, Sayyed Al Amin was a fervent supporter of religious dialogue and cultural rapprochement and a vocal critic of the Iran-backed armed Lebanese group Hezbollah.
In 2005, he played a prominent role in founding the Lebanese Shiite Gathering, which brought together independent Shiite scholars and personalities in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Though the Shiite Gathering failed to gain political momentum in the years that followed, Sayyed Al Amin continued to criticice Hezbollah's policies and later the party's involvement alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in quelling Syrian opposition groups.
In recent years, Sayyed Al Amin repeatedly called on Shiites of the Arab world to uphold their national identity and to distance themselves from regional political conflicts.
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, the son of the slain premier, described the death of Sayyed Al Amin as a great loss for the Lebanese people.
"With the departure of scholar Sayyed Mohammad Hassan Al Amin, we lost an enlightened mind who devoted his life to the unity of Muslims and the wellbeing of the Lebanese," Mr Hariri said on Twitter.
Sayyed Al Amin had been admitted to a hospital in the southern coastal city of Sidon where he was being treated over the past three weeks before succumbing to complications arising from Covid-19.
Covid-19 in Lebanon - in pictures
Born in 1946, the Shiite cleric left the country in the early 60s to study at Najaf’s School of Theology in Iraq, one of the most important seminaries for Shiite clerics, before returning to Lebanon in the 1970s.
Upon his return, he was appointed as a Jaafari judge in Tyre and later in Sidon where he presided over the Jaafari court until 1977.
Sayyed Ali Al Amin, a Lebanese Muslim scholar and former Tyre Jaafari mufti, also known for his moderate views and a member of the Muslim Council of Elders, described Sayyed Al Amin as a pioneer scholar in a Facebook eulogy of his cousin.
Mohammed Ali Mokalled, a moderate Shiite activist and writer, lamented the loss of such a unifying figure during the current times of crises.
"He was an example for courage in the face of tyranny practised by the militias and forces who in reality control the region [south Lebanon]. He was also a personality that attracted all the enlightened clerics who called for a civil and secular state," Mr Mokalled told The National.
Imam Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, head of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, also extended his condolences.
“Scholar Al Amin was a man of knowledge and thought and a proponent of dialogue and openness … who was committed to addressing the issues and concerns of the nation, particularly the Palestinian cause,” Sheikh Qabalan said.
Sidon MP Osama Saad praised the scholar’s journey, describing him as a moderate intellectual who was committed to the Palestinian cause.
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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