Before Pakistan announced its coronavirus lockdown, the Masjid-e-Muhammad madrasa run by instructor Muhammad Suleman in Islamabad taught 150 students the holy Quran. Less than a quarter have returned since the lockdown lifted, with concerns over the spread of the virus prompting some religious authorities to delay reopening their schools.
But others have prioritised coming back to class even as cases rise. Sitting barefoot on the floor of the seminary’s mosque, wearing a white skullcap with a flowing beard, Mr Suleman recites the Quran, his body swaying back and forth. Every two minutes he instructs the students in attendance to read louder.
"The number of students in this seminary of the mosque, named Masjid-e-Muhammad, is now reduced to 35 from 150 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We had students who attended this seminary from many cities all over Pakistan – most of them have not come back since we restarted the classes," Mr Suleman told The National.
The seminary reopened on June 3, after the end of a national coronavirus lockdown that began on March 10, with social distancing measures in place and students required to wear masks. However, Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, the country’s most powerful religious education board, said it has not formally resumed on-campus curriculum activities across around 3,000 madrasas under its umbrella.
"We have decided not to reopen madrasas across Pakistan due to the massive spread of the coronavirus. Those seminaries which have resumed studies might be following social distancing. However we don't want any confrontation with the state for reopening seminaries," Wafaq's spokesperson Maulana Abdul Quddus, told The National.
A decision will be taken at a later date, he said.
Pakistan has witnessed a huge spike in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. As of Tuesday, the South Asian country had recorded more than 148,000 Covid-19 cases and 2,800 related deaths.
There are concerns over the spread of the virus in the country's madrasas and rumours that cases have been covered up. But the clerics are powerful people in Pakistan and the government is reluctant to shut the madrasas down.
"Gatherings are hotspots of spreading the coronavirus and the government has not ordered the reopening of education institutions and seminaries," Amir Rana, head of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies told The National.
“The government should take strict action against the seminaries operating amid this pandemic and the writ of the state should be followed,” he said.
Seminary staff in institutions that have reopened say safety precautions are in place and distancing guidelines are being followed.
"The virus can spread anywhere… Our students are following the standard operating procedures. We are asking heart patients and elderly people to go back and pray at home," Muhammad Ibrahim, the head of Masjid-e-Muhammad madrasa told The National.
Officials are reluctant to comment on the seminaries, which are a sensitive issue in Pakistan's conservative society. For millions of children from poor households, they are the only way of accessing education, with about 3.5 million students enrolled in more than 30,000 seminaries across the country.
Most are boarding schools where children aged seven to 18 from poor families receive free learning, meals and accommodation. Many are run through donations and some are housed in a single room, making it difficult to implement social-distancing guidelines.
“Young children being educated in madrasas often break social-distancing rules and can spread the virus in a boarding school environment,” said Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Secretary General Pakistan Medical Association. “We have no idea how many children in the seminaries are infected as it's a very sensitive issue to touch.”
In April, Pakistani authorities sealed the Bab-ul-Islam seminary in Islamabad when its cleric Qasim Ali Shah and seven of his family members tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Shah, who has since recovered, was reportedly infected when he participated in the burial of his father.
But other influential voices feel that religious education should not be put on hold. "This is a sensitive topic in Pakistan and lockdown is not the option; it destroys the lives of many people," Maulana Abdul Aziz, a cleric and the former head of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, said in an interview with The National.
“Despite the closure of many things, cases are still coming rapidly and ethics with Islamic education should be taught to the society. Government strategy has failed to deal with the situation,” he added.
Huzaifa Amin, a 16-year-old student at the Masjid-e-Muhammad mosque seminary, told The National he hadn't noticed any of his classmates showing signs of infection. "I have been admitted in this seminary for three years and completed memorising the Quran and repeating it and have not seen any student with the symptoms of coronavirus."
But health officials have warned that a failure to follow social-distancing guidelines risks contributing to a surge in cases that could overburden the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
Pakistan is an interactive society, where millions attend community prayers at mosques each week followed by handshakes and hugs as friends and family embrace loved ones in the congregation.
Despite pleas from the state asking people to stay at home, the streets in the world’s fifth most-populous country are still teeming with people.
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Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Results
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The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
