ISLAMABAD: An imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque Dr. Sheikh Abdullah Awad Al Juhany said on Friday that young Muslims were capable of transforming societies and warned them against being exploited in the name of religion.
Juhany arrived in Pakistan on Thursday and will address the Fourth International Message of Islam Conference, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Sunday.
On Friday, he addressed a seminar entitled “Youth and Contemporary Challenges” at the International Islamic University’s Faisal Mosque campus after Friday prayers, which he will lead.
“You should not fall into the trap of the people who try to deceive you in the name of religion,” the imam said, adding that young Muslims must stay strong and united in the face of modern challenges.
A frequent visitor to Pakistan, the imam urged the youth to seek guidance from clerics on religious matters instead of blindly following people with little understanding of major issues in Islam.
Earlier in the day, Juhany delivered the Friday sermon and led prayers at Islamabad’s iconic Faisal Mosque. Thousands of people from all walks of life, including women and children, attended the congregation where special prayers were offered for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan and the Muslim world.
Speaking at the youth seminar, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy said young people were the backbone of any culture and religion and must be provided with modern education and skills.
Lauding the vision of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with regards to young people, Malkiy said that a $100 million modern center was being set up in the Kingdom to educate and train the youth along modern lines.
“Ulema should play their role in putting the youth on the right path,” Malkiy said.
Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said it was the duty of religious clerics to create awareness among the youth about the true teachings of Islam: “The youth must be armed with modern education and skills – just like they were in the age of the prophet [Muhammad].”
In his welcome address, the rector of the International Islamic University Islamabad, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, said that Pakistan was home to 56 million young people whose true potential could be unleashed if they were equipped with education in science and technology.
Imam of grand mosque urges youth to stay strong in face of modern challenges
Imam of grand mosque urges youth to stay strong in face of modern challenges
- Juhany was addressing a seminar at the International Islamic University’s Faisal Mosque campus after Friday prayers
- Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan says Muslim youth must be provided with modern education and skills
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Australia as gunmen kill at least 12 in Bondi Beach shooting
- Gunmen targeted people gathered at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach to celebrate Jewish Hannukah festival
- Pakistan, itself a victim of “terrorism,” condemns violence against innocent civilians, says President Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed solidarity with Australia on Sunday as gunmen killed at least 12 people and wounded a dozen others in the Bondi Beach shooting that targeted the Jewish community in the country.
New South Wales (NSW) police said two people had been taken into custody, and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed. Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, an NSW ambulance spokesperson said.
The attackers targeted a large group gathered at the northern end of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, near or at Bondi Park playground, as per news reports, when the attack happened. Gunmen attacked people who were there to celebrate an event related to the Jewish festival of Hannukah.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed sorrow over the tragic shooting in Sydney, conveyed condolences to the victims’ families & wished the injured a speedy recovery,” the president of Pakistan’s official account on X wrote.
“Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with & condemns violence against innocent civilians.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the Sydney attack, expressing condolences with victims of the incident.
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he wrote on X.
As per international media reports, one of the gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest. His country of origin remains unclear.
One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt who wrestled his weapon off him. A different man was seen firing a weapon from a pedestrian bridge.
Another video showed two men pressed onto the ground by uniformed police on a small pedestrian bridge. Officers could be seen trying to resuscitate one of the men. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The attack came almost exactly 11 years after a lone gunman took 18 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the gunman were killed after a 16-hour standoff.
