PARIS: Rock star Sting on Saturday reopened the Bataclan, the Paris concert hall where militants massacred 90 people, with a hugely symbolic and emotional show to mark the first anniversary of France’s bloodiest terror attack.
But in a sensational turn of events, the concert hall’s co-director said he had prevented two members of the US group Eagles of Death Metal, who were on stage when the bloodshed started on Nov. 13, 2015, from entering.
“They came, I threw them out — there are things you can’t forgive,” Bataclan co-director Jules Frutos told AFP, furious at Eagles frontman Jesse Hughes for his claims that some of the venue’s Muslim security men were complicit in the attack.
“He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months. It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists... Enough. Zero. This has to stop,” Frutos added.
Sting reopens Paris Bataclan amid tears, cheers
Sting reopens Paris Bataclan amid tears, cheers
Makkah museum displays world’s largest Qur’an
MAKKAH: The Holy Qur’an Museum at the Hira Cultural District in Makkah is showcasing a monumental handwritten copy of the Holy Qur’an, recognized as the largest Qur’an of its kind in the world.
The manuscript measures 312 cm by 220 cm and comprises 700 pages, earning the museum recognition from Guinness World Records for displaying the world’s largest Qur’an, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The manuscript is a magnified reproduction of a historic Qur’an dating back to the 16th century, the SPA stated.
The original copy measures 45 cm by 30 cm, with the chapters written primarily in Thuluth script, while Surah Al-Fatiha was penned in Naskh, reflecting the refined artistic choices and calligraphic diversity of the era.
The Qur’an is a unique example of Arabic calligraphy, gilding and bookbinding, showcasing Islamic art through intricate decorations, sun-shaped motifs on the opening folio, and elaborately designed frontispiece and title pages that reflect a high level of artistic mastery.
The manuscript was endowed as a waqf in 1883. Its original version is currently preserved at the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries, serving as a lasting testament to Muslims’ enduring reverence for the Qur’an and the richness of Islamic arts across the centuries.
