Islamic scholar Maulana Ghulam Vastanvi passes away at 75
Mumbai: Maulana Ghulam Vastanvi, a renowned Islamic scholar and educationist, passed away at the age of 75 in Akkalkuwa, Maharashtra, on Sunday after a prolonged illness. A native of Kosadi village in Gujarat’s Surat district, he had been undergoing dialysis and other treatments for years. His funeral, attended by over 50,000 people, was held Monday in Nandurbar district.
Vastanvi was the founder of Jamia Islamia Ishaatul Uloom, a pioneering institution offering Islamic as well as modern education, including engineering and medical courses, to over 15,000 students. He had also started an MBBS college in Jalna.
In 2011, he briefly served as Vice Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband but resigned amid controversy over remarks perceived as supportive of Narendra Modi. Known for his educational outreach, Vastanvi was widely respected in India and abroad, including in Saudi Arabia.
He is survived by two sons and six daughters. His son, Mufti Uzaifa Vastanvi, described his father’s life work as building “an empire to impart education to Muslim people.”
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India describes attack on Fujairah 'unacceptable'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Tuesday described the wounding of three Indians in an attack on the United Arab Emirates' port city of Fujairah as "unacceptable" and pressed for an immediate cessation of hostilities targeting innocent civilians.
New Delhi's reaction came a day after the Indians were injured after a drone attack caused a fire at a major oil industry zone in Fujairah. The UAE had accused Iran of carrying out the strike.
"The attack on Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is unacceptable," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians," the spokesperson said.
Jaiswal said India continued to stand for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation so that peace and stability could be restored across West Asia.
"We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues," he said.
The attack on Fujairah city came as the ceasefire between the US and Iran came under strain in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas pass, remains a major sticking point in the talks. Shipping through the narrow Gulf waterway has been severely disrupted by the conflict, triggering a sharp increase in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.
The UAE's defence ministry on Monday said its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran.
The ministry affirmed that it "remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country."
