2nd scaled-down hajj of covid era witnesses highest levels of health precautions

News Network
July 18, 2021

Makkah, July 18: Hajj pilgrims streamed out of the holy city of Makkah Sunday, launching the rituals of the great pilgrimage which Saudi Arabia is holding in a scaled-down form for a second year to ward off coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia is allowing only 60,000 fully vaccinated citizens and residents of the kingdom to take part, far from the vast crowds that descend on Mecca in normal times, when the ritual draws some 2.5 million pilgrims.

Since Saturday, groups of pilgrims have been performing the "tawaf" at Makkah's Grand Mosque, circling the Kaaba, a large cubic structure draped in golden-embroidered black cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.

After that, pilgrims have been making their way to the Valley of Mina, where they will spend the night.

"46,000 pilgrims have arrived in Mina," Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdelfattah bin Suleiman Mashat told AFP on Sunday morning.

"The number of women participating in the Hajj this year exceeds 40 percent," he added.

Mina sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains, and is transformed each year into a vast encampment for pilgrims.

"Public health teams are monitoring the health status of pilgrims around the clock upon their arrival in Mecca," said Sari Asiri, director of the hajj and umrah department at the health ministry.

Anyone found to be infected would be taken to isolation facilities, he added.

In the high point of the hajj, worshippers will on Monday climb Mount Arafat.

Also known as the "Mount of Mercy", it is the site where it is believed that the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon.

Worshippers will undertake hours of prayers and Quranic recitals.

After descending the following day, they will gather pebbles and perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

The hajj, usually one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.

This year's pilgrimage is larger than the pared-down version staged in 2020 but drastically smaller than in normal times, creating resentment among Muslims abroad who are barred once again.

Participants were chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, with the event confined to fully vaccinated adults aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, according to the hajj ministry. 

"I thank God that we received approval to come, even though we did not expect it because of the small number of pilgrims," said Abdulaziz bin Mahmoud, an 18-year-old Saudi.

Saddaf Ghafour, a 40-year-old Pakistani woman travelling with her friend, was among the increasing number of women making the pilgrimage without a male "guardian", which was a requirement until recently.

"It is a privilege to perform hajj among a very limited number of pilgrims," she said.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 507,000 coronavirus infections, including over 8,000 deaths. Some 20 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country of over 34 million people.

The hajj, which typically packs large crowds into congested religious sites, is potentially a super-spreader event for the virus. 

But the hajj ministry has said it is working on the "highest levels of health precautions" in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

Pilgrims are being divided into groups of just 20 "to restrict any exposure to only those 20, limiting the spread of infection", ministry undersecretary Mohammad al-Bijawi said.

Aside from strict social distancing measures, authorities have introduced a "smart hajj card" to allow contact-free access to camps, hotels and the buses to ferry pilgrims around religious sites.

The hajj went ahead last year on the smallest scale in modern history.

Authorities initially said only 1,000 pilgrims would be allowed, although local media said up to 10,000 eventually took part.

No infections were reported as authorities set up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics and ambulances to cater for the pilgrims, who were taken to the religious sites in small batches.

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News Network
June 27,2025

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Dubai, June 27: HDFC Bank, India’s largest private lender, is under scrutiny in the UAE over allegations it sold high-risk Credit Suisse AT1 bonds to retail investors in violation of regulatory norms.

The bonds — complex instruments meant only for experienced or high-net-worth clients — were wiped out in March 2023 during Credit Suisse’s emergency merger with UBS. Several investors claim HDFC Bank relationship managers misrepresented these as safe, forged financial documents to meet eligibility criteria, and failed to disclose crucial risks.

Dubai resident Varun Mahajan says he lost $300,000 in savings and alleges the bank inflated his net worth to bypass DFSA rules. Another investor, NS from the Philippines, claimed he was sold AT1 bonds using a leverage loan he never applied for. Others, including Indian national Pankaj Sinha and South Africa-based AT, described similar misrepresentation, unauthorized document changes, and manipulation of KYC data.

Legal complaints have been filed in India, the UAE, Bahrain, and DIFC. Investors accuse the bank of misleading them and exposing them to losses running into millions of dollars.

In response, HDFC Bank denied any wrongdoing, stating it follows strict processes and takes action against malpractice. The DFSA has declined to comment due to legal confidentiality.

Internal sources say several HDFC executives have recently resigned, and the Dubai offshore head has been replaced, raising questions about accountability.

Experts say the case exposes regulatory gaps across jurisdictions and may prompt closer scrutiny of how banks operate across borders.

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News Network
June 30,2025

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An Indian-origin woman living near Toronto, Canada, has sparked a widespread online conversation after sharing her experiences with subtle racism. Posting on Reddit, she recounted several incidents—such as having her ID double-checked at events, being met with skepticism at nail salons, and receiving cold stares at upscale restaurants—that made her feel out of place in her own community.

But it was a recent visit to a spa that pushed her to speak out. “The most recent thing was what made me write this post,” she began. “I was at a spa, and this white lady asked where I was from. I said India. Then she said, ‘Did you learn English after coming here? Your English is exactly like mine.’ I told her I’ve spoken English all my life, and she just stared at me until her pedicure was done and left. I didn’t even know how to react. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was so ignorant.”

She described the encounter as emotionally draining, adding, “Stuff like this happens too often, and it’s exhausting.”

The woman also touched on other common microaggressions: “And then there’s the classic... ‘You’re not like the other Indians’ just because I’m fair-skinned. How is that even a compliment?”

Her post resonated widely and drew mixed responses. Some users sympathized, sharing similar experiences. Others suggested the behavior stemmed more from ignorance than racism.

One commenter wrote, “The average American knows nothing about India except for what’s on TV, which is often stereotypical. Hence the amazement at our English prowess.”

Another offered a practical response: “If you want to push them into a corner, just ask them very politely, ‘I don’t understand, could you please elaborate?’ Then let them dig their own hole.”

Others emphasized discernment, noting the difference between racism and lack of cultural exposure. “Most people are just ignorant because of where and how they were raised. Educating them, when possible, is the best way—they’ll often appreciate it.”

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News Network
July 8,2025

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Mangaluru, July 8: In a deeply alarming incident that has once again drawn attention to the rising number of heart attacks among young people, an 18-year-old engineering diploma student collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack near Surathkal on the outskirts of the city on Monday, July 7.

The deceased, Aftab, son of Asgar Ali, was a resident of Krishnapura Hillside and a student pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering at a local institute. The incident occurred around 12 noon while Aftab was walking home to take a bath. He suddenly collapsed near his house and could not be revived. Initial reports indicate the cause as a heart attack.

Aftab was the only son in a family of four children. His mother had passed away during the Covid pandemic, and he had been living with his father since then. His three sisters are married. On the day of the incident, his father, Asgar Ali, an auto-rickshaw driver, had been home with him until 1 pm, shortly before leaving for work. The tragedy struck soon after.

The sudden death of an apparently healthy teenager has shocked the community and reignited growing concerns about the increasing incidence of heart attacks among youth in India. Once considered a condition of the middle-aged and elderly, cardiac arrest is now increasingly being reported in individuals in their teens and twenties, often without any prior symptoms.

Health experts have been raising red flags over the past few years, linking early heart complications in youth to factors such as sedentary lifestyle, dietary habits, chronic stress, undiagnosed conditions, and post-Covid aftereffects.

Aftab's untimely passing is a tragic reminder of how vital it is to monitor cardiac health regardless of age, and raises urgent questions about awareness, early screening, and preventive measures in young populations.

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