Aquila Style - Modern Muslim Living

Aquila Style represents modern Muslim living, pairing lifestyle with spirituality in a neat, cutting-edge magazine for women and men.

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Overcoming the Challenges of FWM (Flying While Muslim)

Fasting, finding suitable prayer space and clearing security checks are a few travel barriers faced by visible Muslims. Sya Taha shares her experiences.

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Iran’s rights record under fire at UN after Jabbari hanging

Iran faced harsh criticism of its rights record Friday, with UN diplomats highlighting soaring numbers of executions and lamenting the recent hanging of Reyhaneh Jabbari who murdered her attempted rapist.

But Iran hit back at the criticism, instead slamming countries trying to impose “specific lifestyles on others”.

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Sweden, after IKEA tit-for-tat, hopes Israel ties will recover

Sweden’s foreign minister said Friday she hoped ties with Israel would recover after Stockholm’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine led to an unusual exchange involving IKEA furniture.

Margot Wallstroem was speaking exclusively to AFP one day after Sweden became the first EU member in western Europe to grant official recognition to the Palestinian state, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador to Stockholm.

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The creatures-of-habit guide to a more fulfilling life

Is happiness a destination we can choose regardless of circumstance, or an unattainable goal on the path to self-development? Amal Awad ponders this fleeting feeling.

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6 sensational stories you may have missed this week

Islamic feminist Muna AbuSulayman: “I feel change in the air in Saudi Arabia” The kingdom’s very own feminist icon talks to Arwa Aburawa about life as a working mother and the many misconceptions surrounding the place she calls home. 

Watch: Hidden camera shows Canadians react against hatespeech after Ottawa shooting This video shows ordinary Canadians standing up against hateful attacks on Muslims. 

Heartbreaking letter from hanged Iranian Reyhaneh Jabbari In a heart-breaking letter to her mother, Reyhaneh Jabbari wrote a moving message before she was hanged last Saturday for killing a former intelligence officer she claimed had tried to sexually assault her.

China’s women-only mosques led by female imams An age-old institution in China serves as a testament to the message of Islam.

Sweden officially recognises Palestinian state Sweden on Thursday officially recognised the state of Palestine, becoming the first major European country to do so, in a move hailed as “historic” by Palestinians but denounced by Israel. 

Saudi women’s driving campaign a ‘success’: activists Activists pushing for women’s right-to-drive in Saudi Arabia declared their online campaign a success Sunday, in the world’s only country where women are not allowed to operate cars.

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How I learned that happiness is a dish best shared

Leon Tareq reflects on how he discovered his spirit of giving back to those less fortunate.

Only a life lived for others is worth living – Albert Einstein

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‘Empire of the dead’: Paris’ Catacombs still entice visitors

A place of fear, legend, inspiration and exploration, Paris’s skull and bone-lined Catacombs still draw thousands of visitors each year, many of whom queue for hours to explore the ghoulish burial site.

“Stop! This is the empire of the dead”, reads a sign greeting visitors at the entrance to the two-kilometre (1.2-mile) long tunnels filled with the bones of approximately six million Parisians — although that figure is still debated.

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Gourmets get taste for ‘raw’ chocolate

“Want to taste? Come on! It’s a bit like the sushi of chocolate,” calls out raw chocolate maker Frederic Marr, beckoning the curious to his stall at Paris’s annual chocolate extravaganza, the Salon du Chocolat.

Touted as a “super food” by some, raw chocolate is the latest trend in the world of chocolate.

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Mayor in China’s Xinjiang probed for graft

The Uighur mayor of a violence-racked city in China’s far-western Xinjiang region is being investigated for corruption, a government notice said, as central authorities broaden their highly publicised anti-graft probe.

Adil Nurmemet, the mayor of Hotan, is being probed for suspected “serious disciplinary violations”, according to a notice posted Thursday on the website of the regional discipline inspection commission, the Communist Party’s internal watchdog.

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60 years on, independence war defines modern Algeria

Sixty years on, the war of independence from France remains a defining moment for Algeria and its elite, like 79-year-old Zohra Drif, a senator who once set off a bomb that left three people dead.

On the night of November 1, 1954, known as “Toussaint Rouge” (Red All Saints Day) because it coincided with the Catholic festival, some 30 explosions rocked government targets in the colony which had been under French occupation for 132 years, leaving seven people dead.

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Photo Feature: Cute Kids of Islam

From Libya to Bahrain, Malaysia to South Africa, these are the cute kids of Islam from all around the world.

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Middle Eastern creativity takes center stage at Dubai Design fair

Middle Eastern design is under the spotlight this week at Downtown Design in Dubai.

The UAE’s platform for contemporary original design features an exhibition dedicated to trendsetting designers from five Middle Eastern and North African countries.

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Pepsi and Vogue Italia present up-and-coming designers in Dubai

Pepsi is continuing its expansion into the fashion world with a cool new collaboration with Vogue Italia, designed to help celebrate the famous magazine’s 50th anniversary.

Labelled ‘The Pulse of New Talent,’ the new Pepsi x Vogue Italia collection is designed to showcase 10 cutting-edge design talents: Masha Reva (Ukraine), Stella Jean (Italy), Suno (USA), Little Shilpa (India), Plore (China), Madiyah Al Sharqi (United Arab Emirates), Au Jour Le Jour (Italy), Miuniku (India), Lulwa Al Amin (Bahrain) and William Okpo (USA)

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Nike and Liberty unveil latest capsule collection

The British store, famed for its colorful floral prints, has teamed up for a 10th collaboration with Nike, due out in time for the holidays.

Nike has unveiled a new womenswear capsule featuring a ‘Belmont Ivy’ custom print (inspired by the plant clinging to buildings) created by taking an archival Liberty design and fusing it with a contemporary geometric pattern. The pieces come in two colorways: Belmont Ivy Black and Belmont Ivy Burgundy.

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US urges restraint after Al-Aqsa mosque reopened to Muslims

The United States urged all sides in Jerusalem to exercise restraint amid spiralling tensions in the holy city, and was working with Israelis, Palestinian and Jordanians to try to restore calm.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also condemned the shooting of hardline rabbi Yehuda Glick, who holds both Israeli and US citizenship.

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Maligned Singapore pitch set for Suzuki Cup – official

Singapore’s new National Stadium will host AFF Suzuki Cup matches next month, officials insisted Thursday, despite lingering concerns about the poor state of the pitch.

The surface at the 55,000-seat stadium — part of a $1 billion Sports Hub complex which opened its doors in June — has been widely criticised, with Brazil coach Dunga complaining recently that “most of it is sand”.

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Israel pledges to reopen Jerusalem flashpoint

Israel shut the Al-Aqsa mosque compound Thursday then promised to reopen it, after clashes in east Jerusalem where police killed a Palestinian accused of trying to murder a hardline rabbi.

The pledge also came after Arab and US calls for the Jewish state to reopen the Holy City flashpoint.