NEW DELHI: A panel of clerics from the Kanpur-based Madrasa Jamia Ashraf-ul-Madaris issued on Friday a fatwa over mobile phone etiquette. The panel has objected to the use of Aayats (verses from the Holy Quran) as ringtones. The religious scholars argue that people who use Aayats as ring tones and answer their cell phone midway through the Aayat commit a sinful act.The panel of clerics in Kanpur also said that taking a cell phone to the toilet as it rings is a sin because Aayat cannot be heard in a toilet. They also condemned the habit that people have of keeping cell phones on vibration mode while attending prayer services.A fatwa is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue.
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
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