Page 14 - Religion Belief
Harsimrat seeks PM's intervention in Guru Nanak Palace demolition
Member of Parliament and outgoing Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to protest the demolition of centuries-old Guru Nanak Palace in Pakistan's Punjab province.
China deploys Confucius in bid to boost religion controls
China is running five-day Confucian culture immersion courses for religious leaders in the sage's hometown as part of a campaign to extend government control over faith communities through a process of sinicisation. The ruling Communist Party's United Work Front Department said in a news release issued Monday that the activity was designed to ensure the primacy of traditional Chinese values above all. President Xi Jinping has been cracking down on religious practices, especially those seen as foreign such as Christianity and Islam, while elevating home-grown Confucianism, whose values have underpinned Chinese culture for centuries. While for decades the officially atheistic Communist Party attacked Confucius as a symbol of feudalism, he has been thoroughly rehabilitated in recent years as a means of rallying patriotism and countering foreign influences.
93 Pakistani Hindu visit Jagannath Temple; felicitated in Bhubaneswar
A Hindu representative team from Pakistan, comprising of 93 people, on Monday visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri.The team was also felicitated in Bhubaneswar by Omkarnath Mission, which organised their visit in association with Odisha International Center."This is our message of peace to the world," said Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj, founder of Omkarnath Mission.Before visiting Jagannath Temple, the team went to Haridwar."There are people from Islamabad, Karachi, and Balochistan among other places in Pakistan, who have come here to attend this event. The main aim behind coming here was to visit various religious places here. We hope that the governments on both the sides maintain peace so that people from both the sides can travel from one side to another," said Prabhu Sai Atma Ram, a member of the team.Another one added, "We have got one month visa to visit various religious places here. Before this, we went to Haridwar and Rishikesh. From here, we will now visit Mathura and ...
PIL in HC to regulate education imparted in madrasas, gurukuls
A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking directions to the Centre to regulate the education being imparted in the madrasas and gurukuls in the country. The petition came up before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi, which listed it for hearing on May 29 as the senior lawyers for the petitioner, a Kolkata-based businessman, were not available. The plea moved by Sunil Saraogi said there were around 3,000 madrasas in the national capital alone and about 3.6 lakh students studied there. The petitioner claimed that the syllabus followed by these institutions "are still stuck in the 18th century with the Holy Quran, Urdu and Persian being the only subjects". "This severely impacts the job prospects of the students studying at these madrasas," the petition, filed through advocate Vidhan Vyas, said. It sought direction to the authorities to "bring all the madrasas, maktabahs and gurukuls within a regulated and recognised legal framework by ...
German court orders fines for 'sharia police' group
A German court on Monday ordered seven Islamic fundamentalists to pay fines over a so-called "sharia police" patrol they launched in 2014 to mass media and political outrage. The men aged between 27 and 37 must pay between 300 and 1,800 euros for infringing laws against wearing uniforms, the Wuppertal tribunal found. Germany's laws against wearing uniforms originally aimed to prevent neo-Nazis staging rallies and parades. Judges said the group's actions were aimed at achieving an "intimidating effect suggestive of militancy" by aping the sharia police that exist in some Middle Eastern countries as violent organisations. In September 2014, the seven patrolled the streets of Wuppertal, a west German industrial town with a sizeable Muslim population, wearing orange high-visibility vests marked "Sharia Police". When they encountered young Muslims, they told them not to drink alcohol or visit cafes, betting shops or brothels. Monday's verdict comes at the end of a second trial for the ...
KCR performs 'pooja' at famous Lord Balaji temple
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with his family members on Monday visited Lord Balaji temple here.The Chief Minister was welcomed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) officials. After 'darshan,' the Vedic scholars blessed KCR with Vedic chanting. They also gifted Chief Minister Rao with sacred clothing.This is KCR's maiden visit after becoming the Chief Minister of Telangana for the second time. He previously visited Tirumala in 2017.Rao led his party to a massive victory in the 2018 assembly elections and was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Telangana for a second straight term.Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi also visited Tirumala to offer his prayers.After performing 'darshan,' Rao while speaking to media persons on the electoral process, said: "The election process was completed peacefully and without any discrepancies.""Women and physically challenged came forward to franchise their vote in bigger numbers," he said.
Muslims seek voice in changing Uzbekistan
Uzbek student Luiza Muminjonova wanted to work in the country's booming Islamic tourism sphere but last year she was expelled from a university in the capital Tashkent. The 19-year-old's only fault was being a pious Muslim and wearing the hijab, a staple of female Islamic dress. "How dare they discriminate me and stop me from getting the education I want because of my religion?" she fumed in an interview with AFP. Instead of giving up, the student took a stand that has placed her at the centre of Uzbekistan's religious freedom debate. Her family has sued the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, taking its legal battle all the way to the country's top court. Muminjonova's case points to the Uzbeks' increasing readiness to openly practise their faith as believers become emboldened by political change under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The formerly communist country's repression of the religion persisted long after it gained independence from Moscow in 1991. The first president .
German Jews told not to wear skullcaps 'everywhere'; Israel's President expresses shock
Felix Klein, the German government's anti-Semitism commissioner, asked the Jews to avoid wearing their traditional skullcaps or 'kippah caps' at all times and everywhere in the country.In an interview with a German newspaper, Klein on Saturday said "my opinion has unfortunately changed compared with what it used to be" on the matter."I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany," he added. However, Klein didn't elaborate on what places and times might be risky, The Times of Israel reported.Meanwhile, President Reuven Rivlin of Israel on Sunday said he was "shocked" over Klein's remarks which stressed that wearing a skullcap may not be safe for Jews in parts of the country, urging the government in Berlin not to accept this situation.Klein's statement "shocked me deeply," Rivlin said in a statement quoted by The Times of Israel."Responsibility for the welfare, the freedom and the right to the religious belief of every member of the German ...
4 killed in Burkina Faso church attack
At least four people lost their lives after a group of heavily armed individuals attacked a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday morning."The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers," Al Jazeera quoted the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, as saying in a statement."The attack left four of the faithful dead," the bishop added.The attack, which took place in the town of Toulfe located 240 kilometres northwest of Ouagadougou, marked the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region."The attack caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush," a local resident told Al Jazeera.Last week, gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass.However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks that threatened the existence of peaceful relations between majority Muslims and ...
Iran state TV fires managers over 'insult' to Sunnis
Iranian state TV has fired two channel managers over a live programme deemed insulting to Sunni Muslims, it said in a statement Sunday. The sackings at Channel 5 came after a broadcast on May 20 celebrating the birthday of the second imam in Shiite Islam, Hassan ibn Ali. During the programme, religious chanter and story-teller Ahmad Qadami recited a eulogy that "insulted the sanctities of Sunni Muslims", according to official news agency IRNA. "Following the negligence of airing an irreverent chanter's speech on Channel 5, the channel's head and broadcast manager were fired," state TV's website quoted head manager Abdolali Aliaskari as saying. The channel's senior producer, programme manager and video supervisor were also fired, TV deputy head Morteza Mirbagheri told semi-official news agency ISNA. According to IRNA, the chanter was summoned by Iran's culture and media court on Sunday and further investigations into his case are pending. Iran is a Shiite powerhouse, but under the ...
Three dead in new attack on Burkina Faso church: security source
Three people were killed in a new attack Sunday on a Catholic church in conflict-wracked northern Burkina Faso, a security source said. "Heavily armed individuals attacked the church in the village as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass" in the town of Toulfe, the source said, adding that three people were killed.
Rebel Cong leader Ramesh Jarkhiholi visits Krishna, sparks
Amid perceived threat to the coalition government in Karnataka after its rout in the Lok Sabha polls, rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi Sunday visited senior BJP leader S M Krishna's home here in the presence of party state Chief B S Yeddyurappa. Though the leaders termed the timing as "coincidence", Jarkiholi, in response to a question on whether he would quit Congress, said he would have to discuss it with his "team". Jarkiholi has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time and had threatened to resign from the party along with some MLAs after the Lok Sabha polls, which would lead to a numbers game in the assembly. Speaking to reporters, Jarkiholi called Krishna his "leader" and said he paid a visit to inquire about his health and was not aware that Yeddyurappa was also visiting him. In response to a question about his resignation, Jarkiholi said "will give (resignation)...will not give it through media, will (discuss with) well wishers and give... I won't say ...
Israel president says Jews unsafe in Germany after kippah warning
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Sunday that Germany's warning to Jews on the dangers of wearing the traditional kippah cap were a "capitulation to anti-Semitism" and evidence Jews were unsafe there. Germany's government commissioner on anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, said in an interview published Saturday he "cannot advise Jews to wear the kippah everywhere all the time in Germany," due to increasing anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish attacks there. Rivlin said Klein's remarks "shocked" him, and while appreciating the German government's "commitment to the Jewish community," accused it of bowing to those targeting Jews in Germany. "Fears about the security of German Jews are a capitulation to anti-Semitism and an admittance that, again, Jews are not safe on German soil," he said. "We will never submit, will never lower our gaze and will never react to anti-Semitism with defeatism -- and expect and demand our allies act in the same way," he said. Anti-Semitic crimes rose by 20 per cent in
After massive win in Mandya, Sumalatha Ambareesh meets SM Krishna
Sumalatha Ambareesh, the first independent candidate to successfully win the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, met senior BJP leader SM Krishna here in Bengaluru on Sunday.She was accompanied by former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa and party leader R Ashoka.Sumalatha Ambareesh, the veteran actor and wife of late former Congress lawmaker MH Ambareesh, created history by winning against Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy with a margin of over 1 lakh votes."Just wait and see," said Yeddyurappa on being asked about the political development in the state.Meanwhile, Ambareesh said: "I am here to thank everyone. SM Krishna is a senior most respected leader and he hails from Mandya. I had taken his blessings earlier and now I want to thank him."After the meeting, Yeddyurappa said that they met Krishna to congratulate him for covering around 27 parliamentary constituencies in the concluded Lok Sabha elections."SM Krishna ji has covered about
Wickremesinghe vows to stop Islamic State terrorism raising its head again in Lanka
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has vowed to take security measures to prevent Islamic State (IS) terrorism raising its head again in the country as he appealed people not to support extremism or religious fanaticism. The premier after meeting with a group of representatives of civil societies and trade union collective at Temple Trees on Saturday said the security forces and police have been able to apprehend everyone involved in the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people, the Colombo Page reported. "But this doesn't mean that this is the end of this type of terrorism. We now have to take certain measures of counterterrorism to ensure that the country will not face terrorism again," he cautioned. He said the government is discussing the counterterrorism measures that are being taken, with the country still on edge after the attacks on three hotels and three churches that were blamed on a local jihadi group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ). The Islamic ...
Bible writing ceremony marks missionary Ziegenbalg's 300th
A ceremony to write the Holy Bible was observed Sunday at nearby Tarangambadi, an erstwhile Danish colony, in connection with the 300th death anniversary of BartholomeusZiegenbalg, the first Protestant missionary to India. A total of 1,464 people, including a large number of school students, participated in the event and wrote verses from the Bible, church officials said. Ziegenbalg, who arrived in Tarangambadi in 1706,passed away in 1719, aged 34. The German-born Danish missionary had set up the first ever printing press in India at Tarangambadi and published studies on Tamil language and Indian religion and culture. While Ziegenbalg published the Bible in print format first in India, Sunday's event marked the reverse of it - writing the Bible as a manuscript, said Veerasamydas, organiser of the event. His translation of New Testament into Tamil and the New Jerusalem church, Asia's first Protestant church he and his associates built in 1718 in Tarangambadi are still in .
Telangana CM to visit Lord Venkateswara's temple in Tirumala
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would offer prayers at the shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday. He would be accompanied by his family members, an official release said here Saturday. Recently, he visited the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala and the temples in Rameswaram, Srirangam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu. During his visit, he called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK president M K Stalin, and discussed with him the political situation.
Imam killed, 16 wounded in Kabul mosque blast: officials
A prominent Afghan religious scholar was killed and another 16 people wounded in a blast during Friday prayers at a Kabul mosque, officials said. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, which took place at the Al-Taqwa mosque in eastern Kabul, where Mawlawi Raihan had been the imam, or prayer leader. Friday prayers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, are usually well attended. "Unfortunately in the blast, Mawlawi Raihan has been martyred and 16 other worshippers were wounded," said Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for the interior ministry. The explosion took place around 1:20 pm (0850 GMT). Police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz confirmed to AFP that Raihan was killed and said investigators were probing the nature of the explosion. Local television channel Tolo said the explosion was caused by a bomb. Raihan was relatively well known in Kabul, as he appeared frequently on religious shows broadcast on local TV. While Kabul has seen frequent attacks on Shiite shrines and ..
Muslims and election: They also serve who only stand and wait (Comment)
Indias 187 million Muslims deserve a round of applause for the diligent docility with which they have allowed themselves to be the "other" against which the divisions within Hindu society have been composed into an ever increasing expanse of saffron. In geological time there will also be harmony in this expanse.
Hegde wins Uttara Kannada seat with comfortable margin
BJP leader Ananth Kumar Hegde, known for making controversial remarks, won the Uttara (North) Kannada seat in Karnataka, defeating his nearest rival Anand Asnotikar of the Janata Dal (Secular) by a margin of 4.79 lakh votes, according to Lok Sabha election results declared Thursday. Hegde held the portfolio of junior minister in the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry during Narendra Modi's first term as prime minister. Twenty eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka had gone to polls in two phases. Hegde stoked a controversy recently by calling Congress president Rahul Gandhi a "moron" for his tweet that 'Modilies' is a new word in the English dictionary. Amid reports of his controversial remarks on Twitter about Nathuram Godse, Hegde claimed his account was "hacked". He, however, said there was no question of justifying Mahatma Gandhi's killing. Before that, Hegde had called Gandhi a "hybrid breed", wondering how can the son of a 'Muslim' father and a Christian mother
