Page 34 - Religion Belief
US Supreme Court stays execution of Buddhist inmate
The US Supreme Court has stayed the execution of a Buddhist inmate in Texas whose request that his spiritual adviser be present in the execution chamber was denied.
Pope seeks to build on Muslim outreach with Morocco trip
Pope Francis is forging ahead with promoting moderate Islam during a weekend trip to Morocco, seeking to build on warming ties with the Sunni world while also ministering to a tiny Catholic community and offering solidarity with migrants. For the 82-year-old pope, the 27-hour, whirlwind visit to Rabat, the Moroccan capital, will be a welcome reboot to a year that has otherwise been dominated by the global Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal and the downfall of three of his cardinals. The trip comes after Francis' February visit to the United Arab Emirates, where the pope and the imam of Cairo's Al Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, signed a landmark joint statement establishing the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace.
India seeks Pakistan's clarification on Kartarpur corridor
India on Friday expressed concern and sought clarification from Pakistan on reports that some controversial elements have been appointed by Pakistan to a committee to be associated with the Kartarpur corridor.
Quebec moves to ban religious symbols in public service
Canada's Quebec province on Thursday unveiled controversial draft legislation that would ban a significant section of public servants from wearing religious symbols such as a crucifix, yarmulke or hijab. The measure -- which applies to police, teachers and others in positions of authority -- is expected to become law by June with Premier Francois Legault's government holding a majority of seats in the Quebec legislature. But it was swiftly panned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said:"For me, it's unthinkable (that) a free society would legitimize discrimination against anyone based on religion." Montreal mayor Valerie Plante voiced "serious concern about the message that this bill sends to minorities about their fundamental rights." The important thing, she said, was that the process of making laws was secular, not that people divested themselves of religious attire and symbols. Teachers unions said they would not enforce the law, while pundits and the government's own lawyers, ..
AFC head Sheikh Salman to be re-elected unopposed
Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa was on Thursday assured of his re-election as head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after his only remaining challenger withdrew from the contest. Qatari Saoud al-Mohannadi pulled-out of the vote and backed the Bahraini, according to a statement from the Qatar Football Association. "The Qatari Football Association announces its support for Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa for a new term as head of the AFC," read the statement. A third candidate, Mohamed Khalfan al-Romaithi from the United Arab Emirates, had already dropped out of the running. The re-election will go ahead early next month and means Sheikh Salman, who in 2016 unsuccessfully stood against Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential elections, will now head the AFC for at least a decade. He was first elected in 2013, and he will serve a fresh four-year-term from next month. Notably the QFA statement said Sheikh Salman was in Qatar for talks with Mohannadi. Since 2017, ...
Mamata charges BJP with using Lord Ram's name to win polls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday accused the BJP of playing the religion card and using Lord Ram's name to win elections, though it failed to build the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said she never used religion to win polls but respects all irrespective of their faith or caste. "You (the BJP) use religion for elections. You contest elections using the name of (Lord) Ram but could not build one Ram Mandir in five years," she said while addressing a programme organised by the Marwari community here. "We do not use religion to win elections. We are with everybody - Ram or Rahim, Sikh or Christian," Banerjee said. Referring to the Income Tax notices sent to about 40 big-budget Durga Puja committees in the city, she said no community was obstructed in holding religions celebrations in West Bengal. The chief minister claimed that people from other states like UP or Bihar feel "safer" in West Bengal compared to their ...
'Misleading' tweet on indelible ink brought down following EC's intervention; police register FIR
Delhi Police have registered a case in connection with a tweet questioning ingredients of the indelible ink used to mark voters and having the potential of creating confusion in the minds of people following a complaint from the Election Commission. Earlier, Twitter had removed the tweet. On Tuesday, the commission wrote to Twitter saying its team has identified a "mischievous" and "misleading" "fake news" which should immediately be brought down. After the post was brought down by the social media platform, the poll panel asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district to investigate the case and lodge an FIR under IPC Section 505 which deals with creating "fear" and "alarm" among the people. In a letter to the police, the EC said the tweet "appears deliberately intended to cause mischief and mislead the voters, specially belonging to a particular community". An FIR was registered on Wednesday against unnamed persons under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, ...
UNHRC should look into the kidnapping of Hindu girls in Pakistan: VHP
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Thursday called for the attention of United Nations human rights body UNHRC on the alleged kidnapping of Hindu girls in Pakistan and forcible conversion into Islam, and said they should be handed back to their families. The three Hindu girls, who were kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam, should be released and handed over to their families immediately, VHP's secretary general Milind Parande said in a statement. Raising the issue of persistent civil rights violations of Hindus in Pakistan, the "VHP called for the attention of the neighbouring country's government, its judiciary and the world community including UNHRC, to stop them forthwith". Many NGO's and national and international rights groups have estimated that more than 1,000 Hindu girls and women are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam annually in Pakistan, the VHP claimed. Underlining that Hindus have been and are still being persecuted in Pakistan, the outfit said when Pakistan came .
Palimar mutt chief names successor
Swami Vidyadheesha Teertha of Palimar mutt, one of the 'Ashta (eight) mutts' of Udupi, has chosen Shailesh Upadhyaya, a student of Yogadeepika Gurukula at Palimar, as his successor and junior pontiff. Shailesh, 20, is the eldest son of Surendra Upadhyaya, a priest and Lakshmi Upadhyaya. His younger brother is studying for an Ayurveda course in Manipal. Disclosing the information to the media on Wednesday, Vidyadheesha Teertha said Shailesh was selected after getting the consent of his parents. He will be offered 'sanyasa deeksha' (initiation into the monastic order) in a ceremony to be held at Sri Krishna mutt from May 9 to 12. The Swami said he is set to perform the rituals of ordaining the disciple during his current tenure as the 'Paryaya' (title for the Swami in charge of worship and rituals at Udupi) seer. Vidyadheesha Teertha, 63, said a junior is being inducted into the mutts tradition as a disciple is needed to run the mutts administration. Shailesh studied up to
BJP Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Babu jailed for 14 days in Sabarimala violence case
He had appeared and sought bail before the Ranni Judicial Magistrate Court earlier during the day.The Sabarimala temple and surrounding areas witnessed a string of protests since October last year over the Supreme Court's decision to quash restrictions on the entry of women between 10 and 50 years.Nearly four months after the apex court permitted women of all ages to enter the temple on September 28 last year, two women aged below 50 years entered the Lord Ayyappa temple to offer prayers.Violent protests broke out all across the state, while a purification process took place in the temple following the entry of these two women -- Bindu Ammini and Kanaka Durga..
Indian-american professor to feature in Morgan Freeman's 'The Story of God'
An Indian-American professor will share his views on religion on Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman's 'The Story of God'. The National Geographic documentary series, now in its third season, explores how religions around the world have shaped society. Pankaj Jain an associate professor at the University of North Texas had travelled to Nepal last year where he joined Freeman to participate in rituals at a Jain temple in Kathmandu. Originally from Rajasthan, Jain is a professor with university's department of philosophy and religion. Their trip and discussion about Jainism will feature in the series' April 9 episode. Jain holds a PhD from the University of Iowa and an MA from Columbia University. He studied computer science in India and has worked as a software engineer in India and New Jersey. The professor is an active member of several academic and community organisations and has published poems in Hindi. Jain has been consulted widely by the media around the world for his expertise .
"Autobiography of a Yogi," Tamil audiobook release on Mar 30
A Tamil audiobook of noted spiritual master Paramahansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi," will be released here on March 30. Eminent Tamil scholar and noted spiritual orator, Sarada Nambi Arooran will release the audiobook, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) said here Wednesday. The book 'Autobiography of a Yogi' is on the life of Paramahamsa Yogananda and it was first published in 1946. Since then, the work has been in continuous publication and translated into 14 Indian languages, apart from a host of others. The book, regarded as a spiritual classic, throws light on Yogananda's spiritual encounters, beginning with his life as a child in Gorakhpur, his quest for spiritualism and his experiences in India, as well as in America. YSS was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917 to spread Kriya Yoga.
Pope to visit Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius
Pope Francis is to visit flood-ravaged Mozambique and Indian Ocean nations Madagascar and Mauritius in September, the Vatican announced on Wednesday. He will travel to their capitals Maputo, Antananarivo and Port Louis during the September 4-10 visit, a statement said, with the precise programme to be decided later. Mozambique is reeling from a cyclone and floods that this month killed nearly 500 people and sparked cases of cholera. Senior Mozambican priest Giorgio Ferreti said in February Francis would this year make the first visit by a pope to the southern African nation since 1988. President Filipe Nyusi invited the pontiff to visit Mozambique during a trip to the Vatican last September, announcing the possible trip to reporters in a breach of Vatican protocol. The pope reportedly joked: "If I'm still alive." Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, has around four million Catholics. Pope Francis kicked off the year with a historic public mass for an estimated 170,000 Catholics at .
Congress aims to end 3-decade drought in Attingal
Will it be eighth time lucky for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala's Attingal Lok Sabha constituency that it last won 30 years ago in 1989? The party is certainly hoping so, having fielded two-time former Minister and incumbent legislator Adoor Prakash, whom it considers one of its best candidates.
Dawoodi Bohra community chief felicitates 6-year-old boy for memorising Quran
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, has felicitated a six-year-old boy for "memorising" the Quran at an event here. On the death anniversary of his grandfather Taher Saifuddin, the Syedna felicitated 920 community members at the event in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, according to a community spokesperson. Of the 920 people who memorised the Quran, 445 were men and the rest women, with the youngest being six-year-old and the oldest 62. Rashida Khandwala, the mother of the youngest 'hafiz' (one who memorises the Quran) Burhanuddin, said the memorisation process started with her elder son, who is a 'hafiz' as well. "There was no target in mind but the idea was to keep it consistent...This experience really helped me when I decided to start the process for my younger son at the age of 3," she said. Malik Rasheed, who is the coordinator of the programme, said, "Through the robust e-learning platform and various personal and collective coaching ...
Mamata targets BJP for sidelining LK Advani, says old is gold
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of sidelining its senior leader Lal Krishna Advani and denying him Lok Saha ticket from Gandhinagar parliamentary seat in Gujarat."It is my personal feelings. I am feeling bad. Advani was the actual mentor for the BJP. They have forgotten the old days because of the new crop of leaders. But old is gold. It is an insult to him. But this is my personal feeling. They may not agree to it," the Chief Minister said."He is a respected leader in the party and has been there from the beginning. As a citizen of this country, I have worked under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani," she said.Earlier, actor Shah Rukh Khan also met Chief Minister Banerjee at her office in Nabanna. Khan is the franchise owner of Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ensure justice to two Hindu girls: Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday asked Pakistan to ensure immediate release of the two Hindu girls who were allegedly kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam in Sindh province last week. "Justice demands that both these girls should be restored to their family immediately," she tweeted. Reena and Raveena, hailing from village Hafiz Salman near the town of Daharki in Sindh, were allegedly kidnapped and forced to convert from Hinduism to Islam on March 20, before being married to Muslim men. "Forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan: The age of the girls is not disputed. Raveena is only 13 and Reena is 15 years old," Swaraj said. "Even the Prime Minister on Naya Pakistan will not believe that girls of this tender age can voluntarily decide about their conversion to another religion and marriage," she said. A Pakistani high court on Tuesday ordered official protection for the two girls due to concern about their safety as authorities widened a probe to ascertain
Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference for secularism
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference (KCBC) declared Tuesday that it will not support any political party in the Lok Sabha elections but will be with those who "protect democracy and secularism".
Defence Minister visits Udupi Sri Krishna mutt
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday morning visited the Sri Krishna mutt in Udupi and offered prayers to the presiding deity of the temple. She was accompanied by BJP candidate for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat Shobha Karandlaje, Udupi MLA K Raghupati Bhat and other party leaders. Palimaru mutt chief Paryaya Swami Vidyadeesha Teertha, handed over the 'prasadam' to her. The minister requested the Swami to pray on her behalf to Lord Krishna for the welfare of the country and return of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. Sitharaman said she had a close bond with the Sri Krishna mutt and Sri Mookambika temple at Kollur for the last several years. The minister is scheduled to take part in a meeting of fishermen at Manipal and BJP workers' convention at the party office later in the day. She will also accompany Shobha Karandlaje during the filing of her nomination papers.
Gurudwara Dubai showcases Punjabi culture, heritage
The Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar Dubai organised the Punjabi Culture and Heritage Festival at the Indian High School here.