Page 36 - Religion Belief
Dalai Lama condemns Christchurch shootings
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has written to the New Zealand Prime Minister to express sadness over the tragic deaths and injuries in shootings that took place in a place of worship in Christchurch, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said on Friday.
Mahathir: Muslims need new ways to reduce hatred
Malaysia's prime minister says Muslim countries need to look for new ways to reduce the atmosphere of hatred and anger toward Muslims that prompted the deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand. Mahathir Mohamad, a prominent Muslim statesman, says he discussed ways to improve the perception of Muslims around the world in talks Friday in Pakistan with Prime Minister Imran Khan. He says Muslims need to learn how to respond to the hatred directed at them, and warned that taking revenge and killing invites the same reaction. He didn't specify any alternatives, but his comments suggested more tolerance, patience and dialogue. Mahathir arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a three-day visit. Thousands of people have gathered for a mass funeral to bury 26 of the victims of the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. The funeral is taking place at a Muslim cemetery where more than a dozen of the 50 killed last week already have been laid to rest. Family members took turns passing around ...
OIC FMs meet over anti-Muslim violence
The Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states met here on Friday on how to respond to hate speeches and violence against Muslims.
New Zealand observes silence on completing a week of Christchurch shootings
New Zealand observed few moments of silence on Friday as it marked a week since the twin mosque shootings in Christchurch that claimed 50 lives on March 15.Around 20,000 people from across the nation participated in the weekly Friday prayers, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, outside Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, Al Jazeera reported.Al Noor is one of the two mosques that was targeted during the worst terror attack on New Zealand, allegedly carried out by 28-year-old Australian-born Brenton Tarrant, apart from the Linwood mosque.Ardern briefly quoted Prophet Muhammad while addressing the crowd prior to the prayers. She said, "When any part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain.New Zealand mourns with you, we are one."Among the attendees of Friday's prayer, many women opted to wear headscarves in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community.Religious leader at the Al Noor mosque, Imam Gamal Fouda, a witness of last week's terror attack, told worshipers that he "saw ..
New Zealand prays, falls silent, a week after mosque massacres
The Muslim call to prayer rang out across New Zealand on Friday followed by two minutes of nationwide silence to mark a week since a white supremacist gunned down 50 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. As the call was broadcast around the country, thousands -- including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and wounded survivors -- stood in a park opposite the mosque where the killing began, as the nation of 4.5 million came to a standstill. New Zealand is still in shock following the killings by alleged shooter Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian national who had hoped to foment an ethnic war with his attacks. But horrified Kiwis have responded with outpourings of love, with many embracing their Muslim neighbours on Friday in moving scenes across the country. A muezzin in white skullcap issued the call to regular Friday prayers at 1.30 pm (0030 GMT) with chants of "Allahu Akhbar" (God is greatest) as thousands listened in Christchurch's Hagley Park, across from the Al ...
Former Muslim detainee tells of China camp trauma
For Muslims in China's re-education camps, indoctrination starts with early morning patriotic songs and sessions of self-criticism, and often ends with a meal of only pork, according to one exiled former detainee. UN experts say China holds one million Muslims in camps in the heavily policed Xinjiang region where most of the country's ethnic Uyghur, the largest Muslim minority, live. Beijing has rejected the accusations and says it runs education training centres as part of its fight against Islamist extremism in the Muslim-majority region. The sites are a kind of "campus", according to China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng speaking last week. For Omir Bekali, an ethnic Kazakh who says he spent several weeks in a camp in Karamay in Xinjiang before fleeing to Turkey a year ago, it was more about trauma than education. The camps had only one objective, he said, to strip detainees of their religious belief. "Every morning, at 0700 to 0730, we had to sing the Chinese ...
New Zealand observes Muslim prayer after mosque attacks
In a day without precedent, people across New Zealand observed the Muslim call to prayer Friday as the nation reflected on the moment one week ago when 50 people were slaughtered at two mosques. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and thousands of others congregated in leafy Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch to observe the call to prayer. Thousands more were listening in on the radio or watching on television as the event was broadcast live. The prayer was followed by two minutes of silence. Fahim Imam, 33, of Auckland, flew in Friday morning from New Zealand's largest city for the service. He was born and grew up in Christchurch but moved away three years ago. "It's just amazing to see how the country and the community have come together blows my mind, actually," Imam said before the event. "As soon as I got off the plane, I saw a sign someone was holding that said 'jenaza,' denoting Muslim funeral prayer. Others were offering free rides to and from the prayer ...
Hema Malini to contest again from Mathura LS seat
Popular actor and Mathura MP Hema Malini, who has been busy since morning participating in Holi celebrations in Lord Krishna's land, was Thursday against fielded by her BJP from the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
UAE's Al-Romaithi withdraws from AFC presidency race
Emirati Mohammed Khalfan Al-Romaithi withdrew his candidacy for the Asian Football Confederation presidency on Thursday, paving the way for the reelection of Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa. The pair said in a statement that they would work together for the "independence and transparency of the AFC". Romaithi announced he would run on March 7, promising change to Asian football's governing body, with the former police chief of Abu Dhabi quoted as saying at the time: "Asia deserves better." His withdrawal leaves Sheikh Salman facing Qatar's Saud al-Mohannadi in the election, which is due to be held on April 6.
Plea for TN poll dates change: EC tells HC it is sole authority to decide schedule
The Election Commission is the sole authority to decide election dates and courts have no jurisdiction to interfere with it, the poll body submitted in the Madras High Court on Thursday. State Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo stated this in a counter affidavit filed before a bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad on petitions seeking rescheduling of April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu citing religious festivals and events. He said the Supreme Court in its various judgments had held that the framing of schedule or calendar for election was in the exclusive domain of the Election Commission (EC). The occurrence of a religious festival or season is common in the country and elections cannot be deferred solely on this ground, the counter said, seeking dismissal of the petitions. After hearing the arguments by the counsels for the EC and the petitioners, the bench reserved its order for Friday. The court had on Tuesday directed the EC to file the counter after ..
BJP first sent Advani to 'margdarshak mandal', has now snatched his constituency: Cong
The Congress Thursday took a swipe at the BJP for fielding Amit Shah from Gandhinagar in place of Lal Krishna Advani, alleging that first the party veteran was "forcefully" sent to the 'margdarshak mandal' and now his parliamentary constituency has been snatched away. The BJP Thursday announced its first list of 184 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. The saffron party fielded its president Shah from Gandhinagar in place of 91-year-old Advani, who has won from the seat six times. "First Shri Lal Krishna Advani was forcefully sent to 'Marg Darshak Mandal and now his parliamentary constituency has been snatched," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. Advani was made a member of the 'margdarshak mandal' (group of mentors) after the BJP came to power in 2014. "When Modi Ji does not respect elders.Then why will he respect the people's trust? Get rid of BJP, save the country," Surejwala said.
Holi strengthens friendship among all sections of society:
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi Thursday conveyed his best wishes for the well being of the people of the state on the occasion of Holi and said the festival was an opportunity to reaffirm peoples faith in the countrys cultural heritage. Tripathi said the festival of colour was to "strengthen the secular fabric of our country and spirit of friendship-fraternity among all sections of society." "May this joyous festival provide an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in the country's cultural heritage, strengthen the secular fabric of our country and spirit of friendship-fraternity among all sections of society", he said in a statement. "Holy festivity also marks as an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationship, end conflicts and rid oneself of accumulated emotional impurities from the past. Holy reassures us of the power of the truth and that is the ultimate victory of good over evil," the governor added.
Dol Jatra/Holi celebrated with gaiety in West Bengal
West Bengal joined the rest of the nation in celebrating the festival of Holi - or Dol Jatra as it is called in this part of the country - with colours, song and prayers, amid stepped-up security on Thursday.
UK: Birmingham mosques attacked using sledgehammers
At least five mosques were reportedly attacked and vandalised on Wednesday night.Councillor Majid Mahmood, Labour party Councillor for the Bromford and Hodge Hill ward, Birmingham, tweeted confirming that sledgehammers were used to attack the mosques.Sharing the video portraying broken windows of a mosque, Mahmood tweeted, "This is Albert Road mosque (Jamia Masjid Ghousia) that was attacked overnight in the Aston part of Birmingham. I am here with the trustees and @WMPolice. I understand from locals 5 mosques were attacked overnight with sledgehammers. A disgusting attack on places of worship!!"In the wake of the recent New Zealand's Christchurch mosque shooting that claimed lives of at least 50 last week, this attack has once again questioned the safety of the community and the increase in Islamophobia across the globe.
Revellers hit streets during Holi celebrations in Bengal
Revellers hit the streets with sprinklers and threw 'gulal' in the air to the beating of drums chanting 'Holi Hain' as the festival of colours was celebrated with fervour across West Bengal Thursday. Groups of youths took to the roads in different localities since the morning hours and threw coloured water and smeared gulal on the faces of others to the accompaniment of chartbuster Holi songs like 'Rang Baroshe' and 'Khelbo Holi Rang Debona.' Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who wished the people of the state on the occasion, said in a tweet, "In memory of slain jawan in #PulwamaAttack % other brave martyrs, I have decided not to participate in Holi festivities this year." The day was also celebrated in Mayapur, global headquarters of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) where devotees from other countries converged danced merrily to the chanting of 'Hare Krishna'. Holi, better known as Doljatra in West Bengal, was also being celebrated by the Gaudiya .
Holi thoughts from Bollywood
Bollywood celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar share their thoughts on Holi which was celebrated on Thursday.
Thousands converge for 'Hola Mohalla' celebrations
Tens of thousands of devotees converged in the Sikh holy town Anandpur Sahib on Thursday to offer prayers at Gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib during 'Hola Mohalla celebrations that coincides with Holi festival.
Vice president, PM greet nation on Holi
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday greeted people on Holi, saying the festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. In his message, Naidu said, "Holi is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. It is a festival that expresses joy and camaraderie." Modi hoped that the festival of colours will bring peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness in our lives.
President, Prime Minister greet people on Holi
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on the occasion of Holi festival.The President tweeted, "Greetings and best wishes to fellow citizens in India and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Holi. The festival of colours, Holi is a celebration of spring and fraternity in our society. May it bring peace, joy and prosperity to everyone's lives.""Best wishes to all the people of Holi's festival. This festival of joy and joy will deepen the color of our unity and goodwill," the Prime Minister tweeted.Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu also took to Twitter to convey his greetings to citizens on Holi."I convey my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Holi. It is a festival of colours. Celebrated with traditional fervour and enthusiasm, the colourful festival celebrates change of season," he tweeted.
President, Vice President, PM extend Holi greetings
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi.