Page 4 - Religion Belief

Indian-origin imam triggers controversy in BBC's UK PM debate

An Indian-origin imam chosen by the BBC for a select panel of members of the British public to put their questions to the UK's prime ministerial hopefuls during a live television debate has triggered controversy over some of his past anti-Jewish remarks on social media. Imam Abdullah Patel challenged frontrunner Boris Johnson and the four others remaining in the Conservative Party leadership race over tackling Islamophobia in Britain during the debate telecast by the BBC Tuesday night. Johnson said he was "sorry for the offence" his comments about veiled Muslim women looking like "letter boxes" and "bank robbers" had caused, while Pakistani-origin minister Sajid Javid urged all his fellow candidates to commit to an external investigation into the issue of Islamophobia within the Tory party. However, by Wednesday morning the narrative had shifted against Patel himself as some of his past messages from Twitter were unearthed. "Every political figure on the Zionist's payroll is scaring ..

Man worships Donald Trump in T'gana, erects statue

An admirer of Donald Trump's "strong leadership" and "bold attitude" in Telangana has erected a six-foot-tall statue of the US president at his home and worships him like a "god". As tensions over trade-related issues heat up between India and the US, Bussa Krishna, a 32-year-old farmer from Konne village in Jangaon district, unveiled the Trump statue and applied 'tilak' and garlanded it before performing "Abhishekam" and "Aarti" by chanting "Jai Jai Trump." Krishna said he 'worships' Trump because he is a strong leader and he likes his bold attitude. He said he wants to meet Trump some day. His mother said Krishna spent Rs 1.3 lakh to install the statue and even organised feast for villagers. On June 14, when Trump celebrated his 73rd birthday, Krishna pasted a poster of the US president outside his home to wish him. Next week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting India and in his preview to the visit he has said the US is "open" to discuss trade issues but has also pushed ..

Proud of who you have become over the years: Amarinder to Rahul

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wished good health and a long life to Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his birthday on Wednesday. "Wish you a very happy birthday, dear @RahulGandhi. Proud of who you have become over the years; I see my dear friend (late) Rajiv (Gandhi) in you," Singh tweeted. "May God bless you with a long, healthy and prosperous life," the chief minister said. Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also wished good health and a long life to Rahul Gandhi, who turned 49 on Wednesday.

Former beauty queen Ushoshi Sengupta harassed in Kolkata, 7 held

Seven people have been arrested on Tuesday for allegedly chasing and attacking model-turned-actor Ushoshi Sengupta, and vandalising the app-based cab she was travelling in, Kolkata Police said.Sengupta, was attacked on 11.40 pm on Monday when she was travelling with her friend in an Uber cab. The Miss India Universe 2010 posted on social media about the incident alleging that a gang of miscreants tried to drag her out from the cab.Ina social media post, Sengupta wrote about the incident and claimed that she was travelling with her friend in an Uber when few boys in a bike came and hit the car in front of the Government Housing Society under Charu Market police station area. Subsequently, the boys stopped the car at Exide intersection and Jawaharlal Road crossing in Kolkata."In a fraction of second there were 15 boys and they all started banging the car window and dragging the driver out," she alleged."Last night 17th June 2019 at around 11:40 pm I took an uber from JW Marriott ...

Telangana: Man unveils 6-feet-statue of US President on his birthday

A young man from Konnea village here unveiled a six feet statue of the United States President Donald Trump on the occasion of the latter's birthday on June 14.Bussa Krishna, who unveiled the statue, said he will offer prayers to the statue every day. He also performed 'Abhishek' of the statue with milk today."I will offers prayers to the statue and adore the statue every day on equal footing," he said.Krishna said he has been impressed by Donald Trump for his straightforwardness.He has also been admiring Trump's photo for the past three years.

Thousands in Istanbul pray for ex-Egyptian president Morsi

Thousands joined in prayer in Istanbul on Tuesday for former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi who died the previous day after collapsing during a trial hearing in a Cairo court. The prayers, called by Turkey's religious authority Diyanet, took place in the city's Fatih mosque. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a close ally of Morsi, is due to attend afternoon prayers there. Ankara's relations with Cairo deteriorated after the Egyptian military, then led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ousted Morsi in 2013. Sisi then became president. Erdogan on Monday called Morsi a "martyr" and blamed Egypt's "tyrants" for his death. Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president in 2012 after the Arab Spring uprisings, was overthrown after a turbulent year in power. He was buried on Tuesday, as rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for an independent probe into the causes of his death.

Kerala Lalithakala Akademi holds ground on award to cartoon

Kerala Lalithakala Akademi has decided not to intervene in the decision of the jury to award first prize to the cartoon of K K Subhash featuring former Bishop Franco Mulakkal.In a press release dated June 17, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi said: "Our executive committee and General Council held a meeting and examined the cartoon. They have decided not to intervene in the jury's decision and Kerala Lalithakala Akademi values the decision of the jury."In the meeting, it was also decided to consult legal experts to examine whether the cartoon hurts any constitutional or religious sentiments of the people.The cartoon made by Subhash was named 'Vishwasam Rakshathi' and had appeared in a Malayalam magazine after Mullakal was accused of rape by a nun.The cartoon featured Mullakal as a rooster standing on the top of a police cap.The religious body had raised an objection about the use of undergarment being carried on the holy stick.Mullakal was arrested by the Kerala Police in September 2018 ...

Khaleda gets six-month bail in defamation cases

A Bangladesh court on Tuesday granted a six-month bail to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in two defamation cases filed against her.

Nitish visits AES-hit Muzaffarpur, faces protests

Hundreds of angry protesters staged a demonstration on Tuesday against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's visit to Muzaffarpur district, where 107 children have died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

Shut out from Bangladesh schools, Rohingyas turn to madrassas

Half a million refugee Rohingya children are shut out of local schools in Bangladesh, leaving many in religious madrassas where critics say educational standards are low and students are vulnerable to indoctrination. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya fled into the country during a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military, swelling the numbers of the minority in Bangladesh to around a million. But while their language and culture are similar to people in southeastern Bangladesh, authorities regard the Rohingya as temporary guests and their children are denied access to local schools, raising fears of a "lost generation". Many Rohingya children had managed to slip through the net until earlier this year when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government cracked down, ordering schools to expel them. Lucky Akter, 15, lost her spot at Hnila village school, where almost a third of her class were from refugee camps. She now has nothing to do but help her mother with chores. "I wanted to be a doctor, ...

'Snana Jatra' celebrated in Puri Jagannath temple

The annual ceremonial bathing ritual of the deities at Shree Jagannath temple here was celebrated on Monday in the presence of thousands of devotees, amid tight security. The ceremony known as 'Snana Jatra' of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra was performed on a bathing altar known as the 'Snana Mandap' in which priests poured 108 pitchers of aromatic sacred water on the deities. The 'Snana Jatra' -- held on the full moon day of the Hindu month of 'Jyestha', considered to be the birthday of Lord Jagannath -- is a significant ritual in the run-up to the annual 'Rath Jatra' festival. Elaborate arrangements were made for smooth conduct of the annual event, as security was strengthened in and around the shrine. Patrolling by police personnel was stepped up and special steps were taken to regulate vehicular traffic for the event, according to Inspector General of Police (Central Range), Soumendra Priyadarshi. Meanwhile, in West Bengal's Mayapur, the "Snan ...

Hyderabad: Youth has cremated 500 orphan bodies till date

A young Hyderabadi resident, Goutham, has decided to bring a change in the society by cremating orphan dead bodies with full religious rites.Goutham founded a non-governmental organisation (NGO) 'Serve Needy' and has been carrying out the function without expecting anything in return for the last two years."We named the project 'Free Last Rites for Orphan Dead Bodies' and started it 2 years ago. Till date, we have done conducted the last rites for around 500 dead bodies. For this, I have been awarded 'Bharat World Record' and Bharat 'Yuva Seva Ratna Award'. We conduct last rites for the people of all religions giving proper respect to the religion of the person," Goutham told ANI here.Talking about his work he added, "I try to involve people in conducting the last rites, we don't need people as spectators but we need them to bring a change. Through this, I think I'm giving the right platform to the people to show them to what extent we forward the level of humanity."Speaking about the

Love, peace and environment protection were integral part of our culture: HP Governor

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat Monday said love, peace and environment protection were "integral part of our culture". Speaking at an exhibition on the theme 'Seeds of hope: Visions of sustainability, steps towards change', he said, "Our relationship with nature should be exactly that a parent has with children. We should cooperate in the system of God, and not try to destroy it." "Love, peace and environment protection were integral part of our culture. Our saints have called 'yajna' important and mandatory for serenity..., which we have forgotten nowadays. On the contrary, the culture of enjoyment has caused the maximum damage to the environment in the present perspective," he added. He said the government was working on a scheme to plant 11 lakh saplings in the state in a day. The event, organised by Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG), was also attended by former governor of Nagaland and Manipur Ashwani Kumar.

Yogi government to issue press releases in Sanskrit

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will now issue press releases in Sanskrit too, with the first such document issued on Monday.

Akademi rejects Left Govt's decision to review cartoon award

A state-run akademi Monday rejected the Left government's advice to review its decision to honour a cartoon, depicting Bishop Franco Mullakal as a rooster and alluding to the rape charge against him, saying the jury's decision was final and Akademi would stand by it. The decision was taken unanimously at the executive committee and the general council of the Kerala Lalithakala Akedmi Akademi, which met at its headquarters here. An autonomous cultural organisation of the government,the Akademi also turned down the criticism that the cartoon,titled 'Viswasam Rakshathi' (protection of faith) drawn by K K Subhash of Chengalam, had hurt the sentiments of the Christian community. "We have unanimously decided not to intervene into the decision of the expert jury which had selected the cartoon for the award. Their decision is final and we will not make any change in it," Akademi chairman Nemom Pushaparaj told PTI. "Last time, the award was given to a cartoon criticising Chief ...

'Snana Jatra' celebrated in Puri, devotees throng temple

The annual ceremonial bathing ritual of the deities at Shree Jagannath temple here was celebrated on Monday in the presence of thousands of devotees, amid tight security. The ceremony known as 'Snana Jatra' of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra was performed on a bathing altar known as the 'Snana Mandap' in which priests poured 108 pitchers of aromatic sacred water on the deities. The 'Snana Jatra' -- held on the full moon day of the Hindu month of 'Jyestha', considered to be the birthday of Lord Jagannath -- is a significant ritual in the run-up to the annual 'Rath Jatra' festival. Elaborate arrangements were made for smooth conduct of the annual event, as security was strengthened in and around the shrine. Patrolling by police personnel was stepped up and special steps were taken to regulate vehicular traffic for the event, according to Inspector General of Police (Central Range), Soumendra Priyadarshi.

Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu visits Golden Temple

Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday.He was accompanied by his wife Patricia Clara Aguado Hiramatsu."I wanted to come here from a long time ago, and pay my respects to the Sikh community of India," the Japanese envoy told media here and added that he was enthralled by the beauty of the Golden temple.Ambassador Hiramatsu and his wife, who was dressed in a traditional white suit, were seen walking along the pond of the holy shrine. Both covered their heads as per the tradition followed by everyone while visiting a gurudwara. The couple also received souvenirs from the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).The Golden Temple is a symbol of brotherhood and unity in the Sikh religion and represents the distinct identity, glory, and heritage of the Sikhs.

Niger church torched after imam arrested

Protesters torched a church overnight in the southern Niger city of Maradi after the arrest of a prominent imam who was subsequently freed Sunday, religious and security sources said. Sheikh Rayadoune, the imam of the Zaria mosque in Maradi, was detained Saturday after criticising a proposed law on religious worship as "anti-Islam" a day earlier. He has appealed to his supporters to end the unrest. The group behind the church attack also burned the pastor's car, a church official said in a WhatsApp message to parishioners that was copied to AFP. A local security source confirmed the incident in Maradi's working-class district of Zaria. Witnesses said that late Saturday youths set up roadblocks and burned tyres in the streets of Niger's third largest city as news of the imam's arrest spread. A police source told AFP that Sheikh Rayadoune had been released Sunday afternoon, adding: "He has acknowledged his mistake and has apologised." Shortly before his release, the imam published a ...

Gutkha worth over Rs 1 lakh seized in Andhra, 53 held

Gutkha worth above Rs 1 lakh was seized in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh and 53 people were arrested in this connection on Sunday, police said. SP, Krishna, M Ravindranath Babu said raids were conducted in Machilipatnam, Pedana towns and Kanchekacherla, Gudllavalleru mandals during which huge quantity of Gutkha and 'khainee' (chewing tobacco) packets were seized. He said 53 people were arrested and 35 cases registered in connection with the seizure of the banned items.

'Shiv Sainiks to help in Ram temple construction'

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said here on Sunday that he was confident that a grand Ram temple will be built soon and, if needed, Shiv Sainiks would help in the temple construction.