Page 50 - Religion Belief
Nearly 300 couples exchange vows at mass weddings in UP
Nearly 300 couples from Hindu and Muslim communities tied the knot at mass marriage ceremonies organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in Aligarh and Moradabad on Saturday.While 182 couples exchanged vows in Moradabad, 109 couples got married in Aligarh in the presence of their families and friends.The ceremonies were conducted by priests and religious leaders in accordance with the rituals of their respective religions. Aligarh MP Satish Gautam, BJP MLAs Sanjeev Raja and Anil Parashar, along with other administrative officials, were present at the occasion and blessed the couples.The ceremonies were organised under the 'Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana', a mass marriage scheme, initiated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government."This yojana has been giving benefits to various communities. We have arranged everything here for the couples. The wedding ceremonies were held in the state to spread a message of diversity," Gautam said.A sum of Rs 50,000 was spent .
Rape case: Jalandhar diocese assures nuns that they will not be transferred
Days after nuns protesting against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mullakkal were asked to move out of their convent, the Jalandhar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has assured them that there will be no move to oust them as long as they as they are needed for the court case. An e-mail in this regard was sent to five nuns, who are staying with the rape survivor nun, by current apostolic administrator of Jalandhar diocese Bishop Angelo, one of the nuns said here Saturday. The Bishop has assured the nuns that "there will be no move from the diocese of Jalandhar to oust" them from the Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district as long as they are needed for the court case, she claimed. Copies of purported e-mail sent by the Bishop was made available to the media. Earlier, the head of their congregation, Missionaries of Jesus under the Jalandhar diocese, had issued transfer orders to four nuns who took part in the protest demanding the arrest of the bishop. Another nun, Sister Neena Rose, ..
Lord Ram is 9th Paigambar, claims BJP leader Vinay Katiyar
Firebrand BJP leader Vinay Katiyar on Saturday said Lord Ram is the ninth Paigambar and even Muslims revere him.He said that all the Muslims were Hindus before their conversion. "It was the Muslim rulers who converted them into Islam," he told ANI.Commenting on the visit of Swami Swaroopananda to Ayodhya for 'Bhoomi Pujan,' he said that the foundation stone for Ram temple has already been laid. "There is no need to redo the exercise," he said.Swami Swaroopananda has announced to march to Ayodhya on 'Basant Panchami' and lay the foundation stone for the construction of a grand Ram temple.He also expressed displeasure over Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) decision to suspend the Ram temple movement during the election.Talking about Rafale issue, he reprimanded Rahul Gandhi for his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Rahul cannot use unconstitutional terms for the PM," he said, adding all Gandhis are on the bail.Katiyar also supported the stir of Gujjars for ...
Owaisi hits backs at Baba Ramdev
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Saturday took exception to Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's comments that Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims. "We are not against anyone's belief. But, it is wrong to thrust your belief on others. Such things are said every time by the Sangh Parivar and RSS. We just want to say that we, Muslims in India, we have become Muslims on our own...," he told reporters here. Nobody forced their ancestors to embrace Islam, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said. Asserting that the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was linked to the nation's pride, Yoga guru Ramdev had claimed on Friday that Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims. "By saying this...what message you would like to give. Is the Constitution of India big or your thinking is big. Constitution gives us permission to follow the religion which we would like to follow," Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, ...
Rape case:Jalandhar diocese assures nuns that they will not be
Days after nuns protesting against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mullakkal were asked to move out of their convent, the Jalandhar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has assured them that there will be no move to oust them as long as they as they are needed for the court case. An e-mail in this regard was sent to five nuns, who are staying with the survivor nun, by current apostolic administrator of Jalandhar diocese Bishop Angelo, one of the nuns said here Saturday. The Bishop has assured the nuns that "there will be no move from the diocese of Jalandhar to oust" them from the Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district as long as they are needed for the Court case, she said. Authorities of Jalandhar diocese could not be reached for their comments despite efforts. Earlier, the head of their congregation, Missionaries of Jesus under the Jalandhar diocese, had issued transfer orders to four nuns who took part in the protest, demanding the arrest of the Bishop. Another nun, ...
Pope to visit Moroccan imam school to boost moderate Islam
Pope Francis will meet with migrants in Morocco and visit a training institute for imams that seeks to be a bulwark against Islamic extremism during his March 30-31 visit to the North African country. The Vatican on Saturday released the schedule for the pope's trip to Rabat. It comes on the heels of Francis' recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he signed a landmark "fraternity" document with a leading Sunni imam and sought to encourage moderate Islam and interfaith ties. Francis will also meet with Morocco's king, the country's priests and religious sisters and celebrate Mass for the Catholic community. Morocco has long considered itself a key ally in the fight against Islamic extremism, and King Mohammed VI routinely criticizes jihadism and the discourses of radical Islam.
Church revokes transfer orders of four Kerala nuns
Four Kerala nuns, who protested last year demanding rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal's arrest, and were handed transfer orders, got relief on Saturday when the church authorities cancelled transfer orders and allowed them to continue, here at the convent, as long as the case was in court.
Ram Mandir matter of faith, Sabarimala issue of custom: P Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday claimed that Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi is not an issue of custom, whereas Sabarimala is one.Speaking at an event here, "Ayodhya is not an issue of custom. Do not mix up faith and custom. In Sabarimala, the issue is a custom opposed to modern constitutional values. Ayodhya is a matter of faith that this is the birthplace of Lord Ram. Because of that faith, a group of people are claiming the land."Substantiating his stance on the Sabarimala issue, he said: "I am not a very religious person. We are not saying that the Supreme Court should not resolve what is amenable to judicial resolution. I accept the Supreme Court judgement, but how can I stop ordinary men, women and party workers from expressing their views."Elaborating his views on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, he added: "Others are saying a mosque existed several hundred years ago. The question is whether the Supreme Court would resolve issues framed by the Allahabad High Court. Many of ..
Ram Temple issue of faith, Sabarimala about customs: Chidambaram
The Ram temple issue is about "faith" and Sabarimala is about "customs" and the two should not be mixed, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said Friday. His comments came during the launch of his new book "Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India", a collection of his essays published last year, at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here. "Ram temple is not an issue of customs, it is an issue of faith. While Sabarimala is a matter of customs which are opposed to modern constitutional values," the former Union minister of finance and home said in response to a question on the two issues. In Ayodhya, and not to trivialise the faith of those who believe in Lord Ram and his birthplace, it is a matter of faith, he said. "And, it is because of that, a group of people are claiming the land. Others are saying a mosque existed several hundred years ago." The question is whether the Supreme Court would resolve issues raised by the Allahabad High Court," the Rajya Sabha member said. Many issues .
Lord Ram ancestor of Hindus as well as Muslims, says Ramdev
Asserting that the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was linked to the nation's pride, Yoga guru Ramdev Friday said Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims. Talking to reporters at Nadiad town in Kheda district, around 70 kms from here, he said the Ram temple issue was not linked to vote bank politics. "I firmly believe that Ram mandir must be built in Ayodhya. If not in Ayodhya, where would you build it? It is obvious that it will not come up at Mecca, Madina or Vatican City," he said in response to a query. Ramdev was in Nadiad town to take part in a Yoga Shibir organised by Santram temple. "It is an undisputed fact that Ayodhya is Lord Ram's birthplace. Not just Hindus, but Ram was the ancestor of Muslims too. This issue of Ram temple is all about nation's pride. It has nothing to do with vote bank politics," he claimed. The opposition Congress hit back at Ramdev saying religious leaders like him were "beneficiaries" of the ...
Bengali translation of Guru Granth Sahib released
A Bengali translation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh religion, was released by former President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday. The book in five volumes was released at a programme held at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, here. It took four years for Chayon Ghosh and Jhuma Ghosh to translate the book. The event also marks the 550th birth centenary celebration of Guru Nanak. Mukherjee spoke about the importance of the Guru Granth Sahib which is treated as a living God by Sikhs.
BJP's youth wind demands land to construct temple on AMU campus
The BJP's youth wing has demanded land to construct a temple on the AMU campus, saying Hindu students were facing problems in performing prayers. In a letter to AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor, Mukesh Singh Lodhi, the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), said if the university doesn't fulfil their demand within 15 days, they would install an idol and begin constructing the temple at a suitable site. Leaders of AMU Students' Union said the BJP youth wing leader's threat was an attempt to disturb peace in the city and polarize voters in the run-up to the general elections. Former AMUSU president Faizul Hasan told PTI, "This is not a question of religious piety because there are a number of temples in the vicinity and there has never been any such issue since the university was established." "We fully respect the religious sentiments of all students and are always sensitive to their genuine demands. However, anybody who has been following AMU affairs for four .
US not pursuing action against Sentinelese tribe for killing missionary
The US is not pursuing action against the Sentinelese tribe members who killed an American missionary trying to enter their forbidden island, according to the top State Department official for religious freedom.
'Sant versus sant': Route to Ram temple paved with discord
At a time when the long-standing, contentious issue of the Ram Mandir is back in the spotlight, the seers and saints of Ayodhya, identified as the final 'karta-dhartaa' (doers) in the decades-old movement for construction of a grand Ram Temple here in Uttar Pradesh, are a divided lot.
US nuns urge changes to church structure to address abuse
The largest association of religious sisters in the United States called Thursday for an overhaul of the male-led leadership structure of the Catholic Church, after Pope Francis publicly acknowledged the problem of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious also appealed in a statement for reporting guidelines to be established so abused nuns "are met with compassion and are offered safety." The conference's statement followed Francis' acknowledgement this week that clergy abuse of nuns was a problem. The pope said the Vatican was working on it but more needed to be done. His comments, given in response to a reporter's question during an in-flight press conference, were the first public acknowledgement by a pope of a long-simmering scandal. Reporting by The Associated Press and other news media, as well as the reckoning demanded by the #MeToo movement, has brought the issue to the fore. The LCWR, which represents about 80 percent of ...
Russia detains more Jehovah's Witnesses amid crackdown
Russian authorities have detained Jehovah's Witnesses in the central region of Mordovia, police said on Thursday, as part of a crackdown which the UN warned was setting a "dangerous precedent". Russia brands the US evangelical Christian movement a totalitarian sect and in 2017 designated it as an extremist organisation, ordering its dissolution in the country. On Wednesday, a Russian court sentenced Dennis Christensen, a Danish Jehovah's Witness, to six years in prison for "extremism" - the first adherent of the movement to be sent to prison in Russia. The same day, several Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Mordovia, police said. "The large-scale operation" was conducted by the FSB security service together with police and other law enforcement agencies, police said. "An investigation is under way," police said in a statement. The sentencing of Christensen provoked an outcry, with rights groups comparing Moscow's pressure on the group to the persecution of the Soviet era. The UN on
Will not tolerate bid to create communal tension: Assam govt
Assam government Thursday informed the Assembly that it would not tolerate efforts to create communal disturbance in the state and assured the members of maintaining peace at any cost. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the Home department is keeping a strict vigil in this direction after AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam alleged that attempts are on to engineer a communal riot in the state. "If anyone tries to disturb the peace of Assam, we will not tolerate it. We are taking all precautions to avoid any untoward incident," Patowary replied on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who holds the Home portfolio. He said Assam did not witness any Hindu-Muslim clash even after the demolition of the Babri Masjid when communal riots took place in many states. "It is our responsibility to maintain peace. We assure you that it (riots) will never take place. It is the land of Sankardeva and Aajan Fakir," Patowary said. Sankardeva was a 15th century Hindu ...
India, Bangladesh relations on upward trajectory: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met visiting Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Minister A.K. Abdul Momen and said that relations between the two neighbouring countries have been on an upward trajectory and New Delhi will work to build on this momentum.
Year-long research on living traditions put on canvas
A year-long journey that artist Astha Butail undertook in researching living traditions that are passed on to generations through teaching and oral poetry, has culminated in the form of an ongoing exhibition here titled "In the Absence of Writing".
SC to look into Sikh lawyer's plea to allow kirpan in court room
The Supreme Court on Thursday assured a Sikh lawyer that it will look into his grievance of not being allowed into the court room with a kirpan - a symbol of the Sikh religion.