Page 116 - Religion Belief
SC declines to refer to five-judge bench whether mosque is integral to Islam
The Supreme Court Thursday declined to refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement that a mosque was not integral to Islam which had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute. In a majority verdict of 2:1, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the civil suit has to be decided on the basis of evidence, adding that the previous verdict has no relevance on this issue. Justice Ashok Bhushan, who read out the judgement for himself and the CJI, said it has to find out the context in which the five-judge had delivered the 1994 judgement. Justice S Abdul Nazeer disagreed with the two judges and said whether mosque is integral to Islam has to be decided considering religious belief which requires detailed consideration. He referred to the recent Supreme Court order on female genital mutilation and said the present matter be heard by a larger bench. The apex court said now the civil suit on ...
Triple Talaq ordinance should be challenged in SC: Owaisi
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said that the ordinance on the Triple Talaq passed by Union Cabinet should be challenged in the Supreme Court as it has many loopholes and was not formed in accordance with the judicature's latest order."In my opinion, the Triple Talaq ordinance should be challenged in the Court because it's a fraud. In the first page of the ordinance, the government says that the Supreme Court has termed it unconstitutional but Supreme Court didn't say any such thing rather it had just set it aside," he said.Owaisi further said that by making such moves the government is trying to divert the public attention from the core issues of the country."They (Centre) are just using Triple Talaq issue for mere politics. They are just trying to divert the minds of people of India from their sins they made in the past four years with this Triple Talaw issue," he said."This Triple Talaq ordinance is anti-Islam and does not have .
Ram shouldn't be made a medium for claiming throne: Ramdev
Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday said that Lord Ram, who renounced his kingdom should not be made a medium to get power or throne.Ramdev told ANI, "Ram for me is an issue of national identity and I do not see it as a political issue. Ram is our ancestor and he is my honour, prestige and pride. Lord Ram renounced his kingdom and he cannot be a medium to get to the throne or power. Politics should not be done on Ram's name."Commenting on the Supreme Court's scheduled verdict today on the validity of mosque as an integral part of Islam, Ramdev said, "God is omnipresent. He can be worshipped anywhere. The most important thing is that we should believe that our deeds are the biggest worship. If our actions are good, the God will shower his blessings on us.""Our legal system is very vigilant. I have full faith in the judiciary and I am hopeful that whatever decision comes will be for good," he added.The apex court is expected to examine if Muslims can offer namaz or prayers anywhere, or ...
Indian religious leaders back new declaration of peace in Europe
Religious leaders from joined those from across the world to extend their support to a new concept of the "Declaration of Friendship" to foster world peace by countering hatred and intolerance. The contours of the Declaration was laid out by The Hague-based Peace Palace, the Carnegie Foundation and the Elijah Interfaith Institute. Prominent religious leaders of diverse faith, including Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian and Jewish, from around the world would sign the document at a major summit to be held at the Peace Palace in June 2020, an official statement said. The declaration aims to counter division, hatred and intolerance between people of different religions by promoting friendship between members of diverse faiths, it said. "We are very grateful that the Indian government also cooperates with us to make this peace initiative as broad and inclusive as possible," said Erik de Baedts, Director of the Peace Palace, in the statement. He described the crafting of the ...
SC likely to pronounce verdict on Ayodhya on Thursday
The Supreme Court will likely pronounce on Thursday its verdict on the plea by Muslim litigants seeking direction that a larger Constitution bench hear the batch of petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which directed splitting into three parts the disputed site at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
Beijing charges shuttered church $170,000 after eviction
Beijing authorities who shut down a Christian church after its pastor criticised new curbs on religion have now ordered it to pay 1.2 million yuan ($170,000) in back rent and removal costs. The Zion Church had been one of China's biggest unofficial Protestant churches until it was suddenly shut down earlier this month amid greater pressure on religion in the country. In a list of expenses seen by AFP, the Beijing municipal authority said Jianweitang -- the holding company of Zion Church -- owes them some 800,000 yuan in back rent. Other items include: 148,000 yuan for overstaying; 114,000 yuan in moving fees, which included 66 vehicles, 18 people and an additional fee to move six pianos; 8,000 yuan in packing fees; 90,000 yuan for three months of storage; 3,600 yuan for two days of video recording; and 55,000 yuan in overtime pay for 55 "property workers". Zion's founding pastor Jin Mingri confirmed they had been served the notice but said it was "impossible" for them to pay up. "Not .
'Shrine' - palette of divinity across multiple media
Several years of experimentation with the forms of Durga, Kali and Krishna led Sanjay Bhattacharya to visit numerous holy shrines across the country, until one fine day he realised that God's abode intrigued him as much as God himself. The Bengal born painter's latest solo show "Shrine", featuring 14 works of art at the Visual Arts Gallery here, breathes life into these religious sites as he recreates them beyond their "stone and mortar" structures. "Shrines are the abodes of divinity, and hence are supposedly charged with the divine current, and the prayers and aspirations of the crowds that throng them," Bhattacharya told PTI. The exhibits are in multiple media -- photographs, drawings, digital works and oil paintings -- and created using a rich colour palette. The red piercing gaze of the Kali figurine at Kolkata's Kalighat temple only gets sharper against the black of the touchstone that makes the idol, and the long protruding golden tongue renders the divine touch. Red is also ...
Pope calls on divided Chinese Catholics to reconcile
Pope Francis called Wednesday for all Chinese Catholics to reconcile, while admitting that a historic deal with Beijing on nominating bishops may have caused "confusion". "I now invite all Chinese Catholics to work towards reconciliation," the pope wrote in a message to Roman Catholics in the world's most populous country. Saturday's historic deal has paved the way for rapprochement between the Vatican and the Communist country, despite the fears of some in the persecuted underground Church. "Some feel doubt and perplexity, while others sense themselves somehow abandoned by the Holy See," the pope wrote. "I am aware that this flurry of thoughts and opinions may have caused a certain confusion and prompted different reactions in the hearts of many." Shortly after the deal, Pope Francis recognised seven clergy appointed by Beijing, which has not had ties with the Vatican since 1951. On Wednesday he called on the bishops to publicly reunite with the Vatican. "I ask them to express with .
Pope urges China Catholics to heal past divisions after deal
Pope Francis is urging Chinese Catholics to overcome past divisions and open a new phase of faith following a landmark agreement over bishop nominations aimed at ending decades of estrangement between the Vatican and Beijing that had split the church. Francis announced Wednesday that he had written a letter to the Chinese faithful aimed at encouraging them to "heal the wounds of the past and re-establish and maintain full communion." The letter was to be released later Wednesday. The letter follows the deal signed Saturday governing the naming of bishops in China. The agreement regularizes the status of seven bishops who had been appointed by Beijing over the years without papal consent, and sets out a process of dialogue going forward. Francis says that ultimately it will be he who names bishops, not Beijing.
SC moved challenging triple talaq ordinance
The Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018 on the grounds that it invokes penal provisions against a class of people based on their religious identity.
Armed forces must remain uncontaminated from sectarian appeal: Manmohan Singh
India's armed forces are a splendid embodiment of the country's "secular project" and it is vitally important that they remain uncontaminated from any sectarian appeal, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday. He also said that the judiciary, as an institution, should not lose sight of its primary duty to protect the secular spirit of the Constitution as this task has become much more demanding with political disputes and electoral battles becoming increasingly over-laced with religious overtones and prejudices. "The judiciary needs to arrive at its own enlightened view of its custodianship of the Constitution - irrespective of the irresponsible and selfish politicians who have no qualms in injecting communal virus in our body politic," he said while delivering the second A B Bardhan memorial lecture here. Singh also said it was important for the Election Commission to ensure that religion, religious sentiments and prejudices do not get worked into election discourse. "As ..
Maldives destroys British statues deemed offensive to Islam
Police armed with pickaxes and power tools have destroyed a modern artwork by a celebrated British sculptor in the Maldives, after the outgoing president in the tourist haven declared the installation offensive to Islam. Abdulla Yameen in July ordered the sculptures demolished but his ruling was not acted upon until Friday, on the eve of a presidential election which he lost to a liberal candidate. A series of statues by Jason deCaires Taylor were placed inside a semi-submerged metal cube in July at a resort in the Maldives, an archipelago of 340,000 Sunni Muslims popular with tourists. Islam, the official religion in the Maldives, bans the depiction of idols, and the work provoked some criticism from clerics even though the statues have no religious symbols or meaning. Yameen said in July that "significant public sentiment" against the artwork known as 'Coralarium' had guided his decision to destroy it. It is unclear why the sculptures were not raised from the waters until Friday, ...
Solo show by Bangladeshi artist opens in Delhi gallery
A solo show of photographic works by one of the most dynamic names from the Bangladeshi art scene opened for public viewing at the Akar Prakar gallery here.
Pope acknowledges abuse scandals driving people from church
Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church were driving people away and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations. Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany. Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesn't understand their problems today. Those complaints recently poured into the Vatican via surveys commissioned ahead of a big meeting of bishops starting next week on how to better minister to young Catholics. "We know - and you have told us - that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," ...
China denies reports of Pakistan asking it to ease pressure on Muslims minorities
China on Tuesday refuted reports that Pakistan's new government has urged it to ease pressure on Muslim minorities in Xinjiang amid reports of detention and restriction of religious activities, and defended its policies in the restive region. Reports from Islamabad last week said that in his meeting with Chinese envoy Yao Xing, Pakistan's minister for religious affairs Noorul Haq Qadri urged China to ease pressure on Muslim monitories specially Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Rights groups have said Uyghurs faced restrictions on religious activities and mass detention in "re-education camps" in China. The report of Pakistan expressing concern came as a surprise as Islamabad always remained silent about strong policies pursued by China in Xinjiang where Uygur Muslims were restive for several years over settlements from Hans, an ethnic group, from other provinces. China blames East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for violent attacks in the province and other areas in the country. Asked ...
Naidu queues up to worship Lord Balaji
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday stood in the queue like a commoner for a 'darshan' at the famed Lord Venkateswara temple on Tirumala near here.
MP gets first exclusive crow park
In a move to prevent extinction of crows, a park has been built in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha town, exclusive for these birds. An organisation named Muktidham Seva Samiti has opened the park.Speaking to ANI, the secretary of the organisation, said, "We opened the park to save the crows. Since all of us have been making an effort to save them, we will surely get the blessings of our ancestors."One of the members of the organisation, said, "Crows are important both religiously and scientifically. We wanted to protect their species so we have built this park. There is a proper arrangement for food and water for them here."Meanwhile, municipal councillor, Dinesh Kushwaha said that crows are considered as ancestors according to Hindu religion and thus feeding them is a "work of great virtue"."My team comes here every day to feed the crows and everyone believes that this work is both religious and scientific. According to religious belief, crows are considered as ancestors," he added.The ...
Kerala nun rape: Victim's sister files police complaint over life threats
Sister of the complainant in the rape case of the Kerala nun on Monday filed a petition stating that she and her family are receiving life threats and thus require protection for life and property.The petition was filed with the state Director General of Police (DGP), Kottayam Superintendent of Police and Kalady circle inspector."Due to hatred, brothers of Franco filed fake complaints against me. Thomas Chittuparamban, a relative of Franco threatened to cause danger to my son and brother. One of his relative named Unni took a photo of me protesting and later threatened me," she said in the complaint.Meanwhile, church authorities have withdrawn all disciplinary actions against Lucy Kalppura, a nun who had yesterday alleged that she was expelled from her religious duties in the parish for supporting protests in the case.Sister Lucy, who joined a number of others outside the Kochi High Court to stage a protest against the rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, was reportedly barred from ...
Sub-registrar office in AP raided, Rs 7.5 lakh seized
Sleuths of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) seized cash totalling Rs 7.52 lakh from a sub-registrar office in Krishna district during a raid Monday. A deputy superintendent of police-ACB SVV Prasad Rao told PTI that the raid was conducted following a tip-off. The surprise check led to the seizure of the cash that was allegedly collected from the public in return for registration of documents, the official said. A case has been filed against the sub-registrar and his staff, added the DSP.
Church withdraws restrictions imposed on nun
: The church Monday withdrew restrictions imposed on a Catholic nunfor participating in the recent protest by nuns in Kochi demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned to her parish here Sunday, was asked to keep away from all church duties, conducting prayers and other activities related to the Syro Malabar catholic church. The decision to lift the ban on the nun was taken at a meeting of parish at the St Marys Church Karakkamala in the district Monday. A group of believers also protested in front of the parish hall, demanding withdrawal of action against the nun. Speaking to reporters,SrLucy Kalapura said that she was happy that the church lifted the ban on her. "It is a victory of justice", she added. The nuns had protested for 13 days, demanding the arrest of the Bishop who was accused of repeatedly raping a nun. Mulakkal, who was subsequently arrested on Saturday after three days of intense grilling by Kerala police,