Page 146 - Religion Belief
Documents of AgustaWestland accused submitted last year: CBI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said all documents in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam accused, Christian Michel, were submitted last year.The clarification came after reports of an Italian daily that claimed that the CBI had not submitted all the documents in the Christian Michel case."Extradition proceedings are on and last year itself all documents were submitted. Wrong to presume evidence hasn't been shared," the CBI clarified.According to sources, senior officials from the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI went to Dubai and questioned Christian Michel. However, the agency refused to say anything about his detention.Earlier in the day, the ED filed a supplementary chargesheet in the AgustaWestland bribery case in the Patiala House court.The chargesheet will be taken up for consideration on July 20.
Those responsible for fatwa against anti-triple talaq activist should be booked: NCM
The National Commission for Minorities today took suo motu cognizance of the issue of a fatwa against a Muslim woman, who had allegedly taken up issues such as triple talaq and nikah halala, and asked the district administration to initiate criminal proceedings against those behind it. At a press conference in Bareilly, Shahar Imam Mufti Khurshid Alam had said a fatwa has been issued against Nida Khan for speaking against Islam and its practices. National Commission for Minorities chief Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi wrote a letter to Bareilly District Magistrate Virendra Kumar Singh, saying the NCM has taken suo moto notice of the threats being made to Khan. Rizvi asked the district administration to provide security to Khan in light of the threats she was receiving. He said in the letter that it is also recommended that an FIR be registered against those responsible for the issuance of the fatwa and initiate criminal proceedings against them under the appropriate sections of the Indian ..
Book addresses concerns of the Muslim world
Self-proclaimed former Islamist radical Ed Husain has come out with a new book in which he makes three suggestions to help heal the rancour in the Islamic world - create a Middle East union, implement a Muslim Marshall plan and expel extremists from within Islam. "The House of Islam: A Global History" explores the intricacies of Islam and the inner psyche of the Muslim world. Husain who previously wrote "The Islamist", a memoir of his time inside radical Islamism, has rejected extremism and now advises governments and political leaders on Islam. He says the Arab masses cannot be bombed into submission by governments and their armies. "Terrorist organisations will continue to be born claiming to want to restore dignity and honour to their imagined form of Islam," he says and adds a long-term, comprehensive strategy is needed to unpick the webs of warfare in the region. "The changes that the Muslim world in general, and the Middle East in particular, will need in order to conserve what
Instagram's public accounts can remove followers
Instagram is testing a new feature that will give public account holders more control over followers.The new feature will allow users with an open account to remove followers while maintaining their public account, The Verge reported.When a person removes someone from the followers list, Instagram won't send them a notification thereby keeping things discreet and flexible at the same time.
Separate voter list for Ahmadis, community to boycott Pak elections
Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan will boycott the July 25 general elections in the country to protest the separate voter list for the community."In the case of Ahmadis, a separate voter list is being prepared bearing the titles Qadiani Men/Women. This 'discriminatory' treatment on the basis of religion is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise the Ahmadis of Pakistan from the electoral process," spokesman for the Ahmadi community, Saleem Ud Din, said in a statement.Ahmadis, regarded as heretic in Pakistan, often face hostilities in the country, which even amended the constitution in 1974 to declare them as non-Muslims.Creating a separate voter list for the country's estimated four million Ahmadis is the latest example of socio-political exclusion the community faces in Pakistan."Such prejudicial behaviour is an open violation of Pakistani Ahmadis as citizens of the state and goes against the vision of the founding father of the country Muhammad Ali Jinnah and contravenes the ...
Has BJP started Taliban in Hinduism: Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who earlier triggered a controversy after his "Hindu Pakistan" comment, has once again hit out at the BJP-led Centre and questioned whether they are trying to start Taliban in Hinduism."They are asking me to go to Pakistan. Who has given them the right to decide that I am not a Hindu like them and I don't have the right to stay in the country? Have they started a Taliban in Hinduism?" Shashi Tharoor said while addressing a public gathering here on Tuesday.This comes after Tharoor on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha of vandalising his constituency office in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.Tharoor alleged that offensive slogans were raised against him; asking him to go to Pakistan. He also alleged that his office was damaged.Last week, Tharoor had stated that if the BJP wins the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said, "If ..
Ahmadis in Pak to boycott July 25 polls to protest separate voter list
Voters belonging to the minority Ahmadi community will boycott the July 25 elections in Pakistan to protest the "discriminatory" move to have a separate voter list for them, a community representative said today. Though the elections are being held under a joint electoral system, there is a separate voter list for the Ahmadis in the country. "The forms issued for the registration of the voters include religion box and oath-declaration. Under the current circumstances, for the Ahmadis to cast votes they first have to distance themselves from Prophet Muhammad and this is something that no Ahmadi can countenance," said Saleemud Din, a spokesman for the Ahmadi community in Pakistan. He said all religious groups including Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are part of a voter list, whereas in the case of Ahmadis, a separate voter list is being prepared, bearing the titles "Qadiani men/women". "This discriminatory treatment on the basis of religion is a deliberate attempt to ...
SC begins hearing on women's entry into Sabarimala temple
The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing on whether prohibiting the entry of women in Kerala's Sabarimala temple on grounds of biological factors was discriminatory and violative of the constitution.
By walking on path of Sufism, terrorism can be ended: Naqvi
Sufism spreads the fragrance of peace and by walking on its path, terrorism can be ended, Minority Affairs Minister Muklhtar Abbas Naqvi said today. Speaking on the sidelines of an event, the Union minister also countered AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks on lack of representation of Muslims in the paramilitary forces, saying counting the number of soldiers on the basis of religion was the result of a "distorted secular mindset". Owaisi, while speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, accused the Centre of neglecting Muslims and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell how many of them got government jobs, including in central paramilitary forces. Hitting back at the AIMIM chief for his remarks, Naqvi said, "An Army soldier is the son of mother India, he is not a Hindu or a Muslim. Counting the number of soldiers on religious grounds is the result of a distorted secular mindset." Addressing people here at the launch of the web portal of the Dargah Khwaja Saheb Ajmer, Naqvi ...
Balaji temple withdraws move to bar pilgrim entry for 6 days
The famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala today withdrew its decision to bar the entry of devotees into the temple for six days from August 11 due to a special ritual held once in 12 years, and said it would allow a few thousands daily. The Tirumala Tirupati Devesthanams (TTD) Board reversed its July 14 decision after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu intervened and advised it to strike a balance and ensure that the ritual and devotees were not affected, its chairman Putta Sudhakara Yadav said. Naidu's intervention came amid criticism of the TTD's decision to bar the entry of devotees to the temple which attracts huge number of pilgrims from across the country throughout the year. A large number of devotees had taken to social media, airing their ire over the proposed six-day ban. At an emergency meeting on July 14, the TTD board had resolved to bar devotees from entering the temple from August 11 to 16 due to the upcoming event of ...
Rahul does not love anyone but power: BJP
Launching a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi, the BJP on Tuesday said that contrary to his claim in a tweet, the Congress President does not love anyone but power.
Can another Ram Mandir get you jobs? Asks Jai P Singh
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Jai P Singh on Tuesday questioned the Hindu community indirectly whether children will get jobs if another Ram Temple is made.Singh's remarks came ahead of the Supreme Court's hearing for the Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case on July 20."There are lakhs of Ram temple in this country. Even we believe in lord Ram, but if another Ram temple is made then will your children get jobs?. You can beg in the name of lord Ram, but you can't ask for vote," Singh said at a public gathering here."People of my community please tell them that you can take Ram and give government to us then we will show you how to run the country. There is nothing is this world without politics," he added.Earlier in the day BSP supremo Mayawati had removed Singh from the post of party vice-chairperson and national coordinator after he called Congress president Rahul Gandhi unfit for the prime ministerial post.
Local cleric issues fatwa against anti-triple talaq activist
A local cleric has issued a fatwa against a Muslim woman, who had allegedly taken up issues like triple talaq and Nikah Halala. At a press conference here, Shahar Imam Mufti Khurshid Alam said a fatwa has been issued against Nida Khan for speaking against Islam and its practices. Reacting to the development, Khan said those issuing fatwa "should go to Pakistan". "India is a democratic country. No one can ostracise me from Islam. Only Allah can decide who is guilty," she said. As per the fatwa, similar action will be taken against those helping and supporting Khan, Alam said. "No medicines will be provided if she falls ill. If she dies, no one is allowed to offer 'namaz' on her 'zanaja' (funeral procession). She cannot be buried in kabristan (graveyard) after her death," Alam said quoting the fatwa. Nida was married to Usman Raza Khan alias Anzu Miyan of Ala Hazrat family here in 2015 but was given talaq in 2016. Since then, she has been fighting for rights of Muslim women.
PIL in HC for return of idols from Icon centres to temples
A PIL was filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to return idols taken from various temples in the state and kept at the Icon Centres for security reasons. When the PIL by Periyanambi Narasimha Gopalan came up, Justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahamed adjourned the case for further hearing without mentioning the date. The petitioner charged the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments with handling the idols at the centres like toys, without performing poojas and rituals. This was hurting the religious sentiments of devotees, besides denying them the right to worship the idols, he said. The idols were removed from the temples without performing poojas as per the Agamas (collection of Hindu scriptures), and were handled by those at the Icon Centres, who did not know the Agamas, he alleged. The petitioner further submitted that the Icon centres were also not safe from theft like the one that occurred at the Pasupatheeswarar temple
Odisha CM urges Centre to tackle waterlogging at temple
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma to take immediate steps to prevent waterlogging at the world famous Sun Temple at Konark.
Rahul Gandhi conspiring to divide India: Giriraj Singh
Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh on Monday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to "divide India".Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "There is a conspiracy going on in this country to divide India. This has started after Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with Muslim intellectuals. He is influencing these Muslim intellectuals to destroy the nation. This is his conspiracy to destroy B.R. Ambedkar's Constitution".He further said, "Rahul Gandhi should apologise to people for the same. India will never allow what he is trying to do, to make a different law for Muslims. It will be better if the Opposition discusses development agenda in Parliament rather than attacking the government."This is not the first time when the BJP leader who holds independent charge of the ministry criticised Rahul Gandhi.In a media interaction yesterday, Giriraj Singh said: "Rahul Gandhi talks about Ambedkar and (Mahatma) Gandhi. But they never said to divide the ...
Muslims in China's 'Little Mecca' fear eradication of Islam
Green-domed mosques still dominate the skyline of China's "Little Mecca", but they have undergone a profound change -- no longer do boys flit through their stone courtyards en route to classes and prayers. In what locals told AFP they fear is a deliberate move to eradicate Islam, the atheist ruling Communist Party has banned minors under 16 from religious activity or study in Linxia, a deeply Islamic region in western China that had offered a haven of comparative religious freedom for the ethnic Hui Muslims there. China governs Xinjiang, another majority Muslim region in its far west, with an iron fist to weed out what it calls "religious extremism" and "separatism" in the wake of deadly unrest, throwing ethnic Uighurs into shadowy re-education camps without due process for minor infractions such as owning a Koran or even growing a beard. Now, Hui Muslims fear similar surveillance and repression. "The winds have shifted" in the past year, explained a senior imam who requested ...
People converting religion should be barred from govt facilities: BJP MP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bastar, Dinesh Kashyap said people, especially adivasis, who convert their religion, should be barred from availing benefits of government facilities."Conversion is a big problem. Those Adivasis, who have converted their religion, shouldn't be allowed to avail benefits of different government facilities," Kashyap said at a rally here.Later on, while speaking to ANI, Kashyap justified his statement and said, "This is my own thinking. Those who convert their religion should be barred from government facilities. I think this should be followed. The number of such cases will decrease once this rule will be brought into action."This comes after the Jharkhand Police reportedly arrested 16 preachers for allegedly trying to convert local residents to Christianity earlier this week.All 16 were booked under the Freedom of Religion Act, which came into force last year.
Rajnath visits Bangladesh founder's memorial
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today paid tributes to Bangladesh's father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, saying his contribution to the country and South Asia will be remembered always. Singh, who is here on a three-day tour, visited the Bangabandhu Museum here. "Deeply moved to see the site where he and his family members were martyred. His contribution to Bangladesh and South Asia will always be remembered," Singh said. Rahman, popularly known under the title of Bangabandhu, was the founding father of Bangladesh. He was assassinated along with some of his family members in Dhaka on August 15, 1975. Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the daughter of Rahman. Singh also visited the famous Dhakeshwari temple here and paid obeisance.
Lord Jagannath's chariot reaches Gundicha temple today
The 'Nandighosh' chariot of Lord Jagannath, which had to be halted near Balagandi Chhak during Ratha Yatra yesterday, reached Gundicha temple here today. The journey of Lord Jagannath's chariot could not be completed yesterday as the chariots are not pulled after sunset, as per tradition. Undeterred by heavy rain, thousands of devotees today pulled the chariot of Lord Jagannath upto Gundicha temple, 3 kilometre from Shri Jagannath temple. The pulling of Lord Jagannath's chariot by the devotees resumed this morning after completion of rituals of the deity on the chariot. Two of the three chariots -- 'Taladhawaja' and 'Darpadalan'-- carrying Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra had reached Gundicha temple yesterday. All the three chariots are now positioned before the Gundicha temple. The deities will stay at Gundicha temple for a week during the nine-day Ratha Yatra festival. The devotees can have darshan of the deities atop the chariots till tomorrow before they are taken ..