Page 152 - Religion Belief
Japan Christian sites added to UNESCO World Heritage list
A dozen Christian locations in parts of southern Japan where members of the faith were once brutally persecuted were selected for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list today. The 12 sites include Oura Cathedral, a Catholic church in Nagasaki that is dedicated to 26 Christians who were executed for their beliefs over four centuries ago. Christianity in Japan dates back to 1549, when European Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier arrived in the country with two companions and the religion began spreading in western Japan. As more missionaries arrived and the faith spread, Japanese military leaders became increasingly suspicious of its growing influence and a crackdown against Christians began from 1589. The Christians commemorated at Oura -- 20 Japanese and six foreigners -- were executed in Nagasaki in 1597 as the persecution intensified. For Japanese converts, hiding their religion became a matter of life and death for the next 250 years, with Christianity banned and Japan closed to .
Amidst mistreatment of Pakistani Christians, Vatican elevates Karachi Archbishop as cardinal
Pope Francis on Thursday elevated Archbishop Joseph Coutts from Karachi as a cardinal.The appointment of Pakistan's first cardinal in 24 years has come at a time when atrocities against the Christians in the country continue unabated.The Muslim-majority nation is home to nearly 2.5 million Christians, who often bear the brunt of draconian anti-blasphemy laws.In December, suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in the western city of Quetta, killing nine Christians and injuring dozens.Two months later, 24-year-old blasphemy suspect, Sajid Masih, leapt from the fourth floor of Federal Investigation Agency building in Lahore to escape police atrocities.The appointment of Pakistani prelate as a cardinal at The Vatican is likely to internationalise the mistreatment of Christians in Pakistan.According to Kansas City-based The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company, the Karachi Archbishop on June 25 spoke at an event in Rome and said, "Our ...
Muslim woman writes Ramayana, spreads message of brotherhood
In a remarkable example of humanity and religious harmony, a Muslim woman has written Ramayana in Urdu.Setting an example of an inter-community accord, Dr. Mahi Talat Siddiqui, a resident of Prem Nagar area said that she wanted Muslim community aware of the goodness of Ramayana along with the Hindus.About two years ago, Badri Narayan Tiwari, a resident of Kanpur, gave a copy of Ramayana to Dr. Mahi Talat, after which she decided to write it in Urdu."Just like holy texts of all religions, Ramayana also gives us a message of peace and brotherhood. It has been written very beautifully. I felt relaxed and peaceful after writing the text in Urdu," Dr. Talat told ANI.It took her more than one and a half years to write it. She focused on the fact that the translations shouldn't change the original meaning of the text."Some people of the society spread violence by instigating religious issues, but no religion teaches to hate each other. People of all religions should live together with love ..
Reuters removes Haley's picture with swastika seen behind her
International news agency Reuters has removed an earlier photo of US Ambassador to United Nations Nikki Haley with a swastika seen behind her at a Hindu temple in New Delhi.The swastika is an ancient religious symbol for Hindus and Buddhists. It was also used as a symbol by Nazi Germany.Haley, who was on a three-day visit to India, visited Gauri Shankar Temple on June 28 in the national capital.The US envoy also visited Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, where she also prepared food for langar (community kitchen).She also paid a visit to Jama Masjid and Central Baptist Church.Daughter of the Sikh immigrants from Punjab, she touted freedom of religion during her visit to India."We think freedom of religion is just as important as freedom of rights and freedom of peoples," she said on June 27 during her address.Haley, who is the highest ranking Indian-American official in the Trump administration, last visited India in 2014 when she was the South Carolina Governor.
Pak welcomes Karachi Archbishop's elevation as Cardinal by Pope Francis
Pakistan today welcomed the elevation of Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi as Cardinal by Pope Francis. Foreign Office said that Pope Francis elevated 14 Archbishops to the rank of Cardinal yesterday in an impressive ceremony held at the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica. "The appointment of Archbishop Joseph Coutts is an honour for the entire nation," it said in a statement. Minister for Religious Affairs Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh led the Pakistan delegation to the ceremony. "Ministerial participation underscores the importance Pakistan attaches to the elevation of Archbishop Joseph Coutts to a Cardinal. "It also recognises his contribution and services to the Catholic Church and promotion of inter-faith harmony in the country," it said. Archbishop Joseph Coutts of the Catholic Church of Karachi is the second Pakistani national to be accorded the honour after Cardinal Joseph Cordeiro in 1973. In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, Cardinals come immediately after the Pope. One of the ...
Ambubachi Mela draws pilgrims from around the world
The most sought-after Ambubachi Mela was held in Assam's Guwahati city atop Nilachal hills amidst spiritual fervor earlier this week.The temple was beautifully decked up and lakhs of pilgrims from all across the world thronged there to pay their obeisance to Goddess Kamakhya.During the menstrual cycle of Ambubachi, from the seventh day to the tenth day of the Hindu month of Asadha, the doors of the shrine remains closed to all. On the twelfth day, the doors are opened ceremonially and a big fair is held.Ambubachi Mela is considered to be the most auspicious occasion, as the festival celebrates the strength of female and the power of procreation.During the occasion, the temple premises are flooded with varieties of religious items ranging from sacred clothes, flowers, incense sticks, prasad and other items that attracted more pilgrims from all across the globe."You can call her by any of her names. But the one who is sitting on Nilachal Mountain in her mudra is Ma Saraswati Nila ...
Vinod Sridhar in line for double in ITF Senior tournament
India's Vinod Sridhar, a former senior national champion, is line for a double in the PC Open, an ITF Seniors Circuit tournament at Presidency Club here. He reached the final of 35+ singles and doubles events today. In the singles semifinal, he beat Paramartha Lingam Pillai Arunachalam, seeded four, 6-1, 6-1 and made the doubles final in the company of Kannan Sethu. Results: 35+ Singles (semifinals): Vinod Sridhar bt Paramartha Lingam Pillai Arunachalam 6-1, 6-1; Kannan Sethu bt Krishna Kumar 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Doubles: SF: C Nagarajan & Dilip Mohanty (1) bt Sivan Govind & Krishna Kumar 7-6 (2), 6-1; Kannan Sethu & Vinod Sridhar bt Sathesh Babu Dakshinamurthy & Manav Jain 6-2, 6-1. 45+ singles: SF: Rajesh Ganapathy (6) bt Tuleswor Singh Thongbam (7) 6-0, 6-2; Binu Mani bt Cader Rameez Sama D 6-1, 6-3. 45+ Doubles: Finals: Rajesh Ganapathy & R V R K Ranga Rao (4) bt Bijumani & Binu Mani 6-2, 6-3. 55+ Singles: SF: Sharad Tak (5) bt Nirmal Kumar Rajan ...
UAE Foreign Minister calls on TN CM
: A delegation from the United Arab Emirates, led by its foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, today called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Secretariat here. The meeting between the two was a "courtesy call", official sources said. UAE Ambassador to India, Ahmed Albanna, UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry, Deputy Chief of Staff, Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Girija Vaidyanathan and senior government officials were present on the occasion. The UAE foreign minister, who arrived in New Delhi on June 24, is on a week-long tour and has visited several cities, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad.
Nawaz warns of poll rigging and its consequences
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif said that a new history of poll rigging was being created and warned of horrible consequences, if it is not stopped.On Thursday, outside the Harley Street Clinic in London, the former premier stated that there were times, where in similar case, different verdicts were announced."Have a look at record of past several months, only me and my affiliates have been the target," Geo News quoted Nawaz as saying."What would happen on July 25 is written on the wall," he added.Speaking over arrest of Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), PML-N Supremo said it is evidence of pre-poll rigging.He said he has directed his party to stand by Qamar-ul Islam's daughter and son. Islam's children submitted his nomination forms from NA-59 Rawalpindi, he further said.Islam is contesting the election against former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.According to a NAB statement, Islam is accused of awarding contracts .
UAE consulate to come up in Hyderabad
Decks were today cleared for setting up a consulate of United Arab Emirates here with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao giving his nod for it after discussions with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A proposal in this regard was discussed when Abdullah met Rao here, a release from the CM's office said tonight. Rao gave his nod to the proposal and asked the state chief secretary to allocate land for construction of the consulate building. "The Chief Minister felt happy for the proposal of the Sheikh Abdullah for establishing UAE consulate office in Hyderabad," the release said. The establishment of the consulate would improve cordial relations between the state government and the UAE, it said. Rao recalled the cultural ties between Telangana and the UAE and expressed gratitude to the UAE minister for visiting Hyderabad, it said. The visiting minister appreciated the progress achieved by Telangana in various spheres, the release ...
Cong asks Modi to follow Kabir's teachings; hits out at not covering head at mausoleum
The Congress today took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to poet-saint Kabir Das's village in Uttar Pradesh, and hoped that he would "change his track" by "uniting" people instead of "dividing" them, as preached by the 15th century poet. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said Sant Kabir preached Hindu-Muslim unity and worked towards uniting people of all religions and faiths, while Modi and the BJP were dividing the society. "Modi ji has gone to the right place today. But Sant Kabir had a principle, but Modi ji has all his life worked against such principles. Kabir preached Hindu-Muslim unity and brought people of all religions and faiths together all his life, while Modi ji and the BJP have tried to create a wedge between religions," he told reporters. "I pray that Modi ji draws inspiration from Sant Kabir and changes his track and hope he follows the path shown by Kabir. Otherwise, his (Modi's) history is of dividing religions and not uniting them," he said. Tiwari
Nations as diverse as India, US can only be held together by 'true tolerance': Haley
For a second time since her arrival yesterday, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley today stressed on freedom of religion, and said nations as diverse as India and the US can only be held together by "true tolerance". Addressing a think tank here, she also referred to her "fascinating and inspiring" inter-faith tour of Old Delhi in the morning. "It reminded me that, of all the things America and India share, freedom of religion is one of the most important. Nations as diverse as ours can only be held together by true tolerance and respect," Haley said. She visited the Gauri Shankar Mandir, the Jama Masjid, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Central Baptist Church as part of the inter-faith tour. Haley, who is the daughter of Sikh immigrants from Punjab, also prepared rotis for langar at the gurudwara. After visiting the Jama Masjid, she interacted with a child who was sitting outside the mosque. Haley also talked about her visit to Humayan's Tomb, which was her first stop in India. It was ...
Gujarat to grant status of religious minority to Jews in state: Rupani
The Gujarat government will grant the status of religious minority to Jews in the state and a notification to this effect will be issued soon, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said today, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the community. This was revealed by Chief Minister Rupani during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here. During the 45-minute long meeting, Rupani told Netanyahu that "an in principle decision has been taken to grant Gujarati Jews the status of religious minority". A notification to this effect shall be issued soon by the government, he said. Gujarat has a small Jewish community comprising less than 200 members. The main stronghold of the Jews in Gujarat has pre-dominantly been Ahmedabad, where Magen Abraham Synagogue is located. Rupani is on a six-day visit to Israel. It is his first trip abroad as chief minister and comes months after he hosted Prime Minister Netanyahu in Gujarat in January.
Politician who buys votes never delivers: Arunachal CM
Money should never be a "determining factor" in elections, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said today, appealing to the people to avoid voting for leaders who lure them with money. A leader who buys votes will never deliver, he said at a function, organized by the Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association, to pay tribute to Reverend Brother Prem Bhai. "A politician who buys his votes will try to recover the money once he is elected to power. People should vote for leaders with good intentions, cutting across political lines," the CM said. Khandu also requested religious leaders, who were present there on the occasion, to guide people in making correct decisions. "Messages are best conveyed through religious leaders as people respect them for their moral high grounds," he said. He urged people to adopt politics as a profession and not be "subsumed" into it. Khandu also acknowledged the contributions of different missionaries in the development of Arunachal, ...
Pope accepts resignation of two more Chilean bishops after sex scandal
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of two more Chilean bishops following a child sex abuse scandal that has gripped the Latin American nation. The Vatican announced the resignation of the bishop of Rancagua, 78-year-old Alejandro Goic Karmelic and the bishop of Talca, Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca, 64. Several senior members of Chile's Catholic Church are accused by victims of ignoring and covering up child abuse by paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s. The entire Chilean delegation of bishops tendered its resignation to the pope in May after a series of meetings at the Vatican. Earlier this month, Francis accepted the resignation of three Chilean bishops, including the controversial Juan Barros who Karadima's victims accuse of covering up wrongdoing. The pontiff himself became mired in the scandal when, during a trip to Chile in January, he defended Barros. However the pope later apologised to Karadima's victims and said he had made "grave ...
179th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh observed in Pak
For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the 179th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the leader of the Sikh Empire, was observed at the historic Balahisar Fort here. The anniversary last evening was largely attended by the members of the Sikh community at the fort, which now serves as the headquarters of Frontier Corps (FC) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Singh was born in Gujranwala, undivided India, on November 13, 1780 and died on June 27, 1839 in Lahore. Special prayers were offered for peace in Pakistan on the occasion. Sikh leader Gorpal Singh said that special permission was sought from Inspector General of the FC for observing the anniversary in the fort premises. Earlier, the anniversary was used to be observed in Mohallah Jogan Shah's Gurdwara in the interior Peshawar City. The speakers on the occasion threw light on various aspects of life of Singh who, they said, was equally regarded and respected by people of other faith and religion. His services for the cause of ...
Snana Jatra celebrated in Puri, devotees throng temple
The annual ceremonial bathing ritual of the presiding deities of Shree Jagannath temple here was celebrated today amid tight security in the presence of thousands of devotees. The ceremonial public bath, known as the 'Snana Jatra' ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra and is held on Deva Snana Purnima, was witnessed by a large number of devotees from across Odisha and outside. The ritual was performed on the bathing altar known as the 'Snana Mandap' in which priests poured 108 pitchers of aromatic sacred water on the deities. The water is traditionally drawn from a well situated inside the sprawling temple complex. The bathing ceremony followed a grand procession called 'pahandi' in which the deities along with the idol of 'Sudarshan' were taken out from the sanctum sanctorum to the bathing altar in a majestic manner. After the bathing ritual, the deities were attired with 'Gajanana Vesha' (elephant dress). Lord Jagannath adorns the elephant ...
Zensational! Japan firm launches Buddhist sermon service
Feeling uncertain about life? Need a bit of guidance? A Japanese firm is launching a new service allowing you to talk to a smart speaker and receive a sermon from Buddhist monks. Tokyo-based Yoriso said today its new feature would enable users to listen to three-minute sermons via a smart speaker given by four monks depending on their mood. A three-minute sermon is often given at religious services to commemorate the anniversary of a loved one's death in Japan. Users can talk to a smart speaker developed by Japan's messaging app giant Line and decide how they are feeling: uncertain, angry or sad. The speaker will then choose a sermon randomly from 12 talks. "We hope that people will feel close to Buddhist monks" through the new service, Ayaka Takada, spokeswoman for Yoriso, told AFP. Buddhism and Shintoism are the two major religions in Japan but attachment to religion has dropped. As the population ages and rural communities shrink, some 30 per cent of Japan's 75,000 Buddhist temples
Pope appoints 14 new cardinals
Pope Francis was to appoint 14 new cardinals today, a diverse selection from all over the world including Iraq, Pakistan, Madagascar and Japan. In the event of a conclave to name a new pope, 11 of the new 14 cardinals being under 80 years of age would be eligible to take part. The appointments come as the Argentine pontiff gradually shapes a less European college of cardinals whose members are often committed to peace or social justice. Among the new "princes" of the church will be Iraq's Louis Sako who has often met Pope Francis to discuss the situation in the war-torn country and the plight of the dwindling Christian community. He described his nomination as "a thought from the pope for the Christians of Iraq." One third of the Christian families in the north of the country were able to return to their land after the collapse of the Islamic State group, often with funds raised by the church. Sako believes 400,000-500,000 Christians now live in Iraq, compared to 1.5 million before ..
Thousands throng to witness Snana Purnima in Puri
Thousands of devotees thronged Odisha's pilgrim town Puri to witness the divine bath of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on the occasion of Deva Snana Purnima on Thursday.