Page 16 - Religion Belief
HRD, Minority Affairs ministries' response sought on plea over madrasas, gurukuls
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the ministries of Minority Affairs and Human Resource Development (HRD) to file a response to a plea seeking regulation of education imparted in 'madrasas' and 'gurukuls'.
BJP demands withdrawal of FIR against Kannada editor
Condemning the intolerance of the Karnataka government towards the media, BJP leader S.M. Krishna on Wednesday urged Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to withdraw the FIR filed against a Kannada editor over an article criticizing the Chief Minister's son Nikhil.
Cong leader urges Kerala govt to reopen schools after Ramzan
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala Wednesday wanted reopening of schools in Kerala to be delayed till June 6 instead of earlier decided June 3 in view of Ramzan. Opposition leaders including Chennithala, UDF leaders M K Muneer, P J Joseph and Anoop Jacob shot off a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Education Minister seeking extending the vacation by three more days keeping in mind the festival date. "There are chances that the Ramzan may be celebrated on June 4 or 5 and hence it would be better if the schools would reopen on June 6," the leaders said in the letter. Chennithala had also demanded this in the Assembly. The government is yet to take or announce any decision in this regard.
PIL to regulate education imparted in madrasas, gurukuls: HC seeks Centre's reply
The Delhi High Court sought the Centre's response on Wednesday on a plea seeking directions to it to regulate the education being imparted in the madrasas and gurukuls in the country. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi issued notice to the ministries of human resource development and minority affairs, seeking their stand on the joint plea moved by a Congress MLA from West Bengal and an RTI activist from the state. Right to Information (RTI) activist Sunil Saraogi and Congress MLA Akhruzzaman, in their petition filed through advocate Vidhan Vyas, have claimed that the academic syllabus followed in these institutions "are still stuck in the 18th century with the Holy Quran, Urdu and Persian being the only subjects". "This severely impacts the job prospects of the students studying at these madrasas," the petition has alleged. It has also alleged that the "children attending such institutions are unable to compete with their peers with respect to job and ...
Jagan Mohan Reddy prays at Tirupati temple
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday offered prayers at the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala here.
Delhi HC notice to ministries on PIL seeking regulation of education in Madrasas, Gurukuls
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs and Human Resource and Development (HRD) on a PIL seeking regulation of education in Madrasas and Gurukuls, clarification on certificates issued by them and mapping of all recognised and unrecognised Madrasas and Gurukuls in the country.A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra and justice Brijesh Sethi issued notices to HRD and Minority affairs ministeries, directing them to give an exact status of regulations of such institutions in the country. The court fixed the next date of hearing in the matter on July 8.The petition stated that in India there are more than 30,000 Maktabahs and Madrasas and approximately 2000 Gurukuls. Such Maktabahs, Madrasas and Gurukuls are acting as a primary source of education to more than 15 lakh young individuals in the country.Petitioner Sunil Saroagi through counsel Vidhan mentioned that no comparison can be made of the education provided in such institutes to the one ...
BJP library gets Quran after PM's appeal to win over minorities
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to his party to win the trust of minorities, Quran - the holy book of Muslims - has arrived at the library of the BJP's Uttarakhand headquarters here.
Smriti Irani offers prayers at Kamakhya temple
Union Minister and newly elected BJP MP from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, Smriti Irani Tuesday visited the Kamakhya Temple here and offered prayers. Irani who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, arrived here from Mumbai and drove straight to the Nilachal Hills, the abode of Goddess Kamakhya and the seat of Shakti cult and offered prayers, a party spokesperson said. She also visited the Bogala Temple further up the hill and also offered prayers. Irani did not speak to waiting mediapersons at the temple.
TN CM offers prayers at Lord Venkateswara temple
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Tuesday offered prayers at the famous Lord Venkateswara near here. He took part in the Astadala Paadapadmaradhana ritual conducted for the presiding deity inside the sanctum sanctorum this morning, a temple official told PTI. Palaniswami was accompanied by his wife and other family members. After offering prayers, he was honoured with a sacred silk cloth and prasadam by the temple management. He later left for Chennai. Security was tightened in view of Palaniswami's visit.
Cleric files police complaint against Pak minister over moon-sighting website
A Muslim cleric has filed a police complaint against Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, alleging that he had deliberately violated norms of Islam and Sharia by introducing a moon-sighting calendar. Chaudhry Sunday launched Pakistan's first ever moon-sighting website - pakmoonsighting.pk - in a bid to end controversy over the start of key lunar months that decides the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan and Eid festivals. Mufti Inamul Haq has filed a complaint with the Secretariat Police Station here, alleging that Chaudhry had deliberately violated norms of Islam and Sharia by introducing a moon-sighting calendar, Dawn reported. In the complaint, it is stated that the minister had also used derogatory remarks against the religious figures and hurt the sentiments of the masses. Haq has requested the Secretariat Police to lodge a First Information Report against the minister. The website features sections such as Islamic calendar for the next five years, a
Ramadan in Mideast is for fasting and Facebook, data shows
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with its long days of fasting and prayer meant to draw worshippers closer to God and away from worldly distractions, is being reshaped by technology. People in the Middle East spend close to 58 million more hours on Facebook during Ramadan and watch more YouTube videos everything from beauty tips and recipes to sports and TV dramas than any other time of the year, making the holy month not only the most important one for Muslims, but also the prime time of the year for advertisers. For Facebook, which also owns Instagram, and Google, which owns YouTube, Ramadan brings a welcome boost of business in the region. "Consumption and time spent on our platforms does indeed increase," said Ramez Shehadi, Facebook's managing director for Mideast and North Africa. People stay up a lot more at night during Ramadan and have more downtime especially before iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daylong fast, and the "suhoor," when people gather to eat before ..
Harsimrat seeks PM's intervention in Guru Nanak Palace demolition
Member of Parliament and outgoing Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to protest the demolition of centuries-old Guru Nanak Palace in Pakistan's Punjab province.
China deploys Confucius in bid to boost religion controls
China is running five-day Confucian culture immersion courses for religious leaders in the sage's hometown as part of a campaign to extend government control over faith communities through a process of sinicisation. The ruling Communist Party's United Work Front Department said in a news release issued Monday that the activity was designed to ensure the primacy of traditional Chinese values above all. President Xi Jinping has been cracking down on religious practices, especially those seen as foreign such as Christianity and Islam, while elevating home-grown Confucianism, whose values have underpinned Chinese culture for centuries. While for decades the officially atheistic Communist Party attacked Confucius as a symbol of feudalism, he has been thoroughly rehabilitated in recent years as a means of rallying patriotism and countering foreign influences.
93 Pakistani Hindu visit Jagannath Temple; felicitated in Bhubaneswar
A Hindu representative team from Pakistan, comprising of 93 people, on Monday visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri.The team was also felicitated in Bhubaneswar by Omkarnath Mission, which organised their visit in association with Odisha International Center."This is our message of peace to the world," said Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuj Maharaj, founder of Omkarnath Mission.Before visiting Jagannath Temple, the team went to Haridwar."There are people from Islamabad, Karachi, and Balochistan among other places in Pakistan, who have come here to attend this event. The main aim behind coming here was to visit various religious places here. We hope that the governments on both the sides maintain peace so that people from both the sides can travel from one side to another," said Prabhu Sai Atma Ram, a member of the team.Another one added, "We have got one month visa to visit various religious places here. Before this, we went to Haridwar and Rishikesh. From here, we will now visit Mathura and ...
PIL in HC to regulate education imparted in madrasas, gurukuls
A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking directions to the Centre to regulate the education being imparted in the madrasas and gurukuls in the country. The petition came up before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi, which listed it for hearing on May 29 as the senior lawyers for the petitioner, a Kolkata-based businessman, were not available. The plea moved by Sunil Saraogi said there were around 3,000 madrasas in the national capital alone and about 3.6 lakh students studied there. The petitioner claimed that the syllabus followed by these institutions "are still stuck in the 18th century with the Holy Quran, Urdu and Persian being the only subjects". "This severely impacts the job prospects of the students studying at these madrasas," the petition, filed through advocate Vidhan Vyas, said. It sought direction to the authorities to "bring all the madrasas, maktabahs and gurukuls within a regulated and recognised legal framework by ...
German court orders fines for 'sharia police' group
A German court on Monday ordered seven Islamic fundamentalists to pay fines over a so-called "sharia police" patrol they launched in 2014 to mass media and political outrage. The men aged between 27 and 37 must pay between 300 and 1,800 euros for infringing laws against wearing uniforms, the Wuppertal tribunal found. Germany's laws against wearing uniforms originally aimed to prevent neo-Nazis staging rallies and parades. Judges said the group's actions were aimed at achieving an "intimidating effect suggestive of militancy" by aping the sharia police that exist in some Middle Eastern countries as violent organisations. In September 2014, the seven patrolled the streets of Wuppertal, a west German industrial town with a sizeable Muslim population, wearing orange high-visibility vests marked "Sharia Police". When they encountered young Muslims, they told them not to drink alcohol or visit cafes, betting shops or brothels. Monday's verdict comes at the end of a second trial for the ...
KCR performs 'pooja' at famous Lord Balaji temple
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with his family members on Monday visited Lord Balaji temple here.The Chief Minister was welcomed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) officials. After 'darshan,' the Vedic scholars blessed KCR with Vedic chanting. They also gifted Chief Minister Rao with sacred clothing.This is KCR's maiden visit after becoming the Chief Minister of Telangana for the second time. He previously visited Tirumala in 2017.Rao led his party to a massive victory in the 2018 assembly elections and was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Telangana for a second straight term.Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi also visited Tirumala to offer his prayers.After performing 'darshan,' Rao while speaking to media persons on the electoral process, said: "The election process was completed peacefully and without any discrepancies.""Women and physically challenged came forward to franchise their vote in bigger numbers," he said.
Muslims seek voice in changing Uzbekistan
Uzbek student Luiza Muminjonova wanted to work in the country's booming Islamic tourism sphere but last year she was expelled from a university in the capital Tashkent. The 19-year-old's only fault was being a pious Muslim and wearing the hijab, a staple of female Islamic dress. "How dare they discriminate me and stop me from getting the education I want because of my religion?" she fumed in an interview with AFP. Instead of giving up, the student took a stand that has placed her at the centre of Uzbekistan's religious freedom debate. Her family has sued the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, taking its legal battle all the way to the country's top court. Muminjonova's case points to the Uzbeks' increasing readiness to openly practise their faith as believers become emboldened by political change under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The formerly communist country's repression of the religion persisted long after it gained independence from Moscow in 1991. The first president .
German Jews told not to wear skullcaps 'everywhere'; Israel's President expresses shock
Felix Klein, the German government's anti-Semitism commissioner, asked the Jews to avoid wearing their traditional skullcaps or 'kippah caps' at all times and everywhere in the country.In an interview with a German newspaper, Klein on Saturday said "my opinion has unfortunately changed compared with what it used to be" on the matter."I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany," he added. However, Klein didn't elaborate on what places and times might be risky, The Times of Israel reported.Meanwhile, President Reuven Rivlin of Israel on Sunday said he was "shocked" over Klein's remarks which stressed that wearing a skullcap may not be safe for Jews in parts of the country, urging the government in Berlin not to accept this situation.Klein's statement "shocked me deeply," Rivlin said in a statement quoted by The Times of Israel."Responsibility for the welfare, the freedom and the right to the religious belief of every member of the German ...
4 killed in Burkina Faso church attack
At least four people lost their lives after a group of heavily armed individuals attacked a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday morning."The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers," Al Jazeera quoted the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, as saying in a statement."The attack left four of the faithful dead," the bishop added.The attack, which took place in the town of Toulfe located 240 kilometres northwest of Ouagadougou, marked the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region."The attack caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush," a local resident told Al Jazeera.Last week, gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass.However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks that threatened the existence of peaceful relations between majority Muslims and ...