Page 180 - Religion Belief

Clashes in Kerala over land acquisition

Protesters on Friday clashed with police here over land acquisition for a national highway development project, leaving several women and children injured.

Ayodhya case: Full faith in judiciary, say Muslim clerics

Two days before the hearing in the ongoing Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case is set to resume, two Muslim clerics here on Wednesday said that they have full faith in the judiciary and the Muslim bodies would respect the apex court's verdict.Mufti Ufti Azhar Hussain Meiya (Nayab Shahar Qazi) and Hafiz Athar Usmani (General Secretary Majlis Ettihad-e-Mittal) of Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in the country, also said they could furnish evidence to prove that the mosque had existed at the disputed site, but they would not do it as the matter was sub-judice."Like the Hindu organisations, we can furnish proof that there was a mosque at the disputed site, but such a step will be disrespectful towards the court, which is yet to decide on the matter," they said.The clerics also said the central government should keep Hindu organisations under check and stop them from making any provocative statements, especially as the matter was sub judice and the communal harmony

MP CM a "coward" for giving in to "blackmail" by babas: AAP

The Madhya Pradesh unit of Aam Aadmi Party today termed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan a "coward" for giving in to the "blackmail" of "hypocrite" babas (religious leaders). "Chouhan has given in to the blackmailing of babas who had threatened to expose the CM's Narmada Sewa Yatra. He is a coward. These babas are hypocrites," MP AAP convenor Alok Agrawal told reporters. Labour Minister in the Delhi government, Gopal Rai, was also present at the press conference. The state BJP government had, on Tuesday, accorded Minister of State (MoS) status to five Hindu religious leaders -- Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant. Chouhan had last year led the Narmada Sewa Yatra to conserve and revive the river and had claimed that six crore saplings were planted along its banks during the programme. "These babas had said that they would expose the claim that six crore saplings were planted and had got banners of their ..

Ruckus continues, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday saw repeated adjournments and was finally discontinued for the day amid pandemonium.

Yoga, Catholic faith can't go together: Kerala church report

The Syro-Malabar Church has said that yoga and Catholic faith cannot go together. A report by the doctrinal commission of the Syro-Malabar Church underlined the views expressed by its Synod last year that yoga is not a medium to attain divine experience. In its report titled "Yoga and Catholic faith", the commission headed by Bishop Mathew Kallarangat of Pala diocese, said yoga would help physical and mental health but the spiritual means in yoga would not gel with prayers and theological views of Catholic tradition. The commission was appointed to review the stand taken by the Syro-Malabar Church on yoga practice in view of the alleged communal politics and Hindutva agenda of the Sangh Parivar, the report said. Last year, the synod of the Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, which discussed the role of yoga in their faith, had opined that divine experience could not be attained through a particular posture. "The God in whom we believe is a personal god. God is not someone who can be ..

Given MoS status, 2 saints call off anti-govt drive

A day after getting the 'Minister of State' status, two religious leaders today cancelled their proposed stir against an alleged scam in the Narmada conservation programme, while a third one said he would not avail the benefits as MoS. Seeking to downplay the controversy over grant of MoS status to five 'saints,' Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said his government wanted to rope in people from all walks of life for welfare and development. Elsewhere, Bhayyu Maharaj, one of the five religious leaders accorded MoS status, said he would not avail of the benefits associated with the MoS status. Ahead of the state assembly elections due later this year, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had yesterday accorded the MoS status to five Hindu religious leaders -- Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant. On March 31, the five were appointed to a committee set up for the Narmada river conservation. As members of the ...

MP spiritual guru says will not accept MoS status

Spiritual guru Uday Singh Deshmukh alias Bhaiyyu Maharaj on Wednesday said he will not accept the Minister of State status conferred on him by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Uma Bharti backs ministership of saints in MP

Union Minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday lauded the Madhya Pradesh government for granting Minister of State (MoS) status to five Hindu religious leaders.Condemning the Congress for opposing it, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that the Indian culture has always respected saints."Indian culture has always respected saints. Ministry has not been given to cons and thugs but saints. I applaud Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and condemn Congress for opposing it," Bharti told ANI.Earlier in the day, the Madhya Pradesh Government has granted Minister of State (MoS) rank to five religious leaders, namely Baba Narmadanand, Baba Hariharanand, Computer Baba, Bhaiyyu Maharaj, and Pandit Yogendra Mahant in the state cabinet.The Congress dubbed the decision as an attempt by the BJP to exploit the respect these religious leaders enjoy in society."It's a gimmick to score political points. This is also an effort by the Chief Minister [Shivraj Singh Chouhan] to wash off his sins. He ...

Gurdwara among 10 top faith places in England

Europe's largest Gurdwara in the UK has featured in a new list of most important faith buildings in England, according to a media report. The Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in Smethwick, features alongside iconic locations such as Stonehenge and Canterbury Cathedral, Birmingham Mail reported. The Gurdwara has been chosen alongside nine other places of faith to feature in 'A History of England in 100 Places' which is being run by campaign body Historic England, the report said. The Gurdwara, which was was built in the 1990s, housed one of the largest congregations in the UK and was the biggest in Europe, a citation by Historic England said. "It continues to expand with Smethwick's growing Sikh population," the citation added. "Community is at the heart of the Sikh faith and Gurdwaras are a focal point for communities to come together and get closer to God." The UK is home to over 432,000 Sikhs, according to the 2011 census, making up 0.7 per cent of the population. The initiative features ten ..

139 Pakistani persons, entities in UNSC consolidated terrorist list

One hundred and thirty nine (139) citizens and entities from Pakistan feature in the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC's) consolidated list of terrorists or terror-supporting organisations.The list also includes Indian national Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who, according to the UN Security Council, has held several Pakistani passports issued in Rawalpindi and Karachi.The UN claims that he owns a "palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad, Karachi".Hafiz Mohammad Saeed of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawaa is listed as a person also wanted by Interpol for his involvement in terrorist activities.Haji Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, the LeT's media contact, and Saeed's deputies, Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal, are listed under him. They are also wanted by Interpol.The LeT is listed with its various aliases, such as al-Mansoorian, Paasban-i-Kashmir, Paasban-i-Ahle Hadith, Jamaatud Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation.Terrorist entities that were allegedly based in Pakistan, ...

Selection of bishops doesn't breach religious rights: China

The right to appoint high priests in China should remain with the government, a Chinese official said today, stressing that not giving Pope the control over their appointment does not infringe on the religious freedom of the believers. The official also said that Beijing has made real efforts to strike a "historic" accord on the appointment of bishops to end seven decades of rift with the Vatican. The government today released a white paper "China's Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief", outlining its stand on religion in Communist China. Releasing the document, vice-administrator of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Chen Zongrong told reporters that China's religious groups cannot be controlled by "foreign forces", and Beijing should retain the right to appoint high priests. According to the Chinese Constitution, religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign control, the official said. "China has made real efforts ...

Four Pakistani Christians shot dead

Four members of a Pakistani Christian family were shot dead in Quetta city, the police said on Tuesday.

China pledges to protect freedom of religious belief

China pledged to continue to respect and protect its citizens' freedom of religious belief in a white paper published on Tuesday.

Gunmen kill 9 in twin attacks in Pakistan

Nine people, including four of a family from the minority Christian community in Pakistan, were killed after gunmen carried out two separate attacks in Quetta city in the south-western Balochistan province, police said. Both the attacks took place yesterday, they said. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the first attack in which unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a rickshaw in which a Christian family was travelling on Quetta's Shah Zaman road. All four died on the spot while a woman was injured and rushed to a hospital, Provincial Police Chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said, adding that her father and three cousins were killed in the firing. The attack on the Christians, he said, appeared to be a targeted attack. "We are investigating whether it was a targeted attack due to personal enmity or sectarian reasons," he said. The Christians on Sunday had celebrated Easter in Pakistan and the family had come to celebrate with their relatives from Lahore. Shortly after the attack .

Dont's need invitation to visit Kashmir as tourists: Panun Kashmir

The Panun Kashmir, an organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, today criticised Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for her appeal to the community members settled outside the state to visit the valley as "tourists". Panun Kashmir president Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo said the community members did not need an invitation to visit Kashmir as "tourists or pilgrims", and asserted that they needed to be taken on board in order to pave the way for their resettlement in the valley. Addressing a gathering of Kashmiri Pandits in Delhi last week, the chief minister appealed for a reconciliation between Kashmiri Muslims and the Pandit community. "The gift of education has helped you (Pandits) in making a name for yourself but those in Kashmir are still trying to live a peaceful life...The valley is incomplete without you. To begin with, please come as tourists and later if you feel so, you are most welcome to go back to your homes and stay there. I am not assuring you a roller coaster ride," she said.

Not scared of China, no comparison between Communism and Buddhism: Sangay

Central Tibetan Administration president Lobsang Sangay today said the resilience of the Tibetan spirit emanated from the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism that was 2,500 years old and there was no comparison between Communism and Buddhism, as he asserted that his community was "not scared" of China. "When people ask are you not scared of China? China is so powerful economically, militarily, politically. We say we are not, Communism is 100 years old while Buddhism is 2,500 years old, there is no competition between the two," Sangay said. He was speaking at the launch of a cultural festival of Tibet, marking the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Dalai Lama in India. Expressing gratitude towards India, the CTA president said the ancient civilisation and culture of Tibet that were "almost destroyed" had been preserved and now flourished in India. Sangay said that the Tibetan community wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make In India' initiative to succeed, as their movement was ...

Bieber's message for fans: Easter is not about a bunny

Justin Bieber sent out a message for his fans on Easter, saying the festival was "not about a bunny", it was reminder of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. The 24-year-old singer, who is devoted to Hillsong Church, took to Instagram to praise Christ. "Jesus has changed my life. Easter is not about a bunny, it's a reminder that my Jesus died on the cross for my sins and then rose from the dead defeating death! I believe this happened and it changes everything! "I am set free from bondage and shame I am a child of the most high God and he loves me exactly for where I am how I am who I am," Bieber wrote in a note. The "Believe" hitmaker, however, shared a funny picture which showed him holding up a stuffed rabbit and wearing rabbit-eared glasses. "Remember when I said Easter isn't about bunnies... Well I lied," he captioned the photo.

Justin's special Easter message to fans

Singer Justin Bieber told his fans that Easter is not about a bunny.

Why are Muslim achievements and liberal traditions not celebrated? (Comment)

It does not surprise me that the continuing debate on the Op-Ed page of the Indian Express on the Muslim predicament skirts fundamental issues. The debate has been triggered by Ramachandra Guha disagreeing with Harsh Mander on the Muslim question.

Christians greet Nitish on Easter

People belonging to the Christian community today met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his official residence here and greeted him on the occasion of Easter. They also prayed for peace, prosperity and all round development of Bihar under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, an Information and Public Relations Department release said. Prominent among those who met the chief minister included Christian Minority Welfare Association, Patna, general secretary S K Lawrence, its president Abrose Patrick besides Ranjan David, Abhishek Patrick, Shikha Kumari, Umeshwar Prasad, Vinay Kumar, the release said. Easter is celebrated by Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day of his burial after he was crucified.