Page 19 - Religion Belief
Karnataka: Cong leader Reshma Padekanura found dead
Congress leader Reshma Padekanura was found dead near Kolhar of Vijayapura earlier today, police said.The deceased's body was found in Krishna River near Kolhar.Prima facie evidence shows that she was killed on Thursday and her body was thrown into the river, police said.A case has been registered in Kolhar Police Station and further investigation is underway.Before joining Congress, Padekanura served as the Janta Dal (secular) district president of women's wing for over a decade. In 2013, she had contested and lost elections from Devarahipparagi assembly constituency on a JD(S) ticket.On being denied a JD (S) ticket in the last assembly polls in the state, Reshma quit the party and joined Congress.
Vatican priest cleared of trying to kiss nun
A Vatican court has cleared a senior priest accused of making advances towards a German nun during confession, the Holy See said on Friday. The five-member Supreme Court said in a statement that after careful examination the "serious" allegation could not be proved "with the required moral certitude". Austrian Father Hermann Geissler proclaimed his innocence but resigned in January as one of three top officials at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which ensures Roman Catholic moral doctrine. A Canonical disciplinary procedure in 2014 let Geissler off with a warning after former German nun Doris Wagner accused him of inappropriate behaviour during confession. "He kept me for hours, kneeling before him, he told me that he loved me and that he knew that I loved him and that even if we couldn't marry, there were other ways," Wagner said. "He tried to take me in his arms and kiss me. I panicked and ran," Wagner said in testimony she put on social media. Wagner also accused ...
There was no term called 'Hindu' before Mughals: Kamal
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said it was ignorance that made Mughals give the name 'Hindu' to the nation.
UAE to release 572 Pakistani prisoners during Ramazan
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will release 572 Pakistani prisoners languishing in its jails under an amnesty during the ongoing holy month of Ramazan, according to a media report. Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said on Thursday that the UAE government will release the prisoners under an amnesty announced by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Subsequent to the order of the president of the UAE to pardon 3005 prisoners, serving sentences in different jails of the UAE under various categories, the government of the UAE has decided to release 572 Pakistani prisoners, he was quoted as saying by the Geo TV. He said that the Pakistani mission is in touch with local authorities to expedite their release and deportation to Pakistan. "Our mission is extending all necessary assistance, including the issuance of outpasses/passports and air tickets, where required, he said. Currently, around 2,409 Pakistani nationals are in eight UAE jails, facing ...
Hindu" not native description,but only foreign coinage:Haasan
Facing severe backlash over his recent Hindu extremist remarks, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan Friday claimed that the very term 'Hindu' was not a native description, but only a foreign coinage. Neither the Alwars nor the Nayanmars, the famed Vaishnavite and Shaivite saints, had made any note on 'Hindu,' he said in a statement uploaded on Twitter. The citizens were identified only as 'Indians' and confining it to religion was "erroneous," he said. "There has been no mention of 'Hindu' by the 12 Alwars or Nayanmars. We were christened Hindu by Mughals or those (foreign) rulers who predated them," he said. The British, who ruled the nation, "endorsed" that coinage, he said. "While we have so many of our own identities, it is ignorant to have something given to us by non-native as name and faith," he added. While the identity "Indian is recent," it was "eternal", the MNM chief said. "It is erroneus, in terms of commerce, politics and spirituality, for us to ..
Not correct to link terror with religion: Navjot Kaur Sidhu
Disapproving the 'first Hindu terrorist' remark made by Kamal Haasan on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Friday said that it was not correct to link terror with religion.She said that everyone should shun this apprehension that a terror group is linked to a particular religion."The whole world believes that main terror groups are linked to religion. This is not right. It is not correct to link religion with terror because both are completely different," Sidhu told ANI.Haasan, the chief of Tamil Nadu-based Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, had courted controversy recently by referring to Godse as the "first Hindu terrorist in independent India.""I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse," Haasan had said while campaigning in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi assembly constituency on May 12.Haasan's comment ..
Pope accepts resignation of Brazilian bishop: Vatican
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Brazilian bishop Vilson Dias de Oliveira, the Vatican said Friday in a statement. The bishop is under investigation for alleged extortion of priests in his diocese, and the covering-up of sexual abuse cases, according to Brazilian media reports. Dias de Oliveira allegedly protected a priest accused of clerical abuse. The bishop confessed to police in April that he had swiped USD 4,000 (3,580 euros) from parish funds for personal use, telling them he did so because he was having financial difficulties, the reports said. The Vatican always announces when Francis has accepted the resignation of a bishop, but never explains why. The Catholic Church has been rocked by a global clerical paedophilia scandal, with victims coming forward in countries ranging from Australia to Chile, Germany and the US. Francis passed a landmark new measure this month to oblige those who know about sex abuse in the Church to report it to their superiors, in a move ...
Muslims in dilemma over choosing between SP-BSP alliance and Congress
Many Muslims in eastern UP may not want to vote for the BJP but they face a dilemma over choosing between the SP-BSP alliance and the Congress. Though some members of the community speak in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development carried out in Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's bastion, they harbour a sense of insecurity. Mufti Mohammed Waliullah, who leads prayers at Gorakhpur's biggest mosque, said the Muslims are not "unanimous" over their choice of parties. "Less literate Muslims will vote for the 'mahagathbandhan' (the opposition alliance) and the educated will vote as per their understanding," he said. Waliullah expressed anguish over the BJP questioning the nationalism of Muslims, reminding that the community is indigenous to India. "Only a few Muslim clerics visited India and people who lived in the country adopted Islam. India is our country," he said. Muslims account for about 10 per cent of population in Gorakhpur, which will go to the polls on .
South Korean megachurch leader's rape term extended
A Seoul appeals court on Friday extended the jail term imposed on a South Korea cult leader for raping female followers, sentencing him to 16 years behind bars. Pastor Lee Jaerock was convicted last year of raping eight women more than 40 times. The 75-year-old denied the charges and appealed, claiming the victims were all highly educated individuals and it was therefore "impossible for anyone to sexually assault them". The Seoul High Court upheld his original conviction and added a ninth victim who came forward after his first trial, extending his sentence by a year. "Lee habitually raped young female followers by exploiting their faith and obedience, as a powerful religious figure," judge Seong Ji-yong said. Lee set up the Manmin Central Church in Guro, once a poor area of Seoul, with just 12 followers in 1982. As of last year it had grown to 130,000 members, with a spotlight-filled auditorium, sprawling headquarters, and a website replete with claims of miracle cures. Religious ...
Sikh man gives discounts to Muslims to promote peace in Pak
A Sikh trader in a tribal district of northwest Pakistan is giving discounts to Muslim worshippers in the holy month of Ramzan as a special gesture to promote peace and brotherhood in the restive region. Naranj Singh opened a shop in tehsil Jamrud of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where essential items are sold at prices less than the rates fixed by the government's Price Control Committee. The edible items are sold at prices less than Rs 10 to Rs 30 as that of the original rates. Singh said he considered it "an act of charity" and is performing the special gesture to promote peace and amity among Muslims and the minority Sikh community. Most of the Sikhs residing in Peshawar are those whose families previously resided in different parts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) but shifted to Peshawar and started a business. Renowned Sikh religious leader and rights activist Charnjit Singh was gunned down in Scheme Chowk area in the outskirts of the city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May
Muslim leaders call for united Sri Lankan identity
Sri Lankan Muslim leaders have called for one united identity of the island nation while expressing solidarity with the victims of the April 21 Easter Sunday terror attacks and those affected by the recent spate of violence.
BJP permitting all religions to co-exist: Nominated Anglo-Indian MP George Baker (IANS Interview)
Religion is a private matter and the BJP is allowing all religions to co-exist, unlike previous dispensations that had divided the people in the manner of the British colonial rulers, says actor George Baker, one of the two nominated Anglo-Indian members of the Lok Sabha.
Amazon under fire for 'hurting' Hindu sentiments
E-commerce website Amazon faced a major backlash on Twitter on Thursday and #boycottAmazon trended on the micro blogging site after users started tweeting out against the retail giant for "hurting" Hindu sentiments and selling floor mats and toilet seats with images of Hindu deities.
Dubai Crown Prince, his two brothers marry on same day
The Crown Prince of Dubai and two of his brothers - all sons of UAE Vice President and ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, were married in a private religious ceremony here. Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan, 36, was married to Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed bin Thani Al Maktoum on Wednesday, according to Dubai Media Office on Thursday. On the same day, Deputy Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, 35, married Sheikha Mariam bint Butti Al Maktoum and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, 32, married Sheikha Midya bint Dalmouj Al Maktoum. The brothers, who share the same mother, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma, signed an official marriage contract on Wednesday. A wedding ceremony is expected to follow, local media reports said.
Court takes cognisance of complaint against Kamal Haasan for 'Godse first Hindu extremist' remark
A Delhi court Thursday took cognisance of a complaint against actor-politician Kamal Haasan for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by terming Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi, a "Hindu extremist". Metropolitan Magistrate Sumeet Anand posted the matter for August 2 when the statement of complainant Vishnu Gupta will be recorded. The complainant has sought Haasan's prosecution for alleged offences punishable under Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, language etc) and 295-A (outrage religious feelings by insulting religion etc). The offences are punishable with three-year imprisonment or fine, or both.
82-year-old Gujarat woman ready to embrace death, begins 'Santhara'
Kanchan Devi Baid, an 82-year-old Jain woman, has decided to embrace death by opting for the practise of 'Santhara'.Santhara is a practice by which an individual embraces death by not eating and drinking water. This practice is regarded as a festival of death by the members of the Jain community, and the 'tapasvis' are hailed for their penance.Baid is willing to end her life and hence, began fasting on May 11, her family said.Speaking to ANI, Baid's granddaughter Nivedita Navlakkha said, "She (Baid) is doing 'Santhara' which is a part of our culture. This is not new for us as I have heard about the elders of our family doing this. However, when I see this happening in front of our eyes, it is not easy to accept. We are happy as she will attain 'moksha' (salvation)."She went on to explain that Santhara, which is an essential part of Jain community's belief and culture, is based on the philosophy that an individual's soul leaves the body willfully, which becomes a burden at old ...
Doctor arrested for sharing derogatory post on Sadhvi Pragya
Mumbai Police have arrested a 38-year-old homoeopathic doctor for allegedly posting derogatory content on BJP's Bhopal candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on a social media platform.The doctor, identified as Sunil Kumar Nishad, was arrested on May 15, police said.Based on the complaint filed by an activist Ravindra Tiwari, the Parksite Police in Vikhroli registered an FIR against Nishad under the section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code.A resident of Vikhroli West, Nishad was arrested for posting objectionable posts against Thakur and Brahmans, the FIR registered in the matter mentioned.
Attack on religious procession kills 4 in Burkina Faso
Four people were killed when a Catholic procession was attacked by unidentified armed men in Zimtenga here, church authorities said on Wednesday.Paul Ouedraogo, president of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger told CNN that a statue of the Virgin Mary was also burned by the assailants during the attack.Even though the children in the procession were set free by the attackers, four adults were killed.This comes a day after gunmen opened fire on worshipers in a Catholic church in Dablo, killing six people, including a priest."We will not be bogged down by the religious attacks," Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo said at a conference here on Tuesday.Crimes against people from the Christian faith are on the rise in the land-locked African country, with five churchgoers having lost their lives during an attack in Burkina Faso's Silgadji in April this year.International NGOs have reported that thousands have fled their homes due to rising attacks by armed groups this year.
Can't interfere with religious beliefs: HC on plea against TN govt circular on yagna for good rains
The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking it to quash a Tamil Nadu government circular asking officials to perform 'yagna' for good seasonal rains, observing it cannot interfere with religious beliefs. V Anbazhagan, who said he is the editor of a web magazine, had filed the plea against the circular issued in April by the commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, a government department which manages the temple administration in Tamil Nadu. In the plea, he said promoting yagna for rain without saving rain water, growing trees and removing encroachments on waterways, the state government was causing financial loss to the general public and religious institutions. "The circular is without jurisdiction," he said, adding it is creating a situation whereby the rituals prescribed by the authority will spread irrational thinking. The petitioner said the government can only indulge in secular activities and not profess to enforce the beliefs of a particular ...
Tensions rise over Ukraine's new independent church
Bitter divisions among Ukraine's religious leaders were laid bare Wednesday when honorary Patriarch Filaret accused the young head of the newly created united church of governing single-handedly despite earlier agreements. For more than 300 years, Moscow controlled part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church but Kiev last year won religious independence in a huge coup for the ex-Soviet country's pro-Western authorities. The 90-year-old Patriarch Filaret had been widely tipped to become the head of the united church but Metropolitan Yepifaniy, 40, was then suddenly chosen to the post last December. Filaret, who headed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate independent of Moscow, called a news conference Wednesday to claim that Metropolitan Yepifaniy had reneged on agreements to lead the newly-created church together. "There was an agreement that I continue to govern the church in Ukraine together with Yepifaniy while he will represent the church abroad," he told reporters. He