Page 193 - Religion Belief
Rwanda to shut 700 churches over safety, hygiene
Rwandan authorities said today that 714 churches and one mosque would be shut in Kigali for allegedly failing to meet safety and hygiene standards. "Some churches conduct their worship services in shoddy and unclean structures, to the detriment of people's health and safety," said Anastase Shyaka, head of the Rwanda Governance Board, which monitors public and private organisations. "Cases of noise pollution have also been reported while some operate without the required operation permits," he added. He said the shutdown -- which mainly affects Pentecostal churches -- would go into effect Thursday. The churches have been asked to "halt operations until they meet the requirements." Most of the churches that will be closed are small, with congregations of hundreds of worshippers. The crackdown is also expected to affect churches outside the capital in the coming months. Church representatives criticised the move, saying authorities were being too strict. "Those that failed to implement a
Surrender mosques built over demolished temples to Hindus: Shia Waqf Board
The Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi on Wednesday proposed that the mosques built atop destroyed temples to be returned back to Hindus.In his letter to the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Chairman Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi, Waseem Rizvi has urged Muslim Board to surrender nine religious disputed places to Hindus, including Ram Temple in Ayodhya.Rizvi had stated that as per Islamic laws construction of mosques on a land grabbed by destroying other religious place is illegal.The letter contains names of nine religious disputed religious places across the country.Among the mosques listed are the Babri mosque in Ayodhya, Keshav Dev Temple in Mathura, Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Atal Dev temple in Jaunpur (All in Uttar Pradesh), Rudra Mahalaya temple in Batna Gujarat, Bhadrakali temple in Ahmedabad Gujarat, Adina Mosque in Pandua West Bengal, Vijaya temple Vidhisha Madhya Pradesh and Mosque Kuvutul Islam Qutub Minar Delhi.The Shia central waqf board .
Israel issues coin featuring Trump
An Israeli organization has issued a coin featuring the image of United States President Donald Trump in order to honour his unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.The Mikdash Educational Center on Wednesday said that the "Temple Coin" features Trump alongside King of Persia, Cyrus. Below them is the inscription, "Cyrus - Balfour - Trump - Declaration 2018."Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to the Land of Israel following their captivity in Babylon, and facilitated construction of the Second Temple, the local media reported.According to the report, the Hamikdah Betzion (The Temple in Zion) organisation opines that Trump's December 6 declaration recognising Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem set him on a similar path.1,000 biblical half-shekel coins have been minted which reportedly cannot be used as currency.On December 6 last year, Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a controversial move, prompting international criticism and sparking protests across
Child rights body to study rituals at Kerala temples
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Wednesday said it has initiated a suo motu move to study the rituals followed in Kerala temples to see if the rights of children are violated or not.
Local Muslims visit Kanchi mutt; pay respects to departed seer
A group of Muslims here today paid last respects to Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi by observing a minute's silence, underlining the pan-religious ties maintained by the Sankara mutt's seers. The group led by the head of local Jummah masjid, the largest in this town, visited the mutt and stood in silence in front of the mortal remains of the seer. After paying their last respects, they met Vijayendra Saraswathi, the junior pontiff, and expressed their condolences on the senior acharya's death. Earlier, they were received by the mutt officials. Speaking to PTI, J Mohammed, head of the mosque said, "We have cordial relations with the mutt since the times of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi (predecessor of Jayendra Saraswathi). "When some objected to the presence of a mosque in the vicinity of the mutt decades ago, Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi had said a mosque is a house of God and there should be no objection to it," he recalled.
Jordan King to talk on Islamic heritage; PM to attend event
Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is a 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad and is known for his global initiative to fight radicalisation, will deliver a lecture on Islamic heritage and promoting understanding and moderation at a conference here tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, diplomats, representatives from a wide range of Islamic institutions, academicians and think-tanks will attend the event to be held at Vigyan Bhavan, officials said. India has around 17 crore Muslims which is around 15 per cent of the country's total population. The Muslim population in India is one of the largest globally. The Jordanian King arrived here last evening on a three-day visit which is aimed at taking bilateral relations to a "new high". Reflecting the importance of his visit, Modi received King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein at the airport, in a special gesture. Tomorrow's event will also witness the release of the Urdu translation of a book titled 'A Thinking Person's Guide to ...
Chinese courts handled 2.13 lakh IPR infringement cases in 2017: official
Courts in China dealt with over 2.13 lakh cases of infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR) last year, double the number as compared to 2013, a top judicial official said. A total of 213,480 cases which courts dealt with was about 40.4 per cent more as compared to 2016 and double as compared to 2013, said Tao Kaiyuan, vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC). The rise in numbers also reflects the concerns over IPR violations in China, which has emerged as the worlds second largest economy. Even the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) had filed a lawsuit recently against a Chinese company for using its name to promote an English learning app. The trademark infringement lawsuit, announced by a Beijing district court, has accused a Beijing-based language learning firm iYuba of using BBC's trademark and content on its apps, websites and social media without any authorisation. As of the end of 2017, the SPC had published 36 items of judicial interpretation on IPR, Tao ...
Pontiff who took Kanchi mutt to new heights in spiritualism
Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Sri Sankara Mutt is credited with taking the highly revered religious institution to new heights in the sphere of spiritualism, community service, education and health care. The Shankaracharya, who died of heart attack today aged 82, had made a vain bid to resolve the vexatious Ayodhya temple issue by mediating in 2002. Jayendra Saraswati, anointed the 69th pontiff of the mutt in 1994 succeeding Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal, was considered a transformative force who reached out to all sections of people, including Dalits, and undertook social service. He also strived to reach out to the underprivileged sections of the society and founded two outfits -- 'Jan Kalyan' and 'Jan Jaghran' -- with the objective of carrying out service-oriented activities. The bodies supported renovation of temples in Dalit neighbourhoods besides setting up new ones. The mutt, under his charge, focused on welfare assistance for the ...
Handful of terrorists tarnishing image of Islam: Cleric
Eminent Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad today alleged that a handful of terrorists working at the behest of Israel and the US were tarnishing the image of Islam. "A handful of terrorists working on the directions of Israel and the United States are trying to spoil the image of Islam in the world," Jawwad, also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), told a congregation at the dargah Hussainiya Mujibiya here. "The basis of Islam is peace and brotherhood... It is stated in history that Islam spread in India because of the Sufi saints like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti," he said. The cleric said that a Shia-Sunni sadbhavana sammelan (meeting for communal harmony) is being organised in Lucknow on March 25.
13 dead in Christian-Muslim violence in Nigeria: police
At least 13 people have been killed in clashes between Christian and Muslim youths in central Nigeria, police said today, in the latest violence to hit the region. Fighting broke out on Monday in Kasuwan Magani community in Kaduna state, about 45 kilometres by road from the state capital, Kaduna city. "The mayhem led to the death of 13 people with many houses and shops burnt," Kaduna state police commissioner Austin Iwar told AFP by telephone. Local reports gave a higher death toll. Iwar said 20 suspects have been arrested, and troops and police had been deployed to quell the violence. "The place is now calm. I was in the village yesterday to implore the community and traditional leaders to appeal to the warring youths to sheath their swords," he added. An investigation has been launched into the incident. "We don't want to jump into conclusion as to what led to the mayhem. The speculation was that some Christian boys were not happy that their girls are befriending Muslim boys," Iwar .
Kanchi Shankaracharya a spiritual beacon, says Shah
The BJP today mourned the death of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi with its president Amit Shah calling him a spiritual beacon who contributed immensely to the society and veteran leader L K Advani recalling his work to evolve an amicable solution to the Ayodhya dispute. Jayendra Saraswathi -- the 69th Shankaracharya of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam -- passed away today following a cardiac arrest Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. "Anguished to learn about the sad demise of Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathiji of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Generations will remember him for his teachings, wisdom and exemplary work towards educating the poor. He was a spiritual beacon, who contributed immensely to the society and served mankind," Shah said in a condolence message. In a statement, Advani expressed his deep sadness at his death. As the head of Kanchi Mutt, he expanded its spiritual and social welfare activities manifold in different parts of India, he and recalled his association ...
Vrindavan widows celebrate Holi
Fervour was seen in the eyes of the widows in Vrindavan as thay celebrated Holi with colours and flowers on Wednesday.The widows, broke an age old practice which came into existence due to social ill-practices, by first playing the festival of colors with Lord Krishna.Vrindavan, is widely regarded as one of the holiest towns in Uttar Pradesh, where the celebration of Holi starts at least a week before the actual day of the festival.Dr. Bindeshwari Pathak, founder of Sulabh International, said, "All women are very happy with this change. Earlier, according to our tradition, widows were not allowed to touch colour, but now, there is no such barrier, as we have broken an age-old practice."He further said the widows in Vrindavan have been enjoying Holi since 2012.A widow in Vrindavan said, "Playing Holi has brought new colours into our lives.
Church at Jesus's traditional burial site reopens after protest
The Jerusalem church built at the site many see as the holiest in Christianity reopened today after a three-day closure to protest against Israeli measures had left thousands of visitors locked outside. The two men who act as keepers of the key of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre opened its large wooden doors at around 4:00 am, ending the protest that began on Sunday at noon. Shortly afterwards, a group of pilgrims emerged from the still darkened corridors of Jerusalem's Old City to visit the sacred site. "We prayed in front of the doors every day since Sunday," said Francois-Roch Ferlet, a 29-year-old visiting with a group of 50 people from France, standing near the ornate shrine encasing the traditional site of Jesus's tomb inside the church. They were due to leave later on Wednesday and were relieved they were able to visit. The church is built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Custody of it is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman ...
Hindu, Muslim meet organised to ensure peaceful Holi
Hindus and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad organised a meeting to ensure a peaceful Holi in the vicinity.The meeting was called to ensure that no untoward incident takes place on the auspicious day of Holi.Anil Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police Faizabad informed that such meetings are a routine affair in the area, as the authorities take suggestions of both the communities amid festivities.While asserting that the meeting was necessitated as Holi falls on a Friday when Muslim community offers Namaz Singh said, "the meeting was arranged so Holi could be celebrated peacefully. We always schedule such meetings and take suggestions from both communities."As per police reports, no communal incident has been reported in the city, since last five years.
Naidu condoles Kanchi seer's demise
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today recalled the contribution of Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, who passed away today, in promoting spirituality. "Pay my respects to Kanchi peethadhipathi Shri Jayendra Saraswati who attained moksha. His contribution for the welfare of mankind and in promoting spirituality will always be an inspiration for others," he tweeted. The senior pontiff of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt passed away in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) today following a cardiac arrest.
Jordan rejects Israel's move to tax Jerusalem church properties
Jordan on Tuesday rejected a move by Israel to tax the properties of Christian churches in Jerusalem, saying it is closely monitoring the situation.
Christian holy site in Jerusalem to reopen today after protest: churches
Christian leaders in Jerusalem said that they would today reopen the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, closed since the weekend in protest at Israeli tax measures. "We hereby announce that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... will be reopened to the pilgrims tomorrow, February 28th, 2018 at 4:00 AM," said a joint statement issued last night. The announcement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a "professional team" would be appointed to resolve the financial dispute. The closure -- which seemed to be the longest since at least 1990 -- has left thousands of pilgrims and tourists seeking to visit the site locked outside. The church is built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Custody of it is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations. Yesterday's statement was signed by the heads of all three faiths in the Holy Land. "We... give thanks to God for the statement released earlier today ..
Christian holy site in Jerusalem to reopen Wednesday after protest: churches
Christian leaders in Jerusalem said that they would on Wednesday reopen the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, closed since the weekend in protest at Israeli tax measures. "We hereby announce that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... will be reopened to the pilgrims tomorrow, February 28th, 2018 at 4:00 AM (0200 GMT)," said a joint statement issued on Tuesday night. The announcement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a "professional team" would be appointed to resolve the financial dispute.
404 Hindus, 35 Muslims sought Guj govt nod to change religion in 2 yrs: Rupani
As many as 453 people in Gujarat, including 404 Hindus and 35 Muslims, sought the state government's permission to change their religion in the last two years, and of them, 171 were given the go-ahead, the Assembly was informed today. Those seeking nod for religious conversion hailed from 26 of the 33 districts of Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told the House. The Budget session of the Gujarat Assembly is currently underway. It started on February 20 and would continue till March end. Rupani, who also handles the home department, said 453 people from different faiths had applied for religious conversion in two years, till December 31, 2017. Of these, the department gave its consent to 171 applicants of different religions during the period, he replied during the Question Hour. The Chief Minister was replying to a set of questions raised by Congress MLAs, who sought details of applications received by the department from citizens, who wish to embrace another religion in the last .
Israel suspends actions that led to closure of Christian holy site
Israel today suspended tax measures and other actions that led to the rare closure of the church built at what is seen as the holiest site in Christianity, shut down all week in protest. Christian leaders who have kept Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed since Sunday were yet to respond to the decision and it was not clear whether it would reopen imminently. The closure has left thousands of pilgrims and tourists seeking to visit the site locked outside, with some kneeling in front of its large wooden doors to pray in Jerusalem's Old City. Dozens of protesters rallied outside the church this afternoon in support of Christian leaders. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a "professional team" would be appointed to come up with a solution to tax measures imposed by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem firmly opposed by Christian leaders. "As a result, the Jerusalem municipality is suspending the collection actions it has taken in recent weeks," the ...