Page 38 - Religion Belief
Rahul slams Javadekar for restricting PhD topics
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday slammed Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar over a circular issued by his Ministry asking all departments to prepare "a shelf of projects" in line with "national priorities" for PhD scholars.
Sushma seeks report on Pakistani girls' abduction
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday sought details from the Indian Embassy in Pakistan following reports of two Hindu teenager girls being abducted on the eve of Holi in Sindh province.
Complaint filed against Kejriwal's tweet
A Supreme Court lawyer on Saturday filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over a tweet posted by him recently.In his complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, Supreme Court advocate Alakh Alok Shrivastava alleged that Kejriwal with his tweet posted on March 20 hurt the religious sentiments of Hindu community."Around 10:13 pm on March 20, the accused posted a tweet from his official Twitter handle depicting a broom chasing away a 'Hindu Swastika' symbol. This is an extremely sacred symbol in Hinduism and is worshipped by many Hindus," the complaint read.The lawyer alleged that the tweet was published online to promote disharmony, enmity, hatred and ill-will among different religious groups."I hereby request you to immediately register a first information report (FIR) against Kejriwal under sections 295A, 153A, 153, 504 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," Srivastava said in the complaint.
Dubai projects NZ PM's image on iconic skyscraper
Dubai has projected the image of New Zealand premier Jacinda Ardern onto its iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, in thanks for her response to last week's mosque shootings. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum praised Ardern's "support to the Muslim community" after a white supremacist gunman attacked two mosques on Mar 15, killing 50 people. "Thank you PM @jacindaardern and New Zealand for your sincere empathy and support that has won the respect of 1.5 billion Muslims after the terrorist attack that shook the Muslim community around the world," he wrote on Twitter. A photo from Dubai's Public Diplomacy Office showed Burj Khalifa lit up with a picture of Ardern in a hijab, warmly embracing a Muslim affected by the tragedy, under the word "peace" in Arabic and English. Ardern has been widely praised for her handling of the tragedy, meeting victims' families and moving quickly to tighten gun laws while calling for global efforts against extremism online.
Ritual seeks divine grace for Modi to become PM again
A group of women in Gujarat's Surat Saturday performed a 'yagna' ritual to please Lord Shani to ensure that the son of the soil and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins a second term with huge majority in Lok Sabha elections. More than 500 women congregated at Siddha Kutir in Kapodara locality of the city on the first day of the "108 Shani Mahayagna" on the banks of the Tapi river, organisers said. "As many as 532 women are participating in the Shani Mahayagna. They are sitting for prayers which will be held for two days," said Rekha Rawal, state secretary of voluntary organisation 'Narendra Modi Vichar Manch', which organised the event. They are performing the ritual to seek blessings of Lord Shani to grant Modi another term as the prime minister, she said. Rawal said differently-abled students from a school and the women engaged in cleanliness activities will also join the ritual, which will end Sunday. "We are doing this 'havan' so that Modiji is once again elected as prime minister
Christchurch attack mosque reopens to worshippers
Worshippers on Saturday returned to the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, one of the two mosques where a gunman massacred 50 people on March 15.
Promoting Urdu but no Javed Akhtar? (Column: Bollywood Spotlight)
The decision by The National Council For The Promotion Of The Urdu Language to use Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina AKaif to promote the language has triggered off a wave of outrage.
Christchurch attack: UAE thanks NZ PM for 'sincere empathy' towards Muslims; projects her image on Burj Khalifa
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's hijab-clad picture was projected on the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, on Friday night in gratitude for the support shown by the leader towards the Muslim community in the aftermath of last week's Christchurch terror attacks."New Zealand today fell silent in honour of the mosque attacks' martyrs. Thank you PM @jacindaardern and New Zealand for your sincere empathy and support that has won the respect of 1.5 billion Muslims after the terrorist attack that shook the Muslim community around the world," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of UAE tweeted..
Pak national among 3 named in NIA's charge sheet against FIF
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against three persons - Mohammad Salman from Delhi, Mohammad Salim from Rajasthan and Mohammad Kamran (absconding), a native of Pakistan - in a case related to Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).In an official statement issued on Friday, the NIA said that after investigation, it was found that FIF chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Shahid Mahmood hatched a conspiracy in 2012 to create sleeper cells and logistic base in Delhi and Haryana under the garb of religious work such as construction of mosques, madrasa education, financial assistance for marriage of poor Muslim girls, and so on.In pursuance of this conspiracy, the NIA said, Mahmood tasked his associate Mohammad Kamran, a Pakistani national based at Dubai, for re-routing funds from Pakistan to Dubai and further to India through hawala channels. Kamran was further tasked to identify "religious minded Indian Muslims who could be given this fund in the name of ...
God may have sent Trump to save Israel from Iran: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said it is "possible" that President Donald Trump was sent by God to save Israel from Iran.
Hindus in Bangladesh celebrate Holi festival
Holi, the Hindu spring festival also known as the "festival of colours", was celebrated on Friday for the second consecutive day by the Hindu community in the Bangladesh capital with traditional and religious fervour.
Dalai Lama condemns Christchurch shootings
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has written to the New Zealand Prime Minister to express sadness over the tragic deaths and injuries in shootings that took place in a place of worship in Christchurch, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said on Friday.
Mahathir: Muslims need new ways to reduce hatred
Malaysia's prime minister says Muslim countries need to look for new ways to reduce the atmosphere of hatred and anger toward Muslims that prompted the deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand. Mahathir Mohamad, a prominent Muslim statesman, says he discussed ways to improve the perception of Muslims around the world in talks Friday in Pakistan with Prime Minister Imran Khan. He says Muslims need to learn how to respond to the hatred directed at them, and warned that taking revenge and killing invites the same reaction. He didn't specify any alternatives, but his comments suggested more tolerance, patience and dialogue. Mahathir arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a three-day visit. Thousands of people have gathered for a mass funeral to bury 26 of the victims of the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. The funeral is taking place at a Muslim cemetery where more than a dozen of the 50 killed last week already have been laid to rest. Family members took turns passing around ...
OIC FMs meet over anti-Muslim violence
The Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states met here on Friday on how to respond to hate speeches and violence against Muslims.
New Zealand observes silence on completing a week of Christchurch shootings
New Zealand observed few moments of silence on Friday as it marked a week since the twin mosque shootings in Christchurch that claimed 50 lives on March 15.Around 20,000 people from across the nation participated in the weekly Friday prayers, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, outside Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, Al Jazeera reported.Al Noor is one of the two mosques that was targeted during the worst terror attack on New Zealand, allegedly carried out by 28-year-old Australian-born Brenton Tarrant, apart from the Linwood mosque.Ardern briefly quoted Prophet Muhammad while addressing the crowd prior to the prayers. She said, "When any part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain.New Zealand mourns with you, we are one."Among the attendees of Friday's prayer, many women opted to wear headscarves in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community.Religious leader at the Al Noor mosque, Imam Gamal Fouda, a witness of last week's terror attack, told worshipers that he "saw ..
New Zealand prays, falls silent, a week after mosque massacres
The Muslim call to prayer rang out across New Zealand on Friday followed by two minutes of nationwide silence to mark a week since a white supremacist gunned down 50 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. As the call was broadcast around the country, thousands -- including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and wounded survivors -- stood in a park opposite the mosque where the killing began, as the nation of 4.5 million came to a standstill. New Zealand is still in shock following the killings by alleged shooter Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian national who had hoped to foment an ethnic war with his attacks. But horrified Kiwis have responded with outpourings of love, with many embracing their Muslim neighbours on Friday in moving scenes across the country. A muezzin in white skullcap issued the call to regular Friday prayers at 1.30 pm (0030 GMT) with chants of "Allahu Akhbar" (God is greatest) as thousands listened in Christchurch's Hagley Park, across from the Al ...
Former Muslim detainee tells of China camp trauma
For Muslims in China's re-education camps, indoctrination starts with early morning patriotic songs and sessions of self-criticism, and often ends with a meal of only pork, according to one exiled former detainee. UN experts say China holds one million Muslims in camps in the heavily policed Xinjiang region where most of the country's ethnic Uyghur, the largest Muslim minority, live. Beijing has rejected the accusations and says it runs education training centres as part of its fight against Islamist extremism in the Muslim-majority region. The sites are a kind of "campus", according to China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng speaking last week. For Omir Bekali, an ethnic Kazakh who says he spent several weeks in a camp in Karamay in Xinjiang before fleeing to Turkey a year ago, it was more about trauma than education. The camps had only one objective, he said, to strip detainees of their religious belief. "Every morning, at 0700 to 0730, we had to sing the Chinese ...
New Zealand observes Muslim prayer after mosque attacks
In a day without precedent, people across New Zealand observed the Muslim call to prayer Friday as the nation reflected on the moment one week ago when 50 people were slaughtered at two mosques. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and thousands of others congregated in leafy Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch to observe the call to prayer. Thousands more were listening in on the radio or watching on television as the event was broadcast live. The prayer was followed by two minutes of silence. Fahim Imam, 33, of Auckland, flew in Friday morning from New Zealand's largest city for the service. He was born and grew up in Christchurch but moved away three years ago. "It's just amazing to see how the country and the community have come together blows my mind, actually," Imam said before the event. "As soon as I got off the plane, I saw a sign someone was holding that said 'jenaza,' denoting Muslim funeral prayer. Others were offering free rides to and from the prayer ...
Hema Malini to contest again from Mathura LS seat
Popular actor and Mathura MP Hema Malini, who has been busy since morning participating in Holi celebrations in Lord Krishna's land, was Thursday against fielded by her BJP from the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
UAE's Al-Romaithi withdraws from AFC presidency race
Emirati Mohammed Khalfan Al-Romaithi withdrew his candidacy for the Asian Football Confederation presidency on Thursday, paving the way for the reelection of Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa. The pair said in a statement that they would work together for the "independence and transparency of the AFC". Romaithi announced he would run on March 7, promising change to Asian football's governing body, with the former police chief of Abu Dhabi quoted as saying at the time: "Asia deserves better." His withdrawal leaves Sheikh Salman facing Qatar's Saud al-Mohannadi in the election, which is due to be held on April 6.