Page 48 - Religion Belief
Israel releases Muslim official arrested after holy site unrest
Israeli police arrested and later released a top Palestinian Muslim official in Jerusalem on Sunday after scuffles at a flashpoint holy site in the city in recent days. The arrest drew condemnation from Jordan, the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the disputed city. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Abdel Azeem Salhab had been arrested for violating an order preventing entry into a prohibited area of the holy site. Salhab is the head of the council of the Waqf in Jerusalem, the religious authority that governs the site. Official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that his deputy Najih Bakira had also been arrested, but police had not confirmed it. Both men were seen by an AFP photographer late Sunday afternoon leaving a police compound in Jerusalem. A lawyer for the two men, Mohammed Mahmud, said they had been barred from Al-Aqsa for seven days. Police had not commented. The Waqf condemned the arrests in a statement, calling the police actions ...
PM Modi to unveil 800-kg 'Astounding Bhagavad Gita' at ISKCON temple in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a giant Bhagavad Gita, running into 670 pages and weighing 800 kg, at the ISKCON temple here on February 26, officials said Sunday. Dubbed the 'Astounding Bhagavad Gita', and measuring 2.8 m by 2 m, it is billed as the "largest principle sacred text ever to be printed," according to ISCKON. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a worldwide confederation of more than 400 temples and runs 100 vegetarian restaurants and a wide variety of community serving projects. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to unveil the 'Astounding Bhagavad Gita' on February 26 at the ISKCON Temple and Cultural Centre in East of Kailash in New Delhi," ISKCON said in a statement. The Prime Minister's Office said the prime minister will be attending the event on Tuesday. "With an artistic touch of 18 exquisite paintings and an innovative elegant layout, the book has been printed in Milan, ...
Sufi meet held in Ajmer
A meeting of the All India Sufi Sajjada Nashin Council was held in Rajasthan's Ajmer city on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Ajmer Dargah Dewan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan and saw participation from members across various states. In a statement, the chairman of the council, Syed Nasirudin, said the members held a two-minute silence for the CRPF personnel killed in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. The members expressed concern over the "rising" atmosphere of hatred in the country and decided that all dargahs in the states would spread a message of peace and harmony and propagate Sufism, Nasirudin said. The members were asked to join hands with schools and madrasas to propagate the message of peace and harmony, he added.
Man arrested with cache of arms in West Bengal
A man was arrested with a cache of arms, including 7 mm and 9 mm pistols, from a bus at Burwan in Murshidabad district, a senior police officer said here Sunday. The accused, Humayun Sheikh, was travelling to Malda from Kolkata, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Murshidabad district, Mukesh Kumar, said. The police recovered 20 pistols of 9 mm make in dismantled state, four pistols of 7 mm caliber, 10 bullets and eight magazines, Kumar said. Sheikh, a resident of Kaliachak in Malda, had taken delivery of the consignment from Howrah, he said. He was travelling by a North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) bus from Kolkata to Kaliachak and was nabbed en route at Burwan. "Our men were following Sheikh from Howrah after getting information about him from two persons, who were arrested on January 31," the SP said. The officer said that Sheikh was being interrogated to ascertain the purpose of procuring the arms. He said that Sheikh planned to assemble the 9 mm ...
PM Modi to unveil 800-kg 'Astounding Bhagvad Gita' at ISKCON temple in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a giant Bhagvad Gita, running into 670 pages and weighing 800 kg, at the ISKCON temple here on February 26, officials said Sunday. Dubbed the 'Astounding Bhagvad Gita', and measuring 2.8 m by 2 m, it is billed as the "world's largest sacred book", according to ISCKON. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a worldwide confederation of more than 400 temples and runs 100 vegetarian restaurants and a wide variety of community serving projects. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to unveil the 'Astounding Bhagvad Gita' on February 26 at the ISKCON Temple and Cultural Centre in East of Kailash in New Delhi," ISKCON said in a statement. The Prime Minister's Office said the prime minister will be attending the event on Tuesday. He will also address a gathering comprising spiritual leaders, diplomats, social leaders, scholars along with devotees and members of ISKCON from ..
Modi takes holy dip at Sangam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took the holy dip at the Sangam - the holy confluence of sacred Ganga, Yamuna and mystical Sarawasti rivers - and prayed for peace and prosperity of the nation.
Modi offers prayers at Sangam in Kumbh
Prime Minister Narendra modi on Sunday offered prayers at the Sangam -- the holy confluence of the sacred Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawasti rivers and prayed for the peace and prosperity of the nation.
Pope compares child sex abuse to 'human sacrifice'
Pope Francis on Sunday compared the sexual abuse of children to human sacrifice as he addressed the Catholic Church's top bishops at the end of a landmark summit to tackle paedophilia. "Our work has made us realise once again that the gravity of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors is, and historically has been, a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies," he said. "I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings - frequently children - in pagan rites," he added. Francis was speaking after a four-day meeting which he had opened by calling for "concrete measures" on tackling priests and handing 114 senior bishops a roadmap to shape the debate on how to stop a global scandal. "If in the Church there should emerge even a single case of abuse - which already in itself represents an atrocity - that case will be faced with the utmost seriousness". The ongoing scandals have hit countries around the world, with ..
Israel arrests top Muslim official after holy site unrest
Israeli police said Sunday they arrested a top Palestinian Muslim official in Jerusalem after scuffles at a flashpoint holy site in the city in the past few days. The arrest drew condemnation from Jordan, the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in the disputed city. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Abdel Azeem Salhab had been arrested for violating an order preventing entry into a prohibited area of the holy site. Salhab is the head of the council of the Waqf in Jerusalem, the religious authority that governs the site. Official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that his deputy Najih Bakira was also arrested, but police had not confirmed it. The arrests follow the detention of 60 others overnight Thursday to Friday as police said they were responding to calls for unrest at the holy site surrounding Friday prayers there. Some have since been released with an order not to visit the holy site. The site is the third-holiest in Islam and a focus of Palestinian ...
Amicus curiae reaches Puri, holds series of meetings
The Supreme Court appointed amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar Saturday reached Puri and held a series of meetings with various stakeholders. Kumar has been appointed by the apex court to look into the affairs of the Jagannath Temple in Puri and suggest reforms. Kumar held a meeting with the Temple Managing Committee Chairman and Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, servitors, district administration, police, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and others. After his meeting with the amicus curiae, Deb said the subsequent Odisha governments have not given due attention towards the Jagannath temple. The state government since 1960 has taken over the temple administration from Gajapati. "It was expected that the government would be able to overcome lacunae in the functioning of the temple. But sadly, the subsequent governments have till date not been able to bring about reforms," Deb said. The Gajapati pointed out that while things changed for the better within two years in Lord ...
Over 25,000 illicit liquor seized, 10 arrested in Greater Noida
Over 25,000 illicit liquor was seized in Greater Noida on Saturday and 10 people were arrested in a raid conducted by Gautam Buddh Nagar police, officials said. A massive operation was launched this evening at a godown where three trucks full of illicit liquor, along with an empty truck, were impounded, district police chief Vaibhav Krishna said. "More than 25,000 litres of rectified spirit (ethanol, 60 per cent concentration) has been seized from the spot under Badalpur police station area. Ten people have been arrested," the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said. He said primary interrogation has revealed that the illicit liquor was being supplied from Punjab, and after brief storage in this area it was smuggled to different parts of Uttar Pradesh. "It may be one of the biggest recoveries in the state," Krishna said.
Nun to Vatican abuse summit: "This storm will not pass by"
A prominent Nigerian nun has blasted the culture of silence in the Catholic Church that has long sought to hide clergy sexual abuse, telling a Vatican summit that transparency and an admission of mistakes is needed to restore trust. In a powerful speech Saturday, Sister Veronica Openibo told Pope Francis' gathering of the Catholic hierarchy that African and Asian church leaders must no longer justify their silence about sexual violence by claiming that poverty and conflict are more serious issues for the church. "This storm will not pass by," she warned them. She called for discussion on a host of controversial issues to address the scandal, including lay participation in the selection of bishops, whether seminaries for young boys are really healthy and why elderly abusers aren't dismissed from the clergy. "We proclaim the Ten Commandments and parade ourselves as being the custodians of moral standards, values and good behavior in society," she told the gathering. "Hypocrites at ...
3,168 places of worship in TN on encroached land: Govt to HC
The Tamil Nadu government Friday informed the Madras High Court that 3,168 religious structures like temples, churches and mosques have been constructed on encroached public land in the state. Among the religious structures are 3,003 temples, 131 churches, 27 mosques and seven structures of other religions, the government said. The submission was made by Deputy Secretary, Municipal Administration, S Ramanathan in an affidavit before Justice S M Subramaniam as per his recent directive seeking data on places of worship on encroached public land. Justice Subramaniam, in his order on January 4, had observed that even a deity in a temple cannot commit an act of encroachment. The matter relates to a plea by an office-bearer of rationalist outfit Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, seeking implementation of a government order and shifting of a Lord Vinayaka temple allegedly constructed on public land. The government order, issued years ago, had disallowed worship at government offices and a .
Promote communal amity, be wary of divisive forces: Assam Guv to youth
Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi Friday exhorted the youth to contribute to the country's growth and promote communal harmony, even as he cautioned them to be wary of "divisive forces". In his address at a World Scouts Day function here, he also expressed hope that by 2024, the Scouts and Guides "premier youth movement". "I congratulate you for the work done so far and urge you to continue to contribute to India's growth and development," Mukhi said. "As scouts and guides, you have already contributed to various causes. You must work to promote communal harmony, but at the same time be wary of divisive forces," he said. The event celebrated the World Scouts Day, which marks the birth anniversary of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting movement. Scouts and Guides, dressed up in colourful uniform from various parts of the country, had gathered in Delhi for the event. "I wish that by 2024, our Scouts and Guides (movement) will be a globally visible, consistently growing, self-reliant ...
Will not allow rumours being spread to incite violence in Bengal: Mamata
Slamming the central government for "making false promises", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP and the RSS of spreading rumours to incite violence in the state and also said her government would not allow this.
Vatican summit on sex abuse focuses calls for accountability
Cardinals attending Pope Francis' summit on preventing clergy sex abuse called Friday for a new culture of accountability in the Catholic Church to punish bishops and religious superiors when they fail to protect their flocks from predator priests. On the second day of Francis' extraordinary gathering of Catholic leaders, the focus of debate shifted to how church leaders must acknowledge that decades of their own cover-up, secrecy and fear of scandal had only worsened the crisis. "We must repent, and do so together, collegially, because along the way we have failed," said Mumbai (India) Cardinal Oswald Gracias. "We need to seek pardon." Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich told the 190 bishops and religious superiors that new legal procedures were needed to both report and investigate superiors when they are accused of misconduct or negligence in handling abuse cases. He said lay experts must be involved at every step of the process, since rank-and-file Catholics know far better than priests
Rahul Gandhi treks Tirumala hills, prays at Lord Balaji temple
Congress President Rahul Gandhi Friday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here. On his arrival at the temple main entrance, Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by the hill temple management. After quickly trekking the nearly 10 km-long steep stairway leading to the ancient hill shrine, the Congress chief paid obeisance to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara, a temple official told PTI. It took about two hours for Gandhi to reach the sacred hills, the official said. After his spiritual trek from the foot of the hill at Alipiri in Tirupati in the afternoon, the Congress president made a brief halt at a heavily guarded Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams guest house on the hill and later visited the shrine, the official said. After prayers, Gandhi was offered sacred silk cloth, prasadam, and a holy memento, the temple official said. He was in the temple for about 20 minutes. Tight security arrangements were put in place on the ...
French bishops agree to compensation for sex abuse victims
Still struggling to come to terms with their share of responsibility in the clerical sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church, France's bishops have agreed to award financial compensation to victims whose cases fall outside of France's statute of limitations. "We have agreed in principle to make a financial gesture," Vincent Neymon, head of communications for the French bishops'conference, told The Associated Press in an interview this week. He said he hoped to have a system for paying victims in place in less than a year. France has not been immune to the scandal that has prompted a credibility crisis for the Catholic hierarchy, and that is the topic of a summit at the Vatican this week on preventing sex abuse and prosecuting pedophile priests. Two years ago, an investigation by online publication Mediapart unearthed 342 cases of abuse over 50 years that French bishops were accused of covering up in France and abroad, involving at least 34 priests. Some were convicted, most were
Piyush Goyal prays at Lord Venkateswara temple
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Friday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here. The union minister was accompanied by his wife Seema and other family members. Goyal arrived here Thursday and after an overnight stay on the hills, took part in the 'abhishekam' (celestial bath) conducted by the priests for the main deity of Lord Venkateswara at the sanctum sanctorum in the shrine, a temple official told PTI. On his arrival, the Railway Minister was received by top officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which governs the ancient shrine, the official added.
Pope offers 21 proposals to fight abuse at start of summit
Pope Francis opened a landmark sex abuse prevention summit Thursday by offering senior Catholic leaders 21 proposals to punish predators and keep children safe, warning that the faithful are demanding concrete action and not just words. The tone for the high stakes, four-day summit was set at the start, with victims from five continents Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and North America telling the bishops of the trauma of their abuse and the additional pain the church's indifference caused them. "Listen to the cry of the young, who want justice," Francis told the gathering of 190 leaders of bishops conferences and religious orders. "The holy people of God are watching and expect not just simple and obvious condemnations, but efficient and concrete measures to be established." More than 30 years after the scandal first erupted in Ireland and Australia, and 20 years after it hit the US, bishops and Catholic officials in many parts of Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia still ...