Page 52 - Religion Belief
Saraswati Puja fostering communal harmony in UP locality
Nestled in a narrow bylane in the Muslim-dominated locality of Mohatsimganj here, the Saraswati Puja at Suraradhana Sangeet Vidyalaya has been a symbol of communal harmony and bonhomie with both Hindus and Muslims eagerly looking forward to the annual festival. The over-a-decade-old puja, near the Civil Lines bus station in this city in Uttar Pradesh, draws the young and the old from both communities. "The atmosphere is absolutely good and lively," said Moazzam Raza, a hafiz at Badi Masjid Mohatsimganj, just a stone's throw from the music school. "Whenever Azaan is held, cultural programmes organised during the Saraswati puja are briefly stopped...People -- both Hindus and Muslims -- respect each other's religious sentiments here," he said. Seventy-year-old Naseeruddin, who runs a salon below the mosque, said, "I have been witnessing the Saraswati Puja for over a decade, and it is one of the joyous occasion that children in the locality look forward to." He said that people belonging
Mass prayer in Mizoram churches to oppose Citizenship Bill
Special mass prayer was held in churches across Mizoram for the defeat of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Presbyterian church's Mizoram Synod sources said on Sunday. Members of 16 major churches of different denominations held prayers on Saturday night. The appeal made by the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), a conglomeration of leaders of major churches, had asked the local churches of all the denominations to pray so that the bill gets stalled in the Rajya Sabha. The MKHC had earlier appealed to members to hold mass prayer on the night of February 16, but issued another circular on Friday last to conduct the mass prayer on February 9 or February 10. A press statement issued by the MKHC said that the bill is "harmful" for Mizoram and Christians. The bill, being vehemently opposed in the Northeast, was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 and the Centre has said it will try to get the Rajya Sabha nod in this budget session. The bill seeks to ...
Foundation stone laid for Sree Narayana Guru pilgrimage circuit
Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Sree Narayana Guru spiritual pilgrimage circuit at a function held near here at the spiritual abode of the renowned social reformer.
Muslims must be part of India's growth: Frank Islam
Muslims must take active part in shaping the future of India and be "equal partners" in the country's "shared prosperity", India-born American philanthropist Frank Islam said here.
Mehbooba praises Imran Khan for naming forest after Guru Nanak
Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday praised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for deciding to name a forest reserve in Nankana Sahib district after Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak.
Lost whatever little respect I had for him: KPCC chief on SM Krishna's remarks
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday criticised former Union minister SM Krishna for his statement on 'interference' by Rahul Gandhi and said that by making such remarks he has lost whatever little respect he had.Rao said, "Today when I hear his statement, even that 1 per cent of respect I had for him is gone. For a person of his stature to speak like this, is absolutely disgusting. I don't know what is making him speak like this."Krishna on Saturday had said that Rahul Gandhi issued diktats during the Manmohan Singh dispensation without holding any post in the government, which led him to quit both the party and government.Referring to the comments by Krishna, Rao added, "People even in their old age don't seem to have enough, want more recognition. These drive them to say such things. No damage done to our party, it only damages his legacy. No BJP person is going to remember Krishna, it will only be the Congress who will talk about him".Krishna .
Nitish takes part in Saraswati Puja
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of Basant Panchmi and also took part in a Saraswati Puja. In his message, Kumar expressed hope that the festival would foster happiness, peace and prosperity, an official release said. Kumar offered prayers at a Saraswati Puja organised at IAS Colony at the residence of Chief Information Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sinha in the state capital, it said. Kumar was accompanied by state Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Health Departments Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar, CMs Secretary Manish Kumar Verma and other senior officials.
Mehbooba lauds Imran Khan, hits out at Centre over Ram Temple
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Sunday praised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking steps to name a forest reserve after Guru Nanak Dev, but hit out at the Centre saying its "top priority" seems to be renaming ancient cities and building Ram temple in Ayodhya. "How times change. Centre's top priority is seemingly renaming historic cities & building Ram Mandir. On the other hand , heartening to see that Pak PM has initiated steps to name Baloki forest reserve after Guru Nanak ji & create a university under his name," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister tweeted. She was reacting to Khan's announcement that he was taking steps to name the wild life reserve after Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. "The Baloki Forest Reserve and a new University in Nankana Sahib will be established and named after Baba Guru Nanak. Pakistan belongs to all citizens equally and we will ensure that Sikh pilgrims are facilitated for 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak," Khan said at a ...
Protesting nuns accuse Bishop Mulakkal of interfering in Jalandhar diocese functioning
Rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was relieved of his pastoral responsibilities by Pope Francis, still interferes with the administrative matters of Jalandhar diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, nuns protesting against him alleged here Sunday. "We believe that Bishop Angelo is the apostolic administrator of Jalandhar diocese. But when we see the kind of letters (being issued by the diocese PRO and Missionaries of Jesus congregation head), we doubt whether Bishop Franco still wields power in the diocese," Sister Anupama, a representative of the protesting nun, told reporters at Kuravilangad near here. Their statement comes a day after Jalandhar diocese PRO Fr Peter Kavumpuram, who is allegedly close to Bishop Mulakkal, issued a clarification statement countering an e-mail issued to nuns by its apostolic administrator Bishop Angelo Ruffino Gracias. In his e-mail, Bishop Angelo had assured the five nuns, who are staying with the rape survivor nun, that "there will be no move ...
India dazzles me, may use it as backdrop of my book: Yann Martel (IANS Interview)
Yann Martel, the Canadian author of the Man Booker Prize-winning "Life of Pi", finds India diverse, dazzling and a place with a great tradition of storytelling and says the country may very well be the backdrop of one of his future novels.
President, PM greet nation on Basant Panchami, devotees throng ghats to take holy dip
On the occasion of Basant Panchami, the festival celebrating the spring season, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended their greetings to people of the country.Both leaders took to micro-blogging site Twitter to wish the nation on the joyous occasion."Greetings to fellow citizens on Basant Panchami, Sri Panchami, and Saraswati Puja. May this festive occasion, which heralds' spring and celebrates learning, spur us to expand the frontiers of education and knowledge in our families, our society and our country," President Kovind said.Prime Minister Modi in his greetings wished for blessings of knowledge and goodwill for all."Many greetings to citizens on the festival which symbolises new energy, new ambition and new vigor- Basant Panchami. I wish that Goddess of learning mother Saraswati will provide knowledge and goodwill to all," he tweeted.The day is also dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, arts and music, Saraswati, who is worshipped on this .
Nearly 300 couples exchange vows at mass weddings in UP
Nearly 300 couples from Hindu and Muslim communities tied the knot at mass marriage ceremonies organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in Aligarh and Moradabad on Saturday.While 182 couples exchanged vows in Moradabad, 109 couples got married in Aligarh in the presence of their families and friends.The ceremonies were conducted by priests and religious leaders in accordance with the rituals of their respective religions. Aligarh MP Satish Gautam, BJP MLAs Sanjeev Raja and Anil Parashar, along with other administrative officials, were present at the occasion and blessed the couples.The ceremonies were organised under the 'Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana', a mass marriage scheme, initiated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government."This yojana has been giving benefits to various communities. We have arranged everything here for the couples. The wedding ceremonies were held in the state to spread a message of diversity," Gautam said.A sum of Rs 50,000 was spent .
Rape case: Jalandhar diocese assures nuns that they will not be transferred
Days after nuns protesting against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mullakkal were asked to move out of their convent, the Jalandhar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has assured them that there will be no move to oust them as long as they as they are needed for the court case. An e-mail in this regard was sent to five nuns, who are staying with the rape survivor nun, by current apostolic administrator of Jalandhar diocese Bishop Angelo, one of the nuns said here Saturday. The Bishop has assured the nuns that "there will be no move from the diocese of Jalandhar to oust" them from the Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district as long as they are needed for the court case, she claimed. Copies of purported e-mail sent by the Bishop was made available to the media. Earlier, the head of their congregation, Missionaries of Jesus under the Jalandhar diocese, had issued transfer orders to four nuns who took part in the protest demanding the arrest of the bishop. Another nun, Sister Neena Rose, ..
Lord Ram is 9th Paigambar, claims BJP leader Vinay Katiyar
Firebrand BJP leader Vinay Katiyar on Saturday said Lord Ram is the ninth Paigambar and even Muslims revere him.He said that all the Muslims were Hindus before their conversion. "It was the Muslim rulers who converted them into Islam," he told ANI.Commenting on the visit of Swami Swaroopananda to Ayodhya for 'Bhoomi Pujan,' he said that the foundation stone for Ram temple has already been laid. "There is no need to redo the exercise," he said.Swami Swaroopananda has announced to march to Ayodhya on 'Basant Panchami' and lay the foundation stone for the construction of a grand Ram temple.He also expressed displeasure over Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) decision to suspend the Ram temple movement during the election.Talking about Rafale issue, he reprimanded Rahul Gandhi for his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Rahul cannot use unconstitutional terms for the PM," he said, adding all Gandhis are on the bail.Katiyar also supported the stir of Gujjars for ...
Owaisi hits backs at Baba Ramdev
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Saturday took exception to Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's comments that Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims. "We are not against anyone's belief. But, it is wrong to thrust your belief on others. Such things are said every time by the Sangh Parivar and RSS. We just want to say that we, Muslims in India, we have become Muslims on our own...," he told reporters here. Nobody forced their ancestors to embrace Islam, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said. Asserting that the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was linked to the nation's pride, Yoga guru Ramdev had claimed on Friday that Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims. "By saying this...what message you would like to give. Is the Constitution of India big or your thinking is big. Constitution gives us permission to follow the religion which we would like to follow," Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, ...
Rape case:Jalandhar diocese assures nuns that they will not be
Days after nuns protesting against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mullakkal were asked to move out of their convent, the Jalandhar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has assured them that there will be no move to oust them as long as they as they are needed for the court case. An e-mail in this regard was sent to five nuns, who are staying with the survivor nun, by current apostolic administrator of Jalandhar diocese Bishop Angelo, one of the nuns said here Saturday. The Bishop has assured the nuns that "there will be no move from the diocese of Jalandhar to oust" them from the Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district as long as they are needed for the Court case, she said. Authorities of Jalandhar diocese could not be reached for their comments despite efforts. Earlier, the head of their congregation, Missionaries of Jesus under the Jalandhar diocese, had issued transfer orders to four nuns who took part in the protest, demanding the arrest of the Bishop. Another nun, ...
Pope to visit Moroccan imam school to boost moderate Islam
Pope Francis will meet with migrants in Morocco and visit a training institute for imams that seeks to be a bulwark against Islamic extremism during his March 30-31 visit to the North African country. The Vatican on Saturday released the schedule for the pope's trip to Rabat. It comes on the heels of Francis' recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he signed a landmark "fraternity" document with a leading Sunni imam and sought to encourage moderate Islam and interfaith ties. Francis will also meet with Morocco's king, the country's priests and religious sisters and celebrate Mass for the Catholic community. Morocco has long considered itself a key ally in the fight against Islamic extremism, and King Mohammed VI routinely criticizes jihadism and the discourses of radical Islam.
Church revokes transfer orders of four Kerala nuns
Four Kerala nuns, who protested last year demanding rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal's arrest, and were handed transfer orders, got relief on Saturday when the church authorities cancelled transfer orders and allowed them to continue, here at the convent, as long as the case was in court.
Ram Mandir matter of faith, Sabarimala issue of custom: P Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday claimed that Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi is not an issue of custom, whereas Sabarimala is one.Speaking at an event here, "Ayodhya is not an issue of custom. Do not mix up faith and custom. In Sabarimala, the issue is a custom opposed to modern constitutional values. Ayodhya is a matter of faith that this is the birthplace of Lord Ram. Because of that faith, a group of people are claiming the land."Substantiating his stance on the Sabarimala issue, he said: "I am not a very religious person. We are not saying that the Supreme Court should not resolve what is amenable to judicial resolution. I accept the Supreme Court judgement, but how can I stop ordinary men, women and party workers from expressing their views."Elaborating his views on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, he added: "Others are saying a mosque existed several hundred years ago. The question is whether the Supreme Court would resolve issues framed by the Allahabad High Court. Many of ..
Ram Temple issue of faith, Sabarimala about customs: Chidambaram
The Ram temple issue is about "faith" and Sabarimala is about "customs" and the two should not be mixed, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said Friday. His comments came during the launch of his new book "Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India", a collection of his essays published last year, at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here. "Ram temple is not an issue of customs, it is an issue of faith. While Sabarimala is a matter of customs which are opposed to modern constitutional values," the former Union minister of finance and home said in response to a question on the two issues. In Ayodhya, and not to trivialise the faith of those who believe in Lord Ram and his birthplace, it is a matter of faith, he said. "And, it is because of that, a group of people are claiming the land. Others are saying a mosque existed several hundred years ago." The question is whether the Supreme Court would resolve issues raised by the Allahabad High Court," the Rajya Sabha member said. Many issues .