Page 66 - Religion Belief
Ukraine's newly independent church holds 'historic' first service
Ukraine's newly created independent Orthodox Church held its first service in Kiev on Monday after a historic break with the Russian Orthodox Church that has enraged Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attended the service in Kiev's most ancient church, the 11th-century Saint Sophia's Cathedral, as Ukrainian Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas Day according to the Julian Calendar. The service came a day after the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew based in Istanbul handed over a formal decree that finalised recognition of Ukraine's new Church. "We broke the last bonds that tied us to Moscow with its fantasies about Ukraine as the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church," Poroshenko said after the service. Clerics showed worshippers in the cathedral the decree that formally sealed a break with the Russian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Yepifaniy, the 39-year-old leader of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led the service, which he called "a truly historic event." ...
China says UN officials welcome to visit Xinjiang
China on Monday said UN officials were welcome to visit its restive region of Xinjiang if they followed all the Chinese rules and procedures.
Will welcome UN officials to visit Muslim-majority Xinjiang region: China
China Monday said it would welcome the UN officials to visit its volatile Muslim-majority Xinjiang province provided they remain "fair and objective", days after the official media reported that Beijing passed a five-year plan to "sinicise Islam" to make it compatible with its version of socialism. UN's Geneva-based Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said last year that it was alarmed by "numerous reports of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities" being detained in camps Xinjiang region and called for their immediate release. China defended the camps, saying they were for re-education and aimed at de-radicalising some sections of the Uygur Muslim population. The US and several other countries have also expressed concern over the camps. UN human rights official Michelle Bachelet said in December that her office had sought access from China to visit Xinjiang to verify the re-education camps for Muslim minorities. "Xinjiang is an open region. We welcome UN and ...
Man from Telangana shot at in US, robbed of cash and car, say his relatives
A man from Telangana working at an automobile company in Detroit in the USA was shot at and robbed by unidentified miscreants, his relatives said here Monday. The incident occurred on January 3 night when Poosa Sai Krishna was picking up a food parcel from a restaurant, his father Poosa Ellaiah said, adding the accused took away his son's wallet, identity card and car. Krishna, in his mid-20s, hails from Mahabubabad town. "We want go and see our son. We request the help of the Telangana government in this regard," Ellaiah told reporters. He said his son's friends in the USA had informed him about the incident and that Krishna was injured in the right hand. Krishna's cousin Sivanand Poosa told PTI that a passerby had found Krishna on the roadside with injuries and alerted the authorities. After completing post-graduation from Lawrence Tech University, Michigan, Krishna recently started working with an automotive company in Detroit, Sivanand said. He said Telangana Chief Minister ...
Pope vows justice for victims of 'vile' sex abuse
Pope Francis vowed justice for victims of clerical sex abuse Monday, describing paedophilia as one of the "vilest" crimes ahead of a historic global meet on the crisis roiling the church. "I cannot refrain from speaking of one of the plagues of our time, which sadly has also involved some members of the clergy," he said in his annual address to ambassadors to the Holy See. "The abuse of minors is one of the vilest and most heinous crimes conceivable. Such abuse inexorably sweeps away the best of what human life holds out for innocent children, and causes irreparable and lifelong damage," he said. Francis swore to "render justice to minors", and said a meeting of the world's bishops in February was "meant to be a further step in the church's efforts to shed full light on the facts and to alleviate the wounds caused by such crimes". A litany of child sexual abuse scandals has rocked the Catholic church, which has 1.3 billion followers around the world. In December the pontiff had vowed .
Gadkari lauds Indira, says she proved herself without quota
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has praised former Prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying she did not need reservation to prove her mettle and did better than male leaders in the Congress. The senior BJP leader said he was not opposed to women's reservation, but was against politics based on caste and religion. He made the remarks at the inauguration of an exhibition by women self-help groups (SHGs) here Sunday. The BJP has been critical of Indira Gandhi over the imposition of Emergency in the country. "Indira Gandhi proved her mettle in her party among other dedicated male leaders. Was it due to reservation," Gadkari said. Women BJP leaders Union minister Sushma Swaraj, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did well in politics sand reservations, he said. "I am not against women's reservation.Women should get reservation. I am not opposed to it," he said. The minister said he was against caste and religion-based politics. A ...
RBI will not allow 'loose money' situation: Governor Shaktikanta Das
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will not like the banking system to be in a situation of "loose money", Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Monday after a meeting with representatives of small- and medium-sized businesses.
Alok Nath finally breaks his silence - conditionally
Actor Alok Nath, who has been accused of rape by writer-director Vinta Nanda and has been granted anticipatory bail, has surfaced from hiding to speak, albiet conditionally.
Pakistan, UAE agree to work on peace, stability in Afghanistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates' Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have agreed to work jointly for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Egypt el-Sissi inaugurates cathedral, mosque in new capital
Egypt's president on Sunday inaugurated a new cathedral for the Coptic Orthodox Church and one of the region's largest mosques in a highly symbolic gesture at a time when Islamic militants are increasingly targeting the country's minority Christians. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-president, has made sectarian harmony a cornerstone of his rule, fighting Islamic militancy while advocating equality between the overwhelming Muslim majority and Christians, who account for 10 percent of Egypt's 100 million people. However, el-Sissi's widely publicized policy to staunch sectarianism has done little to protect Christians in rural Egypt, where Muslim extremists frequently attack their homes and businesses or force them to leave their homes after violent disputes. Critics and activists say discrimination against Christians there is often tolerated by local authorities and branches of the security agencies. But Sunday's opening ceremony in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, el-Sissi's
Kerala CM has failed to control violence: Congress
Opposition Congress in Kerala on Sunday attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the Sabarimala issue, accusing him of not controlling the law and order situation and preparing ground for the BJP to grow. The Congress's reaction came amid violence involving BJP-RSS and ruling CPI(M) workers over the Sabarimala issue in the state. Violence erupted following the entry of women into the hill shrine of Lord Ayappa in Sabarimala and a number of houses and shops in the politically volatile Kannur district was attacked. The police failed to contain violence unleashed by the Sangh Parivar and the CPI(M) in the state after two women entered Sabarimala temple violating its centuries old tradition, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said. Criticising Vijayan for his recent statements on the entry of women in the shrine, the Congress leader said "we are seeing a chief minister who is calling for riot in the state". "The chief minister is not ...
Defying Supreme Court ruling on Sabarimala not contempt: Action Committee
The Sabarimala Action Committee, a group of various Hindutva outfits, Sunday said defying the Supreme Court ruling on the Lord Ayyappa temple does not amount to its contempt as the order was against tradition and faith. Constitutional and religious moralities are different and these should not be mixed and confused at all, SAC General Secretary A R Mohan said here. "The Supreme Court ruling is against the tradition and religious faith. Defying it cannot be termed as contempt of the court as 49 review petitions have been filed and hearing will start soon," he told at a press conference. Mohan is in Assam to gather information about diversified characteristics of places of worships in the state to present them before the Supreme Court during hearing of the review petitions for the Sabarimala case. The Supreme Court on September 29 lifted the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into Sabarimala temple, the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, the "eternally celibate"
JNU admin criticises students union for calling two-day strike
The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration criticised the students' union for calling a two-day strike to protest against the varsity for allegedly spending nearly Rs 13 lakh to host spiritual gurus Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sadhguru. It is surprising that office bearers of yet-to-be-notified JNUSU have been spreading motivated misinformation on the social media questioning the wisdom of the university to invite two spiritual leaders and promoters of social harmony and peace, said the varsity's registrar. "It is most surprising that such concerns were never raised when previous administrations also invited similar great spiritual leaders to speak and interact with the members of the JNU community. The arithmetic of the complainants is also questionable when innumerable students and faculty participate in such events," he said in a statement. In fact, the amount of money that the university spends as part of holding elections for JNUSU office bearers and hostel nights every year is .
Travel advisories by US, UK "insult" to Kerala, says Tourism minister
Travel advisories issued by the US and the UK asking their citizens travelling Kerala to be vigilant in the backdrop of the violent protests against women's entry to Sabarimala temple, was an "insult" to the southern state, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said Sunday. "They have not said don't go. But said remain vigilant. That itself is insulting," Surendran told reporters here. It would impact the tourist arrivals to the state, he added. The protests, being spearheaded by the BJP and the RSS, along with right wing outfits, has hit the tourism sector, the minister said. The advisory issued by the UK has warned its citizens to remain vigilant and avoid large public gathering in the wake of the violent protests in Kerala over the issue of women entering the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO), which regularly updates its advice for travel to different parts of the world, had on Friday said that any British citizen planning to travel to Kerala
Woman beaten to death on suspicion of witchcraft
A 60-year-old woman was beaten to death on the suspicion of practising witchcraft at a village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Sunday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Kusum Devi, wife of one Ram Vilas Thakur of Dargah village, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) (East) Gaurav Pandey said. Around half-a-dozen strongmen of a particular family of the village caned the old woman to death after branding her as a "witch", he said. The body has been sent to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital here for post-mortem. The deceased's family has not registered an FIR in this regard till Sunday evening, Pandey said. The family members of the deceased said they would lodge an FIR only after getting the post-mortem report, he said.
Indian youth shot in USA, battles for life
An Indian youngster was shot on January 3 by robbers after he was mugged by them. Sai Krishna is now in a critical condition and has to go through multiple surgeries.An electrical engineer and a resident of Telangana, Krishna, is in a hospital in Detroit, battling for his life.He completed his engineering from Lawrence Tech University, Southfield Michigan.Speaking to ANI over phone, Krishna's friend Srujith in the US said, "Sai Krishna is very underprivileged and has struggled a lot to move to the United States for a better future. After completing his studies, Sai Krishna started working at a company in Detroit downtown. He got off from work around 11:30 PM (US time) and purchased some food on the street and while returning home this incident happened.""The robbers first stopped and barged in his car and made him drive to an isolated place and robbed his car, wallet and other belongings and left him on an empty street in freezing temperatures. Someone passing by saw him on the road ..
China passes law to make Islam 'compatible with socialism'
China has passed a new law that seeks to "Sinicize" Islam within the next five years, the latest move by Beijing to rewrite how religion is practised in the country, the media reported on Sunday.
Orthodox patriarch hands over decree on independent Ukraine church
The Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch on Sunday handed over a formal decree confirming the creation of an independent Ukrainian church to its leader, Metropolitan Yepifaniy. The decree was signed at a landmark ceremony on Saturday, putting the formal stamp on a break with the Russian Orthodox church which has infuriated Moscow. The document was handed over by Patriarch Bartholomew during an Epiphany service at St George's Cathedral in Istanbul, an AFP correspondent said, completing the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's recognition of the newly-independent Ukrainian church. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, who attended Saturday's signing ceremony, was also present for the mass. Known as a Tomos decree, the document grants autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox church which until now has been overseen by Moscow for more than 330 years. The decree opens the way for Ukraine's Orthodox Church to be recognised by other branches of orthodoxy and other churches. The Constantinople .
China: Law passed to 'Sinicize' Islam
Beijing has passed a law to "implement measures to Sinicize" Islam within the next five years.The move came after Chinese government officials met with representatives from eight Islamic associations, the Global Times reported."(The officials) agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion," the article outlined.The exact methodology which will be utilised to implement the law has not been divulged.This comes amid a crackdown on Uighur Muslims in the nation, with the United Nations estimating that over one million Uighurs are being held in internment camps in the Xinjiang province.Practising Islam is illegal in some pockets of China. People caught fasting, praying, growing a beard or wearing a hijab attract arrest in the nation.
Orthodox patriarch signs decree on independent Ukraine church
The Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch on Saturday signed the formal decree confirming the creation of an independent Ukrainian church, marking a break with the Russian church that has angered Moscow. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the leading authority in Orthodox Christianity, signed the decree known as Tomos at a ceremony in Istanbul. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko were on hand to witness the ceremony. "Dear Ukrainians, this is a historic event! This is a great day!" Poroshenko said as he thanked the Orthodox patriarch. "Once more, words of great gratitude in the name of the Ukrainian people, in the name of our nation to Your Holiness... It took us a very long time to get here." The Ecumenical Patriarchate had first agreed to recognise the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in October. Then in December a historic council of Orthodox bishops in Kiev created the independent body. The Russian ...