Page 78 - Religion Belief
Amarinder exhorts people to emulate ideals of Guru Teg Bahadur
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh exhorted Tuesday the people to uphold and emulate high ideals of secularism and humanitarianism embodied by ninth Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur. In a message on the martyrdom day of the guru, the chief minister urged people to imbibe the spirit of self-sacrifice preached and practised by him. "The bani of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur ji, which is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, preaches the message of oneness of mankind, universal brotherhood, righteousness, valour and compassion, which need to be followed by one and all," Singh said. He said guru's supreme sacrifice as protector of the 'dharma' was unparalleled in the history of mankind and stands out as an example for humanity.
USCIRF hearing on religious freedom in India postponed
A US federal commission mandated to review facts and circumstances of violation of international religious freedom has decided to postpone a hearing on freedom of religion or belief in India, which was scheduled for Wednesday. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said the hearing titled 'Freedom of Religion or Belief in India: Rising Challenges & New Opportunities for US Policy' would be held after the release of its annual report on international religious freedom in May next year. "Due to an overwhelming response in interest on the topic of religious freedom in India by a wide variety of religious and civic organisations, the USCIRF has announced the postponement of this Wednesday's scheduled hearing in order to accommodate more participants and attendees," the commission said.
SAD's 'Akhand Path' concludes, Badal refuses to comment on sacrilege issue
A three-day long 'Akhand Path' organised by the SAD concluded Monday. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), led by party patron Parkash Singh Badal, had offered prayers on Saturday at the Akal Takht here, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, to seek atonement for the "mistakes" it committed "inadvertently" in the past. On being questioned by media for which mistakes they sought forgiveness, Badal said, "I did not submit any list before the guru. I sought pardon as whatever wrong has been done by me or my men in the past". "I even seek apology from media if I have ever hurt them in the past," he said. He said, "I will not talk on any other issue except religion or spirituality.Our party had decided earlier to dedicate three days for 'sewa' in the Golden Temple which were solely for guru (Almighty) and not for any kind of political talk". Badal refused to comment on sacrilege issue. For the last two days Badal, his son and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sukhbir's wife Harsimrat Kaur ...
RSS, VHP hold rally in Hamirpur to demand construction of Ram temple
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad organised a rally here Monday demanding a legislation in Parliament for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Saints from across the state also participated in the rally and demanded the government fulfil its promise of constructing the temple before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Mahant Rajinder Giri of Baba Balak Nath Temple asked Hindus to unite and construct the temple in Ayodhya. "Those opposing the temple are anti-Hindu and have no faith in Hinduism," he added. State RSS chief Kismat Kumar said the central government should take a lead to bring a legislation in Parliament for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya.
Indian bishop accused of misusing funds for family resigns
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Indian bishop who, according to news reports, was accused of misappropriating church funds to support a secret family. Bishop Prasad Gallela of Cuddapah in southern India denied the accusations. On Monday, the Vatican said Gallela had offered to resign and Francis accepted. At 56, Gallela is well below the normal retirement age of 75 for bishops. The Ucanews news agency, which covers the Catholic Church closely in Asia, said two lay Catholics had filed a criminal complaint against Gallela accusing him of misappropriating diocesan social welfare funds to support a wife and teenage son. Ucanews quoted Gallela as saying the accusations were false and that the woman identified as his wife on land deeds is actually the wife of his dead brother.
Interstate gunrunning racket leader nabbed
A suspected leader of an interstate gunrunning racket was arrested from West Bengal's Malda district on Monday, police said. The accused has been identified as Safiqul Sheikh alias Rafiqul alias Akil, 32, a resident of Malda, the police said. In August, acting on a tip-off, the police had arrested a person named Azimuddin and recovered many illegal arms and ammunition, an officer said. During interrogation, Azimuddin disclosed that he, along with his associate Sheikh, had come to Delhi to deliver a consignment to a person in Dhirpur area, the police said. On Monday, information was received that at around 7 am, Sheikh would come to a railway station in Malda for a deal with one of his contacts, said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (special cell). Police laid a trap near the location. Sheikh tried to flee, but after a chase, he was arrested, Yadav said. Sheikh disclosed that he had been involved in this business from past four-five years. He used to purchase arms ...
Infrastructure growth must for survival of Bengaluru: ex CM
Expressing concern over the urban woes of India's tech hub, Karnataka's former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna on Monday said infrastructure growth was a must for the survival of Bengaluru.
BJP, others protest purported move to rename road after Tipu Sultan
Claiming that a state minister had asked for a street here to be renamed after 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan, the BJP and other right-wing outfits staged protests outside the offices of the city's municipality Monday. Law and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byregowda has written to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner to name the Bellahalli Cross after Tipu Sultan, who the BJP considers a "religious bigot", the protesters claimed. However, Mayor Gangambika Mallikarjun had recently clarified that no such letter was received from Byregowda, and even if such a proposal were to come, it would first be tabled in the corporation council for approval. Waving saffron flags and holding banners and placards, the activists of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike and others, supported by the BJP, held demonstrations outside the Byatarayanapura and Yelahanka offices of the BBMP in the Karnataka capital. When contacted, a BBMP spokesperson told PTI that no such proposal had been received
China cracks down on unofficial Christian church
Dozens of members of a prominent unofficial Protestant church and their pastor have gone missing in southwest China after authorities raided their homes, churchgoers said Monday, amid increasing restrictions on religious worship. The police sweep occurred Sunday night, according to a statement from the Early Rain Covenant Church, which is based in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Several church leaders, including pastor Wang Yi, were detained, several parishioners told AFP on condition of anonymity. At least 80 people are missing, they said, but it was unclear how many are detained or unaccounted for. "Most church members were taken from their homes, and some were grabbed off the street," one churchgoer told AFP, requesting anonymity. "Some were found via their smartphone's location and were taken away." "The police had the whole neighbourhood under control, as well as the surrounding area," he continued. "They didn't let anyone get close." Sichuan police declined to comment.
Church renovation lifts Christmas spirit in Bethlehem
A historic renovation of the Church of the Nativity is lifting spirits in the biblical town of Bethlehem ahead of Christmas, offering visitors a look at ancient mosaics and columns that have been restored to their original glory for the first time in 600 years. City officials hope the renovation at the traditional birthplace of Jesus will boost tourism and a weak economy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and perhaps slow a decades-long drain of the Christian population from the lands where the faith was born. "Christians are leaving the Holy Land due to the lack of peace and economic hardships and we are struggling to keep them in their homeland," said Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman. "This is one of the ways." The renovation started in 2013, a year after UNESCO declared the church a world heritage site, and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The Palestinian Authority formed a committee of local Christian leaders to oversee the renovation and contracted an Italian ...
Develop Gorakhpur as city of knowledge: President
President Ram Nath Kovind said Monday that Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh should be developed as a city of knowledge in the next 15 years as the state has the largest human resource in the country. Addressing the founder's week celebration of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad, Kovind said Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's political home turf, should be developed as a knowledge city by 2032 the centenary year of the Parishad, which works in the field of education and capacity building. He said Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of youths in the country and the new policies of the state government should help them become "job creators". The president said the objective of education is to develop a good human being, but stressed that quality of education is as important for a country's development. Recalling the great men from the region such as Paramhans of the Nath sect, Sufi saint Roshan Ali Shah, Baba Raghav Das, Munshi Premchand, Ram Prasad Bismil and Firaq ...
Sea of saffron at Ramlila Maidan as VHP presses govt on law for Ram temple
Stepping up pressure on the government to enact a legislation for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the VHP on Monday put on a massive show of strength in the capital where RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi made a veiled attack at the BJP for not fulfilling its poll promise on the temple issue. Thousands of people wearing saffron caps and raising slogans such as 'We don't want sample, we want temple' and 'Ram rajya phir layenge, mandir wahin banayenge' (will bring Ram rajya, construct a temple there), packed the Ramlila Maidan here. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally assumes significance as it comes ahead of Parliament's winter session starting Tuesday. Several Hindu priests and senior RSS and VHP functionaries addressed the massive gathering and stated that the judiciary should be mindful of people's sentiments. At the rally, RSS general secretary Joshi said, "Those in power today had promised to construct a Ram Temple. They should listen to people and fulfil the ...
SAD leaders including Badals perform 'sewa' for second day
SAD leaders including former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, party chief Sukhbir Badal, his wife and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal performed 'sewa' for the second day on Sunday at the Golden Temple complex here. Shiromani Akali Dal leadership led by party patron Parkash Singh Badal had offered prayers Saturday at Akal Takht here, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, to seek atonement for any mistake it committed "inadvertently" in the past. On the second day too, the SAD leaders that also included Bikram Singh Majithia and Bibi Jagir Kaur performed 'sewa' during which they cleaned shoes of the devotees visiting the Golden temple. The SAD leaders also washed utensils at the Golden Temple's community kitchen. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ridiculed the opposition party for indulging in "political theatrics" in the name of religion with their "farcical" display of regret over the "misdeeds" committed during their 10-years of misrule. The SAD had faced severe ...
Qatar's Emir not to attend GCC summit in Riyadh
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will not be attending the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit. A delegation headed by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi will represent the country at the summit.According to Al Jazeera, the GCC summit which is going to be held in Riyadh on Sunday comes amid an ongoing blockade on Qatar imposed by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, four members of GCC out of seven, after accusing Qatar of supporting 'terrorism' in June 2017.However, Qatar has denied the alleged charges and claimed that the boycott is affecting the country's sovereignty.Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa has criticised Sheikh Tamim's decision of not attending the summit. "Qatar's Emir should have accepted the fair demands [of the boycotting states] and attended the summit," AL Jazeera cited Al Khalifa as saying on Twitter.Saudi Arabia King Salman had himself extended an
Qatar emir skips Saudi-hosted Gulf summit amid boycott
Qatar's emir is skipping a Gulf summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, which has led a boycott of the country for more than a year. Other leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council descended down a golden escalator and were greeted by Saudi King Salman ahead of Sunday's summit. Qatar sent a lower-ranking official. GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar in the summer of 2017 over its support for Islamist opposition groups that they view as terrorists. Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended last year's meeting in Kuwait, where the boycotting nations sent lower-level representatives. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa tweeted that Sheikh Tamim should have accepted "the fair demands and been there at the summit.
When a Hindu deity's Muslim-Christian 'friendships' set a pilgrim tradition in Kerala
Can you imagine Hindu devotees circumambulating a mosque in their ritual attire and taking bath in a church pond as part of their annual temple pilgrimage? This is not a fairy tale of religious harmony but a real-life scene in Kerala where pilgrims of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple visit a mosque and church as part of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage. Both the Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid, also known as Vavar Palli (mosque), in Kottayam district and Arthunkal St Andrew's Basilica in neighbouring Alappuzha have been opening its portals for the devotees of Lord Ayyappa for decades during the two-month-long pilgrim season beginning in mid-November. Wearing the traditional black dress and bead-chain and smearing 'bhasmam', the holy ash, on forehead, chest and arms, Hindu pilgrims visit the mosque and the church every year and offer prayers, reviving the local myth of the Lord Ayyappa's friendship with a Muslim youth and a Christian priest. It is heartening to see how ..
Those in power should listen to people, fulfil Ram Temple demand: Bhaiyyaji Joshi
Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded that the Union government enact a legislation, if need be, for it. At a VHP rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, the RSS executive head said, "Those in power today had promised to construct a Ram Temple. They should listen to people and fulfil the demand of temple in Ayodhya. They are aware of the sentiments." Without naming the BJP, Joshi added, "We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants 'Ram rajya'." A country that develops distrust for the judicial system cannot walk on the path of development. The Supreme Court should also delve into this factor and take public sentiments into account, Joshi said. "We are not engaged in a conflict with any community. We are not begging but expressing sentiments. Enacting a law is the only option for Ram temple. The movement will continue till the
Who is Farooq Abdullah to say we don't need Ram temple? JD(U)'s Pavan Varma
Hitting out at National Conference (NC) chairman Farooq Abdullah for belittling the Ram temple construction issue, senior Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Pavan Varma on Sunday advised the former not to give homilies to Hindus.Questioning Abdullah over his authority to decide on whether Hindus need a Ram temple or not, Varma said that the NC chairman should not draw parallel between the developmental issues of the country and Ram temple issue."I would strongly advise Abdullah not to give homilies to Hindus. He had said that since God is in hearts of people, why build a temple but that applies to all. What's he trying to say? That because God is in your heart, you can't build a temple? First he has equated any desire to have a temple for Ram as a neglect of other issues which are plaguing the country and has said that because of that you don't need a temple of Ram. Who is he to say that? It's not an either-or situation," Varma told ANI."People go as matter of their faith to worship. ...
Thousands gathered in Delhi for VHP rally for Ram Temple
Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for Vishwa Hindu Parishad's rally to press for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, days before Parliament's winter session commences. The VHP has said the rally, to be addressed by RSS's executive head Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, will be an attempt to give a clarion call to the Union government to enact a legislation, if need be, for the construction of the temple. Besides Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar are also expected to address the rally. The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally. It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises. The VHP has carried out a door-to-door campaign
RSS leading 'forces of darkness', it's now fight of ideas in Kerala: Brinda Karat
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has alleged that the RSS is leading the "forces of darkness" and it is now the fight of ideas with them in Kerala as the right-wing organisation is piggybacking the Sabarimala issue to gain entry to the state. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Karat, her party's lone woman politburo member, claimed the entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala is not about religion but politics for the BJP. Her allegations against the RSS-BJP came as Kerala witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of women of menstrual age into the hill shrine after the LDF government decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court order to that effect. The BJP has said it stands with the devotees who hold the Sabarimala tradition close to their hearts and will not let the LDF "crush people's faith with impunity". The court is set to hear on January 22 petitions seeking a review of its verdict. Karat said one million women in Kerala will ...