Page 96 - Religion Belief
No power can stop construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya: Giriraj
Union Minister Giriraj Singh Sunday said no power in the world can stop the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The people want the government and the court to find a way for constructing Ram temple, the minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises told reporters here. "Prabhu Sri Ram is the cornerstone of the faith of more than 100 crore people in the country. There is resentment and impatience among the people as cold water has been thrown on their hopes, but a way out (to construct the temple) will be chalked out. No power in the world can stop the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya," he said. Speaking on the Private Member's Bill which will be moved by Rajya Sabha member Rakesh Sinha, the minister said the Congress will have to clear its stand on the matter.
Talk of building mosque close to Ram temple can make Hindus intolerant: Uma Bharti
Union minister Uma Bharti said Sunday while Hindus were the "most tolerant" people in the world, any talk of constructing a mosque on the periphery of a Ram temple in Ayodhya could make them "intolerant". The minister also invited Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to lay the foundation stone of the temple in Ayodhya with her, saying he would "atone for the sins" of his party by doing so. "Hindus are the most tolerant community in the world. I will appeal to all politicians: please don't make Hindus intolerant by talking about building a mosque on the outer periphery of the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya," Bharti told PTI in an interview. She said when there could not be a temple in the holy town of Medina or a mosque in the Vatican City, it would be "unfair" to talk about a mosque in Ayodhya. Describing the Ayodhya dispute as one of land and not faith, the firebrand Hindu leader said, "This is now only a matter of dispute of land, not dispute of faith. It has been resolved that Ayodhya ..
Scientists create AI agents to decode cause of religious conflict
Using Artificial Intelligence, researchers at Oxford University have created psychologically realistic models of humans to test what causes religious conflict.
Don't depute young women journos to Sabarimala: Hindu outfits to media houses
Several Hindu outfits in Kerala agitating against entry of women of menstrual age into the famous Sabarimala Temple have urged media outlets not to depute women journalists to cover the issue as the Lord Ayyappa temple is set to open Monday for a special puja. The 'appeal' was issued by Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a joint platform of right wing outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Hindu Aikyavedi, ahead of the temple's brief opening, which will be the second time after the Supreme Court allowed entry of girls and women in the age group of 10-50 into it. The samiti has been spearheading the agitation against the apex court order lifting an age-old ban on entry of women in menstrual age group into the temple, whose deity Lord Ayyappa is a celibate. When the temple opened for monthly puja for five days last month, first time after the court order, women reporters, on their way to cover the occasion, were heckled, their vehicles attacked and young female devotees forced
Telangana: BJP gets in Shehzadi against AIMIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi
In a bold move ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has placed newcomer Shehzadi as its Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) candidate from the Chandrayangutta constituency in the state against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi's brother Akbaruddin Owaisi.Shehzadi, who is only a month old into politics, seemed unafraid of the Akbaruddin as she claims that all the Muslims in the region are against him."My strategy for the elections is educational growth and national unity. In Hyderabad, since Independence, there has been no development happened in the Muslim community. No proper education system is there. 80 percent people used to ride Rikshaw before Independence and they are doing the same today also. To bring the change, I have joined BJP," Shehzadi told ANI."Everything can be changed only through proper education. I have done double post-graduation. One month back, I entered politics. Few people think ...
Complaint filed in court against Tharoor's scorpion comment
A criminal defamation complaint has been moved by Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar in city's Patiala House Court against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor over his 'scorpion' remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Babbar said that Tharoor's remarks hurt his religious sentiments.The court fixed November 16 as the date to decide whether to admit the petition."I am a devotee of Lord Shiva... However, the accused (Tharoor) completely disregarded the sentiments of crores of Shiva's devotees, made the statement which hurt the sentiments of all the Lord Shiva devotees, both in India and outside the country, the Complainant's religious sentiments were hurt and accused deliberately did this malicious act, intending to outrage religious feeling of Lord Shiva devotees by insulting their religious believes," Babbar's complaint read.Advocate Neeraj, who is counsel of Babbar, in the statement has mentioned that the annotations are "intolerable abuse" and "absolute vilification of the faith of millions .
Let there be referendum on Ram temple issue: Ambedkar
Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday demanded a referendum on the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Talking to reporters here, Ambedkar said issuance of ordinance and acquisition of disputed land for the temple construction were not feasible options. "Conduct a referendum on construction of Ram temple," he said. "Who is RSS and who is Mohan Bhagwat?" he said when asked about RSS chief's demand during the annual Vijayadashmi rally this year that an ordinance be brought to enable the construction of temple. Ambedkar also criticised the BJP ally Shiv Sena for latching onto the temple issue, saying people will not be fooled by its rhetoric. To a question about possibility of his party entering into an alliance with the Congress and NCP, Ambedkar said, "I met Congress leaders once and they said they would discuss my proposal with their central leadership. I have not heard from them again yet." Ambedkar has already announced a tie-up with .
Secularism, harmony and tolerance is India's DNA: Naqvi
Secularism, socio-communal harmony and tolerance is the DNA of India, said Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was recognised as an 'Ambassador for Peace' by an international NGO Saturday. India is the world's hub of spiritual values and that is why it is the biggest secular democracy in the world, he said. The Union minister of minority affairs was recognised as "Ambassador for Peace" by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) at a programme here. "Peace is the password of prosperity" and therefore, the world's prosperity is not possible without peace, he said. Naqvi was given the recognition for his contribution toward promoting harmony and peace in society and the world, and cooperation among various religions communities, the NGO said. The Union minister said harmony and development are the two sides of the same coin and development cannot be ensured without harmony. "Secularism, social-communal harmony and tolerance" is the DNA of India, a statement from Naqvi's office quoted ..
1984 riots: SAD protests, demand justice
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday led a protest march in the national capital demanding justice for those who were killed in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.The protest march, joined by thousands of people started from Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib and moved towards Parliament Street. Protesters raised slogans against the Congress party and its leaders, and demanded justice against atrocities committed on the Sikh community during the 1984 riots.The SAD president, who led the march, addressed the protesters from atop an open truck. Other leaders of SAD including Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Delhi Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Manjinder Singh Sirsa walked along with the protesters.Expressing her angst over the alleged injustice, Harsimrat Kaur Badal told ANI: "It has been 34 years since our community is demanding justice. Thousands of Sikhs were killed, a lot many women were raped and a lot of people lost their ...
Defamation complaint filed against Shashi Tharoor in Delhi court
A criminal defamation complaint has been filed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor before a court here for his alleged "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his complaint, Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar said his religious sentiments were hurt. "I am a devotee of Lord Shiva... However, the accused (Tharoor) completely disregarded the sentiments of crores of Shiva's devotees, made the statement which hurt the sentiments of all the Lord Shiva devotees, both in India and outside the country," the complaint said. "The complainant's religious sentiments were hurt and accused deliberately did this malicious act, intending to outrage religious feeling of Lord Shiva devotees by insulting their religious believes," it said. The complaint, filed through advocate Neeraj, termed the statement as an "intolerable abuse" and "absolute vilification" of the faith of millions of people. The complaint was filed under section 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code relating to ...
Christians in Egypt prepare to bury dead a day after attack
Coptic Christians in the Egyptian town of Minya prepared to bury their dead on Saturday, a day after militants ambushed three buses carrying Christian pilgrims on their way to a remote desert monastery, killing seven and wounding 19. A priest and members of a Christian congregation prayed and chanted over a row of white coffins ahead of a funeral service for the dead. All but one of those killed were members of the same family, according to a list of the victims' names released by the church, which said a boy and a girl, ages 15 and 12 respectively, were among the dead. The local Islamic State group affiliate, which spearheads militants fighting security forces in the Sinai Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the attack south of Cairo in a statement. It said the attack was revenge for the imprisonment by Egyptian authorities of "our chaste sisters" without elaborating. The IS affiliate claimed that 13 Christians killed and another 18 wounded, but it was not immediately possible to ..
Muslim man converts to Hinduism as Lord Ram asked him to do so
Shahzad Rana, a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli city has, along with his family, converted to Hinduism, claiming that Lord Ram has been appearing in his dreams, asking him to return to Hinduism.Following his conversion, Shahzad, who has adopted the Hindu name of Sanju Rana, approached the office of the district magistrate to make his conversion official.Rana claims that his ancestors were Hindus, who were forced to convert to Islam."For the past 15-20 days, Lord Ram has been appearing in my dreams, asking me to come back (to Hinduism). We were Hindus earlier; invaders had come to our lands centuries ago and forced my ancestors to convert to Islam. I am just returning to my roots," Rana told ANI.He further clarified that he is under no pressure from any person or group for the conversion and that his family is also happy with the conversion.Rana said that after seeing Lord Ram in his dreams, he was nervous about his community's reaction to his decision. The situation was worse ...
VHP workers booked for disrupting Christian group's meeting in Agra
The police have booked Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers for disrupting a Christian group's meeting at a hotel here, officials said. No arrests have been made in the case so far, they said. SHO of Tajganj police station Vinod Kumar said a case has been registered against VHP workers and a probe is underway. The case was registered on a complaint lodged by a member of the Christian group alleging that VHP workers assaulted people at the meeting and misbehaved with women, the police said. The VHP has threatened a stir if the complaint is not withdrawn. Uttar Pradesh VHP vice president Sunil Parashar said if the matter is not dismissed, the workers of the group will take to the streets. The meeting of the Christian group was held at a hotel on Fatehabad road here on Tuesday. Sources said VHP leaders and workers disrupted the meeting, accusing the Christian group of trying to convert Dalits. Seven pastors were arrested from the spot after VHP members filed a complaint at Tajganj police .
HC rejects plea for allowing women to enter religious places
The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea for allowing entry of women of all ages at temples, mosques and Zoroastrian fire temples.
: Highlights from the southern region
: Highlights from the southern region at 1730 hrs. LGM3 TN-HC-LD CHIDAMBARAM Chennai: In a relief to embattled Congress leader P Chidambaram, the Madras High Court quashes criminal prosecution against his family in a black money case by maintaining that no such offence was made out against them. MDS3 TN-LD CRACKERS Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government says people in the State can burst firecrackers between 6 am and 7 am and from 7 pm to 8 pm on Diwali in line with the directive of the Supreme Court. MDS4 KL-SABARIMALA-PROTEST Pathanamthitta (Kerala): The BJP stages a protest after the recovery of the body of an elderly pilgrim who had trekked in the hills to offer prayers in the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala last month. MES3 TL-POLLS-BJP-LIST Hyderabad: BJP releases its second list of 28 candidates for the coming Telangana assembly elections.
Delhi HC dismisses petition seeking entry of women in all religious places
Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking permission to allow women of all ages to get entry into all religious places and pray along with men.The court dismissed the petition saying that it has no jurisdiction in such temples and refused to further entertain the petition.The petition also said that women should not be barred from being ordained as priests in temples and churches, and should be allowed to lead prayers in mosques.Advocate Sanjeev Kumar in his personal capacity had filed the petition on October 31 in the Delhi High Court. The matter today was heard by the Chief Justice bench.On September 28, a five-member constitutional bench headed by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had allowed the entry of women of menstrual age (10 to 50) into the Sabarimala temple.
Thousands protest burning of Islamic flag in Indonesia
Thousands of conservative Muslims are protesting in the Indonesian capital after a flag linked to a banned Islamic organisation was burned by members of a rival group. Waving black flags bearing the Islamic declaration of faith, several thousand demonstrators, many wearing white Islamic robes, filled a major thoroughfare in Jakarta after Friday prayers. Video last month of members of a mainstream Muslim organisation's militia burning the Hizbut Tahrir flag has sparked allegations of blasphemy because the flag is emblazoned with the Islamic declaration of faith. Hizbut Tahrir, which seeks a global caliphate, has been banned by the Indonesian government. Indonesia's moderate reputation was undermined last year when Jakarta's minority Christian governor was imprisoned for blasphemy following street protests against him that drew hundreds of thousands.
PIL filed in HC seeking audit of Srirangam temple by CAG
The Madras High Court Thursday ordered notice to the authorities on a PIL alleging structural changes to the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, and seeking an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). A bench, comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued the notice and posted the petition to November 19 for further hearing. Rangarajan Narasimhan of Tirchirappalli-based 'Sanathana Dharma of Sri Vaishnavam' forum in his public interest litigation (PIL) petition alleged the board of trustees in collusion with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department officials have misused powers and were disregarding the age-old traditions. The petitioner also claimed that they had appointed a number of touts and made several changes to the structure of the temple, including the celestial body of the main deity, jeopardising its chances of being enlisted in the world heritage sites by the UNESCO. He said the temple
US calls for investigation into Shiite deaths in Nigeria
The United States embassy in Nigeria said Thursday it was "concerned" and called for an investigation after supporters of an imprisoned Shiite cleric were killed in clashes with security forces. The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) said 49 of its members were killed this week after the army and police fired live bullets at crowds who marched near and in the capital Abuja, calling into doubt the military's official death toll of six. "The United States embassy is concerned by the deaths resulting from clashes between Nigerian security forces and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in areas surrounding Abuja," said the US embassy in a statement. "We urge government of Nigeria authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the events and to take appropriate action to hold accountable those responsible for violations of Nigerian law. We urge restraint on all sides," it added. Amnesty International said Wednesday it had "strong evidence" that police and soldiers used automatic .
'No confusion between Central and Kerala Cong over Sabarimala'
The Central and Kerala units of the Congress are not "confused" over the Sabarimala issue, actress-turned-party spokesperson Khushboo said here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh Thursday. Her remarks came two days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi acknowledged that his view to allow all women to enter the Sabarimala shrine was different from that of his party's Kerala unit. "We are not confused on the issue of Sabrimala though there are different opinions (between the Kerala and Central units). For us, the historic decision of the supreme court to grant the entry to women of menstrual age to the Sabarimala temple is supreme. "At the same time (we are aware) that the thinking of people of Kerala is different on the issue because of the centuries-old tradition (wherein the entry of women of menstrual age is banned)," Khushoo told reporters. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its agitation over the Sabarimala issue in Kerala by observing a one-day fast in ...