Guruvayur temple saw 198 weddings in a single day (Feature With Image)

GURUVAYUR – The imposing facade of the ancient shrine in Kerala that rises like a timeless edifice in the early morning mist is rooted in the legends of Lord Krishna, arguably the most popular of Hindu divinities.

It sweeps up in two towering gopurams, a maze of pillared courtyards and a richly ornate sanctum sanctorum …. Original source  : Guruvayur temple saw 198 weddings in a single day (Feature With Image).

Dalai Lama expresses hope of return to Tibet

BUDAPEST – The Dalai Lama said Monday in the Hungarian capital that he was “optimistic” that he would one day be able to return to Tibet on a Chinese passport.

Speaking in the parliament building on the last day of a visit to the Central European country, the Buddhist leader called for political liberalisation in China. … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Dalai Lama expresses hope of return to Tibet.

Election gains by anti-immigration party shatters Sweden’s image as bastion of tolerance

Anti-immigration sentiment grows in Sweden

STOCKHOLM – A far-right group’s election breakthrough has shattered Sweden’s reputation as a bastion of tolerance after years of being seemingly inoculated against the backlash on immigration seen elsewhere in Europe.
Sunday’s election showed that the country’s welcome to refugees is not universally accepted: Nearly 6 percent of the population voted for …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Muslim groups meet in New York, support proposed Islamic center, call for interfaith dialogue

Muslim groups back Islamic center near ground zero

NEW YORK – Leaders of prominent U.S. Muslim groups called Monday for a national week of interfaith dialogue to combat religious intolerance and said they support the right to build a controversial Islamic center near ground zero.
“We stand for the constitutional right of Muslims, and Americans of all …. Original source  : Muslim groups meet in New York, support proposed Islamic center, call for interfaith dialogue.

Kuwait strips hard-line Shiite activist of citizenship after claims of blasphemy

Kuwait strips Shiite activist of citizenship

CAIRO – Kuwait revoked the citizenship of a hard-line Shiite scholar on Monday, accusing him of trying to stir up discord among Muslims by describing the Prophet Muhammad’s wife was an “enemy of God.”
The Interior Ministry made the decision after cleric Yasser al-Habib attended an event in London dedicated to … Original source on Gaea Times at : Kuwait strips hard-line Shiite activist of citizenship after claims of blasphemy.

Supreme Court to be moved to for deferring Ayodhya verdict

LUCKNOW – The issue of postponing the long-awaited verdict of Allahabad High Court on the Ayodhya dispute beyond Sep 24, already rejected by the high court, will be raised in the Supreme Court, the petitioner said Monday.

Retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi is all set to move the Supreme Court Tuesday against the high court’s Friday …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Muslim groups, meeting in NYC, say all Americans may worship where they please

Muslims: Americans may worship where they please

NEW YORK – U.S. Muslim groups, discussing the ground zero mosque controversy, say Americans of all faiths have the right to build houses of worship where they please.
The statement was made Monday as part of a New York summit to discuss the proposed Islamic center near ground zero. It …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Macedonia’s moderate Muslims ask for crackdown on radical Wahabbi sect

Macedonia: Moderate Muslims seek help against sect

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Moderate Muslims in Macedonia are urging the government and the international community to crack down on radical Wahhabi groups on the rise in the country.
The head of Macedonia’s official Islamic Religious Community, Suleyman Rexhepi, says he wants “radical measures” against the Wahhabis by the government, the …. Source article  : Macedonia’s moderate Muslims ask for crackdown on radical Wahabbi sect.

US pastor who vowed to burn Quran billed $180,000

NEW YORK – The pastor of a Florida church who threatened to burn the Quran on the 9/11 anniversary to protest the 2001 terror attacks in the US, has been hit with a whopping $180,000 bill as cost of security cover for his stunt.

The city of Gainesville, Florida, plans to send a bill estimated at … Read : US pastor who vowed to burn Quran billed $180,000.

Battling cancer, atheist author Christopher Hitchens skipping prayer day in his honor

Atheist Hitchens skipping prayer day in his honor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Stricken with cancer and fragile from chemotherapy, author and outspoken atheist Christopher Hitchens sits in an armchair before an audience and waits for the only question that can come first at such a time.
“How’s your health?” asks Larry Taunton, a friend who heads an Alabama-based …. Read the original article  : Battling cancer, atheist author Christopher Hitchens skipping prayer day in his honor.

Bahrain widens crackdown on Shiites by revoking citizenship of powerful cleric

Bahrain revokes citizenship of top Shiite cleric

BAGHDAD – Bahrain’s king warned that mosques would be key targets in sweeps against suspected Shiite dissent in his tiny Gulf nation and vital U.S. ally. The first blow was a big one: stripping the citizenship of a powerful Shiite cleric with close ties to Iraq before next month’s …. Original article  : Bahrain widens crackdown on Shiites by revoking citizenship of powerful cleric.