Religion News – Newsletter for February 4, 2011

Obama’s prayer: ‘Lord, have that skirt get longer’

WASHINGTON – Like any other father of a growing daughter, Barack Obama too has to sometimes summon the help of God. In fact, he says being president “has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray.”

At the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, Obama departed from an otherwise serious talk about prayer …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Obama’s prayer: ‘Lord, have that skirt get longer’.

Cash row renews clash of rival Karmapas

DHARAMSALA – The recovery of unaccounted money worth nearly Rs.7 crore (Rs.70 million) from the monastery of Tibetan leader Karmapa Lama has renewed the succession controversy in the Karma Kagyu sect, with two rival monks claiming to be the ‘real’ Karmapa.

An important institution in the Tibetan religious set-up, the Karmapa Lama is the spiritual … Read more >>>.

Wajahat Habibullah is new head of minorities’ panel

NEW DELHI – Former bureaucrat and India’s first chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah Thursday took over as the new chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities.

Habibullah will hold the office for a period of three years, said an official of the minority affairs ministry that presides over the minority panel.
A 1968-batch IAS …. Read the original article  : Wajahat Habibullah is new head of minorities’ panel.

Stop solidarity marches for Karmapa, Dhumal tells Tibetans

DHARAMSALA – Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal Thursday asked Tibetans to stop carrying out marches to express solidarity with the 17th Karmapa, who was questioned by police last week over the recovery of unaccounted currency amounting to nearly Rs.70 million from his monastery.

“I have asked them to stop marches and wait for the … Read more : Stop solidarity marches for Karmapa, Dhumal tells Tibetans.

Indian firm gets court nod for Islamic banking concept

KOCHI – The Kerala High Court Thursday gave the green signal to a company registered under the tenets of sharia to start operating a financial institution based on the principles of Islamic banking with the participation of a state-run firm.

Such institutions cannot charge interest.
Dismissing the petitions of Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy and …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Indian firm gets court nod for Islamic banking concept.