Religion News – Weekly Newsletter for February 7-14, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

Ahmadiyya convention in Bangladesh cancelled

DHAKA – The permission for the 87th annual convention of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Gazipur near here has been cancelled and curfew imposed around the venue after protests from Sunni Muslim hardliners, a media report Monday said.

Gazipur district administration Sunday deployed armed police at the venue where over 8,000 followers of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat … Read : Ahmadiyya convention in Bangladesh cancelled.

Saraswati Puja Preparations In Full Swing

PATNA, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Come February 8 and the nation will be marking the celebrations of the Saraswati Puja, the goddess of knowledge and arts. The festival is celebrated all through India, especially in the eastern region where every house indulges in the rituals of the Saraswati Puja. Among the various places which will be marking …. Source article : Saraswati Puja Preparations In Full Swing.

Weather prevents Dhoni’s pre-World Cup Vaishno Devi visit

JAMMU – Ahead of the World Cup, Indian cricket team captain M.S. Dhoni and his wife Sakshi arrived here Sunday to pay obeisance at the revered Hindu shrine of Vaishno Devi but could not make it there as their chopper could not land owing to “bad weather conditions”.

With the World Cup commencing Feb 19, … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Weather prevents Dhoni’s pre-World Cup Vaishno Devi visit.

Wipe out corruption, says Ravi Shankar

BANGALORE – Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Sunday urged Indians to join hands “to root out corruption”.

“Fight corruption with truth and non-violent means. We have to come together to root out corruption from India,” he told a large gathering of youths here.
Speaking at his Art of Living International Center for the Yuva …. Source article on Gaea Times at : Wipe out corruption, says Ravi Shankar.

Gandhi, Akbar among world’s top icons: Time (Lead, Changing dateline)

NEW DELHI – Mahatma Gandhi, Mughal emperor Akbar and Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have been named by Time magazine among the world’s top 25 political icons.

Mohandas Gandhi, as the magazine called him, led the list which also included Alexander the Great, Mao Zedong, Winston Churchill, Genghis Khan, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Hitler, … Read more »».

Pundit who popularized Gayatri Mantra remembered

MATHURA/AGRA – The centenary celebrations of Pandit Sri Ram Sharma Acharya, who popularized Gayatri Mantra like never before, started here Sunday.

In Mathura, the celebrations began with a Kalash Yatra and prayers. The Methodist Church campus saw thousands of “Gayatri Parivar members pouring in. Agra Mayor Anjula Singh Mahaur led the procession.
Talking to [..] Read the original article: here.

Saraswati Puja: Many Patna Institutes To Leave Out

PATNA, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Just like educational institutions all across the nation, schools, colleges and other centers of learning in Patna would be celebrating Saraswati Puja with much elan on Tuesday. The goddess of learning, wisdom as well as knowledge would be worshiped by students in all these educational centers while many households would be …. Original source : Saraswati Puja: Many Patna Institutes To Leave Out.

Saraswati Puja Being Celebrated Today

NEW DELHI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Saraswati Puja is being celebrated with much fanfare all over the nation today. The spirit of the festivities is palpable across various educational institutions where pujas are being held for Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and learning. On the eve of Saraswati Puja, idol-makers in cities across the country … Original article on : Saraswati Puja Being Celebrated Today.

Cyber chatting against Islam, says Malaysian preacher

KUALA LUMPUR – Cyber chatting is against Islam, a Muslim preacher in Malaysia has said.

Preacher and motivational speaker Mohammed Zawawi Yusoh told Harian Metro newspaper that people who engage in chats even on cyberspace were vulnerable to temptation.
It is akin to committing ‘khalwat’ (close proximity), which is an offence under the Islamic … Original source on Gaea Times at : Cyber chatting against Islam, says Malaysian preacher.

Hanuman idol perched atop pole in Trinidad and Tobago

Port-of-SPAIN – A massive idol of Lord Hanuman perched atop a pole has been unveiled in Trinidad and Tobago.

The idol was unveiled by Minister of Education Tim Gopeesingh at the Todds Road Hindu Temple in central Trinidad. Rudy Indarsingh, a minister, was present.
The idol, 12 feet long and 24 feet high, in a … Read more »».

UAE firms to shut on Prophet’s birthday Feb 17

Abu Dhabi, Feb 7 (IANS/WAM) All private sector companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will close Feb 17 to mark Prophet Mohammad’s birth anniversary, a government announcement said Monday.

A circular issued by the labour ministry also greeted the people of the UAE on the occasion.
–IANS/WAM
…. Source article : UAE firms to shut on Prophet’s birthday Feb 17.

21st century should be century of dialogue: Dalai Lama

PANAJI – Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Monday said that the 21st century should be known as the century of dialogue.

Speaking here in a Goa government sponsored lecture series, the Tibetan leader also said that this century should convince people that any problem in the world can be resolved by dialogue.
…. Original source : 21st century should be century of dialogue: Dalai Lama.

Have libraries in places of worship, says Dalai Lama

PANAJI – Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama Monday suggested that the numerous temples of worship mushrooming across the country should also house libraries along with statues of deities.

“There should be libraries in temples instead of just statues,” the Dalai Lama said, adding India has been a storehouse of information for the last …. Source : Have libraries in places of worship, says Dalai Lama.

Hindu temple at centre of Thai-Cambodian border battle

BANGKOK – Preah Vihear, an ancient Hindu temple located at Monday’s border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia is at the centre of an escalating row between the two southeast Asian nations.

The site’s history dates back to the 9th century, when a place of worship dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva was constructed. Khmer King … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Hindu temple at centre of Thai-Cambodian border battle.

Embrace Islam or face gallows: Afghan worker told

LONDON – An Afghan Red Cross activist, who had embraced Christanity, faces death sentence handed down by a court in Afghanistan.

Physiotherapist Said Musa, 45, will be executed within three days, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
Musa, who has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison, claims he has been tortured and sexually …. Read the original article : Embrace Islam or face gallows: Afghan worker told.

Dalai Lama blames Karmapa aide for cash, land scam

PANAJI – Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Monday gave a clean chit to Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, whose public trusts have been accused of a land scam and illegally stashing foreign currency in his monastery.

The Dalai Lama blamed one of the Karmapa’s attendants for the scandal which he described as not serious.
…. Source : Gaea News Network.

Compensation in Sabarimala tragedies still unpaid

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – The opposition Wednesday said in the Kerala assembly that the government was yet to compensate victims in the latest as well as an earlier tragedy at the Sabarimala temple.

Congress legislator T. Radhakrishnan sought leave for an adjournment motion in the assembly to discuss the accidents at Sabarimala, the latest being the Jan …. Original article : Compensation in Sabarimala tragedies still unpaid.

UNESCO to assess damage to Hindu temple in Cambodia

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations cultural agency plans to send a mission to assess the damage caused to the Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage site, by the recent armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.

Tensions first escalated between the South-East Asian neighbours in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near … Original source on Gaea Times at : UNESCO to assess damage to Hindu temple in Cambodia.

Four lakh people take holy dip in Konark

BHUBANESWAR – At least four lakh pilgrims Thursday took a holy dip in a pond in Orissa’s temple town of Konark on the occasion of Magha Saptami which Hindus consider auspicious, the authorities said.

Devotees, including the elderly and children, worshipped the sun in the belief that the bath and prayer would cleanse them of … Read more »»».

Canadian Sikhs angry as Quebec assembly bans kirpan

TORONTO – The legislative assembly of Canada’s French-speaking Quebec province Wednesday passed a unanimous motion banning the kirpan from its premises.

All 113 members of the assembly, including Premier (chief minister) Jean Charest, voted in favour of the ban on the Sikh symbol.
The motion was introduced by the opposition Parti Quebecois (PQ) after last … Original source on Gaea Times at : Canadian Sikhs angry as Quebec assembly bans kirpan.

India’s biggest mosque to come up in Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE – Preliminary work to build what is billed as Indias biggest mosque has begun here, thanks to the initiative of the charitable institution Jamia Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya headed by Muslim scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobaker Musliyar.

Musliyar heads the popular social, charity and educational organisation based here which has in the past three decades educated …. Original article : India’s biggest mosque to come up in Kozhikode.

Muslims preach RSS values in Lucknow

LUCKNOW – Donning skull caps and armed with RSS literature, small groups of Muslims here are on a campaign to preach the values of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh among members of their community.

Under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya Maha Sufi Sant Sewa Samiti (ABMSSSS), around 75 Muslims are on a door-to-door campaign to …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Controversial ‘Kumbh’ focusing on conversion begins in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL – A different kind of Mahakumbh began in Mandla in Madhya Pradesh Thursday. Unlike the rituals of bathing, devotional singing, and mass feeding of holy men and the poor held on the banks of the river at Mahakumbhs, this kumbh, initiated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is focussing on conversion.

This kumbh is more …. Source article : Controversial ‘Kumbh’ focusing on conversion begins in Madhya Pradesh.

Pashupatinath wins first battle against new Nepal government

KATHMANDU – As Nepal’s new Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal Thursday succeeded in swearing in a mini cabinet amidst his allies, the Maoists, refusing to join his government, the new dispensation received its first setback with the apex court criticising the state move to take control of the treasury of Pashupatinath, the republic’s oldest Hindu …. Original source : Pashupatinath wins first battle against new Nepal government.

Goa church accused of tampering with heritage complex

PANAJI – It houses the remains of Spanish missionary St Francis Xavier and attracts lakhs of tourists and the faithful. But the 16th century Old Goa Church complex is at the centre of a war of words between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the church authorities over allegations of irregularities and vandalism.

A …. Source : Gaea News Network.