Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Religion

  • Church feud: Dist. Admin. acquires famed church

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    The ongoing factional feud in the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church took an ugly turn in the wee hours of Monday when the police forcefully broke open the gates of the famed Mulanthuruthy Marthoman Church and took possession of it. After taking over the church, the Ernakulam district sub-collector Snehil Kumar told the media that the…

  • Many Black churches burnt after Charleston massacre

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    In the two weeks after a racially motivated massacre claimed lives of nine African-Americans, at least six predominantly African-American churches in south US had been burnt down….reports Asian Lite News. The latest fire occurred  in the Mount Zion Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina, 20 years after it was set ablaze by the white supremacist group…

  • A pilgrimage with a mission

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    By Mohit Dubey  The Uttar Pradesh government has chalked out a first-of-its-kind plan to take a group of Hindus and Muslims on a joint pilgrimage. The ‘dharmarth karya’ department has issued a government order (GO) in which 10 Muslim and Hindu devouts from each district will be taken on a pilgrimage in a single trip,…

  • Gurudwara holds Iftar for Muslims in UAE

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    A gurudwara in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held an Iftar party for Muslims fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, a media report said . The gurudwara in Jebel Ali organised the iftar for the second consecutive year. The guests of honour were people from Al Manar – a Quran study Centre, the Khaleej…

  • Pope begs forgiveness for medieval persecution

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    Pope Francis  asked forgiveness for the Catholic Church’s “un-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behaviour” towards the evangelical Waldensian church in Italy during the Middle Ages. “On behalf of the Catholic Church I ask forgiveness for the un-Christian, and even inhuman, attitudes and behaviour we have had against you,” he said during the first-ever papal…

  • UK Ramadan fasting hours should be shortened: Dr Usama Hasan

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    A Muslim academic has called for Ramadan hours to be shortened in the UK as daylight hours in summer are too long for fasting. Dr Usma Hasan of the anti-extremisim group the Quillian Foundation, has issued a fatwa calling for Muslims in the UK to follow timings observed in Mecca where fasting lasts around 12 hours a day during…

  • Pope Francis set up Vatican sex abuse court

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    Pope Francis approved a proposal to create a tribunal within the Vatican for bishops who cover up alleged paedophile priests, as part of his reform of the city-state’s Curia or governing body…. reports Asian Lite News. The new tribunal will be part of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog,…

  • Lord Hanuman gets eviction notice in MP!

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    A court in Madhya Pradesh has issued eviction order to Lord Hanuman to vacate the premises with immediate effect reports…..Asian Lite News.   To ensure removal of encroachment upon a road by a Hanuman temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district, authorities here have issued notice to the temple’s main deity — Lord Hanuman! The temple…

  • Ram temple will be built: Sakshi

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    “We should not doubt the intensions of BJP. It is certain that Ram mandir will be constructed under the BJP rule. It may be built tomorrow or the day after. We have completed just one year in power, four more years are to go,” Sakshi Maharaj.   BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who has stoked controversies in…

  • ? Pope holds mass in Bosnia-Herzegovina

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    Pope Francis  held mass for tens of thousands of Catholics at a stadium in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s capital city of Sarajevo. The event took place in Kosevo Stadium. The Eucharistic Celebration is estimated to have been attended by about 65,000 believers of whom around 34,000 were from the country, 23,000 from Croatia and around 2,500 from Serbia.…

  • Gita Bhavan plans anniv celebrations

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      Gita Bhawan Hindu Temple in Manchester is gearing up to celebrate its 27th anniversary at the temple premises. Keeping in with the tradition of upholding cultural and religious values of its members and devotees, the temple authorities have planned on 14th June between 10 am till 12.30 noon some grand religious ceremonies. Entry being…

  • Brahma Kumaris Host Yoga Event

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    Hundreds of people have gathered at Brahma Kumaris Global Cooperation House in London to hear to the 100-year-old Dadi Janki, Head of the Brahma Kumaris…reports Ragasudha Vijamuri for Asian Lite, Best newspaper for British Asians Dadi Janki is a world renowned spiritual leader who has spent a lifetime developing inner strength and resilience through Raja…

  • Bihar temple could inspire Ram temple

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    The world’s biggest Hindu temple coming up in Bihar, for which Muslims have also donated land, could inspire the building of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik said. Naik however, admitted that building the temple would take time because it is a “complicated issue”. The North Goa MP,…

  • Mosque Killings in S. Arabia condemned

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    The KAICIID Board of Directors, consisting of representatives of five religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism – unanimously condemn the deliberate attack on peaceful worshippers at a mosque in Qatif province in Saudi Arabia on 22 May 2015.  The attack that killed and wounded scores of worshippers was committed deliberately to harm the…

  • Asia’s largest Cross being built in Karachi

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    A 140-foot bullet-proof Cross is being built in Pakistan’s Karachi city, the biggest in Asia, a media report said. Pakistani Christian businessman Parvez Henry Gill is building the Cross at the Gora Qabristan Cemetery, Dawn online reported. Following a dream in which Gill claims to have seen God asking him to do something for the…

  • Sacramental wine cause controversy in Kerala

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    The Catholic Church in Kerala, which has supported the government’s steps on prohibition, has courted controversy by seeking permission to increase the production of sacramental wine. The Syro Malabar Church in Kochi is hogging the headlines on TV channels since Tuesday after it became known it had applied for an increase in the production of…

  • Muslims donate land for world’s largest Hindu temple

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    By Imran Khan Muslims in Bihar, in a stellar demonstration of communal harmony, have donated land to help build the world’s largest Hindu temple which will have the capacity to seat a staggering 20,000 people. “Muslims have not only donated land, they have also provided land at a nominal rate for construction of the world’s…

  • Mother Teresa to be canonised

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    Mother Teresa would be canonised in September 2016, senior priest and spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Church Paul Thelekat said. Pope John Paul-II beatified Mother Teressa on October 192003. “As a Christian, I am eagerly waiting for the canonization of Mother Teresa. She has been a mother to millions of Indian especially the poorest of…

  • Pope canonises two Palestinian nuns

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    Pope Francis canonised two 19th century nuns who lived in Ottoman-ruled Palestine, BBC reported. Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy were among four new saints declared at a ceremony in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square that was attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and over 2,000 Christians. Marie Alphonsine Ghattas, who was born to a Palestinian…

  • Humour make us happier than religion

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    Our view of what makes us happy has changed markedly since 1938, revealed a British psychologist who has recreated a famous study of happiness conducted in 1938. Seventy seven years back, Mass Observation, a social research organisation, placed an advertisement in the Bolton Evening News in Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester, asking readers to…

  • Vatican urges dialogue with Islam

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    Dialogue is needed with Islam “now more than ever”, the Vatican said , stressing that most Muslims abhor violent acts perpetrated in the name of religion. “Recent events have caused many to ask if there is still room for dialogue with Muslims,” the Vatican’s interfaith dialogue body said in a statement. “The answer is yes…

  • Shroud of Turin back on display

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    The Shroud of Turin returns to public display at the city’s cathedral after a break of five years. The 4.4-metre-long (14-ft) cloth will be on show until 24 June reports BBC. Viewings are free but must be booked. Already one million people have signed up. Some devotees believe the shroud to be the burial cloth…

  • European Imams unite against extremism

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      By Kaliph Anaz Leading Imams from Britain and Europe gathered in London to condemn the atrocities taking place in the name of Islam and issued an appeal to the community to reclaim the ‘digital space from those who wish to tarnish their faith.’ Over 120  Imams attended the summit in London and released  a…

  • Young girls must reject dangerous attractions

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    The dozens of young Muslim girls who are running off to Syria to become jihadi brides – wives of potential martyrs – are obsessed about a death cult far more sinister than any vampire or zombie fiction has to offer…writes Ustadah Khola Hasan  Despite the age of strident feminism and self-assertiveness, teenage girls are still…

  • Another temple attack in US

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     A Sanatan Dharam temple was vandalised in Washington state with windows broken and the word “Fear” painted on it, less than a fortnight after another temple was attacked. Members of the the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Kent, about 30 km from Seattle, who came for worship Friday “were greeted by shards of broken glass after…

  • Modi asked to walk the talk on religious freedom

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      The Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said the Christian community was in a state of shock over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comment on Mother Teresa and that it was time Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked the talk on his assurance on not tolerating inciting of religious hatred. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra, however,…

  • Will ensure complete freedom of faith: Modi

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      Drawing on ancient Indian tradition of mutual respect for all faiths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said the government would ensure “complete” freedom of faith for all to have an “undeniable” right to practise any religion without “coercion”. Addressing a gathering of Christian leaders here, Modi said: “My government will ensure that there is complete…

  • ?Dalai Lama undeterred by protests

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      By Vishal Gulati  Globetrotting elderly monk the Dalai Lama, who is revered as a spiritual leader in the Orient and the West, considers himself a citizen of the world. He loves to interact with the public, especially youth, despite encountering protests. Wearing his trademark maroon robes, the Nobel Peace Laureate explains that the protesters…

  • Hindu temple vandalized in US

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     In the latest attack targeting Hindus places of worship, a temple in Washington State was vandalized on the eve of its planned celebration of Maha Shivaratri, according to media reports. When members of the Hindu Temple Cultural Center in Bothell, 36 km from Seattle, went there on Sunday they found a swastika painted on it…

  • Egyptian Church confirms executions by ISIS

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    The Egyptian Orthodox Church confirmed  that the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians abducted by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya have been executed by the militants, Xinhua reported, citing Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency. “We watched the painful video. We can confirm (that) the slain were our kidnapped sons in Libya,” spokesman for the…

  • Kerala’s warring Syrian churches move for truce

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    By Sanu George   After warring for decades, the two factions of Kerala’s influential Syrian Orthodox Church, which have a combined strength of over two million, have indicated they are taking steps to sign a truce. The church’s majority group known as the Orthodox faction has its headquarters in the state’s Kottayam city while the Jacobite…

  • Protests against Delhi church attacks

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      At least 200 people, including an AAP leader, were detained while marching towards Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence here protesting against the attacks on churches in Delhi, police said. The demonstrators, most of them from the Christian community, gathered at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. They shouted slogans saying “We want justice” and held banners…

  • Church ransackings continue in Delhi

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    A few sacred items and a DVD player were stolen from a church here, police said. But the church’s administration claimed it did not seem to be just an incident of theft. The ransacking took place at St. Alphonsa’s church in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. A few sacred items, including a ciborium (receptacle) and…

  • Americans know nothing about Sikhism: Study

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    By Arun Kumar   Although more than half a million Sikhs live in the US, a majority of Americans are unaware of what Sikhism is and some admit wariness when seeing their Sikh neighbours, according to new study. Conducted by Washington-based Hart Research Associates, the study released here Tuesday, shows that there is enormous potential to…

  • Obama leaves a religious tolerance message for India

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    That US President Barack Obama knows how to work the crowds was evident from his address at the Siri Fort Auditorium where he had a predominantly young crowd screaming out his name, repeatedly applauding him and vying with one another to clasp his hands as well as that of his wife Michelle when both of…

  • Oldham say ‘No’ to Islamophobia

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      In a groundbreaking event organised by MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development) took place on 13 January at the Eastern Pavilion in Oldham. The event, ‘Challenging Islamophobia – Building Communities’ attracted a capacity crowd of more than 300 people all attending to show their support for community solidarity and local initiatives to tackle Islamophobia. The…

  • Shhhh! Gods are in deep meditation

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    By Vishal Gulati   Don’t make noise! The deities have returned to the heaven and are in deep meditation. Residents of 10 hamlets located on the outskirts of this picturesque tourist resort, some 250 km from the state capital, don’t allow anyone to make noise — in this time of the year. They themselves have stopped…

  • India celebrates Pongal

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    The harvest festival of Pongal was celebrated by people of Tamil Nadu in the traditional manner – by getting up early, donning new clothes and visiting temples. The Pongal festival is celebrated to thank the sun, rain and farm animals. The aroma of ghee-fried cashews, almonds and cardamom wafted through from homes as the traditional…

  • Another Delhi church vandalized

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    A church here was vandalized before dawn, the fourth such incident in the capital in seven weeks, police said. The incident, which took place around 4.20 a.m., was captured by a CCTV camera installed inside the premises of Our Lady Of Graces Church at Vikaspuri in west Delhi. “The CCTV footage shows that two people…

  • Million plus take holy dip on Makar Sankranti

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      Around 10-12 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in this West Bengal island considered auspicious by Hindus, a minister said. “Between 10 to 12 lakh pilgrims congregated at Gangasagar this time. This is a record number in the last few years. The holy dip…

  • Funds to repair religious places

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    Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has written to places of worship, including churches, mosques, temples, gurdwaras and synagogues serving his constituency to make them aware of a new £15million fund for the repair of roofs and guttering on vulnerable listed places of worship. The scheme, which was announced on 3 December,…

  • London to host world meet to tackle Islamophobia

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    A high-profile conference on Islamophobia bringing together some of the issue’s leading luminaries is to be held in London on December 13, 2014 Organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission the gathering will explore and suggest responses to the alarming rise of Islamophobia in the UK. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in Islamophobic…

  • Hindu scholar raps Ganesha grotesque on Windsor Chapel

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    Hindu community is upset at placing of carved Lord Ganesha as a grotesque creature on the medieval walls of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, England. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) , was critical of this re imagined Lord Ganesha image as grotesque installed on a Chapel wall and termed…

  • FIVE FAITHS, ONE JOURNEY

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    Sherry Ashworth shares her experience of recent visit to Brussels There’s no doubt about it – religion has a bad press.  I don’t even have to quote examples to prove this – just pick up any newspaper, read any website, and the accusations and stereotypes are all there.  Religion causes war.  It sanctions extremism. It’s…

  • Sabarimala festival season begins

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      Five days after the famed Sabarimala temple opened this season, collections recorded have gone up by 22 percent as compared with the same period last year, according to temple authorities. It was last Monday that the temple doors opened to the pilgrims for the two-month-long Sabarimala festival season. Last season during the first five…

  • Shaban Bukhari to be anointed

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    Over 100 religious leaders from India and abroad will attend a ceremony at the Jama Masjid here when the son of Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari will be anointed the Naib Imam of the 17th century mosque. Ahmed Bukhari refused to comment on criticism against the event, telling that “he would respond to all the…

  • Keralite Catholics to grace canonisation in Vatican

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    Around 5,000 Catholics from Kerala will be present in Vatican City next  to witness the canonisation ceremony of two religious leaders from the state. In April 2014, the Pope cleared Kuriakose Elias Chavara, popularly known as Chavara Achen and Sister Euphrasia, popularly known as Evuprasiamma for sainthood. A Catholic church from Kochi is taking a…

  • Sabarimala set for five million pilgrims

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    Nearly five million pilgrims are expected to visit the revered Ayyappa temple here when it opens Monday for a two-month pilgrimage season, officials said. Located on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats 914 metres above sea level, the Sabarimala temple is four kilometres uphill from Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district, around 100 km from…

  • God in when life is tough: Study

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    Hard times are more likely to drive people to religion, the New Zealand co-authors of an international study said . “When life is tough or when it’s uncertain, people believe in big gods,” Russell Gray of the University of Auckland’s School of Psychology said in a statement. “Pro-social behaviour maybe helps people do well in…

  • Vienna to hold world religious meet

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    World Meet of of Religious Leaders in Vienna to discuss ways to stem violence in the name of religion The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) is organising a world meet on Nov 18 & 19  in Vienna of religious leaders and policy-makers to fuse a united front against violence…