Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the United States this week armed with a mandate from the Israeli parliament. A large majority of legislators from all of Israel’s main parties had supported a petition urging him to stand firm on the building of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem — the very issue that got him into hot water days earlier with the White House.
New Delhi, March 25: Twenty-seven-year-old Priya, a devotee of Paramahamsa Nityananda Swami, can’t believe a video footage where the Karnataka-based spiritual guru is allegedly shown in a compromising position with a Tamil actress.
‘I still doubt whether it is swamiji or it is a graphic gimmick,’ a shocked Priya told IANS.
Nityananda Swami’s is not the first reported case of a person in religious garb being caught in a scandal. Of late, a number of swamis have been in the news for the wrong reasons.
It’s not everyone’s good luck to wear a garland of Rs 5 crores but then that is Mayawati, a living example of a politician who blatantly likes to promote herself.
If her statue spree left the state gasping for breath she returned back with renewed vigour in a rally, which may strain the state exchequer again. The very fact that this display of power or whatever it may be, comes at a time when one of the districts of the state, Bareilly has been facing immense hardship in the name of communal violence, speaks a lot about the leader’s concern for the people of the state.
Toni Morrison wrote, “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.” I feel it is the same for Palestinian refugees, who have struggled for decades for their right to return home.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion with an estimated global Muslim population of two billion. In many European countries, Muslims are poised to become the most significant minority population. And that population isn’t the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago. Today, Muslims are as cosmopolitan as anyone else and traveling in greater and greater numbers (particularly in Asia).
Not long after a portly, jovial priest in the German industrial city of Essen was accused of sexually abusing three boys in 1979, he was offered a new home in Munich by Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI.
Ratzinger, who was Archbishop of Munich and Freising at the time, wanted Father Peter Hullermann known to friends in the church as “Hulli” to undergo psychotherapy.
A psychiatrist quickly concluded that Hullermann was untreatable. “I told the church officials that Hullermann must never be allowed to work with children again,” said Werner Huth, the psychiatrist.
In the interests of transparency, I should declare that Philip Rizk and I are personal friends. Having already seen his documentary, This Palestinian Life, before being asked to review it, I was happy to accept the offer, knowing that I would only want to commend this excellent short film to readers.
The display shouldn’t be so shocking. President Barack Obama was a professor before a politician, and that scholarly charm and cool helped get him elected. As if explaining a basic science problem – what goes up must come down, and vice versa – Obama calmly dismissed the suggestion that US-Israeli relations have reached a crisis.
“We and the Israeli people have a special bond that’s not going to go away, but friends are going to disagree sometimes. There is a disagreement in terms of how we can move this peace process forward.”
With his face gazing from posters celebrating the 600th anniversary of the founding of this historic city, Narendra Modi chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat likes to present himself as a man of destiny. Yet slowly but surely history may be catching up with India’s most controversial politician.
Once again, Kabul was turned into a bloody scene as a result of a brazen attack by the Taliban. Sixteen people lost their lives, including six Indian doctors, who worked in the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital in Kabul.
Contrary to the January 18 attack when government buildings were targeted, this time the Taliban suicide bombers attacked two guesthouses — Arya Guesthouse and Park Residence — located in the posh area of Shahre-Naw in the capital Kabul. Foreigners usually stay in these guesthouses.
(By Jyotirmaya Sharma) There were those that branded this writer as a secular fundamentalist, believing that using a term they think is pejorative is an alternative to an informed discussion.
Others questioned my knowledge of Indian traditions, including my knowledge of Sanskrit and other Indian languages. In this instance, neither do they know what I know or how much I know, but I too remain in the dark about their legitimacy to question my competence.
There were those who blamed my ‘westernised’ education for my views.
My name is Aysha, and I am from North Hungary. I heard about Islam when I was in secondary school in the history lessons, because Hungary was under occupation by Turkey for 150 years.
After that I went to university to study molecular biology, where I met many Muslim foreign students.
I was always curious why Muslims are so proud that they are Muslims.
I was Catholic, a good one, but I always had doubts and I didn’t agree with some parts of my religion: for example, how can God have a son and the concept of the Trinity was also not believable for me.
The White House probably didn’t expect to cash its check so soon.
US envoy George Mitchell has landed in Jerusalem to oversee the Palestinian Authority’s final review before entering “indirect negotiations” with Israel. Set to begin next week, if the green light is given, Mitchell will shuttle between Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho in Jerusalem and the PA’s chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in Ramallah.
Vice President Joe Biden will reinforce him on Monday.
Israel has imposed a full closure of the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank, announcing that no one will be allowed in or out for 48 hours.
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, made the move amid reports of possible protests by Palestinians around the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem after Friday prayers.
Only women and men over the age of 50 were allowed to enter the mosque, and hundreds of young men prayed at the gates of the Old City after being denied entry.
The top UN humanitarian official is venting anger on Israel for maintaining a crippling siege on the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in return for the release of a captured soldier.
“Obviously we’ve called for the release of Cpl Shalit, and that he should be treated in accordance to the Geneva conventions,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said.
“But the link between that and the fate of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza does not seem to us a reasonable one.”
(By Ram Puniyani) RSS is one of the major organizations in the country which influences and controls different political and semi political organizations, calling themselves as Sangh Parivar. It does claim to be a cultural organization, but it is implementing its political agenda of achieving Hindu Nation by creating organizations, which implement its ideology and political agenda at different layers, by different means.
Pitifully looking at her baby child, Om Yamen is recalling the past 1,000 days of her life under a crippling Israeli siege.
“Life has been a living hell,” she told, in a broken voice.
“We can’t stand this anymore. The siege has exhausted us and broken our backs.”
The 1.6 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a costal enclave, are marking 1,000 days since Israel slapped a crippling siege on their territory.
“Each night seemed like a thousand days,” said the tears-eyed Palestinian mother.
International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900’s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.
1908
Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women’s oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
1909
Did you know the Supreme Court doesn’t have a single woman judge? The Indian judiciary continues to turn a Nelson’s eye to gender parity despite the government making a concerted bid to raise women’s representation in parliament and state legislatures to 33 percent.
As per official figures, the Supreme Court shares its dubious distinction with several high courts, including those of Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.
Maqbool Fida Husain, renowned Indian painter, and Taslima Nasreen, famous novelist from Bangladesh, have both been targeted by Hindu and Muslim fundamentalism respectively.
Both the artists have been forced to serve exile, Husain from India and Nasreen from Bangladesh, and are seeking citizenship from their host countries where they have taken refuge. However, both are striving for the independence of their arts with invincible courage and esteem.
Mumbai, March 04: Sachin and Anjali Tendulkar were preparing to celebrate their daughter Sarah’s birthday last October when she bowled a googly to her dad. Today, he admits that it is one of his greatest lessons off-the-pitch.
The struggle of man (or woman) against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting. — Milan Kundera
Dubai police said Tuesday they are seeking the arrest of Israel’s prime minister and the head of its spy agency over the murder of a top Hamas militant in a hotel room of the Gulf city-state.
Police chief Dahi Khalfan said he had issued the demand for the arrest warrants as he was now certain they ordered the Cold War-style hit on Mahmud al-Mabhuh.
“I have presented the (Dubai) prosecutor with a request for the arrest of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the head of Mossad,” Meir Dagan, said Khalfan.
Lets analyze what the Hindu Scriptures have to speak on modesty ?
It is mentioned in the Rig Veda Book no. 8 Hymn no. 33 V. no. 19
“When Brahma has made you a woman, you should lower your gaze and should not look up. You should put your feet together and you should not reveal what the garment and the veil conceals.”
So the Rig Veda says that the woman should wear the veil.
They should lower their gaze and should not stare.
It is further mentioned in Rig Veda Book no. 10 Hymn no. 85 V. no.30
8th February, 2010 is going to be regarded as a red letter day in the socio-economic history of West Bengal. On this very day Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, chief minister of West Bengal, announced 10% reservation in the field of job for minority Muslims who remain economically, educationally and socially backward.
What is the government announcement?