Salem-News.com Religion articles Page 7

Torture and Death Threats Against School Principal and Two Women Rights Defenders in Pakistan

"We condemn this attack and the threats made against staff members of LEAD which are directly related to the organisation’s work in the defence of human rights, particularly Christian and women's rights." - LEAD

(PUNJAB) - A local Muslim cleric began campaigning last week against the Christian 'Saint Paul High School', which has been serving both Christian and Muslim children for the last 20 years.

LEAD (Legal Evangelical Association Development) has taken the Catholic School on rental contract from the Catholic Board of Education. Mr. Zulifqar Masih, a Human Rights Defender and Field Coordinator Of LEAD, is serving as the Principal of this school.

Arkansas: John Brown Professor Calls Hindu Gods ``Demonic`` & Hinduism ``Ugly``

"...yoga is the beautiful face that the very ugly religion of Hinduism uses..." - Professor Deborah Raiees-Dana

(RENO) - I have a feeling the radical abolitionist John Brown, who brought hell down on the practice of slavery, would not have liked Professor Deborah Raiees-Dana of John Brown University at all.

Brown took a violent, unwavering path toward freeing slaves and halting slavery expansion in the United States during the pre-Civil War years.

Hindus Concerned at Hindu Goddesses Depiction at Seattle Burlesque Show

Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers - Rajan Zed

(RENO) - Hindus are concerned at the depiction of Hindu goddesses in the “House of Thee UnHoly” adult in nature burlesque show in Seattle (USA), running March 12-16 at The Triple Door, calling it inappropriate.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Hindu goddesses, the female aspect of the supreme, were highly revered in Hinduism...

Hindus Critical of Bono`s Half-Hearted Approach to European Roma Apartheid

Oscar nominated socially conscious Irish musician Bono, known for his activism, has been Time Person of the Year.

(RENO) - Critical of half-hearted approach of rock band U2 frontman Bono towards the Roma (Gypsy) apartheid in Europe, Hindus have urged him to get involved more passionately.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, however, commended Bono, 53, for at least bringing up the Roma issue...

Pope Francis Plans Second Visit to Jerusalem

On his second trip to Jerusalem in May, 2014, there will be no war to interrupt the Pope’s journey. There is, however, a labor strike by Israeli diplomatic personnel which began this week.

(CHICAGO ) - Pope Francis currently plans to visit Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, May 24-26. This will be his second trip to Jerusalem.

The Pope’s first visit was 41 years ago. On that trip, he arrived in Jerusalem in October, 1973, just before war began between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Pakistan: Christian Inmate Being Treated After Brutal Beating

Last week of February, Peter John, inmate in Central Jail Adyala, Rawalpindi was beaten up brutally by the prison staff due to Christian faith.

(ISLAMABAD) - A Christian persecution has no limit, but Christian persecution news coverage is pitiable in Pakistan. Clearly, in today’s deeply connected Christian world, truthful unbiased and unfiltered news about realities of persecution is a basic need to address.

I do write on it but don’t have any regular platform to publish this news. Some online papers do it but don’t pay even a single penny.

(VIDEO) Pro-ITCCS Belgian Member of Parliament Laurent Louis Beaten, Falsely Arrested by Police

"We will provide real security to brave fighters like Monsieur Louis and Kevin Annett so this cannot happen again" - George Dufort, ITCCS official

(BRUSSELS) - The one Belgian politician who has exposed high level child traffickers and publicly endorsed the work of ITCCS, MP Laurent Louis, was viciously assaulted and arrested by Belgian police on Saturday as he peacefully collected signatures for his upcoming re-election bid.

Mr. Louis was released after six hours in jail, and is bringing a lawsuit against the police responsible.

India Needs to Eliminate Gender Inequality: Zed

Continuing indifference to the maltreatment of women is not acceptable in the 21st century world. India needed to focus on urgent upliftment of women, forgetting her political battles.

(RENO) - India needed to take urgent steps to make women as equal partners in the society and eliminate gender inequality, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed stated in Nevada (USA) in his International Women's Day message.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that lesser gender gaps would also bring prosperity and economic competitiveness to the country besides fairness. Men and women were equal in the eyes of God, Zed noted.

High-Handed Leadership

The Islamists are prevailing in the battle of ideas. Secular voices have been either physically eliminated or removed from the mainstream by judicial means.

(ISLAMABAD) - Religious minorities are widely viewed as beleaguered or under attack since Z. A. Bhutto’s regime. Even then, Pakistani Christians followed his ideology.

At the time of partition in 1947, around 23 percent of the population was comprised of non-Muslims citizens. Today, the proportion of non-Muslims has declined to approximately 3-4 percent. Religious minorities such as Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis, have been the targets of suicide bomb attacks; several incidents of violence and intimidation were reported including abduction and subsequent forced conversion of girls.

Historic European Circumcision Debate Draws Nearly 300

Previous Resolution Called Circumcision a Violation of Physical Integrity

(BOSTON) - The growing European debate about circumcision led to the first international interdisciplinary dialogue on the subject recently at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France (video). This major meeting discussed an October non-binding resolution overwhelmingly passed by the Council of Europe, an organization of 47 member States.

The resolution called circumcision, among other procedures, a violation of the physical integrity of children according to established human rights standards.