GO TO SOURCE DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, November 27, 2001: A record crowd of 120,000 turned up for the Diwali festivities on the Durban beachfront at the weekend. Festivities started on Saturday with a religious program, followed by a variety concert and Indian bazaar ending with a spectacular fireworks display. “I have not seen such a crowd before. It surpassed all…
GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, November 9, 2001: When statistics revealed that around 800,000 people die annually in India from smoking tobacco, the Supreme Court of India decided to take action. As of November 2, smoking in public places such as hospitals, courts, educational institutions, libraries, and on public transportation, has been banned. Citizens realized that the government was serious…
Source: The Straits Times KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, November 8, 2001: The number of Malays and other indigenous groups has gone up by 4.5% in the past ten years, a gain of 4 million people, according to the most recent census reports released November 6 by the government. The percentage of Hindus dropped from 7.9% to 7.7%, and the percentage of…
GO TO SOURCE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, November 21, 2001: Research conducted at the University of California in Los Angeles has led a team of scientists to conclude that curcumin, the main chemical compound constituting tumeric, may be responsible for “slowing down the progression of the neurodegenerative disease” called Alzheimer’s. Apparently curcumin prevents the formation of knots in the brain called…
Source: The Hindu HYDERABAD, INDIA, November 27, 2001: The Andhra Pradesh State Endowments Minister, Mr D. Sivarama Raju, has said that there is “no point in temple priests still continuing their agitation with the closure of temples on Karthika Purnima day” on November 30 after regular worship, when their demands have already been met by the Government. Referring to the…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, November 26, 2001: An attempt to block legislation for a new offense of incitement to religious hatred has been defeated despite the rebellion of several Labour MPs. The bill extends the racially aggravated offenses of assault, public order, criminal damage and harassment to cover attacks aggravated by religious hostility. They extend the provisions concerning incitement…
GO TO SOURCE CANADA, NOVEMBER 20, 2001: Asking military chaplains to forego their Christian beliefs during public services represents a new low in political correctness, says Canadian alliance member of parliament Art Hanger. “How on earth can a Christian chaplain represent a Muslim cleric?” asked the former defense critic. “Unless they’re going to pray to a generic god, how can…
GO TO SOURCE MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 27, 2001: Roman Catholic and conservative Protestant leaders condemned the first reported cloning of a human embryo, while other Christian and Reform Jewish leaders supported using the procedure to cure diseases. Massachusetts scientists announced Sunday that they had cloned a six-cell embryo. It wasn’t clear whether the cloned embryo that Worcester, Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell…
GO TO SOURCE BOMBAY, INDIA, November 21, 2001: Tension prevailed in the sprawling Borivli National Park on the outskirts of Bombay following the desecration of an illegal temple in the area, police said. The icons of Siva, Parvati, Hanuman, Ganesha and the resting place of a local saint, Khadeshwar baba, were desecrated. Police have taken possession of the icons to…
GO TO SOURCE USA, November 21, 2001: With a spotlight cast on American Muslims since September 11, one simple question has defied a clear answer and become the focus of a politically charged dispute: What is the size of the U.S. Muslim population? Four major Muslim organizations released a study in April that estimated the population at 6 million to…