Malays Attacking Hindus
GO TO SOURCE KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, March 20, 2001: Beneath the normally tranquil surface of Malaysian society, dangerous tensions and the potential for violence still lurk. Sixteen-year-old Indran Rajasinga was on his way home when he was attacked by a gang of Malay youths. “I have no idea how I got away.” A wound to his head required stitches and…
US Rejects Taliban Explanation On Buddhas
GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, U.S.A, March 20, 2001: The US has dismissed as “inaccurate and self-serving” the Taliban militia’s explanation that it blew up two giant Buddha statues in Afghanistan in a fit of pique after a foreign delegation offered money to help preserve these ancient artifacts. “We definitely don’t buy this explanation,” State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said after…
Indian Vets Give Tips On Elephant Care In Sri Lanka
GO TO SOURCE COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, March 16, 2001: Two leading Indian veterinarians, Dr. V. Krishamurty and Dr. J. Cheeran of the Bangalore-based Asian Elephant Conservation Center, made house calls on over 60 domesticated elephants around Sri Lanka, treating them and giving their mahouts tips on pachyderm care. Largely appreciative of the care lavished on the elephants kept as family…
Padayatra To Retrace Footsteps Of Adi Shankara
GO TO SOURCE BANGALORE, INDIA, March 19, 2001: Fifty-seven-year old Colonel S.S. Rajan set on a “padayatra” or foot journey, to cover a distance of 16,000 km in order to spread the message of peace, and to retrace the hallowed footsteps of Adi Shankara, as part of the spiritual renaissance. “Walking has its own challenges,” says the retired additional chief…
A New Home for Delhi’s Monkeys
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 18, 2001: An estimated 5,000 monkeys are roaming freely in the capital and in some cases creating havoc among the populace. In an attempt to rescue some of these monkeys and return them to their natural habitat, a non-governmental organization has formed a rescue center in the state of Haryana. Expecting cooperation to…
People For Animals Group Charged With Desecrating Ashram
GO TO SOURCE LUDHIANA, INDIA, March 18, 2001: Resentment prevails among hundreds of devotees of Baba Kirti Giri against People For Animals (PFA, which is not the same organization as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA) for entering the ashram with shoes on and later taking away a couple of cheetah skins, including one used by the Baba…
Taliban Kills Cows to Atone for ‘Delay’ on Statues
GO TO SOURCE ISLAMABAD, AFGHANISTAN, March 15, 2001: The Taliban movement’s Voice of Shariat radio said its supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had ordered the slaughter of 12 cows in the capital Kabul and at least three each in 29 other Taliban-held provincial capitals to atone for its “delay” in destroying Afghanistan’s historic statues of the Buddha. The radical Islamic…
Cycle of Motherhood – A Sign of the Times
GO TO SOURCE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, March 18, 2001: Your children have rights too. So expounds this article that delves into the role of woman in the West and how this has affected child-rearing. One hundred fifty years ago, women were expected to marry and bear children. Their primary responsibility was nurturing family members on all levels, as well as…
Hindus and Sikhs Protected from Taliban’s Campaign of Icon Destruction
Source: Religion News Service AFGHANISTAN, March 14, 2001: Despite international condemnation, the Taliban ruler in Afghanistan has continued with destroying Buddhist statues in its countryside. The Taliban said they would allow journalists to the site in a few days. Fortunately for the minority population of Hindus and Sikhs who actively worship deities, the Taliban foreign minister offered reassuring words, “Their…