Source: AFP NEW DELHI, INDIA, June 30, 2001: About 1,000 lower-caste Hindus in southern India have converted to Christianity after alleging ill-treatment at the hands of upper castes. The group, comprising members of over 200 families from the state of Tamil Nadu, said they had been “humiliated and harassed” by upper caste Hindus for the past ten years. They were…
GO TO SOURCE PAKISTAN AND INDIA, June 28, 2001: Honoring the life of Baba Daleep Singh, a holy man who lived 300 years ago, approximately 100,000 Hindus and Muslims gathered for a seven-day religious festival. Occurring on the border between Pakistan and India, the festival is organized by an Indian paramilitary force. Those attending the event expressed that the devotees…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 29, 2001: Lancashire county has again become victim to racial attacks as the situation between disaffected Asian and white youth gangs continues to escalate. Community leaders of Asian and white origin fear that the racial violence is out of control. The towns of Burnley, Oldham, Leeds, and Bradford have been hit the hardest…
GO TO SOURCE SINGAPORE, June 30, 2001: In this entertaining New York Times article, we learn that the English language is in the process of splitting into Englishes, perhaps ultimately to spawn different languages, as Latin split into French, Italian and Spanish. Author Seth Mydans writes, ” ‘Wah! Government say Singlish no good, must learn how to speak proper English.…
GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 2001: The men in saffron-colored robes sat cross-legged on the stage, the Gayatri Mantra reverberating through the tent. This was not the bank of the Ganges, but the County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, near the nation’s capital. This weekend, it is filled with members of the Hindu movement Gayatri Pariwar, which claims a large…
GO TO SOURCE SRINAGAR, INDIA, June 28, 2001: An estimated 8,000 ponies are being pressed into service to transport pilgrims for the Amarnath Yatra beginning early next month. The Jammu and Kashmir Animal Husbandry Department puts the ponies to vigorous health and physical fitness tests before they are pressed into service. This is done to prevent any pony with impaired…
GO TO SOURCE BANGOR, NORTH WALES, June 30, 2001: The Life Foundation International invites interested persons to the World Conference on Spirituality and Peace at The Hague, Netherlands, from July 19 to 22, 2001. It will feature over 60 workshops on how to integrate spirituality into personal development, relationships, working place and efforts to raise global consciousness. Special features include:…
GO TO SOURCE ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, June 27, 2001: Bowing to international pressure, the Taliban Government in Afghanistan has agreed not to force Hindus to wear yellow badges, an issue which created a world-wide stir, a newspaper here in Pakistan reported today. According to a fresh understanding reached between the Taliban and the Hindu community, the Hindus would be issued identification…
GO TO SOURCE Burnley violence mirrored that in other northern towns By BBC News Online’s community affairs reporter Cindi John. The involvement of Asian youths in civil disturbances and violence at the recent Pakistan/Australia cricket matches has painted a picture of a rebellious generation. But there are conflicting views among Asians themselves. One community leader said the recent disturbances involving…
GO TO SOURCE MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, June 26, 2001: As people do some serious soul searching in life to discover a faith that fits how they really feel on the inside, the Reform rabbinate offered by the Jewish religion might fit the bill. According to Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College, new guidelines issued by the Reform sect of…