WASHINGTON – US Vice President JD Vance has defended his recent comments expressing hope that his wife, Usha, who was raised Hindu, might one day convert to Christianity — saying criticism of his remarks stems from “anti-Christian bigotry.” Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, held in honor of slain […]
Religion
Hindu Community Celebrates Diwali Across Pakistan with Joy and Devotion
LAHORE: The Hindu community in Pakistan and across the world is celebrating the festival of Diwali today with religious zeal and enthusiasm, marking the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Special ceremonies are being held in temples across Pakistan to commemorate the occasion. As part of the celebrations, devotees light traditional clay […]
‘No future for us,’ say Afghan Sikhs after temple attack
KABUL: A dozen Afghan Sikhs gathered Monday in a room behind the charred ruins of their temple in Kabul, hoping to be swiftly evacuated having finally given up on the country of their birth. “There is no future for us here. I have lost all hope,” said Ragbir Singh, who was wounded when gunmen stormed […]
CoP looks to promote interfaith harmony through Christian-Muslim dialogue
The Church of Pakistan (CoP) has proposed to replicate the Christian-Muslim dialogue between the Anglican church and leading scholars of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University to foster interfaith harmony and peace in Pakistan. According to a statement issued by the office of the Church of Pakistan (CoP) Moderator/President Dr Azad Marshall, the proposal was floated during a […]
Iran leader grants clemency to over 2,800 prisoners
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has granted clemency to more than 2,800 jailed convicts to mark two Muslim religious holidays, his website said Saturday. The statement did not elaborate on the identity of the 2,825 prisoners who were either pardoned or had their sentences commuted. Clemency was granted to mark Eid al-Adha celebrated in […]
Woman in Charlie Hebdo T-shirt stabbed in London park
UK police on Monday said they were investigating a knife attack on a woman in a London park, with online footage showing she was wearing a T-shirt with a cartoon from Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine targeted by jihadists. The 39-year-old woman was treated in hospital for a minor slash injury after the attack on […]
Pilgrims ascend Mount Arafat in high point of pandemic-era hajj
Muslim pilgrims ascended Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat on Monday in the high point of this year’s hajj, being held in downsized form and under coronavirus restrictions for the second year running. Just 60,000 people, all citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia, have been selected to take part in this year’s hajj, with foreign pilgrims again […]
In Senegal, giant sheep prized for Eid
A ram the size of a small pony tosses its head inside a sumptuous pen illuminated by flashing disco lights, before lunging at some ewes half its size. The skittish animal lives on a rooftop in Senegal’s capital Dakar, alongside a dozen ewes, in an enclosure featuring ceiling fans, faux chandeliers and multicoloured lighting. The plush […]
Saudi allows businesses to open during prayers in key reform
Saudi Arabia has officially allowed businesses to remain open during the five daily Muslim prayers, a highly sensitive reform in a kingdom which is trying to shake off its austere image. Since becoming de facto leader in 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced sweeping economic and social changes designed to reduce the kingdom’s […]
More than 160 unmarked graves found near indigenous Canadian school
The western Canadian Penelakut Tribe says it has found more than 160 unmarked graves near the site of a former indigenous boarding school, Canada’s fourth discovery of this kind in recent weeks. In the last month, discoveries of more than 1,000 graves prompted a nationwide reckoning over Canada’s painful past and its policies of forced […]