Aziz Haniffa In Houston, Texas

Stories by Aziz Haniffa In Houston, Texas

Indian Americans should stand united, exhorts Rao

Indian Americans should stand united, exhorts Rao

Rediff.com   29 Aug 2012

India's Ambassador to the United States, Nirupama Rao, who immediately visited with the victims and families of the Sikh worshippers in the aftermath of the horrific massacre perpetrated by the white supremacist Wade Michael Page in the gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin on August 5, has exhorted the Indian American community to shed their differences of regionalism, ethnicity, religion, and unite to project a concerted front to protect itself from any future violence and discr

Romney keen on more work visas to highly educated people

Romney keen on more work visas to highly educated people

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2012

Highly skilled, English-speaking, and integrated into their communities, they are too valuable a resource to lose.

Indian in US army awarded for Afghan combat

Indian in US army awarded for Afghan combat

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2012

A young Indian national, Mahesh Guda who came to the United States to pursue undergraduate studies, but half-way into his programme joined the US Army and was deployed in Afghanistan, has been awarded the US Army's Commendation Medal for his efforts in that war-ravaged country.

US: Republican Vishwas More's big week is here

US: Republican Vishwas More's big week is here

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2012

Vishwas More, retired chief engineer of the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University labs, who proudly proclaims he is 'a life-long Republican', and a veteran of political conventions, will attend his fifth Republican National Convention this week in Tampa, Florida, as an alternate delegate.

Exclusive: US Republicans warm up to India as never before

Exclusive: US Republicans warm up to India as never before

Rediff.com   24 Aug 2012

Credit owes in large measure to Indian American Gopal TK Krishna for the Republican Party's amended platform acknowledging India's importance to the US as never before, reports Aziz Haniffa from Washington, DC

US Justice Dept urged to track hate crimes against Sikhs

US Justice Dept urged to track hate crimes against Sikhs

Rediff.com   24 Aug 2012

In the aftermath of the worst massacre of Sikhs in the history of the United States, when on August 5, 19 influential US Senators, led by California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, have written to US Attorney General Eric Holder, urging the Justice Department to track hate crimes against Sikhs.

Mrs Obama visits Gurdwara; Sikhs touched by gesture

Mrs Obama visits Gurdwara; Sikhs touched by gesture

Rediff.com   24 Aug 2012

Michelle Obama spent a little over 30 minutes with the victims and families.

Prominent Indian American doc convicted for tax cheating

Prominent Indian American doc convicted for tax cheating

Rediff.com   24 Aug 2012

A prominent Indian American neurosurgeon, Dr Arvind Ahuja, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been convicted for hiding $8 million (about Rs 44.8 crore) in secret offshore accounts in India, and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2013.

'Gurdwara shooting is attack on freedom of religion'

'Gurdwara shooting is attack on freedom of religion'

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2012

US lawmaker recalls the sad irony of hearing news about the massacre of innocent Sikh worshippers in Wisconsin while he was on his way to address concerns of the community regarding hate crimes at a gurdwara in Walnut, California.

Gurdwara victims' kin believe incident an aberration: Rao

Gurdwara victims' kin believe incident an aberration: Rao

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2012

Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao visited families of victims of the Wisconsin grudwara shootout and said that the incident should not define ties with the larger American community. Aziz Haniffa reports

'Violence against Sikh Americans risen post 9/11'

'Violence against Sikh Americans risen post 9/11'

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2012

Condemning the shootout at a gurudwara in Wisconsin that killed six worshippers, US lawmakers said that the government should take action to protect Sikhs and prosecute hate crimes. Aziz Haniffa reports

Obama likely to assure PM on protecting Sikhs in US

Obama likely to assure PM on protecting Sikhs in US

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2012

Barack Obama's spokesman Jay Carney said that the US president has no immediate plans to speak to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding the horrific massacre of Sikh Americans Sunday at a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

'US-Pak relationship transactional, not built on goodwill'

'US-Pak relationship transactional, not built on goodwill'

Rediff.com   3 Aug 2012

The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee is divided on the usefulness of continuing US aid to Pakistan, reports Aziz Haniffa.

Haqqani Network set to be branded foreign terror outfit

Haqqani Network set to be branded foreign terror outfit

Rediff.com   2 Aug 2012

Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence-sponsored Haqqani Network, responsible for the killings of United States and coalition troops in Afghanistan and widely believed to have been responsible for the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul a few years ago, is on the verge of being designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

Pakistan back in Barack Obama's good books

Pakistan back in Barack Obama's good books

Rediff.com   2 Aug 2012

The Barack Obama administration apparently believes that Pakistan has discarded its use of ISI-sponsored terrorist groups to foment its strategic depth strategy vis-a-vis India in Afghanistan, and has told Congress that Pakistan has also re-deployed its troops from the Indian border to its border with Afghanistan to meet the internal terrorist threat it faces.

'Pranab's exit will not affect economic reforms'

'Pranab's exit will not affect economic reforms'

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2012

When questioned on recent efforts by the US to bring up issues against India at the World Trade Organization, most recently to thwart India's efforts to market generic drugs, Rao reiterated the 'candour in the dialogue' both countries have which had helped maintain a balance, eschewing any extreme decisions.

'Religion not top priority for Asian American Hindus'

'Religion not top priority for Asian American Hindus'

Rediff.com   26 Jul 2012

Prof Khyati Joshi, advisor to the survey -- Asian Americans: A Mosaic of Faiths -- conducted by Pew Research Center's forum on religion and public life lends perspective on Asian Americans and their faith, particularly on Hinduism.

Obama nominates Indo-American to National Council of Arts

Obama nominates Indo-American to National Council of Arts

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2012

Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher Ranee Ramaswamy, 60, has been nominated by United States President Barack Obama as a member to the National Council of Arts, a key administration position.

Asian Americans show wide diversity of faith: Study

Asian Americans show wide diversity of faith: Study

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2012

The Pew center report on Asian American religions finds Hindu Americans are majority of Indian Americans; they vote predominantly Democratic; majority celebrate Christmas; only 19 per cent say they attend worship services at least once a week; are way ahead of Jewish Americans in both education and family income. Aziz Haniffa reports.

McCain rubbishes charges against Clinton's aide Abedin

McCain rubbishes charges against Clinton's aide Abedin

Rediff.com   19 Jul 2012

US Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, and considered the GOP's foreign policy guru, Wednesday took to the Senate floor to defend nasty and unproven accusations by a coterie of right-wing House Republicans often referred to as the 'lunatic fringe' of the Party, that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's South Asian American Deputy Chief of Staff, Huma Abedin was part of a conspiracy by the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the US government.