Welcoming the election of Pope Francis I, religious organisations hope for interfaith dialogue and harmony among the world's diverse religions. George Joseph reports
A US-based Hindu advocacy group has asked American fast food chain Burger King to immediately remove an advertisement campaign featuring Goddess Lakshmi, which it say is "offensive" to the people of the faith.
The Hindu-American Foundation is incensed over the apparent indifference of the Presidential candidates -- especially the front-runners in both parties who have gained from the Indian-American community's fundraising efforts -- to publicly condemn the disruption of the first-ever prayer offered by a Hindu chaplain in the US Senate July 12 despite repeated calls, e-mails and requests to their campaign offices.
The Greater Washington Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin and the leading Maryland gurdwara -- Guru Nanak Foundation of America -- held their first food drive over the weekend serving more than 350 families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution observed that the American-Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, among others.
'He is the only president, the only American politician, who had the guts to stand with Hindus.'
Several worshippers at temples across the United States on Wednesday sought heavenly blessings for newly-inaugurated President Barack Obama by ringing bells, lighting sacred lamps and reciting from scriptures. The ceremonies were held in response of the Hindu American Foundation's call to Hindu religious leaders to seek blessings for the success of the new administration.
"USCIRF's decision to club India in with a dozen or so of the worst violators of religious freedom in the world, while overlooking others, again raises questions of bias and flawed methodology," Prof Ramesh Rao of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) alleged.
Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has said that his Hindu faith gives him freedom and has inspired him to launch his bid for the White House.
An American Congressman has slammed the alleged ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan and said that Hindus have been discriminated much more than any other ethnic group in these countries.
The resolution may have been adopted a week after the festival of lights was celebrated, but it was nonetheless delightful news to the Indian American community that had lobbied for it, particularly the nascent Hindu American Foundation, comprising young professionals, who had earlier seen their efforts bear fruit in the US House of Representatives.
The latest biopic on Jyotibai Phule has come at a time when the Department of Taking Offence is super-active. Utkarsh Mishra feels it will be interesting to see if it portrays his attack on Brahminism in the same 'no holds barred' manner-- and, if it does, what reaction it provokes.
The Hindu American Foundation, still cannot contain its elation over President Barack Obama's inclusion of Hindus in his inaugural address--a first by a US president.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved a legislation to recognise the religious and historical significance of Diwali. The legislation was introduced by Congressman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, on the urging of the Hindu American Foundation. Now the Rules Committee has to schedule a date for the full House to take up this legislation on the floor and vote to formally recognise Diwali
The Reverend J Jon Bruno, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, California, was awarded the Hindu American Foundation's annual Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism at the HAF's Sixth Capitol Hill reception in early October.
The Hindu American Foundation has assailed President Barack Obama for deciding against visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar during his visit to India but having not qualms about visiting one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia when on the second leg of his four-state Asian itinerary he visits Indonesia.
The resolution affirmed the importance of the festival in the lives of millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs in the United States
Former US President Bill Clinton expresses his doubts about the realization of Mahatma Gandhi's dream for India in his new book, 'Citizen: My Life After the White House'. Reflecting on his experience in the aftermath of the devastating 2001 Gujarat earthquake, Clinton recounts his encounters with the suffering and resilience of the people, questioning the extent to which India has achieved Gandhi's vision of a peaceful haven for all. The book also highlights the establishment of the American India Foundation (AIF), which Clinton helped found to support relief efforts in Gujarat. Clinton's observations on India's internal divisions, particularly between Hindus and Muslims, offer a thought-provoking perspective on the country's progress towards Gandhi's ideals.
Mainstream American media and yoga experts have mourned the loss of B K S Iyengar, calling him as one of the greatest yoga gurus who was instrumental in bringing the physical and spritual exercise to West.
"Voting is our Dharma, and it's at the heart of our society," said Amit Jani, Biden Campaign National AAPI director.
African American singer and actress Mary Millben, known for her moving rendition of Om Jai Jagadish Hare and Jana Gana Mana, will perform at a diaspora event to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in Washington, DC on June 23.
"This is something to be proud of," said Raj Panjabi, who is currently serving as Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefence on the White House National Security Council.
In Washington, VHP members took out a tableau truck on Tuesday with the digital image of Ram temple, and went around the Capitol Hill with chanting of slogans "Jai Shree Ram" and moving around the city later.
The advert, on the occasion of the 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, included the imagery of Lord Ganesha with the text, 'Would you worship a donkey or an elephant? The choice is yours.'
'I would evaluate her on her past policies towards American Hindus and her future approach towards the community'
'Initially, I didn't think much of him. But when I walked alongside him, I realized he has what it takes.'
The Indian-American community in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tristate area is being targeted by telephone fraudsters.
The list of guests included celebrities from across the globe, politicians, the who's who of Hindi and south Indian cinema world and almost all the top cricketers of the country.
The bill, however, has to be passed by the Senate, wherein the Republicans enjoy a majority, before it can be signed into law by the US President Donald Trump.
'How can Hindus protest efforts to ban an edition of the Gita in parts of Russia, and force a publisher to withdraw an academic critique of Hinduism, all in the same breath? It makes the Hindu community seem petty, self-serving, and hypocritical. Episodes like this allow Hinduism to be "owned" by the most conservative, intolerant, extremist voices. These people do not speak for me, and they certainly don't represent the form of Hinduism I practice and love," Princeton University's Hindu chaplain Vineet Chander tells Rediff.com's Arthur J Pais.
It's not just wrong. It's dumb. Mr President, would America really be greater without us?" he asked in a tweet.
There is no use of the BJP targeting the likes of Mamata Banerjee and M K Stalin, directly by the party's political bosses, both in Delhi and the respective state capitals, or even using the Raj Bhavans to fire those salvos from. Successive elections have proved that it's counter-productive, if anything. But the BJP is yet to understand it, acknowledge it, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The statue of Gandhi, which was donated by the Indian government to the city of Davis, was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from anti-Gandhi and anti-India organisations.
An influential Hindu organisation in the United States has slammed a group of lawmakers for introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives on record of India's religious freedom arguing that it is grossly inaccurate and aims to provoke.
Hindu American Foundation: 'As an organisation that works on issues affecting Hindu minorities... in the civil war although all groups were affected, Hindu temples and Hindu institutions were disproportionately affected, and Hindus continue to be affected.' Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States Prasad Kariyawasam: 'Assume that Sri Lanka is referred to the ICC through the UN Security Council -- which will never happen because Sri Lanka has enough clout to block it. But assume it is. Still, the ICC cannot handle it because retrospectively they don't have jurisdiction.'
Hindu and Sikh leaders will share stage with Pope Francis during a prayer service in New York
Jaishankar, who along with the Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia, held a series of meetings with top officials of the Trump's administration and Congressional leaders, said the tragic incident in Kansas featured in many of their discussions.
Uday Mahurkar, Information Commissioner, government of India, wrote an open letter to Nolan, terming the scene a "disturbing attack on Hinduism" and appealed to the director to remove the scene worldwide.
The experts said the terror strike shows the United States has failed to persuade Pakistan to act against Jaish-e-Mohammad and other terrorist groups.
"Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms," Trump said in his address to the joint session of US Congress.
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