Hindus in Pak prepare for festive season

September 29th, 2009 KATHMANDU - A get-together during the festive season in Nepal turned to stark tragedy early Wednesday when 23 Christians, including an Indian, were crushed to death in a church instituted by an Indian convert in eastern Nepal. Most of the victims were women who died when a three-storey bamboo structure, built to accommodate Protestant Christians of the El Shaddai sect in Dharan town in eastern Nepal's Sunsari district, gave way around 12.30 a.m.

September 15th, 2009 DHAKA - Sugar, selling at a dollar for a kilogram in Bangladesh, is tasting bitter as Muslims, now observing Ramzan, prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr and the Hindus get ready for the Durga Puja. As sugar remains in short supply and becomes dearer, crossing Taka 65, people are queuing up at mobile fair price shops where it sells for Taka 42.

September 14th, 2009 NEVADA - Hindus have urged New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia to add "Diwali" and "Holi" on the list of restricted trading days in the new law. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that Hindu workers in NSW would like to be home on these days to celebrate the festivals with their families, friends, and the community.

September 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has issued a travel advisory to its citizens, warning them about probable terror strikes in India during the forthcoming festive season. In a statement issued by the US State Department, Americans have been advised to be cautious and to maintain a low profile during their travel to India during this period which includes festivals like Dusshera, Eid and Diwali.

August 24th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistani journalist and Chairman Nazria Pakistan Trust (NPT) Majid Nizami has urged teachers in Pakistan to indoctrinate the new generation with the idea that Hindus and Muslims belong to two separate nations. Nizam said the practice could only be defended by the two-nation theory.

August 14th, 2009 Port-of-SPAIN - Devout Hindus turned out in large numbers at the over 200 temples across Trinidad and Tobago for celebrations to mark Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, which began Thursday evening and went on till early Friday. Hindus of Indian origin form about 40 percent of the population in this country.

August 13th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh's Hindu community Thursday celebrated Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, with functions organised in the national capital and other parts of the country. It is a public holiday and President Zillur Rahman will host a reception for leaders of the community at the president's house Banga Bhaban.

July 20th, 2009 SYDNEY - An increasing number of Hindus and Muslims are willing to exchange wedding vows with people of other faiths, according to researchers. A Monash University research has shown that 10 per cent of Hindus have married out of their faith, along with 8 per cent of Muslim men and 6 per cent of Muslim women.

July 17th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - After spending numerous arduous days in refugee camps, people belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities have started returning to their homes in the Swat Valley. According to The Daily Times, the first convoy of refugees consisting of several Hindus and Sikhs, left for Swat from Hassanabdal on Thursday.

July 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Global fast food chain Burger King has apologised to Hindus for running an advertisement in Spain that showed an Indian goddess with a 'forbidden' Whopper burger. The advertisement had a picture of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, about to eat a beef burger.

July 7th, 2009 NEVADA - Hindus urged US President Barack Obama to put a Hindu temple also on his list, if possible, in case he decided to attend a number of different churches in rotation. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that President Obama was most welcome to visit any Hindu temple he selected in/around Washington DC.

July 5th, 2009 KARACHI - Hundreds of Hindus based in Sindh province would now be able to travel to India to immerse the ashes of their ancestors in the holy River Ganga, as they have been granted visas after decades of denial by the Pakistani authorities. Now, that the authorities have allowed Hindus to travel to India, it is expected that several people of the community would be visiting India to perform the last rights of their ancestors and immerse the ashes in the holy water of the River Ganga for eternal transformation the body in accordance with the Hindu mythology.

July 2nd, 2009 ASTANA - Tensions exist between India's Muslims and Hindus because the two communities do not know enough about each other, an Indian delegate at the global faith conference here contended Thursday. "Yes, tensions do exist but they exist because Muslims and Hindus don't know about each other," Zafar Yunus Sareshwala, the CEO of Mumbai Stock Exchange-listed financial services provider Parsoli Corporation, maintained during the plenary on "Solidarity specially in the period of crisis", on the concluding day of the third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions here.

June 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban has demanded six million rupees as 'Jaziya' from Hindus residing in the Battagram district of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). According to sources, an unidentified Taliban insurgent called a Hindu leader of the region, Dr.

May 13th, 2009 NEVADA - Hindus have applauded CBS Television Network for a special interfaith presentation "Faith, Music and Culture", to be broadcast on June seven. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that attempts of a major broadcasting network like CBS to bring major world religions together through music was an admirable feat.