Buddhist monks in Bangladesh feed hundreds of Muslims during Ramadan

Buddhist monks in Dhaka, Bangladesh are distributing food parcels to Muslims this Ramadan. Outside the Dhammarajika Monastery, in the Basabo neighbourhood, monks distribute hundreds of iftar parcels. Suddhananda Mahathero, the monastery’s head monk told the AFP: “Buddhism taught us that serving humanity is the ultimate religion. We are feeding the poor Muslims who cannot afford to buy proper meals to break their fast”. Some individuals travelled several kilometers on foot to cue for food. When the AFP observed, over 300 Muslims sought food parcels. A measured police presence ensures peaceful transactions. Muslims in Bangladesh colour the majority of the country’s religious makeup (86.6 per cent). The noted Buddhist minority mainly occupies the southern regions (near the border with Myanmar). In 2012, in the southeast of Bangladesh, Muslims protested a blasphemous image on Facebook. Rumour spread that the individual responsible was Buddhist. In response, protesters burnt at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes of Buddhists. As some sought to ease community tensions, Amnesty International condemned the violence.

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Anti-Muslim Bigot Is a Top Mortgage Broker Living in Bradford

Thanks to Sheffield Indymedia, it seems that we have found out who @bigsteve1911 is after he trolled the TELL MAMA account yesterday with the following tweet: https://twitter.com/bigsteve1911/status/617428040008749056 What is also interesting to note is that he linked to a tweet from a female resident in Scotland who previously tweeted from the @dowheater account. We are currently

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Banner Inciting Hate Unfurled by EDL in Sheffield

The EDL have also suggested that they are against ‘radical’ Islam. They have tried to suggest that they are not prejudiced and that they have been targeted, as if they have been hard done by. Each time they try and make this case, a bone seems to fall out of their mouth which proves what a

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Buddhist actor mistaken for terrorist on Paris plane

A Buddhist was mistaken for a terrorist as he meditated to a sacred Tibetan text aboard a Paris plane. Alarmed passengers notified staff and Portuguese actor Heitor Lourenco, 47, found himself under arrest. Lourenco told SIC television, “Police told me that I had been denounced as a terrorism suspect aboard the plane because I was reciting the Koran aloud, that I was reading a text involving words ‘death’ and ‘bomb'”. In reality, the text contained Tibetan characters and a timer to calculate meditation time. Lourenco accessed it via his tablet device. Police detained Lourenco for six hours before uncovering his acting credentials. Officers confirmed his Buddhist beliefs via Wikipedia.

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Canadian mosque raised thousands of dollars to support vandalised church

A Canadian mosque raised thousands of dollars to support a nearby Catholic church after a spate of vandalism. News of the vandalism soon spread. Hamid Slimi, imam of the Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga visited the St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church to make sense of the crime. Father Camillo Lando showed Slimi footage of the vandal’s behaviour. According to the Toronto Star, “The guy who did it ripped pages out of the Bible. He broke the altar. He threw the cross,” said Slimi. “When I saw this, I thought it was pure injustice. It was just wrong”. After recalling the incident at a Friday sermon, Slimi urged others to donate. Within a day, the congregation raised almost $5,000. CCTV of the first incident captured a man tearing pages from bibles, throwing holy books, and laying a cross upon the floor. Upon leaving, footage captured him taking items. Days later, a vandal left a statue of Jesus desecrated; the adjoining school spray painted. Local police soon arrested Iqbal Hessan, 22, and charged him. At a bail hearing, Hessan stated he was ‘upset’ with Christianity. During the ongoing trial, prosecution told the court that Hessan confessed a desire to ‘hurt’ [...]

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What are the three central values of the Quran?

The Quran advocates many values that shape one’s intellectual and spiritual journey to God; but most importantly, these values also enable adherents to be more tolerant as they consider themselves vicegerent of God. Unfortunately, it appears that some Muslims do not give due consideration to these values. In this rather brief chapter I shall mention three values without in-depth elaboration: these are the value of life; the value of respecting differences; as well as the value of justice. How the Qur’an values life When your Lord said to the angels, “I am appointing someone as my deputy on earth,” they said (almost protesting), “Are you going to appoint one who will commit corruption and bloodshed therein, even though we (are the ones who) commemorate Your Name and glorify You?” The Lord said, “I know that which you do not know”. (Q. 2:30). I find this passage from the Qur’an extremely important. It helps me appreciate mankind but also my journey towards understanding God and his relationship with mankind. For instance, the verse indicates that mankind enjoys the most privileged state amongst all God’s creations. Furthermore, the verse tells us that mankind is God’s viceroy on earth.  God could have chosen [...]

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How Many Children Have To Die for Palestinians to Have Their Homeland?

We see the cycle of hatred, an Israeli Jewish couple murdered, Jewish settlers retaliate by running over innocent Palestinians and burning olive groups, apart from the harassment and humiliation they mete out to Palestinian farmers. A Jewish man is stabbed in the Old City by young Palestinians, whilst Palestinian children are shot and killed in cold blood […]

Faith Matters Launches Iphone and Ipad programme Outlining 100 of the Most Women Friendly Mosques in England

This is a unique Iphone and Ipad downloadable programme that is based on the Developing Diversity directory which Faith Matters produced in 2010. The programme provides detailed information on 100 of the most women friendly mosques in England that are rated according to whether they meet 5 or 4 key requirements that Muslim women wanted […]

The Role of Righteous Muslims

THE ROLE OF RIGHTEOUS MUSLIMS: HEROES SAVING LIVES IN THE HOLOCAUST This booklet, (the Role of Righteous Muslims), is aimed at broadening knowledge and awareness of the roles that some Muslims took during the Holocaust and whose stories show the moral and physical courage of these individuals who believed in doing what was right. Today, […]