Christian-Only White House Prayer Service Canceled By President Obama

www.HAFsite.org. WASHINGTON, DC, USA, May 6, 2009 [Hindu American Foundation Press Release]: President Barack Obama resisted mounting pressure from the far-right Christian group Focus on the Family and will not hold a formal Christian-only prayer service in the White House to mark the National Day of Prayer tomorrow. For the past eight years, the annual observance led by the National…

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Laws Discriminatory To Minorities To Be Repealed in Bangladesh

www.thaindian.com BANGLADESH, April 30, 2009: Bangladesh Prime Minister SheikhHasina has said that her government will repeal all laws and rulesdiscriminatory to minority communities, including indigenous people.“Our government believes in freedom of all religious faiths and equalopportunities for all,” Hasina told a visiting French militarydelegation Wednesday. Hasina said the government would ensure protection of freedom of allreligions and the minority groups’…

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Dalits Converted To Christianity Feel Left Behind

www.free-press-release.com BHOPAL, INDIA, May 6, 2009: Mr. R.L. Francis is the National President of the “Poor Christian Liberation Movement.” Unhappy with the stagnant condition of dalits who converted to Christianity, Francis is asking the Church for less proselityzing and more compassion. Mr. Francis says that church authorities are spending millions of rupees in preaching: there are around two hundred Catholic…

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Daily Inspiration

www.hinduismtoday.com The learned have prescribed penance for the murderer of a pious man, a drunkard, a thief or for one who has violated a solemn vow. But there is no pardon for the ungrateful.    The Panchatantra

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Daily Inspiration

www.hinduismtoday.com The average man of the world goes about his daily life not knowing that subconsciously he is seeking the Absolute Truth, the Beloved in the jiva. The mind-body equipment of man contains this Beloved, yet he seeks for it everywhere else but within. The musk deer attracted by its own scent searches for it in the woods. Little does…

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Bad Omens For Nepal’s New Government

religion.info KATHMANDU, NEPAL, May 4, 2009: When King Gyanendra’s army-backed reign ended three years ago followed by the abolition of monarchy in the world’s only Hindu kingdom, it did not come as a surprise to the Himalayan nation’s devout Hindus. “It was on the charts,” says Upendra Dahal, a Brahmin priest who also dabbles in astrology at the revered Pashupatinath…

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A Homage to Paul-Henri Ramin by Gerry L’Etang

bondamanjak.com [HPI note: Renowned Martiniquan scholar Paul-Henri Ramin, known for his bilingual Tamil / French books and a recording of sacred Tamil Hindu chants, died on Friday 17 April 2009 in Paris at 39 years of age. He was well known and loved in Reunion as well as in the French Caribbean islands. The following is drawn from a eulogy…

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Grandiose Pooram Festival Begins in Kerala

www.hindu.com THRISSUR, KERALA, INDIA, May 3, 2009: The famous Thrissur Pooram festival, dedicated to Lord Shiva, started on Sunday with elephant processions from eight nearby temples arriving before the Vadakkunathan shrine from early morning. Of late, Thrissur Pooram, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has been attracting foreign visitors in large numbers, as the event has been listed as a major attraction…

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Ancient Hindu Customs Survive on Indonesia’s Bali Island

www.france24.com TRUNYAN, INDONESIA, April 26, 2009: The small population of Trunyan island claims to be descendants of the original Balinese, or Bali Aga. They follow a form of Hinduism that pre-dates the influence of the powerful Majapahit empire that ruled neighboring Java for 200 years from the late 13th century. Although Bali has developed rapidly as a tourist destination, the…

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