Latest news with #Muslims
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi meets Pahalgam terror attack victim's family members in Kanpur, consoles them
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met the family of Shubham Dwivedi, the Kanpur-based businessman who was among the 26 people killed in the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was held at the Air Force Station, Chakeri, as the prime minister offered condolences and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. Shubham Dwivedi's parents, Sanjay and Seema, along with Shubham's wife Aishanya, were present during the meeting. Shubham and Aishanya were married on February 12 this year. Modi spent time with the family, acknowledged their pain and said the nation would forever honour the courage and sacrifice of Shubham. He reassured them of the government's support and shared their sorrow, stating that such acts of terrorism would not weaken the country's resolve. Following the interaction, Aishanya said, 'It felt as though someone had placed a hand over my head.' 'The prime minister spoke with great empathy and told me that the country is proud of Shubham. His sacrifice will not be forgotten.' She also said Modi reiterated the government's commitment to ongoing anti-terror operations and made clear that the fight against terrorism would continue with full force. Aishanya told the prime minister that the attack appeared intended to disrupt the improving situation in the valley. 'Things were getting better in Kashmir, and perhaps the attackers came to undo that progress,' she said. 'They asked our religion before they shot. They wanted to divide us, to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims.' She added that Modi listened intently and responded with understanding. 'The pain was visible on his face,' she said. 'He also consoled my father-in-law, placing a hand on his shoulder.' Speaking after the meeting, Sanjay Dwivedi expressed gratitude for what he called the government's strong and timely response to the attack. 'We are grateful that the Prime minister took the time to meet us and expressed such deep sorrow,' he said. 'He promised that this fight against terrorism will continue until it is rooted out.' The meeting concluded with Modi assuring the family that he would meet them again soon. 'He said there was little time today, but he will come again. That gave us strength,' said Dwivedi.
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hans India
CPI resents Gaddar Award to Allu Arjun, Razakar
Warangal: The Gaddar awards given to actor Allu Arjun and the Razakar movie are not the best in the spirit of people's expectations, CPI State Assistant Secretary Takkalapally Srinivas Rao said. Speaking at a party meeting in Hanumakonda on Friday, he found fault with the jury for giving the 'Best Heritage Film' award to the Razakar movie. The Razakar film story is full of deviations. It denigrated the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Telangana Peasant Armed Struggle. The peasants' struggle was against the landlords and zamindars was for land, food, and freedom from slavery; however, the Razakar film depicted it as a rift between the Hindus and the Muslims,' Rao said. He said that the Communists-led armed struggle that freed 3,000 villages from the Nizam's rule. It also saw the distribution of 10 lakh acres to the farmers and the poor, he added. Referring to the Best Actor award to All Arjun for his performance in the Pushpa film in which he acted as a red sander smuggler, Rao questioned the government about what kind of message it was delivering to the youth. He also objected to an award for the Kalki film, which showed superstitions. Rao demanded that the Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy to scrap the awards to which he objected. Senior leaders Mothe Linga Reddy, Karre Bikshapathi, Nedunuri Jyothy, Siraboina Karnakar and Manda Sadalaxmi were among others present.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Second faith fest spring event discusses pilgrimage
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — It's a gathering grounded in faith and unity. In Owensboro, people of different religious backgrounds came together for the second annual Faith Fest spring leaders explored a shared spiritual tradition and invited the community to reflect. Faith Fest spring is in its second year, but the efforts that led to its creation started over a decade ago. It's centered around a theme sacred to both the Islamic and Christian faith: pilgrimage. Everything from reflection to celebration. This year's faith fest brings together two spiritual voices: Dr. Aseedu Kalik and Father Larry Hostetter. Fosters urgently needed after Davies County animal hoarding incident Officials say the message is simple: faith can unite. 'Christians, Muslims and Jews live together in Spain for centuries in peace and harmony. This is an old idea that we need to return to,' says Claudia Ramisch, the event's organizer. The two speakers dove deep into the topic of pilgrimage as over 4 dozen people listened. For Muslims, Hajj begins June 4. It's an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. People are required to travel to the mecca at least once in their life. Dr. Kalik says he saw the mecca in December. 'We believe it's built by the angels and prophets. You see how the religion evolved, and how it spread the message of commonness [and] equality,' says Dr. Kalik, the spring event's speaker. Father Hostetter's speech focused on the attitude of a pilgrim and what it means to walk together toward God from the catholic perspective. His last pilgrimage was in Rome, Italy, but he says the practice can start small. 'Sometimes, I do a little chapel in the woods, and that's the pilgrimage for an afternoon. Then other times, I might be part of a group that travels to Rome,' says Father Hostetter, another speaker at the event. Officials say it reminds Owensboro that we all have a journey and sometimes the most powerful steps are taken together. 'It's really important right now that we know our neighbors, and religion is one of those things that sometimes is a taboo topic. We should be talking about [religion] because that's the source of our values and our interests,' says Ramisch. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
In Indonesia, CPI(M) MP cites Salman Khurshid to counter Asim Munir's ‘Hindus and Muslims are different' remark
CPI(M) MP John Brittas took a sharp aim at Pakistan Army chief general Asim Munir during an interaction with the Indian community in Jakarta on Friday. Brittas questioned Asim Munir's claim that Hindus and Muslims are inherently different in a way that justifies division or conflict. 'Asim Munir said something about Hindus and Muslims are different. Can you ever vouch for that?' Brittas asked, challenging the idea head-on. Standing alongside senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, Brittas pointed to India's diversity as its strength. 'Salman Khurshid is here. We are all together. I am from Kerala... I am a Christian. In Kerala, we have three major religions. We coexist in harmony. That is the message of India,' he said. John Brittas added that such a statement does not reflect the reality of India, where people from different religions, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians, live together peacefully. The MP didn't hold back when speaking about terrorism and India-Pakistan relations. 'Khwaja Asif... said that they have been indulging in this dirty job of nurturing and harbouring terrorist organisations for three decades. We don't require any more evidence. It's for all of us to see who is nurturing and harbouring terrorism,' Brittas added. He was referring to an April 25 interview with Sky News, in which Asif appeared to admit Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism while also accusing Western countries of conveniently targeting Pakistan. Brittas went on to highlight New Delhi's long-standing efforts for peace despite repeated provocations. 'India wants peace... The Indus Waters Treaty gave 80% of the water to Pakistan. We had been cooperative with them... Still, Pakistan continued with the trajectory of sending across terrorists," he said. "That's why India decided that enough is enough. We want peace, but it shouldn't be at the cost of our precious lives,' the CPI (M) MP added. He also underlined the contrast between India and Pakistan, saying, 'Pakistan is a theocratic state... They chose to be a nation in the name of a religion, and they are triggered by hate. India decided on its path. Two hundred million Muslims are in India, the second-largest Muslim community after Indonesia. This reflects the real character of India,' he said. He pointed out the diversity within the Indian delegation as a reflection of India's democratic values. 'The unique nature of this delegation is that out of five political parties, three are against the ruling party, but we are here together for a mission. This represents the real culture of India,' he said. Brittas was part of an all-party delegation visiting Indonesia as part of a broader diplomatic tour of Southeast and East Asia to deliver India's side to the world in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack. The group is visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. The delegation is led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha and includes members from the BJP, Congress, CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress, such as Aparajita Sarangi, Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Kumar.
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Sierra Leone Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister condemns Pahalgam terror attack
Freetown [Sierra Leone], May 31 (ANI): Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, P Alghali, on Friday (local time), met with the Indian parliamentary delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde and condemned the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Alghali further reaffirmed that Sierra Leone, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, also expressed concerns regarding the attack in the Security Council statement. 'We have a very vibrant Indian diaspora population in Sierra Leone, and they have contributed a lot to the economy and the relationship with India. So consider yourself at home here. We are aware of the matter between Indian and Pakistan and the recent terrorist attack that happened in April. We condemn the violence and the loss of life of innocent civilians. We want to commiserate with India for that loss. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we expressed our concerns regarding the attack in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Security Council statement that was put out on the 25th of April,' Alghali said. During the meeting, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde exposed Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir over his provocative statement before the Pahalgam terror attack and pressed on Pakistan's motive of disturbing the harmony of India. 'If you compare both nations, if you see minorities, non-muslims in Pakistan, their population have drastically reduced. But in India, the minority Muslim population has days before the Pahalgam attack, the Pakistan army chief, Asim Munir, made a statement that Hindus and Muslims cannot stay together in Pakistan. That was the statement made seven days before, and they are still going on with the same statements, so that is also instigating the incident,' Shrikant Shinde said. Earlier, the Indian delegation led by Shinde also held discussions with Abdulai Caulker, National Security Coordinator of Sierra Leone, and his team in Freetown. Other members of the delegation include Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, and Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde-led delegation also includes BJP leader SS Ahluwalia and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)
