India bends it like Modi on first World Yoga Day

Yahoo - AFP, Annie Banerji, 21 June 2015

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) participates in a mass yoga session 

along with other yoga practitioners to mark International Yoga Day on Rajpath 

Avenue in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 (AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hailed the first International Yoga Day as a "new era of peace", moments before he surprised thousands in New Delhi by taking to a mat himself to celebrate the ancient Indian practice.

Yoga-loving Modi led more than 35,000 people, including bureaucrats, students and soldiers, performing poses such as the half camel and cobra in a 35-minute mass outdoor yoga session beginning at 7:00 am (0130 GMT) on a New Delhi boulevard.

Organisers are hoping the event qualifies for the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest yoga class at a single venue.

People take part in a mass yoga session

 to mark International Yoga Day on 

Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 

(AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

The current title, according to the Guinness website, was set by 29,973 students in Gwalior, India, in 2005.

"Yoga is more than only physical fitness. We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace," Modi told the crowd at Rajpath avenue.

He thanked the United Nations and the 177 co-sponsoring countries for adopting his idea for a world Yoga Day.

"This is a programme for human welfare, a tension-free world and a programme to spread the message of love, peace and goodwill," said the premier, wearing a crisp white outfit with a national tricolour scarf.

Modi then surprised the crowds by leaving the stage, removing his glasses, and securing a spot at the front of the massive session to mirror the stretches, breathing, and meditative moves beamed on giant screens along the historic avenue.

He took a brief break in the middle of the session to walk around and inspect students doing yoga around him before rejoining the routine of 15 different poses, including the crocodile and "wind-releasing" posture.

The prime minister, who credits yoga for his ability to work long hours on little sleep, had been scheduled only to make a speech at Rajpath, where colourful mats were lined across the stretch that connects the president's palace with the iconic India Gate monument.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) gives instructions as yoga practitioners

 take part in a mass yoga session to mark International Yoga Day on Rajpath in

New Delhi on June 21, 2015 (AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

Sea of white

Aerial images taken near dawn showed Rajpath, or King's Avenue, as a sea of white with scores of people, clad in new Yoga Day T-shirts, bending and stretching in sync with the English and Hindi instructions to a background score of Indian classical music being played over loudspeakers.

Central Delhi was sealed off and carpeted, with dozens of metal detectors and multiple checkpoints erected for the big day that saw other VIPs including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal participate.

People in 650 districts joined in, with pictures pouring in on Twitter from across the country.

Some showed soldiers performing various yoga poses -- or asanas -- against a backdrop of soaring snow mountains at Siachen glacier, the world's highest battleground, in disputed Indian Kashmir while others showed residents stretching it out in local parks.

India will be joined by yoga enthusiasts in 192 other countries -- including in Britain, where mats will be rolled out along the banks of the River Thames.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (front L) participates in a mass yoga 

session along with other yoga practitioners to mark International Yoga Day on

Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 (AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

In his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly, Modi proposed to dedicate a day devoted to the ancient Indian discipline, prompting the UN to proclaim June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

Indian scholars believe yoga dates back 5,000 years, based on archaeological evidence of poses found inscribed on stones and references to Yogic teachings in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the Vedas.

And Modi, a vegetarian who practises the art daily, has made Yoga Day a key initiative of his Hindu nationalist government since he took office 13 months ago.

He wants to reclaim yoga as an historical part of Indian culture which has been lost to the West, where it has become a multi-billion-dollar industry.

Since storming to power, the Hindu nationalist premier has set up a ministry dedicated to promoting yoga and other traditional Indian treatments, and also started free yoga classes for his government's three million bureaucrats and their families.

"Yoga is the soft power of India and through that soft power the whole world can be one global village... (and) violence can be removed with this kind of peace," Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has told reporters.

Guinness World Recocrds Representative Marco Frigatti (2nd L) speaks with a 

yoga practitioner as attendees prepare to participate in a mass yoga session to

 mark International Yoga Day on Rajpath Avenue in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 

(AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

Swaraj is at the UN's headquarters in New York for Yoga Day, when scores are expected to strike a pose in Times Square.

But the government's push for "yoga for harmony and peace" met with criticism in the run-up to Sunday, with some religious minorities accusing Modi of pushing a pro-Hindu agenda in officially secular India.

A few Muslim groups have complained that chanting the sacred Hindu sound of "Om" during yoga and certain poses, such as "surya namaskar" or sun salutation, have clear Hindu overtones and were against Islam.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon(C) takes part in a special event celebrating

the first International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2015 at UN headquarters in

New York (AFP Photo/Mark Garten)

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Pope and Welby joined by imams and rabbis for anti-slavery declaration

Religious leaders gather at the Vatican to commit to working together for the eradication of slavery by 2020

The Guardian, John Hooper in Vatican City, Tuesday 2 December 2014

Pope Francis and other religious leaders at the Vatican. Photograph: AP

It began with a 17-year-old Australian schoolgirl’s horrified discovery. And on Tuesday it brought together in the Vatican Jewish rabbis, turbaned Sunni imams and Shia ayatollahs, Pope Francis, the archbishop of Canterbury, a Hindu guru and the orange-robed Buddhist chief high priest of Malaysia, among others.

For a brief couple of hours, they found something on which they could agree: that slavery in its many contemporary forms is an unmitigated evil, “a disgrace to God, a dishonour to humankind,” as the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew called it.

The patriarch was speaking by video link. The others were present at the signing of a declaration in which they committed to working together for the eradication of what Francis has called a crime against humanity. They set a deadline of 2020.

That looks ambitious: according to the latest edition of the Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index, almost 36 million people are trapped in slavery of some kind. But the declaration is intended to give the issue a higher international profile, and is a tribute to the energy and determination of the Walk Free anti-slavery movement’s founder, the Australian mining tycoon Andrew Forrest.

His first contact with the issue came after his daughter, Grace, went on a school visit to Nepal. “I chose to work in a home for girls rescued from sex slavery,” she told the Guardian. “But when I went back, when I was 17, they had all gone.” They had been trafficked by the people who were meant to be looking after them.

“We started researching the supply chain,” her father said. “It led from Nepal to India to the Middle East.” His research led him to check his own group’s supply chains for other kinds of slavery. What he found was horrific, he said. One firm was using workers whose passports had been confiscated; the annual death rate among them was 20%. “Half were suicides,” he said.

“At the end of the chain was a British company. I rang the CEO who originally tried to deny it, and then said taking away people’s passports was legal.” Forrest gave him half an hour to agree to cut off relations with the company using slave labour, or else he would go to the media. When the British CEO complied, Forrest undertook not to divulge the name of his firm.

Seldom if ever has the Vatican seen such a varied gathering. The pope was flanked by a shaven-headed Vietnamese Zen nun, the Venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong, and an Indian holy woman wearing a nose stud, Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi, regarded by her followers as a saint and known to them as Amma, or “mother”.

She said finding traffickers was like trying to catch “a black cat in a dark room”, but practical steps could be taken. Children in poor countries were often ensnared using mobile telephones given to them by traffickers. She said she would like to see mobile operators mounting awareness campaigns.

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, set out a number of other ways ahead, including consumer pressure for more information about supply chains.

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Pope meets Orthodox leader at close of Turkish trip

Pope Francis reflects alongside Islamic cleric in Istanbul mosque

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Millions fled homes in 2013 due to religious beliefs: US

Yahoo – AFP, Jo Biddle, 28 July 2014

Two young Syrian soldiers ride a motorcycle past a huge poster bearing a

 portrait of President Bashar al-Assad next to a painting of a Syria's national 

flag in the Christian town of Marmarita in the central Homs region, on August 19,

2013 (AFP Photo/Louai Beshara)

Washington (AFP) - Conflicts and repression around the world in 2013 triggered the largest displacement of religious communities in recent memory, a US report said Monday, revealing millions had fled their homes.

"In almost every corner of the globe, millions of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and others representing a range of faiths were forced from their homes on account of their religious beliefs," the United States said in its annual International Religious Freedom Report.

"Out of fear or by force, entire neighborhoods are emptying of residents."

From the Middle East to Asia and stretching into parts of Africa and Europe, "communities are disappearing from their traditional and historic homes and dispersing across the geographic map. In conflict zones, in particular, this mass displacement has become a pernicious norm."

The 2013 report, prepared by the State Department, singled out Syria where it warned that after three years of civil war against President Bashar al-Assad "the Christian presence is becoming a shadow of its former self."

"In the city of Homs the number of Christians dwindled to as few as 1,000 from approximately 160,000 prior to the conflict."

Amid Egypt's political upheavals as the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, in June, and moved against his Muslim Brotherhood, Christian churches, homes and businesses were looted and torched.

Egyptian Coptic Christians sit on a bench near debris that remain in the 

courtyard of Amba Moussa Coptic church after it was vandalized and torched 

by unknown assailants earlier this month on August 27, 2013 in the central

Egyptian city of Minya (AFP Photo/Gianluigi Guercia)

"Islamist-led mobs carried out acts of violence, intimidation, compelled expulsions, and punishment against Christians, especially in Upper Egypt," the report said.

But there were also attacks on Shiites led by Salafist after "months of government and official Islamic anti-Shiite rhetoric."

A million people fled the fighting in the Central African Republic last year, where at least 700 people were killed in sectarian violence, and in Myanmar mob-violence in Meikhtila province caused 100 deaths and over 140,000 people were displaced.

"North Korea again stood out for its absolute prohibition of religious organizations and harsh punishments for any unauthorized religious activities," it said, while countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Sudan put severe restrictions on people following religious groups "that did not conform to the state-approved religion."

Governments must fight intolerance

The report deals with events in 2013 and was written before thousands of Christians and other minorities had fled the Iraqi northern city of Mosul amid last month's jihadist onslaught led by Islamic State insurgents.

But the State Department still found that last year in Iraq there were "reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice."

"When governments choose not to combat discrimination on the basis of religion and intolerance, it breeds an environment in which intolerant and violent groups are emboldened," it warned.

In China, "the government’s respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom fell well short of its international human rights commitments."

Beijing "prosecuted family members of self-immolators, imprisoned and tortured Falun Gong practitioners, continued its harassment of members of house churches and unregistered Catholic bishops and priests, and sought the forcible return of ethnic Uighurs who were seeking asylum overseas."

Members of Indonesia's branch of the Falungong spiritual movement, also known

 as "Falun Dafa", hold a poster as they during a protest in front of the Chinese 

embassy in Jakarta on July 14, 2014 (AFP Photo/Oscar Siagian)

Chinese officials also detained students, monks and laypeople in Tibetan areas and there were reports of the torture of Muslim Uighurs.

Militants in Pakistan killed more than 400 Shiite Muslims in 2013 in sectarian attacks, and more than 80 Christians died in a church bombing, while the authorities continued to enforce blasphemy laws.

Restrictive laws against "extremism" were also used in Russia to target the activities of minority religious groups, and continued "to grant the Russian Orthodox Church a privileged position."

"Rising anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiment in parts of Europe demonstrated that intolerance is not limited to countries in active conflict," the report stressed, adding that many Jewish communities in some European countries were considering emigrating.

But the report also noted that amid "the darkness of religious strife lay inspiring and unheralded acts of interfaith solidarity."

Following the Peshawar church bombing "resilient Muslim community members formed human chains around churches during services in a show of solidarity and to stand up against senseless violence.

"In Egypt, Muslim men stood in front of a Catholic church to protect the congregation from attacks. And after an increase of mosque attacks in the United Kingdom, a local orthodox Jewish neighborhood watch team began assisting Muslim leaders to ensure safe access to mosques and alert them to possible attacks."

Related Articles:

France ready to facilitate asylum for Iraq’s Christians

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones.  …”

"THE RECALIBRATION OF BELIEF"– Aug 18, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

United Nations too Christian, claims report

Study calls for greater religious tolerance with Hinduism and Buddhism under-represented and funding a major issue

theguardian.com, Press Association, Wednesday 1 January 2014

The report says while the UN represents all religions, there are 'structural and
historical differences' that need addressing. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters/Corbis

Christianity dominates the United Nations and more diversity is needed to increase non-Christian representation in world peacemaking, according to a study.

Research undertaken by Prof Jeremy Carrette, with colleagues from the University of Kent's department of religious studies, has revealed that more than 70% of religious non-government organisations (NGOs) at the UN are Christian, and that there is historical privilege in allowing the Vatican a special observer status, as both a state and a religion.

The report, called Religious NGOs and the United Nations, calls for greater awareness, transparency and equality in the way religious NGOs operate within the UN, and more emphasis on religious tolerance.

The report also asks for greater understanding of how religions enhance and constrain human rights. It provides evidence that funding limits other religious traditions from establishing NGO work at the UN.

Islam, is represented more significantly through a collective of states (the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation) rather than civil society NGOs, which are dominated by Catholic groups, according to the report.

Asian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, are under-represented and funding is a major issue in preventing their equal access, it said.

Carrette said: "It would seem there needs to be more of a 'global goodwill' to make the UN system work for all religions equally, and for religions to follow and share equally UN goals for peace and justice.

"The report highlights that while all religions are represented in some way in the peacemaking system of the UN, there are structural and historical differences that need to be addressed.

"It also shows that religions form an important part of international global politics and that in a global world we need to establish a new pluralistic contract for equal access for all religions to the UN system.

"This must also entail religious groups working towards the ideals of the UN, in terms of human rights, fairness and justice for all men and women."

The report questions claims by the Christian right that new age cults run the UN , saying evidence suggests these are greatly misjudged and erroneous.

It also shows the number of inter-faith and new age NGOs is very small, and religious NGOs in total form only 7.29% of the total of consultative status NGOs at the UN.

But despite their small size, some religious NGOs can have a far greater influence, the research suggests. Among the most active religious NGO groups are Catholics, Quakers and the Baha'i faith, which have some of the highest number of meetings with UN diplomats.

Related Article:

"THE RECALIBRATION OF BELIEF"– Aug 18, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

INSIGHT: Interfaith dialogue: The need to tackle some thorny issues

Bahtiar Effendy, The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Sat, 03/14/2009 10:24 AM  

Nobody knows exactly when and if the United Nations will eventually declare this year the start of a decade of interfaith dialogue. The idea of making it this year has been considered by those who are actively engaged in religious dialogue and cooperation of people of different faiths. Indeed, interfaith dialogue has become fashionable in the last few years. Even world leaders are now beginning to realize and take into account the importance of dialogue among people of different faiths. 

It is an irony, but Samuel Huntington deserves part of the credit. The recent surge in religious dialogue has been made possible in part by his provocative observation on the clash of civilizations. Certainly, the dreadful attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) on Sept. 11, 2001 solidified the importance of interfaith dialogue. 

But interest in religious dialogue is by no means a novel issue. Long before, the importance of religious dialogue had been raised by several institutions such as the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) as well as the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP). Countries that became members of these organizations developed their own organizations with the same interest. 

Indonesia is no exception. A home to nearly 240 million people, it not only comprises multi-ethnic groups, but also different religious denominations with Islam being the religion of the majority. Without proper management, these ethno-religious cleavages could be a nightmare for whoever controls the state as they may well serve as a source of tension.

So, concern over religious harmony has been part of the government policy. Historically, tensions involving the existing religious denominations had occurred in pre-independent Indonesia. They were not necessarily religious in nature, but often related to politics. The struggle for political authority in Java in the 15th century, for instance, had involved peoples with different religious beliefs. This sorry phenomenon continued well after independence. The debate over national ideology, on what sort of ideology the Indonesian state should be based (i.e. Islam or Pancasila) had created tension between Muslims and non-Muslims. This politically motivated tension reached its height in the ‘50s. 

Although such tension subsided in the 1960s, partly because of President Sukarno’s decision to bring the debate to a halt, different forms of religious tension began to develop. Most of the time, these religious conflicts involved proselytization activities, building places of worship (mosques and churches in particular) and overseas donations. Once in a while, tension among different religious adherents heightened because of different interests in legal arrangements. Because of this, many are of the opinion that religious tension has become an imminent issue.

This has made the government take necessary measures to prevent or minimize conflict. In this regard, at least three major measures have been taken. First, recognizing the existing religions; previously, recognition was given only to Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Only recently has Confucianism also been recognized. Second, establishing inter-religious forums. Third, encouraging and sponsoring dialogue.

Unfortunately, this has been the concern of primarily the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It had never been the concern of any other Ministries until a few years ago, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarded interfaith dialogue as part of its public diplomacy. Working with its counterparts in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, the Netherlands, the Vatican, Canada and Italy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has regularly conducted interfaith dialogue meetings.

But it is actually the NGOs that have a far deeper concern over the imminent nature of religious tension and conflict. Many socio-religious organizations such as the Muhammadiyah, the Nahdlatul Ulama, the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), the Indonesian Council of Bishops (KWI), the Indonesia Confucianism High Assembly (Matakin), the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Walubi), etc. are actively involved in interfaith dialogue.

Their main concern has been to encourage dialogue among different religious denominations so that they can arrive at a common platform that regulates their activities. They believe through dialogue they can understand the issues and problems better. It opens up a window of opportunity to reach a common understanding that is instrumental in solving whatever problems they are facing. Through dialogue, it is hoped that religious conflict can be avoided.

There are many issues being addressed by those who are engaged in the campaign for interfaith dialogue. These include religious freedom, human rights, religious cooperation, respect for others’ beliefs, disarmament, globalization and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately, they often fail to tackle some thorny and burning issues that may well have served as sources of tension and conflict. These issues usually do not concern theological or philosophical matters in religions, but practical ones. Cases in point are, as mentioned earlier, building places of worship, religious proselytization activities, burial, or overseas donations. Because of that, they fall short of taking the necessary steps to solve the above practical problems.

It is comforting to know that interest in religious dialogues is on the rise. Yet at the same time, religious leaders are confronted with the question of the sustainability of a dialogue. Often, a dialogue is not conducted at regular intervals, so then different people are involved. They are inclined to start from scratch, which has hampered the further development of a dialogue.

Unless some kind of permanent working group is set up, and thorny issues are being discussed, interfaith dialogue will have no significant impact in our effort to create a peaceful coexistence among people of different religious beliefs. 

The writer is a professor of political science at the State Islamic University (UIN), Jakarta.

Related Article:

Leaders say religious harmony a blessing

SBY touts Asia as new power, dismisses radicalism threat

Desy Nurhayati and Hyginus Hardoyo, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali | Thu, 12/11/2008 7:40 AM 

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono believes Asia is replacing the West as the world’s center of power and that Indonesia is well geared to address a growing tendency toward fundamentalism. 

“There has been a kind of changing global landscape, a shifting of the central power from the United States and Europe to Asia over the last 15 years,” Yudhoyono told a joint press conference on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the Bali Democracy Forum on Wednesday. 

The inaugural session, entitled “Building and Consolidating Democracy: A Strategic Agenda for Asia”, was attended by foreign ministers and delegates from at least 32 countries and three heads of state — Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor Leste. 

Yudhoyono said that the forum, which is open to all Asian countries and will regularly gather country representatives at the ministerial level, constituted Indonesia’s contribution to Asia’s transition into a new era. 

The President also launched the Institute for Peace and Democracy on the campus of state-run Udayana University in Jimbaran, Bali. 

“This (Asian) region will be very dynamic in the future, especially in terms of politics, culture and economy and technology,” he said, describing the region as a melting pot for various civilizations. 

“Indonesia itself is in the process of a transformation to build a better democracy and create harmony among its plural society,” he said. 

Indonesia, he continued, had strategic policies in place to maintain pluralism and avoid a tendency toward fundamentalism. 

“Indonesia is a unique blend of Islamic, oriental and western civilizations with Hindu and Buddhist influences coming to our people in the third century. Islam arrived in the 13th century, and Western civilization came in the 17th century, first in the form of colonialism but later in the form of modern nationalism,” he said. 

Over the centuries, the Indonesian archipelago absorbed influences from those civilizations, Yudhoyono said, adding that there was always the possibility that such influences could collide but that Indonesian democracy was providing a home for those cultures and religions to blend harmoniously. 

“Our present democracy is now 10 years old, born in the aftermath of a financial crisis that gave birth to the reform movement. 

He said Indonesia had progressed in leaps and bounds in its democratic transition, but that there was still much more to be done. 

“The Bali Democracy Forum comes forth because we realize the need for an organized learning process and comprehensive dialogue on democracy. A high level dialogue which is wider, more inclusive and more focused than any that has been attempted before,”  Yudhoyono said. 

Ni Komang Erviani contributed to this article from Jimbaran, Bali.

No ban on yoga for RI Muslims yet: Ulema body

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 11/24/2008 9:05 AM  

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said Sunday it would not follow its Malaysian counterpart in banning yoga, if only because it did not know how widely yoga was practiced here. 

MUI deputy chairman Umar Shihab said the board of clerics would have to conduct a study before issuing an edict to ban it. 

"It's OK if it's for sport. I guess we can allow it here. But I don't know if it is proved it can destroy our beliefs as Muslims or contains ideas of polytheism," he said. 

Umar said the MUI had never conducted a study on yoga because there had been no public complaints. 

Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, which has the authority to rule over how Muslims practice their faith, took the international community by surprise Saturday when it issued a fatwa or edict banning Muslims from practicing yoga, saying the Indian physical exercise contains elements of Hinduism and could corrupt Muslims. 

The council said yoga involved not just physical exercise but also Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship. 

A fatwa is not legally binding on Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 27 million people, unless it is enshrined in national or sharia laws. However, many Muslims abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society. 

Many analysts have said the fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multiethnicity. About 25 percent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus. 

Creeping conservatism has also been observed in Indonesia, as evident in the recent passage of the controversial pornography bill and enforcement of sharia-based ordinances in regions. 

Deputy chairman of the MUI edict commission Ali Mustafa Yakub said Muslims here were allowed to practice yoga as it was not clear how popular it was. 

"I've rarely heard of Muslims here practicing yoga. We don't need to ban it because we haven't found Muslims practicing it here. If they do, they are not publicly visible, so there will be no problems," he said. 

Yakub said he was sure the Indian influence in Indonesia was not as strong as in Malaysia, arguing the influence was limited to dangdut music. 

Hundreds of yoga classes with thousands of participants throughout the country have emerged since the 1998 financial crisis, with many adherents regarding yoga as a way of relieving stress and frustration. 

"All of a sudden, the classes are full," Janet Wijaya, a senior yoga instructor, was quoted as saying by Tempo magazine recently. 

With a financial crisis looming over the country, more people -- regardless of their religion -- may take up yoga.

Foreign journalists to cover Nyepi

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Television stations in the United States, Korea and Taiwan have expressed interest in covering Nyepi (the Day of Silence) in Bali, which falls on March 7 this year, an official said Thursday.

"I received proposals from three foreign TV stations -- CNN from the United States, one from Taiwan and the other one from South Korea, to cover the ritual of Nyepi next week," head of the Bali Tourism Agency, I Gede Nurjaya, told The Jakarta Post here.

He said he had sent official replies to the requests two days ago, saying the agency did not mind if they covered Nyepi, but under certain conditions.

"They are allowed to cover a series of rituals for Nyepi, starting from the melasti (self-purification) ceremony to the ogoh-ogoh (effigy) parade, but on Nyepi Day they will be allowed to cover it only from their hotels. We don't want them to disturb the devotion of the people during Nyepi Day," he said.

He said that even though they were journalists covering Nyepi, they would not be allowed onto the streets or to travel around the island on Nyepi Day, when activities are severely curtailed.

Hindu Balinese will mark Nyepi on March 7 to commemorate Hindu's Saka New Year.

Nurjaya said he also suggested they get recommendations from Indonesian embassies stating they are members of the media in their respective countries.

"I also asked them to present a list of their equipment so that we can expedite the process at the airport," he said.

However, he said it was not certain the TV stations would end up sending reporters to Bali.

"They sent me the letters at the last minute. I just received them five days ago, while Nyepi is only seven days away," he said.

During Nyepi, 90 percent of the island's 3.5 million inhabitants will practice catur berata penyepian, or the four abstinences: refraining from lighting fires and using lights, refraining from working, refraining from traveling outside the house and refraining from indulging in leisure activities for 24 hours, starting at 6 a.m. on March 7 to 6 a.m. the next day.

This ritual has inspired some non-governmental organizations that focus on environmental issues to promote the moment of Nyepi throughout the world as a campaign to reduce carbon emissions.

Ni Nyoman Sri Widhiyanti of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said she had not heard about the journalists that would go to Bali to cover Nyepi.

However, she urged the regional administration to help facilitate any journalists in carrying out their jobs.

"As long as they do not disturb the ritual it is all right for them to cover the situation of Nyepi in Bali," she said

Besides, she added, it would be a good promotion for Bali in general and for the world silence day campaign in particular.

Malaysia backpedals on Allah ban for Christian paper, renews its permit

The Jakarta Post

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A Roman Catholic newspaper said Monday the government has reversed its decision to ban the publication over its use of the word "Allah," easing a row that strained racial harmony in the multiethnic country.

In a surprising about-turn over the weekend, the government renewed The Herald weekly's 2008 permit without any conditions, said its editor Rev. Lawrence Andrew.

"There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban," he told The Associated Press.

Internal security officials declined to comment when contacted.

The ministry had repeatedly warned The Herald that its printing permit may be revoked if it continued to use "Allah" as a synonym for God in its Malay-language section. After The Herald refused, it was told in early December that its Malay-language section would be banned from January.

All publications in Malaysia require a government permit, which is renewed annually.

The government said "Allah" refers to the Muslim God and can only be used by Muslims.

Allah, an Arabic word, means God in Bahasa Melayu also, the language of Malays who are Muslims and form 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people. Officials feared that using the word Allah in Christian literature would confuse the Malays and draw them to Christianity.

Malaysian Christians have argued that Allah is an Arabic word that was used by Christians before Islam. Even in Malaysia, Malay-speaking Christians have used the word Allah for generations.

"You can't deny a people the use of its language," said Andrew, adding that the community is grateful the ban was not imposed. "It was certainly a good thing for the country as a whole that we can accept one another. We need to be moderate and have tolerance."

The Herald, which has a circulation of 12,000 copies, publishes reports in four languages - English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil - for the country's 900,000 Catholics.

The Herald will, however, pursue its court action to get a legal endorsement for what it says is its Constitutional right to use "Allah," Andrew said.

A church in Sabah state in eastern Malaysia has also sued the government for preventing it from using the word "Allah" in its Malay-language literature. The church has not received any notification that they can use the literature and they say the ban violates the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.

Religion issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where minorities often complain that their rights are trampled upon by overzealous Muslim bureaucrats with Islamic leanings. They accuse the government of not doing enough to prevent this, and of tacitly taking part in the alleged discrimination.

The minorities are mostly ethnic Chinese, who follow Christianity and Buddhism and account for 25 percent of the population, followed by ethnic Indians who are mostly Hindus and are 10 percent.

'Tolerance, equality' key to peace in Medan

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Christians across Indonesia are placing their faith in security officers for a peaceful Christmas. In Medan, North Sumatra, trust in fellow community members of different religions and ethnicities seems to have been the bedrock of peace here.

On Sunday afternoon Seni Juniati Sinuraya and a number of young friends were still busy preparing Christmas ornaments at the Stasi Santo Paulus Catholic Church in the Padang Bulan area.

Twenty others were still in a meeting for preparations.

Chief organizer Juniati Sinuraya said there were no constraints so far in celebrating Christmas, for which mass will be held Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Some 150 families will attend, he said, while organizers are working closely with security people and the surrounding community.

"Hopefully like each year there will be no disruptions," Juniati said. "Locals here are highly tolerant."

An anthropologist at Medan State University, Albinus Silalahi, said religious tolerance in the province was high compared to other areas in the country.

He said mutual appreciation of followers of different faiths here contributed to the continuing harmony in North Sumatra.

"Mutual appreciation ... is a strong factor here, made possible by a degree of equality in various areas of life," he said.

The lecturer cited a fairly equal proportion of different groups represented in the bureaucracy and in the private sector despite the dominance of Muslims, reaching over 65 percent.

Current governor Rudolf Pardede is Christian, while Provincial Secretary Muchyan Tambuse is Muslim.

The statistics bureau lists some 12.6 million residents of North Sumatra, comprising 11 ethnic groups.

Muslims make up 65.45 percent, Catholics number 4.78 percent, Protestants 26.6 percent, Hindus 0.19 percent, Buddhists 2.82 percent and "others" 0.14 percent.

Various religious celebrations have been known to be peaceful, Albinus added.

Police and special anti terror forces are nevertheless on the alert in and around the capital.

Medan Police chief Sr.Comr. Bambang Sukamto said security authorities were ordered to "shoot on sight" if necessary anyone suspected of attacking Christmas celebrations.

Day of sacrifice celebrates the spirit of tolerance

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Religious chanting to glorify God or takbir was soft and distant across the Hindu Island of Bali, but the celebratory spirit was high.

The keeper of Al-Furqon mosque in Denpasar, Hudi Purnomo, said religious tolerance was a key for the Muslim community in Bali.

"We (the Muslims) are a minority here," Hudi said Thursday.

"We chant the takbir from mosques only and usually stop at 10 p.m."

Heavy showers marked Idul Adha celebrations Thursday, forcing those who had planned to join a mass prayer at Puputan square in Renon area in the heart of Denpasar city to find alternative venues.

"I prayed at the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel in Sanur," local resident Permanik said.

According to the tradition, mass prayers for Idul Adha and Idul Fitri celebrations should be held in open or public squares to showcase and strengthen the unity of the faith.

Prayers are only moved to mosques when it is raining.

Idul Adha commemorates the Prophet Abraham's act of sacrificing his oldest son, Ishmael, as commanded by God. Ishmael was eventually substituted with a ram.

Muslims are taught to donate a third of their meat to the poor, a third to friends and relatives, and to keep a third for themselves.

Animals used for sacrifice include goats, sheep, camels or cows.

Imam Sufaat, a managers at Al-Amanah mosque at the Finance Ministry's Bali office, said their mass prayer this year had been less enthusiastic than last year's.

He said this was because many Muslims had returned to celebrate the day in their hometowns, utilizing the government's joint leave policy.

"The rain has made it worse," Imam said.

With fewer Muslims celebrating Idul Adha at his mosque, Imam said the number of sacrificed animals had declined from 23 goats and six cows last year, to 18 goats and four cows this year.

There is no difference in the way Idul Adha is celebrated between Bali and Java, because most Muslims on the resort island are new migrants.

Each mosque usually sets up a committee to butcher the animals presented for sacrifice, Imam said.

Everybody is then invited to voluntarily help cut up and distribute the meat.

Imam said everyone in the neighborhood, including the street vendors outside the mosque, was invited to lend a hand.

"We have provided coupons for those people that we consider worthy of the meat and we have arranged for distribution," he said.

While Muslim clerics were at odds around whether non-Muslims should be given meat from the sacrificed animals, it has become a tradition for Balinese Muslims to offer meat to those Balinese Hindus who they consider in need of a donation.

"We always have a quota for trash-pickers and street vendors around here," Hudi said.

He said he did not consider them poor, but thought they deserved a share of the meat.

Imam said it was also customary for the people at the Finance Ministry's Bali office to give sacrificed meat to employees from "the lower level".

"We always provide a share to the office's janitors and security officers, irrespective of their beliefs," he said.

Hudi said Muslims were always careful when offering sacrificed meat to Hindus, who regard cows as sacred and refrain from eating beef.

"We only offer them goat meat," Hudi said.

"But if there is a mistake and we give them cow meat, they usually refuse politely or give it to other people."

He said he did not know for sure what the religious authorities said about giving sacrifice meat to non-Muslims.

"We're just doing what has been done through the years by our predecessors."