Hinduism Found In An Amusement Park!

While reading about Hinduism in today's world, I came across an interesting article by BBC News (although it is an old article- 2005). It discussed an ongoing project which binds Hinduism and technology in the form of an amusement park. It was jolting to read the article and imagine that this project is indeed underway. I am not opposed to it. In fact, I am uncertain as to how I feel about the project. But my feelings upon the matter are irrelevant. What is I do believe is that an amusement park which teaches Hindu ideas, gods, and scriptures is extremely creative and original. In this day and age, religion often takes a back seat in people's lives. An amusement park is a way in which modern age is reconciled with religion. Perhaps, this project is viable for Hinduism because unlike other religions, Hinduism does not forbid depiction of gods in various forms. But this project illustrates the possibility of bringing religion to the masses through modern technology used in new and innovative methods. It also provides basic knowledge to those from other religious backgrounds, thus helping eradicate misconceptions and prejudices.

Film: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell" is a new film which documents the struggle for peace in Liberia. The film documents how Christian and Muslim women bonded together to peacefully end the civil war in their country. The war was caused by President Charles Taylor, a corrupt dictator who supported local warlords and spurred violence in the region. Leymah Gbowee, a Christian woman, and Asatu Bah Kenneth, a Muslim woman, led the charge by conducting large peace rallies consisting of crowds of women. They did not rest in their pursuit of peace until a treaty was finally brokered. Charles Taylor was forced to resign, and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected in his place, the first female head-of-state in Africa. This film chronicles the peaceful protest of Liberia's women, and shows the power of an interfaith peace movement to make positive change.

Pope Brings With Him Hopes of Reconciliation...

The Pope's visit has created quite a stir in the United States. One of the things that jumped out at me was reading that the Pope intends to visit a synagogue in New York City (who will become one of the only three popes to visit a synagogue). Despite his blunders earlier regarding people of various faiths (i.e. Muslim and Jews), this visit surely represents a turning point in inter-faith dialogue. Though sometimes verbally undiplomatic, perhaps this visit will result in long-term relations between the two communities dedicated to discussing issues of the Holocaust and other important "ghosts" that remain an obstacle in developing inter-faith trust and communication. Despite earlier efforts to bridge the Catholic and Jewish faith, recently the progress has come to a standstill due to several measures passed by the pontiff. Hopefully, this visit will mark a new beginning for both faiths.

Help Stop Cluster Munitions!

Last year, world leaders met in Norway to discuss a possible international ban on cluster bombs. A cluster bomb is a munitions package holding hundreds of tiny bomblets. The package opens in mid air to disperse the bomblets over a large area. However, bomblets do not always explode when they hit the ground, essentially becoming landmines that can harm civilians years later. Handicap International has reported the alarming statistic that 98 percent of casualties caused by cluster munitions are non-combatants.

The US rejected the agreement to stop using cluster bombs, claiming that they are effective weapons and do not plan to discontinue their use. This is despite the fact that over 40 other nations have agreed to the ban, including suppliers and stockpilers such as France and Britan.

Religions for Peace, which originally formed to support nuclear disarmament, has joined the worldwide Cluster Munitions Coalition which calls for the end of the production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of cluster bombs. The 19^th of April shall be considered the Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs, wherein leaders from around America will submit their petitions. To get involved, visit the Coalition’s “Act Now!” website to send letters to government officials, and sign petitions.

Days of Interfaith Youth Service

April 19th and 20th marks the 5th annual Days of Interfaith Youth Service, held in Washington D.C. by the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. Worldwide, these days are led by the Interfaith Youth Core of Chicago. Engage in service, dialog, and have fun making friends with peers of different faiths. Students looking for school community service hours are also welcome to attend. Habitat for Humanity will be there, allowing volunteers to help with a local construction project. Also, there will be a tree planting sponsored by the Earth Conservation corps on Sunday from 2-6. Space is limited for this event, so sign up as soon as possible. Click here for more information.

American hypocrisy exposed!

An op-ed article, "Muslim True/False" recently published in the Los Angeles Times is alarmingly revealing not only about the American public but also their ignorance of the Muslim faith. It illustrates the unfavorable biases of Americans concerning Islam.

Polls show that almost 66% percent of Americans have prejudice against Muslims, one in every five American is "greatly prejudiced" against them, most do not want them as neighbors and believe they are disloyal to the United States because of their religion. These statistics are shocking. In a country where freedom of religion is preached and democracy hailed, these results expose the intolerance found in America.

The research group Gallup surveyed more than 1 billion Muslims around the world, making it the most extensive and detailed survey of the Muslim population. These surveys greatly contradicted the biases of the American public. Most of these Muslims are against terrorism, believe in equal rights of men and women, etc.

The article claims that not only are these prejudices hindering our ability to fight the war on terror globally but also "weaken[ing] our democracy." With upcoming presidential elections, Obama's chances of winning the presidency might decrease only because his father was a Muslim. Is this what the American democracy is all about? Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? Why is religion ruling the sentiments and democracy of America?

Additionally, media is to be partly blamed for this phenomenon. Media's anti-Islamic views threaten the work of interfaith organizations, which attempt to end discrimination and ignorance by open dialogues and discussions about their faiths.

This article should propagate Americans to learn about Islam and for that matter other religions before coming to conclusions. Rather than relying upon a biased media, it is important for Americans to examine religion and its adherents from an impartial perspective. That is the only way forward towards a world free of discrimination and prejudice.

Prayers for the Victims of Chinese atrocities

A major event discussed in the media for the past several weeks have been the Tibetan protests against China. Tibetans have become second-class citizens in their own country. Human rights abuses and other discriminatory acts have been inflicted upon them and other minority groups by the Chinese government. Since March 10th Tibetans have escalated their protests against the human rights violations committed by the Chinese government. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is scrambling to end the protests using further violence in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics being held in Beijing.

So what are other countries doing about this? Some countries, such as France are thinking about boycotting the Olympics, while other governments are watching the "show" from the sidelines.

In NYC, various religious leaders and communities (ranging from Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Jewish, etc) are gathering to perform prayers for the victims of continuing atrocities. All are invited to attend and support the plight of Tibetans.

For those interested, provided below are the details regarding the place, time, date, and address of the gathering.

When: Sunday, April 6, 2008 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Address: The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew
263rd West 86th Street at West End Avenue
Directions: Train: (1) to 86th Street and walk one block to West End Avenue- the church is located to the right
Bus Routes: M104, M86, M7, M11