[Assam] Fwd: HPI, : Hindu fundamentalists at Oxford

Sat Jun 24 17:53:28 PDT 2006

some might equate it to Hindu fundamentalism's victory or victory for Hindu glorifying communalists.

  Umesh
  -----------------------------------

  Hindu Center at Oxford Gains Official Status
  www.ochs.org.uk
  LONDON, ENGLAND, June 21, 2006: Oxford University has granted the status of Recognized Independent Centre to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) - the world's leading centre for the study of Hindu traditions. OCHS is the younger of the first two institutions to be granted this status by Oxford University. It comes after just seven years of teaching, publishing and conducting research about all aspects of Hindu culture. The new formal status, "Recognized Independent Centre of Oxford University," has been created by Oxford University to acknowledge independent institutions that are working with the University in research and teaching.

Prof Gavin Flood, Academic Director of the Centre, spoke of the significance of the Centre's new status: "Recognized Independent Centre of Oxford University is a title we are proud to bear. It is an official recognition by Oxford University that we are its principal provider in the field of Hindu Studies, and thus a duly constituted member of the University's community." He added: "This development is important because culture and religion are of fundamental public concern as we move into the twenty-first century. We see this concern particularly in questions of identity politics, the degree to which diverse communities share common values, and the ways in which ethical codes interact with secular law."

Hindu Press International <hpi.list at hindu.org> wrote:
  From: Hindu Press International <hpi.list at hindu.org>
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:06:27 -1000
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: HPI, June 23, 2006

             June 23, 2006 

   Anger Over Malaysia Temple Razing  
   Hindu Center at Oxford Gains Official Status  
   Chennai Schools Crack Down on Junk Food  
   Anoopam Mission to Host Shrimad Bhagwat Katha Gnanyagna from July 17 to 23, 2006  
   Buddhist Monks In Thailand Missing Religious Duties Due to World Cup

    1. Anger Over Malaysia Temple Razing  english.aljazeera.net
  MALAYSIA, June 21, 2006: The destruction of Hindu temples by Malaysian authorities is inflaming religious tensions. Rights groups and politicians say that anger is growing among the county's minority Hindu community as temples, many of historic value, are bulldozed at the rate of at least one every few weeks to make way for new developments. Hindu groups have appealed to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister, to halt the destruction and respect the rights of religious minorities in mainly-Muslim Malaysia, but concern is growing that the situation will become volatile. Waytha Moorthy, the chairman of the Hindu Rights Action Force, which lobbies on behalf of affected temple groups, said that "at the moment, devotees are pleading and crying, but eventually they will not plead and cry anymore." About half of Malaysia's 26 million people are Malay, who are almost all Muslim, 8% are Indians-mostly Hindu-and 24% Chinese, with indigenous and others making up th e rest. The
 country has thousands of Hindu temples and shrines, many built on private or plantation land by Indian migrant laborers before the country gained independence from Britain in 1957. The land has since been acquired by local councils or state authorities, who argue the temples are illegal buildings and have been knocking them down.

Hindu groups say the nationwide destruction of temples has been going on for years but the demolitions in the capitol Kuala Lumpur and the states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan have accelerated lately. The government, under fire for bulldozing temples with police assistance, said it had demolished three since February to make way for road projects and low-cost housing development. Another three are due to be demolished over the next few months but in consultation with Hindu groups over how it should take place, said Mohamad Amin Abdul Aziz, City Hall's deputy director-general. "The land belongs to the government and the government has to build roads, schools and bridges," he said. "We are a liberal society and I respect all religions. I want them to have a temple of their own, but they should go through the proper channels," he said, adding groups had to build on land gazetted for temples or buy land privately. But Hindu groups argue the authorities should permanently
 relocate the temples, some of which are more than 100-years-old, and are used by devotees from lower income groups who cannot afford to buy land.

---------------------------------
    2. Hindu Center at Oxford Gains Official Status  www.ochs.org.uk
  LONDON, ENGLAND, June 21, 2006: Oxford University has granted the status of Recognized Independent Centre to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) - the world's leading centre for the study of Hindu traditions. OCHS is the younger of the first two institutions to be granted this status by Oxford University. It comes after just seven years of teaching, publishing and conducting research about all aspects of Hindu culture. The new formal status, "Recognized Independent Centre of Oxford University," has been created by Oxford University to acknowledge independent institutions that are working with the University in research and teaching.

Prof Gavin Flood, Academic Director of the Centre, spoke of the significance of the Centre's new status: "Recognized Independent Centre of Oxford University is a title we are proud to bear. It is an official recognition by Oxford University that we are its principal provider in the field of Hindu Studies, and thus a duly constituted member of the University's community." He added: "This development is important because culture and religion are of fundamental public concern as we move into the twenty-first century. We see this concern particularly in questions of identity politics, the degree to which diverse communities share common values, and the ways in which ethical codes interact with secular law."

---------------------------------
    3. Chennai Schools Crack Down on Junk Food  www.ndtv.com
  CHENNAI, INDIA, June 22, 2006: (HPI note: There is also a major movement on in the US to similarly eliminate junk food sales in schools.) A survey group will investigate food products available at canteens in private schools across Chennai. The move comes in the wake of a government circular, which says colas, fries, chips and chocolates should be taken off the school canteens. Though food is clean, Consumer Action Group says junk food can have a direct impact on the health of children. As a result the schools have started taking measures. "We realized that if we don't do it in school, its never going to take place. We have almost 2,300 children, so we could do something with them," said Sister Preeti, the Principal of Good Shephard Convent. Very few private schools have taken steps to remove junk food from canteens. Some schools even refused to say what was available in the canteen. "Though schools know and preach that junk food is bad, they still have junk food sold in
 the schools," said Kavitha Krishnakumar, Programme Officer, Consumer Action Group. "It is primarily because schools make a lot of profit from the junk food," she added.

---------------------------------
    4. Anoopam Mission to Host Shrimad Bhagwat Katha Gnanyagna from July 17 to 23, 2006  www.anoopam-mission.org
  COPLAY, PENNSYLVANIA, May 14, 2006: Anoopam Mission is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a Shrimad Bhagwat Katha Gnanyagna ("Bhagwat Saptah") from July 17 to July 23, 2006 at its temple located in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, just north of Allentown. The Bhagwat Saptah will consist of week-long discourses on the Shrimad Bhagwat by Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai Pandya, a world-renowned orator and authority on this popular and sacred set of scriptures. The Bhagwat Saptah itself was inspired by and will be taking place in the divine presence of Guruvarya Param Pujya SAHEB, founder and spiritual head of Anoopam Mission. Anoopam Mission welcomes one and all to attend this unique and auspicious event. Bus transportation will be arranged from major population centers in the tri-state area and accommodations will be arranged for those who plan to stay for the entire event. Additional details, such as the registration form and schedule of events, can be found on
 Anoopam Mission's website at URL above. Anoopam Mission USA is a socio-religious non-profit charitable organization based at the Shree Swaminarayan Spiritual & Cultural Center in Coplay, PA. Inspired by its founder, Guruvarya Param Pujya SAHEB and committed to the physical, social, cultural and spiritual upliftment of humanity, Anoopam Mission is actively engaged worldwide in humanitarian work in the fields of education, healthcare, social welfare and disaster relief.

---------------------------------
    5. Buddhist Monks In Thailand Missing Religious Duties Due to World Cup  www.ibnlive.com
  BANGKOK, THAILAND, June 21, 2006: (HPI note: Thailand doesn't have a team in the World Cup, only Japan and South Korea participated from Asia, and both were eliminated in the first round. India's hired a new coach, Englishman Bob Houghton, with the hopes of making it to the World Cup in 2010. The Thailand government estimates the country has lost US$60 million in tourist revenue because of tourists going to Europe for the Cup instead of Thailand. ) Buddhist monks in Thailand are too tired to receive early morning alms because they are staying up late to watch the World Cup, a Thai newspaper reported on Wednesday. The Nation quoted a woman in the northern city of Chiang Mai who said her birthday celebrations were ruined because monks at a city temple were not awake to receive her morning offering - a mandatory religious ritual in the predominately Buddhist country. The woman, who declined to be identified, said she was told by a senior monk that most of his young
 colleagues were still asleep because they had stayed up to watch the games which can go on well past midnight. The Sangha Council, which oversees the tens of thousands of Buddhist temples in Thailand, has not banned monks from watching the World Cup but said it should not interfere with religious activities. Chiang Mai chief monk Phra Thep Wisuthikhun said he had received complaints about "inappropriate behavior" at seven temples in the province. "It is the duty of the abbot of each temple to supervise the behavior of young monks, making sure that their religious activities will not be affected by the games," he told Reuters. In neighboring Cambodia, some 40,000 monks have been warned they could be defrocked if they became too excited while watching the games. "If they make noise or cheer as they watch, they will lose their monkhood," Phnom Penh patriarch Non Nget told Reuters this month.

---------------------------------

    NOTICE: Some source URLs cited in HPI articles are only valid on the date the article was issued. Most are invalid a week to a few months later. When a URL fails to work, go to the top level of the source's website and search for the article. 
    Daily Inspiration    You don't stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing. Anonymous

    Opportunities and Submissions    Send leads on Hindu events, movers, leaders and activities in your area to: letters at hindu.org 

---------------------------------
    Individuals and organizations are invited to submit Hindu-related news and announcements for distribution by HPI. 
  News is our major thrust--the more current and global, the better. When sending news to HPI, please provide the source and text of the original item, either by e-mail to hpi at hindu.org or by fax to 808-822-4351. News should clearly relate to the Hindu religion. 
  For announcements, please prepare a short summary of the subject and provide a URL to a web page with details. For example, "Swamiji will be visiting San Francisco November 14-19 and Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 21-23, 2006. For further information visit www.swamiswami.org. Alternatively, one could provide an e-mail address. Acceptable subjects for announcements include significant world tours of religious leaders, major events of organizations, major cultural exhibitions and outstanding artistic performances. 

---------------------------------

   Contact  
   Archives   
   HPI on the web   
   Reuse and Copyright Information  
   Support HPI Financially 

---------------------------------
      Subscribe | Unsubscribe | List Master

Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740

 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/

---------------------------------
 Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use"  The Wall Street Journal
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20060625/5267cc0d/attachment.htm>