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☆ Islamophobia and India’s election: Rising Hindu nationalism leaves Muslims fearful in India’s holy city
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Will Ripley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Varanasi, India CNN —The sun glistens on the Ganges as Hindu devotees bathe in the holy river’s waters, and the Muslim call to prayer reverberates through the dusty air. The Gyanvapi mosque, left, and Kashiviswanath Temple on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India, December 12, 2021. He believes Gyanvapi is not a mosque, but a Hindu temple, and wants to see his community worship inside the walls of the building. Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, the priest of a prominent Hindu temple in Varanasi, believes Modi’s stoking of religious tensions is ruining the fabric of Indian society. This is my country.”Read more from CNN’s India election coverage:Billions spent, jungle-trekking poll workers and voting at 15,000 feet.

Persons: Narendra Modi’s, Modi, Varanasi John Mees, Sana Sabah, trepidation, “, Modi’s, Rajesh Kumar Singh, John Mees, Syed Mohammad Yaseen, ”, Hinduism John Mees, ’, Dileep Patel, inching, Nasir Ali, Ali, ‘ Jai Shree Sri Ram ’, Vijay Bedi, CNN Ali, Muzamil, Usman, it’s, Jai Shree Ram ”, Manish Swarup, Raja Singh, we’ll, Singh, –, Jaiveer Shergill, spokespeople, haven’t, Shamsher Ali, Emperor Aurangzeb, Lord Shiva, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Pawan Kumar, ” Ali, Yaseen, ” Syed Mohammad Yaseen, turbocharge, ” Modi, Ram, Lucas Vallecillos, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, Gyanvapi, Swami Saraswati, Amit Pandey, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, ” Mishra, ” Read, Narendra Modi Organizations: India CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, CNN, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Bhajanpura Police, United Nations, Human Rights, ” CNN, Modi’s, Hate, AP BJP, T, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights, Reuters, Guards, “ Locations: Varanasi, India, Varanasi John, today’s India, “, Hinduism, Jammu, Kashmir, New Delhi, Delhi, Mustafabad, Rajasthan, Jaipur, Gujarat, Washington, BJP, Ali, Kashi, Gyanvapi, John, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

☆ India election: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as mammoth vote deepens divides
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of delivering Islamophobic remarks during an election rally Sunday, triggering widespread anger from prominent Muslims and members of the opposition. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi pictured in India on January 23, 1998. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Islamophobic, Modi’s, Modi, ”, ” Modi, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Rana Ayyub, Asaduddin Owaisi, “ Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, of India, India's, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Sangh, Hindu, “, Hate Locations: Rajasthan, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, India, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, BJP, “

☆ In India’s 2024 election, BJP’s main opposition appears increasingly weak in face of Modi juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Supporters of India's opposition party, Indian National Congress, during an election rally in Puducherry on April 15, 2024 R. Satish Babu/AFP/Getty ImagesDemocracy under threat? Dipam Bhachech/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Modi worked his way through the ranks of the BJP, establishing himself as a respected politician. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images Modi hugs French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on June 3, 2017. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images Modi offers a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, ” Hazari Lal Rajput, Satish Babu, Modi, Modi’s, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Arati Jerath, “, it’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, gunning, ” Modi, shouldn’t, Mohammad Irfan, —, Arvind Kejriwal, Altaf Qadri, Kejriwal, Atishi, you’re, Jerath, Gandhi ‘, ’ Modi, Christophe Jaffrelot, CNN Modi, Rasheed Kidwai, Rahul, Diptendu Dutta, Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, ” Kidwai, ” Jerath Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Getty, Democracy, Modi’s BJP, Pew, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, India's, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Indian, Aadmi Party, Delhi, AAP, Aam Aadmi Party, All, Trinamool, West, All India, Congress, “, “ Democracy Locations: India, Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila, Puducherry, Modi’s, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, INDIA, Delhi, India’s, Lok Sabha, Atishi, ”, Manipur, Siliguri, West Bengal, Tamil

☆ Narendra Modi: India’s popular but controversial leader seeking a transformative third term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Varanasi and New Delhi CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once famously made a simple election promise: “good days are coming”. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Himanshu Sharma, Getty Images Modi, –, ”, Saba Naqvi, “, Vajpayee, Naqvi, Dileep Patel, John Mees, Akash Jaiswal, “ We’ve, ” Jaiswal, isn’t, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Patel, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv, Rahul Gandhi, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, “ Narendra Modi, ” Mukhopadhyay, Mukhopadhyay, ” Modi, Keshav Baliram, “ Modi, BJP Modi, Lord Ram, ” Naqvi, Critics, Christophe Jaffrelot, Karan Thapar, ” Jaffrelot, Modi’s, it’s, —, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Ram, ” Raniva, That’s Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Getty Images, Pew, CNN, World Health Organization, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, Indian National Congress, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Cambridge, today’s Congress Party, Harvard, The Times, Muslim, Australia Locations: Varanasi, New Delhi, Gujarat, Pushkar, India, “ India, United States, Brazil, “, Sydney, Australia, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Oxford, Vadnagar, Babri, Kadi, Kashmir, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Jama

☆ India general election 2024: What to know about the world’s biggest vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Under Modi, India has become the world’s fastest growing major economy, pushing the country of 1.4 billion people to near-superpower status. Here’s what you need to know about the largest election in human history:How does India vote? Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. Congress senior party leader Rahul Gandhi during the release of the party manifesto on April 5, 2024 in New Delhi. The ruling BJP’s symbol is a lotus, while the Congress party is a raised, open-palmed hand.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Noah Seelam, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Congress ’ Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, Himanshu Sharma, Modi’s, Kejriwal, Sanjeev Verma, Nasir Kachroo, Biju Boro Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, European Union, Getty, Indian National Congress, Congress, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi, West, All India, Modi, Hindustan Times, Minorities, Analysts, Bahujan Samaj Party, Farmers, for Media Studies Locations: India, United States, Russia, Lok, Hyderabad, AFP, INDIA, West Bengal, Tamil, Pushkar, Delhi, New Delhi, Ayodhya, Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh, China, Lohore Sapori, Assam

☆ India election: Date set for largest democratic vote in human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to secure another five years in power, ruling an India that has become increasingly polarized along religious lines. Under Modi’s leadership, India is poised to become a 21st-century powerhouse as its economy rapidly expands. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, marked a significant step for an opposition struggling to regain national significance. In August, India made history by soft-landing a rover on the moon, becoming just the fourth nation to do so. The election commission said 968.8 million people have registered to vote in the 2024 polls – a 6% increase from 2019.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Indira Gandhi, Modi, Weeks Organizations: CNN, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Modi’s BJP, Organization for Economic Cooperation Locations: India, Lok, New Delhi, INDIA, Australia, United States, Ayodhya, China

☆ A new book unearths a buried history of photography in West Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The dominant perception of early photography from West Africa is that it was taken through a colonizing lens. These are questions asked by a new book that seeks to re-examine the history of photography in the region. Her book demonstrates that gap was short, and history has been obscured in a way that has disenfranchised many Africans. Unlike some other West African nations, Senegal has no recorded history of portraiture before photography, Paoletti said. HUM Images/Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty ImagesTo Paoletti, it’s evidence photography in West Africa didn’t evolve in isolation.

Persons: Giulia Paoletti, ”, Mama Casset, “, ’, Frenchman Jules Itier, Louis, Paoletti, –, “ It’s, Adolphe Burdo, Burdo, visite, Burdo’s, Augustus Washington, Macky Kane, – Paula, ’ ”, Alfred Stieglitz, Fatou Thioune, Paula, ” Paoletti, Oumar Ka, Ka, I’d, Oumar Organizations: CNN, Department of Art, University of Virginia, CRDS, Dakar ”, Sun, The, Institut, du Sénégal, University of Dakar, Princeton University Press Locations: West Africa, Senegal, ‘, St, French West Africa, Belgian, Dakar, “, Africa, Berlin, Louis, Touba, Senegalese

☆ World Court Holds Hearings on Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Territories
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Stephanie van den BergTHE HAGUE (Reuters) - A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.'s highest legal body. The ICJ's six days of hearings starting on Monday come after the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2022 for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation. It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. “The International Court of Justice is set for the first time to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel’s nearly six-decades-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. While Israel has filed a written statement with the court, it has not asked to participate in the hearings.

Persons: Stephanie van den Berg, Omar Awadallah, Israel’s, ”, Clive Baldwin, Josie Kao Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, International Court of Justice, General Assembly, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Israel, West, General, West Bank, Court of Justice, Human Rights Watch, Governments, Court, United Nations Locations: Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Palestine, Egypt, West, Africa, Holy City, Jerusalem, United States, Russia, China, South Africa

The Ram Mandir's opening Monday would fulfill a decadeslong Hindu nationalist pledge that is expected to resonate with voters during the upcoming national election expected in April or May. The narrow roads have given way to four-lane pilgrim route, including the newly developed 13-kilometer (8-mile) Ram Path leading to the temple. At least two head priests from a Hindu sect have refused to go the opening ceremony, saying consecrating an unfinished temple goes against Hindu scriptures. And volunteers from Modi’s party and other Hindu nationalist groups are going door to door, distributing religious flags and pamphlets. Many others shared Bhatia's feelings about the temple's opening.

Persons: Lord Ram, Hinduism’s, Ram, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Ananya Sharma, ” Sharma, Om Prakash Bhatia, —, marigold, “ Lord Ram, ” Bhatia, “ Jai Sri Ram, ”, “, Gaurav Shourey, ” ___ Banerjee, Piyush Nagpal Organizations: DELHI, Bharatiya Janata Party, Associated Press Locations: India's, Ayodhya, homestays, India, Modi, Indian, New Delhi, vermillion, Lucknow

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ The Strange Omission of Slavery from a Charleston Ghost Tour - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Colin Dickey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

(The church discourages these stories; a plaque on the grounds reads: “The only ghost at St. Philip’s is the Holy Ghost.”)Leaving race out of any history is a striking blind spot — even in a ghost tour. Born into slavery, Vesey had purchased his freedom in 1799 after winning a lottery, and became a prosperous carpenter. Some websites will tell you to look for Vesey’s ghost at the Old Charleston Jail, a structure that’s stood since 1802. Long after my own tour, I tracked down two longtime ghost tour guides, Joy Watson and Randy Johnson, who regularly take visitors up to the old jail. They told me that they had never heard of any Vesey ghost sightings there.

Persons: Stede Bonnet, Harriet Mackie, Sue Howard, Philip’s, Denmark Vesey, Vesey, Emanuel ”, Long, Joy Watson, Randy Johnson Organizations: Old, Philip’s, African Methodist Episcopal Church Locations: Holy, St, Charleston, Denmark, Haiti

☆ Biden says Hamas must be eliminated entirely, but 'there must be a path to a Palestinian state'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden said in an interview aired on Sunday that he believes Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, must be fully eliminated and that it is necessary to establish a Palestinian state. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state," Biden said in an interview filmed Thursday for CBS' "60 Minutes," which aired Sunday evening. In the interview, Biden said that while Hamas needs to be neutralized, the group does not "represent all the Palestinian people. Earlier Sunday, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan similarly called for the protection of innocent civilians. Still in Sunday's interview, Biden said he does not think it is necessary to send in U.S. military troops to bolster Israel's counteroffensive.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan Organizations: White, Washington , D.C, Palestinian, CBS, White House, Press, Israel's Locations: Washington ,, Palestinian, U.S, Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza

☆ AOC says 'anti-Semitic' Christian fundamentalism in the US is partially to blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AOC is naming Christian fundamentalism as a key driver of conflict between Israel and Palestine. AdvertisementAdvertisementRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is naming Christian fundamentalism as a key driver of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, pointing to recent US actions in the region. "In the United States of America, Christian fundamentalism and nationalism — which has also been extremely anti-Semitic — has also aligned itself with some of the most right-wing and authoritarian and inflammatory powers in the region." "The country that is Israel today is not the Israel of the Bible," said Ocasio-Cortez. "The country that is Israel today was established in this century."

Persons: —, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, It's, it's, Donald Trump, Trump, Christ —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Israel Organizations: Service, Democratic, American Jewish Committee, Republican Party, Zionist Locations: Israel, Palestine, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, New York, Cortez, United States of America, Ocasio, Vermont, Gaza

☆ Crossbow man detained for nine years over treason threat to kill Queen Elizabeth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A man who was arrested with a loaded crossbow at Windsor Castle saying he wanted to kill Queen Elizabeth was detained for nine years on Thursday after admitting an offence under the Treason Act and making threats against the late monarch. "He had conceived of killing the queen early in 2021 when he was not psychotic. He took steps to try and get closer to his target and learn useful skills when, again, he was not psychotic," the judge said. The recovered crossbow was a "Supersonic X-bow", the discharged bolt from which has the potential to cause serious or fatal injuries. Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Queen Elizabeth, Jaswant Singh Chail, Elizabeth, Charles, Chail, Bailey, Nicholas Hilliard, CHAILUS, Hilliard, Michael Holden, Sam Tobin, Andrew Heavens Organizations: British, Thomson Locations: London, Broadmoor, Windsor, Sarai, Southampton, England, Amritsar, India, Britain

New Delhi CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is close to fulfilling a decade-old election promise months out from nationwide polls with the announcement that a controversial new Hindu temple will open on disputed land in January. Hindu fundamentalists demolish the wall of the 16th century Babri Masjid mosque in the city of Ayodhya in 1992. But many Hindus believe the Babri Masjid was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple, which was allegedly destroyed by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of South Asia. Disputed landThe site of the temple, previously claimed by both Hindus and Muslims, has long been the center of controversy. Hindu fundamentalists climb the dome of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya to demolish the structure on December 6, 1992.

Persons: New Delhi CNN —, Narendra Modi, Nripendra Misra, Douglas E, Curran, Lord Ram, Babar, Misra, ”, Sondeep Shankar, Modi, “, ” Modi, Madir, Larsen, Toubro, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Yogi Adityanath Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, New Delhi CNN — India’s, Getty, BJP, India’s, CNN, Pradesh’s BJP Locations: New Delhi, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, South Asia, Babri, India, Pradesh’s

☆ Opinion: After living for so long in Israel, this is the story I had to write
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Opinion Ruth Marks Eglash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Editor’s Note: Ruth Marks Eglash (@reglash) is a journalist based in Israel. She is the author of the novel “Parallel Lines.” The views expressed here are her own. CNN —When I first thought of writing a novel about the toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on young people, a literary agent tried to talk me out of it. Very often, our words or reports only end up serving as tools and cynical proof for one side to lord over the other. It seems that the only lasting impact our stories have is to foster more anger, hate and division.

Persons: Ruth Marks Eglash, Ruth Marks Eglash Ariel Jerozolimski, Dashka Slater, Suzanne Collins, Collins, ”, Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer, Laure Leblanc, Werner Pfennig, Nour, Richard Powers ’, Powers Organizations: CNN, New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Palestinian, Israel Defense Forces, Jewish, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Oakland , California, United States, Panem, Jerusalem, Marie, Paris, Saint, Palestinian

"I was a little hesitant coming as a American, like 'Oh my god my government did really bad things here. Tourists "are messengers who tell these states that Iraq has returned to being a safe country and is not a red line as some say. 'DO NOT TRAVEL'The U.S. and European countries still warn against any travel to Iraq due to security concerns. The U.S. State Department website says: "Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest". Few of the ancient ruins that dot the country have signs describing their significance, nor accredited tour guides.

Persons: Anna Nikolaevna, Jacob Nemec, Imam Ali, Alaa, Marjani, Jacob Nemec's, Nemec, Ahmed Fakak Al, Badrani, Al, General Abdel, Karim Sudani, Ali Hilal, Hilal, Timour Azhari, Maher Nazeh, Ahmed Saeed, Khalid al, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Islamic, Tourism, Reuters, Foreign, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Russian, American, Najaf, Iraq, Marjani BAGHDAD, Reno , Nevada, Iran, U.S, Baghdad, Europe, United States, British, Babylon, Mosul, West, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Ali, Canada, Babil, Mousily

☆ Turkmenistan opens futuristic city dedicated to leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend the opening ceremony for the new city of Arkadag, dedicated to the country's former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in Arkadag, Turkmenistan June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Marat GurtARKADAG, Turkmenistan, June 29 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan opened a new, futuristic "smart" city on Thursday dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Only electric vehicles are allowed in the city, which features monuments dedicated to a horse of the Turkmen Akhal Teke breed and to Berdymukhamedov himself, and was built close to his native village in southern Turkmenistan. His son, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, 41, oversaw the opening ceremony attended by foreign officials. He passed the leadership to his son but retains many powers as the chairman of the People's Council.

Persons: Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Marat Gurt ARKADAG, Berdymukhamedov, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Tayyip Erdogan, Marat Gurt, Olzhas Auyezov, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, People's Council, Thomson Locations: Arkadag, Turkmenistan, Mecca

☆ Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Arafat Barbakh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims. "For the sake of the holy mosque and seeing the Kaaba... everything is worth it, but the economic conditions are really tough," he added. Abu Rahal was one of more than 2 million haj pilgrims expected to attend the 2023 pilgrimage season this week in Mecca and Medina, defying global inflation and higher prices for haj services. Authorities in the kingdom said more than 1.6 million pilgrims had already arrived for the pilgrimage as of Sunday. Many pilgrims said they were happy to take the spiritual journey and buy gifts for their family members despite high prices.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Anas Abu Rahal, haj, Abu Rahal, Haj, Eid Al, Omar, Abdullah Abbas, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, haj, Thomson Locations: El, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Abd El Ghany MECCA, Medina, Saudi, Mecca's, haj, Egypt

CNN —The Vatican said Thursday it will hand over evidence in the disappearance of a 15-year-old daughter of one of its employees 40 years ago to the Rome city prosecutor. Emanuela Orlandi, who was the daughter of a prominent Vatican employee and lived within the walls of the holy city, disappeared in the summer of 1983 while on her way home from a music lesson in central Rome. Her father, Ercole Orlandi, who died in 2004, worked for the Institute for the Works of Religion in the Holy See. Her mother, Maria Orlandi, still lives in the family apartment in Vatican City. A year later, the Vatican agreed to exhume the tomb of two princesses thought to be buried in the cemetery of the Pontifical Teutonic College inside the Vatican City.

Persons: Emanuela Orlandi, Alessandro Diddi, ” Pietro Orlandi, Antonio Masiello, Diddi, ”, “, Pietro Orlandi Orlandi, Ercole Orlandi, Maria Orlandi, Pietro Orlandi, Castel Sant ’ Angelo, Pope, Angelus, Orlandi, Mark Lewis, Mehmet Ali Agca, John Paul II, ’ Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Dei Catholic, Institute, Religion, Pontifical Teutonic College, Vatican City Locations: Rome, Vatican, St, Piazza Navona, Vatican City, Italy

☆ Podcast: Chile arms up and India’s holy city of death
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

In today's episode, why Chileans are stocking up on armored vehicles and guns. And journey to the banks of India's Ganges River, where the elderly are choosing to break the cycle of death and rebirth rather than head into a nursing home. Help us improve the Reuters World News podcast by taking this short survey. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertisingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

VARANASI, India, April 26 (Reuters) - Murali Mohan Sastry is waiting peacefully for death on the banks of the Ganges River in India's northern city of Varanasi, revered by millions of Hindus. More than a decade ago, the 82-year-old former college teacher and his wife left behind comfortable lives in the southern city of Hyderabad. Now he hopes that by dying in Varanasi, he can break the tenuous cycle of death and rebirth, an article of faith for many Hindus, in order to attain salvation. "We invite death," Sastry said soon after chanting his dawn prayers while dipping fully clothed into the waters of the river three times. Still, the devout unable to breathe their last in the holy city can take solace from the Hindu belief that will come a step closer to salvation if their remains are cremated there.

By Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced it would prohibit non-Muslims from entering the holy site for the rest of Ramadan. “I see these visits as a raid on our holy site,” he said. That status quo is slowly being chipped away, says Sheikh Rani Abusibr, an Imam of nearly twenty-years at Al-Aqsa. There was a heightened security presence at the holy site when Easter, Ramadan, and Passover celebrations overlapped. Without the status quo arrangement being enforced, there are fears that an already tumultuous region could spiral out of control.

☆ Pope appeals to Russians on Ukraine, decries Middle East violence, in Easter message
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, April 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world on Sunday and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians following recent violence. Honour units of Vatican Swiss Guards and Italian Carabinieri police - both in ceremonial dress - stood at attention. "Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said. As he has done every Easter, Francis called for peace in the Middle East, his appeal made more urgent by recent violence in Jerusalem and cross-border exchanges of fire involving Israel, Lebanon and Syria. The government, which has suspended diplomatic relations with the Vatican, banned outdoor Holy Week processions this year.

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