Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, a heartwarming event unfolded at Mahadevgarh temple in Khandwa town, where one Rukhsana, a resident of Bangarda, made a life-changing decision. She embraced the Sanatan Hindu religion and entered nuptial knot with Sunil from Pipalkota, a choice that was filled with love and devotion.

The ceremony was a beautiful blend of traditions, with the couple taking seven sacred rounds around the holy fire, symbolizing their lifelong commitment to each other.

Rukhsana, who got new identity after embracing the Sanatan says she is now Rakhi. She expressed her deep reverence for Lord Shiva and her eagerness to learn about the life of Lord Shri Ram by reading Ramcharit Manas.

The union of Rukhsana and Sunil, witnessed by Lord Bholenath himself, symbolizes the harmonious blending of different faiths and the power of love to transcend boundaries. Ashok Paliwal, the chief of Mahadevgarh, shared his thoughts saying, "Today, Rukhsana of Bangarda has made Rakhi with Sunil of Pipalkota. They have come here willingly and got married according to Hindu customs. Rukhsana's adoption of Hinduism and their marriage marks a joyous celebration of unity and love."

The newlyweds expressed their happiness and gratitude for the support and blessings they received from their families and the community. Their story stands as a testament to the timeless values of love, acceptance, and understanding, inspiring many to embrace unity amidst diversity.

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MP: Muslim Woman Rukhsana Converts To Hinduism, Marries Sunil In Traditional Ceremony On Mahashivratri (WATCH) - Free Press Journal

Thus, even by Buddhas words, there was a Sanatana Dharma existing since ancient times in India, and this was his assertion made 2500 years ago. It is, therefore, startling to see the Marxists dismiss all this summarily and insist that Hinduism is a creation of the last two centuries by foreigners at that. All Marxist scholars love this formulation, irrespective of their subject. Incidentally, a Marxist professor of any field of knowledge is also considered an authority on history and Hinduism.

Romila Thapar has repeatedly uttered several deprecations about Hindu culture, philosophy and tradition without quoting any source or giving references. For instance, she claims that Vedic thought was not uniquely and in genesis Indian. In the same breath, she also says that the culture represented in the Vedic literature was largely indigenous.

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Romilayana: How Romila Thapar Lied her Way to Historical Eminence - The Dharma Dispatch

In a remarkable event that unfolded after more than three decades, devotees gathered in massive numbers at Vyasa ji ka Tehkhana beneath the Knowledge Seat (Gyanvapi) in Varanasi, following the auspicious Mangala Aarti at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri on March 8. The sacred darshan at Vyasaji ka Tehkhana, renowned as the seat of Sage Vyasa, was made accessible after an extensive wait, witnessing an overwhelming attendance of thousands of devotees.

The rare darshan at Vyasa ji ka Tehkhana, located beneath the Knowledge Seat, was last open to devotees three decades ago. The gate leading to Vyasaji Ka Tehkhana is situated along the exit path from the temple, providing an opportunity for devotees to witness the divine idols as they exit.

Devotees gathered to witness the divine murti and seek blessings, creating a spiritually charged atmosphere.

The journey inside the Vyasaji ka Tehkhana included a circumambulation of the sacred premises, fostering a deeper connection with the divine.

While thousands revelled in the spiritual fervour of Maha Shivaratri, special attention was given to the dilapidated state of Vyasaji ka Tehkhana. Notably, the occasion attracted a multitude of devotees associated with the ongoing legal battle related to the Gyanvapi case, including the female litigants of the Shringar Gauri case, lawyers, and supporters.

Speaking to the media, female devotees expressed their primary motive of seeking Baba Vishwanaths blessings on Mahashivratri. They emphasized their hope for the early liberation of Adi Vishweshwar, who is currently confined in Vyasa Ji Tahkhane, awaiting the courts decision.

Mahashivratri, a significant festival celebrating the divine union of Bhagwan Shiva and Mata Parvati, witnessed an overwhelming turnout of devotees seeking blessings at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Following the Mangala Aarti, devotees thronged in large numbers to witness the ceremonial Jalabhishek of Kashi Vishwanath. According to temple authorities, by 9 a.m., a staggering 388,006 devotees had already received darshan.

As the day unfolded with prayers, rituals, and divine interventions, the atmosphere in Varanasi remained charged with devotion and faith, marking Maha Shivaratri as an unforgettable day for the devotees and the city alike.

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Gyanvapi: Hiatus of three decades ends; thousands of Hindus throng Viyas ji ka Tehkhana to worship on Maha Shivratri - Organiser

Despite being born in a practicing Hindu family, and despite being brought up in the tradition of idols, temples, and sacrifices, and despite living in the land of Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal, I never understood Hinduism. It was too complex and diverse.

Hinduism is an ancient polytheistic, pantheistic, henotheistic, and animistic religion, which is mystically syncretized with peculiar beliefs and practices. That sentence alone is confusing!

In recent years, Hinduism has enthralled many Westerners. Some adopt Hinduism as a philosophy or find its mysticism and yoga alluring, while others devoutly follow its religious practices. Because of this, I believe Christians in the West need to know more about this religion and its core concepts. Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism (you can also read Joe Carters list for more).

Mainstream Hinduism understands god as one, yet it asserts this god can manifest itself in multiple names and forms. A supreme god, popularly known as Brahman, is believed to be the infinite abstract principle, not a personthe absolute reality, the source of consciousness, and the pure existence and knowledge. Brahman doesnt exist per se but is existence itself. This god is an assembly of superlative attributes rather than a being. Its an impersonal essence and force. This essence or force isnt all knowing. Instead, its knowledge itself that is Brahman.

Hinduism is claimed to be the most ancient religion in the world. However, it has no founder, no single sacred scripture, and no unified creed or confession. Hindus revere many authoritative scriptures, such as Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, and Ramayana. These scriptures claims are confusing and self-contradictory in many places. They have an elaborate creation narrative of mankind and the cosmos, as well as narratives of how gods and goddesses came into being. These scriptures are read primarily by Hindu scholars and priests, not by laypeople or everyday adherents.

Hinduism is seen by some to be a fatalistic religion. Its sacred scriptures claim the doctrines of karma and reincarnation are inseparably interwoven. Karma is the law of cause and effect that determines a persons unalterable fate, and that fate is perpetuated in reincarnation. Hindu scholars argue that either Brahman operates this process or natural laws of causation are accountable for its effects. Hinduism teaches that karma isnt only the fate of humans. Deities and devils also experience this fatalistic process as predetermined by Brahman.

Karma is the law of cause and effect that determines a persons unalterable fate, and that fate is perpetuated in reincarnation.

Hindus believe in a hierarchy of gods. Superior deities have the power and privilege to form a vassal god and to grant a right of worship to them as well. Ganesh, an elephant god, is a popular example. Hes said to have been created by his mother, Parvati, from dirt rubbed off while bathing. His father, Shiva, chopped off Ganeshs head because he provoked Shiva to wage war against him. Shiva did this without realizing Ganesh was his recently created son. Eventually, Shiva provided Ganesh an elephant head and simultaneously granted him the gift of divinity.

The Hindu scriptures have many polished narratives of gods taking various human and animal forms in order to restore cosmic order. These forms are called avatars. The most popular one is likely Vishnus avatar of Krishna (who murdered his own evil uncle). Krishna declared this in Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4:78:

Whenever there is decay in righteousness, O Bharata,And there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth;For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers,For the sake of firmly establishing righteousness,I am born from age to age.

Altogether, Vishnu is said to have taken 10 incarnations. Through those avatars he claims to have restored the cosmic order of righteousness by destroying the unrighteous. Interestingly, some Hindus have deified Buddha by recognizing him as Vishnus final avatar.

Hindu scriptures claim that all living being possess an atman (spirit), and killing them, knowingly or unknowingly, is a sin. This includes not just humans but birds, beasts, reptiles, mosquitos, lice, worms, and flies. In addition, the monistic school of Hinduism argues that every spiritfrom tiny living and non-living things to enormous living and non-living things in the universeincorporates into Brahman (Monism). Since atman and Brahman are identified with one another, killing anything implies the killing of Brahman itself.

Mainstream Hindus claim that all religions of the world lead to the supreme, impersonal god. This concept is often depicted in a dazzling circle surrounded by the symbols of all religions, and in its epicenter dwells the glorious spirit out of which emanates light to all the world religions. Additionally, some Hindus claim that god sends mahatma (a great spirit) in every age to lead the world into the righteous path that ultimately leads to Brahman. Jesus Christ is viewed as one of the greatest lights along with Buddha, Moses, Muhammad, Guru Nanak, and Confucius.

For Hindus, tirtha (pilgrimage) is a holy ritual that pleases the gods. Hindus make pilgrimage to sacred temples, such as Banaras Kashi, Badrinath, and Kedarnath, which mostly venerate Vishnu and Shiva. As in many other religions, Hindus also make pilgrimage to sacred burial shrines where they worship and pray to their dead gods and gurus (religious teachers). These acts produce good karma and are regarded as a dharma (religious act) that might merit reward in the next reincarnation.

Its written in Hindu scriptures that the soul is immortal. However, the soul takes a new body in every reincarnation because of the cycle of birth and death (samsara). According to Hindu belief, it takes 84,000 incarnations for a person to cycle through all living beings (i.e., insects, animals, fish, birds, etc.) and eventually obtain another reincarnation. Salvation (moksya) is the completion of and removal from this cursed process. The person is then assimilated into the infinite ocean of Brahmans divinity, uniting with it eternally. At this point, only the spirit is liberated, because it leaves the body forever, a concept similar to Gnosticism. Earthly life is believed to be an illusion or shadow (maya), and its reality is a spiritual life in heaven, a concept similar to Platonism.

Strict spiritual practices are the only way to attain this blissful deliverance, because god is only satisfied by the perfect karma, obedient life, and worship (sadhana). Solely based on this perfection, Brahman grants salvation. Salvation by faith alone in God through grace apart from karma is unimaginable in Hinduism.

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9 More Things You Should Know About Hinduism - The Gospel Coalition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed from India to attend the G20 summit, to be held on 15-16 November, in Bali in Indonesia.

He will join world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, UKs Rishi Sunak, Chinas Xi Jinping among others (Russia's Vladimir Putin has decided to skip the annual meet) and will seek solutions to the several global troubles on the Muslim-majority countrys mostly Hindu Island of Gods.

Interestingly, Indonesia, which is the worlds most populous Muslim country, has a historical and cultural connection to India through Hinduism, which reached the island nation between 1.000 and 1.500 years ago.

There are no visible restriction on the practice of Hinduism and several parts of the country have Hindu temples, which clearly shows that Hinduism peacefully coexists with Islam.

Hinduism in Bali

While Hindus comprise two per cent of Indonesias population, in Bali, where the G20 summit will be held, close to 90 per cent of the population practices Hinduism. However, the Hinduism practised in Bali is different from that practised in India.

Balinese Hinduism is a mix of years of contact with different cultures, most notably the Indian one.

According to the paper Hindu Rituals in India and Bali by Balinese Historian Ni Wayen Pasek Ariati, Hindu culture originally from the mainland of India is believed to have first been brought to the Indonesian Archipelago during the first millennium CE, a time when Buddhist monks and priests of the Shaiva form of Hinduism joined the voyages of seafaring merchants who travelled to and from the archipelago as part of the trading networks that connected China with India, the mid-east, and Europe via the archipelago.

Ariati says Hinduism subsequently prospered but took on its own form a fusion of Indian Hindu teachings/customs and local Balinese beliefs/traditions.

Balinese Hindus like their Indian counterparts believe in karma and reincarnation. The Balinese Hindu also believes that every aspect of existence has a presiding god or goddess that can and should be prayed to for the service they provide in the functioning of said aspect. Many Balinese deities are parallel in function to those worshiped in India. For instance, in Bali, the goddess of rice wealth and fertility is Dewi Sri, similar to Goddess Lakshmi in India.

Along with traditional Hindu gods such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Balinese Hindus worship a range of deities unique to their branch of the religion. Sang Hyang Widhi is the designation for one God in Balinese Hinduism.

A tourist takes a photo at Lempuyang temple on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. The Lempuyang is considered one of the holiest temples in Bali and is dedicated to the supreme god. AFP

Such is the prevalence of Balinese Hinduism that it teems with temples devoted to various Hindu gods. These temples are mostly open air shrines, laid out in a particular style in an enclosed compound with characteristic Meru-pagoda like tiered roofs and split gate entrance. Hence, the name Hindu Island of Gods.

One of the most famous Hindu temples in Bali is Pura Lempuyang, which is also considered one of the holiest temples in Bali. Dedicated to the supreme god, it is situated 1,175 m above sea level because of which it is also called The Temple of Thousand Steps. One has to climb 1700 steps to get to the temple.

Pura Besakih, Pura Goa Lawah, Pura Taman Ayun and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan are just some of the other famous Hindu temples in Bali.

Hinduism in Indonesia

While Hinduism is the majority religion in Bali, it also is prevalent in other parts of Indonesia, including in Java, one of the main islands in the archipelago nation, home to the countrys capital, Jakarta.

The powerful Hindu kingdom of Majapahit flourished here from about the 13th to the 15th centuries, leaving its impact on culture, language and landscape. It is said that the power of Majapahit reached its height in the mid-14th century under the leadership of King Hayam Wuruk and his prime minister, Gajah Mada.

An Indonesian man cleans the country's symbol Garuda Pancasila, a mythical golden eagle with a heraldic shield on its chest, which is attached on a building roof in Jakarta. The Garuda is also a deeply respected symbol in Hindu mythology. AFP

Today, Indonesias national emblem is the Garuda, which is also a deeply respected symbol in Hindu mythology for being the mount of Lord Vishnu.

There are also several Hindu temples across Indonesia, one of the most famous is the Prambanan temple complex. Located near Bokoharjo, on the island of Java, it is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and is dedicated to the Trimurti of Hinduism Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

In the main courtyard, Candi Shiva Mahadeva, dedicated to Shiva, is not only the largest of the temples but also the finest. The main spire soars 47-metre high and the temple is lavishly carved. The medallions that decorate its base have a characteristic Prambanan motif small lions in niches flanked by kalpatura (trees of heaven) and a menagerie of stylised half-human, half-bird kinnara (heavenly beings). The vibrant scenes carved onto the inner wall of the gallery encircling the temple are from the Ramayana they tell how Lord Ramas wife, Sita, is abducted and how Hanuman, the monkey god, and Sugriwa, the white-monkey general, eventually find and release her.

The Prambanan temple complex, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and dedicated to the Trimurti of Hinduism Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. AFP

In 1991, Prambanan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hinduism and Indonesias culture

Hinduism has also encoded into the Indonesian cultural fabric through the arts. The Ramayana ballet, performed in the Javanese style has been running continuously since 1961. In 2012, it was anointed by the Guinness Book as the most continuously staged performance in the world.

In fact, many of the performers of the Ramayana ballet conducted at the Prambanan temple complex are Muslim. But they say, Muslims are Muslims with Hindu influence.

Dancers perform the Ramayana on Bali island. The Ramayana ballet was given the title of the most continuously staged performance in the world. AFP

Wayang kulit, the traditional shadow puppet shows, also retell the ancient stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. These tales are brought to silhouetted life on a screen, using backlit figures cut from raw buffalo hide.

Apart from the arts, a large amount of Sanskrit loanwords are found in regional languages as well as in standard Indonesian.

Hinduisms cultural connect with Indonesia is also on display through the Arjuna Wijaya Chariot statue, situated in Jakarta. The imposing monument depicts a scene from the Mahabharata where Lord Krishna is riding a chariot with Arjuna holding a bow and arrow and the chariot is being pulled by eight golloping horses.

The horses as per Javenese tradition symbolise eight philosophies of leadership called Asta Brata, namely, Kisma (Earth), Surya (Sun), Agni (fire), Kartika (stars), Baruna (ocean), Samirana (wind), Tirta (rain) and Candra (month).

Built in 1987, the statue, standing just next to Monas, which is the National Monument of Indonesia, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jakarta.

All in all, Hindus have a peaceful existence in Indonesia, which dates back to many, many centuries.

With inputs from agencies

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PM Modi in Bali for G20 summit: The Hindu legacy of Indonesia and how the religion still thrives there - Firstpost

Sri Siddharama Swami of Gadga Tontadarya Math| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER

Hinduism is not a religion, but a way of life, Sri Siddharama Swami, seer of the Gadag Tontadarya Math, said in Belagavi on Wednesday.

It is a well known fact. Great scholars have elaborated on it. There is no dispute about that fact, the seer said, after a function organised by the Belagavi Zilla Lekhakiyara Sangha to felicitate women writers.

Reacting to the controversy over Congress leader Satish Jarkiholis statement about the origin of the term Hindu, the seer said that it is not a matter of dispute, as the term Hindu refers to all Indians and not to any religious group.

It is a Persian language term used to refer to residents of the region surrounding the Sindhu river. Since the Persian speakers use H instead of S, all people living on the banks of the Sindhu were called Hindu. In that sense, all people living in India, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and even Lingayats, should be considered Hindus, he said. The Sindhu flows even in Pakistan. Some residents of those regions are demanding that the area be called Sindhustan, the seer said.

The term Hindu should be used in its larger sense and not in a narrow sense to refer to caste or religion, he said. He said that the activists in favour of a Lingayat religion are trying to portray Lingayat as a non-Vedic religion. Hinduism is a Vedic religion. But Lingayat is not a vedic religion and definitely not a part of Hindu religion.

The seer, who spearheaded the agitation for recognition of Lingayat as a religion, said that the movement will be re-started soon.

We have not stopped it. We have suspended it temporarily as some of the 108 sub-castes among Lingayats are demanding reservation benefits. Once those agitations reach a certain stage, we will revive the movement for religion status, he said.

He said that he is not opposed to some Lingayat castes demanding reservation. It is between them and the government. We have nothing to say, he said.

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Hindu term refers to all Indians and it should be used in its larger sense, says seer - The Hindu

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that those who believe Bharat as their mother or motherland, and want to live in that culture of diversity, are Hindus, and that the country needs unity and unity in diversity is the core ideology of India.

Addressing an event of swayamsevaks in Ambikapur in Chhattisgarhs Surguja district, Bhagwat said the idea of Hindutva is acceptance and to unite everyone.

We have been saying this since 1925a person who believes Bharat is his mother and motherland is Hindu. A person who wants to live in a diverse country and attempts to live in this country of diversity is Hindu... He can follow any religion or ideology, can speak any language or can wear any attire, but will be considered a Hindu. There is only one ideology which believes in diversity in unity, Bhagwat said.

He said that when the RSS was founded, it had nothing but the belief in unity, which is why the organisation has gained the trust of the people of India.

We always believed that those who come to RSS shakha are from this motherland. We never ask the caste or class... We believe that those who attend shakha are from this country, he said, adding that when RSS was formed no one had supported the ideology.

Also read:In Chhattisgarh, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats stay strong appeal to tribals

Hindutva is the only idea in the entire world that believes in unifying diversities because it has carried such diversities together in this country for thousands of years, the RSS chief asserted.

This is the truth and you have to speak it firmly, he said.

Bhagwat is on a three-day visit to Chhattisgarh. On Monday, he addressed a function to mark the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Jashpur organised by Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.

This is his second visit to Chhattisgarh, which experts believe is crucial ahead of the state elections in 2023.

Bhagwat also unveiled the statue of late former BJP MP and Union minister late Dilip Singh Judeo, who began the Ghar Wapsi campaign to reconvert tribals from Christianity in Jashpur region.

State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh. Reports Maoism, Politics, Mining and important developments from the state. Covered all sorts of extremism in Central India. Reported from Madhya Pradesh for eight years....view detail

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Those who see Bharat as their motherland are Hindus: Mohan Bhagwat - Hindustan Times

An estimated 500 inauthentic accounts that called for violence and promoted memes, as well as incendiary videos, were created on Twitter Inc. during riots in Leicester between late August and early September this year, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University.

Hundreds took to the streets in the days following a cricket match between long-held rivals India and Pakistan on Aug. 27, with some rioters carrying sticks and batons and throwing glass bottles as police were deployed to calm the masses. Homes, cars and religious artifacts were vandalised during the clashes, which went on for weeks and resulted in 47 arrests, according to Leicestershire police.

Social media was rife with videos claiming to show mosques being set alight and claims of kidnapping,forcing policeto issue warnings that people should not believe misinformation online.Many of the Twitter accounts that amplified the unrest originated in India,researchers said.

Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rising in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to a narrative that Hindus outside the country, some of whom are not Indian, subscribe to Hindutva, a kind of Hindu nationalism. An initial video purporting to show Hindutva Hindus attacking Muslim men sparked uncorroborated claims that local, politically motivated activists amplified, researchers said. The video sparked the interest of a foreign influence network, the involvement of which contributed to real-world violence, according to the findings.

US technology companies played a key role in fanning the confrontations, according to Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby, numerous media reports and participants including Adam Yusuf, a 21-year-old who told a judge that he brought a knife to a demonstration and was influenced by social media.

Our research finds that both domestic networks of assailants and foreign actors now compete to use social media as a weapon in the midst of heightened ethnic tensions, said Joel Finkelstein, founder of NCRI. Our methods highlight a process and technology that democracies need to learn to take preventative measures and protect themselves and their communities.

Using data collected from Googles YouTube, Meta Platforms Inc.s Instagram, Twitterand ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok the NCRI report published Wednesday provides one of the most detailed views of how foreign influencers spread disinformation at a local level, transpiring intoclashes in one of the most diverse cities in the UK.

Mentions of Hindu exceeded mentions of Muslim by nearly 40%, and Hindus were largely depicted as aggressors and conspirators in a global project for international dominance, NCRIs linguistic analysis found. They found that 70% of violent tweets, using sentiment analysis from Googles Jigsaw service, were made against Hindus during the Leicester riot timeframe.

One particularly effective meme, eventually banned by Twitter,circulated under the hashtag#HindusUnderAttackInUK, researchers said. The cartoondepictedthe Muslim community as insects, alleging that different aspects of Islam werecombining together to destroy India.

Researchers also found evidence of bot-like accounts which disseminated both anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim messaging, each blaming the other for the violence. The bots were identified based on the time of account creationand the number of repeated tweets, with some tweeting 500 times per minute, accordingto the findings.

Its not Hindus versus Muslims its Leicester versus extremist Hindus who came here through fake Portuguese passports, they started coming here 5 years ago, before the Hindus and Muslims lived peacefully, wrote one account flagged by NCRI. Another, which has been banned, said that Hindus were trying to mobilise a global genocide.

Largely, the researchers found that UK-based assailants used social media platforms as a weapon to organise attacks and amplify conspiracies against British Hindus, which in turn caused a tit-for-tat relationship between these two forces, said Finkelstein.

After the first instances of fake videos spread on Twitter, ahighly orchestrated echo chamber,from India kicked into amplifytweets solely blaming Muslims for the events in Leicester, the report claimed, which in turned spurred even more violence against Hindus in Leicester.

This suggested thatlocal community tensions were ripe for exploitation on Twitter by external nationalist groups, the researchers warned. The BBC and disinformation research company Logically also found evidence that a lot of the social media posts during the unrest hailed from India, some 5,000 miles away.

Fiyaz Mughal, an author of the report and the founder of Tell MAMA,a service that allows people in the UKto report anti-Muslim abuse and monitors Islamophobic incidents, said he was shocked at how quickly social networks could jump on these issues. Mughal said the events in Leicester proved the risk to the national security of any country today.

Twitter didnt respond to a request for comment.

Claudia Webbe, the MP for Leicester East,told Bloomberg Newsthe riots were undoubtedly sparked by social media. Although hundreds of police were deployed to areas around the West Midlands to monitor the demonstrations, she said she believed most of her constituents within the Hindu and Muslim community had largely been affected through their phones.

Even the people who didnt take to the streets were in fear because of what they were receiving through WhatsApp and Twitter they were afraid to go outside for weeks, she said.

Youve got these overseas influences who are trying to drive political hate and the desire to sow division, she said.

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India-based Twitter accounts fanned Hindu-Muslim unrest in Leicester UK, say researchers - The Indian Express

Acting on this complaint, the police launched a search for Shraddha, which led them to the revelation that Aaftab had murdered her in May.

Aaftab was arrested on 11 November and sent to judicial custody three days later. As per police, Aaftab told them that he strangled Shraddha in a fit of rage on 18 May.

To dispose of her body, he looked up the Internet and took inspiration from a web-series named Dexter. He bought a 300-litre refrigerator and chopped Shraddhas body into 35 pieces using a butchers knife.

He stored the pieces in the refrigerator, using a chemical named formaldehyde to preserve them. Every night after midnight, he would go out and throw some pieces in the jungle or feed them to stray dogs. This is how he disposed of the entire body in the next 18 days.

To keep up the pretence that Shraddha was alive, he would chat with her friends through Instagram.

The complaint by Shraddhas father says that while her family lost all contact with her for her refusal to break up with Aaftab, they got information from a friend of Shraddha on 14 September that for the last two months, she had been unreachable through phone.

The father lodged a missing person complaint at Manikpur Police Station of Vasai (West) in Palghar district of Maharashtra, where he lives.

The police told him that they had communicated about Shraddhas disappearance to Mehrauli Police Station in New Delhi as their investigation had revealed that she was currently living with Aaftab in Mehrauli.

The complaint offers some insight into the behaviour of Aaftab with Shraddha: It says that Shraddha had confided in her mother in 2019 that Aaftab used to physically assault her.

At that time, Shraddhas father was living separately from his wife and children while Shraddha had begun living-in with Aaftab. The father and the mother advised Shraddha to break up with Aaftab. She paid no heed.

In 2020, Shraddhas mother passed away. After a month, Shraddha came to her fathers house, telling him that Aaftab had assaulted her again. While her father advised her to leave Aaftab, she got back with Aaftab after he apologised to her. This episode led to total collapse in communication between Shraddha and her father.

As per the complaint, Shraddhas father did not know that she had left Vasai and moved to New Delhi with Aaftab.

The Delhi police told the media on Monday that they had recovered 18 pieces of Shraddhas body. Aaftab killed Shraddha as she was pressuring him to marry her, the police told the media citing Aaftabs confession.

However, The Times of India has quoted an unnamed friend of Shraddha, saying that it was unlikely that she was pestering him for marriage.

Shraddha was from Koli caste of Hindus while Aaftab is from Khoja caste of Muslims. Their families live in Vasai (West). Both Shraddha and Aaftab left their graduation course mid-way.

Shraddha studied at a convent school and joined BBM course at Viva Institute of Technology, but dropped out in final year. Aaftab enrolled in a Bachelor of Management Studies at a Santacruz college, but left mid-way.

After leaving college, Shraddha began working at a call centre, where she allegedly met Aaftab. He and his brother Ahan ran an Instagram account by the name Hungry Chokro, where they published their work in food photography.

This case is yet another addition to a series of cases where Muslim men trap non-Muslim women in relationships for purposes of conversion or sexual exploitation, often murdering them if they resist.

Various religious groups affiliated to Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and Hindus have termed this pattern of preying as love jihad.

Swarajyahasreported a large number of cases of a similar nature. Here is a brief list:

Ground Report: Hill TownIn Himachal Worried About Growing Radicalisation After Chilling Murder Of Hindu Girl

She Was Called Kaafir Ki Aulaad: Family Of Hindu Woman Who Committed Suicide A Year After Marrying Muslim Man Tells Court

Nepalese Man Living In India Using Fake Aadhaar Card Kills His Second Wife, A Hindu, Who Converted To Marry Him

Love Jihad Victim Shot Six Times After Her Wedding In Haryana, Continues To Battle For Life After Two Weeks

Sher Khan Killed Naina Kaur For Turning Him Down. So Which Family Left The House In Fear?

She Would Cry For Hours; Never Told Us Why. Two Years After Her Murder, Ekta Jaswals Family Has No Answers To HowSaqib Trapped Her

Before Killing Her, Tausif Kidnapped And Confined Nikita In HisHouse So She Would Become Unmarriageable

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Told My Daughter We Are Hindus, Aaftab Is Muslim, Cannot Accept Relationship. She Said She Was No More Our Daughter: FIR by Shraddhas Father -...

Religion is an important component of the modern life of every human being and plays an important role in the understanding of the world for both individuals and communities. Religious views and religious institutions have directed and dictated political, social, economic and other trends for centuries. With the passage of time, the dominant global religions have changed. Once upon a time, before the spread of Christianity, paganism dominated in Europe, and elsewhere religions domintated local religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. Since its appearance more than two thousand years ago, Christianity quickly became the most popular Abrahamic religion in the world. And this has been convincingly since medieval times until the beginning of the 21st century. However, current trends show that Christianity will lose its position as the worlds most populous religion to Islam in the second half of the 21st century. Moreover, Islam is currently the fastest growing global religion.

Like other Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Christianity, Islam also appeared in the Middle East and is connected in a special way with the Holy Land (the areas of modern Israel and Palestine). There is a consensus among Islamic theologians, both Sunni and Shia, that the three holiest places in Islam are Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Depending on the theologians, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Ibrahim Mosque in Hebron alternate in the fourth holiest place. Muslims worship the same God, commonly referred to as Allah, as do Christians, Jews and Bah believers. While Muslims acknowledge that spiritual figures such as Adam, Moses and Jesus were prophets, they believe that the prophet Muhammad was sent to convey the final teachings of God. These teachings are contained in the Koran, the Islamic religious text, which Muslims believe is the literal word of God, revealed to Muhammad. Muslims follow a specific religious rulebook known as Sharia law, a faith-based code of conduct that includes guidelines for almost every aspect of daily life.

There are five fundamental pillars of Islam, or the practical duties of a Muslim: Shahadat (revelation of belonging to Islam), Salah (praying five times a day), Ramadan fasting, Zakat (giving part of ones wealth to charity) and Hajj (an individual must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his life). In addition to obedience to one God, belonging to Islam also implies following the way of life (Sunnah) of the last prophet of God, Muhammad, as the first and inevitable interpreter of Gods Word.

Although the Muslim population continued to increase in large parts of the world in the modern era (the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia), its interesting that the political power of the Islamic-dominated states, from the Mughal to the Ottoman Empire, gradually weakened. Mughal power on the Indian subcontinent disappeared in the middle of the 19th century, while the end of the Ottomans came after the First World War in 1918. At the beginning of the 20th century, Christianity had the largest number of followers, numbering almost 560 million, while Muslims then numbered 200 million. In 1900, Christians represented 34% of the worlds population, while Muslims made up only 12% of all believers worldwide. However, the difference between the Christian and Muslim populations changed dramatically during the 20th century in favor of Islam as Islam became the worlds fastest growing religion. This trend continued in the 21st century.

Studies by the American Pew Research Center from 2015 and 2017 present interesting data on current trends. If current trends continue, by 2050 the number of Muslims will almost equal the number of Christians worldwide. If this happens, for the first time in history, both religions will have an equal population. The Pew report predicts that in 2050, 30% (2.8 billion) of the population will identify as Muslim, as opposed to 31% (2.9 billion) Christians. Muslims will grow in percentages in all regions of the world except Latin America and the Caribbean, where a small number of Muslims live. Between 2010 and 2050, in Europe, Muslims will increase from 5.9 to 10.2% of the population, in the Asia-Pacific region from 24.3 to 29.5%, in the Middle East and North Africa from 93 to 93.7%, in Sub-Saharan Africa from 30.2 to 35.2%, North America from 1 to 2.4%. In the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, Muslims will remain at 0.1% of the population.

Although migration flows are not the most important and only generators of Muslim population growth, due to political and economic instability, many Muslims from the Middle East, Africa and Asia tend to migrate to majority Christian countries in Europe and North America, where they increase the share of the Muslim population. The same thing applies to developed East Asia where immigrants from Muslim countries come. This is exactly why Islam is the fastest growing world religion and in some majority non-Muslim countries. Estimates that in 2050 as many as 10% of Europeans will be Muslim, while in the USA Islam will then be the second largest religion (2% of the population) do not leave anyone indifferent.

Predictions by the Pew Center say that in the period from 2015 to 2060, the number of Muslims will increase by 70%, from todays 1.8 billion to 3 billion. At the same time, Christianity will grow by 34%, and Hinduism by 27%. In that period, the total population of the planet should increase by 32%. In 2015, Muslims made up 24% of the worlds population, and in 2060, they are expected to make up 31% of the worlds population. Estimates are that sometime in the second half of the 21st century (around 2075), the number of Muslims will exceed the number of Christians. By 2100, about one percent more of the population will be Muslims (35%) than Christians (34%), concluded experts from the Pew Center.

According to data from 2021, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country with about 231 million believers. The top 10 countries with the largest number of Muslims also include Pakistan (212 million), India (200 million), Bangladesh (153 million), Nigeria (103 million), Egypt (90 million), Iran (82 million), Turkey (74 million ), Algeria (41 million) and Sudan (39 million). Estimates by the Pew Research Center say that in 2050, India will become the country with the largest number of Muslims, 310 million, although it will still remain a predominantly Hindu country.

The main reason for the rapid spread of Islam is demography. Namely, Muslims have more children than members of the seven other major religions. Muslim women give birth to an average of 2.9 children, which is quite a higher number than the next largest religion, Christians, whose believers give birth to 2.6 children. The other seven major world religions have an average of 2.2 children per woman. It is evident that the fertility of the Muslim population exceeds the fertility of non-Muslims. Apart from the larger number of children, the Muslim population is the youngest religious population, on average seven years younger than the non-Muslim population. The median age of Muslims in 2015 was 24 years, Christians 30 years, and Hindus 27 years. The median age of other significant religious groups exceeds 30 years.

The conversion factor also favors the spread of Islam. It is predicted that in the area of Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, in the period from 2010 to 2050, more people will convert to Islam than to other religions. The growth of Islam is also matched by religious indecisiveness or the decline of religiosity, which occurs primarily in the West, and not in the states that make up the Muslim world. The number of Christians is projected to continue to decline over the next several decades as a significant number of individuals who were born into Christian households cease to be practicing Christians or leave Christianity altogether. These individuals also tend to have fewer children. On the other hand, in Muslim countries, people from Muslim households very rarely stop being religious or convert to another religion. On the contrary, they continue to practice Islam all their lives.

The question of all questions is: why is Islam so attractive to Westerners and other people to whom Islam is not a close religion, given that they come from quite different cultural and social environments? It is well known that all the great religions of the world, including Islam, have laid the foundations for moral and ethical principles and beliefs that shape societies in a positive way. Essentially, Islam has enormous potential to solve problems such as social injustice, racism, social inequalities and national conflicts. Islam brings calmness and tranquility to its true believers, peace with God and other people. Its about the fact that as time goes by, people are less prejudiced, they are more willing to listen and explore what Islam is in its essence. It is the appeal and quality of the content that has made Islam the worlds fastest growing religion. The simplicity, rationality and universal character of Islamic teachings attract many people who are either disillusioned with Christianity or were previously not believers at all.

The data that Islam is the fastest growing religion in countries such as Japan and Canada is surprising at first glance, but when you look a little deeper, such trends are logical. In Japan, between 112 and 230 thousand inhabitants accepted Islam. Despite Japan not being so hospitable to Muslims in the past, in recent years Japanese people have become more tolerant of different religions and cultures and this is the main reason for the spread of Islam. For example many restaurants offer halal food. Muslims come to Japan from different civilizational environments such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran. Most often, these are workers from the construction sector or IT experts. Some Japanese Muslims strictly follow their traditions such as prayers and fasting, while others are more liberal. In Japan, approximately half of Muslims have started a family, suggesting that in the future the country will be home to authentic second and third generation Japanese Muslims.

The situation is similar in Canada. Official statistics confirm that Islam is the fastest growing religion in that western country. StatCan stated that the Muslim population has more than tripled from 1996 to the present. Until 1985, there were so few Canadian Muslims that Islam was categorized as other in a federal survey. The Muslim population in Canada is 4.9% in 2021, up from 3.2% in 2011. In total, about 1.7 million Muslims live in the country. Its interesting how Islam is spreading while overall religiosity in Canada is declining. In 2003, 71% of Canadians said that religious belief was important, while in 2019, only 54% of respondents said the same. Recently, there was an increase in anti-Islamic violence in the country, so Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself had to react, declaring that Canada is not a place for Islamophobia.

Despite Islamophobia and the often negative depictions of Muhammads faith in the Western media, the growth of Islam is steady and the faith is attracting new followers again and again. Islam is a religion that governs the entire life of the individual and the community, the private and public sphere. In a certain sense, it can be said that Islam doesnt know the division into sacred and secular. Besides, of course, religious beliefs and rituals, with its teachings Islam regulates the entire social life, starting with family, business, civil and criminal law, nutrition, clothing and personal hygiene. In the Islamic worldview, there are few (if any) aspects of individual and social life that are not considered an expression of Islam as a complex civilization in which individuals, societies, and governments should reflect the will of God. That is why it can be said that Islam is much more than a religion, in fact it represents the totality of human behavior and actions.

Islam is a religion that, unlike Christianity, doesnt try to adapt to current trends, but adheres to fundamental principles that have been in force for centuries. The principles of Islam such as strict rules, norms and prohibitions attract people who previously had no connection with Islam. Simple doctrine, equality of believers, practice of faith and clear religious hierarchy favor the attraction of new believers. Believers in Islam must follow the guidance of Gods law in order to get to heaven.

For many in developed countries, Islam can provide an attractive alternative because it gives meaning in this life and the afterlife. Such an alternative provides a new outlook on the world and spiritual peace in the modern world where uncertainty is the only constant. Islam, as a thoroughly elaborated religion, has a universalist character that can be accepted by people all over the world. With all the above, Muslim religious missionaries as well as ordinary believers strive to spread Islam more than Christians or Jews do in spreading their faiths. Also, Muslim communities are very happy to accept new members. All these are the reasons why Islam is the fastest growing world religion.

*Matija eri is a geopolitical analyst and journalist from Croatia and writes on foreign policy, history, economy, society, etc.

Link:

The Rapid Rise Of Islam In The West: Will Islam Become The Leading World Religion? OpEd - Eurasia Review