Oldest Religions In The World: From prehistoric to modern times, religion has played a role in the history of the human race. The majority of human religious experience is prehistoric. The age of formal writing, or written history, is just about 5000 years old. Due to a lack of written records, the majority of what is known about prehistoric religion comes from archaeological findings, other indirect sources, and conjecture.

The majority of religions claim to have existed since the beginning of the universe or of human civilization. Many of the main world religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, have a well-known spiritual leader or prophet who laid the cornerstone of the faith. Typically, the lives of these prophets can be connected to the beginnings of different religions. Others appear to have developed as a result of the blending of religious beliefs and ceremonial practices of a portion of the community, which were sanctioned by one or more spiritual leaders. The majority of traditional religions were founded in this manner.

It is challenging to build a list of the oldest religions in the world. Religion has been a part of human culture since before written records existed. A significant percentage of what we know about prehistoric religions comes from conjecture, archeological discoveries, and other disputed indirect sources. However, there is broad scientific agreement that the following religions are among the worlds oldest:

Recommended: Top 10 Countries with the highest Divorce Rate

1. HINDUISM (CIRCA 7,000 BCE): Hinduism is frequently regarded as the oldest religion that is still actively practiced today. This may be the case, but its crucial to remember that Hinduism is a combination of various ages-old traditions and beliefs rather than having a single founder or book. The Rig Veda, which is thought to be roughly 3,500 years old, is the earliest Hindu scripture. However, bull and cow patterns, which are revered in Hinduism, have been discovered on artifacts that date back to about 7,000 BCE, when a prehistoric civilisation lived in the region near the Indus River. Hinduism is now practiced by millions of people worldwide, particularly in India and its neighboring nations.

Oldest religions in the World with proof

Furthermore, It is impossible to pinpoint this religions exact origin, however it is generally accepted that its formal origin took place in the Indus Valley between 2300 and 1500 B.C. At this time, Indo-Aryans began to move to the Indus Valley. Eventually, the cultures of these people and the indigenous people in the area merged, leading to the creation of a new faith. The Vedic Period, when Hinduism first emerged, was characterized by the Vedas behavioral effect.

2. JUDAISM (9TH 5TH CENTURY BCE): The second-oldest religion in the world is Judaism. It is the oldest monotheistic religion, though. Although the circumstances that led to the creation of Judaism began much earlier, they officially began around 690 BC. The religions adherents trust in just one God.It is the religion of the jews. Jews hold that prophets serve as a conduit through which God and the general populace can communicate. The holy book of the Jews is known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible. The Torah is the first of the five books of the Tanakh. It lays down rules that Jews must abide by.

What Is the Oldest Religion_ Facts About Hinduism and Christianity

Abraham, a Hebrew man, is credited by the Torah as being the origin of Judaism because God revealed himself to him. Thus, the people who have been chosen are Abrahams offspring. The son and grandson of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are significant figures in Jewish history. Israelites are the name given to their descendants.

The Jews also hold Moses, another prophet, in high regard. He is thought to have freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. According to the Bible, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, which is now a significant Jewish pilgrimage site. Solomon, the son of King David, reigned in Jerusalem circa 1000 B.C., and during his time there the first sacred Temple of the Jews was constructed.

Recommended: Most Spoken Languages in the World 2022

3. BUDDHISM (6TH 5TH CENTURY BCE): Siddhartha Gautama, a purported prince who is thought to have been born in present-day Nepal, is credited as being the founder of Buddhism. After first experiencing human misery, Siddhartha renounced his affluent lifestyle.

What is the oldest religion in the Middle East

He sat beneath the Bodhi tree, thinking about the purpose of life, and after becoming enlightened, he changed into the Buddha (the tree of awakening).Soon after his passing, his teachings were codified, and at least 400 million people still adhere to them today, albeit with significant variations.

His teaching includes the four noble truths which includes; existence is suffering (dukhka), suffering has a cause, notably craving and attachment (trishna), there is a means to end suffering (nirvana), and there is a possibility of ending suffering (nirvana). They are intended to lead followers to complete emancipation from the never-ending cycle of birth and death.

4. JAINISM (8TH 2ND CENTURY BCE): One of the worlds oldest doctrines or religions is jainism. It has 24 Tirthankaras as its founders, the first of whom is Lord Rishabhdev (Adinath), and the last and most notable is Mahavir Swami. It is an Indian tradition known as the Shraman tradition. Jains are individuals who adhere to Jin. The Sanskrit word Zi metal is where the term Jin comes from.

Youngest religion in the world

Harmless and selfless life is the key to liberation and happiness, according to the ancient Indian faith of Jainism. There are currently six million Jains in the world, which amounts to less than 2% of Indias total population. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the focal points of the Jain population in India. Many immigrated to East Africa, where the community now numbers about 30,000, and from there to Britain. To obtain the emancipation of the soul is the goal of Jain existence.

Also see: Most Influential Musicians of All Time (With Pictures)

5. ZOROASTRIANISM: The prophet and reformer Zoroaster established Zoroastrianism formally in the sixth century BCE. The origins of the religion can be found between 1,200 and 1,500 BCE, according to archaeological evidence.

Christianity is the oldest religion

According to Zoroastrians, Ahura Mazda is the name of the one God. It once held a reputation for being one of the worlds most potent faiths. From 600 BCE to 650 BCE, Zoroastrianism served as Persias official religion. Religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share many of its core ideas. Another dualistic religion, Zoroastrianism emphasizes the duality of reality (good and evil or heaven and hell, for example).

6. CONFUCIANISM (6TH 5TH CENTURY BCE): Confucianism is acknowledged as a religion, yet it is not traditionally or formally practiced. It takes its name from its founder Confucius (an Anglicization of his original name Kung-fu-tzu or Master Kung). Confucius sought to revive the ideals and principles of the Zhou period.

Which religion came first the world?

Confucianism is viewed as a system of social and ethical philosophy by its adherents. Over time, Confucianism has had a tremendous impact on the spiritual and political life of the Chinese people. Korea, Vietnam, and Japan are just a few of the East Asian nations that have felt its influence.

Also see: Most Powerful Weapons In The World (With Pictures)

7. TAOISM (6TH 4TH CENTURY BCE): The Tao Te Ching, a little book encapsulating Lao Tzus teachings, serves as the foundation for this ancient religion, also known as Daoism. It focuses a lot of emphasis on a persons internal spiritual equilibrium. The two main branches of Taoism are philosophical Taoism (Tao-chia) and religious Taoism (Tao-chiao), which emphasizes the study of Lao Tzus teachings and places a strong emphasis on religious ceremonies intended to achieve immortality. Taoism was one of the most prevalent religions in China before the Communist revolution.

How old are each religion?

In popular culture, Taoism is most famously linked to the idea of Yin and Yang, or the union of opposites. According to the Yin and Yang concept, the world is filled with complimentary forces of action and inaction, light and dark, heat and cold, etc. Its necessary to strike a balance between two opposing forces. Practitioners of this faith live in China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, as well as a few areas of Europe and America.

8. SHINTOISM (3RD CENTURY BCE 8TH CENTURY CE): The Shinto religion is the 8th on our list of the oldest religion in the world. This traditional religion of Japan, known as Kami-no-Michi, is centered on meticulously performing rituals in order to forge a link between the countrys modern day and its historic past. It has numerous deities known as kami. Every Kami stands for a certain natural force.

What are the 5 major religions in order from oldest to youngest?

Buddhism is heavily associated with it, and many Buddhist notions have been incorporated to it. There are 3 million followers globally, according to estimates. Jinja is its place of worship. There are shrines to the Kami in various locations around Japan. The Torii marks sacred territory and is the entrance to a Shinto Shrine (Jinja).

Also see: Life-changing Books To Read That Will Change Your Thinking

Conclusion

Understanding how religion has changed over time and what it has become in the present era is always an enormously intriguing trip. Many peoples lives have been driven by religion, which has a significant influence on their worldviews and the lifestyles they choose. Understanding the worlds oldest religions enables us to determine which concepts and beliefs we have chosen to reject and which ones we have deemed deserving enough to persist.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier.

Read the original here:

Oldest Religions In The World: Top 8 - Bscholarly

The 2022 midterm elections are arguably the most consequential in setting the stage for the future of the American Hindu diasporas involvement in deciding elections.

To understand the Hindu community in America, one needs to look no further than the last presidential election. The wants and needs of American Hindus, an important voting bloc, have only intensified during this period with the lack of adequate representation. What this means is that people can anticipate a more historic American Hindu turnout this November than in any year past.

The earliest Hindu immigration to the United States was recorded in the 1600s. In 2018, it was estimated that there were 2.5 million Hindus in America. Today, it is believed there are close to 6 million Hindus in the U.S., accounting for about 2% of the total population. This figure is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade.

As executive director of the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA, I interact with lawmakers and everyday constituents to communicate what our community is seeking from our elected officials. Part of this includes my involvement in creating the Hindu Voter Guide. The 2022 Hindu Voter Guide will help voters determine the compatibility of each candidate with universal Hindu values and the candidates views on policies that are important to American Hindus. It serves as a tool to help constituents be more judicious in their selection of candidates.

As part of this, my team at HinduPACT and I have developed a series of questions over the last two years that address the concerns and hopes of the American Hindu communities and the expectations they have from their candidates. It also examines the intra-community dynamics, based on my interactions with hundreds of people in a cross-section of thought-leaders within the community. The questions cut across party lines and address the needs of Hindus who are registered with both the Democratic and Republican parties as well as unregistered constituents. HinduPACT is actively working to drive up the number of Hindu voter registrants.

As the largest and fastest-growing diaspora community, Hindus are becoming critical in deciding the elections in Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia. The American Hindu vote has been more prominently on display during the last two election cycles and is expected to play an even bigger role in the midterm elections, particularly as the U.S.-India relationship is highlighted as tensions persist between America and China. Chief among things sought from American Hindu constituents is a candidate who will protect American Hindus constitutional and civil rights and honor their contributions across the U.S. Statistics show that over 80% of highly skilled immigrants who are eligible for green cards are Hindu. This is an important part of the workforce and should continue to be protected.

Another important facet that Hindu voters are seeking in their representatives is that they will ensure that textbooks and instructional materials that promote Hinduphobia and reflect misrepresentation of the Hindu faith in publicly funded school textbooks and educational materials are removed in consultation with American Hindu organizations.

Lastly, India is a strategic U.S. ally. Hindu voters are seeking candidates who will support Indias role in a new vision for the Indo-Pacific to counterterrorism and work toward replacing China with India as a global manufacturer and a key component in our supply chain so we can advance our shared security and economic interests in the region.

With this sizable population on the rise, it is important for incumbents and future legislators to pay close attention and appeal to the Hindu demographic. Their candidacy and victory may depend on it.

Utsav Chakrabarti is the executive director of HinduPACT, a nonprofit policy research initiative based in Washington, D.C.

Excerpt from:

The Hindu vote will carry historic weight in the midterm elections - Washington Examiner

As we approach the 2024 Lok Sabha election, it is clear to most that the more polarised Hindus and Muslims become, the more powerful the ruling regimes majoritarian mindset becomes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pushing for an electoral strategy where majoritarianism and polarisation reinforce each other in such a way that it yields unending electoral dividends for the party.

Among other things, majoritarianism is linked to the anxieties of the majority community vis--vis the loss of privileges; it works up a logic where not only the narrative of polarisation but also the counter-narrative against polarisation tends to further polarise.

In other words, the counter-narrative is fixed in a way that it does not lead to critical thinking by the majority community and fresh negotiations between Hindus and Muslims, but further pushes and strengthens the same dominant process of polarisation.

The counter-narrative fails to challenge the dominant narrative.

Counter-narratives are projected in such a way that they gain a specified place and meaning that majoritarian discourse assigns them. For the opposition parties, it is therefore not sufficient to have a mere counter-narrative but also its desired results of changing the mood and mindset of the majority community.

As of today, we seem to have a counter-narrative with neither a realisation of its ineffectiveness, nor a plan for keeping these counter-narratives from becoming counter-productive. Without this additional strategy, counter-narratives dont seem to bother the BJP; in fact, they seem to encourage the party that sees counter-narratives as strengthening the purpose of polarisation.

Also read: Majoritarianism Has Turned the Populace Into an Ever-Ready Mob

In a recent surprise intervention, Arnab Goswami of the Republic news channel took to moral sermonising to opposition parties about their failure to take a position against the release and garlanding of those convicted of raping Bilkis Bano.

The Congress, Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist), among others, have condemned the move. Leaders of the TMC and CPI(M) have moved Supreme Court with writ petitions against the remission. The Aam Aadmi Partys silence aside from MLA Amanatullah Khans condemnation has been brought up in analysis pieces.

However, progressive-secular activists are unhappy about political parties failure to wholeheartedly raise the pitch against the decision and subsequent celebration.

The political parties perhaps feel that condemning the criminality of rape is giving an easy pass to the BJP and will mean that they are falling into the very trap the saffron party has set to fix the polarising narrative before the assembly elections in Gujarat later this year.

Silence has become a convenient way for secular parties to avoid polarisation so that other social, economic and governance related issues can be debated, which is where they think the BJP will be on the back foot.

What the silence of the opposition parties is doing is allowing the BJP-RSS to also occupy the space of the counter-narrative. Opposition parties, with their silence on issues involving brutalities against Muslims, might be able to avoid an immediate polarisation, which may yield electoral dividends, but they are missing a larger social shift that will also have impact on electoral outcomes, in a much more substantive sense.

Silence carries the danger of making opposition parties look redundant and irrelevant the kind of crisis the Congress is currently witnessing and one that the BJP is now trying to push unto the regional parties.

Parties such as the AAP are maintaining a silence on Muslim-related issues, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Bilkis Bano case, and contesting solely on issues of governance, education and health related welfare. The BJP realises that the AAPs only source of relevance and strength is welfare; therefore the recent attack on welfare as revdi culture by Prime Minister Modi.

Also read: Revdinomics Isnt About the Economy, Stupid

What the strategy of silence does is allow the ruling regime to also claim the space of reconciliation between religious communities. Not only do they polarise, they project themselves as saviours from majoritarian violence; a classic strategy that police forces generally use while employing third-degree methods. They inflict the torture but also offer the way out with sweet talk; while one officer tortures, the other offers protection good cop, bad cop.

Helplessness compels the victim to take up the offer of reconciliation. A similar strategy is employed when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief periodically comes out with statements such as: there is no Hindutva without the Muslims. Such statements are then used to make attempted inroads into the Muslim vote bank, by raising issues such as the plight of Pasmanda Muslims, the Shia-Sunni conflict, and atrocities against Muslim women.

It is a different matter that Muslims do not yet trust the BJP, but this also allows the development of a larger-than-life image for the BJP leadership amongst the Hindu majority.

As part of this strategy, Narendra Modi famously maintains silence over almost all social conflicts. He stands above the bickering and therefore, well-meaning people, like the faculty of the IIMs and others, make repeated appeals to him to intervene. This allows Modi to be projected as neutral, morally righteous and the only power that can resolve such conflicts, since all other parties and leaders have been pushed into silence and oblivion.

The appeals are not to a constitutional head; they are projected as reflecting the persona of Modi. In all this, opposition parties and its leaders become silent and irrelevant, and simply fall out of frame. They are pushed to play the waiting game.

The BJP has further perfected this art of silencing the opposition by seemingly patronising its voices and narratives. Earlier, it was Asaduddin Owaisi who would speak up boldly and strongly in a way that challenged Hindu sensibilities. Recall the video in which he was heard threatening the Uttar Pradesh police, saying, after Modi and Yogi leave, who will protect you?

As Muslims are pushed into a corner, Owaisi emerges as the voice they are looking for, since opposition parties chose to remain silent. Muslims support to Owaisi en bloc then becomes a justification for Hindu consolidation. However, such a strategy seems to have failed, in spite of the incompetence and non-committal character of the opposition parties. Muslims have neither moved close to the BJP, nor voted en mass for Owaisi.

More recently, it was the turn of Ghulam Nabi Azad. The prime minister teared up for him on his retirement from the Rajya Sabha, showing the possibility of what Hindu-Muslim bonhomie might look like. He is now set to start a party in Jammu and Kashmir that is being made to look like a credible option for the Muslims of the erstwhile state, given Azads now demonstrable proximity to Modi.

Also read: Will Ghulam Nabi Azads New Party Only End Up Fragmenting Anti-BJP Vote in Jammu?

Azad is now raising the demand for the restoration of statehood for J&K without criticising the BJP and its leadership for the the reading down of Article 370. It is a strategy of patronising the Muslims of the valley and to demonstrate to the mainland Hindus how the BJP succeeded in bringing the protesting Muslims to, at best negotiation, and at worst, their knees.

Azad becomes a symbol of how errant Muslims are tamed into submission and how Modi and the BJP are the only force that can grant them benefits not through protests but humility and submission. This, the BJP feels, will make the Hindus feel empowered and the Opposition redundant; they can neither criticise the reading down of Article 370, nor are they approached or relevant for further negotiation.

Majoritarian polarisation cannot be fought through a simple-minded counter-narrative that further polarises; nor can it be fought through a silence that is creating a deeper imagination of the irrelevance of the opposition and allowing the BJP itself to either directly or by proxy, occupy those spaces.

To begin with, the opposition parties will have to alert the majority community to the BJPs insidious strategies and their deployment towards electoral use. As part of demonstrating the instrumentality of polarising discourses, they will have to find ways of formulating counter-narratives without allowing for polarisation. This will be partly possible when the opposition begins to distance and critique obscurantism in minority politics, which will also afford them the space to defend minorities against atrocities.

Only when they stand in full strength by Bilkis Bano will they be able to defend Shaheen Bagh without the majority Hindus labelling it conveniently as appeasement. The opposition will have to have a different imagination of religious minorities outside the majoritarian gaze of religious minorities as a homogeneous and unthinking mob in order to foreground the mutual interdependence between the Hindus and Muslims as an imperative for faster economic growth and social development.

Ajay Gudavarthy is an Associate Professor, JNU.

Original post:

The Price of Opposition's Silence on Matters Affecting Minorities - The Wire

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday criticised the AAP government's cracker ban and said imposing it ahead of Diwali is "hurting the sentiments of Hindus". Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced a blanket ban on the production, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers in the national capital, including on Diwali, till January 1, 2023. Rai said the ban extends to online sale of firecrackers. He, however, did not clarify when the restrictions would come into force.

The BJP slammed the ban saying that the contribution of cracker burning to Delhi's pollution was "minimal" and their banning on Diwali will hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said the Kejriwal government could not bring down the pollution in the city despite spending crores on it.

"Arvind Kejriwal has spent crores of rupees on meetings and advertisements in the name of pollution but it did not decrease, instead it increased.

"When Hindu festivals of Diwali and Dussehra are round the corner, (Kejriwal) imposes a ban on firecrackers. Every year Delhi has to suffer because of their failure," Singh said.

Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that it was sad to see that every year the city government "misleads" the court into believing that Diwali cracker burning is a big cause of pollution, but remains silent on major causes of pollution such as the burning of crop residue, construction activity, and vehicular emission.

"It is important to check pollution, but the people of Delhi are dismayed to see that like in previous years Delhi government has today again banned the burning of crackers on Diwali night, while remaining silent on the major causes like burning of crop residue by farmers in Punjab," Kapoor said in a statement.

He argued that till last year Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and environment Minister Gopal Rai used to blame the erstwhile Punjab government for not stopping stubble burning by farmers, but now that the party is in power there, the people of Delhi want to know what steps the two governments - Delhi and Punjab - are taking to check it.

Taking it a notch further, BJP leader and former MLA Kapil Mishra said that the ban was a part of "Muslim appeasement" ahead of the Gujarat elections.

"This decision has been taken to appease Muslims in Gujarat. This is not an issue related to pollution. It is an attempt to stop Hindu festivals. People will not obey such an unscientific order," Mishra, who had joined BJP defecting from AAP, said.

Go here to read the rest:

BJP slams Arvind Kejriwal for cracker ban in Delhi, says it is imposed to `hurt` Hindu sentiments - Zee News

Last Updated: September 05, 2022, 08:21 IST

On Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan birth anniversary, here's a look at some of the books written by him. (Representative image: Shutterstock)

HAPPY TEACHERS DAY 2022: From a Philosopher to Vice President and President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served in a variety of capacities, but he is best remembered for his contributions as a teacher. Dr Radhakrishnan is celebrated for dedicating his life to education and working to raise educational standards in the country. His birthday, September 5th, has been celebrated nationwide as Teachers Day since 1962.

ALSO READ:Happy Teachers Day 2022: Heartwarming Wishes, Messages, Images, Quotes and WhatsApp Greetings to Share With Your Guru

Dr Radhakrishnan asserted that books serve as a means of bridging cultural divides. So, on this Teachers Day, lets revisit some of his books that illustrate the great man that he was.

Read all the Latest Education News and Breaking News here

Read more:

Teacher's Day 2022: 10 Books by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan that Illustrate the Great Man that he was - News18

It is generally understood that Muslims are incapable of being undogmatic, free from compulsion, and unable to hold their beliefs at arms length to make room for satire and self-criticism. The possibility of a culture of freedom is to see humour, and joke about things in life while still upholding the values of whatever your faith is.

Forget Middle Eastern Muslims, even European Muslims find it difficult. For Indian Muslims, it goes a few steps ahead. They generally can make fun of gods and goddesses of other faiths, but when it comes to their own, out come the swords and stones.

Lampooning gods and goddesses are not alien to the majority culture of Hinduism in India, among Buddhists (laughing roly-poly Buddha souvenirs in all gift shops in any Asian country) or in Sikhism. Only Muslims keep satire away from their text, Prophet, Caliphs and events following the edicts in the Hadith.

That is not to say Muslims do not have a sense of humour. It is just certain areas they have kept taboo, but feel free to indulge when it comes to the faith of other communities. Hence, Muslim stand-up comedians are lionised because of this one-way satire, but Muslim humourists who venture into taboo territories are damned, cursed, issued death threats and even assassinated.

I chanced upon Aziz Nesins profile while researching controversial Muslim figures. The Great Turkish Contrarian stands tall in the satire scene, and he was also the Turkish translator of Salman Rushdies The Satanic Verses in 1993. A fierce critic of the state and a committed enemy of conservatism, he regularly got on peoples nerves, be they Islamists, secularists, or liberals, and this cost him his freedom many times. An attempt to murder him was unsuccessful when a hotel where he was gathered with other secularists was burned down for inciting hatred by publishing excerpts from Rushdies book.

Now to recall, Turkey is fiercely secular due to Kemalism (Ataturks abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate and his iron will to get Turkey modernised). So as a satirical writer he was celebrated in intellectual circles, a gallery showcasing his legacy in Istanbuls most passionately conservative neighbourhood of all places Tophane. But the future generations will hardly know about his legacy; an incident of paint vandalism on the gallery hoarding proved how much he was misunderstood in Erdogans Turkey.

Europe is not free of this outrage and sensitivity from Muslims; the Charlie Hebdo massacre is not far in memory, and neither is the beheading of Samuel Paty. Comedians, writers, painters, cartoonists, satirists, and actors continue to avoid Islams taboo subjects, preferring to focus on Jews, Hindus, Americans, Europeans, and the occasional Sikh.

The history of satire in European culture is the history of emancipation from the divine rule that is, Enlightenment. Where Voltaire was a giant among men of letters in the Age of Enlightenment, its values too were not spared by Jonathan Swift in his Gullivers Travels enriching civilised discourse of publishing counter arguments, rebuttals, rejoinders to opinions, satire, enacting plays leading to the great Western culture of resisting authority, keeping it in check if it gets tyrannical.

People forget Rushdies book did not get a fatwa just because it satirised the Prophet and his wives but because Khomeini was ridiculed in it too and with authoritarian figures and totalitarian regimes suppressing dissent is a tradition and habit.

For centuries, the Islamic world kept itself isolated from the rest of humankind, gazing at its shadows, like Platos allegory of the cave; convinced that no wider world existed beyond its borders only to have the more advanced other show up, violently throwing the cave open Napoleon Bonapartes fleet landing at Alexandria in 1798, for example.

Instead of accepting that a technologically superior power defeated a locked standstill civilisation, the instinct was to turn towards Islam and identity politics; always a perfect opportunity for orthodox religious zealots to cash in when there was a geopolitical crisis. Feeding the collective fears of Muslims, invoking the memory of the Prophets time the orthodoxy pursued their religious mission turning peoples shame into fear a useful weapon to keep the masses under control.

What the outrage industry does further exploits this fear of people using the rise of right-wing political parties, conservative politicians and sentiments as fodder to prove their narrative of the Oppression Olympics of Muslims worldwide. Muslim and non-Muslim communities demanding answers for Arab expansionism, invasions, conquests, Turkic-Mongol pillage and plunder in history, put the outrage industry in a corner so they build this ecosystem of ABCEs (abroad-based conflict entrepreneurs) funded by the military-industrial complex always looking for a war and disgruntled billionaires like Soros wanting to be key players in geopolitics.

The Muslim world never having self-introspected for centuries lap up the narrative of oppression and turn on the critics of Islams regressive practices, literally terming them as traitors who have declared war and tried to shut them down with the constructed and misleading term Islamophobia.

In India the Khan Market outrage brigade of elite Muslim liberals has made it common to label every dissenter within the Muslim community as a house nigger and non-Muslim as a Sanghi or bhakt (used derogatively to manipulate and malign issues such as CAA, the NRC, Triple Talaq, Uniform Civil Code, Article 370, Agniveer scheme, farming laws, etc). The more the outrage industry puts perimeters around the Indian Muslim minds, the more they rely on left-leaning, anti-Hindu, anti-India portals such as The Wire, Quint, News Laundry, Scroll, etc publications invested in breaking India up.

In return, the 18 crores 90 lakh Muslims (2011 census) firmly believe in the majority of Hindus hostility, thus enforcing a moral code on its own Muslims strictly, pressurising them to show loyalty to the community (Ummah) rather than the nation (India).

The outrage cabal practises psychological and intellectual self-deceit by amplifying incidents against Muslims ferociously feeding into the global narrative of Indian Muslims targeted by Hindus and the global agenda of keeping India embroiled in its fault lines. Simultaneously, the Indian Muslim mind entangled in the victimhood narrative censors crimes of their own Muslims against Hindus or even Muslims feigning ignorance.

Anyone trying to objectively create a bridge between the two mistrusting communities due to this lopsided media shenanigans is loathed and termed a traitor to the Muslim cause (Darul Islam). Because of the advent of technology and millions of Muslim households now picking up smartphones and having access to the Internet, the influence of the outside world is increasingly forcing many to rethink, relearn, unlearn, and criticise what is fed to them.

The outrage industry closes ranks and punishes those who step out of the line Islamic reformists have paid dearly time and again with their lives too for attempting to herald in change.

It will require tremendous rethinking, and some out-of-the-box strategies to come up with to cope and stay many steps ahead of this psy-ops war in the 21st century.

The rest is here:

The Outrage Industry - The New Indian

As climate scientists analyze the boiling summer of 2022, Ill eagerly await their findings. How much can we attribute to increased fossil fuel use caused by the economic recovery? And how much can we attribute to the record levels of hot air being spewed by reactionary conservative politicians about environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing?

This summer, Texas began implementing a law requiring state pension funds to divest from firms its comptroller views as hostile to the fossil fuel industry. Setting aside the merits of this policy, its botched rollout provided exactly the kind of regulatory uncertainty that capitalists from both parties agree really kills jobs.

Meanwhile, Floridas Republican governor led a resolution to prevent state pension funds from considering ESG factors in investment decisions. I wonder how this was received by the 14,900 employees of Florida-based energy giant NextEra, which has its 2022 ESG report and promise of a real plan for zero front and center on its website.

ESG investing is hard to define. But, in general, it places other priorities reducing inequality or increasing diversity, for example on equal footing with financial returns. In recent years, ESG has been closely identified in the public mind with the fight against global warming. If you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, first of all, congratulations on your super low-carbon lifestyle. Second, you might ask: Why is this even a category? Doesnt any business decision include factors other than pure financial returns?

Earlier this year, HSBCs Stuart Kirk gave a now infamous speech Why Investors Need Not Worry About Climate Risk at an ESG conference. Kirk, then the head of responsible investment and research atthe bank, complained about the amount of work involved in calculating climate risk. His take on the climate crisis predicted hit to GDP growth was who cares? He cited the average loan term at his bank (six years) and said, what happens to the planet in year seven is actually irrelevant to our loan book.

Unsurprisingly, he was soon relieved of his duties at HSBC. Last week he resurfaced in the pages of the Financial Times with a fascinating editorial.

Kirks criticisms, however, shed light on a paradox at the heart of ESG.

Most of the people whose job it is to raise and invest money under the ESG label are input focused. That means they take ESG factors into account when making investment decisions with the ultimate goal of risk-adjusted returns. Most of their clients, however, are output focused. That means they expect an ESG fund that touts its green credentials to completely eschew fossil fuel stocks and steer capital into renewable energy companies.

Some, like Kirk, suggest that regulators and practitioners split ESG in two along this input/output axis. They argue this would bring greater clarity to the industry and allow ESG to reach its potential.

I work in the field of sustainable and responsible business. I am the president of a certified B Corporation and a Ph.D. candidate in the field of sustainability. When I speak to my clients, their priority is always on output. They ask: How can the financial products and professional services you provide help me build more affordable housing and create more jobs in my community?

As an output-focused investor, I admit Im probably oversimplifying the very hard task facing my input-focused fund managers. The job of an ESG manager sounds very difficult. In fact, it is hard to be in any relationship when the other partner has difficulty articulating what they want.

Here is what I want: I want the market value of the companies that are heavily invested in resolving the climate crisis to grow. I want them to have access to the capital they need to hire the smartest people in the world, to invest in the best technology and to communicate to their customers and communities about how to use it as effectively as possible. I do not want to be an owner of a company remember, that is what investors are that is heavily invested in making our problems worse.

But here is what I want even more: I want reactionary conservative politicians to dispense with the easy political stunts and engage with the hard work required to lead us out of this crisis. Because at the end of the day, investment choices and consumer decisions even in the billions of dollars are no substitute for sound public policy. I want leaders to use incentives and constraints to fundamentally change the world markets in which fund managers invest my money. And, ultimately, I want ESG to become meaningless not because it suffers from the lack of definition, but because based on changes in policy and culture we will have moved sustainability to the center of all business decisions.

Phil Glynn is president of Travois a certified B Corporation that finances housing and economic development in Indigenous communities. Follow him on Twitter: @glynnkc

Continue reading here:
The debate over ESG investing: lots of hot air - The Hill

Apple unveiled a slate of new products on Wednesday, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro models, which feature larger displays, improved battery life and an upgraded camera with more advanced lenses.

The company also introduced the completely redesigned Apple Watch Ultra, which is targeted toward outdoor sports enthusiasts and features a larger screen wrapped in a titanium case.

Additionally, the company revealed its Apple Watch Series 8. New features include "low power mode," which extends the battery life up to 36 hours from a single charge.

However, new product launches have done little to move the company's stock price in the past, industry analysts tell CNBC. Meanwhile, shares typically rise after Apple reports earnings that beat the market's expectations.

At the stock market open on Sept. 7, Apple's shares were trading at $154.83 per share. That's down slightly from $157.96 per share at the close of trading on Sept. 1.

If you had invested $1,000 into Apple a year ago, you'd see a slight return on your investment and have about $1,007 as of Sept. 6, 2022, according to CNBC's calculations.

If you had invested $1,000 into Apple five years ago, your investment would be worth about $3,916 now nearly tripling in value, according to CNBC's calculations.

And if you had given your $1,000 investment a decade to grow, you'd have about $6,665 now up nearly 540%, according to CNBC's calculations, which also factors in the company's various stock splits over the years.

Apple's stock began trading publicly on Dec. 12, 1980 at $22 per share. If you had invested $1,000 into the company during its early days, your investment would be worth $1,635,847 as of Sept. 6.

Apple briefly became the first U.S. company to be valued at $3 trillion in January 2022. The tech giant was also the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at $1 trillion and $2 trillion.

However, despite Apple's gains, it's important to note that a company's past performance can't be used to predict its potential success in the future.

Given the volatility of the stock market, investing in individual stocks can be a risky financial move.

Instead, a passive investment strategy tends to make sense for most investors. If you're interested in investing in the stock market, try an index fund that follows the S&P 500, which tracks the stock performance of the top 500 American companies.

As of Sept. 6, the S&P 500 was down about 14% compared to 12 months ago. However, the index has grown by about 58% since 2017, increased by nearly 173% since 2012 and ballooned by about 2,920% since 1980.

Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter

Don't miss: Elon Musk sold nearly $7 billion worth of Tesla stockheres how much money youd have if youd invested $1,000 in the company 10 years ago

View post:
Apple just announced its new iPhone 14here's how much you'd have if you invested $1,000 a decade ago - CNBC

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian launched a private equity fund, Skky Partners, which she co-founded with Jay Sammons, a former partner at the investment firm Carlyle Group.

Photo by James Devaney/GC Images via Getty Images

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian launched a private equity fund, Skky Partners, which she co-founded with Jay Sammons, a former partner at the investment firm Carlyle Group.

"Together we hope to leverage our complementary expertise to build the next generation Consumer & Media private equity firm," Kardashian wrote on Twitter.

Alongside investing in consumer and media companies, the firm will also target the hospitality, luxury and digital and e-commerce sectors, Skky Partners tweeted.

It said it would pursue control and minority investments in these industries.

Kardashian and Sammons, who previously ran the Carlyle Group's global consumer, media and retail division and left the company in July, will serve as co-founders and co-managing partners, with Sammons running daily operations at the firm. Sammons has previously worked with global brands like Supreme, Beats by Dr.Dre, Vogue, McDonald's China and Moncler, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Kardashian's mother and long-time manager, Kris Jenner, is also a partner at the new firm. On Twitter, she said she was "proud, honored and excited" about joining the firm.

Skky Partners did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Kardashian originally became famous on reality TV show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," which ran from 2007 until 2021. She now stars in the spin-off show "The Kardashians" and has 329 million followers on Instagram.

With the launch for Skky Partners, Kardashian has become the latest celebrity to join the private equity and venture capital industry, joining the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow and Serena Williams.

Tennis star Williams' venture capital firm Serena Ventures raised $111 million in March and has invested in over 50 companies worth a total of more than $14 billion since it was founded in 2014. This includes online learning platform MasterClass and social audio app Clubhouse.

Kardashian already has a track record as a successful entrepreneur. Her shapewear brand Skims was valued at $3.2 billion in January, while her make-up brand KKW gained widespread popularity after launching in 2017. In June, the entrepreneur rebranded KKW to SKKN as the company shifted from make-up to skin care.

This is also not the first time Kardashian has publicly spoken about finance and investing. In 2021, the star posted advertisements for cryptocurrency on her Instagram account, which had around 228 million followers at the time. She has since been sued by investors of the cryptocurrency she promoted, EthereumMax. The class action, which was filed earlier this year, claims that Kardashian and other celebrities who promoted the token collaborated with its creators to "misleadingly promote and sell" it.

Read more:
Kim Kardashian launches private equity firm, becoming the latest celeb to enter the investment industry - CNBC

Administrative affairs | News releases | UW and the community

September 8, 2022

The University of Washington Board of Regents on Thursday approved a resolution to begin exiting all direct investments in fossil-fuel companies with the goal of complete divestiture by Fiscal Year 2027. The resolution includes a commitment not to renew indirect investments in funds primarily focusing on fossil-fuel extraction or reserves. Both commitments include allowances for firms contributing to the transition to sustainable energy.

The resolution also includes a goal of investing at least 2.5% of the UWs entire Consolidated Endowment Fund in climate-solutions companies or asset managers and a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions in the Universitys endowment fund by Fiscal Year 2050.

The Boards action puts the UW among the leaders in higher education and among a small group of public universities acting on climate change through its investments.

The Board of Regents recognizes the gravity and the urgency of the situation with respect to climate change. With this resolution, the Board wishes to avoid greenwashing and to take meaningful action, putting the University of Washington in the front ranks of universities addressing climate change through research, teaching, operations and investments, said David Zeeck, chair of the UW Board of Regents. This is an early step in a very important journey to reduce the UWs impact on the environment through our investments and operations. We want to thank both the petitioners for bringing this issue to the fore and the members of the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing for their considered, actionable recommendations.

The Boards directives acknowledge the need to act, the incomplete energy transition, lack of corporate disclosures of greenhouse gas emissions precluding measurement of portfolio emissions, and the Boards fiduciary duties to the people of Washington. The Board will receive annual reports on progress in sustainable investing and measuring portfolio emissions and will revisit these directives at regular intervals. Future investment reports to the Board will include measurement of portfolio emissions as soon as regulatory mandates or corporate disclosures make this possible with the goal of reducing portfolio emissions over time.

The resolution comes approximately 18 months after the UWs Institutional Climate Action group submitted a petition. The Board convened an Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing (ASCRI) over the summer of 2021, and the committee met from September 2021 to April 2022. The committee presented its recommendations to the Board in May and the Board asked the University of Washington Investment Management Company (UWINCO) for its evaluation of the recommendations, which were presented in June. The Board will consider revised climate-investing guidelines at its November meeting.

This is an important step forward for UW in realizing the full impact of all of the ways we can be part of the solution to addressing climate change, said Ben Packard, chair of the ACSRI and executive director of EarthLab at the UW. Our investment portfolio, research, teaching and operations are all part of mitigating climate change and to making our communities more resilient. The ACSRI recommendations acknowledge UW Regents should take these steps to deliver on their fiduciary responsibility.

For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu.

Read more:
UW Board of Regents votes to exit direct fossil fuel investments by 2027 - University of Washington