Stay away from yoga camps: Cut off your nose to spite your neighbour’s faith!, Islam and Pluralism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Pluralism

Stay away from yoga camps: Cut off your nose to spite your neighbour’s faith!

By Maulana Nadeem-ul-Wajidee

Translated from Urdu by Syed Raihan Ahmad Nezami

I do accept that yoga is a kind of exercise and many physical disabilities and diseases can be cured by the function of right breathing, rhythmic physical movements and by meditation. Unfortunately, in recent times, it is being associated as a symbol of a particular religion. The way some of the communal organizations have introduced yoga in recent years and the way it is being propagated by the “Aastha” channel for the global recognition, forces us to feel that it is being publicized as an integral part of the life of a particular religion.

Baba Ramdev, who is travelling far and wide for the attainment of this purpose, is busy with full zeal and energy in the publicity of his religion as well, though he imparts yoga lessons as well. One can watch his programme on the “Aastha” channel where he keeps on reciting the “shlokas” of the Hindu scriptures and talking about the Hindu gods and goddesses and makes the audience repeat the word “Om” time and again during his endless long speeches.

Actually, by laying emphasis on the word “Om”, he wants the audience to believe that the effectiveness in the physical exercises and meditation comes from the recitation of this word from Hindu scripture. If he is a genuine well-wisher of the nation and wants his countrymen to lead a healthy life without any discrimination of caste, creed and religion, he should not use his yoga camps for the propaganda and publicity of his religion and stop this absurd activity immediately.

http://newageislam.com/stay-away-from-yoga-camps--cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-neighbour%E2%80%99s-faith!---/islam-and-pluralism/d/1145

Beyond highway of peace: First time India has to deal with separatist sentiment in both Jammu and Kashmir, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

Beyond highway of peace: First time India has to deal with separatist sentiment in both Jammu and Kashmir

By Muzamil Jaleel

August 18, 2008

This was the scene on August 11. All of Kashmir has erupted since then; 24 people have died in police firing. This phenomenon is extremely unusual for a place where two months ago, the only buzz was election rallies, a pleasant spring and thousands of tourists.

Kashmir had returned to its glory as a favourite destination of the holidaymaker. The militant attacks were rare and whenever there were reports of encounters, the security forces launched a pre-emptive offensive to kill them. Pakistan’s President Musharraf had withdrawn from his traditional Kashmir agenda, condemned militant attacks and even dropped demand for plebiscite in Kashmir. His democratic successors had publicly altered Pakistan’s Kashmir-centric foreign policy; emphasised on friendly relations with New Delhi to boost bilateral trade.

At ground zero in Kashmir, the chairman of Hurriyat’s moderate faction, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was planning to leave for the US on a fellowship, hoping to study conflict management in Belfin Centre at Harvard. Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani was ill and disillusioned by Pakistan’s “divorce” from Kashmir. Several separatist leaders were complaining that Kashmiris are fatigued and New Delhi had declared the “end game” in Kashmir.

http://newageislam.com/beyond-highway-of-peace--first-time-india-has-to-deal-with-separatist-sentiment-in-both-jammu-and-kashmir/current-affairs/d/591