Swati Deshpande, The Times of India TNN 7 January 2010, 01:11am ISTSee also:
MUMBAI: In a significant ruling, a three-judge bench of the Bombay high court on Wednesday held that in India, criticism of any religion -- be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or any other -- is permissible under the fundamental right to freedom of speech and that a book cannot be banned on those grounds alone.
However, the criticism must be bona fide or academic, said the court, as it upheld a ban issued in 2007 by the Maharashtra government on a book titled `Islam - A Concept of Political World Invasion by Muslims.' The book contained was an "aggravated form of criticism made with a malicious and deliberate intention" to outrage the feelings of Muslims, the court said.
Delivering the landmark verdict on Wednesday, the court has in a rare instance upheld the state's ban on a book but at the same time brought joy to civil rights activists when it held that, "in our country, everything is open to criticism and religion is no exception. Freedom of expression covers criticism of religion and no person can be sensitive about it."
The bench, comprising Justices Ranjana Desai, D Y Chandrachud and R S Mohite, said, "Healthy criticism provokes thought, encourages debate and helps us evolve. But criticism cannot be malicious and must not lead to creating ill-will between different communities... (it) must lead to sensible dialogue." The courts must strike a balance between the guaranteed freedom and permissible restrictions, "a difficult task", as the 150-page HC verdict penned by Justice Desai observed...
A person may have a right to say a particular religion is "not secular", said the HC, but it cautioned against rabid contents "reeking of hatred for a particular community" and "malafide exercise to stir communal passions".
The HC also found "totally unacceptable" the author's argument that banning the book in the age of the internet is passe and pointless.
The book contains "highly objectionable and disturbing" statements about the author's wishful thinking of an impending war between Muslims and others and how Indian Muslims want to convert all Hindus, attack temples and Hindu women. Statements like these are "likely to incite people to violence and may promote violence, enmity or hatred". Full article
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Showing posts with label Diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diversity. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Free to criticize religions but not with hate: Bombay high court
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
U.S. Views on God and Life Are Turning Hindu ~ Newsweek
By Lisa Miller NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 15, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Aug 31, 2009"America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of us continue to identify as Christian (still, that's the lowest percentage in American history). Of course, we are not a Hindu—or Muslim, or Jewish, or Wiccan—nation, either. A million-plus Hindus live in the United States, a fraction of the billion who live on Earth. But recent poll data show that conceptually, at least, we are slowly becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways we think about God, our selves, each other, and eternity." continue reading
on the same shelf:
- Newsweek says “We Are All Hindus Now”August 18th, 2009 - 11:02 am ICT by sampurn
- We are all Hindus now, so let's say 'Om': Newsweek, ZOPAG.com
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Whatever has happened to Hell?
Note: Visualization of spirituality / secularism with a different mindmap, as depicted by Susan White in the following. Read the note by Dr. Kumar, below on this mindmap.
On the same shelf:
The 7 Deadly Sins Sampler ~ Daniel Born
Pride • Envy • Anger • Sloth • Greed • Gluttony • Lust
by Dr. Sehdev Kumar Editorial. SouthAsianObserver.com
Extract: In the spirit of emerging Gaia consciousness - the earth consciousness - an Australian artist, Susan White portrays Seven Deadly Sins in a modern version: Indifference replaces Anger; Sucking Up Envy; Self-Effacement Pride; Celibacy Lust; Dieting Gluttony; Workcoholism Sloth, and Squandering Avarice, all watched by the all-seeing eye of Gaia rather than of God.
Yet despite all, on life’s slippery slopes, at some tortuous moments, hell does become an unbearable reality for all of us in one form or another. The Pursuit of Happiness seems so often an illusion; we are tormented by the meaninglessness of life, and by its frailty, and by its unexpected twists and turns. Sweet fragrance turns sour; youth slips away; innocence becomes icy; spring seems far, far away. One then looks towards the door on Dante’s Inferno, and reads a sign: “Abandon all hope ye who enter here”.
Life without Hope! Could this be the meaning of Hell? continue reading
On the same shelf:
Pride • Envy • Anger • Sloth • Greed • Gluttony • Lust
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Race divide fears over first Hindu state school
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent, Evening Standard. 01.09.08
England's first Hindu state school opens its doors to pupils this month amid fears that it will fuel racial segregation. continue readingSee also on the same shelf:
- Hindu state school opens- Uk to teach !! Black is bad karma
- BARNET: UK's first Hindu school opens
- Opening of first Hindu state school sparks fears it will fuel ...Daily Mail, UK - 1 Sep 2008
- Hindu state school beginning work - BBC NEWS / EDUCATION:
FAITH SCHOOLS in UK
> 6,850 out of a total of 21,000 schools, large majority either Church of England or Roman Catholic
> 37 Jewish, 7 Muslim, 2 Sikh, 1 Greek Orthodox, 1 Seventh Day Adventist
> 1.7 million pupils
> 21% of faith school secondary pupils from ethnic minorities - 17% in non faith schools
Friday, July 04, 2008
Sharia law could have UK role, says lord chief justice
Patrick Wintour and Riazat Butt
The Guardian,
Friday July 4, 2008
Britain's most senior judge reopened one of the most highly charged debates in Britain last night when he said he was willing to see sharia law operate in the country, so long as it did not conflict with the laws of England and Wales, or lead to the imposition of severe physical punishments.
The remarks by the lord chief justice, Lord Phillips, in a speech to the London Muslim Council yesterday, had a conscious echo of the comments made by the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in February who argued that sharia law could sometimes be used in Britain. continue reading the full story
The Guardian,
Friday July 4, 2008
Britain's most senior judge reopened one of the most highly charged debates in Britain last night when he said he was willing to see sharia law operate in the country, so long as it did not conflict with the laws of England and Wales, or lead to the imposition of severe physical punishments.
The remarks by the lord chief justice, Lord Phillips, in a speech to the London Muslim Council yesterday, had a conscious echo of the comments made by the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in February who argued that sharia law could sometimes be used in Britain. continue reading the full story
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Reform Rabbi Learns from Muhammad
By Rabbi Allen S. Maller, in The Fountain Magazine, March - April 2008: Issue 62.
Extract:
Another important teaching of the Qur’an for people all over the world today is that God chose not to create human beings as one nation and bestowed upon them free will to believe or not to believe. As it is written in the Qur’an (Maedah 5:48): “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If God had pleased He would have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; for all return to God, so He will let you know (after Judgment Day) that in which you differed.” This is a wonderful further development of the teaching of the Biblical prophet Micah (4:5) that in the end of days—the Messianic Age—”All people will walk, each in the name of their own God, and we shall walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.” continue reading
See also:
- Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims seeks common ground;
- Muslim, Jew work together to mobilize help for Darfur
Previous post, now on the same shelf:
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Religion and Violence, a webcast coming up from the National Cathedral
Explore the deep roots of religious conflict as a panel of prominent interfaith theologians illuminates each faith’s vocation as a force for peace—in ourselves, our families, our communities, and the world.
Join James Carroll, James H. Cone, Susannah Heschel, and Tariq Ramadan via live webcast from Trinity Wall Street, New York, as they address the paradox of the faithful raising prayers for peace, and discuss stories of religiously fueled violence filling the news. Participate in on-site interfaith discussions guided by local Jewish, Christian, and Muslim facilitators. To learn more about this event visit Trinity Institute. Continue reading
See also an interesting resource: A handbook for Muslim teens
Being a young Muslim in the US got much tougher after 9/11, so a brother-sister
team came up with a book to help peers in their faith.
By Jane Lampman Staff writer of The Christian
Science Monitor
NB. Information courtesy: Al Reynolds
Saturday, October 06, 2007
The year of living biblically
When A.J. Jacobs, Esquire magazine's editor-at-large, spent 12 months following the Bible literally, the quest transformed his life in divine, and ridiculous, ways
Globe and Mail October 5, 2007
In this excerpt from his forthcoming book, The Year of Living Biblically, A.J. Jacobs, who was born Jewish, but raised in an agnostic household, begins his quest to understand the relevance of faith in the modern world. Following the most arcane laws he can find in a waist-high stack of Bibles - stoning adulterers, avoiding clothes made with mixed fibres, playing a 10-string harp - Jacobs' year-long journey into biblical literalism reveals some surprisingly relevant wisdom within the most ancient texts. continue reading: The Globe and Mail
From Publishers Weekly: What would it require for a person to live all the commandments of the Bible for an entire year? That is the question that animates this hilarious, quixotic, thought-provoking memoir from Jacobs (The Know-It-All). He didn't just keep the Bible's better-known moral laws (being honest, tithing to charity and trying to curb his lust), but also the obscure and unfathomable ones: not mixing wool with linen in his clothing; calling the days of the week by their ordinal numbers to avoid voicing the names of pagan gods; trying his hand at a 10-string harp; growing a ZZ Top beard; eating crickets; and paying the babysitter in cash at the end of each work day. continue reading at Amazon.com How others juggle faith, secularism, by Haroon Siddiqui, Toronto Star
Globe and Mail October 5, 2007
In this excerpt from his forthcoming book, The Year of Living Biblically, A.J. Jacobs, who was born Jewish, but raised in an agnostic household, begins his quest to understand the relevance of faith in the modern world. Following the most arcane laws he can find in a waist-high stack of Bibles - stoning adulterers, avoiding clothes made with mixed fibres, playing a 10-string harp - Jacobs' year-long journey into biblical literalism reveals some surprisingly relevant wisdom within the most ancient texts. continue reading: The Globe and Mail
Amazon.comThe Significant Seven Spotlight Title, September 2007: Make no mistake: A.J. Jacobs is not a religious man. He describes himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." Yet his latest work, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, is an insightful and hilarious journey for readers of all faiths. Though no fatted calves were harmed in the making of this book, Jacobs chronicles 12 months living a remarkably strict Biblical life full of charity, chastity, and facial hair as impressive as anything found in The Lord of the Rings. Through it all, he manages to brilliantly keep things light, while avoiding the sinful eye of judgment. --Dave Callanan
From Publishers Weekly: What would it require for a person to live all the commandments of the Bible for an entire year? That is the question that animates this hilarious, quixotic, thought-provoking memoir from Jacobs (The Know-It-All). He didn't just keep the Bible's better-known moral laws (being honest, tithing to charity and trying to curb his lust), but also the obscure and unfathomable ones: not mixing wool with linen in his clothing; calling the days of the week by their ordinal numbers to avoid voicing the names of pagan gods; trying his hand at a 10-string harp; growing a ZZ Top beard; eating crickets; and paying the babysitter in cash at the end of each work day. continue reading at Amazon.com
If you'd like to hear A.J. Jacobs talk about his new book, "The Year of Living Biblically," check out this audio interview link. [Info courtesy: Bob Andelman]
See also:
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Ontario Multifaith Council: Web Analytics Series no. 5
Description: The Ontario Multifaith Council is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization representing the wide range of faith groups in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Religious leaders’ love advice -- Faithwise Review of the Week
By Jennifer Derryberry Mann If your friends-and-family plan for dating advice isn’t as helpful as it used to be, consider going to someone with better connections…namely, your religious leader. If you’re a tad too shy to ask for love-life tips from yours, let us help you with this roundtable with these experts representing Christian, Muslim and Jewish perspectives:
Father Albert Cutié, president of Miami-based PAX Catholic Communications and author of Real Life, Real Love: Seven Paths to a Strong and Lasting Relationship
Ameena Jandali, a founding member of the Islamic Networks Group
Rabbi Sue Laikin Shifron, the executive director of the Hillel Center at Indiana University Continue Reading
Faith and punishment:
In Islam, apostasy and faithlessness are sins, but they are not worldly crimes. Those who claim otherwise are making a mistake. There is a lot of confusion in the air regarding the thorny issue of conversion and "apostasy" in the Muslim world. From my secular position, freedom of conscience and belief are as close to sacred as my a-religious heart can muster. Despite what fanatical Muslims might claim, this is also the default Islamic position. To clear things up, Egypt's Grand Mufti, the country's second authority on Islam, Ali Goma'a, that Islam guarantees freedom of religion for its followers.
Toronto peace coalition brings together city & federal politicians, religious leaders & peace activist
Nanak looks Chinese in China-made idols 
Spiritual Friendships and Angels Beliefnet: Beyond Blue - Therese J. Borchard
Does God Care About Politics? Should We? Neale Donald Walsch: Conversations with God - A blog by Neale Donald Walsch
Amnesty at Odds with Vatican - Current News On Beliefnet
Trail of Tears: History of Anti-God by reido @ Faith Commons
"Reading "Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation", the author John Ehle comments that in part the natives were drawn to the white man for his trinkets, weaponry, technology. They did not know the cost." continue reading
California State Senate to open with Hindu prayer Saturday, August 11, 2007
Gujarat riots at Modi's behest: BJP leader Joydeep Ray, August 13, 2007 (Ahmedabad)
In an indirect indictment for the first time, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's once trusted lieutenant Govardhan Zadaphia, home minister during the Gujarat riots, has told NDTV that he was following the chief minister's orders during the infamous riots of 2002.
Shshsh... Muslim! Sagarika Ghose, IBNLive
Father Albert Cutié, president of Miami-based PAX Catholic Communications and author of Real Life, Real Love: Seven Paths to a Strong and Lasting Relationship
Ameena Jandali, a founding member of the Islamic Networks Group
Rabbi Sue Laikin Shifron, the executive director of the Hillel Center at Indiana University Continue Reading
In Islam, apostasy and faithlessness are sins, but they are not worldly crimes. Those who claim otherwise are making a mistake. There is a lot of confusion in the air regarding the thorny issue of conversion and "apostasy" in the Muslim world. From my secular position, freedom of conscience and belief are as close to sacred as my a-religious heart can muster. Despite what fanatical Muslims might claim, this is also the default Islamic position. To clear things up, Egypt's Grand Mufti, the country's second authority on Islam, Ali Goma'a, that Islam guarantees freedom of religion for its followers.
"Reading "Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation", the author John Ehle comments that in part the natives were drawn to the white man for his trinkets, weaponry, technology. They did not know the cost." continue reading
In an indirect indictment for the first time, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's once trusted lieutenant Govardhan Zadaphia, home minister during the Gujarat riots, has told NDTV that he was following the chief minister's orders during the infamous riots of 2002.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
The End of Harry Potter
What Civilization Does Harry Potter Create?
By Orson Scott Card
Spoiler alert: This post reveals the ending of Book Seven.
So we’ve lived in J.K. Rowling’s moral universe for a decade now, seven volumes worth. Where did she take us, and to the degree that we have been reshaped (or reaffirmed) by that moral universe, what has she made of us?
What hath Harry Potter wrought?
Read this @ Beliefnet: Blogalogue - Debates About Faith
See also:
Monday, April 23, 2007
Information Seeking Behavior of the Believers
See also previous posts:
Thursday, April 05, 2007
ESSAY FOR GOOD FRIDAY - Religion in a secular society
Punchline: While the discussions / debates go on (left, right and above, and all-over media), Toronto Star (below) analyses the issues / concerns that face the Canadian multiculturalism.
Toronto Star, Apr 06, 2007, Michael Smith
Religious people should be free to propose public policy alternatives based on the ethics of their faith, provided that their position is rationally defensible, writes Michael Smith
What is a secular society and what is the place of religion in it? In Canada, now among the most multicultural and diverse nations on earth, that question is becoming more and more relevant each day.
The expression "secular society" has more than one meaning. But, also, our society is one in which more than one meaning is being put forward as a paradigm of what constitutes a life well lived. continue reading
Previous posts on this subject:
Friday, March 23, 2007
Two New Books in Multifaith Perspectives
I came across two new books today, with common threads that explain the emergence of faiths and belief systems (in physical and virtual, respectively), focusing on theories (sociological, anthropological), forces (philosophical, theological) and most importantly, my favorite, i.e., taxonomies.
A word about what makes these distinct:
* reviewed in:
About the author:
My related books and publications:
My related book reviews:
My related blog posts:
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Monkeys wed for Hindu-Muslim unity
Satyarth Prakash NayakCNN-IBN, March 07, 2007
Cuttack (Orissa): It is what can be called an inter-religious marriage with a difference. The bride and groom were slightly down the evolutionary ladder than most couples. Continue reading the full story
Friday, January 12, 2007
Here, Hindus go for nikah, Muslims for vivah
News from the city of the birth place of Lord Krishna
Press Trust of India
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, North India), HindustanTimes.com January 11, 2007
See also
A belifnet Story, a Hindu-Jewish Couple: Marriage of True Minds
Rumi on marriage
Press Trust of India
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, North India), HindustanTimes.com January 11, 2007
In a unique marriage ceremony, five Hindu and five Muslim couples entered into wedlock according to the traditions of both religions in a show of communal harmony.
"The aim of this programme is not only to promote communal harmony but also to crusade against dowry," District Magistrate TN Singh said.
While a Hindu priest was solemnising the Hindu marriages, a qazi was performing the nikah (signing of marriage contract in Islamic tradition) on the same platform.
The ceremony had been organised by the Indian Welfare Society.
Mathura Municipal Board Chairman Shyam Sundar stressed on the need of organising such programmes at a large scale annually for better understanding between the two communities.
Each couple has been given articles of daily use worth Rs 50,000. Every member of the society observed fast and broke it after the kanya daan was over, Mohammad Naqeem Qureshi, founder of Indian Welfare Society, said.
Mathura is known for its communal harmony since long. The common wall between two shrines (Idgah and temple Keshav Deo) at Sri Krishna Janmasthan bears testimony to the harmony and culture of this pilgrim city.
There are Hindus who observe Roza (fast during month of Ramzan) and Muslims who consume any cereal only after they have bathed in the holy river Yamuna.
The group had earlier organised eye camps for both the communities.
See also
from the 'Fihi ma fihí' : Discourses of Mawlana Jalal'ud-din Rumi, as translated by A.J. Arberry:
"The way of the Prophet is this: It is necessary to endure pain to help rid ourselves of selfishness, jealousy and pride. To experience the pain of our spouses’ extravagant desires, the pain of unfair burdens, and a hundred thousand other pains beyond all bounds, so the spiritual path can become clear. The way of Jesus was wrestling with solitude and not gratifying lust. The way of Mohammed is to endure the oppression and agonies inflicted by men and women upon each other.
If you cannot go by the Mohammedan way, at least go by the way of Jesus, so you will not remain completely outside the spiritual path.
If you have the serenity to endure a hundred buffets, seeing the fruits and harvest that come through them, or believing in your hidden heart,
'Though in this hour I see no harvest of these sufferings, in the end I will reach the treasures,' you will reach the treasuries, yes, and more than you ever desired and hoped." source: hakim, Why do men get married? More on Rumi's Wedding Poems
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Video for the Voiceless: An Idea for Missionaries - Faithwise Review of the Week
Wired Magazine has a story on do it yourself indigenous filmmakers that suggests an idea for the way mission -aries work. continue reading
Church IT professionals aren't just busy optimizing Web sites for their congregations - they're also blogging to benefit their peers.
"Will you now open your laptops to the Web page in your program and recite the following passage. . . ." [info courtesy: Tim @ Let the Good Times Roll ]
Toronto: Never mind how careful you are behind the wheel or how long you've been driving, the signs of the zodiac may be bigger factors behind your ability to avoid car crashes - or why you have too many. According to a study by InsuranceHotline.com, a Web site that quotes drivers on insurance rates, astrological signs are a significant factor in predicting car accidents.
it is all about Osama, that is a rogue elephant that has killed over a dozen people
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Corporate America swears by the Gita - Faithwise Review of the Week
[ 25 Oct, 2006 0307hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
WASHINGTON: Corporate America is embracing Indian philosophy in a big way.
Suddenly, says Businessweek magazine in its latest issue, phrases from ancient Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita are popping up in management tomes and on Web sites of consultants. Top business schools have introduced "self-mastery" classes that use Indian methods to help managers boost their leadership skills and find inner peace in lives dominated by work.
BW calls its "Karma Capitalism" -- a gentler, more empathetic ethos that resonates in the post-tech-bubble, post-Enron zeitgeist. And where it used to be hip in management circles to quote from the sixth century B.C. Chinese classic The Art of War, it says, the trendy ancient Eastern text today is the more introspective Bhagavad Gita. Full story
Christian leaders in Cumbria are backing a plan for a Muslim Community centre and prayer room, despite threats against those who support it. @ Faith Commons
October 25, 2006, Posted to the web October 25, 2006, Michael Boateng, Sunyani
The report, entitled Time for Change: Report on the Future of the Study of Islam and Muslims in Universities and Colleges in Multicultural Britain, was written by Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi and Malory Nye.
Prof El-Awaisi said: "The call for a new agenda is timely and necessary to prevent the misguided and narrow interpretation of Islam which is the source of so many problems in our multicultural society.
"It is only through multicultural education we can work to eliminate extremism and fundamentalism."
The report found most British non-Muslims do not "get" Islam and do not understand what makes Muslims "tick".
A decade ago, political scientist Robert Putnam described America 's waning social cohesion in the bestselling book Bowling Alone. Now he has turned his research to diversity and multiculturalism -- and his findings are sobering. Ethnic diversity, he has found, breeds mistrust. Communities where many ethnicities live together have lower amounts of trust between people than those that are more homogeneous. "In the presence of diversity, we hunker down," he writes. "The effect of diversity is worse than had been imagined."
Mr. Putnam is quick to stress that trends aren't destiny, and there's plenty that can be done to make diversity work. But whether that diversity should include the veil is not an issue that will be settled soon. In Italy , which now has a million Muslims, Prime Minister Romano Prodi declared last week that in his opinion, women shouldn't wear veils that hide the face. Then a leading conservative politician named Daniela Santanchè weighed in, arguing that the veil is a symbol of female oppression and is not required by the Koran. A prominent imam lashed back, calling her an "infidel" and much else. Ms. Santanchè has now been offered police protection.
Early in 1990, the BJP sought a court injunction to prevent the screening in India of a television serial entitled The Sword of Tipu Sultan. The serial was based on a novel written by Bhagwan S Gidwani. A case was made out that Tipu had not been secular as was generally believed and did not deserve to be an icon.
Once again, Tipu is in the news with Karnataka's Minister of Higher Education D H Shankaramurthy questioning Tipu's Kannada credentials, considering that he used Persian, and not Kannada as the language of administration. A fierce controversy has been raised. And the liberal, secular Hindu intellectuals have demanded the dismissal of Shankaramurthy, with the leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda screaming that he would not allow the secularism of the JD (S) Karnataka government being polluted. full story
Read more hard-hitting columns
Karnataka MLC Prof B K Chandrashekar is reported to have said that Shankaramurthy need to know history. Indeed, everyone should, including Chandrashekar himself. One can recommend to him two excellent books, one written by Praxy Fernandes, a south Kanara Roman Catholic (and a former IAS officer, 1947 cadre) entitled The Tigers of Mysore and another written by Australian scholar Kate Brittlebank entitled Tipu Sultan's Search For Legitimacy, with the sub-title ‘Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain.’ Both are brilliantly researched and are as objective as one can expect. Both give high marks to Tipu for his religious tolerance, for his respect for all religions, for his reverence to the head of the Shringeri mutt, recounting how Tipu sent a silver palanquin and a pair of silver chauris to the Sarada temple.
This must be compared to reports in the Mysore Archaeological Survey quoted by Brittlebank that at least three Hindu temples within his realm had been destroyed by Tipu: the Harihareshwar temple at Harihar which was "apparently plundered and part of it converted into a mosque," the Varahswami temple in Seringapatam and the Odakaraya temple in Hospet "said to have been destroyed". Does that mean that Tipu was a Muslim fanatic? Hardly.
see also: Tipu Sultan Portal
Saturday, September 30, 2006
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