Virus lockdown changes how Hindus celebrate holy period
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Hindus around the world are in the midst of a nine-day period called Chaitra Navaratri that began with what for many is considered the Hindu New Year.
Baptist, vegan ex-football player may overturn Alabama’s ban on public school yoga
(RNS) — For some of the state's residents, 86% of whom identify as Christian, yoga and other non-Christian practices have long been considered satanic.
Can someone be a Hindu by culture and a Christian by faith at the same time?
(RNS) — Christian Hindus do not live in contradiction between two different identities. Rather, they embrace the truth that is found in the person of Jesus Christ while holding on to their vibrant Hindu culture.
Biden faces backlash over pro-Modi staffer’s close Hindu nationalist ties
(RNS) — Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign is facing growing pressure from civil rights advocates over the campaign’s choice of Muslim outreach coordinator.
‘We are reclaiming Holi’: College students protest Hindu nationalism with a blackout Holi
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (RNS) — At 21 university campuses across the country, Hindu students have organized a nationwide campaign called Holi Against Hindutva, held in solidarity with anti-government protesters in India.
Citizenship laws threaten India’s Muslims, hurt minorities elsewhere, panel says
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘The fear of losing citizenship is genuine,’ said Aman Wadud, who defends accused illegal migrants and detainees in the northeastern state of Assam.
Death toll rises to 22 from Delhi riots during Trump trip
NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 22 people were killed and 189 injured in three days of clashes in New Delhi that coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's first state visit to India, with the death toll expected to rise as hospitals continue to take in the wounded, authorities said Wednesday.
What Trump should have told India's Modi this week
(RNS) — President Trump has made freedom of religion a focus of his administration. In his India visit, he may find that India’s religious minorities have their own stories to tell about an increasingly hostile environment, if he will only listen.
Cathedral light show is drawing those who normally don’t darken church doors
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Cathedrals around the world are welcoming people in new ways with meditative light and sound shows.
Cambridge passes resolution against India's citizenship laws
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (RNS) — The Cambridge City Council has adopted a resolution urging India to halt changes to the country's citizenship laws that have prompted massive international backlash and allegations of anti-Muslim bias.
How a Western megachurch pastor fell in love with Eastern meditation
(RNS) — Coming from an evangelical upbringing, I’ve heard religious leaders cast meditation as a dangerous pagan practice. But Western Christians have missed out since abandoning our own tradition of meditation.
South Asian Americans protest Modi's crackdown from afar
(RNS) — A 'National Day of Action' aims to call out the slice of the Indian American community that is sympathetic to India’s right-wing politics.
Tech company CEO faces backlash over participation in Hindu nationalist event
(RNS) — Facing online backlash, the California-based CEO of enterprise software company Zoho has doubled down on plans to attend an event hosted by India's RSS paramilitary group.
Muslims in fear as police crack down in India's heartland
MEERUT, India (AP) — A crackdown on protests against a new citizenship law has been the harshest in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims comprise 20% of the population.
When retail and reverence collide
(RNS) — Yoga's ubiquity has put Hindu imagery in the mainstream, but until HIndus are seen as equals in the U.S., mocking our faith's images defines us as colonialist caricatures.