Kalpit Parajuli

The major Nepalese religious leaders are spiritually united with Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to the city of San Francisco tomorrow. The Protestant Bishop: "While the Pope is praying for peace in the world and appeals to religious leaders for the love and harmony, Nepal should learn from him to keep peace in the country."

An economic agreement is reached during his four-day visit to India, which ended yesterday. Maoists accuse him of betrayal because Nepali authorities now must compensate Indian companies for losses incurred as a result of strikes and political protests.

In 5 years the number has increased by 4 thousand. Boom in enrollments for catechism. Number of Hindus and Buddhists attending the Saturday mass equals the number of Catholics.

The visit follows the murder of Nepal Muslim leader Faizan Ahmed. Economic agreements and the treatment of Nepal migrant workers in the emirate are among the trip’s goals.

The festival is the most important of the celebrations for Dashain. The invitation is part of interreligious dialogue in the relations between Hindus and minorities. Muslims demand justice for the murder of their leader Damodar Sharma on 26 September.

Catholics express full solidarity but Muslim leaders opt for silence. Faizan Ahmad’s widow slams her community for its fear to talk about her murdered husband’s case. Nepali Islamic Sangh President Najrul Hasan Falahi calls for “a fair and immediate investigation”. Christians are committed to minority rights.

Animal rights activists suggest replacing animals with pumpkins and vegetables. To avoid waste and criticism, the government cuts funding for the Dashain, which will last until October 13. In just two days more than two hundred buffaloes and goats sacrificed in the main temple in Kathmandu.

The famine is due to monsoon floods. Distribution centers besieged by the population. In mountain villages children await the return of adults in line for days for a bagful of food.

The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff to slamming into a hill 15 km south of Kathmandu. Mostly foreign tourists on board. Bad weather and fog the probable cause of the accident. It is the fourth air crash in less than two years.

Ahijian Ahamed, Secretary General of the Islamic Federation of Nepal, was killed this afternoon in front of the mosque of Ghantaghar. He was shot by two men on a motorcycle. The involvement of Hindu extremists is suspected. Fear increases among religious minorities.

In rural areas more than 60% does not finish primary school. Families send their daughters to school only to access the subsidy programs.

A 6.8 quake hits a large area of the mountain chain. The death toll and costs are bound to rise because some areas are hard to reach. In Nepal, two important Buddhist monasteries suffer damage.