The religious sister is the first female director of Caritas Nepal. She spoke to AsiaNews about her social work and missionary commitment in a country ravaged by landslides, floods, and earthquakes, where many people live at a subsistence level in inaccessible places, between tropical forest and the Himalayas. In rural groups and cooperatives, women represent 60-70 per cent of participants.
This is the alarm raised by activists from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (Bhbcuc). At least 73 incidents triggered by accusations of religious offence. In addition to killings, there have been murders, rapes, arson attacks on places of worship, misappropriation of land and forced displacement. Ahead of the vote, the student party is allying itself with Islamic radicals.
In the city of Bareilly, members of the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad protested in front of a Catholic church on 24 December, accusing a school of offending Hinduism during Christmas celebrations. The diocese rejected the accusations and explained that this was a serious distortion of the content of the theatrical performances, which were dedicated to social issues and universal values. Bishop Ignatius D'Souza once again denounced the climate of growing religious intolerance.
In a statement, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India slammed the “alarming” escalation of attacks and violence on the eve of the holiday. In one incident, a visually-impaired woman was insulted and harassed. In Kerala, a 24-year-old man linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was arrested for attacking children singing Christmas carols.
The Punjab government has promoted the Christmas Interfaith Harmony Rally. Thousands of participants, with the capital decorated for the festivities. The Christian community rejoices at this sign of recognition and public dignity and the fight against discrimination. A step by Maryam Nawaz's administration towards the inclusion of Christians in Pakistani society.
The cyclone reshaped large swathes of the upcountry. The devastation is so great that remapping is necessary. More than half of all landslides occurred in the districts of Badulla, Kandy, and Matale. Experts need high-quality close-up images, with essential assistance from international organisations and agencies.
