DURING MEXICAN FEAST OLD BULLS ARE TORTURED

IN MEXICO ANIMALS ARE DRAGGED 
THROUGH A RIVER AND BEATEN BY LOCALS

http://elpais.com - In Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, local ranchers donate their working bulls for a religious festival. The animals are first dragged through a nearby river and afterwards beaten by local residents - many of whom are inebriated - as they climb back on to the riverbank. The bulls in Tlacotalpan are not raised to fight or run - they live peacefully in the fields, and when the time comes their meat is used to feed the hungry. 
But every year six elderly, tired bulls, donated by their owners, are sacrificed during during the celebrations of the feast of the Vírgen de La Candelaria. The popular annual event in this town of 8,000 residents has angered many animal rights groups.

The bulls are forced to cross the river before being beaten by spectators. At the other side of the river the townspeople wait for them. Hundreds pull the bulls out of the water using a rope. They expect the massive animals to run after the spectators, but the bulls can’t or won’t. Unlike fighting bulls, the breed in question is docile and, they are usually already exhausted and can hardly move by the time they arrive at the festivities. Some of the bulls arrive on the riverbank bleeding from the nose. In past years, some of them have drowned in the river. 
But animal rights organizations believe that these rules do not go far enough. “[The cruelty] should be prohibited and eradicated from our society, especially from religious festivals, which should instead focus on teaching people positive values,” reads a joint statement issued by AnimaNaturalis México, PATAS, and Project ARPA.

This violent tradition takes place in the state of Veracruz, Mexico; the article is written by Elena Reina Muñoz. Many voices from protectionist groups have risen to condemn these traditions. Since 2014, municipality of Tlacotalpan had to enact a regulation under pressure from animal rights organizations and the Ministry of Environment for the abuse were not so blatant. But unfortunately things remain the same. The mayor, Homero Gamboa, has acknowledged: “Despite awareness campaigns about the care of the bull, many attendees flout the rules and try to hit the animals.” This is another example of man's cruelty to animals, but why are there people who enjoy torturing the defenseless? Our spiritual masters have taught us that is due to a greater or lesser degree the consciousness is covered. As their consciousness is said to be retracted, animals can not search to find God. Only conditioned souls in human bodies can search and love God. Among people there are different stages: those who are in the stage of budding consciousness; those who practice devotional service (sadhana-bhakti), situated in the stage of blossoming consciousness; and those who have already reached the love of God (bhava-bhakti), situated in the stage of fully blossomed consciousness. As human beings we have already reached an auspicious condition of life, so we should act accordingly protecting our younger siblings (the animals). We should improve our state of consciousness, change our materialistic view of life and help our neighbors to do the same. We should be concerned, not only in our individual advancement, but also be ready to collaborate in the task of raising consciousness in others and walk with them along the path of goodness. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

[...] We must constantly work to raise our consciousness, which is the potential that God gave rational beings like us. The initial and most basic step to enter into this platform is to stop harming others for personal benefit or gain. And for this, it is essential to become sensitive to animals and stop mistreating them only for our sense gratification. At that time we will be able to enter into the area of universal respect and love between beings. A feature of those who want to change the world is that they feel constantly that life is a bliss [...]. Those who possess this ability should share it with others and educate people in such values, because when consciousness is shared, it is possible together to begin to understand the philosophy of love: then it becomes an endless bliss.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
"Love Activists, Activists of Consciousness"
http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/b-a-paramadvaiti-swami/activistas-del-amor-activas-de-la-conciencia_b_2089259.html
http://gurumaharaj.net/
http://vrindaportal.com/
http://vrindanews.com/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

STAY AWAY FROM MEAT!

10 REASONS WHY IT'S 
GOOD TO STOP EATING BEEF

http://www.boldsky.com - Excessive consumption of red meat can cause certain health effects. Beef is not an exemption. Though it can provide many nutrients, health experts recommend minimising the consumption of beef or is possible, staying away from it altogether. Read on to know why eating beef could be bad for health: (1) It Hardens Your Blood Vessels - This applies to all red meats. Carnitine, which is a compound that is present in red meat may clog arteries. 
(2) May Cause Infections - E.Coli is a microorganism that may cause kidney failure, cramps in the stomach or even dehydration. (3) Hormones - The hormones present in red meat may increase the risk of suffering breast cancer in women. (4) Bacteria - As beef sellers want more profits, they started using certain drugs on cattle to make them grow faster and bulkier. This makes the meat cause certain side effects in humans including bacterial infections.

(5) Affects Immunity and cause Inflammation - Your immunity may react to certain substances present in red meat. (6) May Cause Cancer - Processed meat increase the risk of cancer due to certain additives and flavours added to processed beef and this makes it more dangerous. (7) May Cause Diabetes - Too much of beef consumption may also lead to type 2 diabetes and the risk factor increases by 45%.  (8) Alzheimer's - Red meat consumption in excess may cause accumulation of iron and this might indirectly lead to the risk of suffering Alzheimer's disease. 
(9) Cardiovascular Issues - Eating too much of beef is linked to cardiovascular diseases because the bacteria in the gut breaking down certain substances in beef and releasing certain harmful compounds. (10) Obesity - It goes without saying that too much of meat on your plate can easily obesity. It is tough to burn all the calories and fat when you are on a beef diet.

This article was written by Praveen Kumar from boldsky.com. He wisely wonders "Does it make any sense to eat artery-clogging meat? When you plan your diet with low calorie foods, why eat fattening meat on the other side? Beef pushes your waistline further and invites a host of health issues like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart issues and osteoporosis." Also, he adds, "any animal product comes with a set of minus points. It comes with hormones, antibiotics, bacteria and toxins too." While research found that both red meat and processed meats contained similar amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol - both a contributing factor for heart disease and stroke - processed meats had on average four times higher levels of salt and other preservatives, according to lead author of the study Renata Micha, research fellow in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health. Despite all these, many people still claim about meat protein benefits, so the debate over the pros and cons of vegetarianism will continue forever, as different people have different needs and differing views on health and nutrition. However, our spiritual teachers have taught us that the fundamental principle of vegetarianism is essentially not to be violent. To eat meat is necessary to kill, therefore we must abstain from eating meat, for not participating in violence against other living creatures. If we are part of the food chain that is based on the act of killing, we will receive as a reaction to be born as animals in order to be killed. Srila Prabhupada has very clearly explained that we had animal bodies in past lives, and if we do not reach perfection in this opportunity which has been given us this human life, we will return to these lower forms. So please, do not eat meat. We should not participate in the killing of animals and therefore we can avoid both the suffering of our younger brothers and the harmful effects on our health and our future destiny. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Eating of cow flesh or the flesh of any other animal, the motivation behind slaughter, is detrimental to the health of human beings. [...] Meat bearing animals suffer from dozens of diseases and parasites caused through unnatural living and exploitation such as forced feeding, which causes fatty degeneration of organs, endocrine complications through castration diseases including contagious abortion, foot and mouth diseases, fevers, catarrhal conditions, cancer tumours, tuberculosis, mastitis, liver flukes causing ducts to be filled with septic matter (only the liver is condemned, not the carcass), etc; their blood and tissues are impregnated with preventive vaccines. Poultry is often impregnated with oestrogens, which are carcinogens. Animal fats contain cholesterol which is now thought to cause coronary diseases of the heart.

Vedic Knowledge Online - “Hidden Price of Meat”
“Modern Civilization is Centered Around Animal Killing”
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/change.htm#2

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

THE HORRORS OF BOKO HARAM

BOKO HARAM TERROR UNABATED
YEAR AFTER CHIBOK KIDNAPPINGS

www.channelstv.com - A report by Amnesty International reveals that about 2,000 women and girls have been abducted by Boko Haram since 2014 many of whom have been forced into sexual slavery and trained to fight. The 90-page report by the international rights organisation titled, ‘Our Job Is To Shoot, Slaughter And Kill’: Boko Haram’s Reign Of Terror’, documents multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the members of the terrorist group. 
The report, which Amnesty International says is based on nearly 200 witness accounts, including 28 with abducted women and girls who escaped captivity, listed the crimes committed by the militants to include the killing of at least 5,500 civilians, between 2014 and early 2015.

The Amnesty International report also highlights the brutal methods used by the armed group such as conscription or execution of men and boys, abduction of young women and girls who are imprisoned and in some cases raped, forcibly married and made to participate in armed attacks. 
In the words of Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Salil Shetty, who spoke to Channels Television correspondent in Washington, Maria Byrd, recent military successes in the northeast might spell the beginning of the end for Boko Haram, but there is a huge amount to be done to protect civilians, resolve the humanitarian crisis and begin the healing process.”.

Last year, the mass kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from the Nigerian town of Chibok touched off a tsunami of global outrage. But exactly one year after the likes of Michelle Obama, Rihanna and Ellen DeGeneres helped #BringBackOurGirls become an international rallying cry and call to arms, the international campaign to release the girls did little to bring them home, or stop countless others from being taken since. Men and women, boys and girls, Christians and Muslims, have been killed, abducted and brutalized by Boko Haram during a reign of terror which has affected millions. The evidence presented in the Amnesty International shocking report, one year after the horrific abduction of the Chibok girls, underlines the scale and depravity of Boko Haram’s methods. The report contains graphic evidence, including new satellite images, of the scale of devastation that Boko Haram have left in their wake. Our spiritual masters have taught that violence toward other living entities is the root of all sinful activities.  Cruelty toward animals causes great disturbances in the world. One of the consequences of the huge killing of animals due to the sophisticated meat industry is the violence toward human beings. We should be conscious of our responsibility as human beings to protect and take care of others creatures. If we fail in doing that, and continue to build huge slaughterhouses, then compassion leaves away from our heart. The consequence of the suffering of so many millions of animals is that nonreligious points of view increase daily and cruelty and violence toward women and children become prominent in our societies. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The whole world is running fast towards destruction. It is now beyond the capacity of human efforts to restrain this trend of thought. Gradually this world is becoming unfit for stay of peace loving good people. If this unholy violent trend is not restricted, it will gradually contaminate the  whole human society. [...] The influence of 'Kali' will not spare even religious places. There is no other way of getting emancipation from such worldly conflagrations except complete unconditional  surrender to the Lotus Feet of Supreme Lord Krishna. He can only rescue us and nobody else. We are always to remembers the saying of Lord Sri Krishna in the Gita. 

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja :
“His Teachings”  - published on Apr 5, 2002
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
http://www.sreecgmath.org

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

'PRAYING PIG' GOES VIRAL IN CHINA

PIG KNEELS 'PRAYING' IN FRONT 
OF WENZHOU TEMPLE IN CHINA

www.huffingtonpost.com - In video footage shot last month, a pig facing a date with the slaughterhouse is shown kneeling directly in front of a local Buddhist temple, as if in an act of prayer. The pig, which weighed over 300 pounds, reportedly remained kneeling on its forelimbs for hours in front of the temple in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province, leaving the area only after monks began chanting sacred scriptures. 
Some online commenters have taken a skeptical approach to evaluating the pig's behavior, pointing out that a deficiency of vitamin E can lead to weakness in a pig’s front legs. But the pig's owner told local press that this animal was healthy and that he had never seen anything like those events.

Local media reported that the pig was one of three that escaped from a nearby enclosure on the morning of Feb. 22 and were recaptured that afternoon and sent to the slaughterhouse. The owner of the pig, a man surnamed Huang, later revealed in a Wenzhou Metropolis Daily report that the pig had escaped its hog pen on the morning and was searching for food. 
In a cruelly ironic twist, Huang had recaptured the animal and sent it off to the slaughterhouse only after he'd learned that the pig was internet famous. Huang was apparently shocked to learn of his pig's pilgrimage and said he regretted killing it.

Last month, a video originally uploaded to "Youku", the Chinese version of YouTube, showed a pig kneeling down whilst being sung to in China. The video received over 10 million hits. The pig escaped a farm early morning and wandered to a temple in the village of Yongjja, China. It knelt down in front of the temple and waited there until a monk came out and sang to the pig. It is said that following the song, the pig left for home only later to be sent to a slaughter house in the evening of the same day. Photos taken by passersby went viral on social media. The owner of the kneeling pig reportedly said he hadn't known about the animal's behavior at the temple when he sent it to be killed and that he regretted it now. Some guessed that the prostrating pig was actually just weak due to Vitamin E deficiency, others speculated that the creature was seeking protection from Buddha. Many others thinks the pig was a reincarnated human and attempting to atone his past sins or to seek forgiveness for the way he treated animals in his past life. Some people think that once we become humans we will not descended on the evolutionary scale. But it is not. There are many testimonies of men who reincarnated as animals. This is one more example that proves that reincarnation of human being into animal is possible and we must therefore act in human platform and not act like animals because in them we will become and we can investigate the truth and we will be very difficult to leave the wheel of births and deaths, know God and understand what is our mission in life. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Activities of sense gratification, meant only to please one’s mind and senses, are the cause of material bondage, and as long as one engages in such fruitive activities, the soul is sure to continually transmigrate from species to species. ... Jnana, or knowledge that one is not the material body but a spirit soul, is not sufficient for liberation. One must act on the platform of spirit soul. This is called devotional service, which includes many practical techniques for becoming free from karma and reincarnation. ... Therefore, in order to free ourselves from the endless repetition of birth and death, we must understand the laws of karma and reincarnation. Otherwise, we will have to come back to this material world again and again; and we must remember that we may not always return as human beings.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Coming Back” - Chapter 8: “Don’t Come Back”
“Practical Techniques for Becoming Free from Karma and Reincarnation”

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

MOB KILLS RAPE SUSPECT IN INDIA

MOB IN INDIA BREAKS INTO
JAIL, LYNCHES RAPE SUSPECT

Reuters - Guwahati, India. A mob of several thousand people broke into a high-security prison in India, dragged out a rape suspect and killed him, officials said on Friday, adding that police had to impose a curfew to restore order. Rape has been a particularly emotive crime in India since 2012, when a student was raped and tortured on a bus in New Delhi and later died. The government has banned a documentary about that attack, re-igniting debate about gender inequality. 
The mob attacked the prison late on Thursday in the northeastern state of Nagaland. The man, a 35-year-old Muslim businessman accused of raping a woman, was dragged out and hauled naked through the streets and beaten to death.

"Security personnel at the jail were overpowered by the mob," said the state's chief minister, T.R.Zeliang. One person was killed and several injured when police fired on the mob. A curfew was imposed in the district late on Thursday and remained in force on Friday as the situation was "still tense", district police chief Meren Jamir told Reuters. Most people in Nagaland are Christian. Violence against women is widespread in India where a rape is reported on average every 21 minutes. 
Acid attacks, domestic violence and molestation are also common. There were 309,546 crimes against women reported to police in 2013, up from 244,270 the previous year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. These include rape, kidnapping, sexual harassment and molestation.

This article, written by Biswajyoti Das for Reuters news agency, tells how a multitude lynches a rape suspect in India. A mob, consisting of thousands of people, stormed a prison compound in India's far northeast, dragging out a rape suspect before beating him to death on the streets. Police initially used tear gas and bamboo canes to rescue the inmate, but were not successful. The suspect died while being dragged four miles through the streets as people beat and pelted him with stones. The incident, which sparked outrage both in India and around the world, highlighted the frightening level of violence against women in this country. Despite the horrific and public nature of the attack, the violent mob is an embodiment of the country's increasingly tough stance and disgust towards for sexual violence. As Kali Yuga progresses, we witness how every society seems ready to explode into ghastly acts. There is anger and rage inside of some people at never before seen levels. The tendency to commit abuse, rape and other kinds of violence against others is born of illusion. One factor which fuels the bad actions is lust, the all-devouring enemy of this world. As Lord Sri Krishna tells in the Bhagavad-gita 16.21, one of the gates which leads to the hell and the degradation of the soul is lust. And it is also lust the root cause which made descending the living entities into this material world. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Material lust is like a blazing fire, never leaving a person with any peace. Such desires always force people to attempt to satisfy their cravings. The flames of such desires consume all hope for peace in such individuals. When society is made of many such individuals, whose primary interest is to simply satisfy their own desires and gratify their senses, this disorder prevents peace in human society. [...] The more you try to satisfy your senses, the more you will come under the control of lust, greed and anger. Lust is there when you want to satisfy your material desires. Greed is there when you want more than you need.  Anger will always be there in some form when you fail to achieve what you want, or when you attain it but then lose it. The unmerciful masters of lust, greed and anger will never leave you alone.

Dr. Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
"Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All"
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/toward_world_peace_ebook.htm
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

NUNNERY SAVES OVER 200 GIRLS FROM SEX SLAVERY

THE BURMESE NUNNERY THAT
SAVED 200 GIRLS FROM SEX SLAVERY

http://nypost.com - Buddhist nuns are everywhere among the streets of Myanmar - of all different ages, some as young as 5. Dressed in pink loose-fitting shirts and pants with orange scarves, they have shaved heads and rely on alms to pay for their schooling, food, housing, and other basic needs. Monks don’t have the same economic handicaps. The large temples pay for their needs, but that’s not surprising. In Myanmar, being a woman is hard, more so if you are poor and live in the north of the country, where tribes are still battling the government. Girls in these areas are in a precarious position, constantly in danger of being trafficked across foreign borders.
Concern over trafficking has led many parents in the north, who earn an average of $1,200 a year, to send their daughters south to the capital of Yangon and the only outlet for escape and education — the nunneries.

One of these institutions is located in Than Lynn, a 30-minute drive from the center of Yangon. At the Thadama Myintzu Nunnery, run by the nun Daw Aye Theingi, more than 200 girls, who range in age from 4 to 18, live in two small buildings with a rudimentary outdoor kitchen and bathing area. In many cases, the girls do not see their parents for years, if ever again. Due to a generous donation, the nunnery is building a modern three-story building to house all the girls, but it won’t be ready until summer. 
Daw scrapes up the $200 a year it takes to send each girl to a local school through donations. “I want a better life for them,” Daw said. At age 18, the girls will decide if they want to stay or leave to look for a life in the city. Almost none of them return home.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is well known for its role in human trafficking and its penchant for sex slaves. UNICEF estimated in 2003 that 10,000 girls were being trafficked every year from Myanmar into Thai brothels alone. Myanmar people are trafficked to Thailand, China, Malaysia, South Korea, and Macau for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced labor. This leaves this country’s girls in precarious and life threatening situations. Fortunately, this is where the hope comes in. This article, written by Paula Froelich from Yahoo Travel explains how  the Thadama Myintzu Nunnery has saved the lives of over 200 girls. The young Buddhist nuns accept alms to pay for their schooling, food, housing and other basic needs. The sad reality of this is the fact that many of these girls do not see their parents for years, if ever again. In this troubled world, due to the moral decay of the people and their alienation from God, we observe the increment of demoniac societies based on illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. Our spiritual masters have taught us that we should cultivate a solid understanding of spiritual knowledge, and in this way we can develop respect for all others regardless of race, sex, or species. But more important to the theoretical knowledge, we need to practice it by following a pure life and in that way we can be an example to others; imitation of good examples bring a peaceful social behavior worldwide. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Today people are simply becoming servants of their senses. For sake of sense enjoyment they become blind their responsibility to offer respect to the Divine Couple and naturally it is reflecting on all aspects of society with allot of corruption. […] We are all the eternal servants of the Supreme Lord, but due to the influence of this age of Kali, we have become forgetful of our real heritage, service to the Supreme Lord. We have heard all this knowledge by the grace of our previous saints (Guru-Vargas) which can deliver us from this planet by following the instructions of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - Sankirtan - chanting the Holy Names - the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, under the shelter of a pure devotee of Krishna. We must follow a few principles: no gambling, no intoxication including smoking and coffee, no illicit sex and non-violence (no animal slaughter).

Śrīla Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Maharaj :
“My Humble Offer to You”
http://www.gopinathmath.com/book/export/html/53
http://bvml.org/SBBBM/index.htm

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

ISIS EXECUTIONS CONTINUE

ISIS EXECUTES GAYS, THIEVES,
WOMAN CHARGED FOR ADULTERY

www.ynetnews.com - The Islamic State group currently ravaging Iraq and Syria has shocked the world again with its horrific execution videos – this time by allegedly throwing blindfolded men off a roof as punishment for their sexual orientation. Images of the execution surfaced two days ago on jihadist websites, and claimed the men were found "convicted" of homosexual acts. The group's radical interpretation of Islamic law, "engaging in homosexual activities" is a capital crime. 
One of the images shows a large crowd gathering at the bottom of a large tower to witness the execution of two men. The masked Islamic State executioner details their crimes, declares them guilty of homosexuality and sentences them to death.

The two men are seen with blindfolds at the top of a building being held by two ISIS members before being thrown off the building, after having been “convicted” of being homosexual. The “sentence” was imposed under a provision of the law that requires “execution of prescribed penalties against all those who commit an act against Lot’s nation,” according to the ISIS website. 
Another photograph posted on ISIS’s official website shows two men being crucified on charges of being thieves. An ISIS member reads the charges against the two alleged thieves out loud before they are then shot by other ISIS militants in the head. ISIS also published a photo showing a woman draped in an all-black niqab standing in front of an ISIS member, about to be stoned to death on an accusation of infidelity.

The so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has posted graphic photographs showing the brutal execution of four men and one woman on charges of homosexuality, theft, and infidelity to Islam. These images, circulating on jihadist websites, show Islamic State group terrorists executing gay men by throwing them off roof with large crowd watching. Isis has recently published a penal code listing crimes punishable by amputation, stoning and crucifixion, along with a chilling vow to ensure the code is vigilantly enforced in areas under its control. Since ISIS proclaimed itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, it has committed numerous crimes and human rights abuses which have been condemned by the world, precipitating a military response against the self-proclaimed state by several countries including the United States and Morocco. In Kali-yuga all people quickly have become degraded. We must be very careful because Aghasura (the snake demon) who represents cruelty and violence, is back among us. Today most people perform inferior activities for sense enjoyment and enjoy doing or seeing cruelty done to defenseless living things. Even the priestly class is degraded. Giving up brahminical behavior, many brahmanas take pleasure in malice and envy, others develop desire of pecuniary gain and many others want their own worldly honour or fame; so if they do wrong, then why mention the other members of different sections of this multiple and varied modern society. Our spiritual masters have taught us that we have to make changes in this corrupt society, and “we have to start with ourselves, because it is almost impossible to change others. One person or the whole world would change if we were capable to inspire them with our own example.” We must become loving toward other living beings and try to serve God in the company of selfless devotees, regardless of what section of society they come from. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

We have to become activists of the good. There is so much garbage, so much cruelty that has to stop. Modern man has become insensible; anaesthetised by intoxication and consumption, the "human being" prefers the bad, so that he even forgets his own best and directly or indirectly becomes responsible for the corrupt society. ... With the help from each and everyone, we will make progress. Let us conquer land here in this crazy world, soul by soul, consciousness by consciousness. Let us be compromised with the truth. Let us respect the faith of everyone, as long as they do not harm others. Truth is love, and one has to produce more love; love for God and all His creation; love and gratefulness to Mother Earth; love for the animals; goodness and compassion for the defenseless. It just takes conscience, which actually does not even pain anymore.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Conscience - Even If It Pains”
“Vedic Wisdom Collection”
http://vedicwisdom.weebly.com/
http://vedicwisdom.weebly.com/concience-even-if-it-hurts.html

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

WOMEN STILL NEED WORLD PROTECTION

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE 
ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk - Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Yet the plight of millions of women starts even before birth. Since China introduced legislation to limit the size of the population, 336 million abortions have been performed. As a result of selective abortion, there are now 34 million more men than women in China.
Female genital mutilation is another problem. Though no religious script prescribes the practice, more than 125 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to this. It is rooted in old traditions and superstitions, but perhaps the worst thing about it is that it is mostly women who organise the mutilation of their daughters and granddaughters.

Rape is a major issue that can affect any woman. From the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which wants to rule Uganda according to the Ten Commandments, and which uses child soldiers to rape and murder, to the Serbs who raped Bosnian Muslim women, to Lebanese Christian paramilitaries who raped Palestinian women in Sabra and Shatila, this continues to be used as a weapon during times of war. The Western world is not wonderful either. On average, two women are killed by their current or former partner every week in England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, the police respond to a case of domestic abuse every 20 minutes. 
In the Republic (of Ireland), 20% of women in a relationship have been abused by their partner. Punitive measures must be taken against war criminals, and tougher measures taken against rapists and abusive partners.

Today, November 25, we celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This date was chosen after the horrible deaths of three Dominican sisters who were fighting to have a country free of dictatorship back in 1960. This article was written by Mohammed Samaana, who is a freelance journalist based in Northern Ireland. She claims that "female genital mutilation must be made illegal and the focus should be on education and on empowering women to stand up for their rights." She is right, and although many efforts have been made to reduce violence against women, yet this scourge continues in many ways. For example, according to the UN, 35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime with up to seven in ten women facing this abuse in some countries. It is estimated that up to 30 million girls under the age of 15 remain at risk from female genital mutilation/cutting, and more than 130 million girls and women have undergone the procedure worldwide. Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children, therefore, they are less likely to complete their education and more likely to experience domestic violence and complications in childbirth. Our spiritual masters have taught us that the idea that men are superior to women, is born from a competitive mind n and an inferiority complex. This mentality is really very far from Krishna consciousness. On the contrary, we must be especially kind, friendly and protective of the weakest members of society - such as women and children - and in doing so, we may receive the mercy and grace of Krishna. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

By the time this takes place in Kali-yuga, child pornography, rape, and other sexual crimes will be out of control. Politicians and law officers will be bribed into impotence, some even participating in  and profiting from these perverse activities. Children will be fearlessly seized from the streets and hardly missed by their irresponsible parents. The depravity these young children will be forced to  endure will make death a welcome end. And those that survive will be so mentally damaged that they will wreak havoc on the rest of society. Adult and child slavery will be rampant and predominantly based on sex. It will be found mostly where people have the money to support it, which will be in the homes of the so-called wealthy and upper classes. There will be no human rights or justice and the world will be on the edge of disaster and ruin. In these circumstances, and when this type of men, women, and children are roaming the cities, you have a picture of hell on earth.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
 “The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future”
Vol. 3 - “Changes During Kali Yuga”
“The Depravity in Family Life ind Relations Between People”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

ISLAMIC GROUP ENSLAVED YAZIDI WOMEN AND GIRLS

ISLAMIC STATE SEEKS TO JUSTIFY 
ENSLAVING YAZIDI WOMEN AND GIRLS

Arbil, Iraq (Reuters) - The Islamic State group said it enslaved families from the minority Yazidi sect after overrunning their villages in northwestern Iraq, in what it praised as the revival of an ancient custom of using women and children as spoils of war. In an article in its English-language online magazine Dabiq, the group provides what it says is religious justification for the enslavement of defeated “idolators”. 
The ancient custom of enslavement had fallen out of use because of deviation from true Islam, but was revived when fighters overran Yazidi villages in Iraq's Sinjar region. “After capture, the Yazidi women and children were then divided according to the Shariah amongst the fighters of the Islamic State who participated in the Sinjar operations, after one fifth of the slaves were transferred to the Islamic State's authority to be divided as khums,” it said.

Khums is a traditional tax on the spoils of war. “This large-scale enslavement of mushrik (idolator) families is probably the first since the abandonment of Shariah law,” it said. Islamic State practices a harsh form of Sunni Islam and has declared its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the ruler of the entire Muslim world. Mainstream Sunni scholars around the world have denounced the group and its interpretation of Islam. 
“One should remember that enslaving the families of the (non-believers) and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Shariah,” the article said. The group has hounded ethnic and religious minorities in northern Iraq since seizing the city of Mosul in June, killing and displacing thousands of Christians, Shi'ite Shabaks and Turkmen who lived for centuries in one of the most diverse parts of the Middle East. 

This news released by Reuters news agency, is about a Dabiq article on slavery that unfortunately confirms practices documented by Human Rights Watch, which says Yazidi women and girls were forced to marry Islamic State fighters and shipped out in busloads from Iraq to Syria to be sold off as prizes. Last week, Human Rights Watch said Islamic State was holding hundreds of Yazidis captive in both Iraq and Syria and that the group had systematically separated young women and teenage girls from their families, forcing some into marriage with fighters. The Dabiq article said fighters were reviving a practice of the companions of the Prophet Mohammad by enslaving enemies. “Enslaving women and forcing them to become wives reduces sin by protecting men from being tempted into adultery,” it said. Yazidis, who follow an ancient religion derived from Zoroastrianism, have faced some of the harshest penalties from Islamic State, which regards them as devil-worshippers. Many of the captives had “willingly” accepted Islam, the group said, “and now race to practice it with evident sincerity after their exit from the darkness of idolatry”. How terrible! A lot of cruelty in the name of religion. Cruelty acts toward women and innocent creatures causes great disturbances in the world. What is worse, when irresponsible men, under the guise of defending a religion, satisfy their uncontrolled desires by raping women and girls. A bonafide religion must teach that we are all spiritually related and, therefore, it should be very easy for believers to find similarities among the essential principles of all religions and ignore their differences. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Regardless of which religious system you choose, they all have the same purpose, and they all give the same principles. In this way, they are all united in their essential goals, the most important of which is to bring the living beings to the stage of cooperation in love of God. Obviously, our love for God will be shown by how much we cooperate with one another. Unfortunately, before we reach this advanced stage we are in the lower levels of understanding. This immature level of love can take on the characteristics of a blind and fanatical allegiance to a particular process of religious expression rather than attachment to real love for God. In this situation, one may proudly and unnecessarily feel that he is on the highest path, and then will denounce every other process and culture without the proper spiritual understanding of himself or others. This is nothing more than sentimentality and fanaticism. Real love of God, which also displays love for all other living beings, will not develop within a person if he or she harbors such a divisive mentality.

Dr Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/toward_world_peace_ebook.htm
http://www.stephen-knapp.com  -  http://www.stephenknapp.info/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/