Islamic Terrorist from Trinidad – Glen Neville Ford

Toronto, Canada (CHAKRA) —Toronto’s terror plot of 1991 (pre September 11) has been forgotten and become a lost memory to Canadians. 

The terror plot was planned by five black Muslims who were followers of Jamaat Al Fuqra, a Pakistani movement. They were acquitted of planning to kill 4,500 people within two buildings in Toronto.  The attacks were to be done one after the other.

At the time of the attack, it was seen as an isolated case but now after a series of planned attacks in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto it has been associated with a series of attacks by Islamist terrorists.

Just two years before the first World Trade Centre bombing, and a decade before the 9/11 attacks Toronto was the potential terror plot destination of North America where thousands of people would have died had the terrorists not been on the radar beforehand.

The terror plot was set to blow out during the Hindu festival of Diwali at two separate locations one after the other.  The first spot was the India Centre cinema on Gerrard Street with a 500 people capacity (most commonly occupied by Sikhs and Hindus) and the second spot was the Vishnu Hindu Temple, which has a capacity of 4000 (occupied by Hindus) in Richmond Hill.

Glenn Neville Ford, a Trinidadian convert to Islam who immigrated to Canada in the mid-1970’s is the one who started a group called the Jamaat Al Fuqra which was led by a Pakistani cleric named Sheik Mubarik Ali Gilani.

Gilani was the same man that Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was supposed to meet when he was kidnapped and killed in 2002.

Ford coupled with another Torontonian from Trinidad named Max Lon Fongenie and both of them together bought a settlement land on Algonquin Park at Combermere naming it Hasanville (a small settlement for only muslim families).

That same summer, the regular visitors to Hasanville where men by the name of Tyrone Cole, Robert Wesley and Caba Jose Harris—all converts to Islam, from Texas.  Police stated that together they started a plan of destruction in Toronto.

In 1991, On October 3^rd, Ford and the Texans attempted to enter the US through the Niagara borders where the security at the border found a sheet of paper in their vehicle stating “dying as a soldier of Allah,” as well as floor plans and maps to the cinema and temple.

In addition, bomb making instructions, aerial photos, videotaped interiors, entry plans, and other diagrams displaying ways by which to tie explosives around natural gas lines were also there.

There was clear evidence that this was not a small scale plot but rather was being planned for months in detail and with clear dedication.

One of the documents in the car even led police to Brooklyn where they found a room full of guns, weapons and 2000 rounds of ammunition.  According to police the four travellers were going to Brooklyn to pick up the ammunition.

Eight men were accused. One was quickly dismissed. Fongenie escaped to Pakistan. A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to weapons offences. Ford, the three Texans and another Toronto man, Khidr Ali, were sent to trial.

The three Texans were kept in jail until 2006, for twelve years, after which they were freed. They were convicted for being members of a terrorist movement and for conspiring to commit mischief endangering life.

Both Torontonians, Ford and Ali were acquitted and left to live in Hasanville quickly allowing the entire plot to come out of the minds of the public and was easily forgotten to have even occurred.

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BJP offers free food to poor villagers as part of a public kitchen campaign

Ranchi, Jarkhand (CHAKRA) — The BJP Party has given support to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad  (VHP) supporters who are protesting against the demolition of 39 Hindu temples which are constructed on government land.

The shutdown of such a sponsorship has been openly stated by the VHP party which the backing of BJP officials.  Raghubar Das, the state BJP president said he is shocked to see that temples will be demolished at a large scale in the state. Thus he has stated his party’s moral support to the VHP’s fight against such destruction.

Uday Shankar Ojha, president of the Mahavir Mandal, another religious organization, stated that the group has demanded a shutdown of such a sponsorship by September 24^th.

Many of the 30 temples have been constructed over 50 years ago and are regularly visited by thousands of people.  The Hindu community is outraged and upset after hearing such news regarding a place of worship where they go to seek peace within.

Many Hindu critics are okay with the Government’s decision to demolish Hindu Temples on Government land if houses of worship from all religions are treated equally. This comes after there has been exceptions made for Christian churches and Muslim mosques from being demolished on Government land. Critics say this isolates Hindu temples and is a form of religious discrimination against the Hindu community.

The fight to withhold the destruction of temples will continue until the protesters win and are served justice.  Protests are to continue over the weekend until a response from government officials is received.

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Halifax Citadel and Skyline

Halifax, Nova Scotia (CHAKRA) – A new Buddhist Princess has been born in Halifax causing the Shambhala Buddhist community to celebrate.

The Shambhala website recently announced the birth of Drukmo Yeshe Sarasvati Ziji Mukpo.

Mother, Sakyong Wangmo Khandro Tseyang and father, Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche happily carried her for the first time after she was born at 10:24 a.m. on a Wednesday which was the first day of the Tibetan new moon.  She was born at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

Lady Diana Mukpo, a high ranking member of the Buddhist community said, “This is a glorious and historic moment. I am filled with joy by the continuity of our Mukpo clan. On behalf of the entire Shambhala community, I extend my heartfelt good wishes to the Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo.”

Dr. Mitchell Levy said that the physical health of the newborn princess was healthy and happy free of any complications for both mother and child.

Traditional rituals and ceremonies are being privately celebrated at the royal family’s home in Halifax.

The princesses’ father is a highly respected member of the Buddhist community in Halifax because he is a high lama in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.  He is believed to be the second incarnation of an enlightened individual in Tibet known as Mipham the Great.

Even though there are many Shambhala Buddhist communities around the world the largest one is in Halifax.  The princesses’ birth will continue to be celebrated for weeks to come.

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Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore

(CHAKRA) August 24th, 2010 is a special day & week for both Buddhists (Hungry Ghost Festival) and Hindus (Raksha Bandhan).

The Hungry Ghost festival is celebrated in a few countries such as various parts of China. The Hungry Ghost Realm is one of the Six Realms of Samsara, into which beings are reborn.  Hungry Ghost celebrations can be tracked back to the Ullambana Sutra where the Buddha’s disciple Mahamaudgalyayana learned that his mom had been reborn as a hungry ghost. He gave her a plate of food, but before she could eat it the food turned into burning coals. Mahamaudgalyayana went to the Buddha to learn what he could do for her and was told the sangha should fill clean basins with fruits and other food, along with other offerings.  The Buddha instructed the assembled sangha to place the basins in front of an altar and recite mantras and prayers. Then 7 generations of ancestors will be released from the lower realms and they will receive the food in the basins and have blessing for a hundred years.

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by Hindus all over the world but is most common with Hindus from North India. The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi (holy colored thread) by the sister on her brothers wrist. The brother then offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents mitai (sweets) to her brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed one another mitai. There are various tales on how Raksha Bandhan. The main story being from the epic Mahabharat that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas where she had torn a strip of thread/fabric off her sari and tied it around Krishna’s finger to stop the flow of blood. Krishna was so touched by her action that He found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years showing devotion. Draupadi, in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch, trusted and depended wholly on Krishna. There is also much evidence of Raksha Bandhan during the medieval era, around the 15th century, there were many wars between the Rajputs and Muslim invaders.

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The All Party Sikhs Coordinate Committee (ASCC), has addressed its concern regarding the anonymous letters being sent to various Sikh members in a number of areas in the Kashmir Valley.  At a meeting held by Jagmohan Singh Raina, the coordinator of ASCC, stated that the Sikh community has decided to stay put and fight against the threatening letters instead of fleeing.  They will fight to keep their homes.

Raina quoted a letter saying, “When you are enjoying the joys here, why can’t you share the grief and sorrow of Kashmiris as well? We know you are afraid of bullets… Hold protests inside gurdwaras or leave Kashmir.”  He also added that some of these letters have asked Sikhs to embrace Islam or leave the city that does not belong to them.

Raina addressed the issue to both factions of the Hurriyat, JKLF, and PoK-based United Jihad Council to take the seriousness of the notes into account and to take measures to avoid a continuation of such notes in the future.

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Happy Wishes and Blessings on Onam

In Kerala the biggest festival is called Onam. Most commonly celebrated by Hindus and Malayalees based around the state of Kerala and signifies the home-coming of King Mahabali.  Onam is also celebrated as the day of advent of Vamana and Bali. It marks the beginning of a new life. The festival is all about celebrating on the grand Onasadya (Onam feast), shopping, social reunions and welcoming King Mahabali by spreading good blessings.

Onasadya is a great part of the Onam festival. Thiruvonam is the important day of Onam, where a feast of various dishes is organized in each household. Decorations can be seen everywhere in the form of ‘rangolis’ (with colored rice paste) and ‘pookkalams’ (with flowers) in front and inside of the homes. There is a tradition of bestowing Onakkodi (new clothes especially purchased for Onam) upon the younger members of family by the elder ones.

All the celebrations, traditions and rituals of Onam attract various people from all parts of the world to the southern state Kerala.

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RamLila - Popular Hindu Festival and Mela

New Delhi, India (CHAKRA)— The Commonwealth Games are being held in October during the festive season of Ramlila and Durga Pooja and are being foreseen as a interference to the annual festivities as the Delhi police are asking for these festivals to be rescheduled at another time which has never been done historically.

After requesting stores and small shops be shut down during the Commonwealth Games, the religious festivities are also now on a radar by the Delhi Police force.

Delhi Police Commissioner, Y.S. Dadwal, stated the request for all the Ramlila festivities be rescheduled because according to him the fairs have no religious relevance and can apparently be easily rescheduled with no consequence to the believers.

Unsurprisingly the organizers of the yearly religious communion and festivities are outraged by this absurd request especially because the little children of the area are the ones who enjoy the fair rides and activities the most.  In addition, the yearly practice is a learning tool and draws children towards watching the Ramayana epic, which is a new learning experience for them.

However, the Commissioner still strongly feels that the Commonwealth Games are of much more importance than an annual festival that has been going on for decades.

The Police Commissioner suggested that the Games are of national importance as opposed to simple fairs that are held for children.

However, although the organizers of the fairs agreed that the Games were of national importance, they strongly felt that they were incomparable to traditional celebrations that had their origins in history.

The British games are not nearly as old in origination compared to the significant yearly Ramlila festival and fairs.

The fair organizers are convinced that nothing can stop them from continuing on with their yearly traditions and they will do what it takes to maintain the status quo.

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Many Sri Lankan Tamil Civilians Migrated during the Civil War

Colombo, Sri Lanka (CHAKRA) —The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has demanded that the 500+ temples that were destroyed during the LTTE be replaced and reconstructed.

TNA’s leader, S Yogeshwaran went to the country’s government to notify them of the temples that were destroyed in the North and East during the military operations.

Yogeshwaran also plead for the government to pay about 1540 teachers that were working voluntarily in Hindu Daham schools.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, D. M. Jayarathne said that foreign aid will be used for religious funding such as reconstructing the temples and paying volunteer teachers in Hindu schools.  He further stated that the reconstruction will begin soon.

Last year in July, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in India had requested the Sri Lankan government to reconstruct the temples damaged during the LTTE but they still remain to be fixed.

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Owls View of the Vancouver Islands

Vancouver, Canada (CHAKRA) – As more people are becoming spiritual and looking for inward happiness, they are turning towards Buddhism, especially in the central part of Vancouver Island, according to the President of Kathok Gonpa society in Coombs.

However, Penny Mcguire predicts that the people who will attend Tibetan Buddhist Monk Changling Rinpoche’s talk at the Coombs Temple this month will be new attendees who are looking to learn more about Buddhism and its practices rather than strict followers of Buddhism.

On his visit he will be talking about creating and sustaining a happy community in which all can live in peace and harmony.  He has led talks in the past in United States, Canada, Great Britain while making regular visits to Coombs for the last five years.

There has been an increase of about 50% in the level of attendees to the Buddhist temples in Coombs.

Mcguire said, “There is more of a trend toward looking inward for satisfaction and happiness rather than outward.”

In July, the first traditional Buddhist monastery in Canada was opened in Richmond.  This Thrangu monastery is the first of its kind outside of Asia and will be home to seven monks and lamas

According to the Statistics Canada Census there are about 905 identified Buddhists living in the Regional District of Nanaimo.

On August 10^th at 7pm, Changling Rinpoche will be speaking at the Tibetan temple in Coombs to inspire curious learners towards teachings of peace based on spirituality.

The talk will be held for free while donations will be appreciated.  Mcguire stated that Changling Rinpoche is fluent in English so many people will be able to benefit from his talks.

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Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam (CHAKRA) —A weeklong Buddhist celebration was held in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam to celebrate Hanoi’s one thousandth year.

Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha’s Deputy Chairman, the General Secretary and Venerable Thich Thien Nhon delivered an opening speech to at the commencement of the week and acknowledged the important roles of Vietnamese Buddhists in the country’s history of national construction and defence.

One of the ceremonies held was for King Ly Thai To, the founder of Hanoi for whom a special incense was burned.  The same was done in honour of other Kings and Monks.

Many dignitaries were present at the opening celebration including Venerable Thich Pho Tue, the Patriarch of the Sangha Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in addition to other authorities of the Foreign Ministry and city.

In honour of the Buddhist historical celebration, Buddhist Sangha central committee presented 25 charity houses to the disadvantaged community in addition to granting 500 scholarships to poor students in Hanoi.

The week lasted until August 2 and included a procession of tablets that belonged to King Ly Thai To and Van Hanh who is a Buddhist monk that raised the King after his mother had passed away.

Another ceremony will also be held on July 29 to pray for peace and the people as well as a requiem for fallen combatants will be held on July 31^st.

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