Asia

• 18 May 2005
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan will stay on the political scene even after 2007 Islamabad (Fides) - President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan will stand for re-election when his mandate expires in 2007, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced. “He will remain after 2007 because Pakistan ne ...
• 17 May 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - “Christians must be barred from public administration” say Hindu extremists: “this goes against the country’s Constitution and human rights” Indian Christians reply New Delhi (Fides Service) - Hindu extremists have launched another fierce anti-Christian campaign the eastern Indian state of Orissa. Member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) calling on the state governm ...
• 17 May 2005
  ASIA/UZBEKISTAN - UN High Commission for Refugees assists Uzbekistan people fleeing violence Bishkek (Fides Service) - While tension is still high in eastern Uzbekistan and clashes between insurrectionists and government troops continue, more civilians fleeing the fighting are heading for the border with Kyrgy ...
• 17 May 2005
  ASIA/UZBEKISTAN - “Social malcontent and poverty are at the root of local protests”, says Franciscan Fr. Krzysztof Kukulka missionary in Uzbekistan Vatican City (Fides Service) - “We are grieving for the death of so many people. Uzbeks are a friendly peace loving people. These protests arise from malcontent and poverty. Unless economic and social reforms are start ...
• 16 May 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Popular theatre in Rajasthan to promote and spread the values of the Kingdom of God New Delhi (Fides Children) - Children of all ages in the Indian state of Rajasthan enjoy puppet shows, the traditional means to pass on popular traditions and myths. But instead of telling the usual tales and stories, th ...
• 16 May 2005
  ASIA/IRAQ - “The violence used by Al Qaida reveals weakness not power. What has all this got to do with religion” asks a Catholic priest in Iraq Rome (Fides Service)- “Terrorists, Al Qaida, are already defeated because they are unable to propose a credible model of society. All they can do is to kill” Fr Nizar Semaan a Catholic priest in the northern Iraqi to ...
• 14 May 2005
  ASIA/UZBEKISTAN - Info Vatican City (Fides Service) - Tension in Uzbekistan is still high. To offer a picture of the situation in the central Asia republic Fides publishes this background note on Uzbekistan. area: 447.400 sq. km - populatio ...
• 14 May 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - On the feast of Our Lady of Fatima Catholics pray that the “intercession of Pope John Paul II and the great love of Pope Benedict XVI will bring unity with the universal Church closer” Beijing (Fides Service) - Catholics in Beijing celebrated with enthusiasm the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13. In many parishes after the Mass people stayed to watch recordings of the Masses for the funeral of Pope ...
• 13 May 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians form Anti-Violence Forum in memory of Catholic priest mortally stabbed in Bihar Patna (Fides Service) -In memory of a Catholic priest Fr Mathew Uzhuthal, Vicar general of Patna archdiocese who died on May 1 after being stabbed on April 11 in his parish office by a young bandit, Christians in Patna c ...
• 13 May 2005
  ASIA/INDONESIA - In Aceh imminent revocation of state of emergency and martial law: hopes for freedom and respect for citizens’ rights Jakarta (Fides Service) - The announcement that the Indonesian government intends to revoke the state of emergency in Aceh has been warmly welcomed by the local people sorely affected by the 26 December tsunami disaster ...
• 12 May 2005
  ASIA - Asia’s sad world record: over 12 million people reduced to slavery or forced labour says International Labour Organisation Geneva (Fides Service) - Asia has sad world record of over 12 million people reduced to slavery or forced labour. More than 75% of Asian workers live and work under subhuman conditions. This was denounced by the Internat ...
• 12 May 2005
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Long list of persons booked under blasphemy law since 1988: 647 victims of a law which discriminates and is often a tool of exploitation Lahore (Fides Service) - The list has 647 names: these are the names of people arrested and detained on charges of blasphemy in Pakistan since the blasphemy law was introduced in 1988. Besides these people at least 20 ot ...
• 12 May 2005
  ASIA/JAPAN - Catechesis, prayer and works of charity for the year of the Eucharist Tokyo (Fides Service) - Japanese Catholics are living the Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by the late Pope John Paul II with great intensity. Early this year the standing committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference ...
• 12 May 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Flourishing Catholic community in the province of Yunan with the highest number of different ethnic groups Beijing (Fides Service) - In the south western mainland China province of Yunan, which has borders with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, people of 52 different ethnic groups make up 33.4% of the population. The Catholic Chur ...
• 11 May 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - 84 trees planted in Gujarat in memory of Pope John Paul II tireless promoter of peace and harmony among religions Gandhinagar (Fides Service) - To pay tribute to the late Pope John Paul II, a religious leader dedicated to promoting peace in the world and dialogue among religions, Gujarat state - in the past in the news for Hindu ext ...