Category: Religion - Page 4 - African News Today

The Lady Of Heaven Film: Morocco Bans ‘Blasphemous’ British Film

12Jun

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Morocco, Movies and Films, News, Religion

The Lady Of Heaven Film: Morocco Bans ‘Blasphemous’ British Film

Moroccan cinema authorities have banned the controversial British film Lady of Heaven, after it was condemned by the country's religious council. The film claims to tell the story of Lady Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. The Supreme Ulema Council said the movie was a "flagrant falsification of the established facts" of Islam. There have been protests against the film in the UK. Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq have also denounced it. The council accused the film of "loathsome partiality" and accused the filmmakers of seeking "fame and sensationalism" and "hurting the feelings of Muslims and stirring up religious sensitivities", according to Moroccan state media. The BBC's Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool, says the criticism centres on the the way the Shia Musl...

Egypt Court Sentences Man To Death For Killing Priest

12Jun

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Egypt, Judiciary, News, Religion, Violence

Egypt Court Sentences Man To Death For Killing Priest

An Egyptian court Saturday sentenced a man to die for the April stabbing death of a Coptic Christian priest in an attack that shocked the Arab world’s most populous nation. Nehru Tawfiq, 60, was convicted in Alexandria criminal court of murder for killing 56-year-old priest Arsanious Wadid and illegal possession of a knife. His lawyers had argued that the killing was not deliberate. Tawfiq can appeal the verdict. Wadid was killed at a popular seaside promenade in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria in April. Investigators found that Tawfiq was an Islamist with an extremist background. During last month’s court session he appeared in court in a caged-off section of the room shouting “God is great” in Arabic. He attempted to recite verses from the Quran, the Muslim holy book, ...

Pope Francis Postpones Trip To DR Congo, South Sudan

11Jun

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Congo, News, Religion

Pope Francis Postpones Trip To DR Congo, South Sudan

Pope Francis has had to cancel an upcoming visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan because of a knee injury, the Vatican has announced. The head of the Catholic Church was scheduled to travel in July to the Congolese cities of Kinshasa and Goma, followed by a visit to South Sudan’s capital Juba. In Juba he was to lead a prayer vigil with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Rev Iain Greenshields. Read Also: Pope’s July Visit To Africa To Go Ahead Despite Health Issues The Vatican said the visit would take place at "a later date to be determined". The decision had been made "at the request of [the Pope's] doctors, and in order not to jeopardise the results of the therapy tha...

Owo Massacre: Terror Attack Targeted At Akeredolu, Message To South-West – Soyinka

11Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security, Terrorism

Owo Massacre: Terror Attack Targeted At Akeredolu, Message To South-West – Soyinka

Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and renowned playwright, has described the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where many worshippers were killed, as a message to the entire people of South-West. Soyinka while paying a condolence visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Friday said the terror attack was targeted at the governor who has been showing leadership in terms of internal liberation of his people, NAN reports. “He (governor) was targeted and there is no question about that. “It was not an accident and it passed a message to the rest of us. That is why I’m here. I want the governor to know that we have received the message. “We understand it and we came to sympathise with him that he was selected as a medium of that message,” Soyinka said. Re...

South African Pastor Found Guilty Of Treason, Racist Plot

7Jun

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Crime, Judiciary, News, Religion, South Africa

South African Pastor Found Guilty Of Treason, Racist Plot

A South African court has convicted a pastor of plotting to overthrow the government and to kill thousands of Black people in the country. Harry Johannes Knoesen, 61, a leader of the National Christian Resistance Movement, was on Monday found guilty of high treason, incitement to carry out violent attacks, and recruiting people to commit attacks. Knoesen’s group explored the possibility of using a biological weapon to infect and kill Black people, including the poisoning of water reservoirs supplying Black communities, according to the prosecution. Knoesen was also found guilty of unlawful possession of firearms by the Middelburg High Court. Weapons and ammunition were found when he was arrested in Middelburg, a small town in the eastern Mpumalanga province. The plot by th...

Clueless, Useless Government – Apostle Johnson Suleman Reacts To Owo Church Massacre

6Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security

Clueless, Useless Government – Apostle Johnson Suleman Reacts To Owo Church Massacre

Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries, Auchi, Edo State has branded the current government as clueless and useless for “calling known gunmen unknown.” Suleman said this while condemning the attack on innocent worshippers at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The clergyman sympathized with the families of those slain at the Owo massacre. Recall that the church was attacked on Sunday by yet to be identified gunmen, leading to the killing of scores of worshippers. Read Also: Owo Catholic Church Attack: Eternal Sorrow Awaits Perpetrators — Buhari In a tweet via his Twitter handle on Sunday evening, Suleman wrote: “It’s only a clueless and useless Government that calls known gunmen unknown. “History will never forgive privileged men who ...

Owo Catholic Church Attack: Eternal Sorrow Awaits Perpetrators — Buhari

5Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security

Owo Catholic Church Attack: Eternal Sorrow Awaits Perpetrators — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock and sadness over the heinous killing of worshippers on Sunday at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo Kingdom, in Ondo State. President Buhari in his condemnation of the dastardly act said that eternal sorrow awaits those behind killing both here on earth and in the hereafter. The President’s expression of grief was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina. President Buhari in the statement said “only fiends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such dastardly act, adding that eternal sorrow awaits them both on earth here, and ultimately in the hereafter.” Read Also: Many Killed In Ondo Catholic Church Attack He mourned the dead, ...

Many Killed In Ondo Catholic Church Attack

5Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security

Many Killed In Ondo Catholic Church Attack

Over 40 people have been reportedly killed in an attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, in Owo town, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State. It was learnt that the incident happened in the church, which is less than 200 meters away from the Palace of Olowo of Owo. Workers at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, confirmed that many people were brought in dead on Sunday. The attack was carried out during the Sunday mass, reports say. A viral online video showed some worshippers being killed and lying on the floor of the church in the pool of their own blood. One of the health workers on duty at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where the casualties were taken to said over 50 people had been brought to the hospital. He said, “They are still bringing people t...

What Kidnappers Told Us About Buhari – Methodist Prelate

1Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security

What Kidnappers Told Us About Buhari – Methodist Prelate

The Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche, who was abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers has said the criminal elements expressed anger about President Muhammadu Buhari. During a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the cleric, who said the kidnappers showed him decomposing bodies of some past victims, revealed that they are Fulani boy He said the assailants vowed that they would chew the president if he fell into their hands, saying Buhari has disappointed them. He said, “They even said that if they get Buhari, they will chew him to pieces because he had disappointed them. “We were taken into the bush and we trekked up to 15 kilometres. Eventually at 11 pm, they said we should negotiate and each of us should pay N50m, making N15...

Pope’s July Visit To Africa To Go Ahead Despite Health Issues

29May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Congo, News, Religion, Security, Violence

Pope’s July Visit To Africa To Go Ahead Despite Health Issues

Pope Francis is set to make a gruelling trip to two African countries in July despite knee problems that have forced him to use a cane and wheelchair in recent weeks. The Vatican issued a full programme on Saturday for the July 2-7 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. There had been speculation the pope's visit to Africa might be postponed, as was a trip to Lebanon scheduled for June. The 85-year-old pope has been undergoing treatment for knee pain, believed to be caused by a torn ligament. The trip's pace suggests the Vatican expects the pope's condition to improve in the next month, although officials say privately that he likely will use a wheelchair at least some of the time. The visit includes thousands of miles of travel, five flights and at least a...