Boko Haram, Brutal Violence in Northern Nigeria

New, more gory details have emerged in what was reported first as the killing of 35 Muslim worshipers and the wounding of 14 last week in the town of Dumba village in Borno State, Nigeria.

News of the tragedy was slow to emerge because area is remote and because internet and phone lines had been cut off by authorities in the attempt to disrupt the activities of the group Boko Haram, suspected of the perpetrating the massacre. It was the second such incident in this month.

This morning’s report now indicate that 44 victims had their throats slit, and the remaining victims had their eyes gouged out. The official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), speaking on the condition of anonymity explained that the group adopted this method of killing as a strategy to avoid sound from gunfire which attracts security forces.

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Religions cooperate to help Kenyans

Fractious religious groups in this East African nation are uniting to tackle alcohol and drug abuse, amid concerns the substances could wipe out a cross section of the younger generation.From Sunday schools to Islamic madrassas, the groups are providing preventative education, public awareness and life skills training. Some also offer addicts rehabilitation and psychosocial support.

Why are interfaith groups struggling?

The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington is known as one of the country’s early multi-faith groups, and its executive director’s nickname is the “dean of American interfaith.” Yet as it approaches its 35th anniversary in November, the group is fighting for survival, down to two full-time staff members and facing more than $100,000 in debt.

August, 2013 visit to India

I spent 10 days in India the beginning of August.

At first I presented a paper to the conference hosted by the Swami Narayan Sampraday at Akshardam in New Delhi

I then spent several days at the Radha Raman Temple Ashram in Vrindavan with Shri Shrivatsa Goswami and his family

I had a brief visit to a magnificent marble inlay gallery of Dinesh Chand Bansal near Mathura

Shrivatsa and I stopped at the tomb of Moghul emperor Akbar on the way back home

I briefly stopped at Gobind Sadan, founded by Baba Virsa Singh, to visit devotee and author Mary Pat Fischer

Here below are some images from my time

Conference with the Swaminarayan Sampraday at Akshardam, New Delhi

Conference with the Swaminarayan Sampraday, at Akshardam, New Delhi by Frank Kaufmann

Here is the paper presented at the conference: http://bit.ly/164J38U