OPINIONS - 2023
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Pakistani Christians in USA not doing enough to stop abduction & FORCED conversion of minorities including their minor girls in Pakistan. By Hem Raj Jain

The minorities in Pakistan should stop complaining about conversion (ii)- PAkistani Christians in the USA  should not only support conversion by free choice but should also try to convert the majority  population of Pakistan and India to Christianity (iii)- The ARBUSChr should

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Which Islam Are the Taliban Serving? By Manish Rai

In December 2022, the Taliban banned women from attending universities under the pretext of Sharia. Since then I thought to dig deep into this to find out the religious credentials of this ban. As I am not a Islamic scholar, to understand sharia take on women's education. I thought of approac

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Why US president Biden has keen interest in strengthening ties with Bangladesh? By John Rozario

The United States recently released a report on the human rights situation on 198 countries in 2022. The country’s state department made various allegations of human rights violations against Bangladesh.



Bangladesh is experiencing a number of difficulties as a result of global pri

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The Transformative Power of Forgiveness in Christian Discipleship. By William Gomes

In this article, I argue for the centrality of forgiveness in Christian discipleship by examining its proactive nature, its role in developing a life of action and freedom, and its extreme contrast to worldly norms and ideals.



The forgiveness of sins is not simply granted in response to

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Remembering Jalil Andrabi on his 27th death anniversary. By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai

“Today is the 27th anniversary of Jalil Andrabi, a person of deep judicial insight and former Chairman of Kashmir Commission of Jurists. He was detained by Major Avtar Singh of the 35th Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army on March 8, 1996, and later his dead body was seen floating in the Ri

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The conundrum of TB, tobacco use and NCDs in Asia Pacify. By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

 Asia Pacific region had over 6.7 million new TB cases and over 883,000 people died of TB in 2021, as per the latest Global TB Report of the World Health Organization (WHO). The top 5 biggest risk factors that caused TB disease in 2021 in Asia Pacific region were undernourishment (1.2 millio

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Can Bangladesh-Bhutan Trade diplomacy ensure a win-win for both parties? By Jubeda Chowdhry

On March 22 Bhutan and Bangladesh inked a transit deal in Thimpu, the capital city of Bhutan to ease further bilateral trades between the two countries. It is good news for many reasons. Bhutan was the first country in the world that recognized Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign country f

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Will lessons from COVID-19 and TB vaccine rollout improve pandemic preparedness and health security? By ODE UDUU, SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

 TB high burden countries India and Nigeria both have had decades of experience in rolling out the TB vaccine. Both nations were successful (even if not ideal) in reaching out to a large part of their populations with COVID-19 vaccination. Are there any lessons that we can learn from this ex

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The Transformative Power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: An Exploration of the Spiritual Renewal it Bring. By William Gomes

The sacrament of reconciliation, also known as confession or penance, is a vital component of the Catholic faith. According to Church teachings, confession is a sacrament of healing, allowing individuals to experience God's mercy and forgiveness. This article explores the transformative power

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india-Bangladesh-Myanmar-Thailand Quadrilateral Cooperation. By Jubeda Chowdhury

Bangladesh is interested in joining the Myanmar-India-Thailand connectivity project. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said this after the third Foreign Office Consultation took place between Bangladesh and Thailand in Dhaka on Tuesday. India and Thailand have agreed to include Bangladesh in the

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Blunting of AIDS epidemic: It's time for zero-complacency and stronger action. By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

 After over 42 years when HIV virus was first detected, the fight against AIDS has indeed come a long way. Ending AIDS by 2030 means that every person globally has access to full spectrum of combination prevention options to protect oneself from HIV, all people living with HIV know their sta

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Is HIV self-test among the missing links to reach the #endAIDS goal? By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

Almost half the countries worldwide have not yet included HIV self-test in their AIDS response. Only one-fourth of all nations globally do HIV self-test routinely. This is despite the strong evidence which exists not only for HIV self-test, but also how self-tests for COVID-19, diabetes, or pregn

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Is Myanmar military's best option to tack back Rohingyas from Bangladesh? By DR Arpita Hazarika

It has been nearly six years since the mass exodus of Rohingya refugees from Rakhine State; hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya had to flee their homes in the wake of the Myanmar army's brutal attempt at genocide -- with them eventually finding solace and shelter within the borders of Bangl

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Why Myanmar delegates in Bangladesh? By Sufian Siddique

A 22-member delegation from Myanmar has reached Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar to observe the preparations for the repatriation of Rohingyas.



They arrived at Teknaf Jetty Ghat by speed boat across the Naf River after 10am on Wednesday from Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

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Unpacking the Symbolism and Meaning of the Stations of the Cross for Christians. By William Gomes

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, is a traditional Catholic devotion that commemorates the events leading up to Jesus Christ's crucifixion. Originating in medieval Europe, this practice gained popularity during the Counter-Reformation period of the 16th and 17th c

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Open letter from 40 world leaders on behalf of Yunus: Paper can't cover up flames. By Mashrur Siddique Bhuiyan

The name, Nobel laureate professor Dr. Yunus, is again being discussed in the media. Recently, 40 global personalities wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, expressing concern about the health and safety of Professor Yunus. In the letter, the dignitaries claimed that Professor

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Finding Hope in Unexpected Places: Discovering the Story of the Woman at the Well. By William Gomes

Although being marked by discrimination and marginalisation, the story of the Woman at the Well is a fascinating illustration of the power of hope and transformation in unanticipated circumstances. This account raises the question of what lessons may be learned from Jesus' meeting with the Sa

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Will shorter, safer and more effective TB regimen reach those in need? By SHOBHA SHUKLA

 "Patients in India and other countries are falling ill with drug-resistant TB every day. We believe these patients should not have to wait, they need better treatments today – not one or few years down the line. We have the data and strong scientific evidence to show why shorter,

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India-Egyptian relations are now Strategic: Indian Envoy. By Manish Rai

 Ambassador Ajit Gupte a senior diplomat from Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is currently serving as the Indian Ambassador to Egypt. We are presently witnessing a deepening of Indo-Egyptian ties as was evident from the recent visit of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to New Delhi as

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Myanmar-Bangladesh: US aid announcement reminds of need for more Rohingya aid .By Sufian Siddique

Human rights groups and agencies have expressed alarm at the widening funding gap. WFP's move alone to cut food rations will add significant pressure, said John Quinley of the human rights group Fortify Rights. "The [latest] cuts on food aid will be dire and could lead to significant hea

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We cannot end TB if we leave the older people behind. By SHOBHA SHUKLA

Despite an alarming TB burden among the older people, programmatic response to address it is far from optimal, said Dr Vijay Kumar Arora, Chairperson of TB Association of India, who is also the Chairperson of Southeast Asia region of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)

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Italy: Women pay the price for open borders, but everyone suffers. By Dr. Ashraf Ramelah

Although these days we rarely hear the major news outlets reporting on the status of Middle Eastern illegals crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy and other western countries, there are yet continual arrivals of illegitimate and overcrowded boats, which negatively impact the host nations. Whi

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Bangladesh needs Qatar in tackling its energy crisis. By Jubeda Chowdhry

Bangladesh and Qatar have continuous cooperation in several bilateral aspects including labor migration (8 Lakh Bangladeshi workers and USD 1.3 Billion remittances), Energy cooperation (15 years’ G-2-G LNG agreement), and continuous aid to Rohingya. It continues to buy liquefied natural gas

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When disease burden is low, why COVID-19 continues to be a pandemic? By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

On 30 January 2023, three years after the WHO had first declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO announced that COVID-19 continues to be a public health emergency of international concern.



 "While the virus is still circulating in our po

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Afghanistan’s prospects for 2023 - Article by Mr. Tim Foxley

Summary: In 2022, Afghanistan suffered a turbulent year in the aftermath of the Taliban’s armed takeover in August 2021. The security situation is still volatile.  The country is affected by extensive humanitarian and economic crises. A repressive and unrecognised Taliban regime i

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Prez Biden failed to rope-in India for global order because couldn’t call off the bluff of India about its three bogus excuses involving Russia.. By Hem Raj Jain

Prez Biden being a good Christian should  take mercy on acutely suffering Christian Ukrainians (B)- Failure of apathetic Biden administration is glaring especially when three excuses  (involving Russia) given  by India  are bogus namely (i)- Political suppo

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'Electricity collaboration' diplomacy in BBIN countries. By Jubeda Chowdhry

'Alone we can do very little; Together we can do so much'. These words of the American writer Helen Keller are remarkably appropriate in the context of electricity for South Asian countries. Despite the huge potential, very little cooperation between countries in the region has been reali

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It is time to get back to basics if we are to end TB. By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

TB Day theme is #WeCanEndTB. However, many nations in the global north were successful in eliminating TB as a public health threat many decades back.



 "We can end TB in India and many other high burden nations. It is achievable – we have achieved this milestone in countr

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The role of expatriates in socio-economic development in Bangladesh. By Phatik Hasan

The economy of Bangladesh is gradually improving. As a result of the increase in the country's GDP, the per capita income has increased and the standard of living is improving as compared to before. Although the economic momentum has been somewhat hampered in the past few years due to the cor

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The Gaze of Mary: A Journey into Deeper Love for Jesus and the Catholic Church. By William Gomes

The most profound and transformative thing I have ever encountered is Mary's Gaze; it has eternally transformed my life for the better, and Mary has connected me to her son Jesus.



It is difficult for me to explain what the Gaze of Mary means; for me, the Gaze of Mary represents the

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Smoking rates decline in Cambodia but challenges remain to #endTobacco. By SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

 New study findings show that the number of tobacco smokers in Cambodia has declined by one-fifth during the 2014-2021 period. However, to end tobacco use which remains the single largest preventable cause of diseases and untimely deaths, stronger urgent actions are needed in Cambodia, and g

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The Djinn of vaccine hesitancy: Is it still out? BY ODE UDUU, SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT

 It was a busy day for Usman Mu’azu Yusuf as he negotiated with customers at his shop in the Nasarawa GRA area of Kano, Kano State, in Nigeria. The proximity between him and his customers was well less than the one-metre stipulated for the COVID-19 safety protocols.



 All

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Why Indian Deobandis Are Quiet on Women's Education Ban?; By Manish Rai

It seems that Darul Uloom, Deoband, one of the most important and influential schools of Islamic Studies especially in South Asia, doesn't have any time to shed light on women's education. I submitted multiple requests through the online fatwa portal and email correspondence to Darul Uloo

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Christian woman has acid thrown over face after refusing romantic advance of Muslim neighbour

London: (Hannah Chowdry and Juliet Chowdhry) A young Christian woman of only 19 years of age had acid thrown onto her face in response to rejection of the romantic advances of a Muslim man.



The young nurse was being harassed by her Muslim neighbour for several years and her siblings had

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Prez Biden faces historic challenge to convert Iran from Ayatollah model of governance to liberal secular democracy in Iran. By Hem Raj Jain

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Shadow pandemic: Gender-based violence is one of the biggest human rights violations. By SHOBHA SHUKLA

 Although the world gave unprecedented attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it has long ignored paying heed to one of the most widespread violations of human rights globally: sexual and other forms of gender-based violence – a shadow pandemic that has been menacingly lurking since l

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Baloch People's Patience Running Out; By Manish Rai

Balochistan Pakistan’s largest province in terms of area has been rocked by the massive protests and sit-in demonstrations for quite a time now. The “Haq Do Tehreek” (Give rights Movement) leader Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman was arrested and sent to police remand by an anti-terrori

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Whither women's reproductive health in Asia Pacific. By SHOBHA SHUKLA

 While the world has made many advancements in healthcare, millions of women and girls in low- and low-middle income countries are still far away from having bodily autonomy and are not able to make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health. Even in countries like Tai

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Why India, Myanmar, Bangladesh need to pursue 'trilateral cooperation' strategy? By Jubedda Chowdhury

CONNECTIVITY is the cornerstone of any regional economic cooperation and integration. The effectiveness of regional networks in facilitating the flow of goods, services, people and knowledge can be defined as regional connectedness. Countries can benefit from regional and sub-regional cooperation

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Again out of un-Islamic cowardice Indian Muslims not moving SCI for taking cognizance of BBC documentary on allegedly questionable role of Modi about 2002 Gujarat riots. By Hem Raj Jain

GUJarati Muslims (Victims of 2002 communal rights should take advantage of BBC documentaries.   (ii)- In view of  publicized clean chit by SCI to the then CM Modi about 2002 Gujarat riots the SCI is legally bound to take such cognizance for restoring credibility of the SC

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Do Myanmar, Bangladesh need conduct joint military exercise more and more? By Sufian Siddique

A joint military exercise was conducted by Border Guard Bangladesh-BGB and Myanmar Border Guard Force-BGP at Naf River in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar. This exercise lasted from Tuesday morning to noon.



BGB Teknaf 2 Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar gave this infor

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For initiation of Indo-Pak dialogue the facilitator UAE can ask leaders of J&K on both side to open office in UAE to insist on IoA-mandated-plebiscite in united-J&K. By Hem Raj Jain

Ref:- (i)- Like Afghan Taliban (in US-Taliban talks) the UAE should involve  main interested party the leaders of J&K (from both sides with office in UAE) in Indo-PAk dialogue (ii)- UAE can involve OIC,(concerned about unresolved Kashmir problem)   Saudi Arabia and th

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Pulak Sagar ji maharaj should know Jains foolishly supported Hindus on Ram Mandir by destroying rule-of -law hence now Jains suffering defilement by State of main Jain Teerth ‘Sammed Shikhar ji’. By Hem Raj Jain

Pulak Sagar ji maharaj should know Jainism will get justice about their prominent Teerths (Pilgrim centers) only  through rule-of law and not by agitations. 



In popular perception there are two religions based on non-violence namely Jainism and Buddhism  and peo

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instead of sending SOS, Ukrainian-Orthodox Christianity should request the US-Orthodox Christianity to end Ukraine war satisfactorily, through the military power of new participatory global body led by the USA,. By Hem Raj Jain

Without patronizing a political party in the USA, the US-Orthodox Christianity can’t realize this mission. 



One can understand the expressed fear of Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk of potential Russian attacks on churches located within occupied territori

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Why Anti-Taliban Resistance Should be Supported. By Manish Rai

Recently the Taliban have ordered an indefinite ban on university education for the country’s women, the ministry of higher education said in a letter issued to all government and private universities. Before this drastic decision last year, The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was dissolv

"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com