PLURALISM

It's Obama time, and there is something wonderful in the air - the celebration of multiculturalism. The fact that more and more couples of different faiths and cultures are intermarrying is undeniable. An estimated one third of today's marriages are mixed unions. Over my 12 plus years as an interfaith minister and counselor for intermarrying couples and their families, I have seen some dramatic changes. I see a greater acceptance of such unions simply for the reason that they are not so novel anymore.

Does religion really matters when it comes to marriage? Can it make two souls become one as well? Does it work for a Catholic and an Islam? Most of the time, religion is one of the reasons why some relationship don't work. Let's talk about Annie and John's love story. Annie's parents are devout catholic and John's are a devout Islam. Both have strong convictions on what they believe in and no one wanted to give up on their faith. Yet for two souls with different faith and beliefs to be married as one is something to really work hard for to make it work.

One of the main reasons why the British Army is considered to be the best in the world is due to its regimental system, established and perpetuated for hundreds of years because it works. At the heart of it is esprit de corps, a sense of comradeship, loyalty to a cause and each other, a bond that can be stronger even than the bond of family.

Culture of a clan is based on the rituals followed in the clan and one such great ritual is marriage. The culture of a community or language clan could be very easily identified if one could attend their marriage and check out all the proceedings they follow during the marriage. Indian culture has always involved grandiose traditions, religious depiction and social values insisting unity. The colours and art in a culture could widely be seen during the festival times. Marathi people live, majorly in Maharashtra, which is the third largest state in India, and has the second largest population in India. It has varied customs and traditions yet the culture of the Marathi people have not changed or deteriorated over time. However, there were many traditions changed to accommodate the new fashions.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and has travelled extensively around the world offering the message of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama was born in the small Tibetan village of Takster in Northern Tibet. His original name being Tenzin Gyatso. At the age of 2 Tenzin was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. Thus from an early age the Dalai Lama spent many years studying Tibetan scriptures and he completed a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy by the age of 25. The Dalai Lama means Ocean of Wisdom. Lama also means "Guru" or teacher. The Dalai Lama's are believed to be reincarnations of the Bodhisattva of compassion. These are beings who choose to reincarnate to serve humanity. As the Dalai Lama says himself. "The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes....

Palestinian Cultural Heritage is not limited to a specific religious group or chronological framework like most source countries of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It encompasses an incredible diachronic and multi-cultural spectrum of cultural expressions. This ranges from tangible cultural heritage, which includes: movable cultural heritage (paintings, sculptures, coins, manuscripts) immovable cultural heritage (monuments, archaeological sites) And also encompasses intangible cultural heritage expressed through: oral traditions, performing arts, rituals As well as natural heritage seen in: natural sites with cultural aspects such as cultural landscapes, physical, biological or geological formations This cultural wealth is embedded in Palestinian identity through the ages. Its rich past can be visualised as a mosaic of colourful little stones, each with its function and place; it is the result of religious variety and a strong diachronic and omnipresent multi-c...

Miami-Dade police are not saying if a body found in Biscayne Bay is that of a man who went missing after he fell or was pushed off a boat near the Broad Causeway Sunday night. The man’s body was spotted floating in Pelican Harbor early Tuesday morning. Police say it will be up to the Medical Examiner to confirm that the body is that of 22-year-old Domingo Vilalta. A homicide investigation was launched into Vilalta’s disappearance following reports that he might have been pushed off the boat. “They pushed him off the boat on purpose,” Jennexis Castranos, the victim’s cousin said. “They were having a discussion and they pushed him off.” It happened around 8:20 p.m. According to investigators, Domingo Vilalta was out on the water with a group of people who were partying in two boats off the Broad Causeway. As the vessels departed, they noticed that Vilalta was missing; both boats returned and searched the area. But they couldn’t find Domingo Vilalta. Several Miami-Dade Fire Rescue an...