Why homeless Britons are turning to the Sikh community for food

Homeless people in the UK are getting free meals thanks to a centuries-old Sikh tradition. Why, asks Rajeev Gupta.

"We come here because we get food... A hot meal. It's a luxury for me." John Davidson is 55 and homeless. He is one of 250 people who have just received a hand-out of hot soup, drinks, chocolate bars and other supplies from the Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team van parked up on the Strand in central London on a cold Sunday evening. The Swat team, as they're known, park at the same spot every week so a group of volunteers from the Sikh community can hand out vital supplies. Homeless people, who overwhelmingly are not Sikh, patiently wait in line to be served.

For the volunteers handing out food here, this is more than just good charitable work. For them this is a religious duty enshrined by the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, over 500 years ago.


More at BBC, RT.

Muslim Chechen boys Movsar Zyamaev and Rustam Daudov tried to stop Anders Behring Breivik’s Utøya massacre

Two Chechen youths did their best to save children’s lives from the terrorist rampage.

When 32-year-old Anders Breivik started killing people at a youth camp on July 22, three teenagers reportedly made an attempt to stop him by throwing stones at the murderer, but once one of them was shot dead, the other two had to retreat in order to save their own lives.

Seventeen-year-old Movsar Zyamaev and 16-year-old Rustam Daudov not only survived the massacre, but also managed to save many innocent lives and even attacked Breivik, pelting him from behind with stones, reports Norway’s Dagbladet newspaper.

When they first saw a shouting man who was running after a group of youths, they at first thought it was a joke, but after they witnessed the man shooting three people dead, including one of their friends, they retreated to the woods.

Some time after that, a man dressed in police uniform appeared and called them to come to him, but Movsar and Rustam chose to stay where they were  – only to see how the man, who was none other than Anders Breivik, shoot on the spot those who were trusting and unfortunate enough to approach him.

Movsar called his father, who instructed his son to stay calm, help others and try to stop the killer somehow – which the boys attempted without much luck, though reportedly one stone did hit Breivik’s head, making the latter curse the teenager who did it.

Once the teenagers understood they were unable to neutralize the terrorist, Movsar and Rustam began to gather those who had so far escaped the massacre into a sort of cave they discovered near the shoreline. Thus, they managed to save 23 people; three of whom were pulled out of the water by Movsar, who rightly considered they would not make it to the far shore because the water was too cold.

More from rt.com NBC.

More than 1,000 Muslims form 'peace ring' around Oslo synagogue

Norwegian Muslims create a human peace ring around a synagogue
in Oslo, Norway, on February 21, 2015 (AFP Photo/Fredrik Varfjell)

REUTERS - More than 1,000 Muslims formed a human shield around Oslo's synagogue on Saturday, offering symbolic protection for the city's Jewish community and condemning an attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark last weekend.

Chanting "No to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia," Norway's Muslims formed what they called a ring of peace a week after Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a Danish-born son of Palestinian immigrants, killed two people at a synagogue and an event promoting free speech in Copenhagen last weekend.

Source: http://haaretz.com

Norwegian Muslims volunteer to protect synagogue

In the wake of a deadly shooting attack at a synagogue in Denmark last week, a group of Norwegian Muslims intends to hold an anti-violence demonstration at an Oslo synagogue this coming weekend by forming a “peace ring” around the building.

One of the event organizers, 17-year-old Hajrad Arshad, explained that the intention was to make a clear statement that Muslims don’t support anti-Semitism.

Read more HERE.

Faith leaders show solidarity after US Islamic school defaced

Jews, Christians and Muslims say Rhode Island community won't be divided by whoever tagged local school with offensive graffiti. (Associated Press and ynetnews.com
The community won't be divided by whoever tagged the Islamic School of Rhode Island with offensive graffiti, local faith leaders said Tuesday. [...] Mufti Ikram, the resident imam in North Smithfield, said the person responsible "failed miserably" because "we stand together as a community in our prayers, and we stand shoulder to shoulder." [...] More than 20 faith leaders and law enforcement officials gathered at the school Tuesday in a show of solidarity. Rabbi Sarah Mack, president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, said local Muslims have supported the Jewish community during trying times so she wanted to do the same.

RESTORING FAITH IN HUMANITY