Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Real Story
Once up ona time there was a country. The country occupied second place in the world in population.It occupes 7th largest in the world.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
India: Glimmers of hope
India: Glimmers of hope
On November 13, the state of Andhra Pradesh in India signed an order
to accommodate the financial interests of Christians. This significant
mercy is notable, considering the ongoing persecution in neighboring
Orissa.
The new legislation was created in response to several Christian pleas
to the government over the course of a decade. Despite the fact that
80 percent of Christians in the state live in poverty, they have only
now been given the opportunity to share a piece in the welfare
system.
It is not an uncommon practice in India to provide welfare by allowing
the poor to receive low interest rate government loans to be paid off.
Not only are these Christians poor, but they are an extreme minority,
representing only 1.6 percent of the Andhra Pradesh population, while
Muslims account for 9.2 percent and Hindus for 89 percent. As a result
of new law, the Christian minority will be able to obtain cheaper
loans, thus giving them an opportunity to maintain quality of life
while still being responsible for payments.
Christian leaders in the state have praised God for the order which,
although just, was rather unexpected. Andhra Pradesh borders the state
of Orissa in which dozens of Christians have been murdered in the past
few months. Believers have fled their houses, have lost family members
and have watched their belongings burn just meters away from an area
that is now allowing Christians the opportunity to have better lives.
As minimal as this new order may be, it is ironically a glorious mercy
to believers considering their treatment elsewhere.
The hope now is that this initiative will catch on. If nothing else,
the government of Orissa will take note that their southern neighbors
are subtly disagreeing with their treatment of minority Christians.
Pray that this may be the beginning to the end of the life -
threatening persecution of Christ followers in India.
INDIA: NEWS BRIEFS
Recent Incidents of Persecution
Karnataka, November 18
Police on Nov. 16 arrested a pastor and charged him with “hurting
religious sentiments” in Vangasandra, Hosur Road, Bangalore, after a
mob of Hindu extremists stormed into his house church service and
struck him. Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global
Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said that at 11 a.m. a mob of
nearly 25 Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) barged into the house
church service and repeatedly slapped the pastor, identified only as
Sujnanamm, and shouted filthy curses at the 15 other Christians
present.
Laxminarayan Gowda, GCIC regional coordinator, told us that the
extremists beat one of the Christians who tried to help the pastor.
The intolerant Hindus forced Pastor Sujnanamm, with his nose bleeding,
to go with them to the Madivala police station and registered a false
complaint of forcible conversion against him, Gowda said. “On being
questioned about his Christian activities, Sujnanamm told the police
that he was a student at BBBC [Bhirian Baptist Bible College],” Gowda
said. “This angered the police, who summoned the Rev. Edwin Chilli,
president of the BBBC, to the police station and charged him under
Section 506 for criminal intimidation.” At press time both Christian
leaders were still in jail.
Karnataka
Police arrested three Christians on Nov. 12 on charges of attempted
Christian conversion by allurement in Cox Town, Bangalore. The Global
Council of Indian Christians reported that a Christian man identified
only as Chandrasekhar and two Christian women, identified only as
Kamlamma and Sandhya, all of Pavithra Agni Church, went to a slum area
in Jeevanahalli to pray for a sick couple. On their way back home,
nearly 20 Hindu extremists belonging to the Hindu extremist Rashtriya
Swamyamsevak Sangh attacked them, snatched their bags, verbally abused
them and falsely accused them of forcible conversion, then phoned a
local police station.
The Frazer Town Police took the three Christians to the police station
and arrested them for “hurting religious sentiments” and “uttering
words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any
person.” The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) reported that an
employer of the slum dwellers identified only as Mr. Gowda also filed
a complaint against the Christians for allegedly inducing people to
convert to Christianity by fraudulent means. The two women were
remanded to custody, and Chandrasekhar was sent to a jail the next
day. The three Christians appeared in court on Nov. 13 and were
ordered to remain in police custody till Nov. 28, according to the
EFI.
Karnataka
Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) on Nov. 9 falsely accused a
pastor of forced conversion, beat him and verbally abused Christian
women in Banavara, Arasikere Taluk, Hassan district. The Global
Council of Indian Christians reported that pastor Ravi Charles of
Jesus Prayer Hall was summoned to perform the funeral service of a
church member, a convert from Hinduism identified only as Girijama.
As the pastor, his wife and other Christians reached the house of the
deceased, an argument broke out among family members on whether the
funeral was to proceed under Christian or Hindu rites. Hindu relatives
informed VHP extremists. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reported
that the VHP extremists arrived, accused the pastor of forced
conversion and started beating him, as well as verbally abusing the
Christian women. The extremists called police, who detained them for
four hours and released them without charges.
Karnataka
Police on Nov. 4 arrested Benjamin Bommai, 52, of the Manonidhi
Institute of Nursing (MIN) in Chamarajanagar district, on charges of
forced conversion. MIN Manager Shailaja Krupanidhi told us that police
summoned Bommai for questioning regarding a case filed by Hindu
extremists from the Bajrang Dal in 2006 for distributing gospel tracts
at Manonidhi College.
The extremists had charged Bommai with trying to forcibly convert
students. “On Nov. 4, Bommai was only called for enquiry – he did not
distribute tracts or anything, but police arrested him,” said
Krupanidhi. Bommai appeared before the district magistrate and was
later sent to the Chamrajanagar jail. The Evangelical Fellowship of
India reported that police arrested Bommai for promoting enmity
between different groups of religion under Section 153A of the Indian
Penal Code. “Bommai was released on bail the next evening,” said
Krupanidhi.
Uttarakhand
Hindu extremists vandalized a church, severely injured a pastor’s ear
drum and stole donation and offering bags on Nov. 3 in Dehradun.
According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, about 30 Hindu
extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal barged
into the worship hall of Bethesda Church and damaged Bibles and gospel
literature and furniture. The assailants took the church’s offering
and donation boxes along with important papers.
The extremists also attacked Asher Wasker, a pastor from God’s Church
in neighboring Rajpur, who had come to the aid of the attacked church.
Pastor Wasker suffered internal injuries and his right ear drum was
severely injured. Bethesda Church’s caretaker and Pastor Wasker filed
a complaint with the help of area Christian leaders, and three Hindu
extremists were arrested for voluntarily causing hurt and damage, for
trespassing and wrongful restraint, for theft and for defiling a place
of worship.
Karnataka
Police on Nov. 2 disrupted the Sunday worship service of a house
church in Thimannakatte village, Haveri district, based on an
accusation of forced conversion. According to the Christian Legal
Association, police barged into the house church of the Dheiwah
Ministry because villagers had accused pastor Rangaiah Nagaraj of
forcible conversion.
Police warned the pastor to obtain prior permission in order to
conduct future worship meetings. But Inspector Krishan Junoor later
said the pastor could continue to conduct worship meetings under
police protection, adding that normalcy had returned to the area. No
arrests had been made.
Andhra Pradesh
Nizambad district police detained a pastor for one-and-a-half days on
a complaint of forced conversion filed against him by Hindu extremists
on Oct. 24 in Nandipet Mandal, Nizambad. The Global Council of Indian
Christians reported that at about 8 a.m., 20 Hindu extremists from the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh barged into the house of pastor Martin Luther of
Believers Church and attacked him, dragging him to the police station
and accusing him of forcible conversion. The pastor was released after
local Christian leaders met with Sub-Inspector Shiva Shankar.
Madhya Pradesh
Police on Oct. 12 arrested a pastor on charges of “fraudulent
conversion” in Dhamnod town, Dhar District. The Global Council of
Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that a complaint from a local
resident led police to raid pastor Ganesh Bharud’s house church, seize
Bibles, hymnals and gospel tracts, chase away the 25 Christians
assembled for Sunday worship and force Bharud to the Dhamnod police
station. A GCIC representative told us that the local resident had
accused Bharud of inducing people to convert with false promises of an
overseas job. Police officials said that Bharud was released on bail
on Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m.
On November 13, the state of Andhra Pradesh in India signed an order
to accommodate the financial interests of Christians. This significant
mercy is notable, considering the ongoing persecution in neighboring
Orissa.
The new legislation was created in response to several Christian pleas
to the government over the course of a decade. Despite the fact that
80 percent of Christians in the state live in poverty, they have only
now been given the opportunity to share a piece in the welfare
system.
It is not an uncommon practice in India to provide welfare by allowing
the poor to receive low interest rate government loans to be paid off.
Not only are these Christians poor, but they are an extreme minority,
representing only 1.6 percent of the Andhra Pradesh population, while
Muslims account for 9.2 percent and Hindus for 89 percent. As a result
of new law, the Christian minority will be able to obtain cheaper
loans, thus giving them an opportunity to maintain quality of life
while still being responsible for payments.
Christian leaders in the state have praised God for the order which,
although just, was rather unexpected. Andhra Pradesh borders the state
of Orissa in which dozens of Christians have been murdered in the past
few months. Believers have fled their houses, have lost family members
and have watched their belongings burn just meters away from an area
that is now allowing Christians the opportunity to have better lives.
As minimal as this new order may be, it is ironically a glorious mercy
to believers considering their treatment elsewhere.
The hope now is that this initiative will catch on. If nothing else,
the government of Orissa will take note that their southern neighbors
are subtly disagreeing with their treatment of minority Christians.
Pray that this may be the beginning to the end of the life -
threatening persecution of Christ followers in India.
INDIA: NEWS BRIEFS
Recent Incidents of Persecution
Karnataka, November 18
Police on Nov. 16 arrested a pastor and charged him with “hurting
religious sentiments” in Vangasandra, Hosur Road, Bangalore, after a
mob of Hindu extremists stormed into his house church service and
struck him. Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global
Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said that at 11 a.m. a mob of
nearly 25 Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) barged into the house
church service and repeatedly slapped the pastor, identified only as
Sujnanamm, and shouted filthy curses at the 15 other Christians
present.
Laxminarayan Gowda, GCIC regional coordinator, told us that the
extremists beat one of the Christians who tried to help the pastor.
The intolerant Hindus forced Pastor Sujnanamm, with his nose bleeding,
to go with them to the Madivala police station and registered a false
complaint of forcible conversion against him, Gowda said. “On being
questioned about his Christian activities, Sujnanamm told the police
that he was a student at BBBC [Bhirian Baptist Bible College],” Gowda
said. “This angered the police, who summoned the Rev. Edwin Chilli,
president of the BBBC, to the police station and charged him under
Section 506 for criminal intimidation.” At press time both Christian
leaders were still in jail.
Karnataka
Police arrested three Christians on Nov. 12 on charges of attempted
Christian conversion by allurement in Cox Town, Bangalore. The Global
Council of Indian Christians reported that a Christian man identified
only as Chandrasekhar and two Christian women, identified only as
Kamlamma and Sandhya, all of Pavithra Agni Church, went to a slum area
in Jeevanahalli to pray for a sick couple. On their way back home,
nearly 20 Hindu extremists belonging to the Hindu extremist Rashtriya
Swamyamsevak Sangh attacked them, snatched their bags, verbally abused
them and falsely accused them of forcible conversion, then phoned a
local police station.
The Frazer Town Police took the three Christians to the police station
and arrested them for “hurting religious sentiments” and “uttering
words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any
person.” The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) reported that an
employer of the slum dwellers identified only as Mr. Gowda also filed
a complaint against the Christians for allegedly inducing people to
convert to Christianity by fraudulent means. The two women were
remanded to custody, and Chandrasekhar was sent to a jail the next
day. The three Christians appeared in court on Nov. 13 and were
ordered to remain in police custody till Nov. 28, according to the
EFI.
Karnataka
Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) on Nov. 9 falsely accused a
pastor of forced conversion, beat him and verbally abused Christian
women in Banavara, Arasikere Taluk, Hassan district. The Global
Council of Indian Christians reported that pastor Ravi Charles of
Jesus Prayer Hall was summoned to perform the funeral service of a
church member, a convert from Hinduism identified only as Girijama.
As the pastor, his wife and other Christians reached the house of the
deceased, an argument broke out among family members on whether the
funeral was to proceed under Christian or Hindu rites. Hindu relatives
informed VHP extremists. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reported
that the VHP extremists arrived, accused the pastor of forced
conversion and started beating him, as well as verbally abusing the
Christian women. The extremists called police, who detained them for
four hours and released them without charges.
Karnataka
Police on Nov. 4 arrested Benjamin Bommai, 52, of the Manonidhi
Institute of Nursing (MIN) in Chamarajanagar district, on charges of
forced conversion. MIN Manager Shailaja Krupanidhi told us that police
summoned Bommai for questioning regarding a case filed by Hindu
extremists from the Bajrang Dal in 2006 for distributing gospel tracts
at Manonidhi College.
The extremists had charged Bommai with trying to forcibly convert
students. “On Nov. 4, Bommai was only called for enquiry – he did not
distribute tracts or anything, but police arrested him,” said
Krupanidhi. Bommai appeared before the district magistrate and was
later sent to the Chamrajanagar jail. The Evangelical Fellowship of
India reported that police arrested Bommai for promoting enmity
between different groups of religion under Section 153A of the Indian
Penal Code. “Bommai was released on bail the next evening,” said
Krupanidhi.
Uttarakhand
Hindu extremists vandalized a church, severely injured a pastor’s ear
drum and stole donation and offering bags on Nov. 3 in Dehradun.
According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, about 30 Hindu
extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal barged
into the worship hall of Bethesda Church and damaged Bibles and gospel
literature and furniture. The assailants took the church’s offering
and donation boxes along with important papers.
The extremists also attacked Asher Wasker, a pastor from God’s Church
in neighboring Rajpur, who had come to the aid of the attacked church.
Pastor Wasker suffered internal injuries and his right ear drum was
severely injured. Bethesda Church’s caretaker and Pastor Wasker filed
a complaint with the help of area Christian leaders, and three Hindu
extremists were arrested for voluntarily causing hurt and damage, for
trespassing and wrongful restraint, for theft and for defiling a place
of worship.
Karnataka
Police on Nov. 2 disrupted the Sunday worship service of a house
church in Thimannakatte village, Haveri district, based on an
accusation of forced conversion. According to the Christian Legal
Association, police barged into the house church of the Dheiwah
Ministry because villagers had accused pastor Rangaiah Nagaraj of
forcible conversion.
Police warned the pastor to obtain prior permission in order to
conduct future worship meetings. But Inspector Krishan Junoor later
said the pastor could continue to conduct worship meetings under
police protection, adding that normalcy had returned to the area. No
arrests had been made.
Andhra Pradesh
Nizambad district police detained a pastor for one-and-a-half days on
a complaint of forced conversion filed against him by Hindu extremists
on Oct. 24 in Nandipet Mandal, Nizambad. The Global Council of Indian
Christians reported that at about 8 a.m., 20 Hindu extremists from the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh barged into the house of pastor Martin Luther of
Believers Church and attacked him, dragging him to the police station
and accusing him of forcible conversion. The pastor was released after
local Christian leaders met with Sub-Inspector Shiva Shankar.
Madhya Pradesh
Police on Oct. 12 arrested a pastor on charges of “fraudulent
conversion” in Dhamnod town, Dhar District. The Global Council of
Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that a complaint from a local
resident led police to raid pastor Ganesh Bharud’s house church, seize
Bibles, hymnals and gospel tracts, chase away the 25 Christians
assembled for Sunday worship and force Bharud to the Dhamnod police
station. A GCIC representative told us that the local resident had
accused Bharud of inducing people to convert with false promises of an
overseas job. Police officials said that Bharud was released on bail
on Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m.
CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA FEAR VIOLENT CHRISTMAS
INDIA: CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA FEAR VIOLENT CHRISTMAS
Hindu extremists move to stop yuletide celebrations as suffering in
Kandhamal continues.
Christians in Orissa state are anticipating Christmas with fear as
Hindu extremists have called for a state-wide bandh, or forced shut-
down on all sectors of society, on Dec. 25 – a move that could provide
Hindu extremists the pretext for attacking anyone publicly celebrating
the birth of Christ. The state’s chief minister has said there should
be no such shut-down but stopped short of prohibiting the Hindu
extremists’ plan, and the Hindu extremist umbrella organization Sangh
Parivar has vowed to press ahead with it, reported newspaper Outlook
India on Nov. 20.
Though such shut-downs were declared illegal by India’s Supreme Court
in 1998, the president of the Laxmanananda Saraswati Condolence
Society (SLSSS) sent a threatening notice to the Orissa government on
Nov. 15, warning that the Hindu extremist group would impose a bandh
on Christmas unless the state government arrested those who murdered
Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 23. Ratnakar Chaini,
president of SLSSS, called for the shut-down in a massive rally in
Delhi on Nov. 15.
Inflammatory speeches at the rally by Chaini and others led Christians
to believe the shut-down would serve as the pretext for another spate
of violence against those publicly celebrating Christmas. At the same
time, in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, more deaths of Christians have
been reported in the past two weeks.
----------
Hindu extremists move to stop yuletide celebrations as suffering in
Kandhamal continues.
Christians in Orissa state are anticipating Christmas with fear as
Hindu extremists have called for a state-wide bandh, or forced shut-
down on all sectors of society, on Dec. 25 – a move that could provide
Hindu extremists the pretext for attacking anyone publicly celebrating
the birth of Christ. The state’s chief minister has said there should
be no such shut-down but stopped short of prohibiting the Hindu
extremists’ plan, and the Hindu extremist umbrella organization Sangh
Parivar has vowed to press ahead with it, reported newspaper Outlook
India on Nov. 20.
Though such shut-downs were declared illegal by India’s Supreme Court
in 1998, the president of the Laxmanananda Saraswati Condolence
Society (SLSSS) sent a threatening notice to the Orissa government on
Nov. 15, warning that the Hindu extremist group would impose a bandh
on Christmas unless the state government arrested those who murdered
Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 23. Ratnakar Chaini,
president of SLSSS, called for the shut-down in a massive rally in
Delhi on Nov. 15.
Inflammatory speeches at the rally by Chaini and others led Christians
to believe the shut-down would serve as the pretext for another spate
of violence against those publicly celebrating Christmas. At the same
time, in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, more deaths of Christians have
been reported in the past two weeks.
----------
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
pray for Cirrohoes of Liver Patient
I need all pastors and christian brothers prayers about a patient who is suffering from the disease
cirrhosis of liver. now he is on the bed. he is experiencing non stop blood vomiting. really it was a terrible condition. The doctor said that takehim away from hospital no hopes. we are all know this except the patient. he still has a ray of hope to recover from this situation. but no body dare to tell him about his last hours.
a request all the christians to pray for this patient.
cirrhosis of liver. now he is on the bed. he is experiencing non stop blood vomiting. really it was a terrible condition. The doctor said that takehim away from hospital no hopes. we are all know this except the patient. he still has a ray of hope to recover from this situation. but no body dare to tell him about his last hours.
a request all the christians to pray for this patient.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Mumbai terror suspect’s Pakistan link “confirmed”
LONDON: Contradicting Pakistani denials that its nationals were involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, The Observer reported on Sunday that it had established that Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab,’ the lone surviving suspect, ...
LONDON: Contradicting Pakistani denials that its nationals were involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, The Observer reported on Sunday that it had established that Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab,’ the lone surviving suspect, ...
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