Church Disappointed As AP High Court Stays Funding Of Pilgrims
HYDERABAD(Andhra Pradesh), July 24 (Indian Catholic) : Church officials in Andhra Pradesh have expressed dismay after the High Court told the state government on July 22 not to subsidize pilgrimages to holy places. On July 21 last year, the Minorities Welfare Department had issued an order to provide financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to every Christian pilgrim going to Israel and Jordon. Andhra Pradesh had allocated US$20 million i.e. Indian Rs. 2 Crore for Christians to visit Jerusalem and other holy sites. “While we respect the High Court’s decision, we are very disappointed at its order,” said Archbishop Marampudi Joji of Hyderabad. “We got this subsidy after pleading with the government for a very long time.” The prelate heads the Catholic Church in the southern Indian state. The High Court said that it was not proper for the state government to subsidize pilgrimages from the state treasury. The state government began giving subsidies for the Holy Land tour in 2008. The court said that if a devotee undertakes a pilgrimage to a holy place out of his own beliefs, taxpayers’ money should not be spent on that. The court was hearing two petitions, one against the government granting aid to pilgrims bound for Jerusalem and another seeking aid to Hindu devotees visiting their shrines in various parts of India. While hearing the arguments, Chief Justice Anil Ramesh Dave said holiness “cannot be earned by spending money belonging to others.” The state government plans to contest the High Court ruling in the Supreme Court as it could also affect the subsidy given to Muslims going to for their Haj, which has been paid out for several decades. The federal government spends around US$4 billion annually for Haj pilgrims. “The state government will fight our case in the Supreme Court. We are hopeful of a positive outcome,” Archbishop Joji said. He also noted that the subsidy was only for the poor. “The budget allotted for the pilgrimage is very miniscule,” he added. Father Anthoniraj Thumma, one of the two secretaries of the ecumenical Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches, said there is nothing wrong in the state government subsidizing pilgrimages. “The government is secular and not anti-religion. Is it wrong to help people fulfill their religious obligations?” he asked. Father Thumma has pilgrims to Jerusalem as a government-sponsored guide and as a pastor. Three groups of pilgrims have already made use of the government subsidy to visit Jerusalem. Dalit Christians Be Bestowed SC status
New Delhi, July 22 (Dibin Samuel for Christian Today) : There is good news for 20 million Dalit Christians in India fighting against the deprival of their rights and discrimination faced on grounds of religion. Reports have emerged that the Union Government is positively cogitating over rendering Schedule Caste (SC) status to Christians from the ‘untouchable’ background whose change of religion dismantled their social, economical and educational status. Sources say that Minister of Law and Justice, Veerappa Moily, is anxiously studying the matter and intents to make a prospective decision that would challenge the Constitutional Scheduled Castes Order 1950 that secluded Christians from receiving the SC status. According to the 1950 order, SC privileges are to be received only by those who profess Hinduism. It, however, was later amended to include Sikhs and Buddhists but not Christians. It was clearly injustice meted out to the Christian community from the last fifty-nine years. Recently, when a delegation of the National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) met with Moily, the Law minister promised that the UPA government was determined to meet the pressing need and that same was yearned by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy also echoed the same words. Reddy had recently met with Moily and Congress officials at New Delhi where he pressed for an early action into the case. He later said the new government assured him that the issue was in a critical stage and would be addressed at any cost. In fact the UPA government already has substantial reasons to approve the SC status for Dalit Christians – the report by Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission. The Mishra Commission set by the government to study the socio-economic and educational status of Dalit Christians recommended extending the reservation to all Dalits irrespective of religion. The Commission also argued that by embracing Christianity, the economic status of a Dalit does not improve; therefore the reservation status must be extended. 70% of India’s 25 million Christians come from the Dalit background. Dalits are often assigned to the lowest jobs, and live in constant fear of being isolated, publicly humiliated, paraded naked, beaten, and raped. Laid Off Brothers Market Jesus Sunglasses
BIRMINGHAM (Alabama, USA), July 20 (The State Journal-Register) — When Gerome Singleterry and his brother got laid off last October from their jobs as warehouse workers at a furniture distributor, they didn’t despair. “We focus on God, not the economy,” Singleterry said. “God will take care of his people.” Besides, God gave him a vision, he said: Christian sunglasses. Ones that say “I love Jesus” on the sides and “John 3:16” on the lens, with a cross above the bridge. “When you wear these shades, you’re saying you love Jesus,” Singleterry said. “I knew that first design came from God.” Singleterry, 55, designed the sunglasses and had them manufactured in Taiwan. Now he’s hawking them to Christians who want to turn down the sun but turn up their evangelistic message. Singleterry has been in the sunglasses business before. In 1986, he made a line of collegiate sunglasses for Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee fans. They were licensed by the schools and were pretty good sellers, with the schools getting a percentage of sales. The style of trendy sunglasses has changed dramatically since then, when bigger lenses were popular. He thought about updating the college version and also designed a pair of racing-theme sunglasses he hoped would be endorsed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. But he wasn’t able to get the rights from the licensing agent for the colleges this time, and he couldn’t get in the door with NASCAR. Even so, Singleterry says he was convinced it was God’s plan for him to market Christian sunglasses. “We’re inspired to wear religious products,” Singleterry said. “Why? We love Jesus.” He thinks people will want to share their faith while reducing their exposure to ultraviolet rays. Singleterry formed Trinity Christian Products with his brother, who also was laid off. They had been outdoor lawn furniture warehouse workers for more than 18 years. They call their sunglasses line “Shades of Glory.” The sunglasses sell for $12, and Singleterry hopes to make them available in Christian bookstores. Singleterry hopes he’s on to the hottest Christian novelty since the What Would Jesus Do? bracelet phenomenon. Reasonably priced sunglasses are needed even though consumer spending is tight in the struggling economy, said Gerome’s wife, Donna. “That’s not going to stop them from getting sunglasses,” she said. “As long as you got God, there’s a way out,” his brother, Terry, said. “Those sunglasses are going to glorify Jesus Christ our Lord and savior,” Gerome Singleterry said. “ ...We want to say, ‘This is who I am. Be proud to glorify Jesus and wear them in faith.’” Indian Church Rejects Justice Mahapatra Report On Orissa Riots
New Delhi, July 16 (Orissa Diary) : The Church leaders in India have out rightly rejected Justice S.C. Mahapatra’s interim report on violence in Kandhmal that took place in 2007 and 2008. The report has sited “conversion and anti conversion ‘and obtaining “fake “caste certificates by the ‘Pana Christians’ as the main source of tension. The Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) in a statement issued here in the capital stated that it considers these charges as a serious points of relfection and urges the church leaders in India to study the report carefully rather than rejecting it by terming it as” one sided’ and “fictitious’. Mr. R L Francis, president, PCLM, has expressed surprise that why Mahapatra report has been painted in wrong colours by the Christians in India. This would send wrong message to the western Christain world. The PCLM has drawn attention of the Church in India towards many other judgements and reports which were in favour of the Church. Does it mean that if an unfavourable report should be condemned “wrong.” Such attitude would antogonise the imnpartial Indian judiciary, No doubt any government machinery would try to play down the seriousness of the incident but the PCLM has full faith in Indian judiciary. The land issue which seems to be the bone of contention must be settled down to bring peace in the area. Obtaiining ‘fake’ certificates is a serious crime and the Church instead of suppressing the facts must voluntarily come forward for survey by an impartial agency. The Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) has received some information that in the name of rehabilitation several Church groups have collected huge amount of money from foreign agencies. The PCLM demands that the Church should come out with a White Paper on their rehabilitation project in Kandhmal. To bring long lasting peace in Kandhmal Church must enter into dialogue with every section of the society as the Indians are not oppose to any particular religion but feel cheated by any dubious activities. Christians Demand Ban On Bajrang Dal
Mangalore (Karnatka), July 14 (Thomas Thazha for Indian Catholic) : A group of Christians in Karnataka state is calling for a government ban on a Hindu radical group which they blame for dividing society. These days “people identify themselves as Christians, Hindus, or Muslims whereas earlier everyone mingled freely with each other,” Noel Sequeira, a Catholic farmer, told a commission of inquiry set up to investigate last year’s anti-Christian violence in the southern Indian state. The Bajrang Dal (party of the strong and stout), allegedly led attacks on Church institutions and workers in several parts of the state in September 2008. Sequeira was among some 100 people who gave evidence before the commission during its July 6-9 sitting in Mangalore, a Christian stronghold. Some 600 Christians, 295 Hindus and 100 policemen have sought to appear before the commission that is expected to submit its report this November. Christians who appeared before the commission say that the radical group is responsible for causing severe divisions in their society. Witnesses in Mangalore, all Christians, asked the commission to press the government for the ban on Bajrang Dal. They allege the violence has not only hurt Christians’ but has created a “mental gap” between them and Hindus in the state. Bethany Sister Alice D’Souza, 70, broke down before the commission while narrating attacks on her convent’s chapel. She said a mob had smashed the Blessed Sacrament, desecrated the crucifix and tabernacle, thrown away the Bible and attacked people as they prayed. She blamed Bajrang Dal and also demanded it be banned. Bethany Sister Saritha, headmistress of St. Joseph’s Primary School in Mangalore says children are also being affected by the climate of fear and division. “They now speak in terms of being Hindus, Christians, and Muslims,” she said. She told the commission that the violence has “literally divided” her students who are in the four-to-10 age group. Students, who freely mingled with each other earlier, now confine themselves to their own religious groups, the nun said. She said she has also noticed that some children refer to their parents’ link with the Hindu group to threaten others. Bajrang Dal, on its part, has complained that Christians use their institutions and services to convert poor people to Christianity, a charge Sister Saritha rejects. “I have served as a teacher for more than 35 years, but never have I converted anyone to Christianity,” she asserted. The commission is yet to hear from the police and the Hindu activists. Indian Govt. Compensates Orissa Christian Victims
New Delhi, July 10 (John Malhotra for Christian Today) : Top Indian official Home Minister P Chidambaram stayed true to his promise as the government began distributing funds to victims of last year’s anti-Christian violence. The Indian government has disbursed around Rs. 50 Lakh ($10.5 million) in assistance among 35 families who were affected during the communal violence in Kandhamal district in the state of Orissa. The allocation came under the Central Scheme of Assistance to Victims of Terrorist and Communal Violence, which is aimed at providing assistance to the Next of Kin (NoK) of victims of terrorist and communal violence. Additionally, funds have also been allocated from the Prime Minister’s national relief fund. According to a government release, about Rs. 3.5 Crore ($65.4 million) has been distributed to meet the relief and rehabilitation measures. The compensation will be used to repair damaged houses, churches and public institutions, says Ajay Maken, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs. The announcement comes just days after Home Minister Chidambaram visited relief camps in Kandhamal and promised “fair” compensation to the riot-hit victims to help the thousands of displaced people return to their homes. He further apologised to those affected and assured them of their safety and protection by the state and central government. Last August, Hindu fundamentaliists attacked Christians in Kandhamal, killing dozens of people, destroying homes and churches, and forcing tens of thousands to find refuge in relief camps and elsewhere. The violence was triggered by the murder of a Hindu fundamentalist leader. Christians were blamed for the killing although Maoists claimed responsibility. Although the government maintains that only a few dozen have been killed, church sources claim that at least 70 people were killed, 18,000 Christians were injured and 54,000 were rendered homeless. Christian leaders have criticised the government for doing little to quell the violence and protect the largely Christian population in Orissa. However, after the election of a secular and progressive government over a Hindu nationalist party in May, Christians have expressed hope that the Congress-led UPA government would offer more security for minorities. Just last month, nearly a year after the outbreak of violence, the state government handed out its first conviction. A court in Phulbani, Kandhamal district found Chakradhar Mallick guilty of setting fire to the house of a local Christian. He was sentenced to four years in prison and given a fine of 4,000 rupees. Christians Pray For Peace In Riot-hit Mysore
Empty Mysore streets on July 6 after Hindu-Muslim riots in the ancient city in southern India’s Karnataka stateMysore (Karnatka), July 8 (Union Of Catholic Asian News) — Catholics of Mysore diocese organized prayers after Hindu-Muslim riots killed three people including a child and wounded scores of others, causing chaos in this ancient southern city. “Many churches organized special prayers on Sunday, besides praying for peace during the Mass,” Father John Sequeira, the diocesan chancellor, told. The riots started on July 2 after some Hindu youth allegedly desecrated a Muslim religious school and site for a planned mosque. Those wounded in the clashes include the youth wing president of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, which now rules Karnataka state. Mysore lies about 140 kilometers southwest of Bangalore, the state capital. Police have arrested more than 100 people, who have been remanded to judicial custody. They recovered arms from some houses. A curfew remains in place in areas such as suburban Udayagiri. Father Sequeira said the Church is concerned, but the situation is still too tense to initiate peace talks between the warring communities. The Church official identified the parishes affected the most as Blessed Mother Teresa in Rajiv Nagar and St. Anthony’s in Gayathripuram. Father Sequeira said the diocese held special prayers after each Mass in St. Philomena’s Cathedral on July 5 and urged Massgoers to remain calm and prayerful. “We have strictly instructed Catholics of Udayagiri parish to avoid passing comments in favor of any community, to avoid misunderstandings,” he added. The Church feels “helpless,” admitted the priest, who took over as chancellor only a month ago. “We have been the target of attacks in Karnataka and how can we interfere in this matter?” With tensions still high in the violence-hit areas, he reported that a school and other Church institutions in the Udayagiri area had been closed indefinitely. Kandhamal Riots Accused Released, Takes Oath As MLA
File Photo of a Damaged Church in Kandhamal District of Orissa and Inset - Manoj PardhanKandhamal (Orissa), July 6 : BJP leader and a prime accused in last year’s communal riot in Kandhamal, Manoj Pradhan, was released from jail here on Sunday, a day after being granted interim bail to be able to take oath as an MLA. Pradhan, who was lodged in jail since his arrest in October, 2008 on charge of murder, riot and arson, was set free after furnishing required documents, a day after a fast track court here granted him conditional bail for 15 days in two cases. He had earlier got bail in 12 other cases. Unfortunately, elected to Orissa assembly from G Udaygiri segment in the recent elections, the riot accused was granted bail on the basis of Orissa High Court’s order. Pradhan had earlier moved the High Court seeking bail to be able to take oath as a member of the Orissa assembly. Refuting the charges against him, Pradhan told reporters soon after his release: “I have been falsely implicated. The charges levelled against me are fabricated and fictitious.” The riot accused, who is facing charges in seven murder cases, six cases relating to house torching and an attempt to murder case, said he would soon take oath as a legislator and work for the development of his constituency. State BJP president Suresh Pujari said Pradhan was likely to take oath as an MLA on Tuesday and the party had urged the assembly speaker and police to provide adequate security to Pradhan. “We fear Pradhan may become a target of Maoists outside the jail,” Pujari said. Pradhan left for his native place at Raikia in the tribal dominated district soon after being released and was likely to proceed to Bhubaneswar shortly to take oath as a legislator. While all other 146 MLAs have already taken oath as members of the Legislative Assembly, Pradhan could not perform the constitutional duty as he remained inside prison. Pradhan, who was initially lodged in G Udaygiri jail, had been shifted to the district headquarters jail at Phulbani after the elections. He had defeated his nearest Congress rival Ajayanti Pradhan by over 20,000 votes in the assembly elections, results of which were announced on May 16. (Courtesy: Indian Express) Pak Muslims Attack Hundreds Of Christians' Homes
Kasur (Pakistan), July 3 (Qaiser Felix for AsiaNews) – A mob of some 600 people attacked about a hundred Christian homes in Bahmani, a village in Kasur district in Punjab. A mob of miscreants set fire to a number of houses, burned cars and destroyed electrical installations. The incident caused by a quarrel between a Muslim and a Christian which degenerated into a riot with petrol bombs, beatings and acid throwing. The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Church in Pakistan reported the incident, saying that the violence caused major damages to a number of homes. The attackers also stole valuables (gold jewellery and cash). The incident occurred on Tuesday. A cleric in a local mosque accused the Christians of blasphemy inciting his fellow Muslims to attack the Christians. However, according to the NCJP the real reason for the attack lies elsewhere, in events that occurred a day earlier. NCJP member Irfan Barkat said the trouble began on Monday when two men, one Christian, the other Muslim, quarrelled. The Muslim, Muhammad Riaz, was riding his bicycle and found himself on the path of Sardar Masih, a 38-year-old Christian who was driving his tractor. When Mashi asked Riaz to move to let him pass, the latter refused and this turned into a quarrel between the two men. Later the Muslim turned to his local Muslim religious leader, saying the Christian had blasphemed.
The following night Muslims stormed the Christian section of the village, targeting about a hundred houses, setting some on fire with petrol bombs. A mob of about 600 Muslims attacked Christians with sticks and acid, torching cars and motorcycles parked in the streets as well as electricity meters. Yesterday, a committee made up of six Christians and Muslims met to deal with the issue and find a way to pacify relations between the two communities. They set themselves a four-day deadline for a solution, Irfan Barkat said. Incidents like the one in Bahmani are frequent in Punjab province. Usually violence by Muslims is justified by blaming would-be victims of blasphemy. According to the NCJP, a total of 892 people have been charged with blasphemy since 1986. Under Section 295 B of Pakistan’s Criminal Code, insulting Muhammad or Islam, or desecrating the Qur‘an, is punishable by life in prison or death. Bishop Accused Of Producing Fake Documents
Church of South India church ValparaiMangalore (Karnatka), July 1 (TOI) : Members of Protestant Christians Association, Mangalore staged a protest outside the residence of the Bishop of Church of South India (CSI) Karnataka Southern Diocese, Devaraj Bangera here on Monday. The protesters led by president Suresh Chandra, and vice-president Uday Kaunds demanded that Bangera lay down his office as he had turned 65 on the day, an age when Bishops of CSI superannuate from their job. The protesters alleged that the Bishop had produced fake documents reportedly issued by the Kasargod municipality, which mentioned his date of birth as June 29, 1945. However, according to documents obtained by the association using RTI Act, his date of birth in his SSLC certificate is June 29, 1944. The association also using RTI ascertained that Kasargod municipality had not issued a birth certificate 608/1945 in the name of Devaraj Bangera. This is not the first time that Bishop Bangera is in the eye of a storm. On January 11 this year, members of CSI staged a dharna against the Bishop accusing him of indulging in financial and other irregularities in front of the diocesan office at Balmatta here. The members had also accused him of becoming increasingly inaccessible to not only members of the diocese, but even to his immediate staff on that occasion. The Bishop was then accused of disposing off property belonging to the diocese and not showing any interest or involved in any of its activities aimed at helping the members. All property under the diocese is owned by CSI Trust Association, and any move to sell, or lease such property has to be cleared by property sub-committee, and then placed before diocesan executive committee following which the trust takes final decision on it. Riot Affected Christians In India Receive Legal Aid
New Delhi, June 29 (Christian Post) : A group of lawyers and social activists under the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) has agreed to offer free legal services to the riot-affected Christians in Orissa, India. The non-governmental organization made an agreement with the All India Christian Council (AICC) to provide free legal intervention for victims of recent anti-Christian violence and to usher long-term solutions for inter-faith harmony in Gajapati district in India’s eastern state of Orissa. While Kandhamal district in Orissa was the epicenter for riots from August to December last year, AICC notes, Gajapati district recorded the largest number of crimes. At least 337 families lost homes or businesses. According to a survey by the Gajapati United Christian Forum, 320 houses were damaged and 20 churches and 19 businesses were destroyed. HRLN estimates that 700 families were affected and two to three years of legal intervention is needed. “HRLN lawyers and social workers have assisted victims in Gajapati district since the unprecedented anti-Christian riots in 2008. We’re privileged to strengthen and enhance their ongoing efforts by providing needed resources and using our network of Christian leaders in the area,” said Dr. Sam Paul, National Secretary of Public Affairs for the AICC. He noted that most victims are from Scheduled Castes (Dalits) or Scheduled Tribes and are extremely poor. The agreement between the Christian council and HRLN provides needed equipment and covers fees for legal experts, including lawyers, social workers, and other personnel. The team will offer free legal services including the filing of police cases, legal training for lawyers, awareness workshops, publications, and civil society campaigns. They hope their efforts will result in more than just favorable court verdicts. “This partnership is unique because our goal is legal intervention that will result in more than just convictions for the perpetrators of crimes,” said Paul. He explained that together they will “help victims replace lost identity documents like ration cards and voter’s ID cards, apply for government assistance including employment through the Nation Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and much more.” “Our efforts will result in income, independence, and, eventually, improved lives for people in these communities,” he affirmed.
According to the AICC, the anti-Christian violence last year that was prompted by the murder of a Hindu extremist leader left 315 villages damaged and 4,640 Christian houses destroyed. Additionally, 70 people were killed; 18,000 Christians were injured; and 54,000 were rendered homeless.
In that barbarous violence, which lasted until mid-October, an estimated 300 churches were destroyed and 13 Christian schools and colleges were damaged. P. Chidambaram Says Sorry To Kandhamal Christians
Phulbani (Kandhamal, Orissa), June 27 (PTI) : “I am sorry...,” Home Minister P Chidambaram today told Kandhamal riot victims during a visit to one of the relief camps in Phulbani on Friday. The Home Minister, who is on a two-day visit to Orissa, met the victims living in relief camps set up after a series of communal clashes following the killing of 85-year-old VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in August last year. “I am sorry that certain things happened last year and you have been brought to these camps. But you must go back to your villages. I am here to tell you, don’t fear,” he said. Condemning the incident, Chidambaram asked them to start life afresh, build the churches and practice their religion. “Whatever happened was wrong. Build your churches and practice your dharma,” he said. When some refugees spoke of fear of RSS and Bajrang Dal, the Home Minister assured then that the guilty will be “prosecuted and punished.” “All those who have indulged in this ghastly crime will be prosecuted and punished,” he said. The Home Minister visited Mandaika, Rahikola, Tinigia and Tikabali camps in the district providing shelter to about 1500 people. The Centre on Friday hit out at Orissa government for the "failure" to contain the "regrettable and condemnable" Kandhamal violence for over a month since it erupted in August last year. "What happened on August 23 and thereafter was regrettable and condemnable. Moresoever, it was the failure of the police for 30 to 40 days," Mr. P Chidambaram told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Mr. Chidambaram, who is on a two-day visit to the State, said the situation in the riot-torn district was returning to normal. "Now the situation is returning to normal but we cannot lower our guards," he said. About increasing activities of naxals in the State, Mr. Chidambaram said, "our response to Left wing extremism is that there is no room for violence". "The CPI(Maoist) was and is a terrorist organisation and we will not yield any ground to CPI(Maoist). We will resolutely oppose and ensure that all violence ends". The Home Minister said he has assured the Chief Minister of all help to tackle Maoists in the State. "I have assured Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of all help. A plan has been drawn up to handle Left wing extremism," he said. Pakistanis Beat Co-worker After Discovering He Is A Christian
Lahore (Pakistan), June 26 (Live Leak) : A young man from Pakistan was beaten by his co-workers after they learned that he was a Christian. Fourteen-year-old Arfan Sohail had been working at a small general store in Lahore for only two weeks. The owner of the store - who knew of Arfan's faith - was not present when an argument started between Arfan and his coworkers about the United States and Pakistan. While arguing, Arfan said that Pakistan had several strategic weaknesses, even though several countries, such as the U.S., were providing support with money and equipment. His co-workers, Muhammad Bismillah Khan and Muhammad Shahzad Khan, argued that the U.S. was weakening Pakistan and is an enemy. Arfan countered by explaining that the U.S. is Pakistan's "sincere friend," and "has always helped us." This angered Bismillah and Shahzad, who accused him of "defending America" and "speaking against Islam," and then asked him if he was a Christian. "Yes," Arfan responded. Enraged, they brutally beat Arfan, dragged him out of the store and left him in the street. Arfan was taken to a hospital and is now recovering at home. After visiting Arfan at the hospital, ICC's correspondent remarked, "The physical wounds have caused him deep emotional distress." Arfan has not informed the police about the attack because Muhammad Bismillah Khan and Muhammad Shahzad Khan threatened to kill him and his family if the authorities were told. Jeremy Sewall, ICC's Advocacy Director, said, "This is an outrageous example of the discrimination Christians face every day in Pakistan. The fact that a Christian could be beaten simply for acknowledging his faith shows that the Pakistani government is not doing enough to uphold its international commitment to freedom of religion. Please pray for this young man, that he recovers quickly from his emotional and physical wounds." Nurse Quits Job Over Crucifix Ban
Gloucestershire (UK), June 24 (Press Association) : A Christian hospital worker who was ordered to remove a crucifix “which could harbour infection” has left her job in protest. Devout Helen Slatter, 43, was told by Gloucestershire Royal Hospital the necklace posed a health and safety risk and could even be used as weapon. Ms Slatter, a blood sampler - or phlebologist - was not content to accept the hospital’s offer that she wear the emblem in her pocket and has now resigned. The mother of one said she was not willing to choose between her job and her religion, despite the NHS trust insisting the issue was about safety, not faith. The divorcee told the Gloucestershire Echo: “They made it clear that if I went back the hospital would send me home if I was wearing my crucifix. “I am not willing to stop wearing it, so I have been left with no choice but to leave my job. They are the NHS and aren’t going to back down - I’m not sure if I’d want to work somewhere where I had been treated like this anyway.” When the deadlock occurred last month Mrs Slatter, who worked at the hospital for five years said: “I’ve always worn my cross and I’ve always been a Christian. It is important to me. I’ve worked here for 15 months and if it was an issue, why didn’t they let me know in the interview? The NHS have spent money training me.” The cross was worn under the uniform, said Ms Slatter who attends St Peter’s Catholic Church in London Road. If she had come back wearing the cross the hospital would have sent her home for reasons of “health and safety and infection control”, she revealed. A spokesman for Gloucestershire NHS Trust confirmed that she had handed in her notice. An “informal” non-disciplinary meeting last month failed to reach a solution, the trust said. A fuller statement is expected. Orissa: Death Threats Against Christian Witnesses
Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), June 23 (Nirmala Carvalho for AsiaNews) – Nine witnesses from the village of Raikia (Kandhamal District) have received death threats. They were going to testify against Manoj Pradhan, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who was recently elected to the Orissa State Assembly. He is charged on 14 counts of violence, including seven murders, against Christians. Human rights activist Ajaya Kumar Singh told AsiaNews that “three people, probably Pradhan supporters or relatives threatened the nine Christians. They told them that if they testified against the BJP politician they would be killed.” “The situation is still unstable in many areas where there are no Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) agents,” said Sajan, K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). “In the village of Neelungia, near Udayagiri, the predominantly Hindu community has set two conditions to let Christians come back to clear the rubble of their homes. First they want 5,000 rupees (around US$ 100) for the puja or submission ceremony. Secondly, they want Christians to withdraw their complaint (First Information Report) against villagers who took part in the anti-Christian violence.” Refugee camps in Neelungia village were shut down and Christians now live in tents on the margins of the village. “The Hindu community is not letting them to go back to their homes,” said Sajan George. “And in spite of complaints about continuous threats by extremists police is doing nothing.” Top Indian Churches Sign Agreement
St. Thomas Cathedral in ChennaiNEW DELHI, June 22 (Indian Catholic) : Leaders of three influential churches in India signed an agreement to foster greater cooperation to face the common challenges of the present day India. Representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) came together to sign a memorandum of understanding for paving the way for a proper ecumenical sharing among the faithful.Archbishop Vincent M. Concessao, representing the CBCI; Bishop D. K Sahu for NCCI; and Rev. Dr. Richard Howell for EFI were the three dignitaries who signed the landmark agreement. The three churches in the MOU agreed to work under the umbrella organization called National United Christian Forum (NUCF), to work for attaining common goals, and greater cooperation in the work for the deprived classes and the poor along with strengthening the Church. The MOU reads as, “The National United Christian Forum invites us to a journey of faith, and confidence in the guidance of the Spirit to lead us into new relationships of trust and cooperation, We are committed to celebrate, enter into dialogue and act together to the glory of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” The newly created forum, according to the agreement signed, aims at fostering and promoting communal harmony, intra faith dialogue, and try to wipe away prejudices and anxieties created against the Christian Community in the country. It also says that the forum would actively get involved in promotion of better relations among the different religious communities in the country. Archbishop Concessao of Delhi who is the president of the Forum also has plans to intervene meaningfully in the policy making of the Government and decide on the appropriate representations to be made before Government bodies as and when the situation calls for such an action. According to Rev. Richard Howell, the Secretary of NUCF, that the members of the Forum will “work towards bringing various Christian organisations of service together for a more coordinated action and will actively promote the prophetic engagement of the Church in the socio- political economic life of the nation.” He called it a historic day “in the ecumenical journey of the Church of India.” He also added that the forum will,”safeguard and promote human rights and in particular the rights of people belonging to Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Backward Classes, minority communities, children, women, the poor and the marginalized.” Indian Christians Must Unite Like ACDP
Chandigarh, June 20 (Christian Fort Bureau) : The Indian Christians must unite like African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). Indian Christians need also such a Christian political party. We are presenting a brief history of ACDP (courtesy : Wikipedia) only to motivate the Indian Christians. The African Christian Democratic Party is a political party in South Africa. It was founded in 1993 and represents conservative Christians, and social conservatives. As such the party concentrates mostly on social issues such as abortion, homosexuality and pornography. The leader of the party is Rev. Dr. Kenneth Rasalabe Joseph Meshoe (MP). As of 2004, the ACDP has seven members in the South African Parliament. The party states that its platform is based on what it sees as the biblical standard of reconciliation, justice, compassion, tolerance, peace and the sanctity of life, the individual, the family and community. With regard to the sanctity of life, they are fully anti-abortion but they are supportive of the death penalty for certain killing crimes.
The ACDP was the only party to vote against the adoption of the final version of the South African Constitution, for reason that it enshrined abortion on demand and the specific protection of sexual orientation. Its 2000 manifesto opposed the promotion of condoms and safe sex as a way of preventing HIV transmission: “The ACDP feel strongly that the condom campaign must be abandoned and that abstinence and faithfulness in marriage must be promoted.” The ACDP was founded on 9 December 1993. The party often claims that it was founded exactly a hundred days prior to South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, but in reality it was 140 days. Its original manifesto included Christian norms, religious freedom, a freemarket system, human rights and a federal government. In its first election, the ACDP secured two seats in the national government. This made the ACDP the smallest of the seven parties in the national government of 1994. They also secured three seats in the provincial government. A year later, the ACDP won three seats in local government elections. From 1994-1999, four councillors from other political parties crossed the floor to join the ACDP. In 1999, the ACDP won seven seats to become the sixth largest party in Parliament. The party also won its first seat on the National Council of Provinces. On provincial level, the party won four seats. A year later, the ACDP won 70 seats in the local government elections. In 2004, the ACDP won 1,6% of the votes at national level and 7% of the votes at provincial level. They were now the seventh largest party, with 7 seats in the National Assembly. NRI Ken Mathew Appointed Deputy Mayor In Texas
Houston (Texas), June 19 (PTI): An Indian American has been appointed as the Deputy Mayor of the city of Stafford in Texas, becoming the first person of the community to hold the post in the US state. Ken Mathew, has been unanimously appointed as the a Mayor Pro Tem (Deputy Mayor) of the City of Stafford, Texas. He is the first Indo-American to become a Mayor Pro Tem in the State of Texas. Moreover, he is also the first ever Indian Christian also to get the prestigious job. 'Christian Fort.Com' congratulates Mr. Ken Mathew. Mr. Mathew, married with two daughters, said, “I want to see a clean and efficient government at all levels. I see before me Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa as my idols.” He added that the defence minister of India also inspired him, “I also see a rare politician, like AK Antony, the current Defence Minister of India, as a living example of what a public servant ought to be.” Mr. Mathew, known as soft spoken yet confident person is originally from Mumbai and has done his graduation from University of Bombay, India. He also holds an MBA degree from the University of Detroit.
He is serving his second term on City Council for the City of Stafford. Mr. Mathew said he was humbled and honored to serve the residents of Stafford in his new role as Mayor Pro Tem. Stafford, a city of approximately 20,000 people is located in Fort Bend County with 20 per cent Asians including 8 per cent Indians. The Mayor Pro Tem performs the Mayor’s duties during the his absence and retains the right to vote on all matters before Council while performing the duties of the Mayor. Stafford is the only city in the State of Texas with no property tax. A recent Fortune magazine poll has found the city as one of the best places to live and launch a business among forty thousand cities in America. Bangladeshi Christians Fears To Be Neglected
Dhaka (Bangladesh), June 17 (Associated Press) : Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh’s southwestern region remain homeless after a cyclone struck late last month, killing more than 260 people. According to one faith-based organisation that supports persecuted churches, Christians there could miss out in the distribution of aid. “Bangladesh is a majority Muslim country meaning that Christians are therefore at risk of being neglected in the general aid distribution,” said the group. It said many Christians had been “severely affected” by the cyclone. Churches have been destroyed and at least 1,500 Christian families have been affected, losing homes, livestock, crops, access to work, food, clean water and sanitation, it reports. On May 25, Cyclone Aila lashed low-lying areas in eastern India and Bangladesh, destroying thousands of homes, injuring over 7,000, and killing at least 264 before weakening. Ziaul Alam, the local administrator in Bangladesh’s Khulna district, told The Associated Press that at least 500,000 villagers were affected or stranded, mostly by flash floods caused by tidal surges. The Barnabas Fund reports that an estimated three million Bangladeshis and two million Indians – at least half of them children – have been affected by the storm. “Thousands of people are struggling without food and water and are seeking shelter on the limited higher ground,” stated the organisation. “Many are marooned and awaiting assistance, but stormy conditions, turbulent rivers and mudslides have hampered rescue efforts to the most devastated areas.” There is also increasing concern that salt water from the tidal surge following the cyclone may contaminate the rivers and groundwater used for drinking and farming. Lack of drinking water not only forces many to go hungry as they will be unable to cook the food they receive from relief agencies, but it also increases incidences of diarrhoea, which can prove deadly. “Diarrhoea is a serious concern,” commented Mohammad Badi Akhter, acting chief of operations for the NGO network Oxfam in Dhaka. He told the UN-run IRIN news agency earlier this month that 10 people in Satkhira District alone had died of diarrhoea in a single day. “There is an urgent need to provide clean water, food and medicine to our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster,” commented Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, international director of Barnabas Fund, adding that the disaster in Bangladesh had been “under-reported” and “forgotten”. “We are initially assisting around 500 families, but the need is much greater,” said the Christian leader, whose organisation is working in Bangladesh to provide emergency relief in the form of cooking oil, rice, lentils, bread, medicine and clean water. According to Oxfam, the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Meghna river basin in Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Bangladesh’s coastline is regularly battered by tropical cyclones, and one-third of the country floods annually during the monsoon. Indian Christians ‘Rejoicing’ Under New Government
New Delhi, June 16 (Mission Network News): Hopeful excitement is building in India as the new government, which has already taken steps to protect Christians from persecution, begins its administration. “Everyone is now anticipating five years not only of political stability, but also 5 years of having a government that wants to protect minorities,” said Dave Stravers, president of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India. Parliament passed new directives for law enforcement about a week ago for the protection of minorities, Stravers said. “You can substitute the word ‘Christians’ there for ‘minorities,’ because it was a direct response to what happened last year in the state of Orissa and other places where Christians are being attacked,” he explained. “So this is really a very significant transition.” Many believe the transition is occurring not only in the political world but also among the people of India. “Even the secular and Hindu pundits in India are saying that this election shows a cultural shift happening,” Stravers said. “People are tired of the politics of hate; they’re tired of the religious extremism; they’re tired of what they call ‘casteism.’ They don’t want this kind of politics anymore. So this is very good news for the Gospel.” The Gospel has been spreading rapidly throughout India, and religious tolerance could open even more doors. “India is so responsive to the Gospel right now,” Stravers said. “We are hearing from virtually all the corners of India about openness, response, people being baptized by the thousands, even the tens of thousands...It just appears to us that all the conditions are right for a wonderful, massive, movement to Christ in India. “Keep your eyes open, because you’re going to be reading and hearing a lot more stories of what’s happening in India.” Pak Authorities Attack Christian Cemetery & Church
Okara (Pakistan), June 13 (Jawad Mazhar for BosNewsLife)— Amid rising Islamic extremism, Pakistani Christians have demanded a halt to the destruction of a Christian cemetery in Punjab province and the return of a seized church in the provincial capital Lahore, BosNewsLife monitored Thursday, June 11. Local authorities approved the recent bulldozing and digging up of Christian graves in the Pakistani city of Okara to build a recreational park there, said advocacy group All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) and a Christian legislator. Last month, Christians prevented further destruction and “the scattering of remains of Christians”, by forcing workers of the regional Tehsil Municipal Authority (TMA) to leave their bulldozers and cranes behind, said APMA’s Okara Zone Chief Boaz Amir. Amir and Punjab Christian legislator Tahir Naveed Chaudhary told BosNewsLife they condemned “the heinous crime committed by TMA and accomplices.” They urged Okara Police to launch a criminal investigation against TMA staff and a Muslim legislator and private school owner who were allegedly involved in planning the recreational park on the Christian cemetery site. Such more reports have been reported. The unrest in Okara came shortly after elsewhere in Punjab province Pakistan Railway authorities reportedly confiscated a church building after Muslim leaders complained about the church ringing its bells and using loudspeakers to call Christians to prayer. Rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) said the St. Andrew’s Church in Lahore was seized on April 28. ICC said however that Christian Railway employees have been protesting the confiscation “vehemently” for the last several weeks. The local Church Committee reportedly said authorities originally granted Christians written permission to use the building on Sundays for worship services. “However, when the church began using its bells and loudspeakers to invite Christians to morning and evening prayer services, Muslim leaders complained that the church was interfering with their five-times a day call to prayer and thus insulting Islam,” ICC said. On April 28, Christians reportedly arrived at the church to find the doors sealed shut with a notice prohibiting anyone from entering the building. “Christians responded by conducting a hunger strike and demonstrating in front of the Lahore Press Club for the next several days,” ICC said. The stand-off apparently continued Thursday, June 11 with Muslim officials “trying to obtain permission to demolish the church so that they can build another mosque,” the group added. “Most of the Christians who attended the church are employed to clean the sewage from Railway buildings and are very poor. They continue to protest the confiscation of the church by staging sit-in strikes and additional hunger strikes.” The Lahore church case resemble troubles experienced by nine pastors from two neighboring villages in Pakistan, who locals say could face prison time for using loudspeakers to broadcast prayers and sermons from their churches on Easter Sunday. Martinpur and Youngsnabad, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Lahore are majority Christian villages, but Muslim security forces detained pastors Hafeez Gill, Fahim John, Maksud Ulkaq, and a catechist from the Catholic Church in Youngsnabad identified only as Saqab on May 16 to receive bribes, investigatiors said. Following a public outcry from their parishioners, they were released several hours later, but the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) said it fears more difficulties for the church leaders. First Dalit Arch-Bishop of India Speaks
Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), June 12 (Asia News) : “I am the first Dalit bishop of India and I have a duty to ensure that most Dalit Christians can enjoy the same privileges on par with other Dalits,” said Mgr Marampudi Joji, Catholic archbishop of Hyderabad and executive vice-president of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC). In speaking to AsiaNews he explained what he and Christians throughout the state must do to uphold the rights of Dalits. Last Friday he led a 40-member APFC delegation to meet Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy who just started his second mandate. The APFC called on Rajasekhara Reddy to defend freedom of religion and the right to convert so that Christian Dalits can enjoy the same rights as Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh Dalits. The chief minister reassured them that he intends to discuss the issue with Union authorities in New Delhi, especially with the ministers of Law and Justice and of Social Justice and Empowerment. Rajasekhara Reddy also said that he would be available to lead a delegation of Churches to the Union capital to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 19-20 June. At the bottom of the problem is a 1950 presidential order which introduced a quota system to benefit Dalits in education and public service employment. The same order denied Christian and Muslim Dalits or anyone who converted to those religions the right to claim any benefits that might accrue to them as members of scheduled groups. For Archbishop Joji even a cursory reading of the order shows its discriminatory nature because it violates articles 15 and 25 of the constitution. “By restricting the benefits to a particular religion, the order has divided the entire Dalit community on the basis of religion,” he said. Christian Dalits are effectively denied the same protection and rights offered to other Dalits, and this constitutes a violation of religious freedom. For the Indian Church APFC’s commitment to the Dalit community constitutes a cultural challenge in a country like India’s. “When the Holy See announced my appointment as the first Dalit archbishop, there were a lot of rumblings in society,” the prelate said. But only Church “treats us like a family, without discrimination of any kind.” “However, in Indian society this issue is also a socio-economic issue.” In fact, the Supreme Court has ruled “that a change of religion does not change caste and that the disabilities of the Scheduled Castes converted to Christianity continue even after conversion, on par with Dalits in other religions.” Pak Christian Man Murdered For Refusing Islam
Lahore (Pakistan), June 11 (Europe News) — International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a young Christian man from Pakistan was caught in a compromising situation with the daughter of a radical Muslim family but refused to convert to Islam despite her insistence and the threats of her three brothers. On May 15, the young man’s father found his dead body near a canal in a rural Punjab village, after he had been missing for three days. The young Christian, Litto, was studying for a Masters Degree in English when he met and fell in love with a Muslim girl from his village. During their courtship, she repeatedly attempted to entice him into becoming a Muslim. Litto’s father, Amjad Masih Ghauri, told ICC, “On May 10th, while my son and that Muslim girl, Shazia Cheema, were making love in a lonely part of the fields, her two elder Muslim brothers found them in an objectionable posture and this enraged them.” Litto managed to escape the scene and ran home, telling his father everything. The next day Shazia’s three brothers arrived at Litto’s house, where they demanded that Litto convert to Islam and marry their sister. Litto said he would marry her, but that he would not convert to Islam. This infuriated the brothers, who kidnapped him at gunpoint and threw him into their car. Ghauri immediately reported to the police what had happened. In response, the officer on duty said, “How dare you Choohra (derogatory term for Christian) cast malicious eyes on a Muslim girl.” Denied help by the police, Ghauri gathered some of his relatives and searched the countryside for his son for three days until finding his body on May 15. The autopsy revealed that Litto had been sodomized, flogged, clubbed, and stabbed five times in the stomach and genitals. He died from the stab wounds. It is almost certain that during ! the four days Litto was kidnapped, he was offered land, wealth, and his girlfriend if he were to convert to Islam. It was his refusal to become a Muslim that spelled his death sentence in the eyes of these radical Muslims. Police have filed a court case against the three brothers, but have taken no action. The three young men are roaming freely in the village and telling everyone that they have “taught a good lesson to the Choohras (derogatory term for Christians).” It is likely that Shazia was operating at the command of her brothers to catch Litto in a compromising situation. It is common in Pakistan for Muslims to use their sisters or daughters to entice Christians to convert to Islam. Church Forcefully Shut Down In Karnataka
Devangere (Karnatka), June 10 (John Malhotra for Christian Today) : Police on Sunday confiscated a newly built church in Davanagere district of Karnataka state. According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the Indian Apostolic Church in Chennagiri village, was forcefully shut down by the police on claims that it lacked a legal license. The church, which was dedicated on May 29, last month, was holding its first Sunday gathering when Hindu radicals along with police interrupted the meeting and questioned Pastor Pius. The chief of the village accused Pius of starting the church without the official permission of the Panchayat. Although, the pastor refuted the charges and even cited the necessary permission obtained for the church, the Panchayat chief refused to accept saying churches were disallowed in the village due to “conversion activities”. The pastor has been asked to register a case and “deal with the matter in the court”.
According to the Bangalore-based advocacy group, the church was built for the tribal people in surrounding villages of Chennagiri. “The majority of the 25 members of the church are from tribal background and most of the attacks come from members of the so called higher castes in the area,” GCIC noted.
This is the second time the district has witnessed persecution of Christians. “In 2007, Pastor Ramu and fifty believers in his church were brutally attacked by Hindu radicals,” the advocacy group said. 21 Christians, Including A Pastor, Attacked in AP
Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), June 9 (Alan Gray for News Blaze) : Hindu fanatics attacked a pastor in Andhra Pradesh and reported him to local police, for distributing Christian literature. A local fact finding team from the All India Christian Council met with local police. The culprits were summoned to the police station and after a discussion, the pastor was released. According to a source, the incident happened Saturday morning around 8.30am, when Pastor David Raju from Hyderabad went for a Christian meeting invited by one of his churches in Mangalagiri in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. On his arrival, a group of about 20 people, allegedly Hindus, beat Pastor David severely and later the attackers made false charges of forced conversion, to the local police. Police took the pastor into custody and he was held until the AICC fact finding team intervened. He was released at around 2.30 PM. The fact finding team was led by Guntur district AICC leaders Mr. Timothy, Mr. Ravi Prakash, Mr. Boaz and other state leaders. With the help of the local Congress leaders, the matter was brought to a compromise and pastor was allowed to carry on with his meeting in the church that invited him.
In the past week, 20 Christian students were attacked by Hindu fanatics in Hanwada village of Mahaboobnagar district in Andhra Pradesh. The students went in two vehicles to distribute Christian literature in the village. According to local sources, members of Hindu fanatic groups attacked the students while they were distributing the literature. One vehicle with a few students managed to escape from the village when they were attacked. The remaining vehicle with 13 students was handed over to the local police station. The hindus warned the students to stop distributing any Christian propaganda. The students were later released from police custody. Local AICC leaders say Hindu fanatics are trying to turn Andhra Pradesh into a Gujarat and Kandhamal-like situation by attacking Christian minorities in the state. This state has seen attacks on Christian minorities for several years. Churches Come Together To Fight For Dalit Christians
Mumbai, June 7 (Ashley D'Mello for TOI): Catholic and Protestant churches in India will be demanding the extension of Scheduled Caste (SC) reservations to Dalit Christians from the Centre shortly. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), which comprises the main Protestant Christian churches in India, will be making demands on behalf of the group. CBCI spokesperson Babu Joseph said: “The Dalit Christian issue has been ignored by successive governments and we will now be seeking reservations in government jobs, educational institutions and politics for them from the newly elected government.’’ NCCI president Bishop T Sagar said his organisation would join hands with the CBCI to combat the injustice. The Dalit Christian issue has been in the news for the past 20 years. Christian leaders said that the poor among the Christians, who were formerly SCs, continue to be neglected. Reservation has been extended to include Dalits of other religions. According to the leaders, in Bihar, Kerala, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Christians who have a tribal background can claim the status. General secretary of the All India Christian Council, Abraham Mathai said, “The state is discriminating against people on the basis of their faith by not giving reservation. Three Homes Of Christians Burnt In Kandhamal
Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), June5 (Nirmala Carvalho for AsiaNews) - Three houses of Christians, were set on fire by Hindu extremists in Sirsapanga village of Kandhamal, (Orissa). The episode took place on May 31st in the evening, the very day the Central reserve police force, sent to the area to protect the Christians, began their phased withdrawal as mandated by the central government. The incident seems aimed at stopping from Christians returning to their villages. The three houses belong to Manoj Pradhan, Lankeswar and Sunil Digal and lie only 3 km from the headquarters of the Crpf. Eyewitnesses report that the extremist group celebrated the police withdrawal by attacking the homes. Deployed for months across the region to halt assaults and another pogrom of the Christians, the New Delhi government decided to withdraw the Crpf. The Orissa CM, Naveen Patnaik, has however asked the Minister for Internal Affairs Chidambaram to leave the last 10 companies - circa 1000 men – at least for another three months. The withdrawal coincides with the closure of the refugee camps and the Orissa governments appeal to the Christians to prepare for their return to their home villages. On June 5th the district administration in Kandhamal organised a peace meeting between the Christians in the camps and the communities of their local villages. Fr. Bijay Pradhan, parish priest in Raikia, sees in the burning of the three homes in Sirsapanga “an attempt to stop this”. Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), explains that “The Christians from Sirsapanga village have not returned to the village, they are still in the Refugee camps. The administration is keen that the people go back to the villages and be resettled, so occasionally, the Christians go to their homes and try to make some temporary repairs. This is being objected to by the dominant community, and the burning of the three Christians homes is an attempt to control our people”. Nepal Christians Rally To Protest Church Bombing
Kathmandu (Nepal), June 4 (UCAN) — Around 7,000 Christians marched in Kathmandu in a show of unity to protest the recent bombing of the main Catholic Church in the capital. A blast ripped through Assumption Catholic Church on May 23 while the main weekly Mass was underway, killing two people and injuring 14, one of whom later died. Nepal Defense Army, a little-known Hindu extremist group, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The main Mass for Sunday is celebrated on Saturday, the weekly holiday in Nepal. On May 31, a heavy downpour could not stop Christians as well as some Hindus and Muslims from gathering at seven locations from where they marched to the heart of the city. The protesters included students, Catholic priests and nuns, and Protestant pastors. Assumption Church parishioners led the demonstration, carrying a banner that read: “Goodwill and peace rally against killings, violence and terrorism.” Catholic and Protestant Churches organized the event. Catholic Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, who joined the rally for a brief period, said the main objective was to spread the message that peace must prevail in the country. “The rally also showed that there is unity among the different denominations of Christians and other religions,” he added.
Reverend Isu Jung Karki, a rally organizer, called the protest a “necessity” and a “fitting reply to people who oppose the idea of a secular state” in addition to condemning the church attack. The Protestant pastor stressed the need for “more unity” among the various denominations. “This rally,” he said, “has spread the message that such attacks on Christians will not scare us but strengthen our unity and our beliefs.” Bishop Sharma estimated around 3,000 Catholics from three parishes in Kathmandu joined the rally, while Reverend Karki said about 4,000 Protestants from around 150 churches took part. Christian leaders demanded in their speeches that the government provide security at churches and other protection for Christians, compensation to families of the bomb victims and action against those responsible for the attack, as well as guarantee the right to practice one’s religion without fear. Rabindra Khanal, a university professor and a Hindu, said he participated in the rally because he believes every citizen has the right to practice any religion. “If this is not possible, then there is no use calling our country the ‘Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,’” he remarked. The Nepal Catholic Directory 2008-09 counts 1.5 million Christians, 7,500 of them Catholics. Christians Must Be Bold, Not Only Nice
LONDON, June 3 (One News Now) – The convener of the Global Day of Prayer London has delivered a tough call to Christians in the United Kingdom to wake up and take an uncompromising stand for their faith. Speaking at the Newham prayer meeting in East London, Pastor Jonathan Oloyede said that it was time for Christians to pray and act. “I used to be a Muslim. The Muslims don’t just want to build a mosque. They want to take over,” he warned. “If you want to roll over and play dead while the legacy of your forefathers is thrown in the dust and you can’t stand up and say enough is enough then you are not fit to be a Christian.” Oloyede said Christians in the United Kingdom need to “stop trying to be nice and cute” in the face of threats to their faith and the well-being of the nation. “Many Muslim leaders have told me that if the Christians in this country stood up for their faith they would back off,” he noted. “London, England, wake up! You choose which way this nation will go. Pray that this nation will wake up to its true calling and intercede until we see his glory.” I think that the idea behind this article can be applied to many Christians in the United States and even all over the world today as well (albeit in a different - yet equally important - manner). While Christians in London are dealing with their culture being pervaded by Islam, we in America are facing a secular, moral degradation of society such as we have never before seen. But both groups of Christians are faced with a similar challenge: stand up for that which you believe in (as found in the Bible and through a life of dedicated prayer) or others - whom you almost certainly won’t agree with - will stand up in your place and change society instead. CHRIST IS THE ANSWER - REUNION
was called & organized by
Ms. Chitra A. Frian at
21, YMCA Road, Methodist Center, Central Mumbai-400 088.
At least, 40 Christian followers/preachers Gathered from 19th May to 21st may. They came from almost all the states/UTs of India. They shared their views about the Gospel and experiences of the field. Sister Marlyn, Sister Dorla were the special guests at this occasion. Mrs. Kiran Gill (Chandigarh), Mr. Sushil Desai, Mrs. Susan Desai, Sister Linda were among the key participants. It is worth mentioning here that Ms. Chitra resides in Nasik (Maharashtra) and always lives in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Here, we are presenting some of its photographs. (As told by Ms. Kiran Gill) Orissa Govt. Pledged For 3,000 Christian Refugees
Bhubneswar (Orissa), May 30 (Nirmala Carvalho for Spero News) : Mr. Biju Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Orissa pledged that conditions for the 3,000 Christian refugees still in camps would be improved and be more dignified. However, the refugees’ future is still hanging in the balance because their identity papers were destroyed in the violence and their properties were either stolen or destroyed by fire. For his part the chief minister told a Christian delegation that the State’s administrative offices would re-issued papers so that children can attend school and take exams. A delegation of Christian leaders from Orissa met Mr. Naveen Patnaik to discuss the situation of their respective communities, in particular the suffering and threats many of their members are still enduring, especially in Kandhamal District. Mgr Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, led the delegation which included other Orissa Catholic bishops, the leaders of other Christian denominations and Asit Mohanty, regional coordinator of the Global Council of Indian Christians. Mohanty told AsiaNews that during the one and half hour meeting the delegation presented Chief Minister Patnaik a memorandum describing the problems Christians have experienced in the state since Hindu-led pogroms in August 2008. At present 3,000 of those affected by last year’s violence are still languishing in government-run refugee camps whilst some 900 families are still unable to go home because of persistent threats from extremists. In their plea Christian leaders called on the chief minister to prosecute the perpetrators of the violence, make sure that victims are compensated for their losses and that their homes and places of worship are rebuilt as the State has already pledged. They also expressed the concern of Christian communities vis-à-vis the fundamentalist campaign pursued by Maoist leader Laxmi Baba in Mahindragiri and Ganjam Districts. The delegation also expressed hope that their memorandum may be the basis for action by the chief minister and the federal home ministry to solve problems Christians still face in the State. A Catholic Agatha Sangma Is The Youngest Minister Of India
New Delhi, May 29 (UCAN) : A Catholic woman has become the youngest minister in India’s new federal government. Agatha Sangma, 28, took the oath of office along with 59 other ministers on May 28, the second phase of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s allotment of portfolios. Singh was returned as prime minister for a second term after his Congress party emerged as the single largest party in parliament in the recent general election. Congress heads the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that has promised to uphold India’s secularism and democracy. Media commentators said that in selecting his ministers, Singh had to accommodate several matters such as religion, region and caste. Sangma, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party, is a member of the Garo tribe and has a master’s degree in environmental science. She is one of three Christian ministers. She represents Tura constituency in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, which has also produced another Christian federal minister, Vincent Pala, 41, a first-time member of parliament. Agatha K Sangma, a lawyer by profession and daughter of P A Sangma, has entered the active politics with the NCP nominating her as the party candidate for the May 22 by-election to Tura Lok Sabha seat in Garo hills, the Sangma fiefdom. The other Christian in the council of ministers is K.V. Thomas, 63, from Kerala state in southern India. Defense Minister A.K. Antony was born into a Christian home in Kerala, but is now an atheist. He and five others declined to take the oath of office and secrecy in the name of God during the first installment of the swearing-in ceremony. Political analysts point out that although Christians and Muslims, who are religious minority groups in India, voted for the UPA this time, their representation in the ministry is much less than expected. Five Muslims are in the new ministry, one fewer than in the previous government. Christians form only 2.3 percent of India’s 1.2 billion population whereas Muslims account for more than 13 percent. The prime minister has given younger politicians one-third of the portfolios in a bid to encourage young people to join politics. Hundreds of Christians' Homes Demolished In Islamabad
Mr. J. Salik and BalloonsIslamabad, (Pakistan), May 27 (PCP) : On the solidarity day of National APC, hundreds of poor families of working Christian lost their homes as result of a brutal action of Islamabad Police in last week. These displaced hundreds of women, innocent children, elders are wondering here and there in this capital city of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to get shelter but still in vain. No one ready even listen to them. Human Rights activist and Ex-Federal Minister J. Salik approached to help them on the same day and spending day and night with these IDPs of Islamic Capital. And today he came up with an unique idea that if rulers of this Land of God have no time to pay any attention for these homeless poor families than we shall appeal to all Mighty God in the heavens. He arranged many balloons venders and thousands of gas balloons took flight to the skies of an Islamic capital with applications addressing the President, Prime Minster and Chief Justice of Pakistan. Hundreds of children, women of IDP families along with their beloved leader J. Salik sent applications tide with gas balloons all the day long on “Sobbing Balloons day” here in sector G-7/1. Skies were filled with balloons and applications, especially during evening time. UK's Indian Christian Mail Nurse Considers Legal Action
Leicester(UK), May 26 : A Leicester nurse who claims he was sacked for suggesting patients could benefit from going to church is allegedly considering legal action. Anand Rao, 71, said he was suspended after he told one woman she should to go to church to alleviate stress. He is being represented by Christian Legal Centre and is considering legal action against Leicester NHS Trust. A nurse had to pay a heavy price, that of losing his job, for advising patients to turn to God in a role-play session on a training course. Anand Rao, 71, who has been in the nursing profession for over 40 years, was taking part in an exercise arranged by Leicester NHS Trust. During the course, Rao imparted some religious advice to a woman, who was playing the role of a patient with a serious heart condition, to attend Church for relieving stress. Following an investigation, Mr Rao was sacked. However, Anand Rao feels the attitude of his employers was harsh and he was contemplating taking legal action against them. He is being represented by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC). The director of CLC, Andrea Minichiello Williams, said: "How is it possible that a nurse who has served the public for 40 years should find himself dismissed because in a training exercise he advised someone to go to church? “To seek to censor and suppress this kind of language and belief is the fruits of a closed society." In their defense, the NHS Trust stated that Rao had breached the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s code of conduct more than once. Mr Rao was suspended by the Trust after the course directors complained about his conduct and then dismissed him after a disciplinary hearing. Kate Bradley, from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "Mr Rao was given every opportunity to assure us that this would not happen again, but he was unable to do so and showed little regard for the standards of care and professionalism that is expected of him as a nurse.” She further stated that Anand Rao’s contract, as a part of the staff, had been officially terminated in February 2009 due to his absence in the two disciplinary hearings. Nonetheless, he has an option of choosing a formal process of appeal. Kate Bradley declared that "Caring at its best is our motto, and it is important that every member of our staff, permanent or otherwise, deliver the best care possible to all of our patients regardless of their personal beliefs or lifestyle choices.” Two Dead In Nepal Church Blast
A policeman looks at the blood stains of the victims of a blast inside the Assumption Church in Kathmandu May 23, 2009. Two people were killed and at least a dozen wounded when an explosion ripped through the church near the Nepali capital on Saturday, police said, hours before the country’s parliament was set to elect a new prime minister. REUTERS/Shruti ShresthaKathmandu, March 24 (AFP) : Two people were killed, including a teenage girl, and 14 wounded when a bomb exploded in a church packed with worshippers on the outskirts of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, police said. The church — Kathmandu’s only Roman Catholic place of worship — was jammed with around 500 people when the device went off at the start of a morning service, police said. A pamphlet of an obscure Hindu extremist group called the National Defence Army was found at the blast site in Lalitpur, a district adjoining Kathmandu, police said. But police said it was too soon to assign blame for the attack on the Church of Assumption which came hours before lawmakers were due to vote in a new premier after weeks of political instability in the world’s newest republic. “A 15-year old student, Celestina Joseph, and 30-year-old Pabitra Paitri died in the bomb blast. Five of the injured are in serious condition,” police officer Ram Brish Chaudharya told AFP.
It marked the first attack on a Christian church in Hindu-dominated Nepal. The National Defence Army, which says it is fighting to restore the nation’s Hindu monarchy abolished in 2008, had claimed responsibility earlier for killing a missionary in eastern Nepal last July. The outfit also said it bombed a mosque in the east of the country last year, killing two people.
Hindu and Muslim religious leaders and human rights activists converged on the area where the church was located to show solidarity with the local Christian community, police said. “Security has been increased and an investigation is going on,” said Chaudhary. Christians Have High Hopes On UPA
Dr. Manmohan Singh With Christian Leaders : A File PhotoNEW DELHI, May 22 (UCAN) — Christians and others in India have pinned great hopes on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that received a decisive mandate in the recently concluded general elections, says P.V. Thomas, a Catholic political commentator. As the destiny driver of over 1.2 billion people, the UPA’s major task is to ensure national economic progress and social harmony. As the custodian of the world’s largest democracy, the new government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faces demanding duties in the comity of nations. The month-long elections, held in five phases, shocked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian people’s party) that led the main opposition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP draws its strength mainly from rightwing Hindu groups who are blamed for recent violence in several parts of the country targeting Christian and Muslim minorities. Also humbled in the elections are the communists, who had given the previous UPA government outside support since it had no majority. People used the ballots to pour their anger on the communists who had used their support as an excuse to block several major development programs. The results have cheered all sections of Indians as seen from newspaper columns and television interviews. In the run up to the elections, political analysts and parties had predicted a heavily fractured mandate. Several regional and smaller parties had hoped to play kingmakers after the elections, but the results have shattered their dreams. Politicians who a day before the results had made several conditions to support the new government changed their tone after the UPA led by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi won electors’ approval. The electors considered stability, continuity, good governance, development, sectarian and religious harmony as more important than caste, region and religion on which these parties thrive. Will the new federal government rise to the expectations of the minorities to perform its constitutional duties is a big question. States handle law and order in their territories. When Christians in Orissa were attacked in 2008 and Muslims were killed in Gujarat in 2002, the federal and state governments remained mute spectators. Christians should continue to pray that they can continue their services unhindered. Church leaders should cooperate with the new government without interfering in political matters. As the destiny driver of over 1.2 billion people, the UPA has a major task on its shoulders. In a country like India which has a pluralistic society, it has to ensure progress with harmony. And as the custodian of the world’s largest democracy, its duties are quite demanding in the comity of nations. Orissa Christians Sue For Justice
Bhubneshwar (Orissa), May 20 : Hundreds of people affected by anti-Christian violence in Orissa are continuing their legal battles for compensation with Church support. Father Dibya Parichha, spokesperson for the archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, said they were fighting for justice and human rights. “We don’t know when it will end but we will continue it until each victim receives justice,” he said. The archdiocese covers Orissa’s Kandhamal district that was the focus of four-month long anti-Christian violence starting on Aug. 24, 2008. According to the Church’s latest list, about 90 people were killed and 50,000 others, mostly Christians, displaced in the riots. The state government, however, says only 42 were killed and lists the rest as “missing” because their bodies are not yet found, Father Parichha told. The violence broke out a day after Maoists killed a Hindu leader in Kandhamal. Hindu radicals, blaming Christians for the murder, orchestrated the attacks. The priest, who is also a lawyer, said the archdiocese has helped people file 651 cases seeking compensation for murder, rape, injury, destruction of property, molestation, trespass and other damages. “We hope that process would be completed within the next three months,” the priest said. The government has already paid compensation to the dependents of 35 people killed. The case that drew most media attention was the rape of a Catholic nun. The case “is still going on. But we have not heard anything positive so far,” said Sister Mary Pulickal, superior of the victim. The superior also said the victim had identified a police line up two people who helped her violator but so far not the rapist himself. The police “now say they have arrested a few more people” and asked the nun to attend another line-up in Kandhamal. (Courtesy : The Sikh Times) Stephen Gill Presented Poetry
Cornwell (Ontario, Canada), May 18 : THE 13TH of May was a beautiful day in Cornwall, the home town of poet Stephen Gill. Only a few Canadians miss the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful evening of summer outside. But inside the hall of Cornwall public Library, a different kind of beauty prevailed. It was the beauty of poetry. On this beautiful day, Stephen Gill presented his poetry on peace at Cornwall Public Library at 7 pm. He was introduced by Dawn Kiddell, chief librarian. Because of the presence of some Canadians of Pakistani origin, he read his poems also in Urdu/Hindi and Panjabi at the end of his reading of English poems. Stephen Gill read a few lines from the prefaces of his three collections of poems to show how the atmosphere of barbarity at the time of partition of India in 1947 shaped him as a poet of peace. A lively discussion took place about the beauty of Hindi/Urdu, Panjabi and English poetry, and peace in general. Stephen Gill presented his poetry for the first time in his home town. The reading was sponsored by the Canada Council through the Writers Union of Canada.
A Christian Poet Laureate of Ansted University, Stephen Gill is an expressive voice of Canada, India and Pakistan. He believes strongly in a democratically elected world government and peace through peaceful means. Global peace and social concerns are the main areas of his interest. Stephen Gill has authored more than twenty books, including novels, literary criticism, and collections of poems. His poetry and prose have appeared in more than five hundred publications, mostly in Canada, the United States of America and India. He writes usually in English. Once in a while, he writes poetry in Urdu, Hindi and Panjabi languages. He has also written and published book reviews, research papers on writers and on world peace. Some of his Urdu/Hindi poems have been sung with music by prominent singers of Pakistan and India. Hate Kills The Soul : Pope
Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd at the end of masson Mount Precipice in Nazareth (Menahem Kahana for AFP)Nazareth (Israel), May 15 (The Guardian, UK) : Pope Benedict XVI stood on a mountaintop in Nazareth on Thursday to say the largest mass of his visit to the Holy Land before a crowd of as many as 50,000 cheering pilgrims. His congregation on Mount Precipice was an eclectic mix including many Christians who had travelled thousands of miles from across the world, along with Arab Israelis, Hebrew-speaking Christians, Lebanese who once fought as Israeli allies and Indian and Filipino migrant workers. Benedict spoke of the importance of the family in the Christian community and encouraged all his listeners to “reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men’s souls before it kills their bodies”. Later in Nazareth he held his first meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. Nazareth is Israel’s largest Arab city and has a mixed population of Christians and Muslims. Esteban Rodrigues, 41, a gynaecologist, had travelled from the Spanish town of Cadiz with hundreds of fellow pilgrims, many waving large Spanish flags or dancing in circles to the sound of guitars and castanets. “We came to show our support for this pope. He knows how to transmit the truth,” he said. “When somebody says he is conservative I just laugh because Benedict is a revolutionary, as Christ was a revolutionary.” Claude Ibrahim, 36, was with a group of Lebanese Christians who were in the South Lebanon Army during the Lebanese civil war. As allies of Israel they were given citizenship in 2000 after the Israeli military ended its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon. “We don’t know who we are. We don’t know if we’re Lebanese or Israeli. We’re paying the price for the civil war,” he said. His group flew Lebanese flags – a sight rarely seen in Israel, which formally regards Lebanon as an enemy country. He was sceptical that Benedict’s message of peace would change the Middle East. “Here war is a business,” he said. “You can’t live in peace in the Middle East, but if there was peace between Israel and Lebanon it would be a magic land.” A few rows away was Faraj Khoury, 29, an Arab Catholic whose family comes from the village of Iqrit, one of the villages in what is today Israel that was destroyed during the 1948 war. The villagers were ordered out at the time but were later given court permission to return, although they have yet to be allowed to return. Khoury lives in a nearby village and has been campaigning to return and reconstruct Iqrit, a campaign he hoped the pope would support. He and others from Iqrit and the nearby Christian village of Bir’am, which has a similar story, have met with Vatican diplomats to press their case. “We know how to live in peace with our neighbours, Jews and Muslims,” Khoury said. “I hope the pope could have some influence on this, to speak to the government and to ask them to consider positively the rebuilding of Iqrit.” The Gunman Who Attacked Pope, Wants ‘To Become Christian’
Pope John Paul & Mehmet Ali AgcaVatican City, May 14 : The gunman who shot Pope John Paul II says he would like to convert to Christianity at a baptism ceremony at the Vatican after his release from prison in January. In comments relayed by his lawyer, Mehmet Ali Agca also says he wants to visit the grave of Pope John Paul II, meet with Pope Benedict XVI and produce a television documentary on the Vatican. Agca shot and seriously wounded John Paul on May 13, 1981. The late pope met with Agca in an Italian prison in 1983 and forgave him for the shooting. He is due to be released from Sincan Prison, near Ankara, on January 18, 2010. Mehmet Ali Agca (born January 9, 1958) is a Turkish assassin, who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981. After serving 19 years of incarceration in Italy, he was deported to Turkey, where he is serving another life sentence for the murder of Abdi Ipekçi, a left-wing journalist, in 1979. Agca has described himself as a mercenary with no political orientation, although he is known to have been a member of the Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves organization. Agca was born in Hekimhan district, Malatya Province in Turkey. As a youth, he became a petty criminal and a member of street gangs in his home town. He became a smuggler between Turkey and Bulgaria. He claims to have received two months of training in weaponry and terrorist tactics in Syria as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine paid for by the Bulgarian government, although this has been questioned. Christians In Orissa Relief Camp Attacked
Kandhamal (Orissa), May 13 (Babu Thomas for The Christian Post) : A relief camp in Kandhamal, Orissa, India was attacked Monday night by Hindu radicals, reported a leading Christian advocacy group in the country. According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), Hindu radicals attacked Mondakia relief camp in Kandhamal, where 1,500 Christian refugees displaced from the August 2008 attacks were staying. “Swasti Nayak, who was at the front of the camp, was injured at 8:00 p.m. last night,” GCIC reported. “Terrified Christian refugees heard the familiar sounds of drum beats and Hindutva slogans.” Fearing a repeat of the August violence that left at least 60 Christians dead and more than 50,000 displaced, the advocacy group asked local authorities to ensure safety for Christians. “GCIC has informed the SP and Collector and other authorities to send in additional police protection immediately.” Currently, only 3,000 Christians remain in relief camps as many have been forced to return home despite threats from Hindu militants and little compensation. More than 5,000 Christian homes were burned in the anti-Christian violence and 252 churches were destroyed. The latest attack this week comes as millions of Indians have gone to the polls for the country’s parliamentary elections. The elections began last month and are being conducted in phases over the course of four weeks in order to ensure that security personnel and officials are present to protect the more than 700 million voters. Results will be released May 16. Security officials guarding the Kandhamal district were initially scheduled to protect the population only until April 24, but with apprehensions of more violence, the Election Commission extended their stay until election results come out. Punjab Christians Not To Vote For BJP
Gurdaspur, May 12 (John Malhotra for IANS) : As India’s month-long election is in its final phase, Christians in Punjab have sternly vowed to not vote for communal forces, mainly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Christians in Gurdaspur, one of the constituencies in Punjab, while declaring some of their demands, said there is no question of voting for BJP. The district will go to polls on May 13.
“This time we want a change in Punjab and Christians are not going to vote for the BJP or the Akali Dal. We are all fed up of their anti-Christian policies and moreover their leaders are never accessible to us,” Kanwal Bakshi, state president of Punjab’s United Christian Front (UCF) told. Bakshi estimates that there are around 900,000 Christian voters in Punjab, while 150,000 alone are from Gurdaspur district. UCF in its set of demands to political parties have called for two per cent reservation in state government jobs for Christians, like in Kerala. “Despite the fact that Christians are in such large numbers in Kerala, they still have reservation. Then why can’t we have it in Punjab?” he asked. In addition, a state minorities commission and safeguarding of churches and Christian properties in the state. Bakshi also demanded that some of the churches that are centuries old be declared as heritage property. “There are around 60 churches in Punjab, constructed by the British, which are nearly 150 to 200 years old. They are in a dilapidated condition and nobody is bothered about their preservation. We want the government to declare them heritage property,” said Bakshi. The Christian group has stated to be more pro-Congress, as some of its candidates have agreed to consider and implement the demands of the Christians. India’s national elections that were held in five phases beginning April 16, will conclude on May 13. The results will be out by May 16. Pope Celebrates Sunday Mass In Jordan
Amman, May 11 (Sabina Castelfranco for Voice of America) : A large crowd of thousands of people turned out to attend Pope Benedict’s open air mass at the international stadium in Amman. The pope urged Christians in the Middle East to persevere in their faith despite the difficulties they face. Pope Benedict XVI, center, arrives at the International Stadium of Amman to celebrate Holy Mass, 10 May 2009. Arabic chanting could be heard as the crowd awaited the arrival of Pope Benedict. Many got up very early to attend the special mass in Amman. Catholics from across the Middle East arrived in Amman to attend the service. Many held flags from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Archbishop Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, addressed the pope at the start of the mass. He assured the pope that Jordanians are making every effort to provide assistance to Iraqis who have fled the war. “In the aftermath of the American invasion of Iraq, more than eight million Iraqis took refuge in Jordan,” he said. “Almost 40,000 of them are Christians. We know Holy Father how much this issue of the world refugees concerns you personally. We would like to assure you that our diocese is doing its utmost to provide them with pastoral needs.” Pope Benedict urged Christians to remain faithful to their roots and the Church’s mission in the Holy Land. He encouraged them to persevere in efforts to bear witness to the Christian faith and urged them to maintain the Church’s presence in the changing social fabric of these ancient lands. “The Catholic community here is deeply touched by the difficulties and uncertainties which affect all the people of the Middle East,” he said. Pope Benedict on Sunday was also scheduled to visit the site believed to be where Jesus was baptized on the River Jordan. On Monday he travels on to Israel and the Palestinian territories, in what is considered the most delicate part of his first Middle Eastern tour. Five Held For Disrupting Pastors’ Meet
MUMBAI, May 9 (TNN) : The Nalasopara police on Wednesday arrested five persons who ‘allegedly’ disrupted a meeting of Christian pastors at Damodar Hall, Nalasopara (east) on Tuesday afternoon. Six people ‘allegedly’ attacked 300 Christians who had gathered under the auspices of the Vasai Taluka Pastors Association. The victims ‘alleged’ that one of the attackers was a policeman who returned to complete the panchnama. “We have requested the deputy collector for an identification parade,’’ said Dr Abraham Mathai, vice-chairman of the Maharashtra Minorities Commission. Joseph Dias, general secretary of The Catholic Secular Forum, condemned the incident. Those arrested are Sanjay Keer, his wife Sushma, Deepak Vairagade, Pramod Viraskar and Rajesh Kanade, all followers of Narendra Maharaj.
There is unique identity of Marathi Christians also called as Maharashtrian Christian in India. They commonly speaks Marathi language as their Mother tongue, they also speak English for communication. Christianity in Maharashtra has long history, dated back to several centuries, Marathi Christians are descendants of the thousands of original inhabitants of North Konkan, West Maharashtra, Ahmednagar, Vasai,solapur, Thane and Raigad Districts. The total of Christians in Maharashtra is only 2%. Majority of Marathi Christians are Roman Catholic But there are Protestants in some Parts of Maharashtra, specially in Ahmednagar & Solapur. these are the only districts in Maharastra which has majority of Protestant Christians as compared to Catholics. Church Burned in Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad, May 8 (News Blaze) : A church roof and furniture were burned by suspected religious fanatics, in Sidapuram Village of Hasanpatri Mandal in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh. The fact finding team of the All India Christian Council (AICC), rushed to the spot and helped to lodge a complaint in local police station. Sources said around 2 AM yesterday, unknown persons broke the church gate and attempted to burn the whole church building. After an hour, the fire was noticed and the alarm was raised. Local residents got up and extinguished the fire. Anand Kumar of United Christian Youth Forward reports, “All the furniture, mike set, speaker boxes, carpet and roof of the church are burnt.” Property worth almost Rs 50,000 was lost in the fire. Mr. Franklin Sudhakar, local AICC leader, rushed to the location and reports, “FIR is registered in local police station, accused are not identified and the local Christians believe that the accused can be only the religous fanatics.” To express the concern of safety and justice to the Christian minority in Warangal district, Mr. Anand Kumar reports, “Christians are marching a peace protest rally in Warangal from Public ground to District collector office tomorrow.” Rev. Clinton is the pastor of the church, known as “PARISUDDHATMA DEVUNU SANGAMU” (Holy Spirit God’s Church). Indian Bishops Welcome U.S. Commission
PHULBANI (Orissa, India), May 7 (Zenit News For Catholic.org) - The prelates of India are hoping that a visit from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom will bring justice more quickly to persecuted Christians in Orissa. Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandez of Gandhinagar, secretary of the India episcopal conference, told about the visit next month, saying he hopes it will “speed up the path to justice for the Christians of Kandhamal.” The commission prepares an annual report on the status of religious freedom in nations around the world. While in India, they plan to focus on the state of Orissa in the east, the site of heightened persecution against Christians, and the state of Gujarat in the west, where Muslim faithful were persecuted in 2002. Both situations involved Hindu fundamentalists. In Orissa, ongoing Hindu-Christian tensions flared into a wave of violence at the end of last August, after extremists blamed the slaying of a Hindu leader on Christians. Dozens of Christians, including a priest, were killed and thousands fled their homes. Thousands of them are still living in displacement camps. Archbishop Fernandez told, “Anyone who endeavors to protect human rights and religious liberty is welcome.” “We hope,” he added, “that the visit of the commission will help the various human rights groups, the social activists and the Church in India to speed up the path to justice for the Christians of Kandhamal and the victims of chauvinistic violence in this nation.” “The Church does not seek revenge,” the archbishop clarified. “As Christians, we are forgiving and seek peace. The Church desires justice, which is essential for peace and reconciliation, which is the base on which to build the process of a lasting peace and a stable coexistence among communities.” Indian Christians Welcome US Religious Freedom Commission
New Delhi, May 6 (Catholic Culture) : The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom quietly announced on May 1 that it would visit India in June to document violations of religious freedom. “The Commission is planning to travel to India for the first time in June 2009,” according to page 230 of its annual report. “Therefore the Commission will release its report on India during this summer.” The commission— which did not recommend that India be named a “country of particular concern,” or place India on its watch list— nonetheless placed the world’s largest democracy on its list of “additional countries closely monitored.” Violence against Christians in Orissa last year left 60 Christians dead and an estimated 50,000 homeless. Jesuit Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes of Gandhinagar, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, welcomed the commission’s announcement. “The Church is not seeking vengeance,” he said. “As Christians, we are forgiving; however, as agents of peace, the Church seeks justice which is essential for peace.” Christian Pastor Arrested In Jammu
Jammu, May 4 (Ishfaq-Ul-Hassan for DNA): An army captain-turned-pastor has been arrested by the police for allegedly trying to convert people into Christianity in the Jammu region. Captain Samuel, 70, was arrested from his residence in Jammu after families of two missing girls complained that their wards have been kidnapped by Christian missionaries. A Hindu man who converted to Christianity a few years ago has also gone missing from Jammu. The two girls have gone missing in February after they reportedly converted to Christianity prompting their families to register a complaint with the police. After preliminary enquires, police registered a case under section 153 (A) RPC and arrested Captain Samuel. “He was motivating people to convert. Therefore he was taken into custody,” said Manohar Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jammu. This is the first time that any Christian missionary has been arrested by the police for “conversions” in the state. Hailing from south, Captain Samuel served in the army before he quit his job to become a Christian missionary. He then shifted to Jammu in early 1970s and was initially living at Udhampur before shifting to Jammu. The issue has snowballed into major controversy in Jammu with Christians up in arms for what they termed as selective campaign against the community. “We condemn the arrest of the pastor who is innocent. He has been arrested without any proof”, said Marcus Gill, president, J&K Christian Forum. Gill said the pastor quit his job and was doing yeomen’s service in Jammu. “There are 1.5 lakh Christians living in J&K. There is no case of forced conversions. Two girls have reportedly gone missing and their families have lodged a complaint which police made the basis to arrest the pastor”, he said. The Christian leader said besides two girls, one convert is also missing. “Vikas Sharma had converted some years ago and was also doing the service for the mankind”, he said. Christians Give The Best Poll Figure
MANGALORE, May 2 (Express Buzz.Com) : Though the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha segment is no stranger to high poll percentages, the voter turnout this time, especially among the Christian community, has caught the most seasoned psephologist in Mangalore offguard. By registering a stunning 74.29 per cent voter turnout, the district bettered all its previous poll figures. Many are attributing the large voter turnout on the decision of the Christian community to vote in large numbers. Christians have usually been indifferent to elections. The Mangalore City Corporation elections in 2007 witnessed a turnout of less than 20 per cent even in Christian-dominated pockets. But the attacks on churches and moral policing finally pushed the community to take the elections seriously. For the first time, the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) used e-mail to send the Ten Commandments to all Bishops in India (as earlier reported at Christian Fort.Com). These commandments, scripted by Bishop Ivon Ambroise, defined the role of a Christian during polls. Within a week, the United Catholics of Mangalore Diocese (UNICAD) begun circulating handbills from April 19, listing five commandments for Christians. The handbills insisted on compulsory voting even to the extent of using ‘tendered voting’. A Christian woman in Moodbidri, after finding that somebody had cast her vote, insisted and exercised a tendered vote. Caste Your Vote Andolan (CYVA) convenor Marcel Monteiro said two factors prompted Christians to vote in large numbers. He said that the CBCI and Bishop’s circular witnessed the inclusion of 9,000 voters who until then had not bothered to vote. “Besides the Mangalore pub violence, church attacks and moral policing had forced Christians to take a firm resolve on voting out fascist forces.” Whether they have succeeded in achieving their goal will be known on May 16. An ‘Indian Bible’ or a ‘Bible for India’?
New Delhi, April 30 (Tom Heneghan for Reuters) : Annotated Bibles come in all shapes, sizes and standpoints. One of the most interesting recent examples is The New Community Bible in India. The novelty is not the text itself but the extensive footnotes comparing and contrasting Christian teachings with those of India’s main religions. Christians make up only 2.3% of India’s 1.1 billion population compared to 80% for Hindus and 13% for Muslims. The illustrations are also clearly Indian — in the drawing for the Flight to Egypt (at right), Mary wears a sari and a bindi on her forehead while Joseph sports a turban.
The New Community Bible (NCB) stirred up some controversy when it was published, with official Church approval, by a Roman Catholic group in Mumbai last summer. A Protestant pastor called it “a complete turn back from the real Bible.” Hindu natiotionalists denounced it as a bid to convert Hindus to Christianity. Hindu guru and blogger Sathya Sai Baba warned that Christian missionaries were “taking aim at India” with a “deceptive Bible and other questionable tactics.” There was also criticism from Catholic laity, enough to prompt the bishops to order a study of the issue and have the publisher hold off with a second edition. That’s too bad because the first edition quickly sold out.
During my recent visit to India, I got a look at a friend’s copy of the NCB and found it fascinating. Following are a few points that stood out while I paged through it (and a few not very professional photos I took of its illustrations):
In Genesis:
After its opening “in the beginning,” the footnote observes: “Even in the Upanishad, some creation accounts open with the word ‘agre’ (at the beginning)…”
At the phrase “God saw that the light was good,” it notes: “Light is considered good and desirable also in the Vedas. The expression “TJ” is well known. Tamasoma jyotirgamaya…” Lead from from darkness to light… (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28).”
After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve “become shamefully conscious of their nakedness and plan a cover-up from God (3:7-8). To use Indian terminology, they regress into avidya, that is nescience or lack of right perspective, which causes alienation and suffering.”
On Noah and the Flood - “There exist myths of the flood in almost every religion, and the Biblical acocunt shows some striking parallels to the Mesopotamian flood story. Satapath Brahmana (1.8.1-10) offers the earliest Indian version. The Mahabharata (3.187) also narrates a similar story.”
On the Tower of Babel — “For the Yahwist author, Babel meant confusion, a athetic symbol of the folly of human pride and self-sufficiency… We can find modern Babels all around us, constructed by the stinking rich and proud politicians. Instead of using wealth and power to creatively solve the real problems of the people, they use these to bolster their own images and pamper their presitge. To make a name for themselves, they ignore, nay, trample down on the legitimate rights of millions of poor and oppressed people. The resentment and revolt this causes is another sort of babel, confusion, alienation.” The NCB tries to explain Christianity in the Indian context, both to Christians living in a culture marked much more by other religions and Indians of other faiths trying to understand the Christians among them. Why should that be controversial? Vensun Massey Threatens To Go On Hunger Strike
Chandigarh, April 28 (IANS) : Akali Dal (Amritsar) nominee for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat Vensun Massey, whose papers had been rejected by the returning officer during scrutiny, Monday threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if his nomination was not cleared in 24 hours. "The cancellation of my nomination is politically motivated, as there are some parties, which do not want a Christian candidate to contest the elections from Chandigarh. They are afraid that a Christian candidate will attract all the Christian votes of the city," Massey told reporters at a press conference here. "If they do not allow me to contest then I would sit on an indefinite hunger strike. This is all illegitimate and I am also planning to move the court for justice," he said. Terming it "a case of sheer discrimination" with a candidate from a minority community, he claimed that normally the Christian community in Chandigarh votes for Congress and "at the moment I am the biggest threat for them." Massey's nomination papers were rejected Saturday during the scrutiny process as he had not signed at certain places on the nomination papers. Taliban Now Attack Pak Christians
Karachi, April 27 (Indian Catholic) : Taliban militants continue to attack and kill Christians in Pakistan. The AEA report said the Talibanization of Karachi city has began with attack of armed Taliban on a Christian colony last week. The attack was well organized and heavy firearms were used by hundreds of Taliban to threaten unarmed Christian elders, women and children. The Taliban shouted slogans against Christianity and asked them to accept Islam in Taseer Town on April 19, 2009 which horrified Christian residents. On April 21, 2009, the local Christians took out a peaceful procession in vicinity of Taseer Town to attract attention of local administration for protection of residents but no action was taken nor police guards were provided for protection of Church. On night of April 21, 2009, more than one hundred masked Taliban intruded in Taseer Colony and attacked Christians with guns. The feared Christians locked them in their homes but they pulled elders out on gunpoint and dragged women to streets. They loudly said “You infidels have to convert to Islam or die. Why you cleaned our warnings chalked on walls of Church and home doors? How you dare to take out procession against Taliban?” Two Christians who resisted to Taliban were killed in execution style before their families. In a two hour long attack on Taseer Town Taliban killed two Christians and beat dozens. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress has condemned attack and killing of Christians in Taseer Town and urged government to provide protection to Christians in Pakistan who are unarmed and peaceful citizen. Nazir Bhatti said the presence of Taliban was feared by MQM for months but no action was taken to stop the Talibanization of Karachi. Indian Christians Want Ban On ‘Angels & Demons’
New Delhi, April 25 (Spero News) : Church people in India are demanding a ban on the Hollywood movie “Angels & Demons,” saying it would insult Christians and that it portrays fiction as fact. The movie, based on American author Dan Brown’s novel of the same name, is reportedly ready for worldwide release on May 15. Christians have been protesting its release in India over a month now. The movie is the “cheapest mode of commercialization and does not speak any truth,” says Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. The bishop’s conference has already sent a letter to the Central Board of Film Certification, India’s federal licensing authority, requesting a ban. The bishops’ April 17 letter to the board’s chairperson said “the movie will be an attempt to malign Christians and their faith through deliberate distortion of facts.” It would also “hurt the religious sentiments of Christians,” the letter said. In India, “Christianity is still in the process of being understood,” it said. Presenting Christianity “in a distorted manner, is an insult.” The Catholic Secular Forum, a voluntary group based in Mumbai, has launched a signature campaign against the movie’s release. The forum said in a press release that it plans to submit the signatures to the federal authorities, officials of the United Nations and international human rights organizations. The novel, on which the movie is based, weaves a fictional plot of a Vatican official trying to destroy St. Peter’s Basilica with stolen anti-matter during a papal enclave, soon after he poisons the Pope to death. The movie’s protagonist, symbologist Robert Langdon, spoils the plan. The climax of the novel comes when it is revealed that the Vatican official murdered the Pope to hide the fact that he had fathered a child through artificial insemination.
As the conclave to elect the new Pope is underway, the official then arranges to steal the anti-matter, nuclear bomb-like substance, and plants it in St. Peter’s Square. He also arranges to kill four likely papal candidates. Clues are planted deliberately at the crime scene to put the blame on a secret society. At the last moment, the Vatican official pretends that he was given a vision of the hidden anti-matter, which he helps to recover in an attempt to project himself as the savior of Christianity. He flies with Langdon in a helicopter where the anti-matter explodes in mid-air. He parachutes to safety and soon finds out he was the one the Pope had fathered. But a sense of guilt leads him to commit a suicide, seconds after cardinals chose him as the new Pope. “The entire storyline, plot and tone are based on misrepresentation of facts and the truth,” says the Catholic forum’s petition. “No religion would tolerate its faith or clergy mocked, ridiculed or trivialized” in a similar fashion, it added. Father M. D. Thomas, secretary of the bishops’ Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, called the movie an attempt to make money by targeting a popular religion and promoting negative feelings. Christian protests forced some Indian states to ban the release of the movie. Father Babu Joseph says the Church will insist on inserting a disclaimer in “Angels & Demons” if the government refuses to ban the film. ‘Secret Agenda’ On Move To Remove Indian Christians
Orissa, Apr 23 (Catholic News Agency).- As India conducts its month-long national elections, a leading Indian bishop has accused Hindu nationalists of threatening Orissa state voters with violence and pursuing a “secret agenda” to flush Christians out of the region. Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, speaking in an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), claimed that leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have made death threats against people unwilling to vote for them. He said the BJP was determined to eliminate Christianity from Orissa state’s Kandhamal district, where the vast majority of the state’s churchgoers live. Catholic priests in Orissa report that the BJP has warned Christians in Kandhamal district that if they voted for other candidates, the party would bully them into leaving the area, ACN says. Nearly 30,000 people fled the district in 2007 and 2008 during anti-Christian attacks on nearly 300 villages in Kandhamal. Eighty people, including a Catholic priest, were killed. About 270 churches and chapels were desecrated while 6,000 homes were destroyed. Archbishop Cheenath told ACN that people in relief camps in Kandhamal were generally able to vote. However, he said “several thousands” who fled the district during the violence were denied the vote because they were prevented from registering. “The BJP party officials have threatened to attack the Christians and chase them away. The threats were very serious and there has been a great fear among the people,” the archbishop said, speaking from Bangalore. “The problem for the people was made worse because the authorities in Orissa took no tangible steps to prevent such things from happening.” “The secret agenda of the [BJP politicians] is to remove the Christians from Kandhamal,” In the run-up to the elections, BJP Kandhamal candidate Ashok Sahu was arrested for making an anti-Christian speech in the village of Raikia. He has since been released. According to ACN, Sahu was closely linked to Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the militant anti-Christian Hindu leader whose murder last August, allegedly by Maoists, sparked widespread violence against churchgoers. A Century Old Church In Maharashtra Attacked
Mumbai, April 21 (Dibin Samuel for Christian Today) : A 100-year-old church in Saoner, Maharashtra was attacked by dozens of Hindu extremists on Sunday, eliciting fear among the faithful who have accused the government and police for failing to protect the community. The miscreants, allegedly from VHP and Bajrang Dal, according to the police, had attacked the Douglas Memorial Church on allegations of forceful conversions. Chanting “Jai Shree Ram, Jai Bajrang’’, the extremists numbering over 25, armed with sharp weapons, injured three women worshippers and destroyed church furniture and musical instruments. Christian literatures and Bibles were also torn. Police said ten minutes before the attack the miscreants had placed a complaint against the church for which the authorities promised to investigate. The attack was not spontaneous and was well planned, police contended. Reverend Mark Sakharperkar of the church, which is affiliated to the United Church of Northern India, denied allegations of forced conversions and said the church is being attacked for the first time and on ‘erroneous’ reasons. “It was a merciless attack. I was shocked to see them barge into the church with sticks and weapons during the worship. They hurled a sharp trident at me. Some of them were known faces. One Pandit Bharadwaj even brandished a pistol to intimidate me,” a national daily quoted Sarkaharpekar, as saying. The priest identified one of the attackers as Sonu Bariya who used to attend the Sunday mass with his mother on several occasions. They had however discontinued their visits, he added. The incident apart from eliciting fear has also sparked an outrage among the Christian community who are in no mood to remain silent, paving way for another brutal Kandhamal. Mumbai-based Abraham Mathai, vice-chairman of the state minority cell, accused the police for the incident and said police have only arrested one person even after knowing the identity of the attackers. Urging people to follow the teachings of love and peace as preached by Mahaveera, Buddha and Jesus, Bishop Paul Dupare of Church of North India (CNI) said, “People from all communities should live in peace and harmony. All religions must be respected.” Nelson Francis, executive member, Catholic Association of Nagpur, condemned the incident and said it was very unfortunate. Meanwhile, the VHP and Bajrang Dal are both denying any involvement in the incident. Subodh Acharya, city president of Bajrang Dal said its members were not behind the attack. He says it might have been the reaction of several Hindus in the area who are against the church luring people. A case has been registered under rioting, trespassing and defiling place of worship. Police have begun investigating the incident. The church in India has numerous times clarified that it is against forced conversions, which is also against the tenets of Christianity. Despite this, missionaries have been brutally attacked and arrested on fabricated charges. Sometimes, even the police have been reluctant to judiciously act on such cases. Christian Mahasangh Will Ensure The Christians Votes
The Christians of MP paying tributes to the slain Christians of Orissa.Bhopal, April 18 (Central Chronicle) : Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasangh has appealed to Christian voters to cast their vote in favour of such a candidate who is soft spoken, who protects the interest of Christians, believes in social unity, follows the Indian Constitution and who is interested in development of the area. These views were expressed by MP Isai Mahasangh general secretary Richard Desilva while addressing the media. He added that MP Isai Mahadangh would ensure that all Christians use their right to vote. He further said that to ensure that all the Christians cast vote awareness programme will be launched. In this connection announcement will be made in all the churches. He opined that Christians are not related to any party and added that it is expected that about 80 per cent Christians will cast vote in Lok Sabha elections. Richard added that on April 19 at 4 pm at Roshanpura square mud bowls will be distributed among the citizens and appeal will be made to citizens to provide food grains and water to birds in these mud bowls. Christ Memorial Group of School’s Chairman Dr Manis K Mathews said on this occasion that Christians are not vote bank of any political party and they would not have alliance with any party. Christians will vote for individual not for any party. Kandhmal Christians Determined To Vote
Kandhamal (Orissa), April 17 : The wounds of communal violence are still raw, but Kandhmal Christians are determined to cast their vote. Hundreds of them are heading for their villages for the first phase of polling on Thursday. Kandhmal has not reported communal violence since November and many who had to flee the riot-ravaged district last year are returning to cast their vote in favour of peace. It looks like an uneasy homecoming, but one that is filled with optimism too! Communal clashes forced these villagers to flee Kandhmal last year and go to Bhubaneshwar as daily-wagers. Now, they are going back to Kandhmal to exercise their right to vote with one prayer- peace. “We felt if we don’t vote there would be no one to stand up for us. That is why we are on our way back,” says Jitendra, a riot victim. “We believe the new people who would get elected will take care of all communities and bring back peace. We will be able to return to our villages and live without problems,” says another. There are still two thousand odd Christian voters living in relief camps in Kandhmal. The administration says it has provided enough security for voting to go off peacefully. Some voters may still be apprehensive, but the general mood in Kandhmal is upbeat. Heartiest compliments from Christian Fort.Com to the residents of Kandhamal. Pak Christian Journalist Gets Death Threats
Lahore (Pakistan), April 15 (Jenna Lyle for Christian Today) :A Christian journalist in Pakistan has received death threats after publishing articles calling for greater democracy and for refusing to convert to Islam. George Masih, 43, who writes for the Lahore-based newspaper Aaj Kal, wrote a number of columns which provoked the ire of Muslims. Last August, he wrote a column entitled “The Nation should wake up now”. In the autumn he wrote a further three columns entitled “The Sunrise of Democracy”, “The Triumph of Democracy” and “I am Pakistan”. The Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) is supporting Masih and said that his articles were aimed at promoting religious tolerance and democracy in Pakistan. (However, Christian Fort.Com is also with Mr. George Masih both ethically and principally.) Masih claimed to receive the first threatening letter late in October from the Islamic Tanzeem Organisation, which threatened “dire consequences” for him and his family if he did not become a Muslim. The letter said, “George it would be better if you embraced Islam as soon as possible. Your name is the same as the [ex-president] of the USA, George Bush. We hate that stupid American. You should change your name and embrace Islam, or else you will suffer along with your family.”
In December, Masih said he received another letter in which the senders “directly threatened to kill” him and his family if he still did not convert. According to CLAAS, he first ignored the threats, but as more threatening letters came he sought police protection. The police at first refused to take action but were later ordered by the Session’s Court Lahore to act on 11 February of this year. This Easter George and his family were in hiding for fear of attacks as no suspects have been detained yet. Joseph Francis, National Director of CLAAS, said the police needed “to resolve the problem and provide sufficient protection to the Christian journalist and his family”, according to Worthy News. World Christians Celebrate Easter
JERUSALEM, April 13 (MATTI FRIEDMAN for AP) — Christians prayed at an ancient church and sang in a garden outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City as they marked Easter Sunday in the city where they believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected. The city buzzed with religious activity. Orthodox Christians, who observe a different calendar, marked Palm Sunday, and thousands of Jewish worshippers celebrating the Passover festival thronged a plaza opposite the Western Wall for a traditional blessing. Roman Catholics held Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally believed to mark the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and then resurrected on Easter Sunday. Brown-robed friars marched into the church to the sound of bagpipes, followed by clergymen in purple capes and others bearing crosses. Pilgrims stood by, some filming with small video cameras. The scene outside the church was broadcast to believers worldwide over the Internet by the Florida-based U.S. company IPrayTV.com. “Words aren’t adequate to express how moving it is to be in this place at this time,” said Mark Walsh, 48, an auto shop owner from Houston, Texas. Donna Hayes, a 40-year-old homemaker from Miramar, Florida, said it was a “special feeling to be here, where it all took place.” Another group of pilgrims chose to mark Easter Sunday outside the walls of the Old City at the Garden Tomb, which some Protestants sanctify as an alternative site for the last events of Jesus’ life. Protestant groups from the U.S., the Philippines and elsewhere gathered at the garden, swaying and singing along with a Christian rock band and listening to a sermon from Peter Wells, who heads the Garden Tomb Association. Not far away, in a plaza opposite the 2,000-year-old stones of the Western Wall, Jews gathered for the traditional priestly blessing, a remnant of ritual from the biblical Jewish Temple. The Western Wall, a retaining wall from the Second Temple, is the holiest site where Jews can pray. Covered in white prayer shawls, descendants of the Temple’s priestly class blessed the assembled worshippers: “May God lift his countenance upon you and may he give you peace.” Pilgrims Throng To Tomb Of Jesus
Many believe the ancient church is built on the exact spot Jesus was crucifiedJERUSALEM, April 12 (AFP) — Thousands of Christian pilgrims converged on Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday hoping to spend a few moments at the tomb in which they believe Jesus was buried before rising again. The rambling ancient church, which also encloses what is believed to be Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, is located on a small plaza in the Christian quarter of the Old City, surrounded by a warren of narrow streets. “I was eager to come here so that my son could be blessed,” said Sonnita, a 23-year-old Indian sitting with her nine-month-old baby at the Stone of Unction, where Jesus’ body was washed and prepared for burial. Behind her and others, the faithful wait their turn to pray before the slab of polished red stone, a few steps inside the massive doors of the church. The Christian holidays, which culiminate on Sunday with Easter for Catholics and Protestants, coincide with the Jewish holiday of Passover, and Israel has sealed off the West Bank. Manuel Rofa, 23, lives in the Old City, but said that “with the economic crisis, my heart’s not in it, and I preferred not to go to the Holy Sepulchre to save myself having to pass through checkpoints of Israeli soldiers.” Nuha Ort, 53, said “there is no joy. The political situation is blocked. My husband and I are unemployed, and it is impossible to feed our six children” from welfare payments. While most Christians believe the Holy Sepulchre to be the site of the crucifixion and burial, some Protestants think the real tomb is located in a garden outside the city walls, about a kilometre (half a mile) away and discovered in 1867. Biblical accounts speak of Jesus being buried outside the walls. At the time of the crucifixion, however, both sites were outside the walls, which were extended outward shortly afterwards. Stephen Gill Honored In US & Canada
Ottawa (Canada), April 10 : The Christian Fort is pleased to share that 11 CM International Bible College, headquartered in Florida, USA, has honored the pride of Christianity Mr. Stephen Gill with DOCTOR OF HUMANITIES “for serving the cause of peace through his writings, particularly Poetry.” 11 CM International Bible College is accredited to World-Wide Accrediting Commission of Christian Educational Institutions in Richmond, VA, USA; and is a certified member of Apostolic Council of Educational Accountability in CO., USA. The Christian Fort is pleased also to share that South Asian Bible Church of Canada has honored Mr. Stephen Gill with LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD “in recognition of outstanding achievements as a poet of peace” at its Eleventh International Symposium of Poets, held in Toronto on March 28th 2009. He presented his poetry at the same gathering. To know about Mr. Stephen Gill, you may visit his web site: www.stephengill.ca. Poet Laureate of Ansted University, Mr. Stephen Gill is an expressive voice of Canada, India and Pakistan. He believes strongly in a democratically elected world government and peace through peaceful means. Global peace and social concerns are the main areas of his interest.
