The international community must demonstrate the same commitment to wiping out growing "Christianophobia" as to tackling anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, the Vatican’s foreign minister said on Friday.
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti was speaking as Hindu mobs continue to go on the rampage against Christians in India’s Orissa state in retaliation for the killing of a Hindu leader, despite the Indian government saying that Maoists are most likely responsible for the murder. At least 13 people have been killed in the violence and hundreds of Christian churches and homes have been burned down.
Mamberti said religious freedom is fundamental to upholding human dignity.
"In order to promote this dignity in an integral way, so-called 'Christianophobia' should be combated as decisively as 'Islamophobia' and anti-Semitism," he said.
More than 3,000 people, mainly Christians, have fled from their homes to government-run relief camps or surrounding forests.
Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan said that at least 12 members of Gospel for Asia-related churches had been killed in the violence, although the exact death toll remains unconfirmed.
He called the violence “unprecedented” in his 30 years of ministry in south Asia.
"I have never seen persecution so bad in my life and I have seen a lot of opposition to the Gospel over the years,” said Yohannan.
Orissa has a long history of persecution against Christians. The current outbreak of violence follows a wave of attacks on Christians by Hindu radicals in Orissa last Christmas. In 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were brutally murdered by anti-Christian militants.
Christians in other parts of the world, particularly the Middle East, face intense persecution. Earlier this year, churches were bombed in Mosul while the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul was abducted and found dead two weeks later. Christians in Iraq believe that the attacks were part of an ongoing campaign by Islamic extremists to drive Christians out of the country. Last month, the Pope appealed to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri-al-Maliki to do more to protect Iraq’s dwindling Christian population.
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Bharatiya Janta Party and the Vishwa Hindua Parishad have blood on their hands. They have adopted a NAZI manifesto of ethnic cleansing that can be researched by anyone on google. These organisations are funded by NRI's based in the US and UK and Europe. I am waiting to see if there is an investigative journalist who will research these organisations. God Bless the persecuted christians.
Horribly sad! This is such a tragedy! More have died for Christ in the last 100 years then in the entire history of Christianity.
So why aren't our Canadian and American forces in there stopping this tragedy? Looks like all we can do right now is pray.
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I am presently in India and friends are in contact with believers in this state. It is not just that property is being destroyed, scores of Christians are being murdered by well organized bands of Hindu fundamentalists. These aren't just ignorant rioting mobs who got out of control. Many of those behind it are not even from the area. There is evidence that they are even paid. They are strategically working from village to village surrounding it, setting up roadblocks and then assaulting the village. The term shock troupes would not be an inaccurate description. This level of hate is almost too much to comprehend. Pray for our brothers & sisters.
I too very much believe that educated liberal Hindus are tolerant and some of them even worship at Christian churches because Hindus are taught to respect all other religions, from this persecution one can see the hand of uneducated fundamentalists who do not see and understand beyond their noses, we can only pray that their hard hearted hearts are touched and healed by the dive power of the Holy Spirit to treat all humans alike no matter who credd or colour. Our prayers are with all those christian brothers and sisters who have been rendered homeless and helpless and pray that the Govt. officials will treat all humans alike in Orissa.
This is so sad.
And the Hindus are previously knows for their tolerance toward all people.