Christmas for Christians in the Indian state of Orissa will be “extremely fraught” with fear this year, said a minister working with persecuted churches.
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(Photo: AP/Manish Swarup)An Indian Christian woman prays along with others during a prayer vigil for the victims of the recent Mumbai terror attacks at a function to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008.
When Christians should be celebrating the birth of their Savior, those in Orissa will instead be facing uncertainty and fear in a “very threatening environment,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, on Monday.
He said that Hindu nationalists have called for a shutdown of the state on Christmas day in alleged protest against the lack of progress in capturing the murderer of their swami.
The government, meanwhile, has said the call for a shutdown is illegal and ensured safety for Christians.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Monday, "No shutdown will be permitted Dec 25. The government will come down heavily on those who try to create any trouble."
Despite assurances, Moeller predicts that the shutdown will likely occur and Christians that leave their homes to attend church on Christmas could be attacked for violating the unofficial shutdown.
Christians in Orissa have been in a state of constant fear after a Hindu fundamentalist leader was killed in mid-August and his followers blamed Christians for the murder.
Thousands of Christian-owned homes and properties have been burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of believers have been forced to hide out in the jungle or take shelter in refugee camps since August.
While Moeller resisted from stating that Hindus are using the swami’s death as an excuse to attack Christians, he did point out that if their main objective is going after the killer then they would invest more time into investigating the Maoists, who had already publicly claimed responsibility for the murder.
Rights groups and Indian Christian leaders have charged the government for not doing enough to stop the violence.
Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, Orissa, recently accused the state government of having done "nothing to protect the Christians."
“The persecution of Christians in Orissa, continues amid the indifference of authorities,” he charged last week.
Cheenath said at least 11,000 Christians remain in refugee camps in the hard-hit district of Kandhamal, and thousands are still in camps in other districts due to anti-Christian violence.
He lamented that Hindu fanatics continue to be active in the state and thousands of Christians cannot return to their villages because of fear of attacks, he told L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.
Like Moeller, he also believes attacks will take place on Christmas day, noting that some Hindu extremist groups have already declared their plans to do so.
“Our persecutors have announced there will be new attacks against us by Christmas,” Cheenath said. “Therefore, the message of the extremists for those who hope to come back and those who live in uncertainty is clear: only conversion to Hinduism will save them.”
He added, “Everyone fears new acts of violence if they were to return to their cities.”
RSS
Moeller didn't want to come out and say outright that the Hindus simply wanted an excuse to go after the Christians, but that is certainly the case. One Hindu leader actually said during an interview with the Times of India that 'Conversions have to stop, only then will violence (against Christians) cease.' The root of the violence is the hatred of Christians sharing the good news with those around them. For more information on this interview, see this article: http://voiceofrevolution.askdrbrown.org/2008/12/17/violent-campaign-against-indian-christians-part-1/.
This is an interesting story that is side-by-side with the article bemoaning the social gospel.
What we ought to be caring about is the welfare of the Christian community. What can we do to support them and to help them live safely? I don't think Jesus would respond violently or verbally attack people who act in such a way that causes people to live in fear. We put ourselves on their level. Mom and Dad always said that two wrongs don't make a right. Morality is not algebra.
Let's pray for all those involved on both sides. Jesus wants us to love everyone even those with whom we disagree.
When the world community is going to see the radical
terrorists who have skyjacked Hinduism; like the
terrorists who could terrorize Mumbai, all the way from
Pakistan? The only difference of the terrorists
attacking the Christian community is that they are from
India, with the same spirit of the terrorists from
Pakistan, seeking after murder and bloodshed of the
minority Christian community.
Google search and Youtube: Orissa Christians
I commend Dr. Moeller addressing the Genocide in India. These organisations are part of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad that support the anti- Christian terrorist organisation called Bajrang Dal. The general Hindu population in India are not a part of these militias.
vhp-america.org
vhp.org.au
vhp.org.uk
hinduunity.org
When Christians should be celebrating the birth of their Savior,
"their Savior"?? According to scripture He is THE Savior period. There is no other. And Christmas is no where mentioned in the bible as some "holiday". It was made by Pagans and the unholy alliance with Constantine's empire.