Release International

Hindu extremists armed with sticks and clubs attacked 20 Christians in a house near Bangalore last week, the latest in a string of attacks on Christians in Karnataka.

The extremists burst into the home in Anekal on Monday evening, insulting and attacking the Christians, and accusing them of 'proselytising' and 'forcible conversion'. Pastor Shanthakumar Srirangam, who leads Agape Church, lost a finger in the assault. A woman received head injuries and nerve-damage to her right hand, while a third Christian sustained serious leg injuries.

Karnataka state in southern India is no stranger to anti-Christian violence and these attacks are not without precedent. The state is governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) which has announced its intention to pass anti-conversion laws such as those used to persecute Christians in other states.

Release partner All India Christian Council (AICC) reports that Pastor Manu Das is still seriously ill after 300 extremists attacked him and 14 others as they sang Christmas carols at a private house. Police detained the Christians for a week – not their attackers.

Since Christmas, extremists have secured the arrest for suspected 'forcible conversion' of Pastor Siddu Seemanth Gunike of the Blessing Youth Mission Church in Balgakot district and Pastor Raju Doddamini in Davangere, according to AICC. Pastor Raju was released the next day after a lawyer intervened – but there has been no update on Pastor Siddu's case.

For more news and a country profile about India, click here

NEWS UDPATE:
The brother of Beijing lawyer Gao Zhisheng has travelled several thousand miles to visit his sibling in Shaya Prison in remote north-west China – only to be barred entry to the prison. Gao Ghiyi was told his brother was not allowed visitors until a three-month observation period is over. Gao Ghiyi was informed last month that his brother was being held in Xinjiang province – the only clue to Gao's whereabouts since his last public appearance in April 2010. Officials recently announced that Gao was serving a three-year sentence for 'violating his probation'. Release partner China Aid says Gao Ghiyi intends to stay in Xinjiang until he sees his brother. Click here for background information about Gao's case.

(Sources: All India Christian Council, China Aid, Global Council of Indian Christians, Mission Network News)

• Ask God to bless and protect His people in Karnataka who live under the threat of violence and for whom justice is generally elusive. Pray that His church there will be emboldened to speak up for justice and spread the Gospel.
• Pray for Gao Zhisheng and for his family as they continue to live with uncertainty over his condition and whereabouts. Pray that Shaya Prison officials will relent and allow Gao Ghiyi to see his brother, if indeed he is detained there.

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