Release International
MILITANT HINDUS PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS IN RELIGIOUS CLEANSING |
| Nov 21 2007 |
Witnesses describe how militants murdered a Christian pastor by pouring acid over him; how they beat up a woman evangelist and attacked another pastor, publicly accusing him of using bribery to convert people to Christianity. Their stories are told in the latest edition of Witness magazine by Release International, which supports the persecuted Church.
Pastor Daniel and his wife Hephzibah started a Christian church in the Hyderabad area by distributing tracts. He was beaten several times, before disappearing in May 2005. His body was discovered a few days later.
Hephzibah said she was only able to recognise her husband by the clothes he'd been wearing when she last saw him alive. His murderers had smothered him with acid.
Says Hephzibah: 'The future is unknown, but God has called me and will show me how he will accomplish his plans through me. I strongly believe that nothing happens out of God's will. God has a bigger purpose. I have to accept that.'
68-year-old Rukmini lives in Bangalore, South India, where she courageously shares her faith in Jesus in her neighbourhood.
One day more than 90 people came to protest at her evangelistic activities. Ten forced their way into her small home, tied her hands, and forcibly daubed red powder on her forehead - a sign of re-conversion to Hinduism.
'This is a Hindu nation', they said. 'We don't want you holding Christian meetings in your house.' They told her to stop reading and believing the Bible.
Rukmini has endured several such incidents over the past 15 years. 'I am fearful,' she says, 'but I just live to serve Jesus.'
Pastor Aaron leads a church in Nizamabad, north of Hyderabad. While he and his church were holding evangelistic meetings the militant Hindu group RSS publicly accused the pastor of bribing people to convert to Christianity.
They punched him in the face and body with fists and sticks, and hit him on the head with a megaphone. 12 members of the RSS were arrested after the incident was shown on TV.
Later Pastor Aaron called a press conference to publicly forgive his attackers, and to deny all accusations of using bribery to get converts. Attacks such as this have forged a new unity among Christians in the Nizamabad district.
Persecution against Christians in India is growing. Some 300 cases were officially reported last year. Many others go unreported for fear the police may be biased against Christians, and that reporting the attacks could make the persecution worse.
Pressure against Christians is highest in rural areas, where attacks against leaders and church buildings are common. Individuals also face discrimination in their communities, and are often cast out by their families who fear a backlash from local Hindus.
A number of militant Hindu organisations have been implicated in the growing attacks. The hard-line Hindu group RSS - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - is said to be behind a number of violent incidents. The RSS aims to 'reconvert' thousands of people to Hinduism to make India a wholly Hindu nation (Hindutva). They target tribal Christians in particular. Other Hindu militant groups also took part in attacks against pastors and churches over Easter.
Several Indian states have introduced anti-conversion laws, which Hindu extremists are using to accuse and harass church leaders.
Release International serves the persecuted church in 30 nations. 'Please continue to pray for Christians in India,' says Chief Executive Andy Dipper. 'They face many pressures, but remain faithful in sharing the gospel.'
Release International supports the persecuted Church in India by ?holding conferences for persecuted pastors; providing Bibles in local languages in areas of persecution, and by giving emergency relief. Earlier this year RI provided clothes, food, shelter and medication for 30 Christians who had been driven from their village by an angry mob.
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