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India

• Update: Church Threatened in India

  Last week, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on a threat to burn sixty Christians to death if they did not re-convert to Hinduism (click here to read more).  Compass Direct reported on November 21 that because of police intervention, the planned "re-conversion" ceremony was cancelled. The situation in the community remains tense.  Twenty villagers met on Sunday for worship, despite the threats.
  (Source: Compass Direct)

• Operation Mobilisation Team Beaten

  On the evening of November 10, following a showing of the "Jesus" film in Kothrud, near Pune in Maharashtra State, a team from Operation Mobilisation was attacked by more than twenty-five members of the militant Hindu group Siva Sena.  The mob beat the four Christians and caused over Rs 100,000 ($2,600 CDN) damage to their film equipment.  The team members were then dragged to the police station where a false witness told the police that the team had tried to bribe him to leave Hinduism and become a Christian.  The police reportedly abused the OM team members while in detention and confiscated their identity cards and film equipment.  One of the team members named Madan received serious injuries to his jaw.

  When the All India Christian Council (AICC) intervened, the police charged the team with using a loud speaker in public without permission and then released them. The AICC is considering filing charges against the Siva Sena as well as the local police.

  (Source: All India Christian Council)

• Pastor Beaten and Accused of ''Forcible Conversion''

  In the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, more than sixty new believers are being threatened with death if they refuse to return to Hinduism. On November 4, Pastor Feroz Masih was traveling to a nearby village when he was stopped by approximately ten members of the World Hindu Council (Vishwa Hindu Parishad or VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal.  They accused him of being involved in the forced conversion of Hindus.  According to a November 14 report from Compass Direct, Ramesh was then severely beaten and suffered serious internal injuries.  He was forced to sign a statement that he was willing to reconvert to Hinduism.  The VHP members then said they would be coming to his home on November 20 to conduct a puja (reconversion ritual) for Masih and the sixty members of his church.  Those who refuse will be burned to death.

  Masih and his son reported the beating and death threats to the police.  The police refused to press charges for the beating and called it a "minor incident."  They have not yet responded to the death threats.

  (Sources: Gospel for Asia, Compass Direct)

• Christian Dalits Attacked for Attending Festival

  On November 3, villagers in Bhoomas in Gujarat state gathered for a cultural event to celebrate the Hindu New Year.  Since the event was public, twelve low-caste Dalit Christians decided to attend.  However, when Hindu villagers from a higher caste saw them there, they became furious.  Approximately 150 Hindu villagers attacked the Christians.  Five were injured and two, Babubhai Jethabhai and Kashiben Ramanbhai, were admitted to hospital.  Police are investigating the attack, although no one has been taken into custody at last report.

  (Source: Compass Direct)

• Prayer Meeting Attacked in Uttar Pradesh

  Christians meeting for prayer in a home in Pratapgarh in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh were attacked by Hindu militants on Sunday, November 6.  The mob accused the owner of the house, Pastor Tarun Khosle and his wife, Asha Khosle, of converting Hindus to Christianity.  The attackers prevented the two hundred believers from leaving the house for several hours.  They also threatened to kill the family members if any "Hindus" were seen at future prayer meetings.  The militants then interviewed each person in attendance to ensure that no conversions were taking place.  The Christians were warned to not return to the weekly prayer meeting.

  (Source: Compass Direct)

• Pastor Attacked in Gujarat

  On October 23, Rev. Arthur Jebaraj, his wife, Nyana Sundari Jebaraj, and their driver, Dattu Daulat were returning to their home in Chempa in southern Gujarat, after attending a prayer meeting in Garma village. According to a report on October 27 by Compass Direct,  the members of the Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB) reached the village of Kaparada Taluka, they were stopped on the road and questioned by several Hindu militants carrying sticks. The driver, fearing the crowd, rolled up his window. The mob immediately attacked them. All three individuals have suffered internal injuries. When Rev. Jebaraj and a few other believers lodged a complaint with the Kaparada police, they were told that their claims had no substance. The police refused to file their complaint.

  (Source: Compass Direct)

• Attacks on Christians Increase in Rajasthan

  According to an October 27 report by Compass Direct, on October 26, the tribal Christian Welfare Society was forced to cancel the last day of their three-day revival festival in Sagwa, a village in the Banswara district of Rajasthan state. For nearly two weeks, Hindu militants had been attacking Christians in the district. The violence escalated on October 25, when the revival meetings began in Sagwa. Over the next two days, at least fifty incidences of beatings of Christians occurred. The government ordered the Society to cancel the remainder of the meetings to avoid further violence.

  Amoung those attacked in Banswara district on October 25, were a group of nuns in the village of Bhandaria. A youth on a motorcycle saw them waiting for the bus early in the morning and hurried to gather several other youths armed with canes and weapons. The injured were taken to Udaipur and admitted to the government hospital. Two of the injured nuns were reportedly over sixty years old.

  (Sources: Compass Direct, The Times of India Online, Dajiworld quoting SAR News)

• Church Convention Stormed by Militants

  For the past forty-seven years, the Church of God in Raipur's Raja Talab area has been holding an annual "Gospel and Revival Convention."  On the afternoon of October 15, Hindu militants stormed the convention.  According to an October 18 report from Compass Direct, the militants pointed to three women on the stage and alleged they were tribal people kidnapped by the Christians for conversion.  Police interrogated the women who denied all the allegations.  Nevertheless, the next day approximately seventy militants from the "Dharam Sena" (Army of Religion) returned to the convention. They attempted to disrupt the meeting by shouting abuse and anti-Christian rhetoric.  There were no serious injuries.

  (Source: Compass Direct)
• Bishop's Home Attacked

  Bishop Vincent Samuel

  In the early morning of October 17, the home of Vincent Samuel, the Catholic bishop of the diocese of Neyyatinkara in the southern state of Kerala was attacked by four people armed with wooden staffs.  A security guard was injured and three vehicles were damaged. Those responsible fled when a police patrol approached. The reasons for the attack are uncertain, but the local mafia is believed to be responsible.  The bishop is known to be an outspoken advocate against the problem of alcoholism in the area.
  
  (Source: AsiaNews)
• Update: Government Attempts to Intervene in Court Case

  Last week's Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on an upcoming court case defending the rights of Dalit Christians in India (click here for details).  The Court heard the case on October 18. The Indian government argued that since a Commission has been appointed to look into the matter, the Court should dismiss the case.  The judges disagreed, saying the issue was a matter of constitutionality and thus within their rights to continue hearing the case.  The next hearing is scheduled for October 25.

  (Source: AICC India)