Masked Mob Attacked Christian Prayer Meet in Bihar
Sasaram (Bihar in India), SVM News, 29 January, 2007: A Christian Prayer fellowship meeting of Seventh Day Adventist Church at Sasaram in Rohtas District of Bihar State in India was attacked by suspected Bajrang Dal activists on Sunday, the 28th of January.
Several people injured and were immediately admitted 12 to the hospital.
Witnesses of the attack said that about 40 masked men entered the prayer hall at the time of the prayer meet, beaten the pastor and the believers with sticks, truncheons and iron rods and warned against holding similar weekly meetings.
Charging that the Christians are involved in conversion activities, the mob beat up the gathering of 15 Christians, Pastor Joseph Mathew, the Church's spokesperson told to SVM News Service.
They beat up people present there, tore down posters and burnt Bibles, song books and leaflets, ransacked the hall, damaged the furniture and assaulted the worshippers, sparing the three women. The pastor said everyone was caught unaware and did not "even get a moment to run for safety."
"The attackers shouted slogans against the conversion of Hindus to Christianity," he added.
The pastor denied his people engage in conversion activities. The Church works for the social and spiritual empowerment of poor Dalit, people from castes once called "untouchable," in various parts of Bihar, he explained.
"We don't convert anyone to Christianity. We simply hold prayer meetings and invite people for spiritual encounters with God's healing powers," he continued, adding that their prayer meetings have gained popularity.
Pastor Mathew said the Sunday program was a regular prayer-healing session.
According to Krishna Kumar Sharma, the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Sasaram, a group of armed men Sunday attacked the worship service of Seventh Day Adventist Church in Sasaram in Rohtas district, which is about 130 miles away from Patna, the capital city of Bihar. "One of the hospitalized men named Umesh Ram, lodged a complaint with police in which he named nine Bajrang Dal activists and said he could identify 25 others on sight". K.K. Sharma said to the SVM News.
Police would soon arrest the attackers. "We can't allow these anti-social elements to vitiate the social and interfaith milieu here," Sharma added.
Bajrang Dal leaders in the district were apparently unhappy over the missionary converting many Dalits. In the last two months, nearly 50 Dalit families have reportedly converted to Christianity.
Several people injured and were immediately admitted 12 to the hospital.
Witnesses of the attack said that about 40 masked men entered the prayer hall at the time of the prayer meet, beaten the pastor and the believers with sticks, truncheons and iron rods and warned against holding similar weekly meetings.
Charging that the Christians are involved in conversion activities, the mob beat up the gathering of 15 Christians, Pastor Joseph Mathew, the Church's spokesperson told to SVM News Service.
They beat up people present there, tore down posters and burnt Bibles, song books and leaflets, ransacked the hall, damaged the furniture and assaulted the worshippers, sparing the three women. The pastor said everyone was caught unaware and did not "even get a moment to run for safety."
"The attackers shouted slogans against the conversion of Hindus to Christianity," he added.
The pastor denied his people engage in conversion activities. The Church works for the social and spiritual empowerment of poor Dalit, people from castes once called "untouchable," in various parts of Bihar, he explained.
"We don't convert anyone to Christianity. We simply hold prayer meetings and invite people for spiritual encounters with God's healing powers," he continued, adding that their prayer meetings have gained popularity.
Pastor Mathew said the Sunday program was a regular prayer-healing session.
According to Krishna Kumar Sharma, the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Sasaram, a group of armed men Sunday attacked the worship service of Seventh Day Adventist Church in Sasaram in Rohtas district, which is about 130 miles away from Patna, the capital city of Bihar. "One of the hospitalized men named Umesh Ram, lodged a complaint with police in which he named nine Bajrang Dal activists and said he could identify 25 others on sight". K.K. Sharma said to the SVM News.
Police would soon arrest the attackers. "We can't allow these anti-social elements to vitiate the social and interfaith milieu here," Sharma added.
Bajrang Dal leaders in the district were apparently unhappy over the missionary converting many Dalits. In the last two months, nearly 50 Dalit families have reportedly converted to Christianity.
Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Chairman of the Christian Ministers of the Churches in India (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries condemned the attack to the prayer meet at Sasaram.
"Such an attack to the poor Christians and Dalits is a big shame for us Indians which was happened in between the Republic Day of India and the World Peace Day, which is the memorial day of Mahatma Gandhi's assasination". Paul Ciniraj said. He asked the Governement of Patna and the Central Government of India to take immediate action to stop the Christian persecution in India.
"Such an attack to the poor Christians and Dalits is a big shame for us Indians which was happened in between the Republic Day of India and the World Peace Day, which is the memorial day of Mahatma Gandhi's assasination". Paul Ciniraj said. He asked the Governement of Patna and the Central Government of India to take immediate action to stop the Christian persecution in India.
Read this news at the original site: http://salemvoice.org/news130.html
Salem Voice Ministries,
Devalokam (P.O), Kottayam,
Kerala-686038, India.
http://salemvoice.org/
Salem Voice Ministries,
Devalokam (P.O), Kottayam,
Kerala-686038, India.
http://salemvoice.org/
posted by Salem Voice @ 12:52 PM
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