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India

• Hindu Militant Arrested for Murder of Indian Pastors

  Police have arrested one man and are searching for two others responsible for the deaths of two Indian pastors in recent weeks.  On May 21, the body of Pastor K. Daniel was found on the outskirts of Hyderabad.  On June 2, Pastor Isaac Raju was also found murdered (for more details, click here).  Police interrogated members of various militant Hindu groups in connection with the murder before arresting Goverdhan, a member of Hindu Vahini (Hindu Army). 

  According to news reports, Goverdhan and his accomplices, Satyanarayana and Ganesh, were emboldened to commit the murders after the Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence of

  Jeep where Graham Staines was burned to death in 1999

  Dara Singh to life imprisonment.  Singh was convicted of the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons.  A close relative of Goverdhan is reported to have converted to Christianity and they wanted to stop further evangelistic activities.

  Continue to pray for the families and friends of these murdered pastors.  Pray also for those responsible for the killings, that they will find the mercy and grace of God and will turn to Him.

  For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• Kashmiri Woman Escapes Her Kidnappers Twice

  Nargis (22) is a Christian worker in the predominantly Muslim area of Kashmir, India.  According to Asia Harvest, she was kidnapped five weeks ago.  When her friends heard no news from her, they began to fear for the worst.  On June 8, however, coworkers received a phone call from her saying she had managed to escape.  She said that her captors had produced false documents claiming she had married one of them.  She gave them her location.  Her family rushed to get her, only to find out that she had been captured again.  Ten days later, the family received notice that she had escaped for a second time and was making her way to a safe location.

  Pray that she will be safe from her attackers.  Pray for her physical, emotional and mental healing.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.

• Indian Militants Disrupt Church Service; Christians Charged

  Sunday worship services were suddenly disrupted on June 6 when approximately 200 armed Hindu militants stormed a church in Moti Chowk village in Chhattisgarh, India.  Reports indicate that they were accompanied by two police officers when they entered the church.  According to a June 9 report from Compass Direct, the mob physically assaulted Pastor Jaichand Dongre and other church members.  Eyewitnesses said that the police officers slapped the pastor several times and attempted to humiliate him.  The mob looted the church and took Bibles, Christian literature and musical instruments.  Astonishingly, nine church members were then taken to the local police station and charged with disturbing the peace.  The police refused to intervene when the rabble slapped the pastor on his way to the police station.

  When a representative of the Minority Commission contacted the police station, he was initially told that the nine were charged because of conversion activities and that they deserved what they got.  Those arrested were held for two days before being released on bail.  Since then, the situation in the village has remained tense.  Christians are being refused access to the village well and the local markets as activists ordered a social boycott.

  Pray for these and other Christians in India facing social and legal difficulties because of their faith in Christ.  Pray that the charges will be dropped and that political pressure will come to bear on local officials who endeavour to stop the spread of the Gospel through violence and persecution.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• Americans Beaten and Expelled from India

  Four Americans participating in a Bible reading session in Mumbai, India were attacked by 30-40 Hindu youths on July 11 because they believed the Americans were trying to convert Hindus.  Three of those attacked were treated for cuts and bruises but were not seriously hurt. While investigating the incident, officials decided that the Americans were in violation of their visitor's visa and ordered their deportation.  One official stated, "There is something fishy about their visit which needs to be probed further."  One of the four Americans, Philip Allan, had a multiple-entry visa and had frequently visited India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  Local Christian leaders, however, deny that the Americans had violated their visa conditions.  They assert that the Bible reading session they were attending was a private function.

  Pray that the ministry of the Church in India will not be adversely affected because of this incident.  Pray that those responsible for this attack will see the love and grace of Christ in the lives of Christians around them and will come to faith in Christ.

  For more information on the situation facing the Indian Church,click here.

• Two Indian Pastors Face Death in the Past Month

  On May 21, the body of Pastor K. Daniel from Kummarvadi, a village on the outskirts of Hyderabad was found with marks indicating he had suffered from an acid attack. Three days later, another pastor from the outskirts of Hyderabad also went missing.  According to a June 6 report from Compass Direct, the body of Pastor Isaac Raju was discovered wrapped in a jute bag behind bushes on June 2.  It is reported that police received an anonymous phone call giving the location of Raju's body. It would appear that both men were lured to their deaths by someone asking to meet with them to discuss their availability to conduct a wedding ceremony.

  An unknown group calling themselves the "Anti-Christian Forum" is claiming responsibility for the attacks.  Police have questioned over 150 members of local militant Hindu groups in an effort to find those responsible.  A notice has been posted in "The Hindu" newspaper offering a reward for the capture of those responsible for the attacks.

  Pray that those responsible for these attacks will be found.  Pray for peace, comfort and wisdom for other pastors in the area who are facing the possibility of an organized attack against pastors.  Pray for strength and comfort for the families of those who have been killed.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• India Update: Attack on Church in Lamding

  For the fourth time in seven months, the Believer's Church in the village of Lamding was attacked by unknown gunmen.  On the evening of May 29, a group of thirty missionaries and church workers were at the church because the pastor, Rev. S. Prim Vaiphei, had received notice that the church was to be attacked that evening.  A jeep slowly approached the church around 11:00 p.m.  When the Christians turned on their flashlights to see who was in the vehicle, gunfire erupted.  As many as forty shots were fired. Thankfully no one was seriously injured.  The church had been previously attacked on November 23, March 9 and April 19 (click here). 

• Indian Mission Accused of Forcible Conversions

  Seven staff members of the ATMIK Vikas Trust (AVT) mission in Uttar Pradesh, India are under police investigation following accusations from a group of former employees.  According to a May 31 report from Compass Direct, the former employees claim they each gave the mission a deposit 20,000 rupees ($575 Cdn) when they signed up for a training program.  They claim that the staff at the mission converted them under the guise of finding them jobs.  When the group lost their jobs in November 2004, they allege that they were beaten and threatened with death when they requested their deposit back. 

  One of the accused denies that money was ever received. Another defendant, M.M. Philip, told Compass, "This is simply an expression of frustration by our ex-employees. We provide Biblical teachings and focus on the personal transformation of a trainee, but some come in with false expectations. They think they will get a job and money, and when such expectations are not met, they think they have been wronged."

  The seven have been accused of criminal breach of trust, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation.  If convicted, they could face imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine or both.

  Pray that the truth will come out in this case.  Pray for the continued ministry of AVT.  Pray for strength, wisdom and courage for each of those accused.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.

• Hindu Groups Pressure Government as Christians Face Continued Attacks

  In the village of Jamanya in Jalgaon district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, believers who refused to renounce their faith in Christ have faced intimidation and beatings, according to a May 20 report from Compass Direct.  On May 15, eleven Christian families were summoned to a community court and accused of bringing bad luck on the village.  They were asked to renounce their faith in Christ for the common good of the village.  When they continued to refuse, a mob chased the Christian men from the village, beating those they caught.  When the Christian men attempted to return that evening and found armed villagers outside their homes, they fled to neighbouring villages. 

  Angered at the escape of the men, the Hindu mob attacked the women and children the next day.  Some of the children fainted from the beatings they received.  In the meantime, the Christian men had reported the incident to the Yawal district police.  In response, village officials filed complaints against the Christians, accusing them of forcible conversions and disrupting the peace.

  According to Compass, two militant Hindu organizations, The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and the Bajrang Dal, both have a strong presence in the Jalgaon district.

  In Orissa State, the VHP has been actively pursuing restrictions on Christians.  According to the Catholic news agency Zenit, the VHP is pressuring the government to dismiss all public workers, police and civil servants who are Christians.  The VHP is also opposing a government ruling which gives equal rights to tribal Christians.

  Pray for Christians throughout India who are facing opposition for their faith.  Pray for protection for the families in Jamanya.  Pray that government authorities will push for equal treatment for Christians.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.

• Attacks on Christian Workers in India

  While walking to the funeral of a church member, eight students from the Beersheba Bible College of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God at Maramon in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala State, India were attacked by approximately fifteen members of the militant Hindu group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).  According to a May 16 report from Compass Direct, all eight were treated for injuries from knives and other sharp weapons. Three of those students required hospitalization.  Police confirm that this was an unprovoked attack and have pressed charges against those responsible.

  Those injured in the attack were: Blessen Abraham, George Abraham, Binu Babu, R. Ravindran, Rajesh, B. Rony, T.E. Varghese, and Vinod.  Babu and Blessen Abraham were admitted to the hospital and released on May 15.  According to the last report, Varghese remained in hospital.

  The incident has provoked fear in the student body.  Two days later, a group of RSS militants gathered outside the college shouting threats and anti-Christian slogans.  The campus is under police protection.  The school has responded by offering forgiveness to the attackers.  They do not wish to press charges, though police have registered a criminal case against the RSS workers.

  Pray for the healing of those attacked.  Pray that the peace of God will reign in the hearts of the students and that fear will not rule over them (1 Peter 3:14-15).  Pray that those who instigated this violence will see the love and grace of God and turn to Christ.

  For more information on persecution in India,click here.

• Crowd of 500 Attacks House Church

  On May 1, sixty members of the King Jesus Church were gathered for worship at the home of Pastor Paulraj Raju in Mangalwarapete village in Karnataka state, when a crowd of nearly 500 people converged on the home.  According to a May 4 report from Compass Direct, they violently attacked Pastor Raju, his wife and others.  Some of the women were sexually assaulted when they attempted to intervene.  Bibles and Christian literature were publicly burned and the furnishings of the church were destroyed.  Raju, his wife, and an elder of the church, Mr. Nagraj, were seriously injured.  At last report, Raju remained in hospital.

  Raju is no stranger to suffering.  On April 1, a similar mob of 200 gathered, demanding that services cease.  In January, Pastor Raju had gone to the nearby village of Rampur where he was beaten and accused of converting Hindus. He was arrested under Section 153A(1)b of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibits any act leading to religious disharmony and detained until March 3.  He was released only after his wife filed a petition to quash the charges and the Karnataka High Court ordered his release.

  Pray for a full and quick recovery for those injured and assaulted in this attack.  Pray for the continued ministry of the King Jesus Church.  Pray that those responsible for this attack will see the love and grace of God portrayed in the lives of Christians.

  India continues to be a country of particular concern to The Voice of the Martyrs, as reports of violence against Christians continue to mount in both number and intensity. "Believers in India are in a spiritual battle," says Glenn Penner, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs. "The pressure put upon them by militant Hindus to stop spreading the Gospel is tremendous. Praise God for those who continue to carry out Christ's call to bring the message of reconciliation to those who are hostile to Him and His messengers."

  For more information on India and the suffering of Indian Christians,click here.  The June edition of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter focuses on the "insane" obedience of those who refuse to disobey God and remain silent.  Click here to subscribe today to The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter.