INDIA -VIOLENCE TOWARDS CHRISTIANS CONTINUES

Nearly one year on from the extreme anti-Christian violence in Orissa in 2008 and harassment and discrimination towards Christians continues in many parts of India. In Hubli, in the state of Karnataka, Hindu extremists attacked a church, members of the congregation and their property on 17 August, setting fire to three auto-rickshaws that belonged to the Christian community. The attacks happened at midnight, and the media were present, causing frightened community members to assume the attack was pre-planned. In Afzalpar (also in Karnataka) around 20 Christian converts from Hinduism were asked by the village elders to leave their village following their acceptance of Jesus Christ. In Kolkata, West Bengal, two young believers were attacked by a group of eight Hindu extremists, who also collected signatures from local villagers and filed a complaint against the Christians at the local police station. In Chittoor, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a church that was built by local Christians and due to be inaugurated for the village community was set on fire on 20 August. These are four incidents that were reported in late August 2009, but many more instances of persecution against Christians go unreported. • India is a place of religious tension; pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will stand firm in their faith despite such adversity. • Pray for those in Orissa who continue to mourn their loved ones and endure physical privations. Pray that the Lord Jesus will protect His people in India and that hostility towards Christians does not escalate into bloodshed.