Christmas could be a dangerous time for Christians across the globe. In Turkey over 100 suspected ISIS members were arrested on for allegedly plotting Christmas attacks, while in Nigeria a Catholic bishop warned earlier this yr that massacres during Christian festivals is becoming “customary” in parts of the country.
The “world’s largest democracy” can also be not immune, with International Christian Concern (ICC) reporting greater than 80 incidents in India, a few of them violent.
ICC said that nearly all of incidents involved Hindu extremists related to groups like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal, a militant wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Disruption of Christian events, intimidation, attacks and anti-Christmas speeches have taken place all around the country.
In a shopping centre in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Christmas decorations were vandalised by a gaggle of just about 90 men.
In the identical state an umbrella body of tribal and social organizations demanded motion against what it called “illegal conversions”.
Many Indian states have “anti-conversion” laws. Theoretically such laws are to guard people from being converted by force, coercion or bribery. In practice such laws are used to focus on Christians and other minorities and to forestall people leaving Hinduism. No one has ever been punished or sanctioned for converting someone towards Hinduism.
In Kerala, a state generally considered more Christian friendly, an alleged RSS supporter attacked a gaggle of kids participating in a Christmas carol procession, destroying their musical instruments.
Th attack, which was reported by The News Minute, was brushed aside by Kerala’s BJP state leader C. Krishnakumar, who accused the youngsters of being a “drunken criminal gang”.
The BJP is the party of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and is closely related to the RSS. Modi has been criticised for his failure to forestall anti-Christian persecution and has been blamed for his actions as chief minister of Gujarat in 2002 when deadly communal violence led to over 1,000 deaths.
TV journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai has spoken out against the attacks on Christians all around the country.
“Christmas is a festival of joy celebrated the world over and in India with good cheer. To then goal a minority on this country with such impunity exposes the mindset that to me is bigoted and anti-constitutional,” he said.
He added, “Rather than acting sternly against them, their political patrons in power today simply look the opposite way or worse still appear to endorse this wild behaviour. Make no mistake, these goons are a national and global shame and embarrassment to the thought of this great country as a plural, inclusive society.”
The spokesperson of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, Dolphy D’Souza, said, in response to ICC, “Attacks (on Christians) usually are not isolated law-and-order issues. They strike at the center of our Constitution — at the liberty of conscience, the fitting to profess and practice religion, and the fitting to worship without fear.”
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