Hindu | Ain't Complicated

Under Siege

Another Christian executed in Somalia

Earlier this month, underground church leader Madobe Abdi escaped an attempted kidnapping in Somalia.

Compass Direct News reports Islamic militants caught up with him March 15 and murdered him. What made his death more alarming is that Abdi was an orphan raised as a Christian rather than a convert from Islam.

Islamic militants have hunted leaders of the underground church movement as a means of discouraging others from responding to the Gospel.

Is it working?

1,000 attacks on Christians in 500 days

A study shows that in 500 days, there were 1,000 attacks on Christians in India’s Karnataka state alone, reports Compass Direct News.

India has not exactly been known for its peaceful attitude toward Christians, especially after several months of attacks in Orissa state in 2008. At that time, attacks were predominately made by Hindu extremists, as they appear now to be in Karnataka. Karnataka, however, never seemed a likely target for Christian persecution.

“[Karnataka] is not in that area of India where you would expect there to be as many attacks,” says Dave Stravers of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India. “It’s in the south; the northern part of India is where more of the radical Hindus live. One of the reasons it’s not surprising, however, is that this is one of the places where the church is growing faster in India.”

[…]

“What’s happening in Karnataka is perhaps a little bit ominous because a Hindu political party has control of that state,” says Stravers. “Even though these attacks are not legal attacks, nevertheless when a Hindu party gets in power, it seems to encourage the unruly elements in the country to undertake this kind of violence.”

And I feel bad because our pet hen died this afternoon….

Perspective. How we all need good perspective.

India: More Extreme Extremists

I am again grateful for religious freedom here in the United States.

New anti-conversion legislation coupled with more “extreme” Hindu extremist cells rising up across India make the future of Christians throughout the country look much more challenging.

First, “To further its campaign against Christianity, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party BJP has demanded an amendment in the Indian constitution to check religious conversions,” according to Christian Today.

While seven states across India already have anti-conversion legislation, if this amendment passed, all of India would have to abide by its regulations and not just scattered states throughout the country.

[…]

In addition to anti-conversion legislation, accompanying the good news of BJP slowly losing ground and facing “a potentially uncertain and unstable future,” according to Christian Today, there is also more bad news for Christians.

As BJP loses popularity, new extremist groups who claim to breakaway factions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu extremist umbrella organization, are launching their campaign against Christians. These groups go by names such as the Abhinav Bharat (Pride of India), the Rashtriya Jagran Manch (National Revival Forum) and the Hindu Dharam Sena (Army for Hindu Religion).

These new organizations viewed RSS and BJP as “too mild,” according to Baptist Press, and they advocate increased violence against Christians. These beliefs have been supported in their actions with several attacks in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jabalpur since 2006.

As persecution worsens in India, Christians need to step up and not be afraid to share their faith, Stavers said.

Also, though many actions are restricted, Christians can still do several things to reach the searching of India.

Source: Mission Network News: Political climate makes conditions even worse for Indian Christians.

Persecution Updates

Here are four recent pieces from Mission Network News, the first being from Somalia:

Somalia’s Muslim militants are hunting down converts to Christianity. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Al-Shabaab members have murdered 14 believers since July 15.

Compass Direct News reports the September 15 shooting death of 69-year-old Omar Khalafe, an underground Christian who had Bibles in his possession.

On the day of his death, Khalafe was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship in Somalia.

Full article: Islamic extremists in Somalia hunting Christians

Next we go to India:

Since his conversion from Hinduism six years ago, Indian pastor Vanamali Parishudham has suffered opposition for his faith in Christ from other Hindus and even his parents. Most recently, Pastor Parishudham was physically attacked on his way to his home in Narketpalli, Andhra Pradesh.

On his five-kilometer walk home from a Sunday service, three Hindu extremists came up behind Parishudham and struck him hard on the head with what are being called sharp-edged metal rods. According to International Christian Concern, Parishudham was knocked unconscious almost immediately and left for dead by his attackers. He was bleeding severely from the head.

Full article: Pastor attacked by extremists

Now on to China:

An official notice was sent to government agencies last weekend telling them to “be prepared to use military force to crackdown on the churches throughout China,” according to ChinaAid. Dubbed the “Xinjiang Model,” this method was named after a violent incident that resulted in several hundred deaths in August. ChinaAid’s president says this preparation is unnecessary.

Full article: Officials prepare for violent crackdown

And finally back to India:

After being attacked by an ax-wielding young man, death was anticipated for Gospel for Asia missionary Titus Aamer.

Aamer met with this young man because he expressed an interest in Christianity: his parents had recently given their hearts to Christ. Later, however, the man attacked Aamer after being influenced by anti-Christian extremists.

Aamer suffered severe blows to the head and wasn’t expected to live; he remained in a coma until doctors were able to treat his wounds.

Full article: Militants in India launch brutal attack against missionary

Now you know.

Object of Worship

As a father and a grandfather and a Christian, this makes me sad:

In this April 8, 2008 file photo, mother Sushma holds her daughter Lali at their residence in Saini Sunpura, 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of New Delhi, India. The baby with two faces, two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes was born on March 11 in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said.

Source: Yahoo! News