The Persecution Times » Archive
Pastor and believers arrested for preaching gospel in Karnataka, India
By James Varghese Special to ASSIST News Service KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) – A group of 30 Hindu radicals attacked an outreach meeting and took a pastor and some believers to police station get them arrested. This incident occurred in Frazer town, Bangalore in Karnataka state, India on August 24. According to a news issued by the website www.persecution.in, the incident took place at about 6.30 am when Pastor Nelson, along with about 10 believers belonging to different churches in Bangalore, were on an outreach, preaching and distributing Christian tracts in a place called Doddigunta. It happened that about 30 radical Hindus came to the spot and started intimidating and abusing the pastor and believers and later they were taken to the police station and pressurized the police to file First Information Report (FIR) against them. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Assist News Service, Christian, HIndu, India, Persecution
Orissa Update – Gospel for Asia
Pastors Attacked, Believers Killed, Churches Destroyed in Anti-Christian Rampage Increasing attacks on Gospel for Asia-related work in Orissa have resulted in the deaths of at least six local believers since radical mobs went on a rampage after the murder of a leading anti-Christian activist. Saturday night, Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati, a top leader of the VHP (World Hindu Council), was killed in an attack by 20 men suspected of being Maoist rebels. The Maosts had earlier warned the swami to leave the area. The attack, which included gunfire and a hand grenade, also killed four other people. GFA President K.P. Yohannan strongly condemned the gruesome killing of Swami Laxamanananda and demanded that those who were guilty should be punished. Because the swami was a leading opponent of Christian work in India, his followers in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Gospel for Asia, HIndu, India, Persecution
Christians Murdered as Violence Spreads in Orissa
Compass Direct News reports: NEW DELHI – At least 18 people are confirmed dead in 92 incidents of violence against Christians since suspected Maoists murdered Hindu leader Swamiji Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others on Saturday (Aug. 23) in Orissa state. With Hindu extremists inciting hatred by heated accusations that Christians killed Saraswati, the national newspaper Hindu reported today that nine people had been killed in Orissa violence, and a Compass source near the state capital of Bhubaneswar confirmed an additional nine people slain. The death count by the Hindu included four people killed in the Barakhama area. News agencies had earlier confirmed three dead in Raikia and two others, including a woman, killed in Bargarh, where a missionary-run orphanage was set on fire yesterday. The figure of 92 incidents thus far comes from … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Compass Direct, HIndu, India, Persecution
Missionary Run Down by a Motorcycle
On August 12, an anti-Christian extremist on a motorcycle viciously ran over Gospel for Asia native missionary Anek Layak while he was walking on the side of the road with two other GFA missionaries. Then the radical got off his motorcycle and beat all three missionaries. Anek, who serves as a professor at a local GFA Bible college, sustained severe injuries to his head and was hospitalized. After receiving treatment, the missionary was released. Although his wounds have not completely healed, Anek has resumed teaching the students at the college. The extremist who attacked Anek and the other missionaries has been actively opposing the ministry in his village for quite some time. “It seems he has taken a challenge to beat our people and oppose our ministry,” a GFA field correspondent said about … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Gospel for Asia, HIndu, India, Persecution
Pastor Attacked, Churches Burned in Wake of Swami’s Death – Gospel for Asia
At least one Gospel for Asia missionary has been attacked, churches and homes have been destroyed and Christians are fleeing for their lives in India’s Orissa state in the wake of the murder of a leading anti-Christian activist leader. A GFA correspondent has reported that as night fell Sunday on Orissa, “the roads are being blocked by felling trees, and attacks on Christians have started.” Last Christmas, during similar attacks, the anti-Christian militants also blocked off roads into the area of their attacks to hinder the arrival of government forces. Saturday night, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a top leader of the VHP (World Hindu Council), was killed in an attack by 20 men, suspected of being Maoist rebels. The Maosts had earlier warned the swami to leave the area. The attack, which included … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Gospel for Asia, HIndu, India, Persecution
