PRESS RELEASE

Contact: John PD                                                                    September 23, 2008

Office: 202-547-6228

Cell: 301 346 5736                                                     

 Announcing The Prayer Rally To Highlight The Violence Against Christians In India During Prime Minister Singh’s Visit To The White House.

 The Prime Minister Of India Mr. Manmohan Singh Is Meeting President Bush To Sign The Nuclear Agreement On Thursday At The White House. We Will Be Holding Our Prayer Rally Out Side The White House At The Same Time To Draw Attention To The unprecedented Levels Of Religious Violence Against Christians In India By Extremist Religious Radicals.

 Event: Rally Demanding An End To The Violence Against Christians In India

Time And Date: September 25. 2008,            2 PM

Venue: Lafayette Square (in Front Of The White House), Washington DC. 

 Background:

 Radical Religious Extremist Outfits Like VHP (World Hindu Council) And RSS (National Hindu Volunteer Corps), Both Associated With India’s Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Have Unleashed A Wave Of Unprecedented Level Of Violence And Bloodshed Against Christians In The Indian States Of Orissa And Karnataka For The Past Several Weeks. 

 Members Belonging To VHP/RSS/BJP Have Killed Or Burnt Alive At Least 49 Christian Priests, Nuns And Members Of Local Congregations. Over 300 Churches (among Them 90% Catholic And Protestant Churches), Besides Number Of Convents/orphanages Were Burnt Or Destroyed; Over 3000 Houses Belonging To Christian Villagers Were Burnt And Destroyed.

 On Christmas Eve, Nine Months Ago, Violence Exploded Against The Christians In Orissa. Number Of Churches And Convents Were Burnt And Over 100,000 Christians Were Forced To Flee Their Homes On The Day Of Christmas. This Is The Same State Where An Australian Missionary, Graham Stains And His Two Young Boys (10 And 12 Years Old) Were Burnt Alive In 1999 By The Same Hindu Religious Groups. Orissa Is Projecting An Image That They Love To Burn People Alive.

 VHP/RSS/BJP Members Claim That The Christian Mission Work And The Christian Schools Are Causing Religious Conversions. Underground Maoist Insurgent Have Reportedly Gunned Down A Hindu Leader Laxanananda Saraswati On August 23^rd Who Was Engaged In Forceful Re-conversions Of Christians Into Hindu Faith. Though Christian Leaders Have Condemned The Killing The VHP, RSS And BJP Leaders Took Advantage Of This Assassination, To Mount An Offensive Against The Christians. 

 On August 27, Pope Benedict Condemned This Ongoing Violence In Orissa Saying He Was, "profoundly Saddened By The Violence That Has Left As Least 11 People Dead (official Count As On Aug 27), nearly All Christians And By Destruction Of Christian Homes, Churches And Orphanages At The Hands Of Hindu Mobs In Orissa”. But International Leaders, Including The US And UK Have Largely Remained Silent So Far.

 Today, It Is Shameful To Allow Such Things To Take Place While India Is On Its Way To Becoming An Economic Power. This Kind Of Behavior Needs To Be Discouraged If India Must Become A Member Of The Civilized Global Society.

 Mr. Narendra Modi: What Is Happening In The States Of Orissa And Karnataka Are Very Similar To The Tactics They Used Successfully In Another Indian State – Gujarat In 2002. There Also, The Chief Minister Of The State Ordered The Police To Stand Down While VHP/RSS/BJP Party Workers Enjoyed A Free Hand In Killing And Burning The Properties Of Muslims. (under The International Religious Freedom Act Of 1998 Mr. Narendra Modi Has Been Banned From Entering The US Since 2005)

US Based Organizations Affiliated To These Radical Indian Religious Outfits Support A Number Of Things From Restricting The Constitutional Rights Of People To Follow A Religion Of Their Own Choice, To Supporting The Creation Of A Hindu Religious State In India.

 Groups In The US, Affiliated Or Sympathetic To VHP/RSS/BJP, Operating As Cultural, Social And Business Associations, Often Spread False Propaganda And Hate Against Christians. These Outfits Accuse Church Based Services Such As Education Of Tribal Children, Rural Primary Health Care In Remote Areas And Safe Drinking Water Projects In Villages As A “part Of An Effort To Convert People To Christianity”. These Groups In The US Raise Funds Under Various Banners But These Funds Often End Up Being Used For Staging Violent Attacks Against Christians.

  Demands: We Ask The US And International Governments To Strongly Condemn This Religious Violence Directed Against A Particular Group Solely Because Of Their Religious Faith And To Tell The Prime Minister Of India To Do All That Is Necessary To Provide Adequate Security To The People Of Orissa And Karnataka. US And Members Of Other International Community Must Tell The Prime Minister Of India That He Should Not Risk India's Friendship With The Rest Of The World By Allowing The Culprits To Walk Away Freely.

 We Ask The US To Help Hold The People Responsible For This Violence Accountable And Bar Them From Entering The US As Per The International Religious Freedom Act Of 1998 Passed By The US Congress.

We Ask The Justice Department To Investigate The Activities And Fund Raising Efforts By Organizations Affiliated To Radical Hindu Groups In The US And How These Funds Used For Supporting Violence Against Christian Religious Groups.

Rev. Bernard Malik,

President

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