MINORITIES: CHRISTIANS-2012 - Indian Social Institute

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Bobby. Jagdish has resolved not to go back to the slum cluster again. He believes that the unseen hand of an influential political entity is at work jeopardising the livelihood of the five Christian families there. “I pray for peace. The women there join me in praying because their husbands, who were alcoholic, abusive, and quarrelsome, have reformed. They saw in me a spiritual guide to lead their children away from dereliction.” Jagdish was an alcoholic for 30 years. Five years ago, his life, he says, changed for the better after reading the Bible and attending prayer meetings. Bobby reported the incidents to A. C. Michael, member of the Delhi Minorities Commission. Mr. Michael says he has sought protection for the families and members of the church visiting them. (The Hindu 21/3/12) Destroy Gulf churches: Saudi Arabian cleric (7) Christian bishops in Germany, Austria and Russia have sharply criticised Saudi Arabia's top religious official after reports that he issued a fatwa saying all churches on the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed. In separate statements on Friday, the Roman Catholic bishops in Germany and Austria slammed the ruling by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Shaikh as an unacceptable denial of human rights to millions of foreign workers in the Gulf region. Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Russian Orthodox department for churches abroad, called the fatwa "alarming" in a statement on Tuesday. Such blunt criticism from mainstream Christian leaders of their Muslim counterparts is very rare. Christian websites have reported Sheikh Abdulaziz, one of the most influential religious leaders in the Muslim world, issued the fatwa last week in response to a Kuwaiti lawmaker who asked if Kuwait could ban church construction in Kuwait. Citing Arab-language media reports, they say the sheikh ruled that further church building should be banned and existing Christian houses of worship should be destroyed. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chairman of the German Bishops Conference, said the mufti "shows no respect for the religious freedom and free co-existence of religions", especially all the foreign labourers who made its economy work. "It would be a slap in the face to these people if the few churches available to them were to be taken away," he said. At least 3.5 million Christians live in the Gulf Arab region. They are mostly Catholic workers from India and the Philippines, but also Western expatriates of all denominations. Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim houses of prayer, forcing Christians there to risk arrest by praying in private homes. There are churches for Christian minorities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen. The bishops conference in Austria, where Saudi King Abdullah plans to open a controversial centre for interfaith dialogue, demanded an official explanation from Riyadh. "How could the grand mufti issue a fatwa of such importance behind the back of his King" they asked. "We see a contradiction between the dialogue being practiced, the efforts of the King and those of his top mufti." In Moscow, Archbishop Mark told the Interfax news agency he hoped that Saudi Arabia's neighbours "will be surprised by the calls made by this sheikh and ignore them".The Catholic Church has urged Muslim states in recent years to give Christian minorities in their countries the same freedom of religion that Muslims enjoy in Western countries. There are few Orthodox Christians in the Gulf region, but the Moscow Patriarchate - which was mostly silent during the decades of Soviet communism that ended in 1991 - has become increasingly vocal in defending the rights of Christians around the world. Bishop Paul Hinder, who oversees Catholic churches in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yeman, told Catholic news agency KNA that the fatwa had not been widely publicized in Saudi Arabia. "What is worrying is that such statements have influence in part of the population," he said. (Zee News 24/3/12) Good Friday service at August Kranti Maidan (7) MUMBAI: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan ended the controversy over granting of permission for Good Friday services at the August Kranti Maidan after a meeting with Christian groups led by Fr Ernest Fernandes, parish priest of St Stephen's Church, on Monday afternoon. Chavan said since the state has been granting permission for the religious service for 55 years, it made no sense to hold it back on the grounds of maintaining it as a purely sports facility this year. State cultural secretary Anand Kulkarni had refused permission as a "conscious decision to use the grounds only for sports purposes''. State minorities minister Naseem Khan overruled the decision and said it was a service attended by thousands of people. "It is a question of their sentiments,'' he remarked. Chavan met the delegation led by Fr Fernandes and Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Also at the meeting were state minister Varsha Gaikwad, additional chief secretary Thanksy Thekkekara and Indian Christian Voice president Abraham Mathai. The meeting was called after parleys by Christian groups, the Catholic Secular Forum(CSF), the Association of Concerned Christians( ACC) the Mumbai Catholic Sabha and others over three days. These groups lobbied politicians,government officials and Church groups to fight the decision which was considered unfair. Catholic Secular Forum secretary Joe Dias along with Fr Fernandes and Fr Avin Franklin had met state chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad on Monday morning, while Association of Concerned Christians leader Joe Sodder met officials along with Bhayander
legislator Gilbert Mendonsa. Victor Gollapalli of the Maharashtra Council of Churches had also voiced concern over the issue. Good Friday leads on to Easter Sunday, one of the most important festivals of the Church. (Times of India 3/4/12) Kerala archbishop lends support to n-plant stir (7) Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move, Archbishop Susai Pakyam of Thiruvananthapuram Catholic diocese Friday, the Good Friday, extended support to the fishermen’s agitation against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. “We are going ahead with nuclear plants when many nations have been abandoning them. Nobody knows what to do when a mishap happens. The hot water from the plant would destroy the fish wealth and thus affect the livelihood of fishermen. It was not justifiable on the part of the government to suppress the agitation,” said the archbishop. Pakyam said the agitation was justified as it was safety and livelihood that was at risk at Koodankulam. “We are not against progress. But people’s life should not be at risk on account of progress,” he added. The archbishop also urged the authorities to dispel apprehensions of the people about the project. The approach that let people die at the cost of development is like the approach of Pontius Pilatus who ordered Christ’s crucifixion, he said. Last week, after the agitation at Idinthakarai near Koodankulam had lost some of its intensity, a group of activists from Kerala had met the archbishop and sought his support to the agitation. The Thiruvananthapuram diocese’s support has come at a time when the diocese of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu is under pressure to keep away from the protest. Koodankulam is about 110 km from Thiruvananthapuram. (Express India 7/4/12) 50 people killed in Easter Sunday bombings in Nigeria (7) Abuja: At least 50 people were feared killed in two car bomb explosions near a church during Easter Sunday services in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, eye-witnesses and emergency services said. Shehu Sani, the President of Civil Rights Congress based in Kaduna, said two explosions took place at the Assemblies of God's Church near the centre of the city with a large Christian population and known as a major cultural and economic centre in Nigeria's north. "There were two explosions and the casualty figure may go up because some injuries were really critical," he said on phone. Another resident of the city, Miss Blessing Audu told PTI that the explosion has caused panic among Christians celebrating Easter. She said some parts of the church were damaged even as the vibration caused by the explosives were heard in several parts of the city. An emergency worker on condition of anonymity explained that the bombs were planted in two cars near the church. At least 50 people were feared killed and casualties may rise from the blasts as many were critical. He said his agency has been able to recover 20 bodies from the site. Police spokesman Aminu Lawal confirmed the incident to PTI but sought more time before making a formal statement. Ahead of Easter celebrations, the US and the UK had warned of possible bomb attacks, advising its citizens against travelling to certain parts of the country. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the BBC reported that Boko Haram recently said it would carry out attacks in the area over the Easter holiday. The radical group has carried out a series of attacks on churches and other locations on Christmas Day, including outside the church in capital Abuja, where 44 people died. It is waging a bloody war against the government to seek the enforcement of strict Shariah law and the release of all its detained members. The group has bombed churches and attacked mosques in the 150-million nation that has both Muslim and Christian population, with Muslims predominant in the north while Christians mostly living in the South. Coordinated multiple bombings and gun attacks in the northern city of Kano by Boko Haram cadres killed 185 people, including an Indian from Gujarat on January 20. A suicide bomb attack by the group at the United Nations headquarters in Abuja in July last year killed 26 persons.(DNA 8/4/12) Adaikalamadha shrine getting facelift at a cost of Rs. 43 lakh (7) TIRUCHI, April 16, 2012: Various works on improving the amenities for tourists, sanctioned at a total cost of Rs.43.95 lakh, are currently under way at Elakurichi. One of the most famous places of tourism in the district, Elakurichi is a sacred pilgrimage centre for Roman Catholics. Constantine Beschi (popularly known as Virama Munivar) is believed to have visited Ariyalur region and spread Christianity between A.D. 1710 to 1742 and the Adaikala Matha shrine was built by him. According to a note in the district website, he is said to have cured a dangerous disease of the Ariyalur Palayakarar with the blessings of the Holy Mother Mary. Pleased by the service of Virama Munivar, the chief granted 60 acres of land for the temple. An inscription engraved on a stone slab written in A.D. 1763, preserved in this church makes a mention of this grant. The State Tourism Department had last year approved a proposal from the district administration for improving the tourism amenities at Elakurichi, which attracts a large number of tourists and devotees. While the Tourism Department had sanctioned Rs.22 lakh, the rest of the project cost was
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Page 31 and 32: disobey Indian law!” he asked, ci
Page 33 and 34: community. It will be a reality if

MINORITIES: CHRISTIANS-2012 - Indian Social Institute

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