Two catholic nuns arrested in Orissa accused false case

Mayurbhanj (Orissa in India), SVM News, July 29, 2007: Two catholic nuns were arrested on July 28 at Baripada in Mayurbhanj District in Orissa, where Australian Missionary Graham Staines and two sons were burnt alive in their jeep.

Sister Mary Sebastine (57) and Sister Prema Thomas (62) of the Bangalore based congregation of St Ann's Sisters were arrested and taken to Bodosahi police station on Monday at 5.00 am. and then shifted to the Baripada and detained them.

Legally, women cannot be detained or arrested between sunset and sunrise; but those nuns were taken to the police station at early in the morning before sunrise without women constables.

Both sisiters are under police custody accusing them false case with non-bailable charges of IPC 323 and 506 against forcible conversion and torturing students.

"Nuns were arrested on Sunday morning. But police did not bring them before the court, because of wide searching for some more evidents. So they are still under police custody. Police will bring them to the court on Monday morning. Till then they will be under police custody," Sanjay Kumar Sing, the District Superintendant of Police of Mayurbhanj said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

St. Ann's Sisters running a convent school and a hostel named 'Vijaya Sadana Hostel' for Dalit girls at Baghamara, 30 km from Baripada since 1981, helping them to develope their education and social culture. About 200 girls are accommodated from rural areas and studying at the school.

Two newly admitted inmates Sarojini Murmu (14) of Nachipur village and Anjana Behera (11) of Titial village, studying in IX and V standards had left the hostel to their houses last week without informing the hostel authorities. By the support of Sangh Parivar, a Hindu radicals gruop, the parents of girls complained to the police that sisters of the convent forced them to recite prayers. And the Sangh Parivar forced the police to arrest the sisters.

"There had been not even a single complaint reported before against sister Mary Sebastine and sister Prema Thomas and their convent school and Vijaya Sadana Hostel since last 26 years," Rev. Father Issac Puthanangadi, Diocesan Treasurer of Balasore told.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, also known as Sir Ciniraj Mohamed, the national president of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) condemned the arrest of Catholic nuns.

"Christian persecution is being increase widely thoughout India. Many pastors, missionaries, evangelists and believers murdered, beaten and jailed. Churches vandalized. The authorities and the police joining hand in hand in many places with the attackers. Where we have to go for the justice? We request the urgent attention of UN Human Right Commission regarding the attack towards minorities and dalits, especially for the christian persecution," Paul Ciniraj said.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news210.html

A primary school run in a Graveyard and kids get Nightmares

Kaimur (Bihar in India), SVM News, July 26, 2007: An Indian Urdu primary school is located inside a 200 year old Muslim graveyard at Kohari village in Kaimur district in Bihar State of India, which is about 130 miles from Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

More than 200 children in between 5 to 12 years of age learn their first lessons on reading and writing in this school. Most of the classes are held in the open in the graveyard. The children play and eat also amidst the dead.

It was running in the graveyard for many years. But the children at the school are now complaining of having recurring nightmares about ghosts and have appealed to authorities to shift them from the site.

The school is being run in just two rooms that are not spacious enough to accommodate all students.

The graveyard, however, has over 100 tombs and dozens of fresh graves -- most of them shallow -- dug in recent months. It has further crowded the burial ground.

"I have stopped going to school after many dead people walked out of their graves and came into my dreams, ordering me to reach school on time," said six-year-old Raqib Ansari.

Nuresha Kaitoon, a student, said: "We play and study in the graveyard. When asleep at home, we get weird dreams. Like the one, in which a man with a beard comes shouting at us and orders us to go to school. When it's dark, we are very scared."

Some of the parents have complained that their children are not taking proper sleep. They are afraid of ghosts at their school and it's affecting their health as well.

Iltaf Hussain, parent of a student, said: "The children play and study at the graveyard. When children realise that they are amidst dead men, they get nightmares and are scared."

"They used to play and study together and finish their lunch boxes while sitting on top of concrete graves but now the ghosts have come to haunt them at night and they are falling ill," Riyazuddin Ansari, father of another student said.

"We have no other option, but to send our children to the graveyard school. Because the next nearest school is at least four hours away from our village. It is not possible for us to admit our little children such far away," Naseem Ahmad told to the SVM News Service.

"It is really an unusual school, as children spend hours surrounded by graves," said Majeed Ansari, an elderly person of Kohari village who is one of the founders of the school.

"We started this school in the 60s in a thatched hut in the graveyard, as there was no other place to set up it. The villagers did not object since nobody was ready to donate a small piece of land for it," Majeed Ansari told to Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and SVM News Service. "Though most students in the school are Muslims, it does have dozens of Hindu children on its rolls," he continued.

"A few years ago the local administration built three rooms for the school following the intervention of village head. However, one of three rooms is being used as the school office while the other two are not big enough to accommodate hundreds of children," Majeed Ansari added.

School teachers admit that some parents have complained about evil spirits and ghost haunting their children. Several horror stories have also been doing the rounds for years. Rumours say children, who attend the school, are given sweets and chocolates by ghosts.

Authorities in densely populated Bihar said they were trying to provide new land for the school.

"Maybe the dead are not enjoying the noise inside the graveyard any more, but we are looking into the matter," said Ram Yash Singh, a village council official.

Hundreds of children at the school accompanied by their parents, marched to the office of a senior district official, asking for the school to be shifted away from the graveyard before last week.

If God willing, Salem Voice Ministries pray and plan to start a village school over there as its mission. We look unto God for it. SVM director said.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news209.html

50 year old Christian stoned and beaten to death in Kerala

Idukki (Kerala in India), SVMNews, July 25, 2007: A group of seven hindu youth forced entered into a Christian house and killed the house owner on July 23 at Helibriya, near Elappara in the Highrange District called Idukki of Kerala state in India.

Paulraj, 50, was brutally murdered on Monday evening.

K.M. Raju, a neighboring hindu led the other people to Paulraj's house to kill him.

Few days ago Paulraj's cow entered Raju's cultivated land. Raju became angry and cruelly beaten the cow. And there was a quarrel going on in between two houses.

In connection with this incident, Prince, the younger son of Paulraj and Soman, the son of Raju had a fight on Monday evening. Suddenly Raju gathered his team and they entered the house of Paulraj to kill him.

Paulraj tried to escape when the attackers came to the house. But they stoned him and he was fallen down. Then the attackers beaten him to death with steel pipes and sticks. Prakash, the eldor son of Paulraj said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

Maria Selvi, wife of Paulraj was also severely beaten by the murderers.

The dead body of Paulraj was sent to Kottayam Medical College for the post mortem.

"Raju is fanatic and gathers hindu youths to give training against Christians," says a local christian, who afraid to tell the name.

P.K.G. Simon, the Deputy Superintendant of Police of Kattappana investigating the case. Raju, Balan, Anil Kumar, Pal, Sibin, Soman and Anish were arrested.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and condemned the incident. He visited the victim's house and prayed for the family members that they may be zealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ for a mighty protection. He appreciated the police for the quick action of arresting murderers.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news208.html

Female Foetuses Recovered in Orissa from a Waste Dump

Nayagarh (Orissa in India), SVM News, July 23, 2007: State police recovered more than 30 body parts of female babies from an abandoned well near a maternity clinic on July 22 near Nayagarh town. Nayagarh is one of the eastern districts of Orissa state in India.

Forensic tests are being carried out on the remains following the raid at Nayagarh on Sunday. Police said they raided an area outside Nayagarh following a tip off.

"We found skulls and bones in some biological waste. We have seized them and they have been sent for chemical examination," Rajesh Kumar, the District Superintendent of Police of Nayagarh said.

The foetuses were buried inside a pit in a plot of a land belonging to a maternity clinic owner. The clinic owner and manager have now been taken into custody.

Officials say it is not possible at this stage to say exactly how many bodies were found in the bags. "We cannot put any numbers. We have to wait for the details of the investigation," B.K. Sharma, the crime branch inspector general of Orissa said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

The state government has now ordered an inquiry into the matter.

At 901 females to 1000 males, Nayagarh district has the worst sex ratio in Orissa. It's no coincidence that it also has over 12 private nursing homes and ultrasound clinics. "We need to find out what goes in these ultrasound centers," says Santosh Kumar Mishra, the Deputy Director of Health (Nutrition).

Similar incidents have been reported from other parts of the country in recent months, raising concerns about India's dwindling female population.

Female foeticide is believed to be one of the main reasons for the skewed sex ratio in India.

Renuka Chowdhary, central minister for Women and Child Development of India said the government plans to monitor all pregnancies to prevent female foeticide.

In June, police arrested the owner of a clinic near Delhi on suspicion of illegally aborting female foetuses. The arrest followed a raid at the clinic in Gurgaon in Haryana state. Officials said the remains of several foetuses were found in a well nearby.

Last year, a surprise raid in Patiala district in Punjab province unearthed the remains of at least 50 female foetuses from a well by a private clinic.

"India is being called as 'Bharat Matha (Mother India)'. There is no word in the universe greater than 'mother', except God. Such a precious personality, mother, is the fullness of a woman. According the Indian ethics, woman is the synonym of all prosperities. Then how can we kill a woman foetus? Stop the killing," Paul Ciniraj, the Director of Salem Voice Ministries said in a statement.

"It is a big sin and a curse from God to abort a child, whether it is a female or a male. They have right to live in this world. They are tomorrow's promises from God to the family, the community, the nation and the universe," he added.

"According the Christian Scripture, every human being is created in the image of God. It is certainly a persecution, if we kill a baby, an innocent being of God's image," Ciniraj continued.

News at SVM site (with updated news of July 24):

http://salemvoice.org/news207.html

Christian missionary institution workers attacked

Satna (Madhya Pradesh in India), SVM News, July 23, 2007: Four social workers of a Christian missionary institution were allegedly beaten up by masked assailants at Satna in Madhya Pradesh State in India on July 18.

The workers of Karunalaya (House of Mercy), a Delhi-based voluntary organisation running the orphanage and offering services to the poor were attacked with sticks and severely injured, police officials said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

The injured Christian social workers were identified as Johan, Ajish, Xavier and Samuel.

Around 14 masked men arrived by five motorcycles on Wednesday evening at the Karunalaya Christian institution and attacked them.

Senior police officers went to the scene and rushed the injured to the District Hospital. A case has been registered against the unidentified assailants and attempts were on to trace them.

"Though the cause of attack was not known, police did not rule out the involvement of some communal organisation," Amit Saxena, the city police superintendent said.

The Christian communities expressed anguish over the incident and sought police protection from the Superintendent of Police Kamal Singh Rathore.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the national president of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) condemned the attack towards Karunalaya Institution and asked the government to find out and arrest the attackers immediately.

Earlier also, Christian community workers were assaulted at Jabalpur and other places in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh allegedly by Bajrang Dal workers.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news206.html

Korean Evangelical Churches in Afghanistan in the Spotlight

SVM News Service
July 22, 2007

Kandahar (Afghanistan): The work of Korean evangelical churches in Afghanistan is in the spotlight again after 23 members of a church were kidnapped by Taliban insurgents on Thursday. Last August, Korean evangelical churches were prevented by the Korean and Afghan governments at the 11th hour from holding what they said was a ¡°peace march¡± of some 2,000 born-again Christians.

Churches say some 100 Korean missionaries from a dozen organizations and churches are in Afghanistan. Most are focusing on volunteer activities rather than openly preaching the gospel. The Rev. Kwon Sung-chan, who worked in Afghanistan before the Taliban took power, said, "In the past, foreigners could enter Afghanistan only through Pakistan. But I understand there are more routes into the country these days and it¡¯s much easier to get entry visas, so a lot of Korean Christians are working there."

According to Evangelicals who have been to Afghanistan, many go to Afghanistan despite the danger because there is so much to do. Choi Han-woo, the secretary general of the Institute of Asian Culture and Development who organized last year's rally, said, "The history of Afghanistan is reminiscent of Korea's modern history in that the country has been invaded by foreign forces many times and went through a civil war recently. There are many things we can do to help it in the postwar rehabilitation process." He said missionary work is challenging but rewarding at the same time.

Since the end of the U.S.-led war in 2002, 400 to 500 Korean evangelicals have visited the country every year for medical volunteer work and to offer education for children and youths, advice on information technology, and advice on agriculture. During the vacations, many go on short-term missions. Local missionaries help each church or organization locate the targets. The kidnapped members of the Saemmul church in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province were apparently on such a short-term mission.

In an interview with the Arabic satellite TV channel Al Jazeera on Saturday, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a purported spokesman for the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, said that the detained Koreans were carrying out "missionary activities." He added, "Afghanistan is an Islamic republic where conversion from Islam or attempting to convert Muslims is regarded as a serious crime in several areas." Islam experts say this is not based on hostility to Christianity itself but because Islam condemns apostasy.

Choi Jin-young, secretary general of the Korea Middle East Association, said, "Due to this rule, Islamic countries ban missionary work although they do not make an issue of faith, be it Christianity or Islam." Lee Hee-soo, a professor at Hanyang University, said, "The Taliban regard missionary work itself as a crime that threatens the foundation of their country and society."

Some Muslim countries even curb Islamic proselytizing beyond certain boundaries, citing a verse in the Koran that says, "There is no compulsion in religion." Last November, the Kazakh government punished an Islamic missionary organization for lecturing at a Mosque without government permission. Even in Turkey, a secular country, open missionary work by other religions is often held in check.

Source: The Chosen Ilbo

News at SVM site (with pictures): http://salemvoice.org/news205.html

3 years of 95 School Children burnt to death

Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu in India), SVM News, July 18, 2007: It was on July 16, 2004, ninety five children, including 47 girls, all aged between seven and nine, were charred to death and 18 others sustained burn injuries in the fire mishap at Kumbakonam Sri Krishna Aided School near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu in India.

An unattended stove under thatched roof, cramped, unventilated classrooms, locked gates and one narrow stairway - when the fire broke out at the school. There was just no way out for children trapped inside.

A team of the Christian missionary organisations called "Salem Voice Ministries" and the "Baseelia Foundation (for charities, child care and relief service)" visited Kumbakonam at the following day of the tragedy. They attended the funeral services of few children and visited the injured at the hospitals.

They distributed toys, soft clothes to wear over burnt bodies and medicines for the injured children and helped to bury some of the dead bodies too. Still they visit them often as a follow up ministry and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

Recently this team visited them on last Monday, the 16th of July, the memorial day of the School fire tragedy, and conducted a prayer service. Rev. Paul Ciniraj, Director of the Salem Voice Ministries shared the Word of God.

Three years after the school kids were murdered, memories of the nightmare still haunt the town. The school has been shut and the school authorities are determined that no more lives will be lost due to lack of proper precautions.

“We need to get a certificate from the fire department every year. We have fire extinguishers on every verandah we teach our students the fire drill as well,” says headmaster of Town High school P.Soundararajan.

But what the authorities won't admit on camera is the fact that government schools in Kumbakonam are still ill-equipped to deal with disasters.

All schools have buckets filled with sand to counter fires and emergency exits. Students are also taught basic evacuation drill. But the latest fire fighting equipments are simply out of their reach.

Though survivors of the Kumbakonam school fire tragedy have overcome the trauma to some extent with grit and determination over the last three years, most of them are still scared even of the sight of fire.

While the burn injuries have healed, the scars remain as a cruel reminder of the gory incident.

Over the last three years, much water has flowed under the bridge and of the 18 students who sustained burn injuries, six of them named Mercy, Divya, Kausalya, Raghul, Rajkumar and Vijay have undergone plastic surgeries.

As 11 year old Raghul, who was in fourth standard then, suffered severe burn injuries and was confined to bed for more than a year, he could not pursue his studies for a year. He, however, is now back to school as he has recovered completely after undergoing plastic surgery thrice.

Though he is now in fifth standard in Sri Matha Matriculation School while his peers are studying in sixth standard in the same school, he has no regrets for being one year behind them.

"I have no regrets. I could not go to school for a year as I was confined to bed. Otherwise, I too would have now been in fifth standard along with them. My burn injuries have now completely healed but it pains when I stretch out my right leg. I want to study well and become an engineer,” he told.

According to his mother Selvi, Raghul is scared of fire even now. "In the initial few months, he used to be restless and would wake up in the midst of sound sleep and shout in midnight as he was suffering from trauma. Though now he is now back to normal, he is scared of fire and does not enter the kitchen," Selvi said.

Bhuvaneswari, Raghul's class teacher said, "he is good at studies; and also he is mingling with other students in the class very easily."

Seventy two students of Sri Krishna Aided School were admitted to Sri Madha Matriculation School and they are all good at studies, says vice principal C Vasantha.

"When they were admitted to our school after the tragedy, fee concession, free text books and uniforms were extended to them. Though they were suffering from trauma during the initial few months, they are now back to normal," Vasantha said.

And 18 mothers who lost their children to the flames have undergone recanalization. Two of them, Rosemary and Jayalakshmi conceived, they had a miscarriage in the fourth month.

As the tragedy occurred on a Friday, parents are observing fasting and prayers on Fridays. They do not eat anything on Fridays in memory of their loved ones and spending time for prayers. Evangelists of the Salem Voice Ministries conducting some of the prayers.

Life has moved on, but there's little relief for those who lost their children in the tragedy. A case of negligence filed against the teacher of Sri Krishna Aided School is still pending in the sessions court.

"We protested in Thanjavur outside the court but nothing happened. They made us sit for half-an-hour and sent us back," says the mother of a victim, Mariamma.

Mariamma's pain may be mitigated to an extent once the judgment is passed, but her loss and that of 94 other families are too personal and too large to be ever compensated.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news204.html

SDA Church members attacked in Guyana

Corentyne (GUYANA), (Stabroek News), July 3, 2007: Bandits on Sunday night attacked and robbed two members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Eversham, Corentyne, just after the vehicle they were travelling in developed engine problems.

The robbers, one of whom was armed with a handgun also sexually assaulted the woman during their rampage.

The two, who were attending a religious function in the area, were left abandoned in their car, which the bandits managed to restart and drove some distance away.

Police in a press release said that around 22:00 hrs on Sunday, a man who hails from an East Bank Demerara village and a female member of the Seven Day Adventist Church, who were both attending a religious function at Eversham, Corentyne, were attacked and robbed by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

Investigations revealed that the two victims were in a motor vehicle on their way to visit another church member when the vehicle developed engine problems.

While stranded on the road, they were attacked by the men who robbed them of two cell phones, their wristwatches and $15,000.

The release said it was further reported that the two bandits managed to get the vehicle started, after which they placed the victims in the trunk and took them to an area along the Corentyne where the female was sexually assaulted. They were later abandoned in the vehicle at Bloomfield, Corentyne.

The matter is being investigated, the release added.

Prayer group and aid worker severely attacked in Kerala

Chalakkudi (Kerala in India), SVM News, July 15, 2007: An anti-corruption social worker and an active member of a Christian prayer fellowship was attacked at his house by a group of people at the village Koorkamattom near Chalakkudi in Kerala State in India on July 14.

Anthony Jacob (27) of Padinjrekkara House was the one attacked by the mob on Saturday around 10 at night. The attackers severely beaten him by iron pipes.

Jacob was seriously injured and immediately admitted at St. James Hospital, Chalakkudi.

There were two men came to his house first and asked for Jacob. The household told that he was sleeping. But the men said that they came to seek Jacob's assistance for a mortgage problem they were facing from a bank. So the household woke him up and he came out to meet the men. Immediately more people reached there by car and motorbykes and they all together beaten him severely.

Jacob's friends told to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service that he had been threaten before against his christian activities and anti-corruption services.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the president of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) condemned the attack towards Anthony Jacob, the anti corruption social worker and the prayer group.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news203.html

Senior High Court Advocate, Christian, Brutally murdered in Kerala

Kochi (Kerala in India), SVM News, July 14, 2007: Seniour High Court advocate, who is a christian, brutally murdered on 12th of July at Valanjambalam in Kochi of Kerala State in India.

"Advocate M.V. Abraham Mannancheril, 75, was found dead at his office near his residence at about 9 pm on Thursday. The advocate was pushing down by beaten at his head and was pressed at his neck to discontinue breathing. Also there was an attempt of electrocuting him," police officials told the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

The post-mortem examination was done at Alappuzha Medical College.

Fingerprint experts and the scientific investigation team members collected evidence from the spot on Friday. The police team got a brass bangle from the scene of the crime, which is suspected to have some relation to the crime.

The police dog, that was brought to the scene on Thursday, could not find any lead, as the scent trail was lost along the road towards the Ernakulam South Railway Station.

Sources said an examination of the body found minor injuries on the face and neck and a burn mark on the right hand, which is suspected to have been caused by an attempt to electrocute the victim.

No attempt of theft was detected from either the office or house of the deceased. Initial investigation showed that no money was taken from his person or office premises, because there was Rs.15,000 and a golden ring was in his table, which was seen opened . Only his wife Chinnamma was at the residence at the time of the murder.

No one was present at the commercial building complex at which his office was functioning at that time. The deceased owned the building complex.

Advocate Abraham has one son and four daughters. Son, Dr. M.A. Mathew and his wife Dr. Latha Mathew are the surgeons of Kolencherry MOC Medical College, owned by a Christian Church. Another son-in-law, Dr. Peter Zachariah, is a surgeon of Tiruvalla Medical Mission, owned by Brethren Christian Mission.

"Our pappa was a prayerful man and a good supporter of Christian activites. We, the children and our families also working in Christian institutions and supporting christian mission," Dr. Mathew told to Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and the national President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches in India (CMCI).

Local people doubts that either his death is because of christian persecution or related with any of the cases.

P.M. Verghese, the Assistant Commissioner of police investigating the case.

The police also started collecting details of the cases that the deceased was working on at the time of his death. The police suspect more than one person was involved in the crime.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news202.html

No Lord, but Jesus: Protesters Voice at Hindu prayer in US Senate

Washington, SVM News, July 13, 2007: Christian religious activists briefly disrupted the Hindu prayer in the US Senate on Thursday, the 13th of July, branding his appearance an "abomination."

Invited by the Senate to offer Hindu prayers in place of the usual Christian invocation, Rajan Zed, a Hindu priest and also the director of Interfaith Relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nevada, had just stepped up to the podium for the landmark occasion, the protesters interrupted by loudly asking for God's forgiveness for allowing the ''false prayer'' of a Hindu in the Senate chamber.

"Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight," the first protester shouted. "This is an abomination. We shall have no other gods before you."

Democratic Senator Bob Casey, who was serving as the presiding officer for the morning, immediately asked the sergeant-at-arms to restore order. But they continued to protest as they were headed out the door by the marshals, shouting, "No Lord but Jesus Christ!" and "There's only one true God!"

Police officers quickly arrested them and charged them with disrupting Congress, a misdemeanor. The male protester told an Associated Press reporter, "we are Christians and patriots" before police handcuffed them and led them away.

"We identified the protesters as three and they are Ante Nedlko Pavkovic, Katherine Lynn Pavkovic and Christan Renee Sugar," officials said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service. "It seems they represent the Christian Right anti-abortion group named Operation Save America," official added to the SVM News.

The Mississippi-based American Family Association has been urging its members for several days to object to the prayer because Zed would be "seeking the invocation of a non-monotheistic god."

Rajan Zed, clad in saffron with a prominent tilak on his forehead, then nervously went through the invocation. "Let us pray," he began, "We meditate on the transcendental glory of the deity supreme, who is inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate our minds."

He was invited by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to give the day's opening prayer.

Doctor's bribe not paid; Dalit woman gave birth under tree

Jagatsinghpur (Orissa in India), SVM News, July 12, 2007: Doctor refused attention insistant on his bribe, a poor dalit woman gave birth to a child under a tree in Orissa in India on 10th of July.

The shocking incident took place near the government hospital in the coastal Jagatsinghpur district, around 100 km from Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa on Tuesday. It came to light on Wedneday after the women's husband lodged a police complaint against the doctor.

Ranju Sethi, 23, was the woman came from Jhimani village to the Community Health Centre at Kujang town with her husband after she started experiencing labour pains.

Abhaya Kumar Dash, a doctor at the centre, demanded Rs.2,000 to admit the woman to the hospital, but the poor family failed to pay that fees.

"When I expressed my inability to pay the amount the doctor abused us and refused to admit my wife in the hospital," woman's husband Gandhrab Sethi said to the police. "Finally my wife could not bear the labour pain and delivered a baby under a tree outside the hospital," he continued.

"It is government-run Comunity Health Center and doctor gets a good figure as salary from the government. So we never not he would ask bribe from the poor dalit villager like me," Gandhrab Sethi told to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

Dr. Abhaya Kumar Dash Dash fled the scene after some 200 locals demanded action.

Dr. Binod Kumar Mishra, the Superintendent of the hospital said that they are investigating the case and a report will be submitted to the chief district medical officer within two days.

Abducted Christian Boy's body Found in Track in Kerala

Thiruvanandapuram (Kerala in India), SVM News, July 11, 2007: The dead body of a 14 year old Christian boy was found on the railway track today near All Saints College, Thiruvanandapuram, the capital city of Kerala. He was a tenth standard student of St Josephs Higher Secondary School.

It has been alleged that two persons, who abducted him yesterday night might have murdered him.

The boy identified as Nithin, was the only son of Napolean and Nirmala, residing behind G V Raja School. It was the local people who found the body today morning. His purse was found lying fifty meters away from the body.

"It was found from the body that the backside of the skull was broken. Also noticed the cause of the death is not by an accident of a train," police officials told to Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the national president of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries. "It might be a beaten to death," they said.

His relatives alleged that two persons, who came in a car, took him saying that his father was not well. His father and their neighbour received calls from the boy saying that he has been kidnapped.

Immediately Napolean contacted Rev. Louis, the parish priest of Kannanthura St. Peter's Church and they have given complaint at Valiathura Police Station. The police have started investigation in the case.

The calls were made from a public booth near Karikakkam.

"Nithin was a cool person and also a cadet of National Cadet Corps (NCC). There is nothing for him to commit suicide, but it must be a well planned murder; probably a persecution," Nithin's father Napolean said.

Napolean is an employee of Canara Bank at Chirayinkil. Nithin's mother is Nirmala. His only sister Nimmi is a nursing student in Bangalore.

Napolean and family is a prayer fellowship member of the Salem Voice Ministries in Thiruvanandapuram. Paul Ciniraj visited them with deep mourning and said in the condolence message that Nithin was a beautiful flourishing flower in our Lord's garden and he was plucked by the Gardener Jesus Himself to decorate His table. No doubt he is with our Lord Jesus and we shall meet him face to face on that beautiful shore in our Lord's great and wonderful Day.

News at SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news198.html

Iraqi Christian Couple of US Embassy Kidnapped and Murdered

Baghdad, persecution4christ, July 10, 2007: An elderly Christian couple of Iraq, who were the staff of US Embassy in Baghdad had been kidnapped and murdered at the end of May.

Mr. Ryan Crocker, the US Ambassador in Iraq confirmed it on July 8 that two of his staff members had been abducted and murdered in Baghdad.

"The two were an elderly couple, both Christian Iraqis. The man was kidnapped in May while coming out of his bank, and the kidnappers subsequently called his wife and demanded a ransom of 30,000 US Dollars."

"The woman raised the money on her own and attempted to deliver it to the kidnappers, but she herself was abducted in the process and both were murdered," embassy staff added.

On May 30, a radical Islamic insurgent group, the Islamic State of Iraq, posted a message on the jihadi website Al Firdos, claiming responsibility for the murders and saying that they were "executing God's judgment on two of the American Embassy employees."

They also warned that they would continue to kill "the crusaders, their employees, and those who lick their shoes."

Source: Persecution for Christ
(http://persecution4christ.blogspot.com)

Myanmar Lutheran Pastor beheaded in Indo-Burma Border

Tonzang (Myanmar), SVM News, July 7, 2007: A Burmese pastor was abducted and beheaded by an unidentified group on July 4 at Tangnuam village near Churachanpur town in Manipur State of northeast India. He was buried in Cikha sub-town of Tonzang Township in Myanmar on July 5.

Pastor Pau Za Khen (62) of the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church was kidnapped in a car at about 5 in the evening on Wednesday by four men from his daughter's home.

The mutilated body was found the next day early in the morning in a paddy field at the outside of the town. The pastor's hands were tied at the back and his head had been separated from the torso and was blind-folded.

The body was taken to the Churachandpur District Hospital in India for post mortem and sent to Khen Maan village of Myanmar by car on Thursday itself for the burial.

He served as a pastor in Khen Maan village in Cikha sub-town of Tonzang Township in Chin state in Myanmar. He was the founder chief of the Khen Maan village, which is about three miles from the Indo-Burma border. Both the Indian Army and Manipuri rebels used to visit this village.

"Visitors and traders from Myanmar to Manipur are shocked on hearing the pastor was brutally murdered", a church member of the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church said to Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and the SVM News Service by telephone.

The pastor used to come and trade in charcoal and wood in Churachandpur in India for his earnings. There are number of visitors and traders coming and going daily from Myanmar (Burma) to Churachandpur of Manipur in India.

"He was killed while he was staying in Churachandpur. There the killers are still at large. The Churachandpur police have so far been unable to identify them," an Indian man told to SVM News Service.

News at the SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news195.html

Militants told Pak Christians to convert or face death

Islamabad (Pakistan), SVM News, July 7, 2007: Islamist militants in Pakistan have threatened to kill 10 Christian clerics in Southern Punjab's Khanewal district if they did not "embrace Islam and stop preaching Christianity."

"We are feeling insecure and unsafe today because of these threatening letters from Muslim fanatics," said Provincial lawmaker Naveed Amer Jeeva, coordinator of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA).

Ten Christian clerics have received threatening letters from unidentified people warning them to "embrace Islam, stop preaching Christianity and quit your faith otherwise the countdown of your life has begun".

A state of fear prevails in Khanewal district's Shanti Nagar because the authorities have failed to address their security needs, said Pastor Mehtab Masih at a press conference yesterday to highlight the issue.

Threatening letters have been received by Union Council Naib Nazim Fazal Masih, Councillor Kalim Dutt, Pastor Robin, Capt Irshad of the Salvation Army Church, Pastor Boez Enver, Pastor Lemuel Calavary and Joseph Daniel, The SVM News Service said.

Lawmaker Jeeva said Pastor Mukhtar Barkat had received such a threatening letter and was assassinated on January 5, 2004 in Khurrampura Khanewal.

On June 12 Christians in Shantinagar village had also received anonymous letters written in Urdu asking them convert to Islam or leave the area.

The letters were sent to 10 religious, political and social leaders of this mainly Christian village.

Shantinagar village, which has about 3,000 Christians and 500 Muslim residents, was formed by the Salvation Army Church before the Partition of ithe sub-continent in 1947.

-- PTI

News at the SVM site: http://salemvoice.org/news196.html

BJP Government Behind Christian Persecution in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (India), SVM News, July 5, 2007: The christian ministers of the churches and the members of the christian community are being assaulted and also its religious and educational institutions are being targeted since the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. So that the christians feel insecure for their lives and properties.

At the same time the organizations RSS, Sangh Parivar, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad are fulfilling their designs. These movements have a close relationship with the BJP in one way or the other.

After the unsuccessful bid by the BJP government to pass the Religious Conversion Bill in the state Assembly, these organizations have become more ferocious and at the behest of the BJP government they are unleashing their terror tactics on the institutions run by the Christian community day by day and assaulting their church priests and principals of schools.

Mr. Ajay Singh Rahul Bhaiya, Member of Legislative Assambly (MLA), and also a former minister of Madhya Pradesh made the above allegations in a statement issued here on Wednesday, the 4th of July.

Citing the recent attack on the community, Ajay Singh, who is son of Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, said that the so-called elements made a murderous attacked on Pastor Amos Singh and vandalized his church, school and the residence at Arjun Nagar in Reva district on July 2.

Though the police have registered a case under section 120 B, but no action was taken so far and that gave encouragement to the accused and they are roaming freely in the entire city and terrorizing the members of the community, he told to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

Regretting the passiveness of the state government, Singh said that in 2004 in Jhabua, targeting the Christian Community, these elements first raped a minor girl in the church premises and then unleashed attacks on the religious institutions in the entire district. But the then Chief Minister Ms Uma Bharti neither took action nor put a rein on the organizations responsible for the incident.

As a result, encouraged by the inaction of the government, the activists of these organizations attacked a church in Indore in 2005 and then in 2006 churches were ransacked in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Itarsi, Betul and other places, he further added.

He lamented that what is more sad state of affairs that the Bajrang Dal activists had stoned the prayer congregation of the Christians and the police stood as mute spectators. "This shows the biased attitude of the state government towards the people of the community, besides escapism from the constitutional responsibility of the government. And for that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is directly responsible," Ajay Singh added.

Ajay Singh demanded from the Chief Minister that along with the Christian community security should be provided to the minority communities and to give special attention towards the dwindling law and order situation of the state, so that peaceful atmosphere prevails in the state.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, national President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of india (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries condemned the attack towards Pastor Amos Sing and his institutions. He appealed to the authorities, stated that Christian persecution is increasing in India day by day and the central and state governments are becoming failure to stop it.

"Governments have responsibility to protect the lives and properties of christians and other minority communities. But we doubt some of the governments supporting anti christian activities to increase christian persecution," Paul Ciniraj said.


Related News (with picture): http://salemvoice.org/news192.html

Christian leader and Campaigner attacked in MP in India

Reva (Madhya Pradesh in India), SVM News, July 4, 2007: Pastor Amos Singh, 52, a famous campaigner and Christian leader from Madhya Pradesh was attacked by Bajrang Dal activists on July 2.

Around 45 Bajrang Dal activists of a Hindu militant group attacked Pastor Amos Singh and his wife as they were ministering in Reva in Madhya Pradesh in an Evangelical Church around 1:00 pm on Monday.

Pastor was taking rest in his room when the militants came to attack him. The attackers forcely entered into the campus of the Church and broken the door of his room and opened it. Then they started beating him with iron rods and steel pipes and assaulted him with knives.

His wife tried to rescue him, but got a cut by knife on her cheek. They put the knife on her throat and said we will kill you.

"The attackers beaten up the church members also who had gathered for prayer service," a member of the church said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

Six people, including two pastors Prem Masih and Rampal and a woman also were beaten and seriously injured. The woman's head was cut open as a result of the beatings. Police taken the victims to the hospital, but no FIR was registered.The attack took place suddenly and Christians were caught unaware, but local Christian leaders are saying that it was a well planned move by the Hindu fundamentalists.

Pastor Amos Singh and his wife originally from Balaghat.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, national President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of india (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries condemned the attack towards a Christian leader and Capaigner Pastor Amos Sing and his co-pastors and christian believers. "Christian persecution is increasing in India day by day and the central and state governments are becoming failure to stop it," Paul Ciniraj said. "It is not good. Governments have responsibility to protect the lives and properties of christians as well as all of the minority communities," he added.

Pastor Israel and his wife from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh were also attacked and beaten up mercilessly by the Hindutva goons on Sunday, 1st of July.