ICC Note:

Christians and Muslims in India demonstrated together in New Delhi against increasing persecution and discrimination being felt by both minority communities. Since the BJP, a Hindu nationalist political party, took power in May 2014, religious minorities in India have experienced increase persecution at the hands of Hindu extremists. Attacks on religious leaders, places of worship, and forced conversions to Hinduism have become more common in the past two years. Will this alliance between Christians and Muslims lead to real change in India? 

9/12/2016 India (Christian Today) – In the United States and some parts of Europe, some politicians are apparently promoting discord between Muslims and Christians. But in India, believers of Christianity and Islam are joining hands to fight a common problem: discrimination.

Fifty Christian and Muslim religious leaders gathered in India’s capital New Delhi to discuss “challenges for the freedom of religion and belief in India” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and to tackle ways on how to address the increasing violence against religious minorities in the Hindu-dominated South Asian nation.

Father Z. Devasagaya Raj, secretary of the Indian Catholic bishops’ conference’s office for Dalit and indigenous people, lamented how both Christians and Muslims are currently “facing physical, symbolic and structural violence” from Hindu extremists across the country.

This “violence” comes in various forms: the burning down of churches, burning of Holy Bibles, the rape of nuns, the destruction of Christian schools, some Christian believers being forced to convert to Hinduism, and most unfortunately, the killing of some pastors.

In fact, during the first half of this year, there have been at least 134 reported incidents of violence against Christians in India.

“Every Indian should have the right to practice and promote their religion peacefully,” Raj said, as quoted by Vatican Radio.

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