Tag: Hindu nationalism

India: Catholic schools under pressure in Madhya Pradesh

January 17, 2018 India Bajrang Dal, BJP, Catholics, Education, Hindu nationalism, India, Madhya Pradesh, Narendra Modi

A Catholic school in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has received threats from Hindu nationalists, who claim children at the school were punished for singing patriotic songs – the third school to come under pressure this month. The nationalists claimed around 30 students at the St. Joseph Convent . . . Read More

‘Unprecedented’ persecution of Egypt’s Christians heads 2018 World Watch List

January 10, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Anti-conversion law, Boko Haram, Cairo, Central Asia, Churches, Converts, Copts, Egypt, Eritrea, Fulani herdsmen, Hindu nationalism, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Jharkhand, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Marawi, Middle Belt, Middle East, Mindanao, Minorities, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Philippines, Somalia, Southeast Asia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Upper Egypt

More Christians abused in India than in all other countries combined; Nepal enters list Islamic extremists driven out of Iraq and Syria are behind a new intensity of Christian persecution in surrounding countries, says global charity Open Doors in its latest annual survey of countries where it is most difficult . . . Read More

India: Catholic college attacked after refusing to perform Hindu rites

January 5, 2018 India Anti-conversion law, BJP, Catholics, Education, Hindu nationalism, India, Madhya Pradesh, Vishva Hindu Parishad

Indian school children are taking a 'selfie'. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A large group of Hindu nationalists clashed with police on 4 January outside a Catholic college in Vidisha, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, after they tried to force the school to carry out a Hindu religious ritual. More than 900 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, . . . Read More

Indian Christmas: fear and Western ways

December 28, 2017 India Christmas, Hindu nationalism, India, Kandhamal, Madhya Pradesh

How will Christians under pressure for their faith celebrate Christmas? In the fifth of our series we hear from India. “Where is the joy? There is so much of fear now,” said AC Michael, a prominent Christian leader, when asked about the mood among Christians as they prepare for Christmas . . . Read More

India’s top Catholic on Hindutva attacks: ‘country being divided on basis of religious belief’

December 22, 2017 India Anti-conversion law, Catholics, Hindu nationalism, Hindutva, India, Madhya Pradesh, Minorities, Rajasthan, Religious freedom, Tripura, Vishva Hindu Parishad

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, has expressed a lack of trust in the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the leader of the ruling BJP – known for pursuing a Hindu nationalistic agenda. “The country is being divided on the . . . Read More

Indian ‘converted by carol singers’ now claims membership of militant Hindu group

December 19, 2017 India Anti-conversion law, Bajrang Dal, Ghar Wapsi, Hindu nationalism, India, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh

An Indian man who claimed a group of carol singers illegally converted him has now said he is a member of the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal and is unwilling to confirm his allegation. The complaint made last Thursday (14 December) to the police by Dharmendra Dohar led to the . . . Read More

India carol singers arrested for ‘trying to convert people to Christianity’

December 15, 2017 India Alphons Kannanthanam, Anti-conversion law, Beef, BJP, Catholics, Hindu nationalism, Human rights, India, Madhya Pradesh, Minorities, Narendra Modi

Six carol singers have been arrested in India after they were accused of trying to convert people to Christianity. The carol singers, one of whom is a professor at a Catholic theological college, insisted they were only singing songs, but a Hindu man alleged he had been told to “worship . . . Read More

India: allegations of false conversions by Christians ‘baseless’

December 13, 2017 India Hindu nationalism, India, Pentecostals, Uttar Pradesh

Known for its famous mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh hosts a Christian population of only 0.18 per cent.

Seven Pentecostal Christians in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, have been arrested for “forced conversions”, reports Asia News. The seven, who also allegedly insulted Hindu deities, appeared in court on Monday (11 December) and have been remanded in custody for 14 days. “The allegations are baseless,” said Sajan George, President of . . . Read More

India: Modi ‘shocked’ at archbishop’s criticism

December 13, 2017 India Elections, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Hindu nationalism, India, Narendra Modi, Tom Uzhunnalil

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has expressed “shock” at the criticism levelled at him by an archbishop. Ahead of state elections this month, Archbishop Thomas Macwan of Gandhinagar, capital of the western state of Gujarat, had written an open letter, citing “ human rights violations” and warning against “nationalist forces”. . . . Read More

India’s president says religious diversity should be ‘cherished’

December 5, 2017 India BJP, Hindu nationalism, India, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Ram Nath Kovind, Religious freedom

India’s president, Ram Nath Kovind, has urged his countrymen to “preserve” and “cherish” ethnic and religious diversity, during his first visit to the north-eastern Christian-majority state of Mizoram on 29 November. “We see a huge variety of ethnic and religious identities, and so many languages, cultures and customs, modes of . . . Read More

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