Saturday, January 9, 2010

Persecution of Christians in Orissa and Egypt

Meanwhile while we are living our lives, over in Orissa, India, a pogrom organized by radical Hindus against Christians conducted in 2007-8 has killed 500 Christians and drove 50,000 into the jungle.

Most of the victims were Dalits, the Untouchables, peoples held by some Hindus to be the reincarnation of especially wicked souls and therefore deserving of discrimination. So this pogrom also carries a racial component as well.

This horrific act is detailed in this article, 'After Two Years, Full Horror of Orissa Attacks Emerging; Christians Still Under Siege.'

Another instance of horrific persecution against Christians has also occurred in Nag Hammedi, Egypt. Masked gunmen shot at a crowd congregated near a Coptic church, after they celebrated midnight mass according to the Eastern liturgical calendar. This horrific massacre killed eight Coptic Christians.

In our culture in which Christianity is such a central place in our society it is very easy to forget that in many places on the earth people truly suffer to follow their conscience in such a manner.

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