Posted on 05/28/2007 10:07:03 PM PDT by TBP
Mr. STEARNS. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
I come to the House floor as a result of a town meeting I had in my congressional district in which I heard from the Harvest Christian Church. It goes to the point that the United States and India , as all of us know, are the world's two largest democracies. However, although the Indian National Government guarantees religious freedom, in many of the provinces, oppression and persecution still exist. I want to bring that to my colleagues' attention this morning. Harvest Christian Church in my home district has worked closely with many church groups in India . And, as I mentioned, during my last town meeting, Pastor Crowe shared with me some of the disturbing things that are happening there.
On April 1, during Palm Sunday celebrations in Jabalpur, in the middle of their worship service, about 30 people from a Hindu extremist group--whose name literally means ``religious army''--came with sticks and started beating everybody, including the evangelist and the men and women and children who were in the congregation that day. The pastor was badly beaten and suffers severe head injury. These people were admitted in the hospital where people from that group went and threatened them. They decided to leave the hospital and are currently staying at undisclosed locations. The attackers remain unpunished for these crimes. In fact, that day no one from the government condemned the attack or sympathized with the victims or the terrorized Christian community, not to speak of offering any relief to the family that were affected by this terrorist group. The police authorities, though reluctant to name the forces behind the attack, announced finally the arrest of five persons. All were from a radical Hindu background and lived in the slums the pastor used to visit regularly. Persecution such as this is not uncommon in India , and these sorts of attacks are not isolated incidents.
My colleagues, in another example, a mob of around 50 Hindu extremists surrounded a house church the night of April 22 and began shouting derogatory statements at all the worshipers in the church. Terrified believers in the church shut the doors, phoned the local police and asked for help. Two policemen arrived and took two pastors to the police station. En route, a few activists began beating and insulting the pastors and four other believers who had accompanied them, as the police officers simply looked on. ``At the station, the police shouted at the pastors, and the extremists who were present made accusations that the pastors were forcibly converting people and inciting the people to stop doing Hindu rituals and to remove pictures of Hindu deities from their houses,'' George said. The tirade continued until 3 a.m., when the pastors were jailed, not being released on bail until April 25. The police inspector stated the pastors were charged with ``promoting enmity'' between different groups on grounds of religion and ``deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.''
While there is ongoing violence against Christians in India , the good news is that it is endemic and the number of incidents are not increasing. The BJP is a Hindu political party, which was in national power until 2004 when the secular constitution party then came to power. However, they still retain positions of power in some states, and it is there where the majority of attacks against Christians occur.
According to the State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2006, ``The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. However, the government sometimes did not act swiftly enough to counter effectively societal attacks against religious minorities and attempts by some leaders of state and local governments to limit religious freedom. Despite government efforts to foster communal harmony, some extremists continued to view ineffective investigation and prosecution of attacks on religious minorities, particularly at the state and local level, as a signal that they could commit such violence with impunity.''
[Page: H4556] GPO's PDF My colleagues, this is a situation that must not be tolerated. The frequency of these attacks and the lack of prosecution of extremists who perpetrate these crimes are in direct opposition to the most basic tenets of our democracy and surely the democracy in India . I urge the Indian Government to protect religious minorities and to take strong steps to enforce their constitutional laws regarding religious freedom in these oppressive provinces.
BTW, just for perspective, here is the kind of person who tends to support India:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:7:./temp/~r1102080zg::
JOINING THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON INDIA AND INDIAN AFFAIRS — (Extensions of Remarks - May 01, 2007)
[Page: E905] GPO’s PDF
-—SPEECH OF
HON. KEITH ELLISON
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2007
Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, Indian Americans have contributed greatly to the vibrancy, creative thought, and diversity of our Nation. The large and growing population of Indian Americans in Minnesota has enriched our neighborhoods and communities and continues to play an important role in improving the lives of all Americans. It is with these advances in mind that we celebrate the growth of relations between the United States and India and look forward to promoting a closer friendship amongst our two countries.
I’m proud to join the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Affairs and look forward to working with my fellow Members of Congress through the promotion of our shared values and concerns. I stand with India and Indian Americans in promoting peace, prosperity, and happiness for all the world’s people.
Note that Rep. Ellison is the America-hating Nation of Islam Congresscritter who took his oath on a Koran. He has been outspokenly anti-American in his public utterances.
You’re feeling a little extra lonely this time, aren’t you? BTW, how’s the weather in Islamabad?
I wonder if there might be some hope of hardware manufacturing for Pakistan in Stearns’ district.
What is frequently forgotten is that India is a Hindu nation. On my trips to India everyday people feel the same attacks on their values and beliefs that Christians complain about here in America.
There is complete freedom of Religion there, I have met Buddists, Muslims and Christians in my trips and never once had any of them seemed afraid. The problems arise when the guests in the country start attacking the traditions of that nation ( sound familiar huh ? ) There are several missionary groups who slander Hindu tradition and proclaim theirs is the only way.
So before you slam India think a bit about the “ guests “ here in America that put down our way of life and how we would respond if forced to do things the way they say is right.
Whats up with this guy ? Is he a pakistani ?
If he is one, well, I can understand.
If he isnt, then it means somethings seriously wrong with his understanding of ground realities in S. Asia.
Most missionaries are doing exceptional service to the poor and their contribution to education sector is lauded even by die hard Hindus.
But some of those evangelicals, who are being incited by well established American quacks, are pretty nasty. They do nothing but spread hate and all anyone who doesnt listen to them as “pagan”, “heathen”, etc. They dont even spare catholics.
Conversion through choice brings spiritual and mental happiness.. while conversion through fear/coercion brings forth ugliness and corrupts the actual message, however good it may be.
If American protestant majority really knew the kind of people these were, they would definitely understand why there is resentment against the evangelicals, which sometimes spills over to other communities among christians.
No, India is not a single nation of any kind, Hindu or otherwise. Most of its population is Hindu, but there are places that are lkinguistically, culturally, religiously completely different from Hindustan. What would be wrong with letting those minority nations decide whether they want to be free from India and have their own country? Isn't that the democratic way? Or does democracy only apply to the upper-caste Hindus?
Does anybody even care about what you say?
.....I mean seriously??....Who gives a f*** about what you say?
Has something crawled up today in you? Or are on a freak-out today because your Pakistani paymasters are forcing you to show what you've achieved for their money's worth?
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070511-1728-india-stateelections.html
Low-caste politician sweeps to power in India’s largest state
ASSOCIATED PRESS
5:28 p.m. May 11, 2007
LUCKNOW, India – India’s most powerful low-caste politician swept into power Friday in the country’s largest state, dealing a political blow to the scion of the powerful Gandhi clan.
Mayawati, a fiery 51-year-old woman who goes by one name, was set to become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, a vast, poor state that encompasses more than 180 million people and often sets the political agenda for the rest of the country.
“I thank people of all castes and communities who supported my party to achieve this overwhelming victory,” Mayawati, a dalit, or “untouchable,” at the bottom of India’s complex social ladder, said at a news conference. With results final in all but six of the 403 seats in the state assembly on Friday, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party had won 202 seats, enough to form a government without a coalition, according to the Press Trust of India news agency which cited state election authorities.
The election will likely slow the rise of Rahul Gandhi – the son, grandson and great-grandson of Indian prime ministers. By Friday afternoon, Gandhi’s Congress party had gained no additional seats in the state assembly despite his relentless campaigning. Gandhi holds a seat in the Indian Parliament, representing a rural district in Uttar Pradesh.
The election was the first serious political test of Gandhi, 36, who is a rising power in the Congress party and – despite his youth and inexperience – already is mentioned as a possible future prime minister. Though the Congress party is not a major force in the state, Gandhi’s campaigning was expected to help boost its political power.
Mayawati forged a powerful coalition that brought together low-caste and Brahmin voters and candidates to force out Mulayam Singh Yadav, the state’s outgoing chief minister whose own support was rooted among middle-caste farmers.
Mayawati, who has been chief minister of the state twice before, lost power in 2003 amid controversy over her government’s approval of a $40 million-dollar tourism complex near the Taj Mahal.
The Uttar Pradesh elections are unlikely to have an immediate impact on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Congress-led government in New Delhi, though the state often plays a key role in shaping national political alliances. The next national elections are due in 2009.
Now, there is a logical and intelligent argument!
B-O-L-O-G-N-A! There is little freedom of religion. Cases like the ones the Congressman cites are frequent, regular occurrences. I cited some earlier. Police broke up a Christian festival with gunfire in one incident. The govbernment allowed an assault on a Christian school and convent. The 1984 attack on the Golden Temple shows the state of religious freedom in India. So do the laws which effectively prohibit anyone from converting to any religion except Hinduism.
Why do you think that there is an organization called "Persecuted Church of India"?
Tell Graham Staines about the complete religious freedom in India.
Or tell it to Joseph Cooper.
Or let us know how the U.S. State Department’s report that the Indian government paid over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs reflects “complete religious freedom.”
Yada yada yada.
An answer to that oldie, when you’ve got one... or are you still stumped stupid?
To every one of those, there are multiples of these too:
Sure because the People associated with Ellison are trying to take over India.
There is an article on Zenit today (Catholic website from the Vatican) about 4000 Christians being arrested during a protest.
Oh Zenit.com
I’m sure they don’t have an agenda [/sarc]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/717775.stm
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