US missionary attacked in India

BBC News ^ | Wednesday, 15 January, 2003, 09:09 GMT

[JimRic54]

An American missionary has been attacked in southern India by right-wing Hindus allegedly belonging to a group close to the ruling party. The gang attacked Cooper and others with swords, sticks and iron bars

Police spokesman

Joseph W Cooper, 68, who is from Pennsylvania, received knife wounds in the assault in Kerala state in which five others were also hurt.

Police say they have arrested five activists of the hardline Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

But local RSS leaders deny the movement had anything to do with the attack.

The RSS is a group with close ties to the Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party that heads the federal coalition government.

Christian groups have condemned the attack, which took place on the outskirts of the state capital, Trivandrum, on Monday night.

Armed gang

Eyewitnesses say Mr Cooper, a visiting preacher, was surrounded by an armed gang of 10 people as he was returning from a prayer meeting.

"We were approaching our car when the unexpected attack took place," Pastor Benson Sam told the BBC.

A police spokesman said Mr Cooper had sustained a deep cut in his right palm.

Christians in India feel under threat "The gang attacked Cooper and others with swords, sticks and iron bars.

"As other church members rushed to the scene the attackers fled," he was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

A local pastor, his wife and two children and one other person were also injured.

The victims were all taken to a local hospital but eyewitnesses said this was delayed by an hour until the police arrived on the scene.

Mr Cooper was attending a Protestant convention in the area organised by a local church.

About one third of the population of Kerala is Christian and attacks of this kind are rare.

But local people told the BBC that in recent months some right-wing Hindu organisations had been protesting against religious minorities.

Attacks

In recent years, there has been an increase in violence against Christians in India, who make up about 2% of the population.

In 1999, an Australian missionary working in India and his two little sons were burned to death by a mob in the eastern state of Orissa.

That attack was blamed on hardline Hindu groups who accuse the missionaries of forcibly proselytising low-caste Hindus and tribal groups - a charge the Christian groups deny.

Last month, the southern state of Tamil Nadu passed a controversial new law banning religious conversion through coercion or material inducement.

Many Christian groups in the state protested against the move, which they argued was unconstitutional.

India is a secular state which permits freedom to practice any religion.

[Red Jones]

Just FYI, there is a lot of violence from the RSS towards christians. And there was a day when Ghandi came on the radio in India and told the hindus all across the nation that they should kill muslims. That was in the early stages of the big killing spree of 48 when perhaps a million people were killed in muslim/hindu violence. The violence was in its' early stages, most of the violence had been committed by muslims at that time, ghandi came on the radio nationwide and called for the killing of muslims in retaliation. Then, 3-4 days later Ghandi was crying into the radio microphone about peace and non-violence. I read this from an historian who wrote in National Review. There was a big book out in the 80's about ghandi. He stood for peace yes, but one day he didn't stand for peace. ghandi is human like anyone else. So are the hindus and it happens that some hindus are militants and commit terrible violence against christians.

[akash]

Dont betray your ignorance about Gandhi, India and Christainity in India. Your concocted tripe about "terrible violence against christians" has no basis in facts and is probably an attempt to gather sympathy. Let me also tell you that this is a favourite Marxist technique.

[meowmeow]

"terrible violence against christians" has no basis in facts and is probably an attempt to gather sympathy.

uh-huh. Religion of Peace Bump.

[Allan]

A US missionary attacked in India.

And how many Indian Sikhs attacked in the USA during the past 16 months?

[meowmeow]

Fewer than in India.

http://www.maboli.com/Sikh_HR/

[akash]

Get this straight, child of grace with a tinpot face. Your friend cooper had no business preaching in India while he was on a tourist visa. A tourist visa doesnt allow anyone to preach. Thats the law of the land. In the US of A , a similar offence would have merited a jail term. He violated the law of the land (a bad karma) but no grace was enough to save him.

[meowmeow]

I'm crying into my bacon sandwich (but I'm still saved by grace).

I'd love to continue this jihad but I actually have to get ready for work now.

I will pray for you, dear akash.

[akash]

"I will pray for you, dear akash "

A waste to time. Anyway both of us are scheduled to go to Allah's hell. Bye see you there.

[Guillermo]

So I guess the starving children in India are all paying for "bad karma" in a prior existence...

[meowmeow]

Wow. A Christian lady can’t even enjoy her bacon sandwich for breakfast without getting insulted by Upanishad thumpers. Was I forcing my sandwich on you?? Anyway, my high cholesterol diet will make me nice and sizzly in hell, which is where I supposedly am going according to this thread.

[SupplySider]

With all due respect, you started in against Hinduism while munching your sandwich, that is why you got some opposing comments.

Ultimately divine grace will save us, but I don't think that means the law of karma is out the window. If I went out tomorrow and killed some people, then prayed to Jesus for redemption tomorrow night, would I be in better standing than a Hindu or a Buddhist who prays to God using a different name but never hurts anyone?

[Red Jones]

well, my comments were not really meant to be a negative comment on India or even Mahadma Gonedi. I meant to comment on how so many people take seriously ghandi's non-violent ideology even though it is pure garbage. There is a time and a place for violence. In 48 Gonedi saw a time and a place for violence, and he advocated it on a mass scale. Then he regretted it within days and publicly apologized. It is so amazing how people in the west and people in India fawn over gonedi's image and build it up. When it is so false.

[swarthyguy]

If I went out tomorrow and killed some people, then prayed to Jesus for redemption tomorrow night, would I be in better standing than a Hindu or a Buddhist who prays to God using a different name but never hurts anyone?

I love theological postulations. Thanks for the chuckle.

[swarthyguy]

BUMP! Good post.

[keri]

You guys never ping me to the fun discussions anymore. I found this one by accident. If I didn't know any better (?) I'd think you disliked me;-)

[Allan]

Sorry. You usually get to these before me. I forgot to check.