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On Friday, an open letter to President George W. Bush was delivered to representatives of the Bush administration, calling for action against anti-Christian violence in India. The letter's signatories asked him to urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pressure regional and local governments to enforce the freedom of religion guaranteed in the Indian Constitution.

The letter was signed by 24 prominent Christian leaders, including leaders from historic church bodies such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Coptic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church, as well as mainline Protestant, evangelical, Pentecostal charismatic, and traditional African-American bodies. Signatories also included representatives from international religious freedom ministries such as Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs. (See complete list of signatories below.)

Mob violence against Christians has centered on Kandhamal in Orissa state. Approximately 20 percent of those living in Kandhamal are Christian, compared with 2.6 percent in the rest of Orissa. The increase in Christians in this area has exacerbated long-standing tensions between ethnic and religious groups, and Hindu extremist groups have blamed Christians for the 2007 assassination of a Hindu swami, which was in fact perpetrated by Maoists, who claimed responsibility for the killing of a Hindu political worker this past week. Other factors, such as allegations of "aggressive" proselytization by Christians are also used to incite the mob violence. In sharing their faith, Orissa Christians have not broken the law, but have engaged in activity protected by the Indian Constitution and by international conventions.

The anti-Christian violence in Orissa has temporarily subsided, but it is spreading to other regions, in part due to the Indian government's lack of political will to bring order. Because President Bush signed a nuclear trade agreement with the Prime Minister Singh a few months ago, he has the political capital with Indian leadership that President-elect Obama will need to earn. This matter cannot wait until the new Obama administration sorts out its priorities.

As U.S. churches observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, they would do well to remember the Christians of Orissa and to join the letter's signatories in urging the United States to use its diplomatic power to influence the Indian government to right these wrongs.

Christianity Today published an editorial and a news item on the Orissa violence in its November issue. We urge church groups to use these materials in their prayer and activism.

Here is text of the letter delivered Friday to the Bush administration:

The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

For more than two months, Christians in seven of India's states have borne the brunt of repeated waves of violent and deadly attacks that have left scores of people murdered, communities and churches destroyed, and tens of thousands of people homeless. The situation demands a strong and urgent American response to a strategic democratic global partner such as India.

As has been well documented, the violence erupted following the tragic attack on a charismatic Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others, which led to their deaths on August 23. Although a radical Maoist group claimed responsibility for the killings, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) blamed the deaths on the Indian Christian community. Using the instability created by the violence, Hindu extremist groups fostered civil unrest, initially attacking poor Christians in India's eastern state of Orissa as well as Christian agencies who serve the poor and the needy from diverse religious backgrounds in that state.

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November (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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