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, ...

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