Union Home Minister assures protection, BUT…

Delhi, February 28, 2012: “The CSF has fresh persecution reports and will be forced to call for a boycott of Kashmiris in other parts of India, especially states like Goa and Kerala, where they do roaring business at the cost of the local state population. The CSF is awaiting the peaceful completion of elections in Goa and will then seek the intervention of the newly elected chief minister on the issue of Kashmiri Christians, since a large number of Kashmiris earn their livelihood and are treated well “, said Joseph Dias, The CSF general secretary. He called upon the Church and Christians to take a stand and if need be close down schools and institutions all over the country, if the state government does not stop persecution of Christians in the state.

The CSF appeals to all those interested in helping out these martyrs for the faith, to send us your contact details at csfpost@gmail.com You may also volunteer to join a team that would go to J & K, standing in solidarity with Kashmiri Christians being tortured there.

Union Home Minister Assures Christian Forum Safety of Kashmiri Christians, But Danger is Eminent
The CSF will call for boycott of Kashmiris all over India, IF there is no let-up in persecution
The CSF Awaits Goa Assembly Election Results, as many Kashmiris depend on Goa…

The Catholic-Christian Secular Forum (CSF) delegation met Mr. P. Chidambaram, the union home minister, who assured them that he would advise the necessary authorities to ensure the safety of Kashmiri Christian and also provide security to the community’s institutions and NGOs, working in the state. The delegation comprising Joseph Dias, The CSF general secretary; Father Charles Irudayam of the Catholic Bishops Conference; Advocate Iftikhar Bazmi, secretary, Poonch Bar Association (J & K) and the persecuted victims briefed the union home minister on the harsh realities of ground zero. It was pointed out that there was a massive hate campaign against the Christians in Kashmir and many were being forced to revert back to Islam by marauding mobs of frenzied zealots. These radicals, under instructions from some maulvis (clerics), were violating even the rights of women and children, by forcibly entering homes of neo-converts and also those, who had converted for years to Christianity.

The delegation informed Mr. P. Chidambaram that half of the Christian population had fled the valley, with just a few hundred left behind, living underground or facing immient torture and reeling under a socio-economic boycott. Most Christian NGOs had closed down operations and there was no freedom of religion in Kashmir. The state of almost 50 families, who fled was worse than refugees, with clergymen (missionaries and pastors) and their families, being left to fend for themselves and with no hope of going back to Kashmir, fearing for their lives. The union home minister said while he “did not condone the anti-Christian attacks, the Christian community also needed to be sensitive to the feelings of the majority in Kashmir. Since it was a specially sensitive state, with matters complicated by the fact that it was plagued with militancy and separatism, the union government also had limitations”, Mr. Chidambaram added.

The following was reportedly heard from Kashmir and told to the union home minister, who asked the delegation to provide details, on the basis of which action would be taken:

• Christian children fear dead, wives separated to be given to others and property taken.
• Christian families are near-death because of attacks and total boycott, forsaken by all.
• Christians living worse than refugees, hounded by the police-fundamentalists combine.
• Christians must revert or leave Kashmir. Else face the consequences that few want to.
• Christian institutions/NGOs fear being taken over and the community becomes extinct.
• Churches or Christians can do nothing but become martyrs for they cannot take up arms, even in self-defence, unless the governments or international human rights groups act.

Victims described what Kashmiri Christian families are facing:

1. Burnt with live coals and left to die        
2. Homeless in the snow, with no money      
3. No freedom of religion or right to choose      
4. Brutally injured, with suffering wives and children     
5. Maulvi Committees and Special Investigation Teams     
6. Fanatics claim Police, Judiciary and Government with them   
7. Socio-Economic boycott leaves the Christians impoverished   
8. Demonizing and profiling Christians to religiously cleanse them   
9. Islamic finance pouring in and being used to finance the war on Christians  
10. Danger of extremists and anti-national forces jumping on the bandwagon  
11. Fanatics falsely claim 20,000 Muslims converted to Christianity since 1990s
12. Many districts are affected by persecution, where Christians are hounded out

(To be contd…)