WB: A Christian family attacked & threatened with murder by Muslim radicals *AP: Church burnt in Vizag

West Bengal, May 31, 2012: Aimazan Bibi lives with her husband Gaffar Shaike and their children in a village named Nutangram in Murshidabad District of West Bengal. She and her entire family accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour a few years ago. She has been also conducting House Church Fellowship of Christians at her residence on Mondays during the last few years. A sizable number of other Christians, both men and women along with their children attend the prayer fellowship meetings.

On 30th March 2012, she invited some Christian families for lunch at her house. The lunch was preceded by a short prayer meeting. Hardly had the the prayer meeting begun at about 2 pm when a large group of radical Muslims forcibly entered Aimazan Bibi’s house and attacked them. One Aanu Shaike son of Nizamuddin Shaike kicked Aimazan Bibi in the stomach, beat her on her head and tried to break her arm. In the meantime a mob of about 100 Muslims also gathered in front of her house and began shouting anti-Christian slogans threatening to murder them all if they continued conduct their prayer meetings. When the other Christians tried to leave the place, the radical Muslims blocked their way and did not allow them to go. Ahammed Shaike, son of Late Kalimuddin Shaike, who was leading the group of the extremists also beat up a number of Christians present and threatened to kill them all “for the sake of Allah”. Mohammed Kuran Shaike, son of Ahammed Shaike beat Aimazan Bibi’s mother Moyazan Bewa who is a 65-year-old widow. Ahamed’s Shaike’s wife, Salema Bibi beat Selina Bibi an invitee for the lunch. Most of the Christians, both men and women received minor injuries. Some small children present were screaming with fear.

Others actively involved in the attack were Mohammed Aanu Shaike who chased the Christians with a sickle and threatened to murder them while Ahammed Shaike was encouraging him and other extremists to attack them just because they are Christians. It is also learnt that Ahammed Shaike and his family members along with other extremists constantly keep on threatening Aimazan Bibi and her family members that they would succeed in their design one day or the other to murder them all as they are Christians.

Aimazan’s husband, Gaffar Shaike, submitted a written complaint to the local Police Station in Murshidabad on 31st March 2012 with copies to the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police in Murshidabad District. But the police or the District Administration does not seem to have taken any action till today, 31-5-2012, when the lady has approached the GCIC out of sheer desperation as Ahammed Shaike, his family members and their extremist groups keep on coming to her house and threaten them publicly that they would murder them all and that one day they would certainly succeed in executing their plan.

– persecution.in

AP: Church burnt in Vizag

Andhra Pradesh, May 29, 2012: A church in Shelanagar, Vizag was set on fire and completely destroyed by unknown miscreants on the 24th of May.

The “Seyonu Prarthana Mandhiram” church in Shelanagar was burnt while nobody was present in the church and the loss of property is estimated to be around Rupees 2.5 lakh. The church was built 25 years ago by local Christians according to information available, under Survey No. 122/1, on the basis of Home States Conformant of Ownership Act 1986. According to accounts of the church members, some local leaders had been provoking and pressuring the church believers to vacate the church property claiming that the land belongs to them.

This group of perpetrators was led by Mr. Narendra Babu, who after threatening the church started fencing the land around the church to forcibly stake claim over the land. The pastor then filed a complaint to the local police, and 2 weeks after this incident the church was set on fire by unknown miscreants, damaging about 2.5 lakh worth of property as well as cutting the power supply of the adjacent Orphanage.

The local pastor along with some of the church believers have filed a police complaint and are still waiting for action on the matter.

– aicc