Chowrangi

Over 1700 Christians converted to Hinduism in India!

In “secular” India, 1,747 tribal Christians were recently re-converted to Hinduism. As reported in the Times of India, “The camp to reconvert tribals, who had embraced Christianity was held in the city for the first time and nearly 5,000 people from Maharashtra and Gujarat participated in the ceremony.”

Events like these are unique to modern India where many in the vast Hindu majority (80 percent of the population) cannot digest the fact that people want to convert to other religions (despite the professed secularism of the country’s constitution).

Sometimes I wonder how people of other religions have managed to survive in India. Burning of Christian churches was a matter of routine until recently in Orissa, while Muslims of course are killed for the sheer pleasure it gives the Hindu fundamentalists. Bal Thackeray, the politician who has a stranglehold on Mumbai, is known for his terrible hatred of Muslims. He has threatened to attack Pakistani cricketers and to disrupt matches if they are allowed to play in matches held in Mumbai. And of course, the Supreme Court of India cannot do anything to him despite his threats to disturb peace. And neither can the “independent” Election Commission of India prevent him and others like him from standing in elections.

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Shakir Lakhani

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27 responses to “Over 1700 Christians converted to Hinduism in India!”

  1. Mohammad Yusha Avatar
    Mohammad Yusha

    >your comments seem like loose statements made in a fit of rage…

    @Maddie: For a change, use your brain and try to learn what being in a fit of rage is. Little boy, there’s still some hope for you. Reply when you’re not drunk.

    Reply
  2. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    Mahdi

    Don’t bother too much about actually arguing with his comments. Its his usual pattern, to make red flaming comments and keep repeating the same things he has for last 70+ years to convince himself of his parents’ goof up in leaving India. Not able to accept the reality that Indians of all religions are actually doing fine. All his posts are copy paste of Time of India – yes he is obsessed about news from India.

    I am usually kind to him just because he was born in Mumbai. Just click on his name, see his picture, take some pity and move on.

    Reply
  3. Prad Avatar
    Prad

    @Shakir,

    You said… “why don’t you look into your own backyard and talk about about the slaughter of christians in Orissa?”

    And what exactly was your purpose of this article then? You definitely were not looking at your own backyard but when we point out your deficiencies you ask us to set our house in order first. Your comment was self-defeating.

    Look at the thumping win of the Congress. Indians have soundly defeated right wing thought in the last election.

    You said.. “but we don’t pretend to be secular”

    So avoiding hypocrisy is reason enough to be extremist is it? So if India is tomorrow made into a Hindu Republic of India then do these extremist events not matter? Hypocrisy is the lesser evil compared to extremism.

    In any case hypocritical extremism is still better than codified constitutional endorsement of religious bias. Last I saw there is no state law in India that hands out death sentence for blaspheming Shiva or Vishnu. You know what I am talking about.

    Reply
  4. Maddie Avatar
    Maddie

    @ Shakir

    Once again, your comments seem like loose statements made in a fit of rage with rather meaningless excuses. How??

    When you say, “if i had the time, i also would be able to do research …” it seems like a lame excuse. I’m not saying you have absolutely nothing to do and have all the time in the world, but to a third person, it sounds like the stance of defiance.

    Secondly, as I said in my earlier comment, these incidents do happen in India and in Pak. Do you have the exact numbers? Can the number of incidents even be compared? Can you compare a population of 166 million against a population of 1.13 billion. Are you saying that for every 100 such incidents that happen in India, 7 such incidents in Pak are acceptable.

    Thirdly, “Hinduism is perhaps the only religion in the world which divides men into castes…” don’t you have the Sunni and Shia sects in Pak and don’t they fight amongst themselves. Well as per the below comments, again from Wiki, they do:

    “Pakistan, one of the largest Muslim countries the world, has seen serious Shia-Sunni sectarian violence. Almost 70% of Pakistan’s Muslim population is Sunni, and another 30% are Shia. However, this Shia minority forms the second largest Shia population of any country,[1] larger than the Shia majority in Iraq.

    In the last two decades, as many as 4,000 people are estimated to have died in sectarian fighting in Pakistan, 300 in 2006…

    …On December 28, 2009, as many as 40 shia were killed in an apparent sectarian suicide bombing in Karachi. The bomber attacked a march of Shia muslims who were making the key holy day of Ashoura.”

    Finally, when you refer to me and Hend, Do you know Hend?, Do you know me? Do you even know if I am a Hindu or a Christian?

    Look mate, in my original comments I had appreciated Hend’s research because I liked it…it made sense. As did your original article. However, the comments that you followed up with seemed like an act of defiance in accepting your own ills. I simply pointed out that as a third person, this is what seems like. I’m sorry if you were offended by that, but now you have followed it up with more such comments. I don’t think I will be able to give the level of respect and consideration to your articles/comments anymore. You no more seem the person who would indulge in a healthy debate but someone who would rather hit below the belt than accept their own gaffe.

    Reply
  5. Shakir Lakhani Avatar
    Shakir Lakhani

    Maddie: if i had the time, i also would be able to do research and prove that minorities in India are periodically attacked and their places of worship burnt. Now these incidents happen occasionally in Pakistan, but we don’t pretend to be secular. Indians like you and Hend know that there is no secularism in India (except in the constitution), in fact tHinduism is perhaps the only religion in the world which divides men into castes and holds that all men are not equal. Perhaps that is why other religions have won so many converts.

    Reply
  6. Maddie Avatar
    Maddie

    Guys, I got to give it to Hend, this is some research.

    Shakir, I’m not denying these incidents don’t happen in India. But you seem to have shot yourself in the foot. How???

    Well first, by posting this article because such incidents happen in Pak as well.

    Secondly, I have read one your own comments in an article where you mentioned Mohammed Yousuf (formerly Yousuf Youhana; a Christian) trying to convince some of NZ cricket players to convert to Islam from Christianity.

    Thirdly, when you comment, “I can tell you, more christians and more churchave been killed and more churches burnt in India than in Pakistan.”, they sound like loose statements made in a fit of rage, and without any research or proof, after reading Hend’s comments.

    Reply
  7. Shakir Lakhani Avatar
    Shakir Lakhani

    Hend: why don’t you look into your own backyard and talk about about the slaughter of christians in Orissa? I can tell you, more christians and more churchave been killed and more churches burnt in India than in Pakistan. BTW, why don’t you stick to what the post says? It seems you’re in favour of mass conversion of christians to hinduism!!

    Reply
  8. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    Mr. Ban Ki Moon,

    Secretary General,

    United Nation Office,

    New York.

    Appeal to award Refugee Status to Pakistani Christian on constitutional genocide and persecution by Muslim in Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

    His Excelleny,

    I, the undersigned , Nazir S Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC, on behalf of 20 million Christian in Islamic Republic of Pakistan wish to draw your kind attention on enforced migration and displacement of thousands of Christians from Swat valley, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and FATA after threats to convert to Islam or die by Islamist elements. These families are staying with their relatives in Punjab and Sindh provinces facing immense miseries and hardships after denial by government of Pakistan to provide any assistance or security. The hundreds of Christians families of victims of blasphemy are living in hiding for safety of life weather accused are acquitted or in jails. Thousands of Christian families keep on shifting residence in different parts of Pakistan on threats by influential Muslims or in fear of implication in fabricated cases by police. The mass migration of poor oppressed Christian is never brought on record by government of Pakistan nor any human right organization have urged for their settlement where they may live peaceful life.

    It will be very important to note in 21st century that Christian are treated as untouchable by Muslim majority on basis of religion and cannot dine at any roadside vendor, restaurant and hotel which is worst type of hate on globe towards Christian in Pakistan. If any Christian on journey or away from home is hungry and attempts to eat in any Muslim owned dinner, he is beaten and tortured by Muslims and forced to pay for plates and glass in which he eats or any thing he have touched. The Pakistan Christian Congress PCC presented many memorandums to government from 1985-1998 to legislate against curse of un-touchable to ensure social justice in society but such demands were neglected. The curse of un-touchable have prevented Christians to take part in profitable catering industry because Pakistani Muslim terms Christians as infidel under Islamic decree which prohibit to eat any food prepared by them.

    His Excellency,

    The churches are being attacked, pastors are being threatened, social activists are charged under blasphemy, teenage girls are gang-raped by Muslims and Christian women are enforcedly converted to marry by Muslims in Pakistan. There are innocent Christians accused of blasphemy behind bars and hundreds facing trials under fabricated false cases; The Churches in Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Chianwali, Sangla Hill, Toba Tek, Sukkur, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and in many villages have been attacked by militant Muslim extremists groups killing hundreds of Christian worshipers but non of killer is arrested and brought to justice from 1998-2009. The government also failed to protect Christian institution of Murree School, Taxila Hospital, Bible Society and Justice and Peace Organization at Karachi, from attacks of extremist Muslim groups who massacred Christian social activists.

    The Muslim militants Martyred Bishop John Joseph, a first and only Punjabi bishop of Catholic Church of Pakistan, dioceses of Faisalabad, but establishment forced Christian clergy tools to declare his martyrdom to be a suicide. The Pakistani Christian Congress PCC demanded to constitute an independent Tribunal to investigate killing of Bishop John Joseph but conspiracy was hatched to close his murder case. Many other pastors and evangelists have been gunned down in broad day light but killers are never arrested and brought to justice in Pakistan.

    The Christian youth has been denied opportunities of professional and higher education in Pakistan which has created socio-economic disaster among poor families. The government have closed doors of employment for Christian youth in armed and civil services to force them to become laborers and accept low grade jobs of sanitary workers.

    There is no Christian General in Armed Forces, no Christian Secretary in Civil services, no Christian Chairman in any of government Corporation, no Christian Inspector General of Police IG, DIG, SSP, SP, DSP and SHO in four provinces, no Christian High Commissioner, Ambassador and Counsel General in any Foreign Mission of Pakistan, no Christian Justice in any High Courts or Supreme Court of Pakistan and no Christian Director or Deputy Director in any Directorate of Pakistani government which is total denial of due share in power and resources of state to millions of Christians.

    The census is never conducted fair and transparent and Christian data is manipulated to decrease representation of Christian in democratic institutions. It will be interesting to note that Christians had four seats in legislative assembly of Pakistan when house comprised of 48 legislators in 1947. There were six seats reserved for Christians in national assembly of Pakistan in constitution of 1973 of Islamic Republic of Pakistan which were reduced to four in national general elections of 1985, when house was of 232 members. In national general elections of 2002, the total house consisted of 365 but Christian seats remained four. How amazing it makes mockery of Census Division of Pakistan that population of Muslims keep on increasing but population of Christians decreasing?

    His Excellency,

    The Islamic laws of blasphemy, Hadood Ordinance, Article 203, law of Evidence and Compensation have been implemented on Christians which have created feelings of security and safety of life by the hands of militant or by government agencies which is clear count of constitutional genocide since 1985.

    The Pakistan Peoples Party PPP government have been also failed to award equal basic democratic rights to millions of Christians like previous military regimes. The PPP led government have imposed one Christian tool as Federal Minister for Minorities and declared him head of “Minority Commission”. It is on record that government of Pakistan entered into an internationally recognized pact with Indian government in 1950, known as Liaquat-Nehru Pact to further safeguard the minority’s rights in the neighboring states. The facts to enter in this pact were that problem of religious minorities aggravated a lot during late 1949 and early 1950. At this critical moment of the history of South Asia, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan issued statement and emphasized on the solution of the problem of minorities in the two countries. He also proposed a meeting with his Indian counter part to determine how to end the persecution. The two Prime Ministers met in Delhi on April 2, 1950 and discussed the matter in detail for six long days. On April 8, the two leaders signed an agreement, which was later given the name; “Liaquat-Nehru Pact”. This pact provided a bill of rights for the minorities of India and Pakistan. According to the agreement, the government of India and Pakistan solemnly agreed that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its territories, complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion; a full sense of security in respect of life, culture, property and personal honor. It also guaranteed the fundamental human rights to the minorities, such as freedom of movement, speech, occupation and worship. The pact also provided for the minorities to Participate in the public life of the country, to hold political or other office and to serve in their countries civil and armed forces. Liaquat-Nehru Pact provided for the mechanism to deal with the oppressive elements with iron hand. Both the governments decided to set up “Minority Commission” headed by acting Justice of higher court in their country with the aim to observe and report on the implementation of the pact.

    Sir,

    The government of India constituted “The Minority Commission” headed by Justice of Supreme Court of India, according to the referred pact and legislated according to presentations of the Muslim leaders to their personal laws and election systems but the government of Pakistan failed to constitute such effective “Minority Commission” headed by acting Supreme Court justice for recommendations or the presentations of the Christian leaders in Pakistan. The Indian religious minorities are enjoying due share in power and Indian Muslim have their independent Law Board to protect their personnel law while in Pakistan, the Muslim judges are issuing decrees under Islamic laws on Christian divorce and marriages. The Present PPP government following the foot steps of previous regimes have also nominated one Federal Minister for Minorities to be head of “Minority Commission” instead of any Justice of Supreme Court violating Liaquat-Nehro Pact.

    His Excellency,

    Islamic Republic of Pakistan being a member of United Nation and one of signatory member state of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights announced in UN Charter have always neglected the respect of fundamental right of the creed or language, according to Articles 9-29 of Islamic republic of Pakistan constitution of 1973. In the elections of 1971, for first time after independence, the Joint Election system was endorsed in the legal framework. During legislation of Joint Electorate system in the 1973 constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, no Christian presence was in the house while Muslim members of parliament created selection instead of election. We wish to submit that Christians never demanded Joint Election system nor were any recommendations of Minority Commission according to Liaquat Nehru Pact, as such commission never existed in Pakistan since 1950. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah declared in his Fourteen Point doctrine, the Separate Election system for minorities in Pakistan, keeping in view his meetings and discussion with the minority leaders during the Pakistan movement. The minorities enjoyed the separate election system from 1947 to 1956 by electing their own representatives for democratic institutions in Pakistan to raise their voice.

    In Joint Election system, Christian vote in their respective constituencies to Muslim candidates while Muslim members of parliament select Christians tools of Muslim feudal lords and business tycoons on reserved seats which can not be termed democratic. On other hand the Dual Voting system for the Kashmiri Muslims is in operation where they vote within territory of Pakistan to elect their legislators for the legislative assembly of Azad Kashmir and also vote for national assembly of Pakistan in their respective constituencies. The Christians have demanded Dual Voting rights which have been denied and Joint Electorate has been imposed on them.

    His Excellency,

    In my letter to UNO offices on August, 2002, I appealed to press upon government of Pakistan not to impose Joint Election system on Christians but to constitute “Minority Commission” headed by Supreme Court Justice to provide an opportunity of presentations to Christian registered political parties, civil society leaders and clergy on election system of their choice. I also invited your kind attention on miseries and hardships of Christians youth, women and seniors in Pakistan who have been treated as second class citizen and deprived of their basic democratic rights.

    Again, I wish to bring to your kind notice that present regime of PPP is making false promises with Christians and not sincere to solve their problems to ensure justice. The PPP government announced to reserve seats for Christians in Senate of Pakistan in elections of February 2009, but failed to fulfill promise and again there is no Christian representation in Senate of Pakistan. The Prime Minster declared 5% quota of jobs for Christians in government employment but never issued any official notification in this regard. The incidents of arrests under blasphemy, gang-rape of teen age Christian girls, forcibly conversion of Christian women and their kidnaps, desecration of Churches and victimization by police are at peak now which have forced Christians to not trust government any more when government have no respect for international treaties like Liaquat-Nehro Pact and Universal Human Rights Declaration of UNO being a signatory.

    Prayer:

    PCC appeal United Nations to appoint special envoy to visit Pakistan to verify persecution, victimization and genocide of Christians by hands of Muslims, Muslim militants and establishment by direct meeting with migrant Christians and victims of oppression, rape and torture instead of meeting with clergy and their umbrella civil society organizations or commissions which are continuously misleading international forums on directives of government. We also appeal your honor to award refugee status to families of victim of rape, blasphemy laws, wrongfully confined by administration, displaced Christians and Christians in general for settlement where they may enjoy peaceful life at liberty.

    Thanking you.

    Yours sincerely,

    Nazir S Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress

    http://www.pakistanchristianpost.org

    Editor, Pakistan Christian Post

    http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com

    February 25, 2009.

    Reply
  9. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    The months of July and August of 2009 will be remembered as constitutional genocide of Christians in Pakistan, when under the cover of Article 295 B and C PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) Muslim mobs ransacked Christian property and killed Christians on alleged accusations of blasphemy,” said Nazir S. Bhatti, president of Pakistan Christian Congress and editor of Pakistan Christian Post, at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday

    In the 1980s, Pakistan added amendments 295 B and C which state that anyone who blasphemes against the Muslim Prophet Mohammad, any of his wives or member of his family will be punished by life imprisonment (Article 295 B), or more seriously, punished by the death penalty (295 C).

    Under the protection of these controversial laws, Muslims have regularly attacked Christians with impunity in Pakistan. And often the motivation for the attack is over monetary disputes or other everyday disagreements. Muslims would use the blasphemy laws, which do not require evidence, to escape any punishment for attacking their fellow citizen.

    That was the case in the recent attacks in eastern Pakistan where a banned Muslim extremist group incited mobs to burn Christian homes and churches following an allegation that a Christian family had desecrated the Quran. After initial investigation, however, authorities found no proof of the Islamic holy book being destroyed by Christians.

    “The blasphemy law always encouraged hostility towards Christians and has been interpreted by some Muslim fanatics as license to take the law into their own hands,” said Bhatti, urging the government to repeal the law.

    2009, A young Christian man was raped and brutally murdered in Pakistan for refusing to convert to Islam, and police are doing nothing about it, the victim’s brother and minister told FOXNews.com.

    Reply
  10. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    In October 2001, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a Protestant congregation in the Punjab, killing 18 people. Noone knows for sure who the gunmen were but officials think it might be a banned Islamic group.

    In March 2002, five people were killed in an attack on a church in Islamabad, including an American schoolgirl and her mother.

    In August 2002, masked gunmen stormed a Christian missionary school for foreigners in Islamabad, six people were killed and three injured. None of those killed were children of foreign missionaries.

    In August 2002, grenades were thrown at a church in the grounds of a Christian hospital in north-west Pakistan, near Islamabad, killing three nurses.

    On September 25, 2002 two terrorists entered the “Peace and Justice Institute”, Karachi, where they separated Muslims from the Christians, and then murdered seven Christians by shooting them in the head. All of the victims were Pakistani Christians. Karachi police chief Tariq Jamil said the victims had their hands tied and their mouths had been covered with tape.

    In December 2002, three young girls were blown apart when hand grenade was thrown into a church near Lahore on Christmas Day.[106]

    In November 2005 3,000 militant Islamists attacked Christians in Sangla Hill in Pakistan and destroyed Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and United Presbyterian churches. The attack was over allegations of violation of blasphemy laws by a Pakistani Christian named Yousaf Masih. The attacks were widely condemned by some political parties in Pakistan.

    On June 5, 2006 a Pakistani Christian stonemason, Nasir Ashraf, was working near Lahore when he drank water from a public facility using a glass chained to the facility. He was assaulted by Muslims for “Polluting the glass”. A mob developed, who beat Ashraf, calling him a “Christian dog”. Bystanders encouraged the beating and joined in. Ashraf was eventually hospitalized.

    One year later, in August 2007, a Christian missionary couple, Rev. Arif and Kathleen Khan, were gunned down by militant Islamists in Islamabad. Pakistani police believed that the murders was committed by a member of Khan’s parish over alleged sexual harassment by Khan. This assertion is widely doubted by Khan’s family as well as by Pakistani Christians.

    In August 2009 six Christians including 4 women and a child were burnt alive by Muslim militants and a church set ablaze in Gojra, Pakistan when violence broke out after alleged desecration of Qu’ran.

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