By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Terming it as an attack on the religious minorities, several civil society organizations and Muslim groups have condemned the burning of St Sebastian Catholic Church in north-east Delhi.
While condemning the church burning, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC www.iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to “safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos” noted that there has been a marked increase in violence and hate campaigns against minorities in India since the BJP came to power.
St Sebastian Catholic Church in Dilshad Garden in north-east Delhi was burnt down completely on Monday morning. The Church authorities and the local community under its parish have alleged foul play by anti-Christian forces vis-à-vis miscreants, who sprinkled kerosene before setting it afire. A large community gathering held a protest demonstration in front of the police headquarters on Tuesday demanding thorough probe into the incident.
Peaceful Protest on Dec 2, 2014 at 10 am to 12 pm outside Police HQ
“Prominent watch-dog group ‘International Christian Concern’ has reported an alarming rise in the attacks on rural churches in recent months. In May 2014, several villages in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh passed local ordinances banning all non-Hindu religious activities, in effect banning Christianity. Vatican Radio, the Holy See’s official news outlet, reported on the possibility of Christians being “purged” from villages across three states,” a statement from the IAMC said.
“A relentless hate campaign against minorities, including conspiracy theories of Muslims luring Hindu girls into marriage as a form of ‘love jihad’ and the forced “re-conversions” of Christians to Hinduism, has resulted in a feeling of siege among India’s minorities,” the IAMC statement said adding, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that December 25 will be observed as ‘Good Governance Day’ is “deeply insensitive to the sentiments of Christians, given that the day is observed as Christmas in most parts of the world, including by Christians in India.”
Gutted St Sebastian Catholic Church
IAMC has demanded that the Special Investigation Team that has been constituted to investigate the attack be asked to probe the political motives behind the attack, given that elections are due in Delhi.
“Polarization of communities through violence and intimidation prior to the elections is a pattern that is repeating itself across the country,” said Ahsan Khan, president of IAMC. “We stand in full solidarity with the Christian community against this dastardly attack on a place of worship,” added Khan.
Photo attached. Caption: E Ahmed, K V Thomas and E T Mohammed Basheer at the St Sebastian Catholic Church
On Thursday, MPs from Kerala led by IUML president E Ahamed, along with Prof K V Thomas and ET Mohammed Basheer, national secretary of IUML, visited the Church to express solidarity with the community.
Ahamed held detailed discussion with the priest and other members of the management about the incident and conveyed all the support and assistance to them on behalf of his party. He also assured that the issue will be taken up at the highest level.
All India Secular Forum also issued a statement condemning the burning of the Church. “This is not an isolated incident but one in the series of attacks on Christian minorities which are aggravating by the day. The burning of the Church must be thoroughly investigated and the guilty punished,” Dr Mohammad Arif, Uttar Pradesh Convener of AISF, said in a statement.
Earlier, as thousands of Christians gathered outside the Delhi Police Headquarter on Tuesday, several rights groups and individuals too extended their support and joined the protest, including Shabnam Hashmi’s ANHAD.
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Christians protest Delhi blaze, demand protection for churches