Persecution in Pictures

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Gospel for Asia began sharing the message of Christ in Orissa, India, in 1993. Like this woman, many chose to follow Christ, and soon the missionaries were serving as pastors to dozens of congregations.
The families in these new churches were almost all first-generation Christians. Their children were the first to grow up with a knowledge of Christ. Radical Hindu leaders were not happy that so many people were choosing to follow Christ. They even accused Christians of forcing people to convert to Christianity.
An extremist Hindu group began perpetuating violence against Christians. Most of these attacks were one-time events, until August 22 when the group's leader, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati was murdered. Although Maoist rebels claimed responsibility for the Swami's death, his followers blamed the Christians and went on an organized rampage against Christianity.
The mobs entered villages and attacked Christians, destroying anything that belonged to them.
They burned hundreds of cars, vans and jeeps used by individuals and in ministry.
They set fire to homes owned by Christians. Often the people were still in the buildings when they were torched.
This Christian man is surveying the remains of his burned-out house. Thousands of Christian homes were destroyed by the extremists.
They even attacked churches and Christian institutions such as orphanages, destroying their contents and setting fire to the buildings. This burned-out church was home to a congregation led by a GFA missionary in Orissa. At least 27 GFA-related churches have been destroyed in Orissa.
This church was burned inside as well.
The extremists were intent on destroying everything that belonged to or was associated with Christians. This fire left little more than the hulking shell of a van and burned bits of everything else that was stored with it.
So far, the extremists have murdered an estimated 27 Christians. Their preferred method was to burn them alive. This young woman escaped such an attack, but will bear the scars from it the rest of her life.
This Hindu man was bold enough to place a sacred flag atop the cross of one church. This was a symbolic gesture of victory, mocking the conquered Christians as weak and powerless.
The legal authorities initially did very little to stop the attacks. Christians were overpowered and forced out of their homes. Many ran into the country's forests to escape the violence. Thousands remain in hiding there.
Some displaced Christians are living in tent cities like the one shown here.
Others are crammed together in buildings designated as shelters by the Orissa government. Many are afraid to go to the shelters because there have even been extremist attacks in the shelters themselves.
After suffering three weeks of unrelenting attacks, the Christians in Orissa are still in shock. They are tired, hungry and scared. GFA missionaries are staying with their congregations, either in the shelters or the forests, to continue ministering to them.
Many Christians have been threatened with death if they return to their villages. Without homes or a means to support themselves, their futures can indeed look bleak.
But GFA's Orissa leader, Juria Bardhan, shown here before the violence broke out, is encouraging Orissans to hold on to the hope of Jesus. "We know the Lord is in control," he said. He says that the persecution will likely backfire on the Hindu extremists. "They don't understand that by doing this, the church will grow by leaps and bounds, and this will cause thousands to come to Christ."
Bardhan is asking all Christians to pray for Orissa. The Christians shown gathered here were praying for their brothers and sisters in Orissa.
Recent news reports indicate that the violence is dying down and that the government of India has stepped in to help. Yet attacks continue in more rural areas. Orissa still needs healing on many levels.
date posted 09/12/08