Hundreds Dead; Thousands Homeless after Extremists Attack Christians
K.P. Yohannan, President and Founder of Gospel for Asiashares about the situation in Orissa.  New Homes; Renewed Hope in Orissa
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Persecution Timeline in Orissa
Imagine what they’ve been through: Attacked and forced from their homes by anti-Christian extremists, they have lived in relief camps or hid out in the forests for eight months. Now they want to go home, but there are no homes to return to. They were burned to the ground during the attacks.
This is a real-life scenario for literally thousands of families in Orissa, India. They lost everything—clothing, household items, their homes—and many lost their loved ones, too, in the violence that rocked this state beginning in August, 2008. The trouble began when the high-profile leader of a radical anti-Christian group was murdered. A Communist rebel group claimed responsibility for his death, but the slain leader’s followers still blamed Christians. They went on a violent and bloody rampage, assaulting Christians and murdering them, usually by burning them to death. They also burned down homes, churches and, in some cases, entire villages. The Christians who managed to escape were left with nothing.
These desperate people need our help. Now that the violence has subsided, Gospel for Asia has already begun rebuilding in the area. We want to give you a chance to help, too. One hundred percent of your contribution to the Orissa Rebuilding Campaign will go toward reconstructing people’s homes and lives in Orissa.