Hopegivers International has called for worldwide prayer for both the victims of and terrorists as the Christian humanitarian organisation reports a recent upsurge in violence across India ahead of the International Day of Prayer.
According to Assist News Service, founder of Hopegivers International, Archbishop M.A. Thomas, has reported an alarming wave of anti-Christian violence and organised harassment of minority groups in India throughout the months of August and September.“Our best response to the new violence is a spiritual one,” said Rev. Thomas, who founded Hopegivers International as a social concern organisation for India’s needy.
The organisation has expanded its operations to emergency relief, sending vital aid to regions devastated by last year’s tsunami, the Bombay floods, the Gujarat earthquakes and most recently Hurricane Katrina, where together with Citihope, Hopegivers International supported evacuees with aid and thousands of tetanus vaccinations.
Archbishop Thomas’ son, Dr. Sam Thomas, who now heads the organisation, is currently in the U.S. raising awareness of the plight of Indian Christians to American believers.
“Decisive police and government action has often been slow against the five Hindu nationalist groups which are seeking to use terror to re-impose ancient Hindu caste restrictions and culture on Christians and Muslims through a campaign known as Hindutva,” said Rev. Thomas.
According to the Archbishop, just last week in Bihar, a Hopegivers leader, Augustine Jabkumar, was attacked outside of his home following a leadership meeting.
“Hindu militants tortured him so severely that he was left with two broken legs and hands. Weeping students and staff from the local Christian school begged for mercy and tried to intervene but they too were badly beaten by the militants.Our best response to the new violence is a spiritual one.
Rev. M.A. Thomas
“Shockingly hateful acts of violence against Christians such as this one are becoming more commonplace over the last months in Andra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orrisa, Rajasthan and many other states,” reported Thomas.
