Jammu & Kashmir, January 23, 2012: Christian leaders in Kashmir say they are worried following recent directives from an Islamic court ordering the expulsion of four missioners and demanding Christian schools provide Islamic studies for all students.
Catholic Bishop Peter Celestine Elampassery of Jammu-
Srinagar said today that Christians in Kashmir
are uneasy as they all see themselves as being targeted by the state's Shariat
court.
In recent rulings, the court found Church of North India (CNI) pastor Reverend C M Khanna and his associate Gayoor Masih guilty of "luring" and "forcing" Muslims to Christianity, and ordered their expulsion.
It also ordered the wives of the two Protestant pastors to
leave. A similar conversion charge has been laid against Catholic missioner
Mill Hill Father Jim Borst. "The Church cannot do anything since we are
minority in the state," the Capuchin bishop said today.
His diocese covers the entire state. Bishop Elampassery said
he is meeting the federal Minority Commission tomorrow to urge it to take up
Christian concerns with the state government. "Our institutions are
serving Muslim people. We have never been involved in forced conversions or
proselytizing," he asserted.
He said Islamic courts have no jurisdiction or power over Christians in the state and expressed little hope the government would take action against them. Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority state in India.
Reverend Khanna, who has moved to the state's winter capital
Jammu, said the
court order has put his life and those of the other three missioners in peril.
"The government has not done anything to protect us," he said today.
Kashmir comes under the CNI's Amritsar diocese and its prelate, Bishop P K
Samantaroy said the court's order put Christians on edge and disturbed peace in
the state. "Nobody has the right to expel us from the state or
country," he asserted.
It is "unfair" to question the integrity of
Christians who "have played a major role in building peace and harmony in
the state," he said, calling on all people with goodwill to protest
discriminatory actions.
- ucan
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Sharia court asks govt to take over Christian schools
Jammu & Kashmir, January 23, 2012: A self-styled sharia
court in Jammu and Kashmir
has asked the state government to take over the management of the Christian
missionary schools and monitor their activities. The decree also asked three Christian
priests to leave the state for "luring Muslims in the valley toward
Christianity." It asked the renowned Kashmiri educationists to form a part
of the management of Christian schools.
The court also directed the school management to allot a
class for Islamia studies as well for the students of other faiths. "Given
the Muslim majority character of the valley, the Muslim students should be
taught Islam and daily prayer written by Syed Mohammad Iqbal should also be
sung in the morning prayers,". It comes in the wake of accusations against
Christian priests, including pastor M C Khanna of All Saints Church, of
indulging in conversion activities in the valley.
Besides pastor Khanna, others who have been asked leave the
state include Dutch national Jim Borst and Gayoor Messah, said Naib Mufti
Nasir. Meanwhile, the All India Christian Council had expressed apprehensions
that the community members may face a backlash after the decree.
- dailybhaskar