Pentecostal Church razed in Madhya Pradesh

A Pentecostal church was set on fire by a group of Hindu fundamentalists in Madhya Pradesh but the pastor, Jaidi Khan, managed to escape unhurt.

The fanatics, armed with flaming torches, stromed into the church located in Shivani, in the southern district of Harda, Madhya Pradesh, and set fire to a table where dozens of Bibles and hymnals were stacked. The fire soon spread to other parts of the church, completely razing it to the ground.

Pastor Khan, who was assaulted and threatened with death, however, managed to escape.

"We are worried about the number of attacks that are taking place in Madhya Pradesh. It is to be noted that in the past few months, they have increased, to the extent that extremists raped two young women to force them to abandon their Christian faith," said Fr. Anand Muttungal, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI). "However, persecution has always strengthened faith and Christian communities: we will stand together to fight this violence."

According to Archbishop Pascal Topno of Bhopal Archdiocese, the incident was "shocking" and clearly indicated that it was the act of some anti–communal elements. The archbishop has urged the Christian community not to lose the courage and be united in prayers.

According to news reports, a Christian delegation had met the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, requesting that an investigating team be sent to Madhya Pradesh to ascertain who is responsible for the burning down of the church.