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Missionaries in India attacked and accused of bribery

An anti-Christian extremist group attacked two Gospel for Asia missionaries after the missionaries showed a film about Jesus, reports MNN.

The missionaries, Jayant Mehta and Dayanand Tambe, were attacked late on the night of August 8 as they packed up their film and audio equipment after they showed the "Man of Mercy" movie in Maharashtra, India. The screening, which was held at a believer's home, was deemed successful by GFA as many of the villagers came to watch the film.

After the film concluded, however, a group of about 45 extremists rushed Mehta and Tambe, beating them and grabbing their film equipment. They then shoved the men in their van and took them to the police station to have them arrested for illegal conversion.

According to GFA, "The merciless beating continued until they reached the police station, where they brought their false complaints against Jayant and Dayanand."

The group accused the two men of "bribing people to convert to the Christian faith" and made up names of people who would testify against them.

Early the next morning, the two missionaries were finally released from police custody when a GFA leader asked for their discharge.

On August 10, their film gear was returned by the extremist after the groups claims were falsified by police.

This attack comes after the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently added India to a "watch list" of countries "which have failed to protect its religious minorities adequately," according a BBC News story.

India was included on the list along with counties such as Afghanistan, Somalia and Cuba.

BBC said the congressional body put India on the list because of an alarming increase in religious violence. The commission also cited two instances of anti-Christian and anti-Muslim riots in Orissa and Gujarat in 2008 and 2002, respectively.

Leonard Leo, the chair of USCIRF, said, "More must be done to ensure future violence does not occur and that perpetrators are held accountable," according to BBC.

However, in the case of the Mehta and Tambe, their attackers were not detained.

While USCIRF usually issues their annual reports on religious freedom in May, they were delayed in India because the government refused them visas for the trip, according to BBC.

GFA asked, "Please pray for Jayant's and Dayanand's quick healing and that they would not be discouraged because of incident. Pray also for the extremists and the police, that they will come to know the love, compassion and salvation of Jesus Christ."

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TAGS: India anti-Christian violence persecution Gospel for Asia Jayant Mehta Dayanand Tambe "Man of Mercy" movie

[08/17/2009]

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