Extremists encouraged Hindu residents of a village in the Malkangiri district of eastern India’s Orissa state to attack Christian residents on Tuesday, Jan. 24, leaving at least 10 Christians injured with two requiring hospitalization. Four missionaries from the Indian Evangelical Team and 14 Christian families were at a believer’s house in Koikonda village when members of the Hindu extremist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) reportedly gathered a group of about 50 people who surrounded the home and demanded that the missionaries come out. As soon as the missionaries complied, the mob started beating them and the other Christians in the house. One of the missionaries, Vijay Kumar, fell unconscious and did not regain consciousness until three days later. He and missionary Baldas Gopal were hospitalized with serious internal injuries. (Compass)

UPDATE: CAR BOMBINGS MAY BE MEANT TO DRIVE CHRISTIANS OUT OF IRAQ

A “hidden reality of persecution,” including daily threats, kidnappings, discrimination and most recently car bombings, is being used to drive Christians out of Iraq, reported AsiaNews. Three people were killed and another nine injured in a series of car bombings against Christian places of worship in Kirkuk and Baghdad Sunday, Jan. 29. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. AsiaNews said the bombings were designed to “feed internal divisions and the ongoing political instability, but also to drive the Christian community out of Iraq.” One theory is that the attacks were related to the recent cartoons that a Danish newspaper published, mocking the Islamic prophet Mohammed. But Rabban Al Qas, a Chaldean bishop, hypothesizes that behind this most recent violence there are “forces intent on destabilizing and dividing the country.” He added that Christians in Iraq face constant discrimination. (Assist News Service)

EGYPTIAN SISTERS WIN COURT BATTLE TO RETAIN CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

A pair of Coptic Christian sisters whose father had converted to Islam when they were infants, have won a court battle in Egypt to retain their official religious identity as Christians. Iman and Olfat Malak Ayet, now 18 and 19 years of age respectively, picked up their new identity cards, matching their Christian birth certificates, on Saturday, Feb. 4. Although the verdict was handed down on May 31, 2005, civil authorities refused to implement the decision until late January. In the final verdict, presiding Judge Farouk Ali Abdel Kader of Cairo’s District No. 1 Administrative Court declared that the civil authorities had conducted a “non-justified intervention” by imposing upon the two plaintiffs a belief they had not chosen. “It is not in any way acceptable that the civil authorities take advantage of their authority to force the plaintiffs to embrace Islam,” the ruling specified. (Compass)

ALL CHURCHES IN NEW ZEALAND TOWN COMBINE TO HOLD EASTERFEST

In Timaru, New Zealand, a sixth of the town’s population is expected to attend the seventh annual Easterfest Saturday, April 15, as the Easter message will be threaded through a day of food and fun. Organizer Pat Lamborn, pastor of the Timaru Assemblies of God, says every denomination is coming together to present the festival. “We wanted to bring the focus back on Easter as a Christian celebration,” he said. “We particularly wanted to touch the children of this city, and also families who don’t have a lot to spend. They get a great day out with their family, a feed, lots of fun and hear, with no strings attached, a simple message of Easter.” The message is conveyed through a “discovery trail” made up of about 16 interactive events that trace Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem to the resurrection. Different churches take responsibility for each stage. “It’s been very successful having such a broad spectrum of churches doing it together,” Lamborn said. “It’s a wonderful spirit of cooperation, and many people comment what a great atmosphere it is.” (Assist News Service)

CANADIAN CHRISTIAN LEADERS LAUNCH PLAN TO FIGHT VIOLENCE, POVERTY

Christian leaders in Toronto began 2006 with action aimed at combating the problem of gang violence and poverty. A group of pastors calling themselves the GTA Faith Alliance announced plans to seek 400 mentors for at-risk youth and open 70 drop-in centers and after-school programs in their churches. The group hosted Eugene Rivers, a pastor credited with helping to dramatically reduce violent crime in Boston, who calls the church a powerful political force. “You shouldn’t belong to any party, but you need to be an advocate for the poor,” he said. Al Bowen, senior pastor of the Abundant Life Assembly in Rexdale, Ontario, added, “Everyone is salt. Everyone is light. If you are not prepared to do that, then please resign your status as a Christian and stop polluting the spiritual atmosphere of Christ’s church.” Colin McCartney, executive director of a ministry to at-risk youth, Urban Promise Toronto, believes there are many Christians willing to help, but they often just don’t know where to begin. (Crosswalk/Religion Today)

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