INDIA Two Christian women arrested and charged with conversion

22 May, 2013

YOUR DONATION

Geographic areas

e-mail this to a friend

printable version

» 04/18/2006 10:22
INDIA
Two Christian women arrested and charged with conversion

The arrest followed a report filed by someone who remained anonymous. The two women were distributing flyers about the Bible.

Bhopal (AsiaNews/ICNS) – Indian police have arrested two Christian women in Madhaya Pradesh, accusing them of "attempting to convert people by distributing pamphlets on the Bible". The women were arrested on Friday 14 April, Good Friday.

Mariamma Mathew, 36, and B. Godwil, 65, were arrested after a person, who remained anonymous, reported them for "explaining to people how they can have a peaceful life following Bible teachings".

Local police sources said there was a state law barring religious propaganda by individuals or organizations without authorization from district officials. "The women had no such permission for their action. So they are in prison now," added the sources.

Christian leaders said this was not an isolated incident, but "only the latest in a string of such arrests". "Christians have been consistently harassed for the past two-and-half years in the state since the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP – India's largest political party with nationalistic and Hindu leanings] government came to power."

e-mail this to a friend

printable version

See also

04/19/2006 INDIA
Christian groups against approval of Rajasthan anti-conversion bill
by Nirmala Carvalho

06/30/2011 INDIA
Karnataka: two pastors assaulted and arrested on false accusations of forced conversions
by Nirmala Carvalho

08/29/2011 INDIA
Karnataka, 4 Christians arrested over "door to door" forced conversions

08/03/2007 INDIA
Gujarat: anti-conversion law due in days
by Nirmala Carvalho

11/30/2004 INDIA
Dialogue and prayers against violence, says Orissa Archbishop
by Santosh Digal

Editor's choices

CHINA
Chinese scholar calls for CP reform, warns the PRC will go the Soviet way

For Zhang Xien, a professor at Shandong University, 20 per cent of the CP's 83 million members are old, sick and "unable to toe the party line". At least 32 million should be encouraged to leave. The scholar addresses the dangerous issue in an article published by a biweekly magazine published by the People's Daily, the party's mouthpiece. He wants better entry requirements to weed out potentially bad officials.

VATICAN
Pope to Movements: The action of the Spirit is newness, harmony, mission

At Mass for Pentecost, along with movements and lay associations, Francis asks believers not close in on themselves for fear the 'God’s surprises', defending ourselves " barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness." The harmony of the Spirit brings unity, not exclusivism or standardization. "The Holy Spirit ... saves us from the threat of a Church which is gnostic and self-referential, closed in on herself" and " drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ." The final thanks of the Pope: "You are a gift and a treasure for the Church."

VATICAN
Growth in number of Catholics worldwide, number of priests and seminarians also increase

The data from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church. The faithful of Rome have passed, from 1196 in 2010 to 1214 million in 2011, up 1.5%. Asia remains a religiously vibrant continent: number of faithful and priests rise, as do the number of professed religious who are not priests, seminarians, and in contrast to the world's data, the number of nuns.

Dossier

The Year of Faith and the martyrdom of Fr Fausto Tentorio

John Paul II is beatified

[Show all dossier]

Al-Ghazâlî - Pensatore e maestro spirituale

by Paolo Nicelli

pp. 136

Fatto per andare lontano. Clemente Vismara

by Piero Gheddo

pp. 504

La Mangrovia Una donna, due anime

by Claire Ly

pp. 160

Augusto Colombo. Apostolo dei paria

by Piero Gheddo

pp. 320

Matteo Ricci: missione e ragione. Una biografia intellettuale

by Gianni Criveller

pp. 132

Matteo Ricci e Giulio Aleni, due vite incrociate

by Giulio Aleni / (a cura di) Gianni Criveller

pp. 176

La Cina di Mao processa la Chiesa

by Lazzarotto Angelo S.

pp. 528

Il Rovescio delle medaglie

by Bernardo Cervellera

pp. 240

Piero Gheddo: Il vescovo partigiano – Mons. Aristide Pirovano

by Piero Gheddo

pp. 454

2003 © All rights reserved - Autogestione contenuti di AsiaNews C.F. e P.Iva: 00889190153 - GLACOM®
Copyright © 2003 AsiaNews C.F. 00889190153 All rights reserved. Content on this site is made available for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, republish, sell or otherwise distribute the content or any modified or altered versions of it without the express written permission of the editor. Photos on AsiaNews.it are largely taken from the internet and thus considered to be in the public domain. Anyone contrary to their publication need only contact the editorial office which will immediately proceed to remove the photos.