» 06/02/2012 10:46 INDIA West Bengal police and government ignore persecuted Christian family by Nirmala Carvalho For months, a couple from the Pentecostal Fellowship House Church receive death threats from Islamic fundamentalists. In late March, the whole community attacked, a widow of 65 beaten. Police will accept complaints for threats, as long as you do not name the attacker.
Mumbai (AsiaNews)
- "The police and the government ignore us: they never accepted our
complaints" says Aimazan Bibi, a Christian from Nutangram village (district
of Murshidabad, West Bengal). For
months she, her husband Gaffar Shaike and the Pentecostal communities they
belong to have received death threats from a group of Islamic fundamentalists. Sajan
K George, President of the Global Council
of Indian Christians (GCIC), has appealed to the chief minister of the
State to "save the lives of these Christians," attacked "so
brutally" and "even threatened to death."
It all started last
March 30. A
group of seven Muslims led by Mohammed Aanu Shaike broke into the House Fellowship Church, where 11 people
were involved in a prayer service. First
they ordered the pastor, Gaffar Shaike, to stop all activities. In
the face of initial rejection of the Christian, the attackers started calling
them "infidels" and to beat and insult those present. One of
the attacked was a widow of 65 years, Moyazan Bewa. Meanwhile,
other Muslims arrived, egging the fundamentalists to attack, just because they
were Christians.
The
next day, the pastor made a complaint to local police. However they did not
registered the case. Shortly
after, on 5 April, Mohammed Aanu Shaike threatened to kill Aimazan Bibi after
seeing her talking with a Muslim woman.
"On
May 29 - said the woman - police said they will accept a new complaint for
threats, but we can not mention the events of April 30."
"Since
then - Sajan George tells AsiaNews -
this family has not had peace and live in fear. We ask that the National Human
Rights Commission deals with the case and provide protection for life and
religious freedom in this family."
