wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Orissa: Ecumenical bodies ask for end of violence, solidarity

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 04/09/2008 14:23:06

ORISSA: WCC AND LWF ASK FOR END OF VIOLENCE, SOLIDARITY

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation  (LWF) have jointly called on the Prime Minister of India requesting his  intervention to end the violence in the state of Orissa. The WCC invites  its member churches to join a call from Christians in India to hold a Day  of Prayer and Fasting for peace and goodwill on Sunday, 7 September.

In a joint letter issued today, the WCC and LWF general secretaries,  Samuel Kobia and Ishmael Noko, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to  intervene and "ensure an immediate cessation of violence, the restoration  of law and justice, and sanctuary for the displaced" in Orissa.

The Indian state has seen "indiscriminate killing, burning of church  buildings and destruction of institutions" over the last ten days. "We are  aware that it is the most vulnerable sections of the population who are  worst affected by the violence," the ecumenical leaders say.

>September 7: Day of Prayer and Fasting

In a separate letter to WCC member churches in India, Kobia welcomed the  initiative by the National United Christian Forum in India to observe  Sunday, 7 September as a Day of Prayer and Fasting for peace and  goodwill.

The WCC is urging member churches and partners "to join in this initiative  by praying for the families of those who have lost their dear ones, for  those who are displaced, for all others who suffer the consequences of  this violence and for all those who are striving to restore trust and  goodwill among people and communities," Kobia wrote.

As "religious fanaticism has once again broken the lives of the poor, who  are largely Dalits and Adivasis," the WCC general secretary wrote, "let us  pray for harmony among religious communities and let us work together to  build trust and mutual respect".

The National United Christian Forum groups the National Council of  Churches in India, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, and the  Evangelical Federation of India.

>Violence targets Christians

Some 20 people have been killed, 50,000 displaced and 4,000 homes have  been destroyed over the last ten days, as a result of the "worst ever  communal riots against Christians," according to a report by the Forum. Of  those who have fled their villages, some 13,000 are living in nine relief  camps run by the government. Some 200 villages were affected, with  hundreds of churches burnt down.

The violence started after the killing of a prominent radical Hindu leader  on 23 August. The killing of Lakshmanananda Saraswati was immediately  condemned by the National Council of Churches in India. Although a Maoist  rebel group has claimed responsibility for it, radical Hindu militants  blame Christians for it.

The National United Christian Forumhas asked that letters of support be  sent (see: http://www.nccindia.in/news/pressrelease/n_68.htm)to local churches in  Orissa as well as to the Indian government requesting its immediate  intervention. On Friday, 29 August, several thousands church-run educationa l institutions were closed and demonstrations held across the country as a  sign of solidarity and protest.

Full text of WCC-LWF letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6267

Full text of WCC letter to member churches and NCCI:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6266

>National Council of Churches in India:
>http://www.nccindia.in

>WCC member churches in India:
>http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4670

Additional information: Juan Michel +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness  and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of  churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant,  Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million  Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman  Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from  the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.