India (MNN) — The extremist Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir is expanding in Bangladesh and captivating more radicalized followers. Neighboring India is concerned by the group’s ISIS ties and declared it a terrorist organization last week.
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs published a statement saying, “The outfit is involved in various acts of terror, including radicalising the gullible youths to join terrorist organisations and raise funds for terror activities, posing a serious threat to the national security and sovereignty of India. The Modi government is committed to securing Bharat by dealing the forces of terror with an iron fist.”
Youth are more susceptible to extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh. (Photo courtesy of Tarikul Raana K/Unsplash)
The growing threat of terrorist organizations in India is heightened by unchecked migration and religious conflicts.
John Pudaite with Bibles For The World says, “Bangladesh shares a very long border with India, and it is notoriously porous. There’s so much traffic between Bangladesh into India, and we have seen just a tremendous rise of illegal immigration into India. I know the fear will be that, along with that immigration of Bangladeshis, predominantly Muslim, there will be a rise in this sort of radical Islamic group.”
With rising religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims in both India and Bangladesh, Christians can be caught in the middle as easy targets.
“They are an extreme minority in both countries – perhaps 2.3% in India and 0.3% in Bangladesh,” says Pudaite. “So as these tensions are rising between these radicalized groups of Hindus and Muslims in their respective countries, it often is the case that who does that violence get meted out to but the Christians?”
Bibles For The World seeks to catalyze cultural change by providing God’s Word in countries like India. They focus especially on unreached people groups and regions with little access to Scripture. India is one of the most unreached places in the world with 1.3 billion people who’ve never heard the Gospel.
Ask God to reveal biblical truth to people in India and Bangladesh. Pray for radicalized youth to have visions of Jesus and choose to follow Him.
For Christians, Pudaite asks, “Continue to lift them up in prayer that their faith may be strengthened in the midst of all this crisis, that they may have the resources and materials and things that they need to strengthen their faith.”
Learn more about Bibles For The World.
Header photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
