India (MNN) — While believers are attacked every year in southern India, attacks are coming more often now. The World Evangelical Alliance recently released a report calling attention to India's Karnataka state.
"This year, things are getting worse, and the fear is that the persecution could get even more intense," says Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
In the report, WEA states "the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be consolidating its Hindu vote-bank in the wake of a new crisis." Some key BJP leaders face corruption charges, as well as an inter-party divide.
Since corruption is currently India's biggest issue, the BJP wants to divert voter attention away from the corruption of its leaders. In the run-up to elections, WEA says BJP nationals in the Karnatka state are rallying their voter base by attacking Christians.
"It's not surprising that these are the tactics," said Musselman. "Christians throughout India, especially in the Karnataka state where they are the minority, are an easy scapegoat."
Musselman explained that trying to exert pressure on India's government can be difficult, since leaders are mostly concerned with power and not the welfare of minority groups.
So what can we do about it?
"It's not an easy situation, but prayer of course is always the first and foremost thing that we need to do," Musselman stated.
Pray for believers facing persecution, and pray for the church in Karnataka.
Pray that Christians would persevere, and "that they would not be intimidated from extending love and mercy to those that don't know Jesus Christ, including those that are perpetrating these attacks," Musselman added.
