A distressing incident unfolded in Rajbiraj, Nepal last month. According to reports from local Christian leaders, a group of approximately 200 individuals, identified as members of the Hindu Samrat Sena, attacked a gathering of 20 to 25 believers in a local church.
Believers in the area gathered on a small farm to hold services and to worship, as the official church building is in poor condition. When a pastor and a few elders arrived to minister to the congregation, the radical group launched an attack, targeting everyone present, including children, women, and the leaders.
The assailants subjected the congregation to a brutal assault, specifically targeting the pastor and leaders. The violence was intense, with one of the elders fainting twice due to the severity of his beatings. A particularly disturbing aspect of the attack was the assault on a 6-month-old child, who was physically abused and thrown to the ground.
Elder Samuel Rai*, one of the victims, shares, “After the attack, the police arrived, and the attackers fled the scene. The police took us to the administration office and asked about the incident. They told us to file a first incident report (FIR) to the police. However, we decided to forgive the attackers and not file a complaint. Yet, pastors from other churches couldn’t stand the hatred and felt that our Christian community should raise its voice against such brutal attacks, so on our behalf, they filed an FIR. Unfortunately, those pastors are now facing threats from the attackers.”
Christians Facing Increased Violence
Rajbiraj is in the southeastern Terai region of Nepal in the Madhesh province. It is a residential area with a diverse population and shares its border with India. The area has many indigenous groups who follow Hindu traditions and view Christianity as a foreign religion.
They accuse Christians of forcefully converting people from other religions through inducements and claim that Christians are undermining their Hindu traditions. As a result, there has been an increase in aggression and violence toward Christians.
Open Doors’ local partner, Bikash Tamang*, says, “Many Hindu nationalist groups are active and are promoting a Hindu state or Hindu cultural identity throughout Nepal. They continue to harass Christians and attack churches. In this environment, it is difficult for Christians to conduct fellowships. Therefore, I request everyone to come together with us and pray for the Christians in Nepal.”
Pray for Nepal
- Pray for the full recovery of Christian leaders who have been assaulted.
- Pray for the protection of churches under attack from Hindu groups.
- Ask God to continue His work in Madhesh and for people to come to know His goodness and love.
*Names changed for security purposes
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