- Jul 27, 2009
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INDIA - Convert hanged upside down and left for dead
Thirty-year-old Joginder Gold still cannot walk a month after Hindu extremists in Uttar Pradesh tortured him for three hours, to try to force him to reconvert to Hinduism.
They hanged him upside down by his feet from a tree, then beat his soles and pushed a stick in his mouth. After the assault at a farm house near Varanasi city, they left Joginder for dead in a shallow pit. A villager rescued him and called the police.
On the same day, 30 miles away in the city of Jaunpur, extremists attacked 57-year-old Pentecostal pastor Samuel Marikuda Joseph, punching, kicking and beating him with sticks. They demanded he stop holding worship services.
Sadly, extremists appear to be able to make such attacks with impunity: police initially refused to take action against Joginder’s assailants and it was only when local Christian leaders approached higher officials that an investigation was launched. Police filed a case against Pastor Samuel’s attackers – but they absconded. No arrests have been made in either case.
- Please pray for Joginder and Pastor Samuel: ask God to heal them fully, physically and spiritually.
- Ask God to encourage and strengthen Joginder, Pastor Samuel and all our brothers and sisters in India so they are even more determined to build His kingdom.
- Pray that Indian officials, including the police, will do more to protect the religious rights of minorities such as Christians.
Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray and act too.
