{"id":262379,"date":"2017-12-15T09:28:10","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T14:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aleteia.org\/?post_type=post&p=262379"},"modified":"2017-12-15T09:28:10","modified_gmt":"2017-12-15T14:28:10","slug":"shock-carol-singers-arrested-in-india-charged-with-attempted-conversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2017\/12\/shock-carol-singers-arrested-in-india-charged-with-attempted-conversion\/","title":{"rendered":"Persecution: Carol singers arrested in India, charged with attempted ‘conversion’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Christian persecution persists, even during the holidays.<\/p>\n

From the BBC:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Six carol singers have been arrested in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh after a man accused them of trying to convert him to Christianity.<\/p>\n

The state has some of the strictest anti-conversion laws in India.<\/p>\n

One of those arrested was a professor at a Catholic theological college. The group said it was only visiting villages to sing songs.<\/p>\n

A car used by the carol singers was also set on fire, allegedly by right-wing activists.<\/p>\n

Police have also filed a case against those accused of torching the car.<\/p>\n

In the complaint, the resident said that the group, including the professor, had previously asked him to \u201cworship Jesus Christ\u201d and had offered him money to convert.<\/p>\n

However, the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference denied the allegations of forced conversions, saying the group was there just to sing Christmas carols.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More details, from AFP,<\/strong><\/a> which indicates a much larger roundup was involved:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Indian police detained dozens of Catholics singing Christmas carols for allegedly trying to convert people, officials said Friday, as fears grow over religious freedom in the South Asian nation.<\/p>\n

Police said 32 people were detained for trying to convert people to Christianity in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh late Thursday, with a leading Catholic association condemning the accusations as \u201claughable\u201d.<\/p>\n

When a group of priests went to the police station to enquire about the detentions, their parked car was torched, allegedly by a mob belonging to a right-wing Hindu group, said Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of India.<\/p>\n

The news comes as India\u2019s Christian minority sounds the alarm over a recent rise in attacks on churches and members of the faith, blaming the violence on Hindu hardliners, who they say have become emboldened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s right-wing government swept to power in 2014.<\/p>\n

Mascarenhas said 32 Catholics, including two priests, were detained while \u201cconducting a routine Christmas carol singing programme\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe charge of conversion on which the priests and seminarians (were) detained is frivolous and laughable,\u201d Mascarenhas said in a statement on Friday.<\/p>\n

He said carol singing had been a part of the Christmas season in Satna \u201cfor the last 30 years\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christian persecution persists, even during the holidays. From the BBC: Six carol singers have been arrested in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh after a man accused them of trying to convert him to Christianity. The state has some of the strictest anti-conversion laws in India. One of those arrested was a professor at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":261486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11252],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-262379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-open-mind"],"yoast_head":"\nPersecution: Carol singers arrested in India, charged with attempted 'conversion'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Christian persecution persists, even during the holidays. 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