3:09 pm
There was a report issued out of Bhubaneswar, India, concerning the series of religious disputes amongst the Hindu and Christian natives of the Eastern region. The riots were a result of last week’s assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a distinguished leader of a Hindu group. At least 10 people have died and thousands of Christians in the state of Orissa have been left homeless as a result of arson. The issue has even drawn criticism from the Catholic Church which has focused its attention towards unsatisfactory police efforts. As a result of the violence, Catholic schools in the area as well as schools of other Christian affiliations were shut down on Friday as means of protest. This afternoon, it was reported by Orissa’s state chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, that the uproar in Khandhamal, which was referred to as “epicenter of the violence,” was ceasing and the conditions would achieve a state of normalcy soon enough. Although this issue is dying out, there are still a number of people remain fearful within the Christian community. Officials from the Italian government have strongly encouraged the Indian ambassador to recognize the need for a “decisive preventative and repressive action" to alleviate what they referred to as, "unacceptable" religious violence. The violence has also gone under subjection of the Pope as well who offered extreme opposition or disapproval. For now, those who have fled are confined to relief camps re-living the horrors amongst one another. It was reported that nearly 5,000 people had taken shelter and the influx was still climbing.
In response to the article, I feel that this is in fact a setback for India. It is a shame that in this day and age people are still being persecuted for their religious beliefs. As India prospers as developing country, there are still in fact divides that will more than likely cause them to defeat themselves. I think that these violent outbreaks were a result of a misunderstanding and that this is an example of a civil uprising. This has not only affected those who are local to the region but has received attention from outside nations as well. It just goes to show that this is in fact a global issue which has affected individuals across several domains be it race, religion, or creed. It is a social issue which needs to be resolved in order to ensure the betterment of society.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hmNvgj9FFgOuPgXzYFViwcJQUzSw
1 comment:
It's ridiculous how some religious groups still resort to intolerant behavior even in the 21st century. You'd think by now we'd become a little more enlighten but we've come no closer! It's rather idiotic, I must say, and it's pathetic and sad...all available adjectives please to describe my disgust! I fail to comprehend the goal of such conflict other than the petty struggle of doctrinal superiority; all religions should preach the ethical tolerance to toher cultures, not endorse armed conflicts. Mind you, Christianity has had its darkest moments--the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Wars of Religion...you get the idea.
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