Italian bishops want anti-Christian violence discussed at EU-India summit

(September 23, 2008): - Catholic bishops in Italy want the European Union to put the Christian persecution on the agenda of its upcoming India specific meet, saying growing attacks against Christians are reported from across the world. The bishops’ Italian language newspaper “Avvenire”, in its front-page editorial on Sunday, referred to the violence against Christians in India and sought EU’s help in curtailing it. “Persecution is spreading like oil on water, the number of martyrs continues to grow in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and hunting down Christians is an insane and a violent idea that finds more and more followers,” it said.
The editorial concluded asking if it was “too much to hope that on the agenda there can be also the question of violence against Christians?" The EU-India summit is to be held in Marseille, France on Sept. 29. The summit agenda focuses on trade, climate and energy issues and food security issues.
Hindu radical violence against Christians in Orissa began after a Hindu leader was gunned down along with his four associates Aug. 23 by Maoists. But radical Hindus blamed it on Christians and began to attack them. Some 50 people, mostly Christians are reportedly killed in the violence, which continues. Hindu Radicals also burnt down Christian houses, churches and convents driving some 50,000 people out of their homes into forests or relief camps. The violence soon spread to Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh with the Hindu fundamentalists also attacking churches in these states..