Pastor in India Attacked in Hospital by Mob Twice
A pastor in India was nearly killed by Hindu extremists while he was recovering in a hospital. A mob severely beat him after accusing him of forced conversions.
Pastor Samuel Kim of Jerusalem Prayer House in the Kannur village near Kolar,was attacked by Hindu extremists who accused the Kim of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. They beat him unconscious on Oct 11.
Kim was taken to R.L. Jallappa Hospital with a broken rib and severe lacerations on his head and neck, but his assailants' attack was not over.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Local reports indicate that early the following morning, his attackers returned to the hospital and made their way to Kim's room and attacked him once more.
"Five extremists came near my bed, started to strangle me and brought a razor to slit my throat," Kim told Morning Star News. "The attackers fled when they heard people approaching."
Christians living in the state of Karnataka in India suffered the highest rate of abuse and violence in the country from 2009 through 2011, according to statistics from the Evangelical Fellowship of India. In Karnataka, there were 49 cases of violence towards Christians last year, with 56 cases in 2010 and 48 in 2009.
Christians in India are in the extreme minority, with religious division dating back centuries. Christians account for about four percent of Karnataka's population of 61.1 million people, according to Operation World. Yet, the government has stated that Christians make up only 1.9 percent. Hindus are the country's religious majority, comprising 83.9 percent of the state's population. Muslims account for 12.2 percent.
In India, Christianity is seen as a threat to Hinduism, with Hindus believing that all Indians are born Hindu and that all Indians should revert back to the religions of their tribe or villages. To make the situation worse, most government officials do not heed the warnings of Christians in Karnataka, insisting that believing in the gospel is an insult to local Hindus.
India's constitution was amended to provide for freedom of religion for all Indians and to state that religious conversion is legal. However, current law covering forced conversions provides local Hindus a framework to carry out violent attacks against Christians if they claim they were being forcibly converted.
