Kashmir: Catholic school bombed in anti-Christian rampage

September 15, 2010

The death toll from the September 13 anti-Christian rampage in Kashmir has reached 19, according to Vatican Radio. Following false reports that a Florida Protestant minister had proceeded with his plans to burn the Qu’ran, Muslim protestors bombed a Catholic school and attacked two Protestant schools. The bishops of India had condemned the planned Qu’ran burning.

“We have suffered no damages to Catholic churches; only Good Shepherd School in Pulwama was hit on the outer walls, by incendiary bombs, but the building is intact,” said Bishop Celestine Elampassery of Jammu and Srinagar. “We feel helpless and powerless in the face of this wave of senseless violence. We have nothing against the Muslims whom we respect as brothers. We have repeated this several times. However, a violent minority is fueling the tension.”

Bishop Elampassery added that “there are policemen everywhere, wherever there are churches and schools, to protect Christian sites.” Police are threatening to shoot anyone in the area who violates the curfew imposed in the violence’s wake.

Only 25,000 of the area's 10 million inhabitants are Christians; 15,000 of them are Catholics.

 

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Further information:

• Curfew follows anti-Christian rampage in Kashmir (Vatican Radio)
• Bishop of Kashmir: “The community feels threatened, however political tensions have been brewing for some time” (Fides)
• Violent protests against Qu'ran desecration leave 14 dead in India's Kashmir (CWN, 9/13)