I am happy to inform that about 2000 members attended the Rally from about 37 Churches of various denominations and languages for the first time expressing their solidarity to the suffering brethren in India. The Peace Rally was held at Dilworth Plaza of the Philadelphia City hall, by the Indian Christian Fellowship of Delaware valley on October 26, 2008.

Eminent attendees included were:

1. Emily Fisher, Chief of Staff of the Office of Immigration and Naturalization Services in Philadelphia, local radio host and former Pennsylvania state senator
2. Attorney General Bob Rovner,
3. Mr. Brendan Boyle, candidate for Pennsylvania state representative
4. Hon. Jimmy McLeon, municipal court judge
5. Mr. Anuj Gupta, Managing Director for Performance Management for the city of Philadelphia.
6. Sister Judy Crype and CIO President
7. Mr. Nick Shinoy represented the Archdiocese
8. Dr. Victor Joseph, Chairman of Governmental Affairs, Federation of Indian American Christian Organization of North America.

Also present to welcome these guests were well known leaders of the Indian community including Mr. George Mathews, Mr. Vincent Emmanuel and Mr. Joby George.

Speakers encouraged the crowd and citizens throughout the city to contact their government officials – local and federal – to urge them to help bring and end to the attacks. Mr. Boyle emphasized this as not just a Christian or religious issue but a global issue, stating “I think we are all called to stand for peace and justice.” The Honorable Judge McLeon affirmed his support for human rights and all called particular attention to the situation in India. In an effort to further spread awareness, Mr. Rover promised a half-hour slot on his radio talk show focused on the ongoing crisis in India, to air from 3:30 – 4:00 PM EST on Saturday, November 8th.

Rev Biju Thomas of the Evangelical Church and Rev Fr Jacob Christy of Syro Malabar Church conducted and moderated the event.

Community leaders including Rev. Fr. K.K. John, Chairman of the Ecumenical Fellowship of Indian Christians in Philadelphia, Rev. Fr. Babu Joseph, Missionary priest from Orissa, Rev. Samuel John, Pastor of Grace Pentecostal Church in Philadelphia, Rev. Fr. Tony Uvary, Jesuit priest from Orissa, Dr. Abraham Mathew, Physician and local missionary, pointed to a common faith as a guiding principle for peace, even in the face of violence. Rev.Fr KK John gave an account of Christian Perspective of Persecution and Christian contribution to enrich India's cultural heritage. Pastor Rev Samuel spoke biblical perspective of the current situation stating that "We as Christians do not fear death". Dr. Mathew said, “It is the basic call of Christians to proclaim Christ. We continue to carry out our mission because it is the commandment from God.”

I must add that all the participants stayed the whole time of program with piety. Pin-drop silence was kept throughout. They carried plackards to shun violence and restore peace and yet not uttered a word. The discipline and decorum maintained at the scene has greatly enhanced the image of Indian Community. Never before such commendable discipline and public decorum was shown by a mass gathering like this. Every arrangement was meticulously detailed and carried out. Invisible hand of God was evident throughout the program. Thanks be to God and all fellow Christians.

It was certain that the participant's hearts were warmed by the inspirational words of speakers. Mr. Jerry George, gave the Vote of Thanks and closing speech. Mr. Rene Joseph led the hymn, ‘We Shall Overcome.” It was sung in English as well as four Indian languages, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and Guajarati. The song was specifically chosen to symbolize their faith and belief that the Indian community will indeed overcome the situation in India and human rights and peace will once again be restored.

TEXT OF THE MESSAGE DELIVERED BY FR. K. K. JOHN, CHAIRMAN OF ECUMENICAL FELLOWSHIP OF INDIAN CHRISIANS IN PHILADELPHIA

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF PERSECUTION

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” [John 16:33]

Honorable and distinguished, officers, media members, believers, ladies and gentlemen,

Greetings to you, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Chairman of the Ecumenical Fellowship of Indian Christians in Philadelphia, I represent 20 churches and 6000 families. I bring to your attention that while we enjoy the comforts, security and affluence of United States, our Christian brethren in India are subjected to sever torture, inhuman atrocities and persecutions by certain misguided, militant miscreants with their declared motto of wiping out Christianity from the Indian soil.

In the last six months more than 60 people, mostly missionaries, priests and nuns were brutally killed, many women, mostly nuns were raped, children were sliced in front of the parents for not denouncing Jesus, believers were forced to urinate on the Holy Bible, 15 schools and institutions were ransacked and destroyed, 80,000 were severely injured, 5000 homes were burnt down, 50,000 fled to forest and are still refugees. The actual account is still unknown. The State and Central Government have not taken any action to contain violence and assure human rights guaranteed in the Indian Constitution. The apathy and lethargy of the government serves an indirect support to the miscreants. These are black marks, which disfigured the face of India as the oldest surviving civilization and the largest democracy in the world. Deplorable indeed, it is not Democracy but ‘Mobocracy’ that rules in India, in these days. Until recently India had a reputation for its tolerance of all faiths, love of peace and communal harmony, but not anymore.

As Christians our attitude toward the misguided fanatic persecutors is not revenge for, “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord but sympathy and forgiveness; we pray for the persecutors. “Lord, convert them as “Chosen vessels” such as Saul to St Paul.”

But we are undaunted and cannot be intimidated. We continue our philanthropic social works to uplift the poor, the neglected and the downtrodden. Jesus has promised that the “Gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church and “I shall be with you unto the end of the world.” St Augustine said, “Human cities rise and fall, but the City of God remains.

We resolve to continue preaching the Gospel with added vigor, for, that is the Commandment from our Lord. Our Gospel is love, harmony, respect and peaceful co-existence. “The world was evolved out of love. It is sustained by love and the world shall cease to exist when love is lost.”

We strongly denounce proselytizing; but we believe, uphold and reiterate that a citizen of India has the individual freedom to choose and practice any religion. Conversion is a matter of heart and one’s birthright. No one has a right to interfere with another’s liberty.

The State and Central Government has duty ensure that the rights and privileges guaranteed under the Constitution of India are protected without favoritism or vested interests. Sadly indeed, the Government of India has utterly failed in this respect and that has led to rampant violation of Human Rights, in Orissa, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala and elsewhere.

Those victims of violence became living sacrifices unto the Lord. We do not fear neither persecution nor death because Jesus said, “Be of good cheer when they persecute you for my namesake, for your reward in heaven is great. I have overcome the world” No earthly force can take away the comfort, hope and courage that we have in Christ.

United States Government is the most powerful democracy and indisputable leader in the comity of nations and financially helping India. We implore the Hon President and the US Government to invoke international pressure on the Government of India to immediately stop violence and restore law and order in Orissa, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala and elsewhere, because (1) the victims-suffering Christians are too weak for self-defense and (2) the Government has been inactive having not taken necessary action to contain violence and ensure protection of human rights of the minority.

I appeal to the Media to raise their voice and do everything in their power to condemn human rights violation, wherever it is.

Let the American public and the fanatic radicals know that Christianity came to India in AD 52. Christianity is not a foreign religion in the Indian soil. Christians are law abiding, patriotic and hardworking both in the land of birth and the land of domicile. India is a secular republic. Use your good influence to help the suffering and persecuted Christian minority in India.

I admonish the persecutors and the misguided radicals to look at the history of Christianity and learn that those who hated it became its protectors. Emperor Julian, successor of Constantine the Great, reintroduced the ‘emperor worship’ and challenging Christ, let loose persecutions against Christians. He was fatally injured in a war, covered in his own blood, made a final statement, “O man of Galilee, you conquered” and died.

I say to the Christians, we have sinned against the Lord, by creating, nurturing and maintaining divisions in the Church against the will of God. The Lord prayed to the Father, “They may be one, just as we are one.” We grieved the Holy Spirit by not shedding pride and ego. Our division is the weapon in the hands of Satan and the strength to the perpetrators of hatred. Let us learn to unite.

Thank you and God bless you.