Beheading of Christian in Kashmir sparks tension

In a shocking incident, a group of Muslim militants kidnapped and beheaded Manzoor Ahmad Chat, 33, a member of the Salem Voice Church, subsequently dumping his head in front of a Muslim mosque in an attempt to foment communal tension between the two communities.

Manzoor was last seen leaving on a scooter, April 13, to take care of his responsibilities for the Power Development Department in the Kakapora district, according to reports from Salem Voice Ministries (SVM), which works to spread the Gospel throughout India and other third world nations, focusing on the Muslim community.

"While he was going he met two believers and reminded them about the prayer meetings. But on the way he [was] kidnapped by the militants," the SVM report said.

The believer's head was discovered by the state police, April 14, wrapped in a plastic bag, outside a mosque.

The decapitated body was in a nearby paddy field by the people of the Pinglena village.

"He was killed because of his faith. He completely believed in Jesus Christ and conducted fellowships in his house once in a while, he had a small church in his house," said Pastor Paul Ciniraj of Salem Voice Ministries. "He seemed to have been brutally tortured and finally slaughtered."

According to the pastor, the gruesome murder was carried out by "the assassins...the Hizbul militants [Muslim 'warriors of freedom' who are active in Pakistan and Kshmir], Muslim militants who want to turn Kashmir into an Islamic state."

"While he [Manzoor] was not baptized he did pray and held get–togethers for others too to pray and propagate the faith. However he did this secretly due to the present situation in the valley," Pastor Ciniraj recalled.

Last year, a Muslim convert, Bashir Ahmed Tantray, was shot dead by Islamic militants in Mamoosa Pattan in Baramullah district of Jammu and Kashmir state in the morning of November 21, 2006.

However, unlike Bashir, who was "a public campaigner," Manzoor "followed the faith secretly," Pastor Ciniraj said.

"Christians are in danger in the valley. Many people are facing the problem. The terrorists are getting the support of the fundamentalists. But as persecution grows so also the faith," he said.

The killing has been denounced by Christian leaders nationwide who are concerned over the growing incidences of violence in the state.

On April 13, families of believers from Muslim community who had gathered for prayers at Gundi Pora village in Shopian District of Jammu and Kashmir were attacked by unidentified militants.

The believers were brutally beaten up and tortured so much that they are even afraid to speak of the incident.

Speaking to them, Pastor Ciniraj realized that everybody was afraid to recall the incident. The believers were shivering with fear while the women and children were crying, he said.

"We fear that some one of their members might have been kidnapped or brutally murdered," the pastor said.

The state police have registered a case and investigations have been launched. The dead body has been handed over to the family following a post mortem.

Deeply disturbed by the incident, Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council (AICC) wrote a letter to Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, urging him to ensure relief for Kashmiri converts to Christianity who are refugees of violence and terrorism in the State.

"I write to bring to your attention the terrible plight of a small group of citizens of the State of Jammu and Kashmir whose suffering for the past many years has been ignored by local officials and political authorities as well as by the State government," Dayal said, pointing out that there are six families of Catholics who had converted from Pandit or Muslim families. They have faced a triple crisis – persecution from Hindus, persecution from Muslims and persecution from the State, he noted.

The letter further said, "I understand that every Kashmiri Pandit Private employee is entitled to the receipt of cash relief now raised to Rs. 4000 per month. It even includes top ranking lawyers and businessmen but it has been denied to the Christian refugees."

Dr. Dayal has appealed to Chief Minister Azad to urgently look into matter and ensure that these families get the relief and resettlement support from the government as given to others who are deemed victims of the violent developments in the valley over the years.

Kashmir is India's only state with a Muslim majority, and most people favor independence from mainly Hindu India or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

India has an estimated 700,000 soldiers stationed in Kashmir, and has fought nearly a dozen rebel groups here since 1989. The rebels are also frequently accused of rights violations – against both Indian forces and civilians they suspect of working with Indian authorities. In many areas, the region has the feel of an occupied country, with soldiers in full combat gear patrolling streets and frisking civilians.

More than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict. Local human rights groups say about 10,000 people have been reported missing in since the separatist insurgency began in 1989.