Muslims in Italy to pray for Orissa Christians

As an act of solidarity, Muslims in Italy plan to pray for victims of Orissa violence and for their religious freedom, on September 5 when they gather at the Great Mosque in Rome.

President of the Italian Muslim Intellectuals, Ahmad Gianpiero, in a press statement said, they wanted to "set a good example by gathering in prayer" at the mosque.

He invited all Muslims to “accept the invitation” from Italian Bishops Conference “to pray for our Christian brothers, who are suffering now in India."

Karim Mezran, secretary–general of the association said the “the initiative will fall during our holy fasting month of Ramadan." He is also visiting professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University's Bologna Center.

"The community is practicing its faith and this will be very significant to show that our religions are closer in more ways than anyone imagined."

Meanwhile, following the concern of Vatican and Pope over the escalating violence in Orissa state, an Indian Home Ministry official visited Vatican Pro Nuncio to India Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana in New Delhi affirming that India was capable of dealing with the continuing anti–Christian violence in Orissa.

The Indian government strongly condemned the recent attacks on Christians but as a "flourishing democracy," India was capable of dealing with the situation, he reportedly told the archbishop.

According to official sources, several convents, including a Missionaries of Charity house, some 100 churches and more than 4,000 Christian homes were destroyed in the Hindu fanatic violence that began Aug. 23.