{"id":446,"date":"2018-01-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.britishasianchristians.org\/full-previous-archive\/2018\/01\/19\/burial-of-formerly-hindu-wife-by-christian-man-leads-to-mob-arson-attack-on-church-in-indias-jammu-kashmir-region\/"},"modified":"2018-01-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T00:00:00","slug":"burial-of-formerly-hindu-wife-by-christian-man-leads-to-mob-arson-attack-on-church-in-indias-jammu-kashmir-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.britishasianchristians.org\/full-previous-archive\/burial-of-formerly-hindu-wife-by-christian-man-leads-to-mob-arson-attack-on-church-in-indias-jammu-kashmir-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Burial of formerly Hindu wife by Christian man leads to mob arson attack on church in India's Jammu Kashmir region"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Hindu mob torched a church on 16th January 2017 and several shops in the ownership of Christians at Jammu Kashmir, India, after it was falsely alleged
\n that a Christian man had murdered his wife.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sehal Christ Church, which is affiliated to the Friends Missionary Prayer Band and located at Sehal Village, Seri Panchayat, Nowshera was torched in
\n what was deemed a revenge attack by incensed Hindus, offended by the perceived murder of a supposedly forcibly converted Hindu woman.<\/p>\n

Seema Devi had committed her life to Christ over two years ago and was a regular member of church along with her husband Rinku Kumar who had converted
\n some years earlier.  Only a few days after her marriage, however, Seema fell ill and though the hospital could not heal her she found healing
\n whilst at a church service.  God gave her an additional two years of life however, when she had a recurrence of her illness she was taken back
\n to the church where she was married in Jalandhar to be prayed over by the same Pastor. They left Jammu Kashmir on 11th January 2017 and initially during
\n the prayer sessions Seema showed some improvement. Tragically Seema passed away on the 15th of January and tearfully Rinku brought her back to Jammu
\n Kashmir to be buried. <\/p>\n

News of the burial reached family members of Seema who started a number of rumours that she had been murdered by her husband Rinkhu and had been forcibly
\n been converted to Christianity, 'as she could not have willingly quit her Hindu faith' said one of her uncles to a local newspaper. <\/p>\n

The tale that Seema's husband had caused his 'Hindu wife's' death reached a number of Hindu fanatics from extremist group Bajran Dal and they galvanized
\n a mob of over 300 people who arrived at Sehal Christ Church and started to smash the building and then set it ablaze, intent on seeking revenge for
\n the murder of Seema.  Christians attending the church for prayers were beaten by the mob and 12 people were seriously injured of which 2 were
\n officers of the local people who tried to intervene to stop the violence which spread from the local church to Christian run businesses, causing thousands
\n of pounds worth of damage.  During the violence the exhumed body of Seema was also set on fire before the church – a macabre act that set fear
\n into local Christians. <\/p>\n

It was later said that the burning of the body was a Hindu ritual for the burial of Seema that was desired by her parents but denied to them by her
\n Christian husband Rinkhu.<\/p>\n

Many local Christians fled to the nearby woods and hid there till the violence was over.  Threats were made by the violent mob that they would
\n burn Rinkhu in his home, but somehow he escaped after receiving a severe beating but was later arrested by local police with 7 other Christians. 
\n Rinkhu remains in prison however the other Christians have all been released. Not one of the Hindus involved in the mob attack have been arrested in
\n a clear travesty of justice. <\/p>\n

Christians who attended the church are being forcibly recoverted back to Hinduism or facing persecution and the local Pastor has had to go into hiding.<\/p>\n