This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The internet confirms that there remains ongoing concern over a Hindu behemoth, a 90-foot statute of religious figure Hanuman, which was dedicated recently in Sugar Land, Texas. There have been protests at the site of the huge religious figure, and there are negative opinions expressed online.
Even First Amendment-protected ridicule of the "monkey god."
But that's far short from the "violent" harassment and attacks happening to Christians and their churches in India, where Hindus are the vast majority.
It is International Christian Concern that as recently as a few months ago documented how, "Christians in India are increasingly finding that the world's largest democracy — and recently the world's largest country overall — is no friend to religious freedom."
The organization that monitors religious persecution around the globe said, "India is often celebrated as the world's most populous democracy. Though true, this factoid does little to protect the millions of non-Hindu religious minorities that call India home. In recent years, religious freedom in the country has rapidly deteriorated in a slide led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the large cohort of Hindu nationalists he encourages and leads."
In fact, the report said there are legal barriers to conversion from Hinduism to Christianity, and there's "mob violence."
"Communal-level groups violently harass and attack Christian churches and pastors in remote areas of the country," the report said.
Further, even "government abuse."
"In a dozen states around the country, laws claiming to prohibit forced conversions criminalize sharing the gospel."
And then the government prohibits "poor Christians and Muslims from receiving government benefits available to similarly-situated Hindus, creating a very real barrier to conversion."
"As it fights for greater influence on the international stage, the Indian government seems to be trying to burnish its reputation as a land of welcome and inclusion. Sadly, this narrative bears little semblance to reality," the ICC said. "Modern-day India is awash with religious hatred and the political repression of unfavored religions. Its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, peddles extremist Hindu nationalism and a political philosophy that leaves little room for Christians and other religious minorities.
"Hindu nationalists attacking Christian churches and pastors enjoy nearly complete immunity from the Modi-led government as they harass and even kill. They routinely walk free while the survivors of their attacks face trumped-up criminal charges. Less than 150 violent attacks against Christians were recorded in 2014, the year Modi came to power. That number has risen in the years since, with 2022 seeing an all-time reported high of more than 600 incidents, according to civil society leaders in India. In fewer than 40 of those cases, the authorities filed charges against the attackers, while in more than 100, they filed charges against the victim."
The report warned, "Charges against the victims of these mob attacks often center around the idea that they were forcibly converting someone to Christianity. Twelve states have laws outlawing forced conversions, but these laws are phrased to include nearly all minority religious activity, including preaching and community outreach programs."
Meanwhile, in America, there is documentation that there have been protests at the site of the Hanuman statue, which was unveiled last year.
It was raised at Sugar Land's Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, according to local reports.
The figure is titled, "Statue of Union," and reportedly now is the third tallest statute in the continental U.S., behind only the Statue of Liberty at 151 feet and the Pegasus and Drago in Florida, at 110 feet.
Christians and other conservatives have criticized the figure as "demonic" and have called it a "Hindu monkey god."
Newsweek pointed out Hanuman is "one of" Hinduism's "countless deities."
The Western Journal, in reporting on the opening of the exhibit, confirmed that was accompanied by a scandal over a "massive legal battle."
"In a lawsuit filed April 1, Fort Bend County resident Vijay Cheruvu claimed his 11-year-old son was branded on the shoulders by the temple in the course of a fervent religious ceremony. He seeks more than $1 million in damages," the report said at the time.
"The boy was allegedly branded while attending the ceremony with his mother and without Cheruvu's knowledge. The mother was allegedly branded by the temple in August 2023."
The branding left burn marks on the boy.
