INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM
Indian Rationalist Association
P.O.Box 9110, New Delhi 110 091, India
Phone: +91-11-2253255 +91-11-8539526 Fax:+91-11-2256042
E-mail:sakth-@giasdla.vsnl.net.in
ALLIANCE BULLETIN-8 27 March 1999 All reports and informations in this bulletin can be reproduced by
recipients. Please acknowledge the source while reproducing:
"Alliance Against Fundamentalism Bulletin".
In this issue: -Attacks on Christians in India: Setting the records straight. -No more holy ash: Rationalists' campaigns exposing Sai Baba show results. -New Developments concerning the disappearance of Madalyn Murray O' Hair. -International Rationalist Conference: Registration open now.
ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS IN INDIA:
SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
-Sanal Edamaruku Since December 1998, reports about Hindu fundamentalist attacks on Christians in India are going around the world. We strongly condemn all acts of communal violence and all attempts to tilt the balance of peaceful co-existence of people of different religious believes or ethnic origins by hate campaigns. Fundamentalism and communalism of all provenience will find us in the defence of the victims. For us, all victims are equal. But, sometimes, like in Orwell's Animal Farm, it turns out that some are more equal than others... While communal violence against Muslim targets in India remain widely unnoticed abroad, the international public reacted extremely alarmed when some attacks on Christian institutions in south Gujarat have been reported in last December. As a border state to Pakistan, Gujarat has a long history of communal
conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. In 1969, two thousand people died in five
weeks of communal clashes. In 1989, violence broke out in Attacks on Christians have started recently only. The issue of growing
conflict between Hindus and Christians in the tribal areas of Gujarat
is the ongoing conversion by zealous missionaries, sponsored with
foreign funds. The number of tribals who have been made Christians,
has fast increased during the last fifteen years. In most cases, the
proselytes have simply been lured by hope of improvement of their
social and financial situation (often a family member would be promised
a job in a Christian institution). The Hindus allege that in some cases
conversions took place under pressure and under force. They want the
converted to reconvert and do not hesitate to use pressure and
threatenings themselves. In July 1998, three hundred Bibles were burnt
in a mission school in Rajkot in protest against alleged attempts of
the school authorities to forcibly convert students. In October, the
state government threatened an evangelist with legal action if he
continued his preaching and healing meetings in Gandhi Nagar. Delegates
of the National Christian Conference in Baroda in October 1998 were
beaten up. On 25 December, communal riots spread in Dangs district,
when some converted tribals threw stones on an anti-Christian
demonstration by a local radical Hindu group. The Hindus then went on
rampage, beaten up Christians and demolished a Christian school. Within
six days, several village churches have been set on fire, before police
forces took control of the situation. 150 people were arrested, most
of them released on bail.
These events have been highlighted in the international press.
Headlines like "Hindu mob attacks churches in India" (Financial Times),
or "Christians targeted in Hindu hate campaign" (Daily Telegraph)
described quite correctly what had happened, but presented the events out
of context and out of proportion.
While reports about the riots in Dangs have been essentially correct, there have been other sensational reports, giving wrong impressions. When, for example, in another district of south Gujarat, weeks later two tribal youth were found killed in the forests, front page headlines like "Two Christians murdered in Gujarat" did not take into account that those who killed them have been Christians too: neighbours in a feud. In January 1999, the rape of four nuns in Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh has shaken the international public. Being undoubtedly a ghastly and condemnable crime, the attack is, however, to be seen in the background of the thousands of rapes reported every year (a major section of the victims have been less than 15 years!) While several cases of brutal rape of little children happened at the same time with nobody outside India taking any notice of it, foreign governments have called Indian diplomats to express outrage about the rape of the nuns. _Meantime the Madhya Pradesh state government has completed the investigation of the case and arrested the suspects. It turns out that there are as many Christians as non-Christians amongst them and that the crime had obviously not been committed in connection with communal conflicts, but with local animosity: the church had taken a side in a dispute between two contending groups and the nuns became the victims of revenge. The latest example comes from the Congress ruled state of Orissa: Communal
violence against Christians, so was reported, broke out in Ranalai village in
Ganjapati district; in a flare-up on 16 March, The representatives of the Christian churches are very vocal spreading the news of Christian martyrdom and the Western world seems to be very receptive for anything which seems to fit into this cliche. Often the informers are not too bothered about the truth as long as the story suits the holy purpose. After the rape of the four nuns in Madhya Pradesh, a local bishop obviously promoted a nun to fabricate a tale of rape. Sensational headlines flashed once more, but medical investigation could not find any trace of the attack. The clothes which she was wearing during the alleged incident had been burnt by the lady herself before filing the police report! The first and strongest reaction on the riots of Dangs came from the USA: the US ambassador to India met representatives of the government and conveyed in strong words that he took "exception" to the events. Some days later, Clinton invited Indian churchman Dayal, who was fast to organise demonstrations against the persecution of Christians in india, for his famous prayer breakfast. The American interest in communal conflicts in India has to be seen on the background of the fact that in October 1998 the "International Religious Freedom Act" has become law in the USA. A new wing of the state department's human rights bureau has started monitoring religious freedom in the world. Though we appreciate that the Human Right on religious freedom and the freedom of conscience are to be protected, we would prefer to see this task in the hands of a multi-national and democratic body whose secular character is guaranteed. Under pressure of ecumenical lobbies, the US Congress may any time feel "forced" to drive the wedge of the new law against any country.
Further articles about the attacks against Christians in MODERN FREETHINKER April 1999: -The Evangelisation of India: The plight of Christian neo-converts. -The case
Graham Staines. NO MORE HOLY ASH:
RATIONALIST'S CAMPAIGNS
EXPOSING SAI BABA SHOW RESULTS
-K.G.Gopal "To uplift His devotees and to provide them merit the Lord in His mercy has Himself come down to Delhi" -rejoiced a full page newspaper advertisement on 11 March 1999, announcing the arrival of Sathya Sai Baba, the godman of India's rich and powerful, in the capital. Sai Baba visited Delhi after a gap of seventeen years to inaugurate the multi million "Sai International Centre", which houses Delhi's largest auditorium. Amongst other dignitaries the Indian Prime Minister was scheduled to attend the function. Sai Baba is seen as the most powerful Indian godman. His public appearances are marked by the presence of half the Indian cabinet, his devotees include top politicians across all partylines, diplomats, high bureaucrats and the top industrialists of the country. His seventieth bithday in 1995 was a state event and kept high profile national media attention over several days. _Who expected his visit to Delhi to be a similar public sensation, was disappointed. Something had changed. Sai Baba's power connections may still be intact and he may still be India's godman number one (atleast since his competitor Chandra Swamy is facing criminal prosecution), but the fame of his miraculous capacities has taken serious damage since the days of his glory. Sai Baba's visit to Delhi showed that the public awareness about the simple tricks behind his allegedly divine "miracles" has increased considerably, thanks to the work of rationalists. "Sai Baba has a trick up his sleeve, Rationalists tell PM", titled The Asian Age, one of the leading national English newspapers, slovenly. It was reported that Sanal Edamaruku had called upon Prime Minister Vajpayee to abstain from Sai Baba's function, as the PM prostrating himself in front of the religious leader was a contravention of the secular principles envisaged in the Indian constitution. More over, Sanal was quoted denouncing Sai Baba as charlatan and fraud and challenging him to perform his "miracles" under fraud-proof conditions. This challenge had been already put up back in 1965 by the famous rationalist Prof. Abraham Kovoor who was the first to expose Sai Baba's "miracles". Since then Indian Rationalist Association had from time to time called upon Sai Baba in public fora and in letters to face up to their demand, but for more than thirty years now the Baba kept mum. _Meantime, the Asian Age quoted Mr Edamaruku, Sai Baba was caught red- handed: During the celebrations of his 69th birthday, he "materialised" a golden chain by plucking it away from the bottom of a plaque, where it had been pasted up. The scene was filmed by a cameraman of the national TV Doordarshan. Though Doordarshan had blacked out this clipping, copies of a smuggled out cassette from Doordarshan studios were circulated all over India and abroad. The famous British documentary "Guru Busters" on Indian Rationalists, which was originally telecasted by Channel IV in the UK in 1995, reproduced this clipping in slow motion. The documentation has by now been shown in twelve countries. Sai Baba or his institutions have not denied its authenticity so far. Sanal Edamaruku's statements in The Asian Age, followed by reports in several other newspapers and the evening TV news during the next days, sent out shock waves. Alarmed by the Prime Minister's Office, police appeared in the head quarters of Indian Rationalist Association to politely enquire about further action plans. Did we prepare a demonstration at the Sai International Centre? Did we plan to embarass the the Prime Minister or the Baba during the inauguration? Or did we already sent our 'troups' to the air port to ridicule Sai Baba upon arrival? We told them that we did not intend to do either, but to be on the safer side, security arrangements were stepped up massively. Police was there in all its strength during the few public appearances of the godman. For all greeting ceremonies and "darshans", the public was moreover strictly limited to hand picked VIP devotees with invitations, amongst them besides the Prime Minister (who did not abstain), India's Vice-President, the former President, several cabinet ministers, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the speaker of the parliament. If there was a crowd, it consisted of volunteers of Sai Baba's organisation: eight thousand volunteers were brought to Delhi and camped for several days in the premises of a big school complex. They were entrusted to look after the security and other arrangements for the functions. But not only the general public was barred from his meetings. Especially the media were kept at safe distance from the Baba. Most of the few press photos which appeared had to be taken with tele-objectives. The godman made it a point that during the "darshans" all press personnel had to leave the premises. Sai Baba has become very careful. So, this time there was not a single picture, neither in the print media nor in television, that showed Sai Baba in action performing "miracles". Not even his trade mark miracle -producing holy ash- was seen. There was not a crumb of holy ash altogether. Sai Baba's media appearance was limited to comparatively short reports, most of them in the inner pages and marred by mentionings of the rationalists' criticism. Some TV channels did not cover the event at all. But holy ash was produced abundantly the next day. The Star Plus TV science show "Eureka!" had invited Sanal Edamaruku as special guest to show and speak about so-called miracles and he explained all of Sai Baba's trade secrets including the producing of holy materials from the mouth of a volunteer. Since he was not a godman, but a sportsman, he explained to the amused audience in the studio, no holy statues would come from his mouth, but table tennis balls. THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
MADALYN MURRAY O' HAIR
On September 4th 1995, Dr Madalyn Murray O' Hair, then president of American Atheists, her son Jon Garth and her grand daughter Robin left their offices in American Atheists head quarters in Austin, Texas, and never came back. Nobody knows what happened to them and except some rather confusing calls to their collegue Ellen Johnson via cell phone, which went dead by the end of September, nobody has ever heard from them again. It is suspected that extremist Christian groups have abducted and killed the three atheist leaders. Madalyn Murray O' Hair was "the nation's most prominent atheist", stated a world wide press note these days, reporting the auctioning of her Bible and other personal belongings. She made history by forcing the abandoning of organised prayer from public schools with a 1963 court case and founded American Atheists, a vibrant organisation with several thousand members. She was involved in atheist activities all around the world. Her exceptional courage and indefatigable fight mood against all religions have been a source of inspiration for the the international atheist movement. In 1983 she organised, together with Finnish Freethinkers, a World Atheists Meet in Helsinki. Indian Rationalist Association has been closely associated with her over several years and remembers her with deep respect. (An account on her life and work as well as on the state of the investigation was given in MODERN FREETHINKER in 1997.) The disappearance of Murray O' Hairs has evoked rancor amongst the legions of their open and secret enemies. Rumours spread that they have stolen the money of their organisation and escaped to undisclosed destinations. A lot of suspicions have been voiced against the victims. We know with concern that even leaders of international organisations sharing Madalyn Murray O' Hair's cause started sneering at her "style" and doubting her integrity. Trying to set up a solidarity campaign for the Murray O' Hair's and their bereaved and troubled organisation, we met with stiff resistance. It seems time is coming to prove the doubtful wrong. There are new findings in the case, suggesting that Madalyn Murray O' Hair, Jon Garth and Robin have met with a cruel fate and that there are influential powers pulling the wires. Long after police investigations, carried out with remarkable negligence from the beginning, had come to a deadlock, a newspaper in San Antonio hired a private investigator. It is believed that after their disappearance from Austin, the Murray O' Hairs have been in San Antonio for some time during which the telephonic conversation with Ellen Johnson took place. In August 1998, it was found that together with the three atheist leaders, another person had vanished: one Danny Fry from Florida, who seems to have been together with them in San Antonio. Danny Fry, it is learned, had been called to Austin to do a high paid "job". Who called him was one David Waters who is not unknown to American Atheists. AA Newsletters report that in 1993, David Waters, a criminal with long record including burglary and murder, applied with faked references for a job in American Atheists head quarters. He worked there as a type setter for two months, using the time for spying out all vital information of the organisation with professional efficiency, including all details of their money management and the code of the security system. During some days of absence of the Murray O' Hairs, he tried to ruin the organisation by a well planned act of sabotage, including the theft of computer and data base and the whole money from the organisation's bank accounts. Though the case was very clear, and he even admitted to the theft of the money, and though he had a long record of prior convictions, he never went to jail for these crimes, obviously thanks to "high protection". As well police as judiciary of Texas did not hesitate to violate their duty and to break rules to save him. A mysterious "California group" is said to have paid a high profile lawyer for his defence. This obviously highly connected criminal turns out to be a key figure in the case. In February 99 issue of AA Newsletter, Ellen Johnson, who succeeded Madalyn Murray O' Hair as the president of American Atheists, reports about the latest developments: There have been some startling developments concerned with the disappearance of Madalyn O' Hair, Jon Murray and Robin Murray O' Hair. The following information was reported in the The San Antonio Express News. The man known as Danny Fry who is believed to have been with the Murray O' Hairs during all or part of the time that they were in San Antonio, was murdered right after communication between us and the family was cut off. Apparently his body was dumped in southeastern Dallas County on October 2, 1995. His head and hands were crudely amputated. His clothings, head and hands have not been found. Recent DNA tests identified the body. The Murray O' Hairs have still not been found. After phone contact with the family was ended in late September, Fry went to David Waters' home in Austin. Water is the former office manager and convicted theif, forger, and murderer who stole $ 54,000 from American Atheists in 1995. David Waters claims he had only a passing encounter with Fry in 1995, yet Fry's last recorded phone call was made from Walter's Austin apartment at 2.47 p.m. on September 30, 1995, when he called his daughter in Florida saying he would be home soon. Forty-eight hours later he was dead. Apparently he wasn't smart enough to get far away. He foolishly hung around Texas, and after visiting with David Waters, went to a bar in Dallas and got drunk. While in Texas, Danny Fry sent a letter to his brother Bob saying that if he wasn't back by a certain date, that meant that something serious had happened and that he should contact the authorities and bring in David Water's name, and Waters "planned what we did", recalled Bob. Bob Fry called Waters and told him about the letter and then Waters and another unidentified man went to Bob Fry's house in Florida demanding the letter. Bob Fry told him that the letter had been destroyed. Waters told Bob that they were involved in something really heavy in Texas and the people who planned it wanted them to get the letter back. And if they didn't, the people would come and get it, and "they wouldn't be as nice". Waters denies that the incident took place. Our hearts go out to Danny Fry's family, who are the innocent victims in all of this. We will keep you informed of any more new developments as we learn of them.
INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE
AND THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF
INDIAN RATIONALIST ASSOCIATION
The 50th anniversary of Indian Rationalist Association and the 2nd International Rationalist Conference will be held at Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala state in south India from 26 to 31 December 1999. Wake up to the new millennium in the most developed and beautiful south western coastal strip of India. Rationalists, atheists, humanists, secularists and freethinkers from all around the world are expected to participate. Attractive back water journey, traditional dances, music and many more attractions. Registration fee: (Registration fee includes working lunch for 5 days and tea, coffee; and all congress documents) You may add contribution for travel assistance for delegates from Third World countries. Participants from the Third World may contact for subsidised rates and travel assistance. All payments are to be made by cheque favoring Trivandrum has inexpensive but neat and decent hotels. A list of hotels and details/ assistance for travel within India will be avilable on registration. Please send your registration to:
Indian Rationalist Association
P O Box 9110
779, Pocket 5, Mayur Vihar 1,
New Delhi 110091, India.
For any further details, please feel free to contact
Phone: +91-11-2253255
Answerphone: +91-11-8539526
Fax: +91-11-2256042
E-mail: sakth-@giasdla.vsnl.net.in
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