News / Thoughts

Nepal: Churches bombed in unrest

Recently Nepal’s government rejected attempts to make the country revert back to a Hindu state. This sparked violent protests from those wishing to see the change enacted.

Churches were targets as bombs went off at two churches in Nepal’s easternmost Jhapa district late on 14 September. The churches suffered structural damage, but nobody was hurt, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Three police officers were injured on the morning of 15 September while attempting to defuse a bomb which reportedly failed to detonate at a third church. Pamphlets promoting the radical Hindu organisation, Hindu Morcha Nepal, were found at all three sites.

The BBC reports that 30 people have been killed in recent weeks “in violence over ethnic minorities’ appeals for better representation in the constitution”.

Rise in Hindu nationalism

Nepal became a secular state in 2007, after the abolition of the monarchy a year before, but the country has witnessed a rise in Hindu nationalism, led by the Rastirya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N).

Christians remain fearful over the expected adoption on Sunday (20 September) of the amended Article 31(3), which now states: “Any act to convert another person from one religion to another, or any act or behaviour to undermine or jeopardise the religion of another [will be] punishable by law.”

Attempting to convert someone to another religion is already prohibited in Nepal, but the expected amendments would mean that anything perceived as ‘evangelistic’ could be punishable by law. Christians fear this could eventually render all Christian activity illegal.

Thank you to those of you who have prayed for Nepal after we reported on the proposed changes to the constitution in August. Please persevere in prayer for our Nepalese brothers and sisters.

Sources: WWM; AP; Kathmandu Post; BBC

Please pray

• For protection for Christians and churches against extremist attacks
• For strength for Christians in Nepal, so that they can stand strong for their faith
• That freedom of religion would be protected in Nepal