From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sep 15: Christians of Bangalore offered mass prayers and expressed solidarity with the thousands of innocent people who are being persecuted and subjected to inhuman violence and other atrocities by the Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and other countries in the city on Sunday.

The Christians, led by Bangalore Archbishop Dr Bernard Moras, who is the President of the All Karnataka United Christians Federation of Human Rights (AKUCFHR) and the Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRCBC) and leaders of various denominations of Christians, took out massive silent protest march from St Patrick’s Church on Brigade Road to the St Joseph’s Indian High School Grounds on VittalMallya Road opposite Kanteerava Stadium, and held a massive rally braving the scorching sun as part of the observation of Black Sunday.

After the mass prayers, in which the leaders of different Christian denominations affiliated to AKUCFHR like Catholics, Church of South India, Methodists, Baptists, Pentacost, Syrian Orthodox, Assemblies of God and representatives of the FKCCA as well as Sri Shanthaveera Kolada Math Swamiji, BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashok, Shanthinagar Congress MLA N A Harris, Agha Khan and other leaders took part, addressed the large gathering of priests, nuns and other Christians. They also offered prayers for the victims and displaced persons in the flood havoc in Jammu and Kashmir.

Archbishop Moras, in his address, said it was a matter of deep concern and anguish to all people throughout the world, especially Christians, in view of the targeting of the religious minority by the fundamentalist and extremist Islamic group wantonly carrying out the genocide.

Over 1.75 lakh of Christians and people sympathetic to them had been massacred in Irag, Syria, Nigeria and other African countries by the ISIS terrorist organisation. ''We need to rise against such inhuman holocaust, brutal torture and murders. Our silence and non-responsive attitude would mean our consent and support to such violence and atrocities against humanity,” the Archbishop said.

The inhuman and brutal killings, torture, rape and other forms of atrocities must be put to an end and the entire civilised world must act to end the massacre. The extremist and terrorist groups have targeted innocent citizens of all religions and not just Christians. The exploitation and atrocities against innocent human beings and the sexual abuses of women must the ended, he said.

The Archbishop quoted the condemnation and anguish expressed by Pope Francis at the happenings in Iraq, Syria and other African countries and said: “The news reports coming from Iraq leave us in dismay and disbelief: thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; women taken and carried off; people massacred; violence every kind; destruction of historical, cultural and religious patrimonies. All this gravely offends God and humanity. Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God! War is not to be waged in the name of God,”

Pope Francis had made an impassioned impassioned plea for the world to halt the “slaughter” of Christians and other religious minorities by Islamic extremists and called on the international community to find “an efficient political solution that can stop these crimes,” as many consider them as tantamount to genocide” the Archbishop said quoting the remarks of the Pope.

Sri Shanthaveera Kolada Math Swamiji termed the happenings and killings in Iraq and Syria and brutality towards the innocent victims as nothing but acts of the devils and demons and must be condemned by all.

''The killing of Muslims by Muslims amounts to cheating Allah, the almighty,” he said and pointed out that no religion in the world has ever propagaterf violence. Everybody should realise this ideal and principle and end the violence.

Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashok said it was a matter of deep sadness and anguish that countries like Iraq, Iran, Syria and neighbouring Pakistan were breeding extremists and terrorists and were behind the genocide against innocent persons in the name of religion. The atrocities in Iraq, Iran, Syria and other African countries against Christians and other religious minorities must be condemned by all, he said.

The extremists and terrorists in Pakistan had not spared even the Indian soldiers engaged in the rescue operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the recent flood havoc and therefore all Indians must raise their voices against such forces, Ashok said.