have been killed in India by suspected Hindu militants within two weeks, BosNewsLife established Tuesday, February 27.
The advocacy group Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said Israel’s human remains were discovered in a canal near his home in the village of Pedapallparru, in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district, three days after he disappeared.
Pastor Israel, who supervised 15 churches, went missing following a prayer meeting on February 17, GCIC confirmed. "He did not come back from the prayer meeting [and] the family and church members [informed] the local police station. [However] they did not take any [immediate] action. Three days [later] his dead body was found in the canal," on February 20, the group added. Stab wounds were reportedly seen on his body.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but in published remarks Emmanuel Mission International, a major mission group, said Pastor Israel had earlier been threatened by Hindu militants because of his involvement in preaching the Gospel in the region.
EMMANUEL BIBLE INSTITUTE
Before becoming an evangelical pastor, Goda Israel graduated from Emmanuel Bible Institute in 2003. He leaves behind a wife and small children as well as "the churches’ members under his leadership," GCIC explained.
It was the second known killing of a Christian since February 10 when S. Stanley, a retired Public Service Commission employee of India’s south-western state of Kerala, "was stabbed to death" by angry young people in his home in the village of Pavaloor, GCIC’s National President Sajan George told BosNewsLife.
GCIC and other human rights organizations have expressed growing concern about what they see as an atmosphere of hatred towards active Christians in several areas of India, a predominantly Hindu nation. Several Hindu groups have complained about the spread of Christianity in the country. (With BosNewsLife reporting and BosNewsLife Research).
