ASIA/INDIA - Blasphemy against the Christian faith

Bombay (Agenzia Fides) - Cases of defamation and insult against the Christian faith are increasing in India. The "All India Bakchod" comedy group offered "unconditional apology" to the Catholic Church for the blasphemous jokes towards faith and Christian symbols used during a performance. In a note on Facebook, the group said it had met with the auxiliary Bishop of Bombay, Agnelo Gracias, and apologized for offending the religious sentiments of the Catholic community. As Fides learns, the Archdiocese of Bombay accepted the apologies. On January 28 the group had published a heavily blasphemous comic performance on the Internet channel youtube, which was then removed on February 4, after protests by Christian groups and complaints made to the police. In a note sent to Fides, the "Catholic Secular Forum" group rejected the apology of the group inviting the police to register an official complaint for blasphemy.
Another case, always registered in Bombay, the capital of Maharashtra state, the imminent release of a film, in cinemas and theaters of the metropolis, criticizes Christian missionaries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The missionaries are described as violent and bloodthirsty, engaged in aggressive proselytizing and portrayed as sexual predators of indigenous peoples of the Third World. Some Christian associations have already sent a preventive complaint to the police and have written to Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Prime Minister of Maharashtra state, asking to block the film's release. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 12/02/2014)