Friday, 29th August 2008 - 10:05CET
Mellieħa residents concerned for Indian priest
An Indian priest who is a frequent visitor to Malta, having received generous financial assistance from the people of Mellieħa, has gone into hiding in the Orissa jungle of India amid strife that has seen several Christians killed in the Kandhamal region.
Fr Vijay Kumar Najak was forced into hiding after receiving several threats.
Hindu mobs have killed 11 people and extensively damaged more than a dozen churches and attacked Christian homes and an orphanage. The violence, now spreading to new districts, was sparked by the murder of a Hindu leader in Kandhamal, a tribal area where Christian missionaries have been active for years.
Police blamed the killings on local Maoist rebels taking sides in a controversy over religious conversions, but Hindus say Christians were to blame. The murdered leader had been heading a local campaign to reconvert Hindus and tribal people from Christianity.
The Pope has condemned the killings on both sides.
Dr Francis Saliba, a personal friend of the Indian priest, told timesofmalta.com that Fr Vijay’s family had now lost all contact with him and they were not sure if he was dead or alive. Their only contact had been through a cell phone but contact has now been lost. Something could have happened or the phone’s battery could have gone flat, Dr Saliba said.
Fr Vijay was helped to become a priest by donations from the people of Mellieħa. After his ordination Fr Vijay continued his studies in Rome and then returned to India. Whenever he comes to Malta, Mellieħa residents hold a collection for his parish, Dr Saliba said.
He urged readers to pray for him and other priests and parishioners in their hour of need.
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Comments
How lonely it must be for you up there in the rarefied - if self-created and delusional - atmosphere of self-importance where you clearly consider yourself to be intellectually superior; and how difficult it must be for you to tolerate, even consider exchanging comments with, those with who disagree with you. Such arrogance betrays an underlying inferiority complex of such proportions that it compels you to compensate for it by treating the other people expressing their concern here bħal dubbien.
In your arrogance, you made stupid and unfounded comments - stupidity and arrogance seem to go hand in hand - about the integrity of a man, Fr. Najak, who has dedicated himself to the poorest people in India. Others wrote in disagreement with you, and in a lapse of common sense and decency, you launched into an immature temper tantrum of derogatory comments about Christianity. Drifting off the topic, you changed direction to utter venomous comments about the religious belief of others.
One can only feel pity for you. Reading your comments, we can take comfort in the old Maltese adage – "Ħanqa ta' ħmar qatt ma telgħet is-sema."
http://orissaburning.blogspot.com:80
for information about the true state of affairs and the NHCR neglect to take any effective action
What exactly are you driving at?
By any chance do you want to impose a utopian state where everyone is compelled to belong to a single imposed culture, ethnicity of some superior race reminiscent of the "1000 Year Third Reich"?
Is the unifying "religion" you would recommend some form of "atheism" or "agnosticism?
And if not, would you please specify exactly what you mean?
Fr Vijay has now been traced safe but terrified in a government run refugee camp.
In the name of his family and in the name of the naive Mellieha Catholics I thank you.
"Christians enter the picture only as a targeted small minority in the Orissa region because it is attractive to the Hindu "untouchables" who appreciate a faith that preaches the equality of everyone in the sight of God."
Sort of religion of convenience. What convincing converts!
When shall we learn from the bitter experiences of other peoples? Diversity of religion, culture, ethnicity or race only brings civil strife. Strength in diversity indeed.
Answering your question about the type of Christian we are talking about:
We are talking about a Catholic priest who has given up a relatively comfortable life to devote his possessions and his time in the service of "untouchable" Hindus living in a degrading and abject poverty only to be libelled an unidentifiable A Magri with an insensate hate of anything Christian.
We are talking about a Catholic missionary who with thousands of his parishioners has had to flee into the forest so that they would not to be murdered. For his sacrifice he is rewarded by your slander that he may have absconded simply because in your prejudiced opinion and in the total absence of any element of proof there could be "a 5% chance of this wrongdoing".
We are talking about a priest slandered by you who,if I could re-establish contact with him and ask him to empower me to take legal steps in his name against you for libel and slander would only ask me to pray for you instead.
We are talking about Mellieha villagers who, because they practice Christian charity, are insulted by you as "naive" meaning stupidly gullible.
Shame on your evil stubborness!
Which Christians are you talking about? Those who oppose the right for one to divorce or the right to don a condom? Or those who believe that the lack of church attendance guarantees a one way ticket to Hell? Could it be perhaps that I dislike Christians preaching about the principles of Jesus Christ but live in exaggerated riches while half the world dies of hunger?
We have enough hypocrites already, don't make it worse.
Had it not been for your manifest anti-Christian bias you would have realised long ago that the deadly religious riots in India are mainly instigated by the Hindu majority and most frequently against the Moslem community. Christians enter the picture only as a targeted small minority in the Orissa region because it is attractive to the Hindu "untouchables" who appreciate a faith that preaches the equality of everyone in the sight of God.
This evident truth is unacceptable to those who, it seems, do not miss any opportunity to attack the Catholic faith.
You have absolutely no grounds to presume that the charitable Maltese who support Christian missions abroad are not equally supportive of charities towards illegal immigrants. Your attitude suggests one more instance of instrumentalising any dispute and twisting it into an attack on our Christianity.
I have already encountered a similar prejudice against the Maltese population when we were glibly accused of being unworthy descendants of those who welcomed St Paul when he was shipwrecked on our shores.
Your intentions have been abundantly clear from the outset. You are slandering an innocent priest by shameful suspicions and making vile accusations which everyone knows must be false. The donations to Fr Vijay have long been spent to our satisfaction in paying for his studies for the priesthood in India and Rome and contributing to the building of churches, orphanages and schools now razed to the ground as shown in the international press. Nothing would have remained from donations made made many years ago. Moreover he is one Christian among thousands who are known to have fled into the forest fearing for their lives and not having any chance to take anything with them. That is common knowledge and not the naive belief of the people of Mellieha. Apart from your prejudice there is no proof whatsoever, not even your 5% wild guess, that could even remotely justify your slander that this priest has absconded with anything.
Once again: To err is human but to persist in that error is diabolical.
You are the odd one out stubbornly closing your eyes so that you will not see the truth evident to everybody else.
First of all please refrain from posting kinder sayings such as 'to err is human. To persist in error is diabolical." It makes you look like you got your doctorate through correspondence.
You have still not figured out my intentions and therefore I will make one last effort to make them clearer to you before I indulge in other important activities.
The difference between you and me is that while you are 100% certain that the priest has not 'escaped with the donations', I am giving that a small possibility, say 5%. If you do not wish others to express that view, you might find a place like China more comfortable to live in.
If a Maltese priest disappeared with the money, I'd be equally concerned so sorry to disappoint you - it's not because he's Indian just in case you would like to vilify me further by playing the racist card.
If Melliehatians found me insulting I suggest that they find other ways to fritter away the day instead of picking on petty comments.
I wish Fr. Najak well and hope he's in good health.
No you didn't enter into that discussion, I agree - however by your baseless comments with regards to "christians" and your generalisations about them, this is after all what you were implying. I find your comments immature, babyish, and simply aimed at trying to look 'different'.
You may not have noticed but the attempt to convert Maltese Catholics to other religions has been going on for many years and places of worship, their residences are not being burned to the ground and no one is being persecuted for his non-Christian religious beliefs let alone murdered. I only know of the ransacking of the Curia at Floriana and you know who carried that out.
Before protesting, please think about the reaction of the Maltese if a Muslim/Hindu etc were to come to Malta and attempt to "convert" Christians.
Truth is, religion is divisive per se - I find it astonishing that otherswise intelligent people can fervently believe that they are correct and hundreds of millions of Hindus/Christians/Muslims are in error.
I did not enter the discussion as to whether 'Jesus Christ is the lord or not'. The rest of your post is of course astonishingly puerile and I'll leave you to your insults just so you feel better about yourself.
And I am generally right about what I say.
(Tongue in cheek, of course! :-) )
You say that "This how most Christians behave after all, preaching one thing and doing the exact opposite." and go into a tirade of how people's comments are "boring and predictable"..
As a non-christian, I take it upon myself to tell you; your comments in this case are a shame on people everywhere, and you must be a fool to think christianity comes into play in this case. We are talking about the safety of a human being, rather than entering the whole discussion of whether Jesus Christ is the lord or not. You are mixing issues and shaming all of us by your immature and unintelligent comments. I will not ask you to apologise or pray or anything of the sort; I just stand in awe of people such as you and their incredible stupidity.
After reading through all your comments (not just the first line) I cannot detect any sound basis for your claimed "right to suspect in Fr Nayak's wrongdoings". Is it because he is an Indian? Is it religious bias because he is a Catholic priest? What gives you the right to feel so superior and so supercilious towards the residents of Mellieha?
Give us one good reason why we should disregard the world-wide acceptance that Orissa Christians are seeking refuge in the forests to escape being murdered. Why should we accept instead your ridiculous slander that the Father may be escaping with the donations given to him by the charitable folks of Mellieha?
What must we do to conform to your concept of Christian charity? Should we allow you to slander an innocent priest without uttering a word in his defence?
To err is human. To persist in error is diabolical.
Once you read only one sentence here's my last one: If anything you have insulted your personal dignity by showing lack of sympathy and solidarity with someone who is really suffering.
How's that for a first line?
The people of Mellieha deserve respect for their good will and faith.
As if you don't fall in that way to every subscriber that dares input a comment in these blogs. Very tolerant!!
Wrongdoings should never be allowed unnoticed.
I have not read more than one sentence from each of your comments because I find them to be utterly boring and predictable.
I stress that it's my right to question the behaviour of priests and even the pope if need be. To all those who took offence over the word naive I can only say one thing - get a life!
...whilst on the semantic theme, why not look up the words 'opinion' and 'insult'? It seems you yourself are oblivious to the sharp contrast between the two.
You have the right to express your opinion about anything under the sun but do you have the right to insult? You could have simply voiced your doubts about this Indian priest but you chose to offend the people of Mellieha by calling them naive.
An apology to them on this blog should clear the matter.
it must be wonderful to be so smug and be so quick to judge peoples actions. I hope to God that you or any members of your family are never in need of assistance, financial or otherwise or you will be waiting a long time. have you ever heard of the phrase ''do unto others what you would like done to you''.
You insist you have insulted no one. Very true because real Christians follow the teaching of the Lord when he siad 'love thy enemies'. Hence they feel sad about your comments but stay away from reverting to sarcasm especially in the face fo such ferocious persecution as is being reported in the international media. (May I remark that the Indian authorities are suspecting the killing of the HIndu leader was the work of communist groups but Hindus are conveniently blaming Christians to justify their aggression).
If anything you have insulted your personal dignity by showing lack of sympathy and solidarity with someone who is really suffering.
Let's say that there is a very small possibility, but you have to agree that there is a much much greater possibility that the priest did nothing wrong.
So you're just being negative, very negative I must say, and the comment you passed on the Mellieha people is completely out of place. Or else you're doing it just because you like to be different.
You stated :
"I have a right to suspect in Fr. Najak's wrongdoings. A small possibility remains a possibility nonetheless. I therefore owe no apology to anyone as I have insulted no one.",
Do I have the same right to suspect that you have ulterior motives? A small possibility remains a possibility and I suspect in your wrongdoings. And according to your same argument, I do not owe you any apology!
Nice day to all
It is amazing the quality of venom from the anti-God brigade in the Times whenever something to do with Church is written. On the other hand we are all having proof of what these militant secularists are capable of. But still, the gates of hell shall not prevail!
NIxtieq nirringrazzjawk ta kollox , u nifmuk li m'hemm'x ghalfejn jiddispjacik ghalina l-Melliehin.
NAive? le hi .....hadd ma qala. ........ha toqdu taqbdu ma MAgri!!!! The heart holds answers the brain refuses to see........qeddd tifemmmmmm!!!
from .....Melliehi poor
I am disgusted by your later comments; if you have any sense of decency you should be hanging your head in shame for your baseless slander of a good, generous priest and the people of Mellieha. This priest lives in poverty among the Hindu "untouchables" when he could have been assisting his bishop in the Curia in relative comfort.. He sells all the personal presents we send to him so as to provide clinics, orphanages, schools and churches and to provide a safe water supply for Hindu "untouchables".
I know what I am taking about but you don't. I accept your challenge and dare you to discuss anything if you have any proof to support your shameless slander of a good priest and his terrified parishioners who are hiding from a murderous mob burning them alive in their homes and not absconding with generous donations that have long ago been spent on social services building now burnt to the ground as shown on the international media.
You also should make an unreserved apology to the charitable people of Mellieha whom
you accuse of being "naive" and who, according to you, do "not dare to discuss" your slanderous insinuations.
Wars, persecutions and ethnic cleansing in the name of religion are historical facts which no amount of chest beating can deny.
But I agree with you, although it's a much more recent phenomenon, I'll add communism too. Ironically, the way it controls thought, communism is not that different from the religions it sought to eradicate.
I suggest you look up the word naive since it's pretty obvious you're oblivious of the word's true meaning.
I have a right to suspect in Fr. Najak's wrongdoings. A small possibility remains a possibility nonetheless. I therefore owe no apology to anyone as I have insulted no one.
The persecution of Christians in many countries round the world is routinely ignored by politically-correct Western politicians and media. It is either ignored completely, or else there would be an attempt to shift the blame on the victims.
Whilst i do not consider myself as a very religious man, i was really shocked to read your comments. Maybe you were being snide or sarcastic but to be perfectly honest I found your views in very bad taste. Well done Mellieha people for being so 'naive'. I am sure that the absolute majority of the Maltese are as 'naive' as you are. Keep up the good work and may this priest be found in good health.
Xi nghidu mela ghall-Komunisti ateisti li inqdew bir-religjon biex iggeldu lin-nies bejniethom u joqghod joghxew jaraw lill-persuni innocenti jinqatlu bl-aktar mod brutali??
Tfal u nisa jinharqu hajjin, irgiel jigu maqtula b'mod l-iktar atroci, etc etc.... Imbghad jghidu li l-ateizmu ihobb u jirrispetta lill bniedem bhala persuna SHIHA!
Emmini ma nistax nifhem fejn qed jaraw ir-rispett shin x'hin joghxew bil-mewt ta' tfal, nisa u tant persuni innocenti.... Ma nikkundannawx pls Mr/s Xuereb
As usual a typical person jumping the gun, (it seems that we have many of them). Or at least ,we hope he does and learn from his mistakes....
To pass such a contemptuous and insulting comment about the people of Mellieha in general doesn't do you any credit. On the contrary your NAIVE (allow me to use the same word) and unpleasant remark, raise the question who is actually the most naive on the island?
There is nothing naive in sponsoring a native Indian Catholic missionary who has spent his life improving the life of Hindu "untouchables" by providing them with dignity, water, schools, orphanages to such an extent that the upper crust Hindu castes are trying to kill him and those same "untouchables" on whom they had been preying? Ghandi was assassinated by fellow Hindus for much the same reason.
Even the Indian state police, who cannot be accused of pro-Christian bias, have declared that the murder of the Hindu leader that set off these riots was plotted by Communist Maoist rebels to create trouble.
If according to your poor judgement the Mellieha people are "naive" that would be much better than being considered callous and insensitive.
Tidher li ma tafx x'inhu jigri siehbi/siehba! Fil-kaz fittex wahda xi agenzija tal-ahbarijiet u malajr issir taf ghalfejn qed jistahbew.... Nahseb meta ssir taf tisthi ftit bik innifsek li ppruvajt titfa dubju fuq dan is-sacerdot u l-insara tal-post li bhalissa ghaddejin minn martirju fil-veru sens tal-kelma.
Nitolbok ma tiggudikax fejn ma tifhimx. U itlob skuza lill Melliehin KOLLHA!
Dejjem Tieghek
lets not waste time commenting on comments that say so much about the author without saying anything about the subject. may this person be back to his mission soon.
Will have to agree with J Tonna and C Chircop on this one. Honestly, are you serious?
The phrases "having received generous financial assistance" and "has gone into hiding" in the same sentence should raise a few alarms. This might not be so, but it's a possibility that the author of the article and the people of Mellieha dared not discuss.
That is a very bad comment to make since it holds no substance, it is completely out of context, and moreover it is tasteless in the context of the ongoing tragedy in the Kandhamal Region of India.