Update: Christmas festivities overshadowed by fear and assaults for believers

Christmas is a time for celebration, but in many places worldwide, the shadow of persecution looms large. In India, several incidents have brought suffering and disruption, and added to believers’ fears as they mark the Christmas season.

In India, the latest reports illustrate the intense difficulty which believers have experienced over the festive period. Whilst some have been able to celebrate Christ’s coming with joy, many have faced fierce harassment from community and government, as well as attack and invasion. 

Several states have reported incidents largely perpetrated by Hindutva extremists who disrupted church events and even attacked Christians celebrating. In Uttar Pradesh, Hindutva groups protested outside a cathedral on Christmas Eve, chanting a Hindu devotional hymn whilst a service was taking place. In Madhya Pradesh, four parishes were denied permission to carry out Christmas programmes and carol singing.  

Schools have been targeted for their celebrations also: in the states of Rajasthan and Nalbari, extremists stormed schools and proceeded to vandalise property, destroy decorations and accuse schools of forcing conversion. Nearby shops were then attacked and Christmas decorations burned. 

Even individuals in the streets wearing Christmas apparel have been harassed and threatened in continuous and unrestrained hostility. In Uttar Pradesh, a pastor and his wife were interrogated for their faith and verbally abused. An extremist then assaulted and threatened the pastor, demanding that he renounce his faith.  

In many parts of the world, 25 December is granted as a national holiday, but the Hindutva government of India ordered schools to remain open and students to attend. Further, it simultaneously commanded schools to host activities commemorating the birth of a former prime minister instead. 

National opposition 

Such examples are only a handful of the incidents which have affected Christians desiring to freely worship with other believers. It also marks an increase in nationalism, which fuels much of the violence experienced by our brothers and sisters. 

Despite claiming commitment to secularism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been silent on the attacks on Christians in recent weeks. Yet, in the face of this governmental silence, the online response to the spike of anti-Christian activity has been deafening. 

“Several social media influencers and opposition political leaders are outraged by the brutal attacks by extremist groups this Christmas,” says Priya Sharma*, an Open Doors local partner. “At the growing atmosphere of religious intolerance, they are speaking out against these atrocities.  

“Meanwhile, mainstream news outlets remained relatively inactive in reporting or commenting on these incidents, which are spread across the internet.” 

Christian leaders online and within India have spoken out against the suffering endured by believers over the Christmas period. Whilst the Ministry of Home Affairs shared in a statement that investigation into the hostility had commenced, many are sceptical as to the effectiveness of such action. 

A precarious new year 

Priya shares, “For many Christians, the season’s greetings have turned to season’s grieving in India this Christmas. Christians are only asking for protection under the law. They are asking for their rightful religious freedom and a safe place to worship. As Christ challenged those in power without raising a weapon, we Christians in India request your prayers, support and awareness for justice and freedom.”

Please continue to pray for brothers and sisters across India who begin the new year under the shadow of increasing persecution and pressure. 

Please pray: 

• For the safety of Christians in particularly hostile regions 

• That the government would take stronger steps to protect religious minorities and their freedom 

• For the Lord to strengthen His church in India, that they would have courage and shine as the light of Christ before their oppressors. 

23 December 2025

Update: several incidents reinforce vulnerability of believers over Christmas

Christians in India have faced attacks, threats, false accusations and cancelled celebrations in the run up to Christmas.

On 17 December, Hindu extremists burnt two churches and destroyed Christian homes in Kanker village, Chhattisgarh, following a dispute over the burial of a Hindu man whose son had converted to Christianity. Local officials stepped in and ordered exhumation of the body.

On the same day, a prominent Hindutva group urged Hindus to refrain from Christmas celebrations, asking institutions, shops and malls to avoid displaying festive decorations or mentioning “Merry Christmas”. The group said they were safeguarding India’s religion and culture.

The following day, on 18 December, Christmas celebrations were cancelled for postal workers in Kerala State. It comes after workers refused to sing a Hindu anthem, after pressure for it to be included in the company’s Christmas celebrations by a Hindutva group. The move has drawn widespread condemnation, with a state opposition leader appealing to the Union Government to protect its secular traditions and the dignity of Christmas celebrations.

Pastor confronted in viral video

In a similar incident, Hindu organisations in Kurukshetra, Haryana State, have issued a stern warning to schools against celebrating Christmas on 25 December. They’ve threatened to enter and disrupt any such events, viewing them as a threat to Hindu culture.

Meanwhile, a video has been circulated online showing a Hindu extremist confronting a pastor and speaking offensively about the birth of Jesus and Christian beliefs. Despite attempts by believers to intervene, the man and others are seen furiously chanting religious slogans and threatening those gathered to stop following Jesus. He also warned that the Bible would be banned in India, as it was not manufactured and printed in the country.

Elsewhere, two pastors and five other Christians have been falsely accused of forced conversions in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. The police also registered a case against five others after allegations of forced conversion and an assault against a tribal youth, with the latter accusation leading to protests by the tribal group. Several pastors and believers were beaten as tensions simmered.

Please pray

These troubling incidents have reinforced the uncertainty and fears of many Christians as they seek to celebrate the peaceful Christmas season. However, in good news, believers in other places have been able to safely enjoy various festive celebrations, activities and programmes.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family in India, and please pray for their protection over the coming days, for faith to be strengthened, and that the Holy Spirit will comfort and heal all those affected by these recent incidents.

19 December 2025

Pray for Indian Christians this Christmas

It is the season of Christmas and the New Year: a time when our hearts are filled with anticipation for reflection, celebration and unity with family and friends.   

However, for Christians in many parts of India, this season is overshadowed by uncertainty and fear. While they celebrate the birth of Christ, they also experience a time of heightened struggle from religious persecution, legal restrictions and cultural hostility.  

More than 2900 attacks 

“From January to November 2025, more than 2,900 incidents of persecution have been reported throughout India,” says Open Doors local partner Priya Sharma*. “In states like Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, religious extremists have become increasingly violent, targeting Christians. Churches have been closed, believers attacked, pastors imprisoned on false charges of coercive conversion and Christian families displaced from their homes, simply because of their faith in Christ.”  

The persecution was particularly severe in states where anti-Christian sentiment has been growing, fuelled by radical Hindu nationalist ideologies and laws which undermine religious freedom. Twelve states have passed anti-conversion laws, and several other states are gearing up to introduce such laws. While purporting to prevent forced or coerced conversion, these laws are often abused to target the country’s Christian minority with harassment, fines, imprisonment and even mob violence. 

This year, Uttarakhand has amended its anti-conversion law, making it stringent and harsher, while Rajasthan is the latest state to introduce the amended law. District administration in Chhattisgarh has passed orders to ban house churches and requires all churches to obtain permission for prayer and celebrations. The laws directly threaten the freedom of Christians to practise their faith openly and peacefully, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.  

Vulnerability at Christmas 

Christmas is a time when these threats often come to a head. “Many believers were victims of threatening, discrimination and violence in December 2024, especially during Christmas, at the hands of Hindutva and other religious extremists,” says Priya Sharma. “More than 60 incidents involving disruptions of Christmas gatherings or church services were reported across India.”  

These incidents include Hindutva – that is, extreme Hindu nationalist – groups disrupting a Christmas celebration in Haryana, claiming it was being used to lure people to convert to Christianity. Similarly, in Kerala a Christmas celebration in school was disrupted by extremists, who forced teachers and students to remove Christmas decorations and threatened not to celebrate Christmas in school.  

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, nearly 1,000 Christians were gathered for a service at the cathedral when a group of Hindutva followers disrupted the service with loud religious songs at the entrance. In Mumbai’s Kashimira, Hindutva extremists forcibly stopped a Christmas programme and even made children chant Hindu religious slogans.   

Schools and children were special targets of religious groups. In Jodhpur, Rajasthan, religious extremists chanting slogans vandalised a school and destroyed the Christmas banners and decorations. In Majuli, Assam, a prominent Vaishnavite Hindu leader publicly banned Christmas celebrations in the city, accusing them of using these festivals to try to aggressively convert Hindus and those following tribal religions. 

Please join in prayer 

These reports are the tip of the iceberg for our Indian brothers and sisters, as they try to commemorate one of the most significant dates in the Christian calendar. As we approach a season meant to be filled with joy, worship and fellowship, the fear of renewed hostility instead weighs heavily on many hearts.  

This holy time of the year should be a moment when every Christian, young or old, can gather freely to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet, for countless Christians, simple Christmas celebrations, charitable activities and New Year worship are overshadowed by threats and uncertainty.  

Throughout the year, Open Doors partners have reached out to the persecuted Christians through persecution survival and awareness programmes, urgent aid, presence ministry, trauma care and community and livelihood projects. These efforts aim to strengthen their faith and prepare them to face challenging circumstances.  

Please keep praying for our vulnerable church family. Priya Sharma asks: “We pray that this Christmas and New Year 2026 will be marked by peace, safety and unhindered worship and fellowship for all believers. May the comforting presence of Emmanuel be our refuge. May the Holy Spirit fill the celebrations with courage and assurance. And may the love of Christ continue to be our strength.”  

*Name changed for security reasons